Chapter 88

The moment Feng Jiao Xue dismounted from Yin Xiao, Mo Tianze practically bounced off behind her, his golden eyes wide as he took in their surroundings.

The village was nothing like the rigid grandeur of the empire's cities. Here, the very ground pulsed with life, woven seamlessly with magic. Stone pathways gleamed faintly under their feet, absorbing the warmth of the sun and releasing it in a comforting glow. Floating lanterns, their flames flickering in unnatural hues of blue and violet, swayed gently in the afternoon breeze. Vines threaded with tiny luminous flowers coiled around wooden beams, their petals opening and closing in response to the passersby. Even the air shimmered faintly, humming with the quiet, ever-present thrum of magic.