Wanfeng County town, the residence serving as their base.
Yi Yang hurried back from the valley and pushed open the courtyard gate where Wu Ge and Wu Yanluo were staying under concealed identities.
Wu Ge and Wu Yanluo sat beside the stone table in the courtyard.
Wu Ge was polishing his curved saber on a stone stool, while Wu Yanluo teased a stray cat with a twig.
When they saw Yi Yang return, both turned their eyes toward him.
The tears and scorch marks on Yi Yang's official uniform were glaring. Although the wound on his left arm had already scabbed over, blood had inevitably stained the fabric.
Wu Ge slid his saber back into its sheath and stood up straight, asking in surprise:
"Lord Yi, were you injured?"
Wu Yanluo rose as well. The silver bells at her ankles, hidden beneath her trouser legs, gave a faint chime.
She looked Yi Yang up and down, most of her playful grin fading as she asked with some concern:
"How did you end up like this?"
Yi Yang walked over to the stone table and sat down. He picked up a jug of water, took two swallows, then wiped his face and said:
"What, Lord Wu Ge didn't sense anything?"
"There was quite a commotion outside just now."
Caught off guard by his question, Wu Ge paused, confusion appearing on his face. "A commotion?"
He thought back.
"I did sense some unrest near the east gate, with bursts of true astral realm aura, but it was brief. It settled down within the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
"I assumed your Pacification Guards were handling some local dispute, so I didn't pay much attention."
"Only when you still hadn't returned did I start to feel something might be wrong."