It was the first day of the New Year. Early in the morning, there were hardly any people on the streets of You Province City.
The soldiers guarding the city still stood firm at their posts. When Zhang Tie entered through the gate, one of them merely gave him two glances and let him into You Province City without even questioning him.
In Great Xia, a golden-basin hand-washing ceremony was also an exceedingly solemn ritual. It symbolized "retiring completely and washing one's hands of the trade." Generally, two kinds of people held such a ceremony. The first were important figures in Great Xia's unofficial civilian organizations. When these people retired, they would hold a golden-basin hand-washing ceremony to signify a clean break with their past affairs and grudges. The second were certain high-ranking professionals of Great Xia, such as swordsmiths, Rune Refiners, appraisers, and the like. When these people held a golden-basin hand-washing ceremony, it meant they would never return to their old profession, carrying the sense of sheathing their blades and retiring into seclusion.
Yet whether they belonged to the first kind or the second, they shared one thing in common: anyone qualified to hold a golden-basin hand-washing ceremony was renowned and respected in their region or profession. If they were just some nobody, why the hell would they need to wash their hands? If they did not want to continue, they could simply pat their ass and leave. Naturally, no one would spare them a thought.
Wang Wu was a local tyrant of You Province City. The altar master mentioned by this local tyrant—the one who could promptly learn of Zhang Tie's movements and have the Left Protector bestow Wang Wu with the Brain-Shattering Pill—must naturally be within You Province City. If that person had been in another