The lake lay windless, the air slightly muggy.
A sign of impending heavy rain—after the morning sun briefly showed itself, dark clouds swallowed it again.
Several large ships that had come from afar furled their sails. Men shouted in unison as they hauled long hemp ropes, slowly drawing up to the docks. Travelers from other lands disembarked laughing and chatting, while porters bustled about moving cargo. The little town grew lively once more.
At a teahouse near the docks, a young wealthy merchant frowned.
Carts and riders flowed through Bluestone Alley, its thick, unscattered air of mortal life filling the streets. Every person was suspicious.
His fingers tapped the tabletop, seemingly without intent, as his gaze swept about cautiously, searching for even the slightest flaw.
His hearing gathered every sound in the town into his ears, while his sense of smell carefully distinguished every scent. He even discreetly used the dragon clan's True Sight to scan the town. Whether townsfolk, visitors, or creatures large and small, he found nothing.
He sighed helplessly, forced to admit that one wrong step had led to every subsequent step going wrong.
He had now lost the initiative and fallen into an inferior position.
That white dragon's True Sight could not see him, and likewise, he could not see her...
All he could rely on at present was the profound and mysterious instinct of a divine beast.
The feeling was very bad.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he looked toward the stone alley, where a young female Wandering Swordsman in white was walking.
Her face was somewhat immature. She tried hard to appear seasoned, yet could not hide the curiosity in her eyes. Holding an umbrella, she walked through the wet Bluestone Alley, looking every bit like a novice who had just entered the Jianghu.