Beyond the hill, Zhang Ze peered out from behind the rock, revealing his deer-like head, and took in the full view of Valley City.
Contrary to what he imagined, this place didn't fit with words like grand or magnificent at all.
No market, no altar, except for the tallest splendid palace at the city center, everything else was shrouded in gray.
Gray bricks, gray tiles, gray walls; compared to here, a cemetery seemed vibrant, at least with offerings and tombstones with large letters.
Clambering up the rocks for a closer look, Zhang Ze soon saw a group of equally gray half-human creatures emerging from a windowless building resembling barracks.
They looked somewhat like dwarves, short and stout, but had no beards or any body hair, their entire bodies bald and glossy like tanned leather, emitting a disgusting odor even from afar.
And on their faces, at the cheeks, they had repulsive growths, somewhat similar to certain lizards in the desert.
