Bright sunlight pierced through the dark grey clouds in the sky; piercing through the dullness of the day.
The sunlight pierced through the sky and illuminated the bustling city below.
The city was grand and majestic, towering like a dragon among the numerous mountains surrounding it.
The entire city was surrounded by tall, sturdy walls made of pure green jade. There was a massive gate present in the centre of the wall, huge spikes made of a mysterious black metal present on it. Each of the spikes had a width of two adult men.
Surrounding the city were numerous mountains. Some tall and rugged, while some were small and eroded. The city was present straight in the centre of the valley between two mountains.
One could see numerous numbers of travellers, caravans and sect disciples entering the city through the towering gates.
This was the majestic and grand Wekbeong City. A towering titan in the six regions of Wuyuan. It's might and power second to none in the entire region.
Yet behind every mask of glory lies some malicious secrets.
Surrounding the jade border, on the inside of Wekbeong City, lies the Qintian Slums. Or as the locals call it "The Land That The Heavens Forgot".
The entire 2500 km² of area was a stark contrast to the glitter and glamour of Wekbeong City. Diseases ran rampart, food was a luxury and every once in a while, someone would have their throat slashed and left to die.
That is the reason why the life expectancy of an average person in the slum was much less than those in Wekbeong City.
The houses were dilapidated and broken, the streets were narrow and filled with the thick stench of blood. Nearly everyone had one foot in the grave in the slums.
And yet, for some reason, the denizens of the slum were far happier than those in the outside.
******
The origin of the Qintian Slums was a very depressing tale.
During the formation of Wekbeong City, a large number of people had migrated from various parts of the region to the city, in hopes of grabbing opportunities and turning a new leaf.
A large part of the city's initial denizens consisted of destitutes, thieves, murderers and other people trying to start a new life.
These people lived in peaceful conditions for the first two years.
Then came the Purge.
The higher-ups of the city had decided to exterminate the "pests" living in the city. Hence, in just three days, a quater of the city's entire population was caught....and incinerated.
Three days; thousands of screams and pleads, all fell on deaf ears.
Seeing their community on the brink of extinction, some of the members fought back and were able to cause a stalemate.
Eventually the higher-ups let the remaining "pests" live, in exchange for them to live outside the city.
Thus, the Slums came into existence.
A prison for the depraved and the weak.
Entertainment District, Wekbeong City
Within Wekbeong City's entertainment district, the young master of the Shu family was making his way through the crowded streets.
Even though he had the title of "young master", he didn't had the demeanor of one.
He was obese, his eyes always had a leacherous gaze in them and he always spent his time in the brothels, "checking" on the new arrivals.
He had a very short temper, even assaulting many civilians just for a mere issue of bumping into him.
If not for his status, he would have long been beaten to death by Wekbeong City's citizens.
Right now, this waste-of-space was making his way through the streets, his arms around two women walking beside him.
He was chatting and trying to impress the women with his lead tongue.
"As I was saying ladies, I once defea-" He did not manage to finish his sentence as he suddenly bumped into someone.
"Oi! Watch where you are going niitwit!" He screamed at the stranger.
The stranger did not reply, he just stood there with his head bowed.
He must have realised whom he had bumped into.
"Lord Shi Yang, leave this idiot. Why don't you continue with your tales of bravery?" One of the women said in a haughty tone. She was clearly irritated.
Shi Yang looked at the stranger with malice in his eyes. "Hmph, you're lucky I'm in a good mood today."
He raised his leg and kicked him straight in the stomach.
The stranger fell to his knees.
"Serves you right, slum rat." One of the women said in a disgust tone.
Shi Yang laughed loudly before spitting on his face and leaving.
The stranger was sprawled on the ground. He was breathing heavily. Pain was blooming in his abdomen. He was wearing tattered clothing, with many parts of his shirt and pants filled with holes. He had covered his face with a rag to protect his identity. He looked weak and malnourished. Truly a destitute.
"God, if I have to continue doing this for the rest of my life, i would rather choose death." He exhaled and said with a sad tone.
He got up and limped towards the direction of the Qintian Slums.
******
Qintian Slums
The slums were separated from the rest of the city by a wooden border made of huge logs the size of three adult men.
Surprisingly, this border was created by the people of the slums. They found it better to trust their own community than the outsiders.
The masked stranger was standing in front of the border. He was looking for a small depression that he had dug out.
After a while, he had found the depression and had crawled through it, reaching the other side of the border. Instantly, he was assaulted by the thick stench of blood and filth.
Barely resisting the smell, he made his way from the narrow streets, avoiding the gazes of many bystanders and hiding whenever he saw trouble.
After a long while of walking and dodging, he finally arrived at a dilapidated, thatched hut.
The hut was in pretty bad shape, it's roof was caving in, it's walls were full of tiny holes and it looked extremely unstable.
He breathed a sign of relief and entered the hut. At once, he was blessed with the melodious sound of a flute.
He turned his head towards the source of the sound and smiled. There, in a small garden of maybe the size of a quater of a room, tending to a small pristine white jade flower, was a woman.
She looked like... like the first flower of spring blossoming after a long winter, like the clear blue sea meeting the sky at the horizon, like the faint lonely star in a pitch black sky.
Her skin was like jade, her eyes like two green emeralds from the deepest part of the Earth, her lips the colour of ripe cherries. Her long black hair flowed from her head to beyond her waist.
In her hands was a flute made out of crimson wood. Whenever she blew into the flute, such melody would flow that could make even Heaven tremble.
Sensing the presence of someone, she slowly turned around and upon seeing the masked stranger, she smiled.
"Welcome home....my love."