Heaven Dou City's main gate was closed, so pedestrians could only pass through the side gate.
The side gate's arch was nearly half as tall as the main gate's, but at five meters high, it was still wide enough for two carriages to pass through side by side.
Duan Fan and Wen Xiyue followed Ghost Leopard Douluo through the side gate on the right, keeping pace with the sparse flow of people.
The light dimmed for a moment beneath the arch. Their footsteps struck the stone walls with a dull echo. Then they stepped outside, where daylight spread before them and the sounds of the entire city surged in all at once.
The rumble of wheels rolling over stone, the vendors' drawn-out cries, and the shrill laughter of children chasing one another blended into a warm, buzzing din.
Duan Fan looked at the bustling street ahead.
The shops on either side stood at varying heights, their wooden signs swaying gently in the breeze. Some were painted vermilion, while others retained the color of bare wood, with all kinds of shop names written across them in black ink.
People came and went along the street, each heading in a different direction, dressed in clothes cut from fabrics of every color. No one paid any attention to the arrival of Duan Fan and the other two.
Wen Xiyue walked half a step to Duan Fan's left. Her pace was lighter than before. Her gaze swept over a stall selling sugar paintings, then turned to the colorful silk lanterns hanging above. She was clearly captivated by Heaven Dou City's bustle, looking around at everything.
Ghost Leopard Douluo walked ahead at an unhurried pace.
Duan Fan and Wen Xiyue followed Ghost Leopard Douluo onward, eventually turning into a cross alley.
The alley was half