Jinyang.
Within the county city.
A middle-aged man dressed in coarse clothes stepped out of the Wang family's main gate, extended his thumb, gently wiped his mouth corner, and then lightly rolled off the trace of blood on his thumb.
Though Jinyang was not as prosperous as Chang'an, it was still the second most prosperous county in Daxia. Coinciding with the market day, the main street was overwhelmed, crowded with pedestrians and vendors.
He walked along the wide street, and people unconsciously made way for him as he passed.
The middle-aged man crossed two streets and entered an inn, pushing open a room door on the second floor where a refined man sat by the window, lost in the view of the street.
The middle-aged man approached the window, hands clasped behind his back, and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences, there's no need to dwell on the momentary. If you fall here, simply rise elsewhere."
