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墨書 Inktalez
"How bustling it is!"
This was Ye Tian's first thought as he stood atop the Clock Tower beside the market, gazing out at the throngs of people, densely packed and bustling.
The reason for the crowd was not due to the narrowness of the street; on the contrary, this street was a thousand feet wide, yet it could not withstand the swarm of tourists like ants.
It was now evening, and the entire street was lit up with lights from restaurants and taverns, with numerous high platforms and pavilions scattered throughout. Taverns were densely packed along the way.
Due to the vast width of the street, it was divided by eight cross stalls selling a wide variety of goods—everything from food and clothing to entertainment and various rare treasures.
Ye Tian looked around, his mind slightly stirred. He had spent the past year wandering through deep mountains and jungles, far from human habitation, and now he finally saw so many "kindred spirits." This gave him a strange feeling of returning to the human world.
After observing for a moment, Ye Tian leaped into the crowd. In the throng of people brushing past each other, that sense of being part of society became even more pronounced.
"Uncle, do you know how to get to Cloudscar Peak?" Ye Tian approached a stall selling small items. The stall owner was busy making change for another customer. Once he finished, Ye Tian asked his question.
The stall owner was an elderly man in his sixties or seventies, but he had a lively spirit. He sized up Ye Tian without looking down on him due to his tattered clothes and patiently offered directions.
After hearing the stall owner's instructions, Ye Tian bowed in thanks and headed toward the northwest direction of the town.
On his way, Ye Tian kept recalling the phrase "a sea of people." Before this, he had thought that the largest market in Spirit Martial Town deserved that description, but upon arriving here, he was astonished to discover what truly embodied "a sea of people."
After walking for about half an hour, Ye Tian still found himself unable to break free from the crowd. This was not because he was indulging in leisure but rather because the throngs were so overwhelming that "taking a step was difficult" had replaced his earlier thoughts of "a sea of people."
In fact, Ye Tian had originally disliked such noisy and crowded places, but after spending so long in the deep mountains, he realized that bustling markets were not as bothersome as he had thought.
With this in mind, Ye Tian no longer rushed to reach Cloudscar Peak. First, it was nearly dusk; second, according to what the old man at the stall said, Cloudscar Peak would close its Mountain Gate after noon.
"Since I can't go today anyway, I might as well find a place to rest for the night," Ye Tian shrugged. In truth, this was just an excuse he made for himself, as the street performers ahead were so captivating that he found it hard to move.
He squeezed through the crowd of spectators, finally gaining a clear view of the performance.
There were three performers on stage: an elderly Master Performer and two others, a man and a woman, likely his children or son and daughter-in-law.
At that moment, they were performing a routine called "Breaking Stones on the Chest." The elderly Master Performer and the middle-aged man were the ones performing. The middle-aged man lay flat on the ground with a five-foot-thick Azure Stone Slab placed on his chest, while the Old Master dragged a large octagonal hammer behind him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, next up my father and my brother will perform 'Breaking Stones on the Chest.' Those with money can support us financially, and those without can cheer us on!" The Woman's voice was crisp and loud, dressed in martial attire, exuding a heroic demeanor.
Ye Tian couldn't help but smile at this, thinking to himself, "So they are siblings..."
"Good!"
"Great!"
As the woman finished her introduction with a bow, the surrounding audience began to cheer in unison. The performance hadn't even started yet, but such enthusiasm showed that this Juggling Troupe was quite famous in this area.
"Watch closely!" The Old Master perked up after hearing the cheers from the crowd. He raised the large hammer and brought it down with force. With a loud thud, the Azure Stone Slab shattered.
"Good!"
The audience erupted in applause again, followed by the sound of copper coins falling to the ground.
Ye Tian felt a twinge of embarrassment; he hadn't used any silver coins in a long time and had nothing in his pockets. Although he wanted to reward them, he could only feel regret over his inability to do so.
Copper coins scattered everywhere, but the woman didn't rush to collect them. Instead, she once again cupped her hands in gratitude towards everyone, performing a martial salute of thanks.
“Thank you all for your support at the Southern Arrival's Northbound event! Today, Old Master is giving it his all to make everyone happy!” The Old Master was quite pleased, filled with enthusiasm. He pulled off his outer garment and called out to the Middle-Aged Man, “Azure Hero, come!”
Seeing this, the Middle-Aged Man frowned slightly and hesitated, saying, “Father, your health isn't what it used to be. Maybe you shouldn't...”
“I said I'm doing it! Bring out the spear!” The Old Master was quite displeased, but being experienced, after scolding the Middle-Aged Man, he jokingly cupped his hands towards the audience and added, “My son not only looks like a bear but also has a bear's temperament!”
“Father, let me do it instead.” The woman stepped forward with a worried expression. What the Old Master referred to as ‘bringing out the spear’ was an extremely dangerous act that involved using one's throat to push against a spear while forcing the spear bearer back a hundred steps. This required not only solid martial arts skills but also many clever techniques; otherwise, serious injuries could easily occur.
