Blade of Balance had unilaterally cut off contact with Zhang Heng, but that did not mean Zhang Heng had no way of finding them again.
Zhang Heng had previously lain blindfolded in a carriage and gone to Priestess's territory to meet her. He had silently memorized the sounds and road conditions along the way, but after reaching an agreement with Priestess, and with his work as Commodus's adviser keeping him busy, he had not pursued the matter any further.
Now that Zhang Heng needed to reestablish contact with Blade of Balance, this route was naturally the first thing that came to mind.
Zhang Heng then found Marcus and had him procure a carriage. To recreate the circumstances of that night as closely as possible, Zhang Heng even commissioned a carriage compartment identical to the one he had ridden in before. He had Marcus drive the carriage to the arched bridge by the Tiber River late at night.
Zhang Heng had boarded the carriage here before, so if he wanted to find the route he had taken that night, he likewise had to set out from here and follow his memories back to the place where he had met Priestess.
However, Zhang Heng's first attempt that night failed.
It had rained that afternoon, changing the condition of the roads. Even minor discrepancies accumulated into a considerable problem for Zhang Heng, who relied on bumps and sounds to determine his location.
Thus, Zhang Heng had no choice but to wait until the next day. The military camp inspection was tomorrow, which meant he could not fail again tonight. Otherwise, he would not be able to contact Blade of Balance before the inspection.
Fortunately, his luck was better that day. Not only did it not rain again, but the midday sun was strong