...
As the sun set behind the mountains, pedestrians in pairs and threes made their way home, and the flow of people on Luting Street visibly thinned.
At Yuelai Inn, patrons paid their bills and departed in twos and threes, leaving only a few neighbors from nearby streets lingering in the inn.
After a busy day, Shopkeeper Liu, leaning on a cane in one hand and leading Huang with the other, walked from the backyard to the front hall. He greeted the neighbors chatting over drinks with a cheerful smile, promising to see them again tomorrow.
As he grew older, he had long since stopped staying overnight at the inn. He would wrap up the last bit of business each day and head home before the curfew, leaving the inn in the care of Zhang Erniu and two newly recruited helpers.
Just as he stepped out of the inn's main gate, he heard the crisp, loud sound of horse hooves approaching. "Clippety clop" came the sound towards the inn.
