Old Affairs of the Divine Capital

On the North Bank of the Luo River, it had just passed the hour of the Dragon.

"Heave-ho~ Heave-ho~"

The men of the HeLuo Merchant Guild called out the Yellow River boatmen's chant.

Red sashes cinched up black cotton trousers. Despite the bitter cold, they were all bare-chested, their sturdy muscles exposed as they either hauled towlines or raised heavy wooden mallets.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

One blow followed another. Mud splattered in all directions as ebony stakes wrapped with red cloth were hammered deep into the riverbank.

Their arrangement faintly resembled the positions of the Eight Trigrams.

Various offerings had already been set out as well.

The riverbank was packed with people, and a heap of sacrificial firewood roared skyward. The scene was bustling indeed.

Li Yan and the others stood far away, watching the ceremony.

Just as they were preparing to leave, Madam Pei of the Dragon Gate Inn extended an invitation. Only then did everyone learn that several Attendants of the HeLuo Merchant Guild had already gathered in secret to discuss holding a "Sacrifice to the River Earl" ceremony.

The decline of the Central Plains had affected more than just the common people.

The HeLuo Merchant Guild had a long history and had always been rooted in the local region.

Unlike those merchants who could travel to the coast, the HeLuo Merchant Guild's foundation lay in the ancient Yellow River route and the trade routes of the Central Plains.

To go to the coast meant crossing a boundary.

No matter how good their relations were, it would still stir up trouble in the martial world.

With the trade routes in decline, and celestial phenomena changing as well, the Yellow River ice was melting later than in previous years. The elders of the guild feared that something might go