Chapter 2260: Flash Gold's First Major City

At that time, people called them thumb whirlwinds, because even the largest was no more than seven chi in diameter and one zhang in height, while the smallest was only as tall as a person's waist.

Even if ordinary people were curious, they had long been warned not to provoke them, for they were the patrols of this plain.

The Giant of Mao Ridge was eyed by two small whirlwinds, following it for five li until confirming it posed no threat, whereupon the whirlwinds turned and left.

People also saw a small whirlwind turn red, chasing three or four people while squealing shrilly—this was its way of sensing something amiss and preparing to act.

Sun Hongye shaded his eyes with a hand and watched the commotion: "Who are those?"

"Anyway, they're no good." Zhu Xiuer said coolly, "Most likely they've been up to no good."

These few people thought themselves clever, seeing a merchant caravan ahead, they lunged into the crowd, intending to use living people as shields.

As guardians of the locality, how could the whirlwinds attack innocent passersby?

The next second, the small whirlwind's form swelled, becoming a huge wind monster over five zhang tall, with a humanoid upper body and a whirlwind lower body, even growing a pair of large hands!

Immediately, it seized these few people and flung them high into the air!

"Tsk tsk, even if they don't die from the fall, they'll be half-crippled."

After flinging the people away, the wind monster reverted to the form of a small whirlwind, glanced indifferently at the merchant caravan ahead, and peacefully continued its patrol.

"The marshes of this plain are a great wind demon, and the small whirlwinds are its avatars." Zhu Xiuer then told Sun Hongye, "This wind demon was formed from the gathering of subterranean gang winds at Fengmo Mountain in Baoshu Country, a remnant from antiquity. Later, it could no longer stay there, so its master transferred it to Jiuxu. It loves freedom and unboundedness, so Jiuxu appointed it as the mountain and marsh spirit of this plain, letting it fulfill its duty of garrison defense."

In these years of spiritual aura revival, vast numbers of mountain essences and wild monsters have been enlightened, gaining sentience; not only is humanity thriving, but mountain and forest sprites are also very active. Cangyan's territory is too vast, making peacekeeping by human effort alone truly difficult.

Therefore, Cangyan Country imposes requirements on the enfeoffed mountain and water spirits: they must undertake security patrols of their land's land and water routes, strictly prevent and suppress bandits and evil sprites, and have assessment tasks—they are not allowed to be lax. Those who fail will be removed from office, thus losing the local incense offerings and elemental power.

At this moment, the Giant of Mao Ridge looked up at the sky and said in a hollow voice: "We need to hurry, a storm is coming."

The dark clouds on the horizon pressed low.

The storms on this plain are no joke.

A large town lay ahead, a dense forest.

Tree species were abundant—there were paulownias, there were Chinese bayberries, there were camphor trees, and persimmon trees, etc., mixed together yet all growing remarkably well, each tree lush with branches and leaves, tall in stature.

As the Giant of Mao Ridge just approached, Sun Hongye saw that one ancient tree by the water was completely covered in snow-white.

However, that was not frost nor snow, but white birds perched all over it!

"Could this be the Immortal Post Forest?" Sun Hongye, who had long heard of it, finally had the chance to come here and check in.

"Exactly. In fact, there are four Immortal Post Forests, one each to the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast of Ju City." Pu Hua said with a smile, "Flight and riding are strictly prohibited above Ju City. If you come by mountain eagle, you must land here and switch to horse or carriage before entering Ju."

Thus, the forest is full of long-distance flying birds that rest here. After resting enough, they might still take on a few jobs heading elsewhere.

The town itself is a major relay station, besides receiving air travelers, it also handles north-south bound horse and carriage traffic.

This is also the largest relay station Sun Hongye has ever seen. Ordinary relay stations are merely a row of small roadside buildings, with stables and guest rooms, possibly with vegetable gardens behind. A relay station grown into a town like this—he had never seen before.

Ju City is the largest and most prosperous city on the Flash Gold Plain, with astonishing passenger flow, hence the need for such a large relay station.

Furthermore, according to Pu Hua, such a large relay town, there are four in total surrounding Ju City.

In fact, many major cities of Flash Gold have issued "flight bans," not prohibiting birds from flying, but forbidding them from carrying passengers over city airspace.

Sun Hongye wondered: "What happens if one violates it?"

"You want to go past, but your avian mount won't cooperate." Pu Hua pointed upward to the east, "Ju City above has a barrier; once it detects avian passengers flying, it triggers the alarm bell on the city gate tower, while the wind demons in the air will press you down. If falling from the air doesn't kill you, then afterward you can serve a prison term."

"Do the wind demons have jurisdiction there too?"

"If you fly close, you can see the true form of the wind demon." Pu Hua encouraged him, "It's not like ordinary people imagine—formless and invisible."

Sun Hongye waved his hands repeatedly: "Forget it, forget it."

He wanted to be a law-abiding citizen, so he didn't need to know so much obscure knowledge.

After crossing another hill, Pu Hua pointed ahead and said to Sun Hongye:

"Look, that is our capital!"

His words were filled with boundless pride.

Thick clouds covered the sky, the earth showed a vast city.

It was a great city beside mountains and lakes, with two rivers flowing through Ju City; the lake surface rippled with green waves and golden gleam, with boats coming and going.

Even standing on high ground, Sun Hongye could not see the city's boundary, only knowing it extended from the lakeshore to the horizon's end, among the mountains.

Buildings were packed tightly, varying in height, mainly yellow, white, and red, while some landmark structures, such as the thirty-three-level pagoda, were particularly eye-catching bright orange. This mainly depended on the color of nearby soil, minerals, and shells.

"This city is so big!"

"After Ju City became the capital, its area expanded sevenfold, now it is the largest city on the Flash Gold Plain."

Sun Hongye's eyes widened: "Just a few years, and it expanded seven times?"

Is that reasonable? Doesn't planning, infrastructure, and house-building take time?

"Not built purely by human labor, so it doesn't take that long—eras have changed." Pu Hua, every time he broadens people's horizons, feels delighted inside, "It just so happens to coincide with the spiritual aura revival; Ju City's expansion utilized mountain and water spirits and various divine translocation and immortal crafting. Those massive official facilities, such as that pagoda—"

He pointed into the city, the orange tower was very conspicuous.

"So it's not built layer by layer by hand, but first a very fine embryo is made, as our emperor says, a 'model,' then placed in the designated spot, then grown like a tree!"

Sun Hongye clicked his tongue in wonder: "So that tower was actually grown?"

"Not bad, it took four months total." Pu Hua laughed, "During the tower-growing, crowds of onlookers were seven layers deep outside seven layers, I even went to join the fun, my shoes got squeezed off. The sight of the tower emerging from underground truly resembled bamboo shoots breaking soil—just took a bit longer."

"Not only the tower is built this way." He pointed casually, "Look, the city walls, look, the temples—all are grown this way, very fast."