At dawn, the county capital was covered with the warmth of sunlight. It was different from Seven Blood Eyes in that people smiled a lot more. It was different from the Eight Sect Coalition in that mutagen was very scarce. There was no cool humidity in the air, and it wasn’t possible to smell the Forbidden Sea.9

People dressed accordingly. Even the commoners and shopkeepers wore fine clothing. The most outstanding feature was that the garments were colorful. In the cities of South Phoenix, the garments mortals wore were usually simple. It was the same in the Eight Sect Coalition, though the clothing tended to be slightly higher quality. But here in the county capital, you could find every color imaginable, and it made the entire city lively and full of life.2

Because it was still not yet time to report for duty, Xu Qing and the Captain didn’t fly to their destination. Instead, they strolled through the city.0

Xu Qing hadn’t been out of seclusion for the entire half-month that had passed, so this was really his first chance to get familiar with their new surroundings. He looked around at the crowds on the streets, and occasionally glanced up into the air.0

There were quite a few swordsages out and about. They all wore the same uniform, making it impossible to tell who was a new recruit. That said, all of them emitted extraordinary fluctuations. It wasn’t a surprise to Xu Qing. After all, this was the county capital, where the best of the best from all the provinces would end up.0

“Master said...0