Night fell.
Dark clouds veiled the sky, hiding the stars. The towering city of Yun’an blazed as brightly as day, like a sea of fire on the pitch-black earth, spreading along the river to the end of the heavens.
With Dyeing Street being rebuilt, the few remaining households nearby had all moved away. At night, it became a black hole amid the sea of lights, with only a faint glimmer at its center.
In the little courtyard in Twin Osmanthus Alley, Ye Jingtang had changed into night clothes. Cradling the Chi Dragon Ring-Pommel Saber, he leaned beside the door, gazing at the glow of lights toward the Imperial City and thinking of the Ginkgo Tree he could not get out of his mind.
Niao Niao, who grew lively whenever night came, perched on his shoulder, going, "Coo-coo, cheep-cheep..." Presumably, the bird was talking about how Fried Egg had not bought any dried meat for Niao Niao when they went to buy rice that afternoon.
The main room's doors and windows were shut, but a light shone inside, and two women's voices drifted out:
"Master’s Wife~ Let me come too. I'm bored to death in the Capital City..."
"Stay home and copy your books properly. Have you forgotten how badly your master scolded me last time he tested your studies and you couldn't recite a single line?"
"I'm a martial artist. What use is studying..."
"Yunli!"
"Ah~ Master’s Wife, your breasts are so big. If you bind them too tightly and hurt them, how will you nurse a baby..."
"Shh!"
The room fell quiet.
Hearing that Heroine Luo was binding her little watermelons, Ye Jingtang raised his eyebrows, but did not make a sound to startle her.
Creak-
A little later, the door opened. Lamplight spilled into the courtyard, casting the