"You're Ma Yuan?"
Fan Dazhi's face lit up with delight.
"How... do you... know me... cough, cough..."
The man in black frowned, clutching his chest as another violent coughing fit seized him.
Fan Dazhi stepped forward and asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"
Ma Yuan waved a hand, glanced around, and said, "This isn't the place to talk. We need to leave at once."
Night fell, and bustling Jinchuan Town grew much quieter. A few scattered pedestrians lingered on the streets, lanterns swayed beneath the eaves, and the bluestone steps gleamed darkly. A few dogs barked in the distance...
Fang Yizhi, He An, and the others returned to the inn one after another, only to find Fan Dazhi missing.
Just as their unease mounted and they prepared to go out searching, the door suddenly opened.
Fan Dazhi walked in with Ma Yuan. Meeting everyone's puzzled gazes, he grinned and gave a vivid account of what had happened that day.
When he reached the part where two Western Liang soldiers had chased him down and Ma Yuan had stepped in to save him, everyone's expression changed.
He An and Feng Chun went to the doorway and kept a wary watch outside to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
"Ma Yuan, scout of the Insight Camp, reporting to Commander Fang."
Dressed entirely in black, Ma Yuan dropped to one knee and saluted Fang Yizhi with clasped hands.
His skin was dark and weathered, his temples lightly graying, and the hardships of life marked his brow. Yet his gaze was utterly calm, lending him an indescribable air of steadiness and competence.
"You're Ma Yuan?... Good, good, good!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Fang Yizhi repeated the word three times.
They had ventured deep into Western Liang precisely to find Ma Yuan and locate the