The city seemed peaceful and prosperous, but that was only what appeared on the surface.
Beneath the water's surface.
There were still corners lurking there that made people uneasy.
The long-distance bus station stood beside the old urban district. The three of them—Jiang Qiao and the others—didn't go far before turning toward this somewhat antiquated residential area, which was nevertheless filled with the bustle of everyday life.
Standing in the old urban district.
They could see that farther north of the city lay a range of rolling mountains. A winding highway led beyond the mountains, and it was also the only route for long-distance buses entering and leaving the city.
But beyond the mountains?
It was hazy and indistinct.
A supernatural barrier that had not manifested itself yet truly existed, obscuring the scenery outside. Even Jiang Qiao couldn't clearly see what lay beyond the city.
Unless something unexpected happened.
Even if ordinary people entered the mountains, they would encounter a Ghost Wall and have no way to leave the city on foot.
"This city isn't small."
Jiang Qiao said as he held a map.
"It covers thirty thousand square kilometers and is divided into more than twenty districts and counties. We're currently in the northernmost one, Canghai County. Heh, there's no sea here at all. I wonder why they gave it that name."
The area was indeed quite large.
In the early years, many people might never have managed to leave the district or county where they lived in their entire lives.
They had little sense of the world outside.
It was only later, when the economy developed, that tourism and the rush to seek work elsewhere took off. Only then did the population begin to move, allowing people to go out and see what people in other places looked