Chapter 51: Various Forces
"This is Yiyuantang's Buyuan Pill!" Zheng Xinghan naturally recognized the packaging and was greatly surprised to see it.
"Senior brother, you have good eyesight." Qin Ziling said with a smile.
"What good eyesight? If you can't even recognize the Bu Yuan Dan, then I have practiced martial arts for so many years in vain." Zheng Xinghan said with a smile, then pushed the wooden box back and said, "Zi Ling, I appreciate your kindness, but you can keep this Bu Yuan Dan. You need it more than I do."
"Brother, you have to accept the kindness and the gift!" Qin Ziling pushed it over again, saying with a firm attitude.
Zheng Xinghan looked at Qin Ziling intently, then suddenly laughed heartily and said, "Since you are so thoughtful, I will accept it. Thank you, Ziling."
"You're too polite, senior brother. It's my duty." Qin Ziling replied with a smile.
Zheng Xinghan didn't say anything else, but just reached out and patted Qin Ziling's shoulder, secretly sighing for him in his heart.
What a good junior brother, it’s a pity that his aptitude is not good enough!
The carriage quickly passed through the western outer city and arrived at the inner city.
The inner city is located in the encirclement of the outer city, but is separated from the outer city area by a moat and tall city walls.
The inner city area is much smaller than the outer city area, but much more , with heavy traffic and crowds of people. Stone bridges and tiled houses are lined up one after another. The facades of every household are decorated with wood carvings and flowers, and the shops are decorated with lights and people coming in and out, giving the impression of a prosperous area in the city center.
From time to time, you can see policemen wearing armor and holding swords on their waists patrolling the streets, looking very majestic, giving people a sense of safety and order.
The clothes and mental state of people walking on the streets are much better than those in the outer city areas. You can hardly see begging, rampant bullying, or fighting.
In the outer city areas, however, there is a mix of all kinds of people, with burglaries and robberies happening everywhere, small gangs running rampant, bullying and extorting the weak, and gunfights happening all the time.
This is why many businesses in outer cities have to find one or two "experts" to sign their names.
Sitting in the carriage with Zheng Xinghan, Qin Ziling rolled up the curtain and looked at the prosperous scene outside. Thinking of the chaos and ruin of the outer city, the refugees outside the city, and the corpses on the roadside, he couldn't help but sigh secretly. No matter which world it is, there are rich areas and slums, there are scenes of drunkenness and debauchery and freezing to death on the road.
"Isn't this inner city prosperous and lively?" Zheng Xinghan asked with a smile.
"It's like two completely different worlds compared to the outer city and outside the city!" Qin Ziling sighed as he lowered the car curtain.
“This is the real center of wealth and power in Fangqiao City! Even though Master Zuo is a master of strength martial arts and has some reputation in our western outer city area and even in the entire outer city area, he can’t reach into this inner city area at all. If he wants to reach in, he must get the nod from the five major families.” Zheng Xinghan said seriously.
"The five major families?" Qin Ziling showed a questioning look on his face.
"There are five major families: Pang, Yu, Lin, Xiao, and Lu. The Pang family is a branch of the famous Pang family in the state capital. Its head is Pang Qiwei, the governor of our Fangqiao County. It is also the most powerful family in Fangqiao City. The other four families are all local noble families in Fangqiao City. Among these four families, the Yu and Lin families are the strongest, while the Xiao and Lu families are relatively inferior."
"In fact, the Lin and Lu families have only been included in the top five families in recent years. Before that, although they were also powerful, they were not qualified to be on par with the Pang, Yu, and Xiao families. It is said that the Pang family moved to Fangqiao City, and Pang Qiwei served as the county magistrate. After he took charge of Fangqiao County, he felt that the local forces were too powerful and difficult to control, so he supported the local Lin family. Seeing this, the Yu and Xiao families intended to support the Lu family, which is Lu Taiqiang's family. This led to the rise of the Lin and Lu families." Zheng Xinghan explained.
"It seems that the inner city is peaceful and prosperous on the surface, but in fact, various forces are fighting each other secretly!" Qin Ziling was deeply touched when he heard it.
"That's right, but this is not something that people of our level can think about or interfere with." Zheng Xinghan shook his head, and then said: "Since it's convenient, I will tell you what other forces there are in the outer city and outside the city besides the five major families in the inner city."
"The outer city is still under the control of the five major families in the inner city, but their control is not as strong as that in the inner city. Therefore, the outer city is a mixed bag, with various forces coexisting, which is why there is room for our boxing academy to grow and exist. But the outer city is still within the scope of Fangqiao City after all, and the five major families will never allow the existence of forces beyond their control."
"So in the outer city, the forces of all parties are basically at the same level as our Frost Iron Fist Academy. Even if there are some that are stronger than our Frost Iron Master Academy, their strength is limited."
"How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed!" Qin Ziling interjected calmly.
Zheng Xinghan was slightly startled when he heard this, then he lowered his head to chew on these words carefully. After a while, he raised his head and gave Qin Ziling a thumbs up, saying, "How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed! Ziling, your analysis is so vivid and profound!"
Qin Ziling smiled faintly without taking it seriously.
Just kidding, this sentence is a long-standing saying in his world, so it is naturally vivid and profound!
"But it's different outside the city! Although the five major families are powerful, they are not enough to cover all places in Fangqiao County. Moreover, many forces outside the city have built castles in dangerous places, and some have even built strongholds in the mountains, which are often easy to defend but difficult to attack. Although the five major families have the ability to wipe them out together, they will definitely not be able to avoid heavy casualties."
"In this day and age, the emperor is old and incompetent, the eunuchs are in power, and there are natural disasters one after another. Many places are living in poverty, and many places have rebelled and established their own kings. The evil sects took the opportunity to start uprisings, and some neighboring countries also took the opportunity to invade the border. In this situation, mercenaries have the qualifications to respect themselves, so the five major families are very careful about their wings. As long as the forces outside the city do not threaten them, they will not easily mobilize troops."
"This also gives the forces outside the city an opportunity to develop. Now there are many forces outside the city. Among them, the most influential ones are Zhouzhuang, Senluo Gang, Xujiabao, Juhumen, Xueyunzhai and other five forces."
"You must remember, no matter whether it is the five major families or the five forces outside the city, none of them can be provoked by us, the head of Hantie. When you are doing things outside, try to avoid them as much as possible. Otherwise, even if you are killed, Master Zuo will not be able to rescue you." When he said this, Zheng Xinghan's face became extremely solemn.
"Thank you for telling me, senior brother. I will pay attention to it." Qin Ziling nodded calmly.
As they were talking, the carriage stopped in front of Zuixiaolou.
Zuixiao Building is three stories high and is decorated in an elegant style. Melodious piano sounds can be heard coming from the building. The service staff inside are all wearing uniform and fitted clothing. The men are handsome and the women are tall and beautiful.
