Jiang Yelan took the medicine and turned to walk back.
She approached Carter and handed him five bottles of medicine.
"Drink it directly; it will be effective for four hours."
Carter took the bottles, looked at the five bottles of light blue liquid in his hand, then looked up at Jiang Yelan, and then at the two figures on the low hill in the distance.
"...Who are you?"
Jiang Yelan did not answer.
She glanced at him, then turned and, just as she had come, vanished silently into the shadows of the low hill.
Carter stood there, clutching the five vials of medicine in his hand, feeling a slight coolness emanating from the bottle walls.
Behind him, Lily peeked out from her mother's arms and whispered, "Mommy, are those people good people?"
Eileen looked down at her daughter, then at the medicine in Carter's hand.
"...Yes. I think so."
...
White Tower City is located in the heart of the Morning Light Plain in the Eastern Extreme Region. The city wall has a circumference of sixty miles and is an irregular circle. It is built according to the terrain and envelops the entire city in gray and white stone walls.
The city wall was built of huge stones, with a base thickness of six meters and a top width of four meters, wide enough for three horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side.
The four city gates are located in the southeast, northwest, and southwest directions, each equipped with a crescent-shaped stone barbican protruding outside the main city wall.
Every hundred meters along the city wall stood a fifty-meter-high arrow tower, guarded by archers and crossbowmen.
In the very center of the city stands a tall white tower, its body made of white marble, each stone polished smooth as a mirror.
The tower is 100 meters tall, and its spire, piercing the sky, can be seen from any corner of the city.
A silvery-white flame burns perpetually atop the tower, never extinguishing even in the rain; this is the source of the "Eye of the White Tower" and the origin of the city's name.
The Jingshui River, located to the west of Baitacheng, is about 30 meters wide. Its water is clear but flows very slowly, and it is the city's main water source.
A stone bridge spans the river, serving as the only passage to the White Pagoda City from the west.
The plains were extremely open, and on a clear day, one could see movements nearly twenty miles away from the city walls.
It was afternoon, and the sunlight spread across the Morning Light Plain, making the distant grass and earth colors exceptionally clear.
But things were not peaceful in front of the city gate. In front of the west gate, the flow of people was like a gray river, slowly and continuously flowing across the stone bridge.
The guards stood on either side of the entrance to the barbican, one of them holding a wooden board with a thick register attached to it.
Every time a family entered, he would look up and glance at them, asking, "Where are you from?"
River Valley Town.
"Register, go inside, and find a tent in the Northwest Workshop Area."
The crowd didn't stop, and the names in the register were turned page by page, as if they would never be filled out.
Lin Feng, Jiang Zhaoyue, and Jiang Yelan landed in front of the West Gate and witnessed this scene.
They stood on the open ground outside the city gate, surrounded by refugees who kept passing by. Some were pulling carts, some were carrying children, and some were carrying the last few things they could take with them.
No one looked up at them; everyone kept their heads down, staring only at the city gate ahead and the road beneath their feet.
Lin Feng didn't go through the city gate. He pushed off with his feet and his body soared into the air. Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan followed closely behind. The three of them flew directly over the city gate and landed on the inner side of the battlements of the west gate city wall.
The defenders on the city wall reacted immediately.
A row of gray-robed crossbowmen simultaneously raised their crossbows, aiming the bolts at the three men who had just landed.
"Who goes there?" the lead gray-robed crossbowman asked, without lowering his crossbow.
Lin Feng didn't move. He glanced at the gray-robed crossbowmen and was about to speak when a voice came from behind the crowd: "Our own people! Put them down!"
A middle-aged man in gray-blue armor pushed his way out of the crowd, followed by two Dawn Crusaders. They wore silver chainmail under white robes with a golden cross embroidered in the center, and two-handed swords hung at their waists.
He recognized Lin Feng and rushed forward, his tone clearly showing relief: "Lord Lin! You've finally arrived."
Lin Feng glanced at him and recognized the man: "General Roland."
Roland Silver Shield, deputy commander of White Tower City, a third-tier expert.
"We were delayed on the road for a few days," Lin Feng said. "What's the situation in the city now?"
Roland stepped aside and gestured for you to proceed: "Let's talk as we walk. We'll head to the council hall first; several city lords and deputy city lords are waiting for you."
After he finished speaking, he nodded to Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan as a greeting.
The four then took off, skimming over the west gate city wall and flying towards the center of the city.
As Roland flew, he described the situation in White Tower City to Lin Feng: "At least 10,000 refugees are coming in through the city gates every day. Tents have already filled four streets in the Northwest Workshop District. Food supplies are still sufficient, but medicine is starting to become scarce."
The city walls' defensive fortifications are mostly complete, but manpower is still insufficient, especially for ranged units.
He pointed down: "That's the military zone. All five infantry corps are stationed there now. Across from it is the commercial zone. Most of the shops are still open, but business is much slower. People are just happy as long as they have something to eat."
That dark red, three-story building is the most famous tavern, named 'Coins and Wheat'.
Lin Feng glanced in the direction he was looking. There was a tin sign hanging at the entrance of the tavern, with a picture of a copper coin and an ear of wheat crossed on it.
Roland continued, "The southwest area is a residential area and a church. The church is called the Church of Holy Light. Recently, many people have been going there every day to sit, not to pray, but just to sit."
He paused, then added, "I guess it's more reassuring to sit there."
The four landed on the White Pagoda Square, which had a radius of about two hundred meters and was paved with white stone slabs.
Twelve stone pillars stand at the edge of the square, each topped with a magic lamp that shines with a warm yellow light year-round.
Ropes were strung between the stone pillars, and various flags were hung there: noble family crests, merchant flags, guild flags, and some flags that Lin Feng couldn't name, all swaying gently in the wind.
In the center of the square stood the white tower, its silvery flames still shining brightly in the afternoon light.
The smooth white stone surface of the tower reflects the flowing shadows of clouds, quiet and solemn.
The council hall is a three-story stone building located on the south side of the square. Its outer walls are the same color as the city walls, and it has a wide portico with twelve steps leading up to the entrance.
Two Dawn Crusaders stood on either side of the steps, their armor gleaming softly in the sunlight.
Roland led the three across the square, up the steps, and stopped in front of the council hall.
He pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped aside to make way for them: "Please come in, gentlemen. The city lords are all inside."
Lin Feng nodded and stepped inside.
Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan followed behind him, and the door closed behind them.
(Cavenn, I need to sort out the plot properly later.)
