South of the county town lay an open stretch of land where mountain goods were sold. Most of the mountain produce brought in by villagers from outside the city was sold here.
It was already afternoon, and few people remained gathered here, only a handful of villagers still clinging to hopes of making a sale. A man in gray wandered about with his hands behind his back, occasionally squatting before the mountain goods displayed by the villagers to inspect their quality or ask the price.
After making a round, the gray-clad man entered a nearby teahouse. Once seated, he called out to the waiter, "Bring me a pot of tea!"
"Right away, sir. Please wait," the waiter replied.
A carriage arrived outside and stopped, blocking the entrance. It caught the gray-clad man's attention, yet no one emerged from it. As he was studying it, he suddenly felt something press against his waist. Looking down, he found a dagger pointed at him. He jerked his head up and turned around, only to find two men flanking him.
"..." Just as he was about to say something, the dagger pricked him painfully in warning.
Without a word, the two men tossed several copper coins onto the table. Each seized one of his arms and, without drawing attention, escorted him outside before shoving him straight into the carriage.
The moment he entered the carriage, someone covered his mouth, forced him down, and bound him tight. The carriage swiftly turned around and sped away.
The waiter emerged from the teahouse carrying the brewed tea, only to find that the customer was gone. He set down the teapot, swept the copper coins from the table into his hand, then ran to the entrance and looked left and right. Still seeing no one, he scratched his