The night was deep and still.
Rain fell without cease.
Half the shops in the West Market had already closed, but the Tailor Shop remained brightly lit.
In the outer hall, three oil lamps beneath shades painted with autumn chrysanthemums in the wild cast a gleaming yellow light over the graceful figures of several young men and women in long gowns and skirts.
The shopkeeper and assistants bustled about the hall, offering a few flattering words one moment and fetching new fabrics and clothing designs for their customers to choose from the next.
Amid their laughter, the group discussed one another's clothes, debated what looked good and what did not, and occasionally exchanged idle gossip.
Mostly, it was about what Marquis Xiao had done, or what "Dragon Tiger" Chen Yu had done.
In the inner room, just a wall away.
Chen Yi sipped his tea casually. The brew was clear and bright-undoubtedly fine spring tea.
General Star, seated opposite him, had naturally heard the voices outside. Yet he left his tea untouched, merely watching the man before him as doubts churned in his mind.
Rumors were now rife throughout Shuzhou. News that Xiao Fengchun was still alive had spread like wildfire, and the "Dragon Tiger" before him was no exception.
Yet under these circumstances, he had actually appeared here. Could it be-the story of his journey deep into Barbarian Tribe territory was false?
Although the White Tiger Guard, as one of the Bureau of Military Affairs' four guards, was tasked with investigating neighboring countries, they knew equally little about events within Barbarian Tribe territory.
There was no other reason.
It was simply too difficult for people from the Central Plains to survive among the Barbarian Tribe.
Apart from Wei slaves or Horse Bandits from the Poshushuo Kingdom, ordinary Wei people