The first snow had yet to melt, and Vermilion Bird Avenue was wrapped in silver.
Though the cold was biting, carriages and horses streamed endlessly along the road.
The steady ringing of camel bells came from merchants from the Western Regions. Shouldering packs and dragging their feet, they carried rare and wondrous goods to the Divine Land in pursuit of handsome profits...
On both sides of Heavenly Street, the ward walls of old had long since vanished. Shops stood in great profusion, teahouses and taverns were everywhere, and pedestrians were bundled in fur coats and felt hats, every inch of them wrapped tight.
As the central axis of Chang'an City, Vermilion Bird Avenue was crowded even on ordinary days. With the winter solstice past, the common people were no longer busy with farmwork and had already begun preparing for the New Year.
But for wandering martial artists, it was exactly the opposite.
The people of the Divine Land worked hard all year, pinching every penny in daily life. After finally saving up a little money, this was the one time they were most willing to spend it.
Thus, from before the New Year until after it—from now all the way to the Lantern Festival fair—was the best time of year to make money.
Some old hands of the martial world counted on these New Year days to strike it rich.
Both sides of Heavenly Street were practically covered with people spreading mats and setting up stalls.
Li Yan pretended not to notice the people following him. With his hands behind his back, he walked straight into the crowd and pretended to watch the commotion.
In doing so, he saw quite a few tricks of the martial world.
An old man from Gold Gate had set up a stall to tell