34- The history behind the cloud city

The long-awaited day of the cloud gathering had finally arrived, and the city was alive with bustling activity as people moved about in every direction.

Zhong Peng, rising from his bed, noticed Zhou Shun's note from earlier still lying nearby.

As he read it, a range of emotions flickered across his countenance. Eventually, he set the note down and sat, gazing off into space for a time. But soon, he gathered himself and made preparations to journey toward the Duan clan.

As Zhong Peng made his way toward the Duan clan, he happened to catch sight of a familiar figure standing by the side of the street.

He was taken aback, for as he drew nearer, the figure began walking towards him, as if he were the very person the figure had been waiting for all along.

Zhong Peng, of course, recognized the figure as the same man who had delivered the note to him the day before. As he drew nearer, the man stepped forward and spoke, saying, "Master Zhou Shun has sent me to invite you to join him for tea."

Zhong Peng was taken aback by the man's words, but after some consideration, he decided to accept the invitation to have tea with Zhou Shun.

Since he still had some time before the meeting with his teammates in front of the Duan clan for the cloud gathering, he saw this as an opportunity to learn more about the purpose behind the note he had received. " Lead the way, "he said to the man after a short while of contemplation.

After a while of walking, they arrived at a vast manor. Zhong Peng was surprised, for while it was not as grand as the previous one he visited Zhou Shun, he was still in awe of its size and luxury.

Even so, he managed to keep his emotions in check, maintaining his calm and refined demeanor.

As they made their way inside, the man led Zhong Peng to a room where he saw Zhou Shun already waiting for him. A pot of tea was set on the table before them.

As Zhong Peng sat down before Zhou Shun, he struggled to suppress the uneasiness he felt in his heart.

A maidservant approached and poured a cup of tea for Zhong Peng, and then Zhou Shun signaled for them to leave.

Once they were alone, Zhou Shun lifted his cup and spoke, saying, " Drink up. This is the best tea you can find around here. It's called Cloud Dew."

After taking a sip from his cup, Zhou Shun gestured for Zhong Peng to do the same.

As the tea touched his lips, Zhong Peng felt a chilling sensation wash over him.

The chilling sensation didn't last long. Soon, it was replaced by a soothing feeling that washed over Zhong Peng until every part of his body felt relaxed.

He didn't even notice when the uneasiness in his heart disappeared.

After seeing that Zhong Peng had relaxed a bit, Zhou Shun asked, " Do you know why the largest city in the Zheng great-kingdom is named Cloud City? "

Upon hearing this, Zhong Peng was taken aback, as he had never considered the matter before.

Sensing Zhong Peng's silence, Zhou Shun went on to explain further, " Legend has it that when the forefather of the Zheng clan, now known as the Zheng Imperial Clan, discovered this land, he stumbled upon an individual space. It is said that this space was created by a powerful cultivator from ancient times, "

Zhou Shun took a sip from the tea in front of him as he continued, " Legend has it that within that space, there stood a towering tree that spanned the entire area. Its leaves were cloud-like, and every three years, when they gathered together, they would produce a special kind of rain called Cloud Dew. This rain is not like any ordinary rain, as it possesses magical properties. " Zhong Peng concluded his story with a smile.

Despite having seen the smile many times before, Zhong Peng still felt uneasy whenever he saw it.

After listening to Zhou Shun's tale and collecting his thoughts, he asked, "So, is that where the name Cloud gathering came from?" about the story.

" Yes, " Zhou Shun replied. "During the three years, the Zheng Imperial Clan has to feed the tree with numerous magical items possessing abundant qi energy to make it grow stronger.

They supply the Cloud Dew to surrounding empires and other great kingdoms, and in return, they receive a great amount of wealth. This is what has kept them as the strongest clan in the Great Kingdom of Zheng, " Zhou Shun explained.

" So, why do they hold the Cloud Gathering? " Zhong Peng inquired, after listening to the story, he couldn't see how the Cloud Gathering contest came into the picture.

" With such vast wealth, the Zheng Imperial Clan would undoubtedly attract many greedy eyes, and it would be even worse if they refused to share with others, " Zhou Shun explained. " The Cloud Gathering contest is held as a means of sharing the Cloud Dew with other clans and sects.

The top five participants in the contest are rewarded with Cloud Dew, but it is widely known that lower-ranking clans are not part of the plan, as they have no hope of making it to the top 20, let alone the top five, " Zhou Shun concluded.