Chapter 77: Hesitation

Qi Si opened his eyes to a hazy, gray sky.

Beneath it stood a row of ochre, European-style buildings constructed from alternating wood and stone. The houses were packed tightly together, a claustrophobic cluster that left no room for even a sliver of light to pass through. Murals and shrines, rich with religious imagery, were bathed in shadow, adding to the oppressive, grim atmosphere.

Men and women in tattered clothes moved between the archways. They all had the high-bridged noses and deep-set eyes of Caucasians, their expressions so solemn they were nearly blank. From a distance, their ashen faces looked like specters.

...