「More than half a day later.」
A tall gatehouse stood before them. The square city walls were dotted with numerous Buddhist shrines, like square-shaped grottoes carved into the earthen ramparts, each one enshrining a Buddha statue.
The sky was now gradually dimming. Inside the shrines, lit candles burned brightly, their flames a brilliant yellow.
Melted red wax trickled down the city walls and seeped into the cracks. It looked like strings of plump, red fruit, but also like vivid streaks of blood. The sight was rather horrifying.
The air was thick with the scent of incense, so much so that it obscured their vision. The entire city seemed to be wreathed in mist, making it difficult to tell what was real and what was illusion.
Below the city walls, crowds of commoners in plain clothes stood in pious groups. They were muttering something under their breath that sounded like a scripture.
