Wang Lang and the Little White Fox, Su Yao, passed through Cangyun City's towering gate tunnel.
The moment they stepped out of the shadows, a roaring tide of noise crashed over them.
Cries of vendors, the clatter of carts and horses, and conversations blended together, heating this tapestry of mortal life into extraordinary bustle.
Shops stood in rows along both sides of the street, wine banners fluttered, and pedestrians brushed shoulders in the crowd.
"Wow!" Su Yao could not help crying out in amazement.
Though she had sneaked out of the Cloudmist Mountain Range long ago,
she had at most played in mortal villages and towns. This was her first time seeing such a prosperous great city.
The air was filled with the fragrances of all sorts of food, making her nose twitch uncontrollably.
"Langzi, Langzi, look at that!" The little fox stretched out a paw and pointed at a stall.
The vendor was pouring a lump of batter into hot oil. With a sharp sizzle,
the batter swiftly swelled, frying into round, puffed hollow balls sprinkled with sesame seeds.
"What is that? It looks delicious!"
Wang Lang glanced sideways and said, "They're called oil dumplings, also known as sugar oil fritters."
Nearby passersby caught sight of this strange pairing.
A snow-white fox walked alongside a man who looked like a dried corpse, and the fox was even speaking human words.
Their expressions changed at once, and they instinctively backed away several steps, leaving an empty patch around them.
Though this man and fox being allowed into the city proved they were not evil spirits, when had ordinary folk ever seen such a sight?
They only dared watch from afar and whisper among themselves.
Su Yao was utterly unaware, her attention completely hooked by the food.
She stared at the