Yi Yang left the Azure Jade Marquis Manor and stepped onto a street far from the heart of Qingzhou City, where people streamed to and fro.
Less than half an incense stick's time had passed since he left the Azure Jade Marquis Manor.
A carriage rolled slowly up from behind him and stopped at his side.
Yi Yang looked at the carriage beside him. It had an ordinary blue-cloth canopy and was drawn by an old horse with a mottled coat. The driver wore a bamboo hat that hid his face.
The whole carriage could not have been more ordinary. Put it on any street in Qingzhou City, and no one would spare it a second glance.
As the carriage stopped beside Yi Yang, its wheels rolled over the bluestone pavement. A faint rustle came from inside, then all fell quiet again.
Yi Yang stood where he was. Even after the carriage stopped, he did not immediately reach out to lift the curtain.
He remembered Yan Wuyuan telling him to head straight back to his lodgings after leaving the manor.
If a carriage stopped beside him along the way, he was to ask no questions and get straight in.
This carriage had arrived right on time.
From the moment he left the Azure Jade Marquis Manor to the moment the carriage stopped, less than half an incense stick's time had elapsed.
The driver did not turn around, and no one inside urged him to hurry.
That composure showed that they had already calculated exactly what choice he would make.
Without hesitation, Yi Yang lifted the curtain and climbed inside.
The curtain fell, shutting out the clamor outside.
The carriage was dim inside. A faint scent, a blend of herbs and spices, drifted into his nose.
Yi Yang's gaze settled on