Tianyuan World, Great Li City.
The streets bustled with traffic and crowds, shoulder brushing against shoulder.
In recent years, because the Great Li Dynasty had suffered both internal strife and external threats—with the Divine Eagle Empire eyeing it covetously from the north, Ghost Ridge Palace holding sway over the south, and rebellions erupting in one place after another—the terrible circumstances had forced many Aristocratic Clans and powerful nobles to relocate to the safer Great Li City.
The gathering of so many nobles had further driven Great Li City's luxurious commerce. Lavish mansions, flower houses, brothels, gambling dens, and all manner of other establishments dazzled the eyes.
Yet even so, beneath that splendor were still more commoners with sallow faces, wearing patched clothes and carrying numb expressions. The contrast was stark.
Even in Great Li City, the capital of the Great Li Dynasty, the common people struggled to get by. At least most could maintain a single meal and avoid starving to death. Outside Great Li City, however, refugees and beggars were everywhere, and the dead from starvation carpeted the wilderness.
Jingle, jingle!
Suddenly, a crisp jade-bell chime rang through the street. Colorful butterflies fluttered through the air, and a strange fragrance filled the surroundings.
The pedestrians on the street all turned toward the sound, just in time to see a procession entering Great Li City.
The procession included dozens of cultivators dressed as guards. Their clothing was utterly different from that of the Great Li Dynasty, carrying an exotic flair.
At the center of the procession was a luxurious carriage pulled by sixteen Giant Horned Spirit Deer. Every Giant Horned Spirit Deer was a genuine demonic beast, far beyond any ordinary horse.
At the very center sat a graceful young master.
He had handsome features, held a golden-leaf folding fan,