Coming One After Another, Part 1

Because Dali Temple stood on a busy thoroughfare, entering and leaving through the main gate was extremely inconvenient. The gatehouse built there had naturally become little more than decoration, so another gatehouse had been newly built near the East Side Entrance for receiving guests.

Since it had been rebuilt later on, the interior furnishings were decent enough, but its size was inevitably somewhat lacking.

Though the Moon Gate was enormous, the courtyard beyond was less than five zhang deep.

Thus, while Sun Shaozong was still some distance away, he heard someone inside shouting, "Why hasn't that Sun fellow arrived yet? Is this how Dali Temple usually neglects its superiors?! Go, go, hurry and send someone to press them again!"

The voice was strong and vigorous, though it carried a trace of youthfulness. It clearly could not have belonged to the aged and dying Earl Yongyi, Niu Jizong.

Was it a servant, or one of the Niu family's younger relatives?

What had State Protecting Manor been reduced to by now? How did they still dare act so overbearing?

Most curious of all, Earl Yongyi, Niu Jizong, showed no intention of stopping him.

Could that old fool truly have become muddleheaded from illness?

Suspicious, Sun Shaozong strode to the arched gate and saw that the tiny courtyard was packed with thirty or forty people. Aside from three or five grim-faced Dali Temple runners, all the rest were broad-shouldered, thick-waisted household servants.

The leader was about eighteen or nineteen. He wore a bright red tassel in his cap and deer-head boots on his feet, a dark navy brocade robe trimmed with gold thread beneath, and a Sable Cloak edged with snow-fox fur over it.

Judging by his clothes alone, he looked every inch the rich and elegant young nobleman.

Yet paired with his