Jade City was no longer the Jade City it had once been. Ever since Xia Zhitong had angered the Old City Lord to death and Young Master Yu had died by suicide, the entire city had fallen under her control. It had become a place of decadent luxury and illicit exchanges of power and sex. Day and night, Jade City glittered with lights. Every lake in the city had flower boats, and every street and manor concealed its own pleasures.
Jade City had once been an ordinary city on the Rainbow Bridge. The Jade Family dealt in Mother Tree Bark, which was enough to keep the city running. But after Xia Zhitong rose to power and changed the city's ways, Jade City became famous even in the Upper Realm, let alone the Zhongping Realm.
Countless people flocked there, and Jade City had nearly doubled in size.
As for Xia Zhitong's lovers, their numbers had more than doubled, too. They spent every day immersed in wine and women, amid constant laughter and merriment.
When Lu Yin entered Jade City, he could hardly believe his eyes.
"This place is pretty prosperous," he exclaimed.
The streets were packed with people. Laughter and playful shouts spilled from the taverns on either side. It was more prosperous than several cities he had seen on the way here, even surpassing the coastal city of Bei City.
Kui Luo sneered. "Of course it's prosperous. Xia Zhitong has built this city around human nature. For the people living here, that might be a good thing. Plenty of them have made their fortunes. Unfortunately, they wouldn't dare tell anyone they're from Jade City when they go elsewhere. If the Jade Family were still alive, they'd be angered to death all over again."
Lu Yin nodded. "Exactly. Some businesses can't