Weeks passed as the travelers journeyed southward, the landscape gradually transforming around them.
Lush forests gave way to increasingly barren terrain, vegetation growing sparser and more twisted with each passing day. The very air seemed to change—becoming heavier, carrying the faint metallic tang of blood even when no source was visible.
The roads deteriorated as they progressed, well-maintained paths giving way to rutted tracks that tested the carriage's craftsmanship.
Settlements became fewer and farther between, those they did encounter bearing the unmistakable signs of hardship—walls reinforced with makeshift fortifications, guards whose eyes held the haunted look of those who had seen too much, children who did not play but watched strangers with wary, old eyes.
Throughout this journey, the dynamic between the travelers remained strained. The easy camaraderie that had begun to develop before the bandit attack had been replaced by a cautious formality.
Conversations were polite but guarded, no one quite willing to forget what they had witnessed Wudi Egun do that night in the forest clearing.
Only Li Meixia maintained something close to her previous relationship with the mysterious alchemist, though even she seemed more measured in their interactions, more careful in her choice of words.
Whether this caution stemmed from fear or from a deeper understanding of his true nature remained unclear, perhaps even to her.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of increasingly difficult travel, they crested a ridge and beheld their first destination spread before them—the infamous City of Sin.
Even from a distance, the city made a formidable impression. Massive walls of dark stone, at least ten feet high, encircled its sprawling expanse. Unlike the elegant, curved walls of more civilized cities, these fortifications were brutally functional—designed not for beauty but to keep dangers out... or perhaps to keep them in.
Watchtowers rose at regular intervals along the perimeter, each manned by figures whose armor gleamed dully in the harsh sunlight. Smoke rose from countless points within the walls, creating a perpetual haze that hung over the city like a shroud, turning the sky above it a sickly yellowish-gray.
"There it is," Li Meixia said, her voice carrying a note of distaste despite her diplomatic training. "The City of Sin—first gateway to the southern territories and last outpost of anything resembling civilization before we reach Ghost City."
Liang Chen shaded his eyes as he studied the sprawling urban expanse. "It's larger than I expected."
"And more dangerous than you can imagine," Driver Mo added, his weathered face grim. "I've passed through here twice in my younger days. Both times I left with fewer companions than I entered with."
This sobering statement hung in the air as they began their descent toward the city. When they reached a small copse of stunted trees approximately a mile from the walls, Li Meixia called for them to halt.
"We should make preparations before approaching," she said, dismounting from the carriage with practiced grace. "Our current appearance would draw... unwanted attention."
The wisdom of this suggestion was immediately apparent. Their traveling clothes, while practical, were clearly of exceptional quality. The carriage itself, with the Li Family emblem prominently displayed, might as well have been a banner proclaiming "wealthy targets" to the criminal elements that dominated the city.
"I have brought more appropriate attire," Li Meixia continued, retrieving several bundles from a storage compartment within the carriage. "Nothing too ragged, as that would draw its own form of attention, but ordinary enough to avoid marking us as particularly worth robbing."
She distributed the clothing—simple garments of sturdy fabric in muted colors, the kind worn by moderately successful merchants or skilled craftsmen. Nothing that would suggest wealth or status, but also nothing that would mark them as desperate or vulnerable.
As they changed—the men and women separating to opposite sides of the copse for privacy—Driver Mo addressed another practical concern. "The carriage cannot enter the city. It is too recognizable, and the horses would be stolen within hours, if not minutes."
He held up a plain jade ring, unremarkable in appearance yet clearly containing significant spatial capacity. "I will store it here until our departure. Young Lady Li and the other Young Ladies can ride the horses—they will attract less attention mounted than on foot. The rest of us will walk."
No one objected to this arrangement. Even Liang Chen, who typically preferred to take the lead in practical matters, deferred to Driver Mo's greater experience with this particular location.
When they reassembled, the transformation was remarkable. Gone were the cultivators whose bearing and attire proclaimed their status to all who beheld them. In their place stood what appeared to be a group of unremarkable travelers—the kind that passed through such cities by the hundreds every day, notable only in their careful anonymity.
Most striking was the change in the women. Li Meixia, Liang Nian'er, and Tong Xin—each possessed of beauty that would turn heads even in the most refined settings—had employed subtle body modification techniques to alter their appearances. Their features remained pleasant but were now deliberately average, the kind that would be forgotten moments after being seen.
Li Meixia's luminous eyes had dulled to a common brown, her perfect complexion now showing minor blemishes and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Her hair, once a waterfall of midnight silk, now hung in ordinary waves of a nondescript brown. Even her posture had changed, the perfect poise of a noble daughter replaced by the slightly hunched shoulders of one accustomed to long hours of practical work.
