Elsewhere, Shen Luo darted through the streets between the wards, racing straight toward the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
The destruction he saw along the way far exceeded his expectations.
The banks of the Pheobe Canal, which ran through the city and connected to Xingqing Lake in the Royal Garden, were particularly horrific to behold.
The brick-and-stone embankments seemed to have been repeatedly rammed by some enormous creature. Cracks and collapsed sections lined both banks, and the usually clear river water had turned filthy and turbid.
As Shen Luo looked at the bloodstains along the banks and the corpses floating in the river, a flicker of anguish crossed his eyes.
When he reached an area not far from the imperial palace, he suddenly heard cries and commotion ahead. Looking toward the sound, he saw a crowd of Chang'an residents with disheveled hair and bloodstained clothes, all pressing toward an arched gateway outside the Royal Garden.
Sweeping his gaze over them, Shen Luo discovered seven or eight Yuling Guards standing in front of the civilians, weapons in hand, shouting at them to retreat. "Do you have a death wish? How dare you force your way into the Royal Garden! Back away at once!"
"Please, sir, have mercy and let us take shelter inside. The monsters have ravaged all of Pingli Ward. These are all the neighbors we have left. Give us a chance to live and let us hide inside. Once the monsters are gone, we'll leave right away," an elderly man with graying hair pleaded, trembling as he leaned on his walking stick.
"The authorities have ordered everyone to return to their own wards. Cultivators and troops have already been dispatched to protect them. Running out recklessly like this not only violates those orders, it also puts your lives at greater risk.