Flowing Gold Sea.
Heyuan Prefecture.
As the largest border town and transportation hub in the grand Northwest, with towering buildings and splendid flowers, none could surpass it in grandeur.
Past this city lay the boundless grasslands and deserts.
All business from the south to the north had to pass through here for supplies. As soon as the weather warmed slightly, the sound of horse gangs' bells could ring from dawn through midnight.
But now, the guards responsible for inspecting and allowing passage on the city walls just took a couple of rounds, glanced briefly, and then returned to the warmth of the guardhouse to drive away the severe cold that penetrated their bones.
Winter had come, and the snow outside the city piled higher than a horse's chest in recent days.
A gray haze filled the sky; the sun was invisible, and conditions were so harsh that no merchants ventured out.
