Before long, Ren Ye and the other three hurried back to the Inn, where they met a young man in his twenties in the Rear Courtyard.
The young man was pacing anxiously around the courtyard. The moment he saw Dragon Head return, he came forward. "Brother, you're back. These people are...?"
Dragon Head stepped aside slightly and pointed at Ren Ye. "He's the person I told you about."
The young man looked Ren Ye up and down, then immediately cupped his fists. "I'm Ning Bo, a member of Brother Hong's team. This brother told me that you... you met Brother Hong in the Secret Realm?"
Ning Bo was burly and dark-skinned, with plain clothes and a simple appearance. His every gesture carried the strong air of a man who lived by the code of the martial world, much like Brother Hong.
Ren Ye nodded slightly. "I met Brother Hong. He entrusted me with something, which is why I came here looking for Brother Ming Quan."
"He entrusted you?!" Ning Bo froze on the spot. "Then Brother... Brother Hong...?"
Ren Ye was watching his face, so he immediately caught the slight dilation of his pupils and the redness spreading around his eyes.
These men all supported their families by touring Star Gates. They were experienced and knew very well how dangerous Secret Realms were, so once Ning Bo heard that Ren Ye had come on an entrusted errand, he understood what it meant.
"Brother Hong... died in the Secret Realm," Ren Ye added in a low voice.
At those words, the little courtyard fell silent.
Ning Bo suddenly clenched his fists. The muscles beside the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily, his eyes reddened slightly, and he stood dumbstruck.
The news of Brother Hong's death stirred powerful emotions within him. His