Ever since they left, Hu Ma had been traveling relentlessly, wishing he didn't have to rest even at night. Even Zhou Datong and the others felt that Brother Ma Zi was in an uncharacteristic hurry this time, as if intent on achieving something significant.
Initially, Hu Ma had mentioned investigating a murder case involving a wealthy gentleman connected to the Red Lantern Lady. However, their current direction seemed entirely off track.
Hu Ma offered no explanation. He led them some three to five hundred miles away before finally slowing their pace, his demeanor also becoming more relaxed.
That day, just past noon, he led them to a rustic roadside inn to rest.
This rustic inn, consisting of five or six large thatched huts and a spacious stable, was situated in a village beside the main road.
