The afternoon sun in the south was scorching, and the air was thick with heat.
Two men wearing rain capes made of broken bamboo strips leaned lazily against the courtyard wall, occasionally chatting idly.
When Luo You had still been around last week, they had occasionally been ordered to do this or that inside.
But this week, Luo You's lame leg had suddenly recovered for the most part, and after going up the mountain, he had barely come down.
They were basically only needed for simple guard duty and to prepare meals for Old Ji inside the house.
"Old Ji skipped lunch again today. If Lord Zhang finds out tonight, he'll probably come over and give us another earful."
As he spoke, the guard on the left glanced at the still-tightly-closed door of the main room and said worriedly.
"There's nothing we can do. It doesn't matter if Lord Zhang scolds us, but if we upset Old Ji—"
The guard on the right lowered his voice. "Have you noticed how Lord Zhang is always so respectful whenever he's facing Old Ji?"
"I'm not blind. I noticed that ages ago," the other replied.
"Isn't that normal? Lord Zhang used to be the lord, while Old Ji was the strategist. Naturally, his status is lofty."
"That's true. Every time I deliver food, I see Old Ji writing and drawing something. I can't understand any of it."
Muttering constantly, speculating about the identity of the mysterious Old Ji, was honestly their only source of amusement.
But just then, the door to the main room suddenly opened, frightening the two men into silence.
They turned to look and saw Old Ji stride out with his head held high.
The guard on the left instinctively moved forward to ask whether he should reheat the lunch