Silver Dragon Azure Tiger

Uchiha Zhuang returned to his room, drenched in sweat and secretly grateful to have survived. He had nearly lost himself in the opponent's genjutsu; truly, the world was vast, and there was always someone stronger. It was fortunate he had always kept a low profile; otherwise, who knew how many experts might have emerged along the way to teach him a lesson.

Persia was already resting on the bed. Hearing Uchiha Zhuang return, she merely opened her eyes to glance at him before falling back asleep. Uchiha Zhuang took another shower, dried off, and slipped into the warm covers. He instinctively pulled Persia into his arms; she was fragrant and warm, and Uchiha Zhuang soon drifted off to sleep. Persia shifted her body, snuggling into his embrace before entering her own dreamland.

After a comfortable sleep, Uchiha Zhuang woke up to find Persia sipping hot tea in small, delicate sips. Outside the window, the persistent drizzle continued, and there was no sun to wake him. Uchiha Zhuang rolled out of bed and called for room service to deliver breakfast. Before long, a magnificent and sumptuous meal arrived: fish roe and truffle rice balls, thick-cut tender beef, two servings of appetizing vegetables and milk, a large platter of fresh seafood sashimi, two bowls of fragrant white porridge with enticing side dishes, two soft-boiled eggs, and two pan-fried Azure Sky Fish (a specialty of the Land of Rain). The exquisite plating and meticulous culinary techniques demonstrated the establishment's high regard for its ingredients. This somewhat lessened Uchiha Zhuang's distaste for the events of the previous day. After the breakfast was cleared away, a young boy arrived shortly after with a message, instructing the two to head to the Garden Terrace Park.

After organizing their gear and supplies, the two donned raincoats and followed the boy toward the famous landmark of Amegakure, the "Garden Terrace Park." Of course, it was virtually impossible for ordinary civilians to access such a place. After all, in the Land of Rain, where it rained year-round, finding a clean, tidy, and dry area was incredibly difficult. Thus, the upper echelons had constructed a five-thousand-square-meter park (fans, no need to look it up; it's the size of a school sports field) atop the high-rise buildings of Takamagahara. The original intention was to provide a free space for civilians, but due to the exorbitant costs of indoor climate control, roof maintenance, vegetation management, labor, materials, and the need to recoup the initial investment—which had ballooned four to five times over budget—everything became a problem. With no one willing to foot the bill for the commoners, the upper class, in order to maintain this sole patch of hope, had to turn to wealthy dignitaries, powerful factions, black-market merchants, and other financiers to generate revenue through entrance fees, sightseeing charges, and rental fees for business meetings and negotiations. These high costs did not deter the wealthy; instead, the park became the best place to flaunt their capital and power. Debauchery, luxurious banquets, important celebrations, and private birthdays all made this original "hope" radiate a different kind of "hope." The entire garden became a prime social hub for the elite, leaving civilians to look on from afar.

Listening to the boy's introduction while lamenting how good it was to be rich, Uchiha Zhuang gradually arrived before a high, mountainous ridge. What a structure it was! The complex of high-rise buildings stood atop the high slope, pressing down upon the undulating hills and rising into a magnificent, grand, flat-roofed Tibetan-style architecture. The grandeur and scale of Prada-esque architecture couldn't help but surface in his mind. Above the majestic vermilion pillars were giant mortise-and-tenon structures, with bracket sets and carved eaves. The building itself featured a wealth of golden decorations, such as golden dragons spitting water and golden fish spitting pearls. At the four corners, giant mythical beasts—part dragon, part snake—sat or stood facing the four directions, their mouths agape to channel the rainwater. The main buildings were constructed along a north-south central axis, with the structures on either side neat and symmetrical. The overlapping construction showcased the building's order, solemnity, and vastness. The main structures were composed mostly of resplendent golden roofs, vermilion wooden pillars, doors and windows, and wide, pristine white jade foundations. The auxiliary buildings mostly adopted the large roof style. These large roofs were not only magnificent but also served as excellent protection for the buildings. The layered, upturned eaves and corners of the large roofs formed clever curves, allowing rainwater to flow off and be cast further away, thereby protecting the wood and stone palace from the rain. The birds and beasts decorating the large roofs not only draped the solemn palace in a layer of mystery but also helped secure the structure and prevent corrosion from the rain. The top of the main building featured a massive glass curtain wall structure, with steel reinforcements at the very top and along the sides. The overall architecture broke away from the gray and blue metallic tones of Amegakure, opting for a bold contrast of red and white, which both highlighted its imposing power and set off its unique nobility and mercy. After all, in this gloomy world, the appearance of hope is always the most expensive thing, isn't it?

