Cloudrest Mountain rose north of Hundred Flowers City. Its slopes were not steep, but it stood exceptionally high. Clouds and mist shrouded everything above its waist year-round, and the Tianxiang Cult had built an inn there called Cloud Perch Lodge for distinguished guests.
Li Bufan had chosen it because Yun Niang's map bore a note: "If you enter Hundred Flowers Abyss, you may stay at Cloud Perch Lodge."
With the Seven-Colored Tianxiang Token, Li Bufan secured a room without difficulty. The innkeeper personally led him to a secluded courtyard on the summit. It was small but exquisitely arranged—slender bamboo grew beside a Blue Stone path, and beneath it lay a shallow pond with a few koi swimming among floating lily pads.
The courtyard held a quiet room with windows on two sides. One faced the Sunset Glow Flower Sea to the east; the other overlooked the city streets to the west.
"Rest well, young master."
The innkeeper bowed slightly. "If you need anything, simply ring the silver bell in the courtyard. Someone will come to attend to you."
Li Bufan nodded. Once she had left, he went to the window and gazed into the distance.
At a glance, he understood the appeal of Cloud Perch Lodge. From the summit, all of Hundred Flowers City spread beneath him: streets, towers, crowds, carriages, and horses, laid out like a miniature sand table.
Farther away, beyond the purple Sunset Glow Flower Sea at the city's edge, he could just make out the outline of a mountain gate.
The gate stood immensely tall, veiled in a thin layer of mist. He could not see it clearly, only the sharp curves of its upturned eaves piercing the haze, faintly gleaming Gold Red beneath the setting sun.
Li Bufan withdrew his gaze, sat cross-legged in the