Similar transformations had been wrought on Liang Nian'er and Tong Xin, their ethereal and classical beauty respectively muted into forgettable plainness. It was a testament to their skill that these changes appeared completely natural—not disguises but alternative versions of themselves.
The men had less dramatic alterations to make, but they too adjusted their bearing and expressions to blend with the common masses. Liang Chen suppressed the natural charisma that made him the center of attention in any gathering, adopting instead the watchful wariness of a merchant accustomed to protecting his goods in dangerous territories.
Only Wudi Egun required minimal changes. His unremarkable appearance, which had once seemed at odds with his extraordinary abilities, now served as perfect camouflage. With a few adjustments to his clothing and a slight stoop to his shoulders, he became entirely forgettable—just another traveler of no particular note.
As they approached the city, they joined the queue of people waiting to enter through the northern gate. The line stretched for what seemed like thousands of feet, snaking back from the massive iron-bound doors that controlled access to the city's interior.
"I didn't expect such a crowd," Wudi Egun remarked, genuine surprise in his voice as he surveyed the mass of humanity before them.
Li Meixia's expression darkened slightly. "It's worse than when I passed through two years ago. Something must have changed."
As if in answer to her observation, fragments of conversation from those ahead of them in line drifted back.
"—third attack this week—"
"—found them all with their throats cut, right in the middle of Phoenix territory—"
"—saying it's Dragon's people, but I don't believe it—"
"—getting worse every day—"
Wudi Egun glanced at Li Meixia, his curiosity evident despite his generally impassive demeanor. "Sin Dragon? Sin Phoenix? These names seem significant."
Li Meixia nodded, keeping her voice low. "The children of the Sin Lord—ruler of this city, if 'rule' is the right word for the particular brand of tyranny practiced here. They've been fighting for their father's position for years, but it sounds like the conflict has escalated recently."
"The Sin Lord is no ordinary tyrant," Liang Chen added, his own voice barely above a whisper. "He's one of the most feared figures in the Lingbei Province—a cultivator of such power that even the major sects tread carefully around his territory."
Liang Nian'er leaned closer, her modified features arranged in an expression of exaggerated secrecy that would have seemed comical in less dire circumstances. "His children are nearly as formidable—both have reached the Spirit Sea Realm. In most provinces, that would make them among the most powerful cultivators in the region."
This information caused Wudi Egun's eyebrows to rise slightly—a rare display of surprise from the typically unflappable alchemist. Spirit Sea Realm was equivalent to the level achieved by the Patriarch of the Li Family, a cultivation base that commanded respect even in the most prestigious circles.
For a backwater tyrant to have produced two offspring of such caliber suggested resources and methods far beyond the ordinary.
"And the Sin Lord himself?" he asked, his tone casual despite the significance of the question.
The others exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them before Li Meixia answered. "No one knows for certain. Some say he reached the Void Step Realm decades ago. Others claim he's found some method to extend his life and power beyond conventional cultivation paths."
The implication hung in the air, unspoken but clear—whatever the truth, the Sin Lord was not someone to be trifled with, even by those with extraordinary abilities of their own.
Their conversation was interrupted as they finally reached the front of the queue. The guard who processed their entry was a middle-aged man whose face bore the marks of a life filled with violence—a crooked nose that had been broken multiple times, a scar that pulled one eye into a permanent squint, and an expression of casual cruelty that suggested he enjoyed his work far more than was healthy.
"Entry fee," he barked, not bothering to look directly at them. "One thousand Third Grade Refined Jade. Each."
The amount was staggering—enough to purchase a large mansion in many major cities, or to feed a family for several years.
Wudi Egun managed to keep his expression neutral, but inwardly he recoiled at the extortionate demand.
Li Meixia, playing her role perfectly, allowed her face to contort with pain and reluctance as she counted out the required amount for herself, Wudi Egun, and Driver Mo.
The performance was flawless—the begrudging payment of someone who found the fee outrageous but had no choice but to comply.
"Highway robbery," she muttered just loudly enough for the guard to hear, adding a final touch of authenticity to her portrayal of an ordinary traveler facing unexpected expenses.
The guard's only response was a mirthless grin that revealed several missing teeth.
"Welcome to the City of Sin," he said, the formal greeting delivered with mocking insincerity as he pocketed the payment with practiced efficiency.
Liang Chen's group paid their own fees with similar reluctance, and finally, they were permitted to pass through the massive gates into the city proper.
What greeted them on the other side would haunt their dreams for years to come.