At dawn the next morning, the eastern sky had only just begun to pale.
Chen Qing, dressed in a neat dark tight-fitting outfit and carrying his prepared pack, arrived punctually at Jiang Bohong's small courtyard in the Old Knife Handle Inn.
When he pushed open the gate and entered, Jiang Bohong was no longer alone in the courtyard.
Besides Yue Shan and Liu Sanniang, the Liu Family retainers he had met last time, there was another unfamiliar face.
The man was around forty. He was not particularly tall, yet remarkably lean and solid, as though every muscle contained explosive force.
His skin was dark, and several faint scars marked his face.
"Little Friend Chen is here! You've met these two before, so there's no need for introductions."
Jiang Bohong greeted him with a smile, then pointed at the man and introduced him. "This is Blade Catcher Zhao Tieying from Fengle Prefecture, known as the Iron Kite! His Wind-Splitting Blade is a renowned name among Blade Catchers in both Fengle and Yunlin Prefectures!"
Zhao Tieying cupped his fists in salute and smiled. "Chief Disciple Chen, I have long admired your name!"
"Zhao, you're too polite."
Chen Qing returned the salute. His gaze swept over the calluses covering the other man's palms and the broad-backed, thick-bladed short saber at his waist. "A pleasure to meet you."
He then turned to Yue Shan and Liu Sanniang and nodded in greeting. "Brother Yue, Madam Liu."
Yue Shan nodded back. "Chief Disciple Chen, we meet again!"
Liu Sanniang also gave a gentle smile in greeting.
As they exchanged pleasantries, Chen Qing learned why Yue Shan and his wife had come along.
The Bone Transformation Pill they had refined last time had nearly drained the savings they had accumulated over many years.
Though they now served