The sun rose and the mist dispersed. People came and went, and before long, it was noon.
Ye Jingtang changed into martial-world attire, put on a bamboo hat, and led Big Black Horse out of the inn's stable. The big white bird, which had kept the little mouse up all night, still had not woken. It had been tucked into the saddlebag, with only its round white head showing, and was sleeping like the dead.
After a short wait, footsteps sounded inside the inn.
Ye Jingtang looked back and saw Fan Qinghe coming downstairs in casual clothes. A Veil Hat concealed her expression, but her head visibly lowered a little when she saw him.
Yesterday's fleeting glimpse of those stuffed buns had taken Ye Jingtang quite some time to calm down from, too. Knowing Fan Qinghe must feel awkward, he avoided bringing up the very pot that refused to boil. He mounted and chatted casually:
"I saw a few merchants from the Western Sea Tribes in the street just now. Do they come to Jiangzhou to order weapons, too?"
Fan Qinghe approached, lightly pushed off with her toes, and sat sidesaddle behind Ye Jingtang.
"We lack grain and iron back home. The Gouchen Tribe used to forge weapons and armor, but after the Northern Liang barbarians occupied it, they confiscated all the mines and workshops. If we want good weapons, we can only buy them from martial artists in the Southern and Northern Dynasties..."
Ye Jingtang nudged the horse toward the outskirts of town.
"Don't worry. Even without any connection to the Western Sea Tribes, I'd still have to deal with Northern Liang. These problems will be resolved sooner or later."
Fan Qinghe's red lips moved slightly at his words. After some thought, she said:
"You grew up in Great