With two Spirit Transformation cultivators protecting them, Old An and the others returned safely to Kaihuang City without a hitch.
Just as Kaihuang Temple had originally been called Er Litun Temple, Kaihuang City had once been called Er Litun. It had started out as an unremarkable little place, but thanks to the efforts of several generations of Kaihuang Temple's abbots, it had finally grown into the sizable city it was today.
Unlike the cities of Great Xia, which were built from green bricks and stone, the cities of the Buddhist Kingdom were generally surrounded by thick, heavy earthen walls. Battered by the elements, their corners had been worn smooth by wind and sun, making them look as though they might crumble at any moment.
In reality, the walls' inner layers contained all kinds of formations to strengthen them and repel enemies, ensuring they would stand for a thousand years.
An unnamed river ran through Kaihuang City, providing water for the entire city. They said that Master Duanchen, the abbot, had brought it here.
Along the way, Lu Yang also saw many monks. They had shaved heads, left one shoulder and arm bare, and had dark, reddish skin. They read scriptures as they walked, clearly devout believers. Lu Yang couldn't help worrying about their eyes.
Once they entered Kaihuang City, the difference from the cities of Great Xia became even more pronounced. There were beauties with golden hair and blue eyes, exotic in appearance and alluringly curvaceous, their faces veiled; wayfarers with little monkeys perched on their shoulders; snake charmers who could make snakes dance by playing the flute; and fishmongers who stood their knives upright on the chopping boards and made the fish ram into the blades, so they wouldn't have to kill them themselves.
"At last, no more sand."