"All right, bring me whatever food you have, just something to fill my stomach."
"There's some stir-fried cabbage left and two steamed buns. They're all cold."
"Fine."
"Nineteen copper coins altogether." The waiter yawned.
Pei Ye counted out the coins for him, sat down at a table, stretched, and let out a deep breath.
Then he heard the man beside him say with a genial laugh, "I've long heard of the Zhang family's famous Waist-Slaying Saber from Xu Gu County. How could it possibly fall short?"
Pei Ye realized he was responding to what the woman had said before.
The woman touched her head somewhat awkwardly, as though she did not know what to say, her gaze fixed solely on the floor.
The man turned to Pei Ye. "Were you traveling through the night too, young fellow? Where did you come from?"
"Fenghuai." Pei Ye cupped his hands.
The man paused before smiling. "Now that's quite rare. What brings you this way?"
"The Golden Autumn Martial Contest."
At these words, the hall fell silent for an instant.
Only after several breaths did the man laugh, pointing to himself, the woman, and Pei Ye in turn. "All three of us, then."
Now it was Pei Ye's turn to be surprised. There was still some time before the Martial Competition. He was heading for the Martial Arts Hall's training class, but why had these two come so early as well?
Meeting Pei Ye's puzzled gaze, the man said, "This young lady is going to the Changdao Martial Arts School's Dragon Gate Class. I'm hurrying to the Prefectural City to buy something. What about you?"
Pei Ye had already turned toward the woman. "I'm going to the Changdao Martial Arts School's Dragon Gate Class too."
The woman looked up at him in mild