On the official road, Ning Xuan rode his large white dog while Si Lanyi rode an Element Beast, the two of them speeding along side by side. Their destination: Li Ren Crossing.
The note they had seen that morning contained only twelve characters: Li Ren Crossing, against the icy current, prodigies contend for passage, come swiftly.
At first, Ning Xuan hadn't understood what it meant. After Si Lanyi's explanation, however, he had an epiphany.
The vast Canglan River split the thirty-six counties of the Dong Cang Country in two, with exactly eighteen counties on the east and west banks respectively. The river was treacherous and unpredictable; on most days, not even a bird could fly across it. Only during the winter of each year would the river freeze over for nine days, allowing passage between the eastern and western banks without special tools.
