Chapter 26: Eternal Memories of Jewelry Row

  "Master, what about Gao Feng that kid? Has he been taken care of?"

  The person who could ask such a question was also a leading figure among the servants, and that person was Gao Tianhe's long-time follower, Gao Jinfu. He had a lean build, a pointed mouth and chin, and his face looked like it didn't have an ounce of flesh on it. His eyes, however, were quite spirited and lively. By rights, this appearance shouldn't be suitable for a servant, but Gao Jinfu had been serving Gao Tianhe since he was young, and being clever, he had earned the trust to reach this position. Everyone living in Fentian Alley knew that in the Gao family's household, Gao Jinfu was even more useful than the steward himself.

  Gao Tianhe waved his hand impatiently, letting unrelated people move further away, and said with a frown:

  "It was originally arranged for him to invite disaster there, but unexpectedly got lucky because of the disaster, it's really......"

  After walking for a few steps, Gao Tianhe's face turned cold and he asked sideways:

  "All the silver on this flower has been spent locally, have you swallowed any yourself?"

  "Old master, if I had embezzled even a single coin, may the Thunder God strike me dead with his lightning! But it was given to Luo Gongzi's personal attendant, and they agreed to it too. And yet, and yet... didn't they end up fighting? Who would have thought that this good-for-nothing kid wouldn't be useless after all......"

  Gao Tianhe's words were quite serious, and Gao Jincai, who was following him, immediately became flustered. He hastily explained that after leaving the Hou Mansion, General Gao Tianhe of the Imperial Guard was visibly annoyed. Gao Jincai tried to explain a couple of sentences, but was cut off by Gao Tianhe's waving hand, who impatiently said:

  "Stop beating around the bush and think of a solution, can't let him turn the tables on us."

  What happened and was said near Houfu and Fengtianfang, Gao Feng was completely unaware of, he had already started his patrol on Shimaji Street. Compared to yesterday, today there were no people looking at him with strange eyes, because Gao Feng was wearing casual clothes today.

  He wore casual clothes to patrol the streets, not because he had any intention of "disguised private visit", but because the clothes from yesterday were already tattered and he couldn't find anyone to mend them in time. Wearing those would not only fail to show off his official authority, but also be embarrassing. The waist card and other tokens of office were still there, which was enough.

  Moreover, Gao Feng knew that in a bustling place like Shimaji Street, where all sorts of people gathered, to do his patrol duties well, he had to first get a clear understanding of the situation. If he wore the official uniform of the Town Demon Lieutenant and went there, although the people on those few streets didn't have much reverence for the Town Demon Lieutenant, they would still be somewhat intimidated by the sight of the uniform, perhaps avoiding him or holding back, and he wouldn't be able to see what he wanted to see.

  At the time when the sky was just beginning to brighten up, Shimaji Street was already very lively. The apprentices of various shops were busy sweeping the streets, and vendors selling breakfast snacks came to peddle their wares here. Even some early-rising street vendors arrived early to set up their stalls, while others hurriedly drove horse-drawn carts to deliver goods.

  From Gao Feng's house to here, it would normally take at least half a time unit to walk, and by the time he arrived, the sky was already bright. However, Gao Feng had not yet adapted to how fast he could walk, so he jogged all the way, only to find that he had arrived too early again.

  Gaofeng didn't think it was inconvenient, after all, he had to take a closer look around yesterday, and it was necessary to get familiar with the terrain in detail. After all, he was on patrol here, and if he got lost and ran to the wrong place, it would be a joke. Moreover, the jewelry stores and toy shops on Main Street were all uniquely designed buildings, and there were many places to see, so it wasn't a boring task at all.

  Zi Zhen Zhai and Cang Yu Lou are both large shops on the street. The facade of Zi Zhen Zhai looks just like the front gate of a noble family, appearing ordinary at first glance but exuding an air of luxury upon closer inspection. As for Cang Yu Lou, it has its own unique characteristics, with decorations that resemble those of a Taoist temple. This is related to the shop's main business - various types of jade materials, which are in high demand among practitioners of Taoism.

  Although these two have their own characteristics, they are not as good as the Yongji Jewelry Store mentioned by Huang Zhiping and Gao Feng. Gao Feng looked at the main entrance of Yongji Jewelry Store and felt that it was not inferior to the Fēng Tiān Hóu Fǔ in terms of grandeur. In the rules of the capital, this is a standard for being punished, but this store exists openly and aboveboard.

  When Gao Feng walked by, the door and window boards of Yongji Jewelry Store had already been taken down, and the apprentices inside were sweeping and tidying up in front of the store, preparing to open for business. Although the store looked impressive, the apprentices were all very polite, indeed having the demeanor of a large establishment. Gao Feng stopped just a few steps away from the entrance.

  He saw the signboard of this jewelry store with two large characters "Yong Ji" in gold on a black background, very majestic. However, what caught Gao Feng's attention was not these two characters, but a symbol between them. Compared to the two-foot-tall characters, the symbol was inconspicuous, about the size of a fist, and it was the same color as the signboard's background. Only someone with Gao Feng's keen eyesight could see it.

  This symbol Gao Feng recognized, because it was a talisman, according to the explanation in the talisman book, this is a "Wei" character, its effect is to deter evil spirits and treacherous demons. Last night, Gao Feng had worked hard on carving talismans, so he paid extra attention to this one. With his mind focused, he looked at it and suddenly felt his thoughts shaken, as if he was being deterred.

  The characters on the plaque are really effective, which is truly rare. Gao Feng was surprised in his heart and just wanted to walk away when he heard a fellow villager laughing and striking up a conversation beside him:

  "This guest can actually look straight at our family's ancestral tablet, how extraordinary!"

  Seeing the look of doubt on Gao Feng's face, this shopkeeper smiled and explained:

  "The guest doesn't know that this plaque was written by Wang Tian Shi using his Taoist skills, which can cleanse evil and wickedness. Ordinary people who see it will feel their hearts and spirits become clear and calm. You, sir, are actually able to gaze at it for several moments, truly remarkable."

  The shopkeeper was good with words, and these few sentences were both an explanation and a compliment to Gao Fang. Gao Fang smiled and nodded, continuing on his way, but in his heart he felt a sense of wonder. What Huang Zhiping had said was indeed true: the lowest rank in the Taoist temple was that of a Taoist priest, while the highest was that of a True Person. Although the position of Heavenly Master was not as high as that of a True Person, it was still highly respected - someone who could interact with people like the Marquis of Heaven on an equal footing. And yet, such a person had written a plaque for Yongji, and had even used effective talismans; truly, he was not someone to be trifled with.

  But thinking about it is also laughable, the signboard of the store in order to attract customers, this signboard has a deterrent effect, isn't it just for show and not doing business?

  As I walked and looked around, the sky got brighter and more people appeared on the streets. In a place like the capital city, there were many wealthy and noble figures, as well as all sorts of idlers. Shimaji Street had a lot to offer, with all sorts of people crowding the streets.

  Nowadays, the capital city has various forces guarding it. Even if there are monsters and ghosts, they have to be low-key. In broad daylight, who dares to come out and cause trouble? Without this, the position of Town Demon Lieutenant would lose its purpose. Besides, with an area as large as Stone Horse Street, how can one Town Demon Lieutenant possibly keep up with it all?

  All sorts of trivial matters, thefts and fights that occurred on the streets were handled by the constables and catchers of the Zhongjing Prefecture. After more people gathered, Gao Fang had already seen four constables from the Zhongjing Prefecture patrolling around.