When the two were about half a kiloter from the East Gate, a figure descended from the sky.
The man had a thick beard, wore a white turban, and was dressed in silver-white chainmail.
A scimitar hung at his waist, its silver-white scabbard inlaid with blue gemstones.
He wasn't tall but was very sturdy, with broad shoulders and a thick chest and back, resembling a low wall.
His boots made almost no sound as they touched the ground.
Liu Zhenshan stopped, cupped his hands, and smiled, "vice city lord Hamza, I hope you've been well!"
The man also laughed, strode forward to et him, and shook Liu Zhenshan's hand vigorously with both of his.
"Deputy City Lord Liu, you've finally arrived! The City Lord has been looking forward to your arrival every day!"
His voice was loud, carrying a heavy Tieba Kingdom accent, but his tone was sincere.
Liu Zhenshan stepped aside and pointed to Lin Feng. "This is the Lord of Fenghuo County, Lin Feng."
"Lord Lin, this is the vice city lord of Kara Holy City, Hamza."
Lin Feng cupped his hands. "vice city lord Hamza, it is an honor to et you."
Hamza looked Lin Feng up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes before he smiled.
"Lord Lin, I've heard much about you. Your na has reached even us in Kara Holy City. The youngest Silver Seat Lord in Great Xia—well done!"
Lin Feng replied modestly, "vice city lord Hamza, you flatter ."
Hamza waved his hand, dispensing with further pleasantries.
He turned toward the East Gate, his tone shifting from small talk to business. "Co, follow to see the City Lord. We need to have a serious discussion about the Orc Army."
As soon as he finished speaking, his feet left the ground, and his body rose slowly until he was hovering fifty ters up.
Liu Zhenshan nodded and also took flight, rising to the sa height as Hamza.
His dark purple armor looked steady and heavy in the sunlight, forming a sharp contrast with Hamza's silver-white chainmail.
Lin Feng activated the Shadow Step of his shadow dance legguards; a white light flashed on his legs, and his Agility increased by 3.
A gentle force surged from within him, lifting him off the ground.
He rose to the sa height as Liu Zhenshan and Hamza, hovering in mid-air with the Wildfire Spear on his back swaying slightly in the wind.
The three of them flew toward the city in a triangular formation at a moderate pace.
As they crossed the forty-ter-high city wall, the defenders looked up at the sky, and soone cried out in a low voice, "That's Deputy City Lord Liu! Zhenyue City has co to support us!"
A glimr of hope finally appeared on their panicked faces.
Flying through the air, Lin Feng felt the wind rushing beneath him. This was his first ti flying in a real-world environnt.
Hovering a ter off the ground for a few seconds in the Zhenyue City Council Hall hadn't really counted as flying.
Now that he was at a height of fifty ters, the grayish-green moss of the Grey Tundra spread out beneath him like a giant carpet.
Farmlands, villages, patrols, city walls, watchtowers, minarets, snow-capped mountains... everything was beneath his feet, receding further away.
The wind was strong but not cold; his constitution was already very high, so this slight temperature change was nothing to him.
What truly amazed him was the sensation of flight—free, effortless, and light, like a fish in water or a bird in the sky.
No wings or spells were needed; with just a thought, his body would move in that direction.
The mont they flew over the city wall, the full view of Kara Holy City unfolded beneath them.
Unlike Zhenyue City, this city was built against a mountain rather than on flat ground.
The northern city wall was embedded directly into the snow-capped mountain; the grayish-black wall stretched from the foot of the mountain to halfway up its slope, contrasting sharply with the white ice and snow.
The buildings inside the city descended tier by tier from north to south, like waves rolling outward.
The streets weren't in a grid pattern but were winding and curved, following the terrain like snakes coiled at the foot of the mountain.
The East District was the comrcial area. Looking down from the air, one could see rows of neat shops and stalls, mostly with flat roofs covered by cloth awnings for shade.
Colorful sacks were piled at the entrances of spice shops, their tops open to reveal cumin and pepper inside.
Carpet shops were draped with exquisitely woven handmade carpets, featuring intricate patterns and bold colors.
The windows of jewelry stores displayed various gemstones—sapphires, rubies, eralds, and cat's eyes—refracting brilliant light in the sun.
People bustled through the market; the cries of vendors, the haggling of custors, and the braying of Pack Beasts blended into a noisy, lively atmosphere.
The South District was the workshop area. Black smoke rose from the chimneys of blacksmith shops, and the clanging of hamrs on iron could be heard from several streets away.
Rows of scimitars hung outside the weapon workshops, with scabbards made of silver, copper, or leather, and hilts inlaid with various gems.
The Tieba Kingdom was famous for its scimitars and chainmail, and the entire South District was busy preparing for the impending war.
Blacksmiths were forging weapons, tanners were sewing armor, and apprentices in the weapon workshops were inlaying gems into scabbards.
The West District was the residential area, with buildings mostly being flat-roofed houses made of adobe or stone. The walls were earthy yellow and the roofs grayish-white, quite different from the blue bricks and grey tiles of Zhenyue City.
The streets were narrow and winding, with the tightest spots only allowing two people to pass side-by-side.
Children played tag in the alleys, won spun thread at their doorsteps, and elderly people basked in the sun against the walls.
Unlike the prosperity of the East District and the bustle of the South District, the West District was quiet—so quiet it was almost oppressive.
The North District was the military area, right next to the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ foot of the snow-capped mountain.
The barracks were rows of low stone buildings with flat, thatched roofs.
n were drilling on the training grounds in neat formations, their scimitars glinting coldly in the sunlight.
The stables housed over a thousand snow cals, their humps rising like mountain peaks and covered in silver fur as thick as a palm.
The Inner City was located in the north-central part of the city, built on the mountainside and sitting significantly higher than the Outer City.
The road climbed up from the foot of the mountain in a winding path, lined with stone streetlamps on both sides.
The Inner City's wall was also forty ters high, built from snow-mountain granite and embedded into the mountain just like the northern wall.
The city gate was purple, with a crescent moon and star emblem carved onto the lintel.
The gates were tightly shut, and two rows of guards in silver chainmail stood on the stone steps, ard with scimitars and bucklers.
Hamza didn't land outside the Inner City gate but flew directly over the wall.
Liu Zhenshan followed, with Lin Feng close behind.
The three of them landed in front of the Inner City's Council Hall, their boots making a crisp sound on the bluestone pavent.
The Inner City's Council Hall was even more magnificent than the buildings in the Outer City.
The exterior walls were covered in deep blue tiles painted with golden scriptures that shimred in the sunlight.
The roof was hemispherical, with a crescent-shaped tal pole atop the do.
Two marble pillars stood before the entrance, their shafts carved with intricate vine patterns.
The door was made of dark brown hardwood, with copper knockers cast in the shape of lion heads.
Hamza pushed open the doors and stepped aside with a "please" gesture.
Liu Zhenshan stepped inside, and Lin Feng followed him.
The three of them entered the Council Hall.
The doors closed slowly behind them, sealing out the sound of the wind and the bustle.
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