The faint rays of sunlight illuminated the streets as the sun began to hide behind the distant mountains, casting long, delicate shadows.
Merchants began to bring out their lanterns, and the hustle and bustle on the street increased as the temperature cooled down.
Couples came out for a walk on the streets, children ran amok in the city, and merchants hawked their wares with gusto.
Restaurants and taverns also saw an influx in the number of customers as the adventurers and mercenaries started returning to the city wall after a long day of hard work.
The faint sounds of the soft current floated over with the wind, calming one's mind.
The elderly could be seen sitting by the roadside, enjoying the beauty of the Jiangnan city.
A relatively small but ancient city, the diameter of the entire city spanned a total of 15000 km², and its fixed population was around 40 million people.
This city was first formed after a few travelers decided to settle around the Jiangnan River, thus establishing a small village, which later turned into Jiangnan City.
No one could tell exactly how long the city has been established, but it was said that Jiangnan City was older than most of the empires today.
This also gave the city a huge advantage, as its age meant it had amassed a large number of weapons and defensive artifacts, moreover, it gave birth to many super experts that later became giants in the spirit realm.
At this moment, two cloaked figures were walking on the street, their heads down, and their pace was slow. Nobody paid attention to them as the city constantly saw travelers of all kinds.
But what they didn't know was, these two figures would become someone who would decide the fates of millions with just a few words in the future.
The two cloaked figures moved through the crowd, their presence minimal, their steps deliberate, as though they knew every inch of the city.
Their hoods ensured their facial features remained hidden as they quickly navigated through the streets.
This ensured that they became nothing more than passing silhouettes in the corner of someone's eyes.
One of them, the taller of the two, walked with an air of calm confidence around him; his movements were precise and controlled, like someone accustomed to high danger and power.
But if one were to look deeply into the figures deep brown eyes, beneath all that confidence, they would find sadness and longing, as though something or someone very dear was taken from him.
The other figure, though slightly shorter, also had an imposing presence; his steps were quiet, as though his feet never touched the ground. Under the hood, his grey eyes scanned their surroundings constantly. Taking note of all and everyone around them.
His posture was rigid, his every step measured — like a soldier, or perhaps a trained assassin.
Neither of them spoke as they kept walking, taking one turn after another.
The various shops and stalls kept passing by, and the pedestrians on the street started to lessen as they got deeper into the city.
The shop grew more luxurious, and the outfits people wore finer in quality. The streets got cleaner, and the lively atmosphere from before changed to a quieter, more peaceful one.
But the figures barely stopped to admire the beautiful scenes around them, keeping their pace constant instead.
Soon, they reached the central part of the city, the area where the nobles and city lord resided alongside the manors of various great families of the city.
The short figure took the lead as he started navigating the streets expertly, quickly entering an alley behind a small manor.
The tall figure followed behind him quietly, not asking any questions or looking around.
The short figure stopped in front of an old door in the alley, and the tall figure walked beside him and asked, "Is this the place you were talking about, Zhang Yu?"
Hearing the words of the tall figure, Zhang Yu nodded in response, "Yes, this is the entryway to the black market of Jiangnan City."
He paused for a second before adding, "Since you want to start an organization, we would need loyal people, and the fastest way to get them… is to buy them."
"Hmm, so how many slaves are we going to buy?" the tall figure asked, intrigued.
"As many as I find suitable for our needs," Zhang Yu replied calmly, "after all, I took quite a sum from the treasury of the branch I was stationed at, so funds are not a problem."
Saying this, Zhang Yu knocked on the door in front of him.
There was a unique rhythm to his knock as he first lightly knocked three times with his knuckles, then he pounded the door with his fist twice, and finally, he struck the door with an open palm, adding a small pause after one or two strikes.
Once Zhang Yu was done with the knocking, a brick moved from beside the door, and a hoarse voice came from within.
"Who is it?"
"The mare of the lord, that same dark night,
I'll leave my pain to you, oh bearer of the light."
When he heard the question, instead of giving his name, Zhang Yu recited a weird poem to the hole in the wall.
As soon as Zhang Yu finished speaking, the brick was placed there once again, and the ground beneath their feet started rumbling ominously.
Bai Chen almost stumbled due to the sudden shock, but when he looked toward Zhang Yu, he was surprised to see him standing calmly, as if he had already known what was about to happen.
Seeing this, Bai Chen's lips twitched, and a vein popped on his forehead, 'This fucker, he already knew this was going to happen didn't he?'
'Just you wait, once we are done here, I'll give you a good beating to remind you who the master is!' Bai Chen grumbled inwardly.
Meanwhile, the ground beneath their feet started sinking in, revealing a hidden staircase that looked like it led to the abyss.
Once the rumbling stopped, Zhang Yu calmly started descending the stairs, "Let's go, otherwise the door will close itself in thirty breaths and will only open again after an hour."