"Master, about He Awei... he's... gone."
Hearing the man in the Tang suit's question, Master Zhang pursed his lips and answered with some hesitation.
"What!" Upon hearing this, the man in the Tang suit's voice rose sharply. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"
"He Awei has vanished without a trace. There's no record of him leaving Xiangcheng, either," Master Zhang said hurriedly. "He was supposed to come make his tribute at the end of last year, but I never saw him. I sent people to Xiangcheng to look for him, but they couldn't find him. His home didn't look like he'd moved out, but the man himself was gone. You were in seclusion at the time, Master, so I didn't dare disturb you. I've had people searching for him in secret ever since."
"And you haven't found out why?"
"No. We don't even know if He Awei is dead or alive," Master Zhang said quickly. "I suspect he may already be dead."
