Although dawn was not far off, Qi Zhongbin and Stoneborn both emerged from their rooms without prior agreement and went to the garden nearest to them both. Hui Mian darted out there as well.
"The master has come out of seclusion. You know too?"
Stoneborn nodded.
"We know!"
"Indeed. It has been a long time since we last saw our venerable master!"
Without further ado, Stoneborn sent the four treasures of the study flying from his sleeve and wrote a letter home on the garden's stone table. A breath from his lips stirred a gentle breeze, carrying the letter outside his father's study, through the crack beneath the door, and onto the desk.
"Aren't you going to tell your parents and little brother in person?"
At Hui Mian's question, Stoneborn smiled and shook his head.
"Master rarely summons us. There must be something important, so the sooner we get there, the better."
"All right, let's go!"
The two men and the marten wasted no more words. They rose on the wind, turning into a streak of fire and a ray of light as they raced through the sky toward Guangyuan Prefecture.
In Guangyuan Prefecture's capital, daylight gradually brightened, and the early-rising shopkeepers along the streets had already opened for business.
Yi Shuyuan and Rong Zhang walked along the street, exchanging information as they went. Most of it concerned the Untransformable Bone, though this time they did not limit themselves to the creature itself, also discussing the life of the body's original owner.
Of course, at this stage, such things had little connection to the Untransformable Bone itself, but there was always a chance they might prove useful.
Rong Zhang no longer looked as unkempt as he had yesterday, like a prisoner newly released. He had tidied himself up thoroughly,