Chapter 997: Aftermath
In the aftermath of Yang Ming's battle against Pope Bibi Dong and Bo Saixi, the Grand Consecration of the Sea God Hall, all of Heaven Dou City had been reduced to ruins. There was one exception, however: the Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters.
The Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters covered more than a hundred li and shared the most prosperous part of Heaven Dou City with the imperial palace. Beginning in the city's northern district, it extended west along Imperial Avenue, all the way to the imperial palace. Streams and rivers diverted from outside the city flowed in mighty currents through its walls.
A tall building stood every five paces, a pavilion every ten. Long corridors wound like ribbons, their lofty eaves pecking at the air like birds' beaks. These towers and pavilions followed the varied terrain, embracing one another at different heights, their encircling galleries hooking together like hearts and their soaring eaves locking like horns. They twisted and turned, looped and wound, clustered as densely as honeycombs and nested like swirling eddies. Majestic and towering, they numbered in the hundreds or thousands—who could say?
Deep within the Sky-Blasting Gang's headquarters stood a distinctive building. Two terraces formed symmetrical wings on either side of the main building, with a courtyard garden between them, giving it a simple, dignified appearance. Behind the palace lay a tranquil, beautiful garden. The interior of Yang Ming's residence glittered with gold. Every reception room had walls decorated with gilded, inlaid wood, hung with famous oil paintings or exquisite tapestries. Royal gilded, carved furniture stood throughout, while precious artworks, gleaming golden mantel clocks, and great chandeliers adorned the rooms, making the residence resemble a museum.
Inside the residence, a young man sat while an elderly man in splendid robes stood before him.
The elderly man wore