Spring Rain in Jiangnan

　　Jiangnan was still Jiangnan, but the sky was grey since early morning; it was cloudy and gloomy. Those who were experienced could tell the weather was going to be horrible on them if they left their house. Unless one had urgent business, they would kick back at home. It was obvious it was going to rain. Sure, it wasn't odd for there to be rain during winter.

　　Jiangnan was home to lots of rivers, ports, lakes and swamps. Because water was essential for nouris.h.i.+ng practically everything, bacteria also found perfect places. Water in Jiangnan was subjected to steam, the sun and moon. Despite it being winter, it wasn't cold for very long. Not all plants would wither at the end of the year. One could always find lush plants despite the cold. The same applied for gra.s.s, particularly weeds by the riversides. They were yellow in spring, but they would grow rapidly again after a few months. That was why Jiangnan was a magnificent sight to behold all year round. Ran in winter, therefore, was normal in Jiangnan. That was the same reason the appearance of a sudden group garnered more attention than the dark sky.

　　The group arrived as an escort with carriages and over a hundred horses. The group numbered approximately three hundred people. Their origins were unknown. Howbeit, their carriages were big - relatively speaking. Their horses were quality horses, and the people looked tough. Judging from the huge sizes of the various carriages, they weren't transporting just expensive goods, but also lots of people. If an expert was to take a close look, they would be able to tell they shouldn't bother the group, for they were dangerous.

　　The group travelled in three columns, allowing a column to a.s.sist its neighbour if anything was to ever happen in addition to protecting the goods in the carriages. They were clearly trained to follow the specific formation. There wasn't a single escort company or martial arts sect that could've synchronised their people's movements to the degree this particular group did. The group mobilised as proficiently as a trained army. Their formation could be considered perfect enough to be a standard pa.s.sed on to future generations.

　　Who in their right mind would pick a fight with such a fierce group of adepts? That was not to mention the group hiding within the carriages. Immediate risk aside, attacking the escort was unequivocally declaring hostility on the imperial court. If you were the four biggest unorthodox factions, then perhaps, but otherwise, that was absurd.