"Chang'an City has changed quite a bit."
Walking along Chang'an's main street, Jiezhuzi could not help but sigh.
His hands were tucked into his wide sleeves as he strolled forward. Though his eyes were closed, he moved as if he could see.
The streets on either side were orderly, and the surrounding market wards stood as distinct as the Jing and Wei Rivers.
Everywhere the eye could reach in Chang'an, order reigned.
Squads of soldiers patrolled the streets and alleys, while passersby walked briskly. Not one lingered in the street.
Yet when they saw Jiezhuzi's group, many slowed and looked at them in surprise.
Beside Jiezhuzi walked Nanmingzi in a Daoist Robe and Chen Cuo dressed in black.
"The people in this city are all like Puppets on Strings," Nanmingzi said gravely. "And the atmosphere is far too solemn. A dim Spirit Light blankets the entire city—no, there was a faint trace of it along the road here as well. It blocks Divine Thought, leaving us no way to investigate."
"They're at war, after all. Master said himself that a hall of the Underworld Office stands behind the Emperor of Zhou. It's not just the emperor; the entire Zhou Kingdom court has been infiltrated," Tu Nan Zi's voice came from Chen Cuo's shadow, carrying a hint of pride. "I knew something was wrong with those gate guards. If I hadn't disturbed their thoughts, we might not have gotten in at all."
"You dare bring that up yourself?" Nanmingzi frowned. "Chang'an City is strange beyond measure right now, yet you used a Divine Ability without thinking. You have no sense of what's at stake!"
"I was careful enough. I slipped into their minds and planted suggestions. To them, those thoughts were their own." Tu Nan Zi muttered, his voice growing quieter.