Moreover, if an injury did happen, it would be far worse than just breaking a few ribs as in the chest-breaking act. A poorly executed throat spear could result in a fatal outcome.
“I said I’m doing it!” The Old Master was very stubborn, though his words came out like a tongue twister.
This was an unintentional act on his part but elicited laughter from the audience.
Seeing this, the woman had nothing more to say and could only step aside with deep concern in her eyes.
“Father, this might be...” The Middle-Aged Man held the spear but stood there anxiously, clearly not at ease.
Ye Tian observed the expressions of the siblings and realized that this ‘bringing out the spear’ was indeed dangerous. He wanted to speak up to advise against it.
However, before he could say anything, someone else spoke up first.
“Wait, let that girl come.”
The speaker's voice was not loud and had a somewhat muffled quality. Everyone turned to see that it was a portly Fat Merchant.
The three members of the Juggling Troupe also turned to look. Having performed on the streets for many years, they immediately recognized that this man was wealthy and readily agreed to begin.
"Wait, the master hasn't finished speaking yet!" The Fat Merchant's small eyes darted around, holding two polished walnuts in his hands.
"This gentleman can give his orders," the Old Master replied cheerfully.
"Hehe, I want her to perform just like you," the Fat Merchant said with a wicked grin.
"Of course, of course," the Old Master nodded eagerly, but a trace of barely perceptible anger flashed in his eyes.
For people like them who made a living by performing on the streets, being insulted or bullied was inevitable. Therefore, the Old Master certainly understood what the Fat Merchant meant, and his hasty agreement was merely a way to brush it off.
"Damn it, are you pretending to be confused while knowing full well what I mean?" the Fat Merchant cursed loudly, then pointed at the Old Master's thin frame.
"This gentleman..."
"Let her strip and perform!" The Fat Merchant interrupted the Old Master, leering at the woman.
Upon hearing this, everyone first looked at the Old Master and then at the Fat Merchant. At this moment, they finally understood that what the Fat Merchant meant by "performing like you" referred to stripping.
"Strip and perform!"
"We want to see her strip and perform!"
Several lackey-like individuals beside the Fat Merchant shouted loudly, fully taking advantage of their power.
"What kind of people are you? Bah!"
"You're nothing but a bunch of bastards!"
The onlookers were quite indignant and began to curse under their breath.
"Damn it! Who's cursing? If you have the guts, speak up!" The Fat Merchant rolled his eyes and looked around. Since there were too many people cursing him, he couldn't tell where the insults were coming from.
Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads, but it was not entirely their fault; after all, anyone with eyes could see that the Fat Merchant was not an ordinary person, otherwise, he wouldn't be so arrogant.
"Hmph!" The Fat Merchant felt quite pleased with himself and snorted as he walked toward the women in the crowd.
"Bastard!"
"Scum, disgrace to our Divine Wood County!"
Just as the Fat Merchant turned back, the crowd started to murmur curses again...
"Damn it! I see you all are tired of living! Do you know who I am? My son is from Mountain!" The Fat Merchant was furious upon hearing that this group still dared to insult him and revealed his background.
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd fell silent, and many hurriedly left this place of trouble.
"Who cursed me just now?" The Fat Merchant persisted, casting a glare at a few Lackeys.
"Damn it, was it you?"
"You’re looking for death, daring to insult our master!"
"Our young master is from Mountain; are you tired of living or what?"
The group of Lackeys received their master's orders and began to attack anyone they saw without hesitation, acting very arrogantly.
Everyone was afraid and tried to escape, causing chaos in the scene, and soon there were fewer than ten people left.
Ye Tian looked around and saw that these individuals were either dressed in luxurious clothing or had a steady stance; in short, they were either wealthy or skilled fighters.
"Brother, what do they mean by 'Mountain'?" Ye Tian asked the person next to him, curious because he had heard the lackeys repeatedly mention "Mountain" while beating others.
The person Ye Tian asked was a fighter, but it seemed his strength was not high, at most a second-tier warrior. It was unclear why he remained there.
"Well," the man cautiously glanced at the Fat Merchant before nodding towards the northwest.
Seeing this, Ye Tian was somewhat confused but vaguely guessed that "Mountain" likely referred to someone of certain status within the Cloud Sea Sect.
While the two were talking, the lackeys drove away a few more fighters and then returned to the Fat Merchant, saying, "Sir, the remaining ones are all notable figures."
Upon hearing this, the Fat Merchant nodded but showed no fear. He surveyed the remaining few and said, "You all seem not to be the masters of this area in North City. It would be best to return quickly before night falls."
Divine Wood County is divided into four major regions: east, west, south, and north, each covering an area of thousands of square miles. Therefore, many notable individuals do not know each other despite their names.
After speaking, the Fat Merchant noticed that everyone remained still. He realized that unless he revealed who supported him regarding "Mountain," it would be difficult to convince them. So he sneered and said, "My surname is Lei!"
As soon as those five words were spoken, the remaining few immediately turned and left without looking back.
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