Opening the Gate

At first light, the drums calling people to assemble rang out from the center of Heavenly Eye Forward City.

Heavy beats rolled across rows of unfinished buildings, passed beyond the merchant district, and reached even the narrow alleys in the south. People inside the inns opened their doors to look outside, blacksmiths paused their work, and teams transporting construction materials slowed down. News of the public gathering had spread throughout the city several days ago, but when the drums truly sounded, the atmosphere still felt completely different.

From early morning, people began pouring toward the central arena.

Hao Nhien, Lanh Hoa, Luu Thanh, Hoa Van Phong, and Hoa Linh Nhi also left the inn in separate small groups.

Their plan had changed completely after the Heavenly Eye ordered the unfinished section of the southern wall completed overnight. Their best escape route was gone, while inspections at the city gates had become stricter than before. If they continued trying to slip away quietly, the chances of all twenty Fire Qilin tribesmen and those following them escaping together were nearly nonexistent.

So Hao Nhien changed his approach.

It was a far more dangerous plan, but it was also the only opportunity they had left.

On the way to the square, the five of them did not stay close together. Luu Thanh and Hoa Van Phong split off first and blended into the stream of people arriving from the southern labor district. The twenty Fire Qilin tribesmen were also divided into smaller groups and scattered around the square at positions agreed upon beforehand. No one was allowed to act on their own.

Hoa Linh Nhi covered the lower half of her face with a gray scarf and wore a loose cloak. Bringing her here was the most dangerous part of the plan, and Hao Nhien had made that very clear the night before.

She still chose to come.

By late morning, the square around the arena was packed.

Members of the Sandfire Tribe, Sandwind Tribe, Black Sand Tribe, Flowing Sand Tribe, and countless wandering groups crowded the walkways. Farther out were merchants, hunters, hired laborers, blacksmiths, porters, and people who had only recently arrived in the city. Many others stood shoulder to shoulder on the surrounding low rooftops just to get a view of the center.

In front of the arena, the Heavenly Eye had set up three long rows of tables.

On them were jade trays, tokens, registration documents, and small stone bowls used to draw blood and confirm pledges.

Quite a few people had been waiting in line since early morning. Some truly wanted to stay because they saw a chance to find work and build a more stable life. Some needed access to clean water, while others wanted long-term residency for their entire families. There were also those who did not completely trust the Heavenly Eye, yet still stood in line simply because most of the people around them were doing the same.

Hao Nhien watched the scene for a long time. He understood that this was what made the Heavenly Eye truly dangerous. What it offered was not entirely false. Water, employment, shelter, and protection were all genuine needs of the people of the Western Wastes. If everything had been nothing more than an empty deception, so many people would never have been so easily swayed.

At that moment, the third drumbeat sounded from the arena. The heavy sound spread across the square, gradually silencing the scattered conversations. Tens of thousands of eyes turned toward the raised platform.

From the northern side of the square, a formation of guards in black-and-silver armor entered first. Unlike the ordinary patrol soldiers, this group clearly carried stronger auras. Their steps were perfectly even, their weapons matched, and their formation did not waver despite being watched by tens of thousands of people.

Behind them came another group of cultivators wearing dark-red cloaks.

Lanh Hoa stood not far from Hao Nhien, and his gaze immediately darkened.

Fire Qilin tribesmen.

There were not many of them, but there were enough to make it clear to everyone that Duong Quang had not come here as an outsider.

Finally, Duong Quang appeared.

He was taller than most of those around him, with a powerful build, broad shoulders, and sharply defined features that were strong without being coarse. His eyebrows were thick, his nose straight, and his black hair neatly tied behind him. Silver-and-red armor fitted closely around his body. It was not excessively ornate, yet it was enough to make him stand out among the guards.

Judging only from his appearance, it was difficult to feel immediate dislike toward Duong Quang. He carried himself like someone long accustomed to standing before crowds, his steps steady and composed. He made no effort to display his power, nor did he need to use spiritual power to force others into silence. Once he stepped onto the platform and slowly swept his gaze across the square, the scattered murmurs naturally began to fade.

