Visitors to the Capital

The setting sun slanted down from the western ridgeline, dyeing the valley passage a dark gold. The convoy moved slowly through the interweaving light and shadow, hoofbeats and wagon wheels echoing continuously between the mountain walls.

The convoy traveled through the night for over two hours before reaching an outlying relay station of the Balak Capital.

Qin Kun arranged for the remaining guards to move the ore crates into the relay station's temporary storeroom, while the wounded were sent to its makeshift infirmary to have their injuries treated.

He, Qian Yaoting, and Li Long sat down in the relay station's main hall and instructed the attendants to bring hot tea and rations.

Qin Kun's left arm had stopped bleeding after preliminary bandaging, but his face was even paler than it had been during the day. Leaning back in his chair, he took a sip of hot tea, set the cup down, and looked at the two of them.

"You two aren't locals from Balak, and your accents don't sound much like those from Heaven Dou City either," Qin Kun said. "May I ask your names?"

"Qian Yaoting. This is Li Long." Qian Yaoting did not reveal their identities as members of Spirit Hall, merely giving their names. "We came from Spirit City and intend to make a trip to the Star Luo Empire. We were only passing through Balak."

Qin Kun's gaze shifted slightly when he heard the words "Spirit City," but he wisely did not press for their specific identities.

After several breaths of silence, he turned the conversation back to the attack. "Those mercenaries today belong to an organization from the northern border of the Star Luo Empire called Black Vulture. They used to make a living through scattered raids, but they suddenly became active over the past