Early morning, outside the Western Suburbs Abandoned Temple.
In a tea stall by the official road, two men in gray huddled in a corner, their eyes constantly darting toward the temple down the slope.
Two sealing strips crossed over the temple gates, the paste not yet dry.
"One incense stick." The man on the left spoke hoarsely. "The Protector, plus half a Baleful Qi Gathering Array, lasted one incense stick."
"Is the information accurate?"
"It came from the cleanup crew. They spent nearly half a day collecting the bodies."
In their line of work, ears were worth more than lives.
But after hearing about this today, their calves had started cramping.
After a while, the man on the right lowered his voice again. "I also heard... people in the hall are discussing raising his bounty again."
"Raise it?" The man on the left snorted. "No matter how high it goes, can it be worth more than a life?"
"Then tell me... when the Branch Master comes out of seclusion, can he win?"
The man on the left stared at him for a long while.
"You're asking me?"
"You should go ask at the Protector's grave."
The tea had gone completely cold.
Staring into his bowl, the man on the right murmured, "I was thinking... maybe the two of us should report sick leave to the branch?"
"Are you insane? Reporting sick at a time like this is no different from turning yourself in."
True enough.
The two of them drank the cold tea as though it were bitter wine.
At the same time, at the Western Office of the state capital.
An urgent official document was delivered to the Merit Office.
The young clerk opened it, scanned two lines, and immediately furrowed his brow. "Green-Mud Ferry again?"
"Patrol Inspector Xu