Afternoon.
After days of blazing sunshine, the temperature had climbed steadily. The ground was scorching, and the air was thick with heat, as though midsummer had arrived.
Beside the Official Road outside the Royal Capital.
Several cooling tea sheds had been set up.
This place was still five li from the Royal Capital's entrance.
Some of the merchants and travelers coming and going through the Royal Capital chose to stop here for a temporary rest and recover their strength.
"Brother Wang, I heard that two Heavenly Soldiers and Generals descended to the mortal world two days ago and went to the Royal Capital to arrest Prince of Luoshui Jiang Ning. You were in the Royal Capital then—was it really true?"
"It was true!"
"It was true?"
"Mm! But it wasn't as outrageous as the rumors claimed. There weren't any Heavenly Soldiers and Generals descending to the mortal world. Only two Heavenly Soldiers descended upon the Lishui Imperial Palace to arrest Prince of Luoshui Jiang Ning."
"Brother Wang, what happened in the end?" the man asked impatiently.
"Prince of Luoshui escaped the Royal Capital that day and there has been no news of him since!"
"Brother Wang, even the Heavenly Soldiers from mythological legends have appeared. Do you think there really are Immortals in this world?"
"Who knows?" The man shook his head, then sighed. "Even if there really are Immortals, they have nothing to do with small fry like us!"
"..."
In the tea shed, Jiang Ning drank the last mouthful of cooling tea and then rose to his feet.
He had heard far too many conversations like this.
A moment ago, on a whim, he had entered this tea shed outside the Royal Capital and ordered a pot of cooling tea.
The moment he sat down, he heard people