「The southern suburbs of Shangjing City.」
The winding official road was flanked by overgrown wastelands. A brilliant golden light from the sky coated the earth in a beautiful gilded hue, making one feel as if they had stepped into one of the golden kingdoms from a storybook.
The straight road that cut the southern suburbs in half was now deserted. The occasional bloodstain and decaying corpse on the stone slabs added a somber air to the once-bustling thoroughfare.
At the silent city gate, the grating sound of gears suddenly broke the quiet as a hoist activated. As the sturdy drawbridge lowered, a civil official in a purple robe walked out. He was not on horseback. He held a staff of authority in one hand and a document in the other, followed by a dozen or so attendants.
