They turned into a secluded alley, where the level stone paving underfoot was very different from the dirt streets they had just left. High walls enclosing deep courtyards lined both sides, and the alley was quiet.
They walked deep into the alley and stopped outside a residence that looked slightly aged but still imposing. Daoist Jiang raised his hand and gently tapped the door knocker.
Jin Si discreetly swept his senses over it three times. The residence was unremarkable and posed no threat.
Before long, the door opened from within.
The servant clearly knew Daoist Jiang. He bowed slightly and stepped aside, then respectfully led the way. Jin Si crossed the threshold and followed, looking around. Clear voices reciting lessons came from the main building, the words perfectly in unison, the children's voices crisp.
His steps faltered slightly.
The sound was all too familiar. He had heard it countless times outside the walls of several village schools years ago, in exactly the same cadence.
But back then, he could not even enter the gates. He could only stand outside the walls and listen to a few lines from afar.
Now he stood in the courtyard in earnest, listening to the children inside reciting sentences he only half understood, and an indescribable feeling stirred in his heart. Once they entered the room, Daoist Jiang sat down, while Jin Si stood beside him, pretending to be a young Daoist attendant. Perhaps because he had waited so many years for this day, he was actually a little nervous.
Before long, a middle-aged man in a plain robe came in through the doorway.
His face was lean and his manners refined. One glance was enough to tell that he was an educated man.
The servant brought tea, and the man drank with Daoist Jiang