Heavenly Chengshi was quite unlike most cities--even other cities in the Xia Dynasty. Built upon a massive lake that spanned over one hundred kilometers, the city was made using a special material called Meteorite Iron. It was not the rarest or most expensive ore to be found, but it was pricy thanks to its special property, which was the power of levitation. This city, which sat upon a lake, did so by levitating several dozen chih off the surface. Many people considered Heavenly Chengshi an innovative marvel for that reason.

Like most cities, Heavenly Chengshi was an industrial machine designed to capture and redistribute chi, the divine breath, the power that animates human affairs and carries with it the mandate of heaven. What shaped the city was a combination of fengshui geomancy and astronomy, though there were many other factors involved too.

The city itself was shaped like a rectangle. At varying points within the city were buildings that had holes through their middles. Fengshui was an ancient word that translated to ‘wind’ and ‘water’ and were two of the five components vital for the movement of energy and the force of any living entity referred to as chi. Fengshui involved arranging an environments amenities to stimulate harmony, stability, and practicality. The conscious flow of energy was said to foster well-being for those living there. These buildings with holes in their centers were designed so as not to impede the flow of chi.

One such building was located within the so-called red light district. It was a tall building of at least twelve story, and in the center was a hole through which chi could flow. This building, which served as an inn, was built upon one of several leylines that ran through the city, making it popular among cultivators.

Within this inn was an eating establishment known as Yu Huanggong, which meant Palace of Beautiful Jade in the ancient tongue. The dim lighting was warmed by the soft orange glow of numerous intricately designed paper lanterns. Beautiful women from all walks of life traversed the interior, dressed in a classic qipao that showed off just enough skin to be tantalizing, but not enough to be called distasteful.

Xai Shui sat at a table by himself, nursing a beverage. Several empty bottles sat around him. He was not drunk, sadly. Cultivators at the Deva Realm at a hard time getting drunk even with the strongest of drinks. Their bodies cleansed it of any impurities almost faster than they could drink it. If he really wanted to get wasted, he would need to drink something like the so-called Divine Baijiu of the Southern Tang Dynasty or the Osmanthus Wine that could only grew in the Heavenly Sword Sect’s sacred vineyards.

His companions had been with him but eventually left after failing to cheer him up. It was fine. He didn’t need those cowards who couldn’t even look him in the eyes when they spoke to him. Everyone on his team was just a lackey anyway. Their only purpose was to fill in the four extra slots they were given for the competition. None of them were actually worth a damn.

Dammit!

Xaio Shui slammed his hand onto the table, the loud thump causing nearby patrons and one of the beautiful serving girls to jump and glance in his direction. He ignored them as he seethed. His mood had been foul ever since he lost to Team Shang in the tournament. He just couldn’t fathom it! How?! How had he lost?!

I don’t understand! I’ve be training since the day I could walk! Master Sun Meng has spent so many cultivation resources on me and allowed me to reach the level I’m at now! I should be leagues above everyone in this tournament! I AM leagues above them! So why did I lose to that pissant from a peasant country like the Shang Kingdom?!

As he stewed in feelings of rage, a presence appeared behind him. Xaio Shui paid no attention to it at first, but then the person sat down at his table, and he lifted his head to glare at the man--only to realize who sat before him. This person wore a hood. It made seeing who they were difficult, but when they glanced up, he caught a peek through the hood and saw the face of the person underneath.

“You! You’re…”

“It seems you know who I am,” the cloaked figure chuckled.

“What are you doing here? Why are you talking to me?” Xaio Shui was wary. For as arrogant as he was, he knew there were some people you did not upset, and this man was one of them.

“I was sitting over there and just happened to notice you brooding here alone. I thought I would come and offer an ear. You seem quite troubled.”

The words “it’s none of your business” was on the tip of his tongue, but Xaio Shui knew that would not be a good idea. This man could kill him with a snap of his fingers.

“I am troubled, yes.”

Because he had nothing better to do, and he didn’t want to offend this person, he decided to expose what was troubling him. The man was a surprisingly tentative listener. He said nothing but did nod and offer the occasional “ah” and “I see” as though to prove he was truly listening. Xai Shui ended up saying a lot more than he felt he should have, but he did feel a little better.

“I can see why you are so troubled. It is always frustrating when you train so hard and for so long, only for someone you’ve never even heard of to come in and claim victory over you,” the cloaked man said.

“That’s not even the worst of it!” Xaio Shui pounded his hand on the table. “Those two showed me up! Both that bitch and that little chicken shit!”

While he might have defeated Mei Xilan, she had shown herself to be much stronger than he believed possible. She was only at the Human Limit Realm and yet had given him a run for his money. He’d been forced to use his domain just to defeat her. It was humiliating!

“I understand.” Cloak ruffling as he nodded, the man smiled like a viper. “While this isn’t much consolation, I have some interesting information that you may want to know…”

“What kind of information and how much is this going to cost?” asked a now wary Xaio Shui.

