Huai Shi took a deep breath, picked up the Fan, and held it before his face, as if to cover it. With one hand, he pushed aside the curtain and stepped forward a few paces before stepping down from the carriage onto the footstool.
That Fan seemed to possess a peculiar magic power. As he held it before him, black smoke rose from it, enveloping Huai Shi's face and obscuring his features from everyone's sight. Yet, he could see clearly through the gaps in the Fan to the figures in front of him.
The hunched and deformed servant, dressed in white clothes, lifted his head to look at him. A fawning smile twisted his grotesque features as he held up a lantern, limping ahead.
"Honored, honored one, please follow me, follow me…"
He looked around obsequiously as he eagerly gestured for Huai Shi to follow. Huai Shi swallowed, said nothing, raised his Fan, and followed.
