Boom!
Without further hesitation, Qin Huai plunged from the sky towards Spirit Gate. As he touched ground, a gentle flap of his wings shattered the thick frost clinging to his feathers, sending shards of ice cascading to the ground.
Barely had he landed when Gou Jie materialized at his side. "I counted the days on my fingers and knew Alliance Master would return today," he said, squinting slightly. The number of decorative cats on the whisk in his hand had noticeably decreased.
"Seems your mathematical skills have vastly improved," Qin Huai commented. He folded his wings and took in the scene outside the Spirit Gate in the company of Gou Jie.
Compared to several months prior, not only had the number of individuals not reduced, but it had escalated. Commoners in ragged attire, carrying their families on their backs, queued dispiritedly in front of Lingkou Pass.
"Why?" inquired Qin Huai.