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Chenyang city.

capital of the Tang kingdom.

I travelled to chenyang city in my childhood in the company of my father. The people of the great city were too many for my young mind to comprehend. There were spires so high they threatened to pierce the heavens. Now in my old age, i return to the city that marked my memories. I wish to relive those memories on those same streets that have remained untouched by time.

(Excerpt from The expeditions and memories of the Pilgrim Ma.)

Bai li yue scooted closer to the roaring fire to inspect the struggling fish in her hands. She had just caught the trout in the river after hours of fishing. The trout's curiosity had led to it landing on her plate.

'Little trout, i am tired of eating meat so please, accept your fate. You're not getting away from me.' 

She gutted it and cleaned the fish in the flowing river and placed it on a metal pan over the fire. The fire licked the edges of the pan as the metal heated. Oil sizzled and she prayed for patience. When it was cooked, a pouch of mixed spices appeared in her hand. 

Bai li yue had a satisfying meal listening to the sounds of the other caravan passengers moving around their small campfires. She had joined the caravan in a small town after two weeks of travel. After the solitude of the empty road, she was looking forward to the company. She paid a modest fee and joined the caravan on its circuitous route toward the capital of the Tang kingdom. 

The caravan storyteller was telling a story of Ye bai and Tong li, legendary heroes of the ancient times. They were beings whose fame surpassed that of kings and emperors. They could sunder mountains and crush whole worlds in their palms. She kept one ear on the story as she finished her supper. The soft meat cooked to perfection reminded her of her favorite takeout restaurant. Emperor shrimp house. Did it still exist? Will she ever see it again? She remembered how much she loved seafood. In this world, she was forced to rely on meat for her protein needs. The craving had almost driven her mad. Lucky for her, the caravan stopped near a river this time.

The storyteller finished his recital early. It was a new occurrence. He usually went on and on till late in the night when the passengers had lost interest and just wanted to sleep.

'Isn't it too early to stop?' 

Someone asked loudly. 

'Yes, one more song! One more story before you leave us!'

A few of the passengers called out. 

'Okay. One more song-'

He was clearing his throat when the caravan master stopped him.

'Ladies and gentlemen, we are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow. The queues at the gates are long and slow. If we don't have an early start in the morning, we will spend the whole day standing in the queue.'

Some passengers mumbled in dissatisfaction. Try as they might, the caravaners called a halt to the night's activities and doused the fire. 

This close to the capital, the plains were safer than elsewhere. No bandits or savage monsters dared wander this close to the towers that oversaw peace in the empire.

Chenyang city, capital of the Tang kingdom, was famed across the land as the greatest city after the age of upheaval when giants roamed the land. To those outside the Tang kingdom, chenyang was hailed as a historical powerhouse: the golden light of the continent of Tianmu. 

The inner city was said to be enclosed inside a wall surrounded by nine watch towers and a central tower in the middle of the city. The central tower was the king's palace and also the crowning attraction of chenyang city. 

By dawn, Bai li yue's excitement had reached its peak. She gave up on sleep and lay down thinking of the sights and sounds of Chenyang. If the entrance fee to the city hadn't been part of her caravan fee, she would have already left to join the queue that would have formed before their arrival. 

Numerous travellers were already waiting in the queue that had formed during the night. 

Fortunately for them, the caravaners took care of all the entry procedures. They sent the passengers information to the city authorities, and included their entry fees. An hour later, the caravan master returned with their entry permits. 

Bai li yue watched the city from the window of her wagon. Chenyang was a city bursting at the seams with people. It was alive; like yangyang city or guangyang city but on a  larger scale. It was a true cosmopolitan capital. A person could get lost in the crowd and never surface. She couldn't wait to get her fill of the city. 

The caravan deposited the passengers a few hundred metres inside from the gates. They each received a free map of the city showing the inns, restaurants, relevant shops and places of interest. Bai li yue took a deep breath of the warm city air. She walked away from caravans and joined the crowds going to and fro the central avenue. On her aimless walk, she passed by several inns advertising competitive prices. She ignored them all. The competitive prices would still be expensive for her. She was planning on staying in the capital for give or take a year.

Deftly navigating the streets with the assurance of a city person, she walked around the city till late afternoon, when her stomach growled impatiently. She realised that she was starving. Given the late hour, she thought it would be difficult finding a place to eat, but it turned out to be easier than expected. Not far from where she stood was a restaurant called Wang's food house. The painting of a platter of assorted seafood on the signboard convinced her to give the restaurant a try. She folded the map and tucked it into her sleeve. 

At the entrance to Wang's food house, a shout drew her attention just as she stepped foot into the establishment. It was the sound of a body hitting the ground. An emaciated boy in tattered clothes lay on the ground surrounded by a clique of teenage boys. They snickered and pointed at him. 

'What are you doing here, freak? Didn't you hear Bo hai say that this spot belongs to him from now on? Scram!' 

The boy on the ground sat up and dusted his clothes, apparently unaffected by the threat. 

'Bo hai, this spot belongs to me. I- i won't let you take it from me without a fight.' 

He declared bravely, but his stammer weakened his stance. 

'If you don't l- l- like it then let's call the guards. You all know what they do to troublemakers, don't you?'

At the mention of guards, the leader gestured to his followers who advanced as a group and rained blows upon the boy's bony frame. To her surprise, he fought valiantly, giving as good as he got. He landed a few punches and well aimed kicks that sent a couple of boys to their knees, but the crowd won in the end. When they stopped hitting him and stomped off hurling more threats and insults at him. The boy lay still, his arms curled around himself for protection until they'd left.

Bai li yue considered going to his aid, but she was always wary of such situations. The boys might belong to a thieves' ring for all she knew. Maybe they enacted this scenario to fleece unwitting travellers. She remained where she was when the boy sat up. Apart from a few bruises and a bloodied lip, he looked fine. His eyes drifted to where she stood and she felt an electric current run through her bones. The eyes that met hers were a bright blue that reminded her of the bright sky on a cloudless day. It was the sort of blue sky that hurt the eyes. The meeting of eyes brought painful tears to her eyes. 

'what's going on? Who are you?' 

She asked out loud: to the boy and herself.

'I'm a guide, ma'am. B-best in the city.'

'A guide? Not a thief?'

'They hang- hang thieves in the city.'

'Are you hungry? I'm also hungry. Join me if you like.'

He dusted his clothes self consciously and nodded before following her into the restaurant.

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