As dusk approached, the setting sun bled into the horizon.
In Bianning County, cooking smoke rose everywhere, and the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking could be heard from time to time. If not for the dense green aura visible not far outside the city, this place would seem like a paradise on earth.
At the city gate, many people were still queuing up to enter the city, with soldiers inspecting their luggage. Occasionally, if there were one or two decent-looking items, they would shove them into their own pockets.
Atop the city wall sat a languid general, who didn't seem very old, lazily watching the people queuing below. The original city gate captain stood beside him, bowing and scraping.
The young general yawned and said, "You've got a lot of people under your watch, but they're not much for giving bribes, are they? These folks are dressed in rags. Even if you stripped them down, how much could you possibly get?"