Standing among the crowd, Hao Nhien silently observed him. Duong Quang's aura was powerful, clearly stronger than Lanh Hoa's current level, but cultivation was not what drew Hao Nhien's attention most. It was the ease in every movement, the calm lack of haste, and the impression that Duong Quang knew exactly what he was doing before tens of thousands of people.

He was not the kind of man who relied only on strength.

Only after the square had nearly fallen silent did Duong Quang raise one hand.

"Everyone."

His voice carried clearly, reinforced by spiritual power just enough to reach across the entire square without feeling oppressive.

"You have come here today from many different places. Some of you were born in the Western Wastes. Some only recently arrived in the Forward City. Some have wandered the desert for many years. But at least today, we are all standing in the same place."

He looked around.

"I know many of you do not trust the Heavenly Eye."

Quite a few people in the crowd shifted slightly.

Duong Quang smiled.

"I am not asking you to trust us immediately."

That single sentence was enough to stop several quiet discussions below.

He continued:

"In the Western Wastes, words alone are not enough to earn trust. There must be water for the thirsty, walls where the weak can shelter from storms, work so those with strength can earn spirit stones, and a place where children can grow without being forced to move every month because of another great sandstorm."

Some people began to nod.

Duong Quang did not miss the reaction.

"The Heavenly Eye did not build the Forward City to take away your way of life. On the contrary, this city was built so those who seek stability can have another choice besides wandering endlessly through the desert."

He raised a hand toward the city walls that were gradually nearing completion.

"Those with skill can open forges and shops. Those with strength can join hunting teams, transport crews, or patrol units. Those who contribute will be rewarded. Those with ability will have opportunities to rise further."

The discussions below began to grow louder.

A member of the Sandfire Tribe near the front shouted:

"The Heavenly Eye gave land to our forge!"

A group behind him immediately voiced their agreement.

Duong Quang only nodded slightly.

"That is exactly what I mean."

He showed no sign of rushing them.

"No one is being forced to become someone else. But if you wish to enjoy the benefits of a new order, then naturally you must also bear responsibility toward that order."

Some people fell silent.

Duong Quang continued smoothly:

"Those who register as long-term residents will receive priority in housing, water, and employment. Those who contribute more will receive more in return. Those willing to help the Heavenly Eye defend the city, secure the roads, hunt beasts, or open new land will have opportunities to rise to higher positions."

He looked toward the blood-pledge tables.

"A pledge of loyalty is not meant to turn you into slaves."

His voice deepened.

"It is only meant to confirm something very simple. If the Forward City protects you, then you will not turn your backs on the Forward City."

The crowd quieted slightly.

Someone below shouted:

"City Lord Duong is right!"

Several more voices immediately followed.

"Better to have a city than die in the desert!"

"Better to have work than turn to banditry!"

"At least the Heavenly Eye gives us a choice!"

The shouts began to spread.

Duong Quang did not stop them.

He allowed the crowd's emotions to rise just enough before raising his hand again.

"I have only one final thing to say."

The square slowly quieted once more.

"The Heavenly Eye forces no one."

Hao Nhien, standing among the crowd, slightly raised his eyes.

That was the sentence he had been waiting for.

Duong Quang continued:

"Everyone has the right to choose their own path. But every choice has a price. If you choose to stay, then we will build the Forward City together. If you choose not to walk with the Heavenly Eye, no one will keep you here."

Some people below began to applaud.

Many others shouted their agreement.

Duong Quang continued, his voice stronger now while still remaining composed.

"Only remember this. An adult must take responsibility for his own choices."

A wave of approval rose from the crowd.

Hao Nhien remained silent for several more breaths.

Then he stepped out from his hidden place among the people and walked toward the open space near the center.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator maintaining complete calm while tens of thousands of people were shouting was enough to draw attention on its own. As he advanced, those nearby unconsciously made way for him.

Lanh Hoa and Hoa Linh Nhi followed behind.

At first it was only one person, then several more began to notice. The surrounding cheers gradually weakened.

Duong Quang on the platform had already noticed him.

