When Yu Chengmu saw the name, his face, wrinkled like tree bark, tightened. Then, when he noticed the mark, his body trembled despite himself.
"What's wrong, sir?" Chen Hao asked, noticing his reaction. "Do you recognize the name?"
Yu Chengmu took a deep breath, his expression returning to normal. "No."
Jiang Cheng had noticed Yu Chengmu's reaction too. The old man had clearly picked up on something, but he refused to say anything. There was no way to force him to talk under the circumstances.
They had gathered most of the clues here. If they stayed any longer, who knew what else might happen? Yu Chengmu helped Zhou Qing close his eyes, and then they all left.
They had not gone far when they spotted two villagers standing at the crossroads. As soon as the villagers saw them, they hurried over. "Masters, the village chief sent us to wait here. We'll take you to get something to eat."
At the mention of food, Fatty's stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.
They followed the two villagers, turning this way and that until they reached a courtyard. A wooden table stood just inside the entrance.
A few plates of food sat on the table, mostly vegetables. There were bowls and chopsticks for everyone, and a large basin of mixed-grain steamed buns in the middle. That must have been the main dish.
Judging by the way the two villagers stared at the food and kept swallowing, this meal was probably top-tier fare by village standards.
"Masters... please, go ahead and eat. We'll head back now."
The villagers were about to leave when a rustling sound came from nearby. A moment later, a man appeared atop the wall. His clothes were ragged, and he looked like a beggar.
He sat astride the wall,