Mei was waiting near the courtyard just outside the hall, leaning her shoulder against a stone pillar with her arms folded.
She straightened the moment she spotted him and fell into step at his side without waiting to be asked. Her eyes swept over him once, checking for something before she spoke.
"Well?" she said.
"A hundred and twenty points," Tiandi replied. "On top of the forty from the mission itself."
Mei's eyebrows lifted, just slightly, before her usual composed expression settled back into place.
"That's generous. More generous than I expected for a report, even one this serious." She glanced sideways at him. "They must be more worried than they're letting on."
'She's sharp,' Tiandi thought. 'A reward like that isn't handed out for a routine investigation. It's a signal. They want disciples willing to keep digging, and they're paying up front to make sure it happens.'
He kept his expression neutral. "Maybe. Or maybe they just value thoroughness."
