Chapter 338 - 281: Cui Bai Main City, Former Homeland! (Double-Length)
As they drew nearer, Song Changming seemed to feel the city carrying countless hardships and long chronological evolution, unconsciously rising with reverence.
In the sky, a neat eagle squadron flew from the direction of the city, soaring past above Song Changming and his companions.
Song Changming saw clearly that there were figures riding on those eagles.
These were the Guard Cavalry of the Main City, the aerial patrol unit.
Those armored eagles were naturally trained flying mounts.
"Stop, where are you from? Entry to the city requires each person to pay a fee of one hundred coins," a burly man with a booming voice, wearing White Cloud Pattern Armor, stopped Song Changming and his group.
Song Changming glanced at the others; exiting the city was free, but entering required the payment of one hundred coins.
"This is the rule of the Main City, not targeted at you specifically. Otherwise, everyone would be flocking into the Main City."
Next to the burly man, another city gate guard seemed more patient, as if noticing it was Song Changming’s first visit, he added a further explanation.
"Yes, understood." Song Changming nodded and didn’t say much.
Since that’s the regulation, they just adhered to it.
One hundred coins for the average people were neither much nor little, more or less equivalent to a few meals for a family.
Yet, for a martial artist like Song Changming, it was negligible.
As the city gate guard expressed, the entry fee is merely a threshold, not too high nor too low, adeptly blocking a portion of foreigners.
Preventing the others from towns and villages from flocking into the Main City, leaving no development in other places of Cui Bai Dao.
After paying the fee and saying they are coming from Feng City, the guard only glanced twice at their big dogs before letting them through.
The city wall was extremely thick, making the tunnel through the city gate resemble a mountain tunnel.
Inside the city walls, layers upon layers of buildings, pavilions, and roof tiles greeted them.
Compared to the official road outside the city, the main thoroughfare inside was broader, towering over a thousand meters tall, with watch towers and some grandiose architectural buildings, all equally eye-catching.
These enormous architectural structures are ubiquitous within the city.
Among them, what caught Song Changming’s attention most was the distant view of another high wall within the city.
"Friend, may I ask what that is?" Song Changming inquired of a passing martial artist.
The middle-aged man, wearing short gear and carrying a knife, first glanced at Song Changming’s two large dogs before looking at the high wall.
"Brother, it’s your first time in the Main City, right?" The middle-aged man chuckled and kindly explained to Song Changming.
"That’s the inner wall, inside is the Fourth District..."
Only then did Song Changming understand.
This Cui Bai Main City consists of five major districts: the core city at the center and four districts expanding outward.
Together, these five districts construct the massive framework of Cui Bai Main City!
Between each district stands a high wall, essentially a historical legacy.
In fact, the original Cui Bai Main City was only as large as the core district.
It was only later as foreign races rose and the Human Race waned, with the Nine Provinces lands being absorbed by various foreign races, experiencing significant population migrations, that Cui Bai Main City swelled with too many people, appearing excessively bloated.
Thus began numerous expansions of the city.
Therefore, the creation of each district is an outcome of expansions in subsequent years.
These additional four districts indicate that the Main City has expanded four times over thousands of years.
The high wall is the leftover symbol of the original city wall after removal.
As for why it wasn’t fully removed to merge the five districts, this involves issues with public opinion and governance.
It’s not that they didn’t want to dismantle it, but many were unwilling, and over time the high wall remained, demarcating the districts distinctively.
"Originally, beyond the core district, the other four districts only differed in growing size, but eventually, powerful families and various forces moved towards the inner districts, gradually establishing a saying.
The closer to the core city, the closer to power and wealth. Today, this saying has become mainstream and a reality..." the middle-aged man shook his head.
"During my childhood, my family was in the Third District, but unfortunately, the family fell and my father had to sell off assets in the Third District and move to the outer city.
