"I am Jin Zhongjian. Well met, fellow Daoist." After a rueful smile, the Red-Faced Man cupped his hands in greeting.
"I have some recollection of that name. There was a general by that name in the Wei-Jin era." Chen Cuo looked at the Red-Faced Man. "It seems you've been reincarnated for quite some years."
The Red-Faced Man nodded. "I did indeed spend a lifetime among mortals back then."
Beside him, the Basket-Carrying Boy also stepped forward. "I am Lan Caihe. Well met, fellow Daoist." For all his round-faced, boyish looks, he carried an air of old age.
But Chen Cuo cared more about their names than what either had said. Jin Zhongjian's name might not have stood out without a closer look, but the three characters "Lan Caihe" had been as familiar as thunder to him in his Previous Life. The moment he heard it and thought again of the Red-Faced Man's name, he understood how it all fit together.
Had events already reached this point?
"I see. So you are immortals reincarnated. Forgive me for not recognizing you."
He had identified them both at once, yet neither had sensed so much as a ripple in the threads of Cause and Effect. Alarmed, they could only smile bitterly to themselves. The man truly lived up to his reputation.
With that thought, Jin Zhongjian said, "We meant no harm in observing this place. I hope you won't misunderstand us."
Chen Cuo smiled. "You two escorted us all the way here. Even if you claim no credit, you've certainly gone to the trouble. Of course you meant no harm. How could I misunderstand?"
The words sounded ordinary enough. But with Chen Cuo holding one person captive, pinning another beneath his foot, and keeping a third bound, no one dared let down their