Hao Nhien stopped at a distance far enough that no one could claim he was threatening the arena, but close enough for everyone nearby to see him clearly.

He raised his head.

"City Lord Duong."

His voice was not loud, but his spiritual power carried it clearly.

Duong Quang looked down at him.

"Who are you?"

This text was taken from NovelPhoenix. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Hao Nhien did not answer.

"You just said the Heavenly Eye forces no one."

Duong Quang narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Correct."

"Then before the people here draw blood and swear loyalty, I would like to ask a few questions."

The square immediately began to stir.

Some of those waiting in the registration lines turned around.

Duong Quang raised a hand generously.

"If you have questions, ask them."

Hao Nhien looked directly at the platform.

"You are a member of the Fire Qilin Tribe."

Duong Quang did not deny it.

"Correct."

"Your father was once rescued by the Fire Qilin Tribe when he was injured. He was taken in, given opportunities to earn merit, and eventually became an elder. You yourself grew up among the Fire Qilin. Is that also correct?"

Duong Quang's gaze cooled slightly.

"That is no secret."

Hao Nhien nodded.

"Then I would like to ask City Lord Duong this. If the Fire Qilin Tribe was the place that raised you, why are Fire Qilin tribesmen being sold as slaves inside this very Forward City?"

Murmurs immediately spread through the crowd.

Before Duong Quang could answer, Hao Nhien shifted slightly aside.

Hoa Linh Nhi stepped forward half a pace.

She lowered the scarf covering her face.

Her still somewhat pale features were exposed before thousands of eyes.

Many of the people who had been near the black market the previous day recognized her immediately.

"That's the girl..."

"I saw her!"

"She's the missing female slave!"

The voices spread rapidly.

Duong Quang looked at Hoa Linh Nhi, and his gaze darkened slightly. The reaction lasted only a moment before he quickly regained his composure.

He did not deny the matter outright, nor did he try to avoid it.

"If what this young lady says is true, then this is a serious violation."

Duong Quang's voice carried evenly across the square.

"Heavenly Eye Forward City has not been established for long. People from all directions are still pouring in, the population is complicated, and the black market has not yet been fully brought under control. But rules are rules. No matter who the offender is, what tribe they belong to, or who may be supporting them from behind, if an investigation confirms forced abduction or illegal slave trading, I will have them severely punished."

He looked toward Hoa Linh Nhi before turning back to the crowd.

"I will order an investigation as soon as today's gathering ends. If any Heavenly Eye soldiers accepted bribes, concealed the crime, or assisted those involved, they will be punished under the same rules."

The discussion below immediately shifted.

Some of those who had been frowning began to nod. A few quietly remarked that Duong Quang had at least not tried to evade the issue, while others said that a newly built city could hardly avoid having chaotic corners.

Duong Quang allowed those reactions to spread for a moment before looking back at Hao Nhien.

"You brought an incident that has not yet been fully investigated before tens of thousands of people. I do not blame you for that. A victim has the right to demand justice."

He paused, his voice remaining calm.

"But to take one incident whose full circumstances are still unclear and turn it into an accusation that the Heavenly Eye deliberately tolerates slave trading, or even uses it as a tool to force Fire Qilin tribesmen into the open, goes too far."

This time, quite a few people below voiced agreement.

Hao Nhien did not rush to argue.

He had never expected Duong Quang to be foolish enough to accept responsibility for everything that had happened in the black market.

"I never said you personally gave the order."

Hao Nhien looked directly at the platform.

"I am only reminding everyone here of something very simple. Inside a city that is asking people to draw blood and swear loyalty, there are still matters serious enough that its City Lord must stand before tens of thousands of people and promise an investigation."

The crowd gradually quieted again.

Hao Nhien continued:

"Then before the people below surrender their oath, they have the right to ask who the Heavenly Eye's rules truly protect, how far their own responsibilities extend, and whether they will still have the right to say no if the interests of their own tribes are violated one day."

Duong Quang's gaze cooled further.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I am saying that before believing a promise, people should understand the price hidden behind that promise."

Hao Nhien turned toward the crowd.

