Xie Yan and Yu Ci's arrival gave Geng Fu, who was busy on the top floor, quite a fright. The banquet arrangements on the top floor had already been laid out, but at this hour, the two most distinguished guests absolutely could not be invited to take their seats. The fat shopkeeper immediately trotted over and respectfully invited them to move to the neighboring Cloud Bamboo Garden.
Cloud Bamboo Garden was Tianyi Tower's finest viewing spot. Its semi-enclosed space was unsuitable for a large banquet, but it was perfect as a lounge for honored guests. Yu Ci rather liked the place. As for Xie Yan, with nothing but the Golden Bone Jade Disc on his mind, he let Geng Fu make all the arrangements.
After ushering the two honored guests into the garden, Geng Fu did not dare linger. Once he saw that tea and refreshments had been served, he saluted and withdrew.
Cloud Bamboo Garden immediately fell quiet.
Yu Ci looked toward Xie Yan and saw that, after sitting down, the immortal master had closed his eyes to rest, apparently intending to remain seated until the banquet began. Fish Dragon seemed instinctively afraid of Xie Yan. It stayed far away from him, swimming among the emerald bamboo. Yu Ci smiled, then leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance, overlooking the scenery of Juebi City.
Nestled between mountains and with winter upon it, Juebi City darkened quickly. Once the mountain blocked the slanting rays of the sun, its enormous shadow fell across the land, shrouding more than half the city. A layer of gray shadow spread through the air, veiling the skies above Juebi City, and lights began to kindle one by one throughout the streets below.
People thronged the crisscrossing streets, storefronts opened in succession, and the