For decades, North City had never seen so many armed men pouring in. Ever since Old Man Mu had been hunted down, the prohibitions had existed in name only. Tonight was practically a celebration of that fact..
Before darkness had even fallen, large numbers of swordsmen streamed into North City through every gate. Many walked with the clumsy bearing of men carrying blades for the first time. It was said that Blacksmith Village had not stopped working for days, and even the stock that had gone untouched for years had been sold out completely. On this night, wearing a sword or saber was like bearing some kind of symbol or credential—it meant the bearer was qualified to enter North City.
At first, the guards turned a blind eye. Before long, they simply threw the gates open, hid away, and drank. No one knew whose hands the gates they guarded would belong to an hour or two later.
The number of guests in South City suddenly plummeted, forcing many shops to close for the night. No one knew who had started it, but the courtesans—rarely granted a moment of leisure—and the lowly workers from every trade also began streaming toward North City. They came in groups, chattering and twittering. Accustomed to weapons, they felt no fear of the swordsmen, genuine or fake, filling the streets, and greeted them warmly whether they knew them or not.
The rule forbidding courtesans from openly entering North City was broken just like that. Because of them, the murderous air filling North City suddenly vanished by more than half. The swords and sabers visible everywhere looked more like toys than weapons.
If an outsider unfamiliar with the situation had arrived in Jade City at that moment, seen the lanterns and torches lining the streets, found himself