Sitting on a stack of sacks in the corner were three men. They wore greasy gray robes and were currently engaged in a heated game of dice. They looked less like chefs and more like bandits who had retired to a life of lethargy.
"Who's there?" the largest one, a man with a belly that spilled over his sash, grunted without looking up. "Delivery? Just dump the grain in the corner. Not that we need it. The disciples only want those chalky pills."
"I'm the new disciple assigned to duty," Ji'an announced, her voice echoing in the cavernous, empty space.
The three men stopped. They looked up.
They saw a slender, handsome youth in fresh Outer Sect robes, standing in the doorway with the posture of a general inspecting troops.
"A disciple?" The fat man, clearly the self- appointed Head Steward, laughed. He stood up, wiping grease on his pants. "A pretty boy like you? What did you do? Offend an Elder? Steal a jade pendant?"
