"Senior!"
A Fei's cry of "Senior" never actually left his lips; he merely mouthed the word. Only when Yi Shuyuan approached with a smile did he speak and bow with his hands clasped. Rather than the casual fist-and-palm salute common among martial artists, he felt that greeting Senior Yi was more like greeting a learned master.
Yi Shuyuan reached out and patted A Fei's arm, then nodded.
"You came from Moon City, didn't you? Come on, let's find somewhere to treat you to a meal."
"Yes!"
After all, they had spent quite some time together in the snowy mountains, so there was no sense of distance between them at this reunion. One walked ahead while the other followed beside him, and they soon left the county office grounds.
Unfortunately, the influx of martial artists had filled both of Yuanjiang County's famous establishments, Tongxin Pavilion and the Drunken Guest Pavilion. Fortunately, neither Yi Shuyuan nor A Fei had intended to eat inside.
Yi Shuyuan bought some steamed buns and two flasks of wine at Tongxin Pavilion, then picked up a crisp-skinned roast chicken from the Drunken Guest Pavilion along the way before leading A Fei onward.
The farther they walked, the fewer people they saw and the quieter their surroundings became. Soon, they reached the foot of the wall on the northwestern side of the county town.
Both the ramp up to the wall and the city gate were quite far away, and this spot received very little sunlight, making it particularly desolate. Apart from a few straw sheds, piles of firewood, and miscellaneous clutter, there was not even a patch of untended grassland.
Dusk had fallen, and the sky was already growing dim. Yi Shuyuan looked up at the wall, then at A Fei beside him carrying their food, and