Unsheathed

Prefectural Overseer Wu, who was Cui Chan's disciple, Kiln Supervision Official Cao, County Magistrate Yuan, the Cool Wind Mountain God, and several of the wealthiest people in the Dragon Spring Prefectural City were all very familiar with Dong Shuijing.

Dong Shuijing accompanied Chen Ping'an to the street where Cen Yuanji's family lived, and the two of them parted ways there. Dong Shuijing told Chen Ping'an his address and welcomed the latter to visit him if he had the time.

Chen Ping'an watched him depart under the light of the dying sun, full of vigor and exuberance.

According to Dong Shuijing, when it came to the residents of the Dragon Spring Prefectural City, the street or alley that they lived on was a very good indication of their status.

The street that Chen Ping'an was currently on was called Fine Luster Street, and it was most inhabited by people of the upper middle class of the Great Li Empire. The houses there weren't cheap, nor were they very large, so the value for money was rather lackluster, and it felt like the people living on this street were mostly trying to pass off as wealthier than they were.

Dong Shuijing told Chen Ping'an that there were some even wealthier streets to the north of Fine Luster Street, and that the most auspicious landowner there was none other than Gu Can's mother. She would purchase houses in blocks at a time, and it was clear that she was not lacking in money, but she had come too late.

All of the best plots of land in the prefectural city had already been occupied, and they were not up for sale. Apparently, she was currently trying to establish some ties with the prefectural overseer's manor in the hope of being able to purchase another large house on Dong Shuijing's street.

Gu Can's mother had once visited Cool Wind Mountain with several maidservants to offer up incense to the mountain god's temple, and she had passed by Dong Shuijing's wonton shop at the time.

After learning that Dong Shuijing had gone to the school in the small town, she had chatted briefly with him, but displayed an infuriating degree of arrogance in the process. Dong Shuijing had seen all types of customers, so he paid it no mind, but the two employees in the shop were enraged on his behalf.

Dong Shuijing had allowed the woman to show off as she pleased, and in the end, she had asked if Dong Shuijing had a place to stay in the prefectural city. She told him that she was very close with the prefectural overseer's manor, and that if he were having financial difficulties purchasing a house, then perhaps she could try and pull some strings for him.

Dong Shuijing told her that he already had a place to stay, and that he was the only one in his family, so it didn't matter if the house was a little small. At the time, Gu Can's mother had gazed upon him with a hint of sympathy in her eyes.