As with the small town he had encountered before, Lin Li entered this one without a hitch. The guards at the gate did not stop him.
After entering the town, he discovered that its layout was somewhat different from that of the previous town.
The houses here were built from a kind of black stone. Their smooth surfaces radiated a mysterious luster.
At a glance, black buildings stretched everywhere, giving off a heavy, steady feeling, as though they could withstand every storm's assault.
The crisp sound of horse hooves rang out in the street. Lin Li turned at the sound and saw several carriages hauling building materials.
The carriages were pulled by several strong horses. Their wheels rumbled along the unpaved dirt road, leaving deep tracks behind.
The materials they carried were chunks of hewn black stone. The stones were nearly identical in shape as they swiftly passed by.
Watching the carriages haul the materials, Lin Li fell into thought. The stone produced nearby was probably all this color, so the houses built with local materials had all become black as well. It did have a distinctive charm.
The carriages slowly vanished at the end of the street, while the sounds of hooves and rolling wheels gradually merged into the dust drifting in the distance.
Lin Li withdrew his gaze, softly exhaled a breath of stale air, then set off again, continuing along the uneven dirt road.
Walking on a road like this was rather uncomfortable. Once it was leveled and paved with bricks, things would improve tremendously.
Sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves, forming patches of mottled light and shadow on the ground. A gentle breeze passed by, and the leaves rustled.
Before he had gone far, an old-fashioned teahouse appeared ahead.
The teahouse was a wooden structure,