Not long after, Richard and Jia Lie reached the outskirts of the city. They followed a narrow country lane heading into the distance.
Passing by a small village, Richard suddenly reined in his horse and looked towards one side of the road.
He saw a large expanse of land enclosed by walls a few hundred meters off the road—an estate. The estate had an impressive air about it, with several stone buildings in the center connected by cobblestone paths, keeping one's boots mud-free even in rainy weather.
This was not all that made the estate attractive to Richard. The vast grounds not only featured a small lake and a nearby grove of trees but were also traversed by a stream.
To others, this might have been merely a beautiful view, but to Richard, it was a free water source and convenient hydropower.