Fortunately, I’ve had some martial talent and have joined the Cuiqi Army to bring my family into the Fourth District, and one day, I’ll surely reacquire our ancestral home in the Third District..."
In a certain sense, returning to the Third District is an essential emblem of his family’s resurgence, carrying extraordinary significance.
"I see." After hearing this, Song Changming roughly understood this Cui Bai Main City.
The experiences of this person indeed exemplified that residents from different districts almost represented different classes.
The wall is merely a substantive manifestation of class boundaries.
Song Changming wasn’t bothered by it.
In his view, wherever a group exists, class will naturally accompany, dividing the group into varying degrees.
There are commoners, noble powers, people of high capability, and treacherous villains...
Da Lai is like this, as is the Human Race of Ancient Abyss Country; only the means vary from place to place.
Subsequently, Sung Changming inquired about the Su Family in the Main City and received an expected reply.
The Su Family, honored as the Changsheng Clan, naturally resides in the central core city and holds top-tier prestige and influence in the city.
"Dong Qing, let’s go quickly, or we’ll be scolded by the Squad Commander!" urged two companions.
The middle-aged man initially wanted to converse more with Song Changming but, hearing this, changed his expression and hurriedly took his leave.
"So we’re now in the Fifth District." Song Ping’an looked around.
The Fifth District, being the outer city, has been constructed for several decades and has now gathered a large population.
Gazing around, the streets and alleys were densely packed with silhouettes, teeming crowds.
Among these people, ordinary civilians predominated, vendors and peddlers, the most vibrant district.
As they traversed the streets, Song Changming bought Su Qingqing a string of her favorite candied haws.
"How is it?" Song Changming asked.
"I feel like I’ve been here before..." Su Qingqing’s eyes held a retrospective expression, speaking with a furrowed brow.
"Then that’s right." Song Changming nodded.
The next day.
A carriage slowly crossed the high wall on the way from the Fifth District into the Fourth District, then to the Third, and the Second District.
Between each district stands a high wall, but these do not truly restrict entry; nominally everyone can freely move in and out.
But most residents would rather stay in their own area, rarely venturing into other districts.
The reason is simply that the true barrier is everyone’s finances.
Ordinary people cannot afford to spend in higher districts and thus return to their comfort zones.
"Sir, the entrance to the core city is ahead; this carriage is probably not allowed inside," the coachman turned his head and said towards the inside of the carriage.
"Just go in, no need for nonsense," Song Ping’an, seeing the coachman hesitating, expressed dissatisfaction.
"I-I dare not, sir..." The coachman said grimly.
"Then wait outside, we’ll return the carriage when we come out."
Unwilling to waste time, Song Ping’an gave the coachman extra money, drove him off, and drove the carriage towards the core city entrance.
"Halt, ordinary people are not permitted to enter here." shouted several guards with strong presence.
Just as the coachman was about to speak, an overwhelming force from inside the carriage caused the guards’ faces to change.
"An Innate Powerhouse!"
"Today, we’ve come admiring the Changsheng Su Family; may we qualify to enter the city?" Song Changming’s voice emerged from inside the carriage without showing himself.
"Yes, yes..." Hastily making way, the guards permitted the carriage to slowly enter the core city.
While the outer four districts allow free access, the core city requires a threshold.
One must be either rich or powerful; alternatively, one might need a referral to enter.
Song Changming showed his Innate Realm strength, meeting the force qualification to enter.
Entering the core city, one instantly felt the change.
Opulent mansion buildings, with red walls and green tiles, curved roofs, and projecting eaves lined the streets, all exuding magnificence.
It’s apparent immediately that this is the wealthy district...
Moreover, another prominent difference here is the richness of spiritual qi, significantly surpassing the outer four districts.
"This is it!"
The moment they entered the core city, Su Qingqing looked at the passing street scenes from the carriage, and all the vivid images from deep in her memory surged forth.
She was utterly certain that this was the birthplace and nurturing land she endlessly yearned for!
...