Stars speckled the sky, and a gentle breeze stirred.
Ye Kang stood respectfully outside the pavilion.
At the sound, the people inside turned their heads.
There were three of them. Su Hongxiu waited at the far end, while the other two sat at ease in chairs, admiring the moon and sipping tea.
Spirit-rich pastries and a black token sat on the stone table.
Ye Kang recognized it. It was the Mitian Token he had won back from the White Moon Sword Sect.
Of the two seated across from each other, one was refined and scholarly, while the other was shrouded from head to toe in a black robe, his features hidden from view.
The refined, middle-aged man looked at Ye Kang and smiled, nodding. "This must be Ye Kang. I'd planned to wait a little longer before meeting you, but since Hongxiu brought you here, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Come in and have a pastry."
Ye Kang didn't know either of them, but he knew their cultivation was far beyond anything he could hope to attain.
And from the way they had addressed the Head Scholar, he had more or less guessed the man's identity.
Spirit Spring Commander, Su Zhongjing.
Ye Kang nodded slightly and walked in without a word, but didn't actually take a pastry.
A superior might be courteous, but you couldn't afford to take liberties in return.
Su Zhongjing studied Ye Kang, then looked at the black-robed man beside him.
"What do you think of this young man, Mister Jiang?"
Mister Jiang didn't look at Ye Kang. He casually lifted his teacup and said, "I'm no judge of character. Whether he's any good depends on the results."
Su Zhongjing seemed to have expected that answer and didn't mind. Turning to Ye Kang, he said,