"It's so hot."
Liang Qu slung the longbow across his shoulder and carried another on his back, squinting his eyes against the glaring white light.
With the end of the rainy season in Pingyang Prefecture, the haze had lifted from the sky. No one dared to look up to see where the sun was, as everywhere was filled with a blinding white glare.
The green stones were so hot that they were shedding gray dust, the moss in the corners had withered yellow, and a faint smell of scorch defused from the crevices.
"Stop daydreaming and move it!" Xiang Fangsu slapped his sheath, urging loudly, "The Yinbin Ship is waiting for us. We're the team leaders for the July expedition; the sooner we go, the sooner we return."
"How long will our expedition by sea take?"
No sooner had Liang Qu stepped out with the other two than the intense heat seared through the soles of his shoes, baking the soles of his feet.
"Half a month, twenty days maybe. Why, do you have other matters to attend to?"