Surprised and full of praise for the magnificence of the building complex, the boy looked at the two, who were staring with mouths agape, and couldn't help but feel a bit proud. Yet, after the pride faded, he thought of his younger brother running a high fever at home and his exhausted mother doing menial laundry work, and his heart grew gloomy again. However, the boy did not urge them to walk faster; instead, he continued to tell the story of the building's past.

Back when this building was completed, the high investment costs further deepened the conflict between the people and the upper class. Initially, they had sworn that everyone would have the right to enter and enjoy this building. The upper class took the heavy fiscal investment, but in the end, it became a paradise for the wealthy. The civilians were angry at first, but once everything was on track and the upper class gathered there to eat, drink, and play—that place, which the people of the Land of Rain called "Takamagahara," began to require a large number of cheap, lowly commoners like us to serve the noble lords—all the anger gradually vanished. Thus, the lords enjoyed the diligent service of the commoners, both physical and mental, and the commoners, in turn, gained the bread and hope needed to survive. After all, one has hope only if one is alive, right? At this point, the boy revealed his yellowed teeth in a smile. Uchiha Zhuang was noncommittal, while Persia looked on in a daze.

"My sister died there," the boy said, pointing a thin, bony finger at a certain part of the tall building, "but at least she lived a comfortable, dry life for a few years without worries. She even sent money home to Mom every month to help with expenses. She once wrote a letter urging Mom to send my brother and me to school, but Mom spent all the money on medicine for my brother, who was always sick. Where would there be money for school?" The boy recounted his experience calmly. "Later, my sister said that because she worked hard, the guests liked her very much. So the 'Mama' there promoted her, letting her entertain the noble lords. She said she would soon save enough money to get us a house near Takamagahara so she could come out and live with us. When we saw that letter, my brother and I were overjoyed. After all, this is the most prosperous building in the Land of Rain! Even many foreigners come here by name! But Mom said we had to grow up quickly so we wouldn't add to my sister's burden. I even saw her crying secretly under the oil lamp in the middle of the night. Maybe she was just happy that my sister was going to take us to live in Takamagahara!"

"Later, Big Brother Dashi, who lived next door and once had a crush on my sister, came to our house and brought us shocking news: my sister had worked herself to death there! We ran to Takamagahara like madmen, but the samurai guard at the door, after hearing our story, didn't let us in; he just told us to wait. We waited from morning until dark. The rain went from a drizzle to a downpour, then back to a drizzle, just like Mom's tears. Near midnight, a thin, old man brought out a bag and handed it to us. When we opened it, it was my sister's things: money, hairpins, clips, and the rag doll I had given her. The old man whispered something to Mom. Mom shook her head at first, but then the old man said something else helplessly, and after a long hesitation, Mom nodded. So we went back. The next day, someone brought a jar to our house. Mom told us that was my sister. I didn't believe it, but my brother always shouts 'Sister' at the jar every day."

"Mom said my sister traded her life for a decent job for me." After saying this, the boy grinned broadly again. "Look, Samurai-sama, I work at Takamagahara now, introducing the beautiful Amegakure and our proud Takamagahara to foreign tourists!" The boy's confidence did not seem feigned, Uchiha Zhuang thought with regret.