~ The Han Estate
The Han merchant estate was grand. Not palace grand — merchant grand. The walls, dark stone, were solid and practical. The gate, iron and wood, was sturdy. The courtyard, the stone-paved entrance, was clean and well-maintained. The garden, the spirit-flowers, the medicinal herbs, the small pond, were the pride of a merchant family that dealt in rare goods.
The guards, the two men at the gate, bowed. The spiritual energy emanating from the carriage, from the man inside, had preceded him. The qi, the Divine Transcendent pressure, was subtle but absolute. The guards, mere Foundation Establishment cultivators, felt it. Their bodies, their muscles, their bones, responded. They bowed. Deeply. The bow of men before something they could not comprehend.
The servants arrived. The maids, the old retainers, the household staff. They lined the courtyard path. Their heads were bowed. Their bodies trembled. The Emperor, the Immortal Master, had come to their home.
