Desolate Streets

"Brother Shen, looks like we won't be drinking today. Tell me where you're staying, and I'll come find you another day. We'll drink to our hearts' content then." Yu Meng withdrew his gaze, clapped Shen Luo on the shoulder with one hand, and said.

"To be honest, Brother Yu, I only arrived in the city not long ago. As for where I'm staying..." Shen Luo deliberately gave a bitter smile, speaking vaguely.

"Oh? So you're not from this city, yet you were willing to risk your life defending it? What courage! What a brother!" Yu Meng froze for a moment, then gave Shen Luo a thumbs-up.

The other three retainers also looked at Shen Luo more warmly after hearing this.

"You flatter me, Brother Yu. I'm only trying to protect myself while doing what little I can," Shen Luo said quickly, waving his hands.

"Haha! In times like these, there really aren't many men as spirited as you, Brother Shen! If you don't have anywhere to stay in the city, why not come home with me for now?" Yu Meng laughed, then seemed to think of something and asked.

"I truly haven't had the chance to find a place to stay yet, so I'll have to trouble you, Brother Yu." Shen Luo was full of doubts and readily agreed.

"Trouble me? We're brothers. Why be so formal? Let's go!" Yu Meng said, his thick brows rising as he threw an arm around Shen Luo's shoulders.

The group followed the horse path to the corner tower atop the wall. Just as they were about to head for the stairway down, they saw several soldiers in standard-issue armor supporting a fat middle-aged man as he slowly made his way up onto the wall.

Shen Luo lowered his gaze and saw that the man had fair skin and a short yellow beard around his mouth. He wore a suit of armor that fit him terribly, making him look like a lump of greasy pork belly stuffed into a turtle shell—utterly disproportionate.

The middle-aged man and his group also spotted Yu Meng and the others coming down from the wall, and they stopped where they were.

"Make way for the heroes." The middle-aged man's gaze fell on Tian Chong's corpse, and his expression shifted slightly. He raised a hand and called out.

The soldiers immediately helped him move to one side against the wall, clearing the path.

"You three, take Tian Chong back first," Yu Meng instructed the others, turning sideways.

The three retainers answered and carried Tian Chong's body down the stairs first.

As they passed the fat middle-aged man, the sight of the blackened bloodstains on the banner made cold sweat stream down his forehead.

Shen Luo followed Yu Meng down from the wall and came to the man's side.

"Lord Liu." Yu Meng cupped his hands in greeting.

"N-Nephew Yu." The middle-aged man hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Quite a few beasts made it onto the wall this time, and they left quite a few corpses behind. They must be cleared away quickly, so the townsfolk can continue cutting them up and storing the meat. Also, the damaged sections of the wall must be repaired as soon as possible." Yu Meng glanced back at the wall as he spoke.

"Rest assured, Nephew Yu. I've already sent people to handle it," Lord Liu said hurriedly.

Yu Meng nodded and said no more, leading Shen Luo onward down from the wall.

Lord Liu had wanted to say something else, but seeing that Yu Meng did not even look back, he swallowed the words at his lips. After wiping away more sweat, he continued toward the wall with the others supporting him.

"Who was that Lord Liu?" Shen Luo asked once they had descended the wall.

"Liu Fu, magistrate of Donglai County," Yu Meng replied casually.

"So he's the local official responsible for military and civil affairs." Shen Luo nodded, inwardly puzzled.

Yu Meng clearly did not look like an ordinary able-bodied defender, but neither did he seem to hold official rank. Why did this Lord Liu appear somewhat nervous in front of him?

"What local official? He's just a weak scholar. He can handle a few trivial cases in ordinary times, but at a time like this, he's a complete joke. Donglai County's military preparations have been lax across the board. If not for the able-bodied men in the city holding the line, those old veteran soldiers alone never could have lasted until now." Yu Meng snorted coldly.

Hearing that, Shen Luo immediately understood why Yu Meng had looked so displeased with the man.

"Still, timid as a mouse though he may be, he didn't abandon the city and flee. After the battle, he even knew to climb the wall and reassure the people. He's far better than the officials in several neighboring counties," Yu Meng added with a sigh.

"That's true." Shen Luo nodded, gaining a little more understanding of Magistrate Liu.

At the brink of life and death, how many people could truly face death without fear?

Yet another question rose in Shen Luo's heart. As he remembered it, Donglai County should have been in the southern part of Chishui Commandery. Though he had never been there, he had never heard of such terrifying wolf packs roaming that region.

If such a thing truly existed, news of it would have spread throughout the land long ago.

"Brother Shen, let's go." Seeing Shen Luo standing there in a daze, Yu Meng urged him on.

He had not felt it up on the wall, but now that he had entered the city, Shen Luo realized that Donglai County was built quite magnificently. Its walls stood nearly a zhang higher than those of Chunhua County.

The city walls were exceptionally tall and thick, guarding the city like mountains. Though wind and rain had eroded them, peeling away the surface and leaving many damaged sections, their former grandeur was still faintly visible.

A broad main road stretched straight into the city beneath their feet, wide enough for four carriages to travel abreast. Perhaps from long neglect, however, its surface was pitted and uneven.

The storefronts lining the main road were wider, and the buildings taller, than those in Chunhua City, though for some reason they looked somewhat run-down.

The architectural style here differed greatly from that of Chunhua County. Chunhua County's buildings were simple and stately, while the buildings here, though also quite tall, had far more ornamentation around the eaves, walls, doorframes, and other places.

"My home is near the Confucius Temple. Come with me, Brother Shen." Yu Meng led Shen Luo deeper into the city.

Shen Luo followed behind Yu Meng, continuing to survey his surroundings. The more he saw, the stranger it all felt.

It was nearing evening, but the sky was still bright. Yet there were hardly any people on the streets. More than half the shops along the roads had already closed. At one intersection stood what appeared to have once been a thriving grand restaurant; its doors were not even shut, but it had long since been deserted, with dust covering the floor. It was impossible to tell how long it had been out of business.

Only a few shops selling necessities such as rice and flour remained open along the streets, and even they had scarcely any customers.

Like many of the people on the wall, the men wore folded headwraps and robes, with long scarves wound around their heads. The fronts and backs of their robes were somewhat shorter than those Shen Luo usually saw. The women wore cloud-shaped coiffures, short jackets or blouses that exposed the skin of their necks and chests, and long skirts below—quite different from the styles in Chunhua County.

For some reason, Shen Luo felt that all these people looked numb, especially in their eyes, which carried an indescribable emotion—something like fear, along with confusion.

Occasionally, he saw poorly clothed people along the streets, both elderly people and children, begging from passersby. Most received nothing but indifference. The entire scene was bleak and oppressive, leaving him deeply unsettled.

Could this Donglai County not be the Donglai County in Chishui Commandery that I know? Then where exactly am I? Am I still within the borders of Great Tang? Shen Luo muttered inwardly.

Yu Meng seemed long accustomed to all of this and strode briskly toward the depths of the city.

Shen Luo could only suppress his doubts and hasten after Yu Meng.