Book 5 Chapter 17 – Lianyun City (2)

　　As Li Yiming made his way into the city on the wooden cart, he noticed the name of the city written in crimson ink on a panel that hung above the city's entrance. 'Wait… Lianyun City?'

　　Instead of the guards that one would expect at the gate, a pair of giant lion statues sat at each side of the road. Unlike the half-man, half-snake monument outside of the city, these statues were very poor in quality. Moreover, unlike the lion statues Li Yiming was used to seeing, these two lions gave off a sinister air, with the b.l.o.o.d.y head of an unknown creature sitting at their feet. ¹

　　The inside of the city did not look like what Li Yiming had expected. The buildings did not match the grandeur of the city walls at all; most of them consisted of some kind of square-shaped shared-house built with pale blue bricks, which gave the city a very neat and ordered feeling. Although it was still early in the morning, the streets were already bustling with people who somehow all had time to spare for a friendly greeting toward each other.

　　"Hey, where do you live?" The man who pushed the cart asked in a friendly voice.

　　"I…" Li Yiming scrambled for an answer.

　　"How about coming to my home? I'll have a look at his injuries." The old man interrupted Li Yiming with a worried voice.

　　"Thanks," Li Yiming equivocated, trying his best not to betray himself. 'This man seems to be well-respected and well-known, so if I make a mistake in calling him out, I might be in trouble. I need to gather as much information as I can… but there's something wrong here… what is it?'

　　'c.r.a.p…' Li Yiming had been feeling uneasy ever since he pulled off his "show" at the gate, and he finally understood the reason. 'The clothing of the people here… The style is already, but the colors… It's all blue!'

　　"Quick, quick! The messengers from heaven have arrived. They're at the Southern Gate!" A tall skinny man suddenly came from behind and shouted.

　　"Messenger from heaven?"

　　"Southern Gate?"

　　Most of the pa.s.sers-by stopped what they were doing and rushed southward. A few even started to run in the opposite direction and helped relay the message.

　　'Is that Liu Meng…?' Li Yiming was aware that this was the appointed time for Liu Meng and Lin Lu to enter the city. 'But are they simply going to believe him? No questions asked?'

　　"Messengers… I…" The man who pushed Li Yiming's cart stopped and turned toward the gate, visibly hesitating. The flow of people in the city was already confluencing around that area.

　　"He…" The old man shook his head. He seemed to regret not being able to see the "messengers", but he knew that Li Yiming's injuries were more important.