The courtyard gate stood open. Shao Sansheng waited, but no one came calling. All he saw were people streaming back and forth along the street outside.
Though this residence was not beside a main street in the Qi Capital, it was not especially remote either. There were quite a few pedestrians coming and going outside.
Shao Sansheng waited in the courtyard. Any passerby displaying the slightest abnormality near the gate made him stretch his neck in anticipation.
Up in the loft, Shao Pingbo rested with his eyes closed. The rolling of his eyeballs beneath his lids showed that his mind was still at work.
Around half an hour later, someone appeared at the gate—a man dressed like a peddler, with a cloth shoulder bag slung over one shoulder. He sized up the courtyard briefly, then shook the rattle-drum in his hand and walked in at an unhurried pace.
With someone barging in so rashly, the guards both in the open and in hiding stirred restlessly. Shao Sansheng raised a hand to stop any defensive response, then went forward himself and asked with a courteous smile, "What business does sir have?"
The peddler swept his gaze around, then looked Shao Sansheng up and down before coolly uttering a single word. "Letter!"
Having confirmed that this was the man they awaited, Shao Sansheng immediately gestured him inside. "Please come with me, sir."
He remained respectful all the way, occasionally extending a hand to show the way, until he led the man to the loft where Shao Pingbo was. He announced, "Young Master, the man has arrived."
Shao Pingbo was already studying the visitor. The newcomer, however, behaved as though no one else existed. He removed the cloth shoulder bag and set it on the table, then openly took the seat of honor