A month later.
Li Yun walked into Green Mountain City beneath the last rays of the setting sun.
Compared with when he had first arrived, Li Yun could clearly see that Green Mountain City had grown far more desolate.
There were fewer street stalls and fewer vendors calling out. Many shops had closed, too. Only a handful of restaurants remained open, and even they had scarcely a customer at their doors.
A sense of panic seemed to hang over the entire city.
Only a few people ventured onto the streets. The alarm on their faces was plain to see, as though going outside were a risk in itself.
"Sir... what happened to Green Mountain City?"
"I remember passing through a few months ago. It wasn't like this then. The streets were packed with carriages and people, and the city was thriving..."
As he turned a corner, Li Yun spotted a man over seventy sweeping the street and went up to ask him.
The old man raised his head and looked at Li Yun through clouded eyes.
He let out a deep sigh.
"Young man, you're from out of town, aren't you? Take my advice and leave while you still can. Any later, and it'll be too late..."
With that, he picked up his broom and prepared to leave.
Li Yun hurriedly stopped him and handed him an ingot of silver.
"Sir, please accept this little token of appreciation."
"Sorry for the trouble, but could you tell me what happened to Green Mountain City?"
"Uh..."
The old man's eyesight might have been failing, but his gaze sharpened considerably at the sight of silver. Perhaps that was simply human instinct.
He took the ingot without hesitation.
"Young man..."
"Haven't you noticed there are hardly any young people left in Green Mountain City?"