Rectangular pieces of iron, threaded by silk through small holes from within, were woven into armor.
Each piece of iron had a dull sheen, occasionally giving off a hint of black light.
This was known as restrained luster.
The better the quality of the object, the more inconspicuous it appeared.
Ordinary knives, after a little polishing, would shine brightly, but after a short period, they would become dull and lusterless. Iron-made knives could maintain a persistent and stable shine.
As for Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel, it had a restrained luster; at first glance, it seemed nothing special, but upon closer inspection, its extraordinary nature became apparent.
That kind of dense luster emanating from within would grow on you the more you looked at it.
That's where the phrase 'unable to put it down' came from.
"How much for a full set of this armor?"
Qin Niu was just inquiring about the price for now. Once he had the funds, he could consider purchasing a set.
Wearing it could greatly enhance one's defensive capability.
"It's not something you can afford."
The shop assistant didn't even bother to mention the price.
These country bumpkins asked all sorts of questions but never bought anything in the end, wasting his time for nothing.
"This is Hundred-Tempering Black Armor, made of 1080 pieces of Hundred-Tempering Fine Steel. The inner part is threaded with bitter heavenly vine silk soaked in tung oil and then crafted by masters skilled in armor making. It ensures that each piece of armor is tightly joined without any flaws. There's also a soft and comfortable lining inside, with a certain proportion of Green Forehead Silkworm Silk, which is durable, wear-resistant, and can be passed down for generations. Its defense is incredibly strong. Whether it's arrows made of fine steel shot from a Ten-Stone Strong Bow or sharp fine steel weapons, none can penetrate its defenses."
The shopkeeper, however, came over with a smile and introduced the product to Qin Niu earnestly.
This shopkeeper was short and plump with a pair of Hu-style whiskers and a bulbous nose, paired with small green bean eyes—a spitting image of the legendary turtle Prime Minister.
"You might say that within the Mortal Realm, anyone under tenfold cultivation using ordinary weapons would have almost no hope of breaching its defenses. Of course, it depends on how the wearer uses it; nothing is absolute! As for the price of this armor, it's a bit expensive, costing five hundred taels of Silver Money for one set. If you're really interested, the shop might give you a slight discount, but there's not much room for negotiation."
When he heard that it cost five hundred taels of Silver Money per set, Qin Niu's heart nearly leapt out of his throat.
He had guessed that it wouldn't be cheap.
But he hadn't expected it to be so exorbitantly priced.
"Hehe, do you think it's a bit expensive? Good things come at a high price. Young brother, if you're using it for hunting in the mountains, I recommend buying leather armor instead. It's much cheaper, only thirty taels of Silver Money per set. Made of thick tri-layer cowhide, it's more than enough to ward off the claws of tigers and wolves."
True enough, you get what you pay for.
Though the price of leather armor was affordable, its defensive ability was limited.
There were also shields, breastplates, ordinary helmets, and other protective gear in the Armor Shop, likely all at no small cost.
Qin Niu had originally thought that selling a bear pelt for twenty-five taels of Silver Money meant he had a little bit of cash on hand. But stepping into such a luxury store, he couldn't even afford the cheapest leather armor.
"Thank you, shopkeeper. I'll come back to you when I have the money."
Qin Niu didn't look any further.
He needed to hurry to buy Cultivation Techniques, Insect Control Books, and other cultivation materials before it got dark and he could get home.
It was said that in the city, after nightfall, the public wasn't allowed to roam the streets at will.
Anyone caught violating this by the patrolling soldiers would be thrown directly into jail.
The prisons were dark places where people could be consumed without leaving bones.
Many women, once imprisoned, would often not live past three days. Being despoiled by the jailer and the guards was inevitable, and many women, unable to endure, would ultimately choose to commit suicide.
Those with more fiery natures often killed themselves the very night they were locked up.
Without a house in the city, one must get out before the gates closed, or it would be quite troublesome.
If one missed the leaving time, there was another option, which was to stay in an inn.
But it wasn"t cheap, costing at least a hundred Wen Money per night.
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If you include the cost of eating, you can't get by without one hundred and twenty or thirty Wen Money.
That's also why country folks are afraid to enter the city, with its expensive cost of living and high consumption which they simply can't afford.
"Little brother, remember the name of my shop, it's called True True Armor Shop. You won't go wrong buying armor from my place. When the time comes, I'll give you the best price I can."
The owner was very good at doing business.
Even though Qin Niu was just a poor country boy, the owner still received him warmly and personally.
Not far from the shop, Qin Niu heard a shop assistant's voice, "Uncle, that kid just now is a poor country bumpkin, he can't even afford a meal, why did you still introduce so much to him so enthusiastically?"
"What do you know! Don't just look at the surface when you see people. Although this young man is dressed in rags, his eyes are resolute, and he walks with extreme stability, as if he's carrying a mountain on his shoulders. People like him are likely to achieve great things in the future. Remember, when you meet someone who carries mountains, treat them well, and don't slight them."
The boss scolded the arrogant assistant.
A smile tugged at the corners of Qin Niu's mouth once again.
This boss is rather interesting.
Qin Niu never thought of himself as anything extraordinary; he simply wanted to live a little longer, free from restrictions, and that was all.
After leaving the footwear and clothing market, he headed straight for the Cultivation Market.
Black Tiger City seemed to have very strict management of cultivation resources, with only one Cultivation Market in the entire city. The items sold there, especially Cultivation Techniques, required registration and filing for each book.
If someone owned a particularly special Beast Pet, it also needed to be registered.
The purpose of this was for long-term peace and order.
To have an idea of which masters were under jurisdiction.
Moreover, once one's cultivation broke through to the Tenth Layer of the Mortal Realm, they also needed to register proactively.
The government would exempt these people from a certain amount of land tax and give them a monthly stipend. They would also enjoy certain privileges.
For instance, they didn't need to kneel when seeing officials, and if they committed a crime, they would be tried by a tripartite tribunal.
Black Tiger City was quite large, and it took him a quarter of an hour to finally arrive at the Cultivation Market.
He could see Black Armored Soldiers standing guard at the entrance.
He had been there three times already and was fairly familiar with the route.
Although there were only two Black Armored Soldiers on guard, if anyone dared to cause trouble, it would be like stirring up a hornet's nest.
If they found a formidable enemy, they would immediately call for backup.
Unless one had the power to take on the entire Black Tiger Gang alone, nobody would dare take the risk.
When Qin Niu passed by them, he was extremely cautious, truly not even daring to let out a heavy breath.
That damn oppressive feeling made him feel like a termite in front of the two Black Armored Soldiers.
Luckily, they were just standing guard, and as long as he didn't make trouble, they wouldn't bother with him at all.
Looking at the Hundred-Tempering Black Armor they wore, Qin Niu was truly envious, as it was high-grade equipment worth five hundred taels of Silver Money.
Some people might never have the chance to wear it in their lifetimes.
Now that he had successfully raised a colony of termites and his planting skills were continually improving, he believed that as long as he developed steadily, in a few years, he should be able to don such high-grade equipment as well.
Upon entering the Cultivation Market, it was much busier than the footwear and clothing market.
It could almost be described as a sea of people.
It seemed that the pursuit of becoming stronger through cultivation was much greater than the concern for food and clothing. After all, this was the most promising path.
"First go to buy Cultivation Techniques! If there's money left, then buy Insect Control Books."
Qin Niu would certainly not put the cart before the horse. Personal cultivation was the foundation, and beast pets were ultimately extraneous.
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