After a few words of idle conversation, Jingliu felt a little curiosity stirred by what Yanqing had said.
She did not show it, however, and the two continued walking without stopping.
Along the way, they killed a few more Abominations of Abundance and seized several letters-secret correspondence from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
According to the letters, the remaining disciples had contacted their collaborators and intended to guide the Ambrosial Arbor's growth.
Remembering Jing Yuan's earlier orders, Yanqing realized the general had already seen through all of this. He felt no urgency, and his admiration and reverence for Jing Yuan grew even stronger.
At last, they reached the docks. Yanqing checked the navigation records, then looked to see whether any Starskiffs were still running.
Then he turned to Jingliu. "All right, we're here. Time to send you somewhere safe, miss."
"At a time like this, even a Cloud Knights encampment hardly counts as safe, does it?" Jingliu asked.
"Right," Yanqing said. "So we're not going to their encampment. I'm sending you straight to the Prison of Deep Seclusion. Food and lodging included, with heavy guards protecting you. Perfectly safe."
Faced with Yanqing's sudden assertiveness, Jingliu was neither angry nor flustered. She stayed where she was and said calmly, "...Young man, surely you need grounds to arrest someone?"
"Suspicious conduct and concealing your identity. That alone is enough," Yanqing said coldly. "Never mind how a stranded traveler suddenly appeared in a sealed-off port... Your steps have been light and steady this whole way. What about you looks blind?
"You're lucky you ran into me, since I'm still willing to talk. If you'd run into Little Fish... he'd have knocked you out with his sword and sent you to the Prison of Deep Seclusion already. You wouldn't still be standing here talking."