The group dismounted and led their horses into Peach Blossom Town on foot.
The houses on either side showed clear signs of habitation. They did not look abandoned.
The residents had probably just hidden inside, too afraid to come out.
Long Zang led everyone to an inn, but even its doors were tightly shut.
"What do we do? Are we going to sleep on the streets?" Xu Yuan looked miserable.
He was about to say something else.
But Liang Chen strode forward and hammered on the inn's door. Bang, bang, bang!
The sun had almost completely set, leaving only a cold, bleak afterglow on the ground. It was hard to tell whether it was dawn or late afternoon.
Liang Chen pounded on the door like a brute, loud enough for the entire street to hear.
Rustling came from inside the inn. The innkeeper was probably watching them from within.
Or perhaps he was hesitating over whether to open the door.
Long Zang stepped closer and produced his token. "Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. I'm here to investigate a case."
Before long, the wooden door opened from inside.
An old man with a white beard pleaded in a helpless whisper, "Oh, for heaven's sake! Stop knocking, stop knocking!"
He poked his head out and looked around before stepping aside to let them in.
With the doors and windows tightly shut and the sun setting, the interior was extremely dim.
The old man fumbled about and lit the oil lamp on the table. Its dusky yellow light softened the deep furrows in his face.
"If you weren't officials, I wouldn't have opened the door."
So he said.
They gathered around the table. Xu Yuan poured himself some water and took a drink. "Why? Is the inn no longer taking customers?"