Above a Border City of the Great Xia Empire.
Strands of sunlight pierced through the gauze-like clouds.
They spilled gently and warmly over the magnificent, rolling mountains and rivers,
draping the lush forests in a brilliant, golden sheen.
Some of these mountain ranges were treacherous and steep, like sharp swords piercing the heavens.
Others were gentle and soft, their rolling peaks forming graceful curves.
Mist coiled through the mountains, at times gathering into a vast sea of clouds, at others drifting away like ethereal wisps of smoke.
Scattered across this vast borderland were quaint and peaceful villages.
Built by the mountains and rivers, they existed in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings.
The houses in the villages were mostly wooden structures,
their blue-tiled roofs arranged neatly beneath the cover of green trees.
Once, the villagers here had lived simple, rustic lives, working from sunrise to sunset.
