There were so many houses around the area that Miao Yi couldn't even see where they ended. They weren't large in any way, and were mostly made out of mud and clay. If he hadn't seen all these houses, he wouldn't have known that Tempest Tavern was definitely considered one of the more luxurious buildings around. Moreover, these houses weren't adjoined together at all. There was at least a few dozen meters between each one. They also didn't face in the same direction; the front gate for each house was placed wherever the owner desired. The only commonality between them was that they were all built away from the lower terrain.
This city could be considered a poor, yet crowded one. There were no roads. All the buildings were built upon the desert. Perhaps it was better said that the gaps between the houses were the roads.
