Luyang lay close to the Southern Wilderness, and its summers were unbearably hot. Walking outside was like being trapped in a steamer, with waves of heat swirling around you until you could almost imagine you might cook at any moment.
But when a party of merchants entered a garden under the guidance of a lovely maid, they immediately felt a cool breeze wash over them, as refreshing as spring wind against the face. Looking up, they saw shady green trees and gently rippling water. Scattered among the lake and mountain scenery were numerous courtyards and little buildings, arranged with such exquisite care that they seemed to answer the stars above and harmonize with the earth's veins below.
"What a fine place! What a marvelous layout!" the merchant at the head of the party exclaimed, stroking his short beard.
With his Outer Scenery strength, it was easy enough for him to see the terrifying formation hidden beneath the garden's beauty, a formation that offered those living here a deep sense of security.
The lovely maid wore a thin skirt and a light veil. She smiled faintly. "Allow me to inform our honored guests: this garden is one of Luyang's most renowned places, called Zhiyang Garden. It was originally an ancestral estate of the Song Clan. Later, a branch family quarreled over dividing the household and ended up outside the main line. Their descendants were fond of gambling and women, and eventually mortgaged it to my master, who uses it especially to entertain distinguished guests."
"Zhiyang Garden... the Song Clan..." The merchant at the head of the party paused, then asked hesitantly, "Could it be the Luyang Song Clan? The clan that produced several chancellors in the previous dynasty and once had a Dharma Body to hold down the land?"
The maid