Night.
The stars were dim, and a bright moon hung overhead. The sky had cleared after the rain, but the ground was still muggy. Cicadas called one after another, their cries enough to leave anyone restless and irritated.
Bo Yan had not returned to the residence. After leaving the teahouse, he changed his clothes and visited several taverns in succession. By nightfall, he had reached the sixth.
"Ah, honored guest, there you are! Please come in, come in! We still have private seating upstairs. Would you like to go up to the second floor, or shall I find you a table downstairs?"
Seeing a young man enter, the waiter came forward to usher him inside.
Bo Yan's expression was indifferent. "No need for a private room. Just find me a table in the main hall."
"Certainly! Please follow me, sir!" Relieved to find him so easy to please, the waiter hurried ahead and found a table toward the back. He carefully wiped it with the white towel draped over his shoulder before saying, "Please sit, sir! What would you like to eat? Our wine is quite good. The best is our Pear Blossom Brew!"
"Bring two of your signature dishes and a small flask of Pear Blossom Brew. Nothing else." Bo Yan was not there to eat, so he ordered casually.
"Certainly! Please wait a moment, honored guest. I'll have the kitchen prepare it right away!" The waiter promptly left, then returned shortly afterward with a pot of tea and a small plate of peanuts.
It was dinnertime, and nearly every table in the tavern was occupied apart from the one he had just taken. Several newspapers had sold briskly during the day, nearly all carrying articles about Prince Dai's raid on the Water Cloud Shrine. By now, word had