Jiangcun was clearly tempted by Wang Ping's proposal, but such a decision was not his to make, so he could only hurry away.
Wang Ping, however, did not leave. He'd sensed a familiar aura the moment Yun Que and Jiangcun entered the courtyard. Not long after Jiangcun departed, Wang Ping's gaze shifted to the space beside the Dongmei tree, where a figure appeared, descending in a soft, white stream of light.
It was the mysterious Guan Xi!
"You've made me search high and low for you, Fellow Daoist."
Guan Xi was dressed in a thick, padded cotton coat, cut in the short style of the Northwest Region. It gave him an air of competence that replaced some of his former gentle, scholarly demeanor.
"What's your objective?" Wang Ping asked.
