Under a sparse canopy of stars, the heavy, grinding sound of the cast-iron gates of Nanming Pass echoed through the outskirts of Yan Capital as they opened just wide enough for one person to enter.
Lan Yan, cloaked in a cape, looked up at the towering Nanming Pass. It was the foremost gateway to the south of Yan Capital. To the west stretched an unbroken chain of mountain passes, cutting off north and south; to the east flowed the hidden-current Ping River, guarding the waterway. Beyond the pass lay the flat outskirts plain. Riding at full speed—or traveling by swift blade—would take only two days to reach the walls of Yan Capital. If supplies and soldiers were transported along the Yan Capital–Nanming railway, that time could be reduced to half a day.
Although Yan Capital's gates were wide open, there were only two true military routes into the city: the Beichen Pass route and the Nanming Pass route. Apart from Dongyang and Xiamu entering Yan Capital by way of the Yan River, the northern three districts usually took the winding road through Beichen. The mountainous and difficult southern three districts, meanwhile, used only Nanming. For example, the railway from Morning Wind to Yan Capital first detoured to Nanming Pass before transferring to the Southern Capital line.
Yet a year had passed, and the railways connecting Yan Capital with the outer districts had long since been cut off. Nanming Pass was under even tighter guard, with merchants and travelers subjected to strict inspections. Recently, it had even entered a state of war preparedness.
Nanming Pass had every reason to be tense. Over the past year, Blood Source Army leader Chai Xin had assassinated the Azure District Administrator and engaged in a bloody clash with the prefect of Yanan Prefecture. The already-tough