"Then go do it."
Zhao Cheng raised a hand without looking at Xu Huo, his gaze still fixed on the distance. At that moment, the rising red sun pierced the last wisps of cloud and mist amid the mountains, dyeing the boundless peaks a vivid scarlet.
The blazing sun burned like fire, shining brightly over all beneath heaven.
A little farther away, several soldiers Zhao Cheng had sent to search for ore, dressed as mountain folk, had their eyes stung by sunlight filtering through the gaps in the trees. They blinked reflexively, and a trace of weariness arose within them. But when they remembered that the task was done and their reward afterward would surely be generous, that little fatigue was immediately swept away.
The mountain forest was deep and secluded; traveling through it was truly no easy matter.
Where mountains ran deep and woods grew dense, there was no sight of the peaks' splendor—only malice and peril...
Southern Wasteland, Wu City.
Built against the mountains, this city stood on the only necessary route out of the Southern Wasteland. Guarded by natural barriers, it was as impregnable as a fortress of gold and iron. Over the long years, countless men had relied on this perilous terrain to unify the Southern Wasteland and proclaim themselves kings.
As for the name Wu City, it had nothing to do with the Wu Family. Indeed, Wu City was where the Wu Family rose to prominence, but the city had first been founded by a King of Wu from who knew how many years ago.
That King of Wu had built the city here, relying on the natural barriers. A strong city was naturally a good thing, but when it was too strong, it could also make people lose their will to strive onward.