Recommendation Tickets, please
Sunset City, northwest of the city.
In July, the fire star descends, with the blazing sun high overhead.
Bao Yongzhi led several core stewards and stood respectfully outside the imposing gates of the residence, his expression carrying a trace of expectant tension.
Above the lintel, the gilded plaque bearing the words "Bao Residence" gleamed with a heavy luster in the sunlight.
From deep within the residence came the faint, regular low hum of machinery and the splashing rush of water. The air was mingled with the crisp freshness of new cloth and the uniquely faint astringency of plant dyes—the distinctive scent refined through a century of livelihood by a family of dyeing and weaving.
A large, finely decorated carriage approached and stopped. The coachman nimbly got down and set the footstool in place.
The carriage door opened, and five people alighted one after another.
The man in the lead wore the dark-blue official robes that symbolized the fourth rank of the Heaven Dou Empire, with a silver-white swan spreading its wings embroidered across his chest and cuffs. He was none other than Li Manqing, the quartermaster in charge of logistics and military supplies for the Sunset Legion.
He had naturally curly hair, its black strands suffused with a deep chestnut-brown sheen, falling from his temples. His overall bearing was warm and refined, giving others a sense of calm that could not be ignored.
The middle-aged man following close behind him had an extraordinary air: his short silver-white hair was combed with meticulous precision, his ice-blue eyes were deep, his face handsome, and he wore a moon-white robe that seemed simple at first glance but secretly bore gold-and-silver cloud patterns, giving him an elegant, lofty presence.
Behind them were a stern-faced middle-aged woman in professional attire, and