"What... is the City Lord like?"
Luo Fan held his teacup, his tone casual, as though making small talk.
Han Xiangdong glanced at him without answering immediately.
He lifted his own teacup and slowly took a sip, seemingly gathering his words.
The fragrance of tea lingered between them, while the scent of flowers drifted in from the courtyard on the breeze.
After a brief silence, Han Xiangdong spoke.
"I've been in the Holy City for about a year and a half."
Luo Fan listened quietly without interrupting.
Han Xiangdong continued, "A little over six months after the Apocalypse broke out, I happened to find my way here. I'd heard there was a village deep in the Western Regions that no Weird dared approach, so I came looking for it."
He paused, looking out the window as though recalling the past. "Back then, the Holy City wasn't called the Holy City. It was just a little village, a few dozen people gathered around a handful of rundown houses. It didn't even have walls."
Luo Fan was slightly taken aback. "A few dozen people?"
Han Xiangdong nodded. "Yes, a few dozen. The City Lord arrived around then. After she came, she started gathering the nearby survivors and building things up bit by bit. First, she put up a few decent houses. Then came farming, roads, and defensive works. Gradually, there were more and more people, and the territory grew larger."
He turned to look at Luo Fan. "The Holy City's Lower Ring, Middle Ring, and Upper Ring were all designated later. In the beginning, everyone crowded together. Nobody had any special privileges."
Luo Fan looked thoughtful. "Then why divide it up later?"
Han Xiangdong said, "Once you have more people, you need management. With management comes hierarchy. There's no getting around it."