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Year 3153 of the Great Qianlong Chang's reign – Spring, February 17.
It's been almost eight years since Wang Shouzhe crossed over.
This is a season of spring warmth and blooming flowers, when everything revives.
Dingpu Ferry.
A large ferry boat slowly docked at the Deepwater Port District.
As soon as the connecting bridge was laid flat, people orderly disembarked. They held a card in hand, passing through the checkpoint one by one.
The card was no bigger than a child's palm yet finely crafted, resembling neither gold nor jade, exhibiting a faint purple hue under the sunlight.
Inside the card, a piece of card paper seemed embedded, listing place of origin, name, age, and simple physical characteristics.
As long as the cardholder passed through the checkpoint, the fully armed gatekeepers would slightly inspect and then smile as they allowed passage: "Welcome home."
And the passerby would return with thanks: "Thank you for your protection."
