The two men who walked in were both in their thirties or forties, one tall and one short. Dressed alike in close-fitting clothes, they each carried a Long Sword on their back.
They spoke as though no one else were there, sweeping their eyes over the people in the temple with perfectly composed expressions.
The taller one cupped his hands toward the Black-Robed Daoist and smiled. "Greetings, Daoist. We were passing through when a sudden downpour caught us, so we came in to shelter from the rain. Sorry for the intrusion."
The Daoist smiled. "A place devoted to a god should naturally throw its doors open to all. How else could it gather incense offerings from the eight directions and sustain a clay idol?"
"Daoist, your words are profound. We're impressed." The two men cupped their hands toward Li Dejiang, Li Chunfeng, and the others. Rather than approach the fire, they sat down in a corner of the temple and began communicating in secret through sound transmission.
"Shifty," the woman muttered. When both men looked her way, she added, "Such sharp ears. Their martial arts must be formidable."
"Naturally," Li Dingji said. "The Long Swords on their backs are made to Eastern Palace specifications. They're called 'Longevity Swords,' and the men who carry them are the crown prince's elite! Every soldier in that army is a powerful martial artist. Of course they have keen ears and sharp eyes!"
"So they're soldiers of the Longevity Army!" Li Chunfeng's eyes gleamed. "I've heard that elite force has a long history stretching back to Emperor Wu of Zhou. It began as a unit of Dao Soldiers, then passed through several hands after the ruler of Sui took them in, before finally coming under the present crown prince's command..."
The two men looked over.