"I have heard that some smaller tribes are required to hand over resources regularly. I have also heard that people are being sent west to open new land. I do not know how much of those rumors is true."

Several people below exchanged glances.

Hao Nhien continued without pause.

"That is exactly why I find it strange. If these things have not yet been clearly explained, why are you being asked to draw blood and swear loyalty today?"

Duong Quang immediately countered:

"A pledge exists to build order. Without responsibility, what can be exchanged for benefits?"

"I do not oppose responsibility."

Hao Nhien replied.

"I am only asking where that responsibility ends."

He looked directly at Duong Quang.

"If tomorrow the Heavenly Eye demands that a tribe send half of its young men to the frontier, will today's oath force them to go?"

Duong Quang did not answer immediately.

Hao Nhien continued:

"If the Heavenly Eye demands more resources than a tribe can afford to give, will they have the right to refuse?"

Several people in the square began looking at one another.

"If one day the Heavenly Eye wants the Western Wastes to wage war against the east or the south, will those who drew blood today have the right to say no?"

The murmurs grew noticeably louder.

Duong Quang raised a hand.

"You are deliberately presenting extreme hypotheticals."

"Perhaps."

Hao Nhien remained calm.

"Then City Lord Duong only needs to say that those things will never happen."

Duong Quang looked at him.

The two faced one another in silence.

The crowd was beginning to realize that what was happening was no longer simply one man asking a few questions.

It was a contest.

Duong Quang spoke slowly:

"No order can survive if everyone wants only the benefits while refusing every obligation. But the Heavenly Eye does not force people to throw away their lives for nothing. When we need people to build walls, we pay them to build walls. When we need people to protect the roads, we pay them to protect the roads. Those who contribute will be rewarded. Those with ability will be given important positions."

His voice grew firmer.

"The tribes of the Western Wastes have lived scattered for far too long. How many people die every year from sandstorms, beasts, fights over water, and banditry? You speak of freedom. Then let me ask you this. What meaning does freedom have if you are too weak to protect your own family?"

Quite a few people in the crowd immediately wavered.

An old man near the front nodded slightly.

A woman holding a child tightened her embrace.

Duong Quang continued:

"You can speak beautifully about the desert, but those dying of thirst outside will not be saved by the word freedom. Children cannot eat freedom in place of food. The elderly cannot use freedom as a wall against a sandstorm."

This time, the response was much stronger.

"That's right!"

"City Lord Duong isn't wrong!"

Hoa Van Phong stood farther away in the crowd, his hand tightening slightly.

Luu Thanh did not move. He was waiting.

Hao Nhien also waited until the voices faded before speaking again.

"You are right."

Duong Quang narrowed his eyes slightly.

Hao Nhien looked across the square.

"Water matters. Food matters. Walls and protection matter as well. If the Heavenly Eye truly wants nothing more than to help the Western Wastes gain more of those things, then I have no reason to oppose it."

The crowd quieted again.

"But precisely because those things matter, people have even more reason to ask whether they might one day become the ropes that bind them."

Hao Nhien pointed toward the pledge tables.

"Today you have water because you live inside the city. You have work because you live inside the city. You have access to the market because you live inside the city. If tomorrow all of those things are reserved only for those who have drawn blood and sworn loyalty, do you still truly have a choice?"

Several people waiting in line slowly loosened their grip on their tokens.

Duong Quang answered immediately:

"Every choice has conditions. You cannot reject the rules of the Forward City while demanding all the benefits the Forward City provides."

"I agree."

Hao Nhien said.

Duong Quang frowned.

Hao Nhien had been waiting for exactly that answer.

"Then we agree on something."

He turned toward the crowd.

"I am not telling anyone here to oppose the Heavenly Eye. Nor am I telling anyone that they must leave the city today."

The murmurs slowly faded.

"I am only saying that before drawing blood, ask yourselves whether you truly understand what you are promising. If you understand and still choose to stay, then that is your choice."

He paused briefly.

"But if you do not understand, do not kneel simply because the person beside you has already knelt."

