Inside an inn, several men were drinking and chatting.
"Come to think of it, it's been years since we last met, hasn't it?" One man looked at the other three.
"It has been several years. Never imagined that when the clan sent me out on this mission, I'd run into all of you." Shen Shiqi shook his head, smiling as he turned to them. "How have you all been these past years? Still within the clan?"
"Ah! It's nothing but a bitter tale."
Another man said, "After I was called back, guess what happened? The elders actually threw me into the training camp. Ugh, I spent a whole year in there—a year! They practically skinned me alive."
"After I returned, they assigned me to manage the family business. Staring at stacks of ledgers all day? Utterly tedious." The other man glanced at Shen Shiqi. "And you? Haven't heard much about you these years!"
