As the hours slipped by, the market slowly began to empty.
Night settled fully over Ying Mountain, and the lanterns hanging from the stalls flickered like restless fireflies.
Han Liang moved through the shadows with practiced ease, watching quietly as merchants exchanged brief words and cautious glances. Every step was measured, every breath controlled. Years of training had made him almost invisible.
Yet even as he observed, part of his mind refused to let go of what had happened moments before.
Those eyes.
They lingered in his thoughts longer than they should have.
Wide. Trembling. Unsettling.
Yuan Yu's.
Away from the thinning crowd, Yuan Yu slipped into a small courtyard tucked behind the market. He sat down, the jade comb resting in his palm.
The comb was no simple ornament.
It responded to him.
And he could feel it.
A faint warmth spread beneath his fingertips.
The jade seemed to carry something within it.
Memories.
Secrets.
Something unfamiliar.
From a nearby rooftop, Han Liang's gaze lingered on the young man below.
For a moment, he realized it was harder to look away than it should have been.
Should he follow?
Or should he remember why he was here?
With effort, he turned away.
The mission came first.
Later, at the edge of the market, he met with his second-in-command, his childhood friend.
They exchanged information in low voices.
Then—
Movement.
A flicker at the far corner of the street.
Several masked figures had appeared.
Their words carried only faintly through the night, but Han Liang caught enough to understand.
Someone was purchasing weapons.
Someone was making preparations in secret.
"The payment will be made by the Jewel Sect," one of them said.
Han Liang's expression sharpened.
The Jewel Sect...
He said nothing and continued listening.
Unfortunately, the conversation ended soon after.
The masked figures dispersed, disappearing into the darkness.
Han Liang remained where he was, committing every detail to memory.
Meanwhile, Yuan Yu remained seated in the quiet courtyard, unaware of the presence that had lingered nearby.
The jade comb felt warmer now.
Almost as though it had awakened.
Neither of them was truly alone anymore.
As night deepened, Yuan Yu returned to his sect residence.
The tall walls stood among the peach trees, quiet and imposing beneath the moonlight.
Elsewhere, Han Liang disappeared into the darkness, heading back toward the inn.
For now, their paths separated once more.
Yet somewhere beyond their sight, something unseen had already begun drawing them closer.