The atmosphere in the square began to change noticeably. The unified cheers from before gradually thinned out, replaced by searching looks and hesitation. Those standing in the pledge lines lowered their eyes toward the blood-drawing tables. Some looked toward Duong Quang on the platform, while others turned toward Hao Nhien as if waiting to hear what he would say next.

The initial support for the Heavenly Eye had not disappeared, but it was no longer a single solid mass. Pockets of silence had begun appearing throughout the crowd, and for Hao Nhien, that was enough.

He knew the decisive moment had arrived and raised his head toward the arena.

"City Lord Duong."

Duong Quang did not answer.

Hao Nhien continued:

"You just said the Heavenly Eye forces no one."

"Correct."

"You also said everyone has the right to choose, as long as they accept responsibility for that choice."

Duong Quang's expression did not change much, but his gaze had turned completely cold.

Hao Nhien gave him no chance to redirect the discussion.

"Then I will ask you in front of everyone here."

The square fell silent.

"Those who do not wish to swear loyalty today, are they free to leave Heavenly Eye Forward City?"

All discussion ceased.

Even the sound of wind passing through the banners atop the watchtowers seemed suddenly clear.

Several people in the crowd had already understood what Hao Nhien was doing. Their gazes shifted toward Duong Quang.

They waited.

Duong Quang slowly drew a breath.

Then he smiled. The smile was no longer as warm as before, but his voice remained perfectly steady.

"Of course."

A low stir passed through the square.

Duong Quang raised one hand.

"The Heavenly Eye does not keep those who wish to leave."

Hao Nhien said nothing.

Duong Quang looked directly at him.

"But as I just said, everyone must take responsibility for their own choices."

His voice gradually became colder.

"Anyone who chooses to leave the Forward City today will voluntarily give up residency rights, priority access to water, the market, employment, and the protection of the Heavenly Eye. If they wish to return in the future, they will have to follow the new rules like any other outsider."

He paused.

"And if they leave only to return later and cause trouble within territory governed by the Heavenly Eye, they will be treated as rebels."

Quite a few people who had been wavering immediately hesitated.

"I am not threatening you."

He said.

"That is simply the responsibility that comes with a choice."

Some who had been preparing to step out stopped where they were.

Hao Nhien watched every reaction. He had expected this as well.

Leaving the city was not a slogan. It had a price.

If no one was willing to pay that price first, then everything he had just said would amount to nothing more than hesitation.

Hao Nhien pulled the scarf covering his face slightly higher and turned around.

"I understand."

He looked toward the city gate.

"Then I choose to leave."

A brief silence followed.

Then a voice sounded from another corner of the square.

"So do I."

Hao Nhien recognized it immediately.

Luu Thanh.

That was the signal.

From another part of the crowd, Hoa Manh slowly stepped forward.

"I will not swear."

Then another person stepped out.

And another.

The Fire Qilin tribesmen who had been positioned in advance began leaving their places, but they did not gather into a single group. They emerged from different directions, making each movement appear like an individual decision rather than the action of a prepared force.

Twenty people were not many, but the number itself was not what mattered.

They were the first ones willing to step forward.

A man from the Sandwind Tribe standing in the blood-pledge line stared at the token in his hand for a long time. At last, he placed it back on the tray and stepped out of line.

"I still don't understand enough to swear."

He did not speak loudly, but everyone nearby heard him. Behind him, a wandering couple looked at one another. The husband gently squeezed his wife's hand and said they would leave the city. The woman held their child in her arms and simply nodded before following him out.

Similar reactions began appearing elsewhere across the square. Several young members of the Sandfire Tribe left the line, followed by a group of construction workers, then by people who had only come to the Forward City after sandstorms in search of work. Not everyone left immediately, but the cheers that had filled the square earlier were now completely gone.

Duong Quang remained on the platform and still gave no order to stop them.

The number leaving the lines quickly rose from a few dozen to more than a hundred, then several hundred. At the same time, many others who had not yet chosen to follow Hao Nhien also stopped moving toward the blood-pledge tables. Gaps began appearing in what had previously been orderly lines. Some still continued registering, some stepped aside, and others simply stood staring at the tokens in their hands, clearly wanting more time to think.

