"So those hidden agents you helped me root out the other day... were all men sent by the court back then?"
Li Bie asked thoughtfully.
The old man puffed steadily on his pipe, its flickering glow occasionally washing his cheeks red.
He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, nodded, then shook his head. Seeming to steady his emotions, he said, "They were all sent by the court back then... more precisely, they were the Second Prince's men...
"When I first saw you, I thought you looked very much like someone. The more I learned about you, the more certain I became... that is why I decided to tell you this secret today!"
Seeing how solemn the old man was, Li Bie shifted his posture and sat upright, listening patiently.
The old man finished his bowl of tobacco, tapped the pipe against the nearby table, and set it aside. Tucking both hands into his sleeves, he said slowly, "He was an extraordinary man! Not long after I bought this shop, they began hunting Great Chen's spies all over Qin Prefecture City. Western Liang soldiers were everywhere in the streets...
"Early that morning, I heard a commotion outside. The whole street was in chaos, so I went out to see what was happening... I saw a great many Western Liang soldiers chasing a middle-aged man. He was incredibly fierce. Even surrounded on all sides, he showed no fear. Wielding a short blade, he attacked without defending, killing dozens of them until blood flowed like a river along the street...
"His blade was swift, his strikes clean and decisive. Though badly wounded himself, he still carved a bloody path out.
"With lightning-fast bladework and incomparable agility, he leaped onto a rooftop before the eyes of those Western Liang soldiers. They simply could not