Nie Li seemed perfectly at ease. He set down his teacup, stood up, nodded to Shen Fei and then to Xiao Ning'er, and said, "You're here? Have a seat."
Shen Fei did not sit down. He walked over to the stone table and got straight to the point. "Recently, we discovered that both our families' caravans have been followed. Unfamiliar faces appeared near the freight depot. They didn't approach, speak to anyone, or make a move. They just watched from a distance. They followed us for two days, lost the trail once, then showed up again with different people. Their auras weren't weak-at least gold rank or above-and they concealed them well. We suspect they might be the New Faction you mentioned."
As Nie Li listened, the smile slowly faded from his face. He sat back down on the stone stool, tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers, fell silent for a few breaths, then nodded.
"They're more complicated than I imagined," Nie Li said. "I thought they would wait a while longer before making a move. I didn't expect them to have already started probing the trade routes. That means they're more impatient than we anticipated, and more confident, too."
Ye Ziyun stood nearby, the blush on her face not yet completely faded. But when she heard them discussing serious matters, she quieted down as well, her gaze resting on Nie Li without interrupting.
Nie Li continued, "I'll have Lord Ye Zong notify every family to suspend all activities outside the city. The caravans shouldn't make any long-distance trips for now, and we'll station more people at the freight depot. Hold our ground, but don't venture out. First, we'll divert their attention and keep them from learning anything more."
He paused, then added, "I've also found some outside help.