The square no longer shared the same unified will it had possessed when Duong Quang finished his speech.

Hao Nhien did not turn back to urge anyone on. He simply continued toward the city gate, with Lanh Hoa and Hoa Linh Nhi following closely behind. The Fire Qilin people positioned throughout the square gradually merged into the moving crowd from different directions, and then those who had already been prepared to leave the city began joining them as well.

Within a short time, several hundred people had formed a stream large enough that no one in the square could ignore it. As groups from the outer edges continued to join, the number quickly passed one thousand.

But Hao Nhien understood very clearly that not all of them were leaving simply because of what he had said. Some had never wanted to swear loyalty in the first place. Some had already planned to leave the Forward City after earning enough spirit stones. Some only wanted to see whether the Heavenly Eye would truly honor its promise that no one was being forced. Others had simply lacked someone willing to take the first step before they dared make the same choice themselves.

The stream of people continued to thicken without the need for constant slogans or drums urging them forward. There was only the sound of footsteps pressing into the sand, cloaks brushing together in the wind, and quiet calls between family members as they tried not to become separated.

The Heavenly Eye soldiers around the square began to grow tense. Several units quickly shifted toward the road leading to the city gate, their long spears held more upright, but no one dared block the way without orders. Every gaze turned toward the platform.

Duong Quang remained still for several breaths before finally raising one hand.

"Do not stop them."

The order spread down immediately. The soldiers ahead slowly moved aside. The city gate, however, remained closed, causing the stream of people to gradually come to a halt in the broad courtyard inside.

Only then did Hao Nhien turn back toward the arena.

Duong Quang was looking at him as well.

Hundreds of zhang now separated the two men, but the situation was perfectly clear.

After a while, Duong Quang slowly raised his hand once more.

"Open the gate."

Heavy chains immediately began to grind within the gate tower. Massive gears turned, pulling the two great gates of Heavenly Eye Forward City open. Desert wind rushed through the widening gap, carrying yellow sand and the familiar dry heat of the land outside.

The people at the front instinctively slowed.

Beyond the gate, there were no walls, no wells of the Forward City, and no Heavenly Eye patrols. Before them lay only the vast desert and a road that no one could promise would be easy.

Standing on the raised platform, Duong Quang's voice still carried clearly all the way to the gate.

"You have made your choice, and I respect that choice. But remember this clearly. Once you pass through that gate, the Heavenly Eye will no longer bear responsibility for protecting you."

No one answered.

Hao Nhien crossed the gate first without looking back. Lanh Hoa and Hoa Linh Nhi followed closely behind, then Luu Thanh, Hoa Van Phong, and the other Fire Qilin tribesmen gradually merged into the stream of people. Hundreds more continued after them, until more than a thousand people stretched in a long column from inside the city out into the sands beyond.

Many still chose to remain behind. Some continued toward the blood-pledge tables, some stood in place watching the people leave, while others still gripped their tokens but no longer took another step forward.

Hao Nhien did not know how Duong Quang would deal with that hesitation, but he understood that those who had left might not be the Heavenly Eye's greatest loss. What mattered more was that, from this day onward, those who remained now knew they could ask questions before bowing their heads.

Even so, Hao Nhien did not believe he had won.

The fact that the gate had opened did not mean the Heavenly Eye had let them go. Duong Quang simply could not close it in front of tens of thousands of people after personally declaring that the Heavenly Eye forced no one.

Only after they had traveled several dozen zhang beyond the walls did Hao Nhien lower his voice.

"Don't stop. First, put some distance between us and the city walls."

Lanh Hoa glanced at him but did not ask anything. The people behind them continued moving as well, quickly widening the distance from the gate.

Hao Nhien looked back one final time. From this distance, he could no longer make out Duong Quang's expression. He could only see the figure in silver-and-red armor still standing on the platform, his gaze seemingly fixed on the people leaving the city.

Hao Nhien withdrew his gaze and continued forward.

Today's contest had temporarily come to an end.

But between him and Duong Quang, this was clearly only the first.