By afternoon, Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er had spent most of the day in the guest room. They sat cross-legged on the bed and bamboo couch respectively, circulating their cultivation techniques to regulate their breathing, gradually replenishing their Spiritual Power and recovering from the morning's fatigue and their earlier battle.
The room was quiet. Beyond the paper-covered window, the occasional footsteps of passing villagers mingled with the clatter of things being moved. Preparations for the sacrificial rite were not quite finished, but the bustle had eased considerably since morning.
After ending their cultivation, the two sat a while longer without speaking, waiting quietly. At last, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by two gentle knocks.
Shen Fei rose and pulled open the wooden door. The young Scholar in the gray robe stood outside, holding the same wooden box against his chest. His expression was more solemn than usual.
He bowed slightly to Shen Fei, then opened the wooden box, took out a sheet of paper with writing on it, and handed it over.
"The sacrificial rite is about to begin. The Chief invites you both to attend."
Shen Fei read it, nodded, and passed the paper to Xiao Ning'er behind him. She glanced over it, fastened the Short Sword back at her waist, and checked the inscription materials in her cloth bag.
They followed the Scholar out of the guest room and headed east along the village's dirt road. Dusk had begun to settle, and a dusky orange afterglow lingered along the western horizon, tracing the blurred outlines of wooden rooftops and treetops.
There were fewer people on the road than in the morning. Most villagers had already headed toward the site of the rite, leaving only a few guards at alley entrances and intersections to maintain order.
The Scholar