Shu Province, Dutian Prefecture.
This was the capital of the southwest, standing supreme in the heartland of Bashu.
Unlike the broad plains of Central Province, the terrain here rose and fell, crisscrossed by gullies and ravines.
Dutian Prefecture had been built against the mountains and flourished beside the water.
Within the city, buildings stood at staggered heights, with blue-tiled roofs and upturned eaves. Stilt houses rose side by side, winding stone steps crossed in every direction, and twisting streets and secluded alleys brimmed with the distinctive charm of the Shu Region.
The river wound around the city, crowded with merchant ships, while vendors' cries rang out without end.
Prosperous and wealthy, this place was the heart of the entire southwest, drawing countless martial artists, officials, merchants, scholars...
All walks of life mingled here, fish and dragons swimming together.
In the city stood a time-honored riverside establishment: the Fragrant Restaurant.
Its name promised a fragrance that drifted for ten miles.
The restaurant was packed with guests, a clamor of voices filling the air.
At a table by the window, Xie Jinghan sat alone.
He gazed out at the staggered streets and undulating mountain roads unique to the Shu Region, their unfamiliar beauty pleasing to the eye.
But his gaze wandered; his thoughts were elsewhere.
This was his third day in the Shu Region.
Only fifteen days remained until the executions at Frost's Descent, after autumn.
Time was running short. The deadline pressed close.
For the past three days, he had concealed himself among the townsfolk, discreetly gathering information.
As the execution date drew nearer, talk of the autumn executions grew ever more heated.
In streets and alleys, commoners and martial artists alike discussed the matter. The hottest topic was the ten condemned prisoners slated for execution that autumn.
Some vendors had