Since there was no tobacco, the old man had no choice but to recount the story of the expedition in his dry, halting voice. Perhaps the event had left an indelible shadow upon his heart, for he still looked visibly shaken to this day.
The expedition had told no one of their purpose here, not even bothering to invent an official excuse, leaving the villagers entirely in the dark about what they were up to.
The reward for hiring Pan Ma as a guide was quite generous for the time, but for the impoverished mountain village, it was merely a drop in the bucket.
Chapter 149