It had been raining for the past two days, but today finally saw a clear sky. The bluestone roads of Liangzhou City still looked damp and ghostly, imbued with a chilly atmosphere.
The last traces of summer seemed to have been washed away completely by the successive rains. The attire of the passing townsfolk was noticeably thicker, their steps hurried, lacking the leisure of previous days.
Yan Lu, wearing a short outfit with thicker clothes on top, hurriedly ran across the slick path, shoulders and back tense, fearing a slip might send him crashing to the ground.
As he passed by the Zhang Inn in North City, he instinctively glanced at the entrance. The innkeeper, with whom he had some familial relation, was sprawled miserably over a wooden table on the first floor, looking bored, and even his usually thick chin seemed to have slimmed down, from three layers to two.
