「In a small courtyard by Quchi.」
Days of overcast rain had washed clean the soil in the cracks of the stone-paved path.
A cool breeze drifted through the fine rain.
Brilliantly blooming hibiscus lined both sides of the small path, their fragrance mingling with the scent of the earth to fill the entire courtyard.
Chen Yi sat quietly in the main hall sipping tea, while Wang Ji sat respectfully to the side, recounting the news from the Ancient Tea-Horse Road.
"Sir, those horse bandits are truly terrifying."
"Every Wei Dynasty merchant returning from the Western Buddha Country has been killed by him and his men. Not a single one has been spared."
"If the Wan Family Trading Team from Shu State hadn't sensed something was amiss from a distance and managed to escape with their lives, who knows how many more would have died."
Chen Yi hummed in acknowledgment but did not speak, his mind racing.
