Ashmound. 

As one of the most advanced cities in the Cathayan Underworld and the origin point of the new Qin Dynasty, the city was always teeming with bustling activity. Similarly, as one of the first cities to have been developed, it benefitted even more from economic policies than Everburn. As a result, it was the core of the entire nation's economy. In contrast, in the areas that were liberated later, such as the Westriver Province, the Cloudriver Province, and the Rich Province, economic systems were only just beginning to take shape.

After being conquered, Ashmound hadn't witnessed any battles, making it renowned as the safest city in the entire Cathayan Underworld, and this reputation also contributed to its prosperity.

Inside a teahouse, Huang Liangchuan was sitting in a booth, savoring a cup of Yin tea and indulging in its warm fragrance. The booth was constructed in a classic Ming Dynasty style with gold-plated crane lanterns, a screen with an intricately embroidered hibiscus flower on its surface, and beautifully crafted furniture. There was also a half-drawn bamboo curtain that further contributed to the air of natural elegance in the room, and drinking a pot of top-quality tea here was the best form of enjoyment that he could think of.

Seated beside him was an elderly man who appeared to be in his seventies, and after taking a draft out of his shisha, he blew out a plume of smoke and murmured, "Who could've foreseen the life we're living now? Just a few years ago, Everburn was so poor that there were only trees to rest on, yet now... Tsk tsk tsk, Old Man Huang, you're currently...