The Rescue

"I know the Night of the Cross!" the bar-browed man said lightly.

He hadn't said much, but Chen Mu was immediately certain of his counterpart's identity. "You are a card artisan of the Night of the Cross?"

"Yes!" The bar-browed man flashed a look of excitement. "You were using breath control, weren't you?" Without realizing it, he'd used the honorific form of "you."

"No." Chen Mu shook his head. Seeing the bar-browed man flash a look of disappointment, he added, "But, it came from the method of breath control."

The bar-browed man then got excited. "Do you know how to do breath control?"

"I do."

"Might I ask where you learned breath control?" The bar-browed man was having a hard time containing his excitement as he very carefully asked. It was hard to believe such a cold and ruthless fellow would use such a cautious tone. It was clear the question was very important to him. Perhaps it actually reflected a firm belief for the bar-browed man.