He was an old Southern Border man, his hair already gray and worn, dressed in tattered beast skin clothes, his left leg amputated at the knee, and his eyes abnormally sunken, obviously blind, looking utterly miserable.
Yuan Ming turned around and bought five more meat buns, then crossed to the other side of the street.
Although the old Southern Border man was disabled and blind, his face did not show much sorrow. He sat leisurely on the ground, holding a bamboo stick in each hand that resembled chopsticks, rhythmically hitting the broken bowl in front of him, producing a rhythmic "ding dong" sound.
A flicker of surprise crossed Yuan Ming's eyes. It was rare to see a beggar who seemed so content with his lot in life.
"Old uncle, what tune are you playing?" he asked as he sat down next to the old Southern Border man.
"A folk song from my hometown." The old man stopped his tapping, and his sunken eyes turned toward Yuan Ming.
"Eh, young brother, you've got some buns hidden away. Are they for this old man?" The old Southern Border man sniffed, chuckling as he spoke.
"I've just arrived in Iron Tiger Town, and first glance tells me you're a local, so I wanted to ask you some things." Yuan Ming did not deny it and handed over the meat buns.
"Big meat buns! It's been a long time since I've had these." The old Southern Border man, though blind, accurately caught the buns and swallowed them in two bites, his face showing a satisfied expression.
"For the sake of the buns, you can just ask away. I may be blind, but I know Iron Tiger Town like the back of my hand," he then said quite proudly.
This old Southern Border man was named Mandula, and he didn't hold back with Yuan Ming, as the two of them started to chat while eating.
"Uncle Latu, when I entered the city this morning, I saw a military recruitment notice outside the southern barracks. It said that people from the Qingmu Clan, Black Water Clan, Guozi Clan, and even Central Plains people could enlist. Are there Central Plains people in Iron Tiger Town?" Yuan Ming asked, seemingly in passing.
The questions before were a cover, but this one was what he was most concerned about.
"Of course, there are. Our Kasi Clan is the only one on the Southern Border that's friendly with Da Jin Country. Many towns have Da Jin businessmen, and naturally, Iron Tiger Town does too, but those Central Plains people have set up shop in North City and rarely come down to South City," Mandula explained.
"North City?" Yuan Ming looked toward the north.
"Iron Tiger Town is divided into two areas: North and South. Between them lies the inner city, the territory of the Lord Mansion, which ordinary people cannot enter.
South City is mostly inhabited by ordinary locals, with shops selling common items. North City is much nicer than South City and is where the upper echelon of Iron Tiger Town lives. Da Jin people hold high status in Kasi Clan territory, and all the stores from the Central Plains are located in the North District," Mandula continued.
Yuan Ming's eyes sparkled. Da Jin people running shops in Iron Tiger Town meant there was a way back to the Central Plains. If he revealed his identity, perhaps they could take him with them on their journey?
But after some thought, he figured it would be better to try and make contact with those Central Plains merchants first.
Just then, a series of neat and heavy footsteps approached, as a squad of Southern Border Soldiers quickly marched from the south of the city, about thirty in number.
The leader was a dark-skinned Southern Border man, tall and built, wearing a suit of armor that seemed very heavy, easily weighing a hundred pounds judging by sight, yet the man moved as if unaffected by the weight, as though he was wearing a light coat.
"By command of the Lord, all street vendors must pack up within a quarter of an hour. Any who disobey will have all of their goods confiscated!" the dark-skinned Southern Border man barked.
The street vendors looked at each other, bewildered. Trade was the foundation of Iron Tiger Town, and it was rare for the vendors to be driven away. For a moment, none of the vendors moved, as they watched each other to see what would happen next.
The dark-skinned Southern Border man's expression darkened, and he gestured forward with a wave of his hand.
The Southern Border Soldiers behind him unceremoniously moved forward, dispersing the street vendors. Those who were too slow had their stalls overturned by the soldiers, sending the street into chaos.
"Merchants are being chased off, I'm afraid you're even less likely to be allowed to stay here. Best to lay low for now," Yuan Ming said to Mandula.
Mandula nodded, and as the two of them stood up to leave, a commotion broke out nearby.
Yuan Ming looked over to see a young merchant in a dispute with two Southern Border Soldiers. The merchant was tall and thin with unruly green hair that resembled a tangle of weeds.
The young merchant's goods, a selection of white bird eggs, were scattered as the stand was overturned, with more than half of the eggs broken.
The young merchant's eyes seemed to spit fire as he grabbed one of the soldiers, demanding compensation.
"This is an order from the lord himself, how dare you defy it!" The captured Southern Border Soldier threw a punch with at least double the speed of an ordinary person, creating a whooshing sound as it moved.
The young merchant reacted extremely quickly, grabbing a wooden board from his stand to shield himself.
The Southern Border Soldier's fist crashed onto the wooden board with a "bang," and the thick plank splintered into pieces.
Yuan Ming watched this scene from a distance and was taken aback.
The board was five or six inches thick and stained a dark greenish-black color. He recognized it as Iron Plow Wood, harder than rock, yet it was shattered by a single strike!
The young merchant was knocked back two to three zhang, flailing his arms and hurling two white shadows from his hands, which hit the Southern Border Soldiers accurately in the face—it was two of the bird eggs.
The eggs "plop" and splattered apart, the yolk and egg whites smeared across the Southern Border Soldiers' faces and dripped down.
"You're looking to die!" the Southern Border Soldier raged, embarrassedly wiping the substance off his face. By then, the young merchant had already floated up to the rooftop.
The young merchant leapt out, light as a leaf without any weight, and vanished into the distance after a few bounds.
The sequence of events unfolded rapidly, and by the time others registered what happened, the young merchant had already disappeared.
"Chase him!" The yellow-skinned Southern Border Person commanded, his expression solemn.
Four or five Southern Border Soldiers leaped onto the roofs, chasing after the young merchant.
...
Yuan Ming had always considered himself strong, but compared to the young merchant, there was a vast difference. The Southern Border was indeed full of hidden talents; he would have to tread carefully from now on.
"What happened?" Mandula asked.
Yuan Ming gathered his thoughts and joined Mandula in a small alley off the main street, recounting everything that had transpired in detail.
"That Southern Border Soldier must have started to practice the Body Refining Technique. To strike as if hanging a painting is the sign of 'Six Bull Power'," Mandula said.
"You know the Body Refining Technique, old man?" Yuan Ming inquired.
"I've spent some time in the military. This leg and these eyes were both lost there," Mandula said calmly.