At noon, Dick Chen finished lunch and sat quietly in the courtyard of a local house, waiting.
The Coachman asked, "How long do you plan to wait? You've held me up all day. You'll have to compensate me for the lost fares."
Dick Chen nodded. "I'm a man who seeks fairness. You won't miss a single penny that's due to you. I am waiting here for my warriors. Once they have all arrived, we'll set off."
"You have warriors here?" The Coachman was surprised. "You have people in Iron Gate Fort?"
"That depends on how you define Iron Gate Fort," Dick Chen said with a smile. "If you only count the canyon where the Home Cultivators live, I have people there too, though not many. However, if you include the surrounding villages within the boundaries of Iron Gate Fort, then I truly have quite a few."
