The summer sun blazed, and heat waves rolled through the air.
On the official road, a little over ten li from the great city of Zhongjing, stretches of farmland and orchards lined both sides, interspersed with scattered wasteland.
Nearby, farmers toiled and children played; farther away, villages lay nestled beneath curling wisps of cooking smoke.
Merchant caravans traveling with guards, along with escort companies protecting cargo merchants, moved one behind the other along the official road.
"Stay sharp, everyone. After we pass this village, there are still two stretches of wild forest ahead."
"Surely not? We're practically at Zhongjing already, right under the Emperor Jing's nose. Are there still bandits bold enough to rob travelers?"
"Heh, never mind that we haven't entered the city yet. Even inside the city, beneath the imperial walls and by the bends of the royal canal, there are people who rob for money and women."
"Huh? Aren't there Extraordinary people in the city? Can't they catch a few petty thieves?"
"Everyone minds their own business. Zhongjing has a million people—can the big shots possibly handle every chicken-feather, garlic-skin triviality?"
Within the merchant caravan, several guards remained taciturn and alert. Only a few veteran merchants, who often traveled these trade routes, were educating the unusually excited young apprentices who had come to Zhongjing for the first time.
The escort company was far livelier. They did not fear petty thieves, and near Zhongjing, crimes committed by Extraordinary people would bring out the Demon Suppression Division.
The Zhongjing Demon Suppression Division was entirely different from the local branches. To this day, no one had heard of an Extraordinary who committed a crime in Zhongjing and managed to leave unscathed.
Thus, the escort company was quite at ease. They were already discussing which wine shop in the capital would