Chapter 290: Below the Clouds
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The Crimson Cloud Tournament draws near!
That is the sentiment that echoes throughout every single one of Imperial Cloud City’s one hundred and twenty-seven districts. From the government official to the beggar, everyone is preparing for the festivities. They talk about it in their homes! They hear in the streets! They count down the days with eager joy!
The greatest young talents from all over the Crimson Cloud Empire will gather in Imperial Cloud City to fight for dominance. There is no greater spectacle, no event that is more important. It comes every four years, and anyone who is anyone must be present.
Imperial Cloud City teems with activity. People from every corner of the Empire pass through the city gates every day. There is spectacle in every corner, and exotic wares from all corners of the Empire are suddenly on display as more merchants and entertainers enter the city. The tournament is still weeks away, yet the inns are almost at their limit. Entrepreneurial-minded citizens have taken to renting rooms at their homes.
The Three Hogs, a dingy but warm tavern in the seventy-seventh district, is perhaps quieter than other places. The night is young. Most people in the district have only just finished working. The old regulars have begun drifting in, but many seats remain empty.
But even here, the Crimson Cloud Tournament is all people can talk about.
“I saw the Furious Fists passing through the city gates!” says Wei the carpenter, a young man with a sturdy build who is trying hard to grow his first beard. “You should have seen them! They were riding bears!”
“Bears? Who cares about bears!” says Ying the seamstress, a stout woman with small eyes. “What were you even doing near the gates anyway?”