The cloaked man smiled. “Information on Mei Xilan. As the cost… well, if you can remove Jian Wu’s mask during the tournament, I’ll consider that payment enough.”

***

The next phase of the tournament was not set to begin until several days. A festival was being hosted during the three day break between the team tournament and individual tournament. This festival was called Phoenix Tian, and it was in celebration of the Xia Dynasty’s founding.

While the Xia Dynasty was not the oldest nation, it was the most powerful, and it had an illustrious history dating back at least several thousand years. It had existed during the time when the White Tiger Sect had still been active. That was a long history. Perhaps that explained why everything about the country, from its people to its culture, seemed so rigid and set in its ways.

At least the festival was a blast.

He had already seen the decorations when he first arrived, but it seemed they had put even more up after the tournament. Red paper phoenix lanterns hung from street poles, awnings, and overhangs. The Phoenix was a symbol of rebirth and this festival was meant to signify its birth, and thus signify its rebirth into next year. The paper lanterns, crafted in the likeness of their guardian deity, symbolized the constant rebirth of the nation’s people.

Reincarnation was a big thing in this country. Many of its people believed they would be reincarnated after they died, and that their deeds were recorded in something called the Great Karmic Wheel. This record catalogued every bad and good deed, weighed them against each other, and determined a person’s reincarnation after judging what kind of life they had lived. Good deeds were rewarded and bad deeds were punished. A person who had accumulated more bad karma than good might very well end up reincarnating as a blade of grass.

Wu Jian thought it was stupid.

While he had no memories of his past life, he understood more about reincarnation than the people in this country, thanks to Wu Meiying. She understood reincarnation better than anyone, having relived her life over and over for eons. All of her memories were intact, too.

When a person died, their souls were sent to a place known as the yellow springs, where they underwent a purification ritual that cleansed them, removing their memories, and allowed them to pass on. King Yama was in charge of this. According to Wu Meiying, he was a somewhat grandfatherly man with a bad temper. A really cranky old coot. He assumed she had personally met King Yama. How else could he explain how she knew him so well?

Wu Jian was, at the moment, not thinking about any of that. He had somehow wound up walking with Hua Xue through the festival. His training had progressed quite well and he thought a break was in order. Hua Xue had nothing to do and offered to accompany him when he told her that he planned to enjoy the festival.

Youmei was also with them.

“Master! Master! Look at that food! It looks so good!”

“Do you want some?”

“Yes!”

Youmei was referring to a stall that sold Jianbing. It was a flat crepe made from mung bean flour, cooked by spreading it across a cast-iron pan and precise circular motions of a spatula. The street vendor made a show of his cooking.

Wu Jian got her several servings.

Everyone was so lively. He walked along the left side of the road, watching as several half-naked women danced through the center. All of them wore skirts with nine tassels fluttering behind them, feathers on their arms, and beaks on their faces. Covering their chests were simple bindings shaped like a cross. There weren’t just women either. The men were all shirtless as they danced immediately behind the women, and behind even them, a massive Phoenix constructed of paper mache and wood followed.

“What a lively event,” Hua Xue said.

“Have you been to events like this before?” asked Wu Jian.

“Not often.” Hua Xue shook her head. “I have always spent most of my times in quiet cultivation and rarely left my sanctum… though I have been going out a lot more lately.” She paused. “There were a few festivals I did attend.”

“Such as?”

“The Jade Emperor’s birthday.” Hua Xue’s lips remained almost expressionless, but Wu Jian had the sense she was smiling wryly. “A celebration is held every year for the Jade Emperor. It is… quite the event. Every sect within the Nine Heavens is asked to gather at the Jade Palace, where a grand feast takes place. There are all kinds of games, food, and people. It is much bigger than this.”

“I would imagine,” Wu Jian said, watching as two young men arm wrestled each other just outside a bar, several other patrons cheering them on, shouting, and taking bets on who would win.

Hua Xue tilted her head. “This is your first big festival, isn’t it?”

Wu Jian smiled behind his mask. “Is it that obvious?”

She shrugged. “Not to others, no. It is quite hard to tell with that mask of yours, but you keep turning your head every which way as though trying to take it all in.”

“Ah. Well…”

He was a bit embarrassed that he came across as a country bumpkin, but it couldn’t be helped. The Shang Kingdom was small. This city was at least two or even three times bigger than Shang Imperial City. There were so many people that his head was spinning from being in this massive crowd. People bumped into him from all directions. He wondered how Hua Xue was able to walk so elegantly and avoid everyone. Did she have eyes in the back of her head?

Youmei didn’t have to worry about that either. Nobody was coming near her, but then, who would want to go near a two meter tall panther?

“Ha ha ha ha! Watch me take home the gold!!”

As they traveled, Wu Jian heard a familiar voice. Turning, he pushed his way through the crowd, Hua Xue and Youmei right behind him. He soon found a familiar red and orange haired young man standing before some kind of stall game.

“Watch me demolish that score and claim the top prize!” Huǒ Schuchang said with a boisterous voice and broad grin.