It was nearing the end of the hour of the Rooster.
Chen Shi'an was about to leave the Demon Hunting Camp Headquarters and head to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
The soldier on duty at the Demon Hunting Camp's entrance came to the command tent and reported that someone was looking for him.
Puzzled, Chen Shi'an quickly made his way to the entrance.
There he saw Cui Zhu, while Tao Yaoyao's carriage stood in an alley diagonally across from the Demon Hunting Camp's main gate.
At the sight, Chen Shi'an could not help frowning.
For Tao Yaoyao to come at this hour, something had most likely gone wrong with Iron Bull's situation.
When he climbed into the carriage, an apologetic look appeared on Tao Yaoyao's face. "Commander Chen, there's been a slight complication. I wasn't able to get him out of the Artisan Workshop."
Chen Shi'an looked puzzled. "The Artisan Workshop refused to release him, even for you?"
Tao Yaoyao shook her head. "I've already smoothed things over with the Artisan Workshop. Iron Bull is the one who refuses to leave."
Chen Shi'an was clearly surprised. "Why?"
Tao Yaoyao gave a slight shrug. "If you want to know why, go ask him yourself."
The Artisan Workshop was in the western part of Windrise Stronghold, heavily guarded by the City Guard Battalion.
Besides craftsmen, even more of those inside were criminals of Windrise Stronghold, imprisoned in the Artisan Workshop to perform grueling hard labor.
Wearing a bamboo hat, Chen Shi'an followed Tao Yaoyao and Cui Zhu into the Artisan Workshop without obstruction. Then, led by a middle-aged man, they went underground beneath the workshop.
Deep underground, beside a furnace burning red-hot, a burly, dark-faced man stood bare-chested, gripping a long wrought-iron rod wrapped in fireclay and stirring the molten iron in