Chapter 46

They finally reached the town. The town was quite small, and lacking an official relay station, they had to settle for a common inn. Wang Wu and Zhao Liu navigated the group of exiles into town with practiced ease, heading toward an inn at the far western edge. It was so dilapidated it barely looked like an inn at all; one half of the front gate had fallen off and hung crookedly against the frame, and the mud-brick walls were overgrown with weeds that no one had bothered to clear. Yet, a large patch of peonies in the corner bloomed with fire-like intensity, accompanied by roses, crabapples, and azaleas. These vibrant flowers stood in stark contrast to the decaying inn, making the sight feel all the more peculiar. The courtyard, however, was clean—so clean, in fact, that there was nothing in it but dirt. It was quite spacious, though; the six carts parked in the back didn't even make it feel crowded.