The sixty-some people from the Carriage and Horse Shop were called off their wagons and made to walk east on foot. The veterans looked calm; this batch of goods couldn't see daylight, and so much pig iron—nobody here was stupid. The drivers didn't complain at all about retreating three li; the less they know, the better.
However, Tan Bin and the other two Xuanqing Guard scouts weren't so optimistic.
The three quietly gathered close, exchanged a few words, then decided two would provide cover while Tan Bin slipped back unnoticed to check things out.
Fortunately, when the sixty-some Carriage and Horse Shop people headed east, no one bothered to watch them. Perhaps after several safe transactions, the buyers got lax with these "reliable" transport crews, plus they were all ordinary folks, so no one cared.
