As a remote border town of the Chen Dynasty, Deyang Town was much as it had always been. Hundreds of thousands of people lived peaceful lives, hardly changed by the emergence of figures like Bai Yang.
Once, a Martial Artist's cultivation had been enough to awe the whole town. Now, Bai Yang and the others had achieved such heights that they were worlds apart from the townsfolk. The people went on with their ordinary lives. At most, when someone brought them up, a person might suddenly say, "Oh, I know them. They came from our town..."
Back then, the local authorities had held sway in Deyang Town, while three Lineages had stood in a delicate balance. The authorities still remained, but one Lineage was gone. Only the Niu family and the Lan family were left.
The Blood Lotus Sect's calamity had dealt both families a heavy blow, but it had done little to change their overall standing. The Niu family and the Lan family still controlled most of the town's economic lifelines.
Though the Niu family and the Lan family of today were nothing like they had been in the past, neither seemed interested in expanding further. They remained content in their little corner of Deyang Town.
The Lan family compound was filled with buildings, but it was far quieter than before. The Blood Lotus Sect's calamity had left the Lan family with heavy casualties. Only three of its main members remained: Lan Qingfeng, Lan Shuang, and Lan Xin.
Deep in the courtyard, Lan Shuang and Lan Qingfeng sat facing each other without speaking. Every so often, they glanced toward the pavilion at the very back.
The silence had lasted for three months. Lan Xin had returned from Gourd Valley three months earlier and gone into seclusion; she had not