Redwater Road, Thread of Heaven. Jagged mountain stone rose on both sides, thick mist coiled through the pass, the branches of cold trees twisted like dragons, and dusk crows beat their wings through the air.
Thread of Heaven had been renovated during Emperor Taizong's reign, when the great imperial roads were being built. Though the road was narrow, allowing only two carriages to pass side by side, the ground was level. The mountain stone on either side resembled a pair of towering, gleaming wings about to spread into flight, yet also stood like two barriers, firmly guarding this Thread of Heaven.
After the blue-green viscous substance dried and solidified, it paved the long road through Thread of Heaven. Its color was pale cyan, while its texture was elastic, soft yet unyielding. Through wind, scorching sun, pounding rain, and even lightning strikes, it had remained perfectly intact.
The sun was directly overhead. Scattered travelers, carriages, and horses still passed along the narrow yet level road through Thread of Heaven, heading toward the current center and supreme ground of the Divine Land—Imperial Capital City. Yu Changkong was among them.
Yu Changkong wore trousers and cloth shoes, along with a dark-blue, short cross-collared jacket that concealed his powerful, muscular frame well. At first glance, he looked like an utterly ordinary traveler, with not the slightest trace of a martial artist about him.
He also carried a shoulder pole, with a basket the size of a water basin hanging from either end, both covered by grayish-brown cloth.
Beside Yu Changkong walked another traveler dressed much the same way. He was around forty, with an aged face and deep wrinkles, chatting with him in fits and starts as though they were acquaintances.
In truth, this was all Yu Changkong's disguise. The man beside him was