In an alley in Linbei City.
Xiao, who had been walking along his planned route toward the southeastern corner, suddenly stopped without warning.
A vast and dangerous tremor surged through his soul like a tsunami, striking without the slightest premonition!
—The “Gate” was shaking violently!
For an instant, Xiao almost thought he had returned to one of those nights when he had died before.
He knew this sensation all too well.
It was not a physical attack. Rather, something beyond his reach was trembling violently, as though it had come within a hair’s breadth of snapping apart.
Someone extraordinarily important to him had brushed against the edge of death in that very second.
Fragmented, broken images of light and shadow flashed violently through his mind, sending stabbing pain through his head.
Xiao abruptly raised his head. In his usually tranquil, expressionless eyes appeared a terror that came from the very depths of his soul.
He looked toward the wounded soldiers’ camp outside the city. His expression changed drastically, and his heart pounded violently.
“…Mu’an!”
He could no longer maintain his composure. He even forgot to conceal his presence, turning and transforming into a streak of afterimage as he raced frantically back to the administrative headquarters.
◆◇◆◇◆
Xiao Yuan had been standing before the terrain model with Xia Lanshi and Chi Banyue, pointing out the routes for relocating frontline troops and establishing defenses along the supply lines.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
A sweat-soaked covert guard knocked and entered. He dropped to one knee and reported, as quickly as possible, the carefully planned assassination attempt that had just taken place at the wounded soldiers’ camp outside the city.
Before the report was even finished, a murderous frenzy flashed deep within Xiao Yuan’s otherwise composed eyes.
“Is Military Adviser Su injured?!”
Xiao Yuan’s voice was low and cold, as though the words had been forced out of him. Beneath them lurked a savagery he could barely keep under control.
The covert guard bowed his head deeply and hurriedly replied, “Reporting to Your Highness, Military Adviser Su is unharmed!”
At the words unharmed, the rigid line of Xiao Yuan’s back relaxed almost imperceptibly.
But the blood-red murderous intent in his eyes did not fade. Instead, it settled into a heavy, oppressive stillness, like the surface of an ocean brewing a storm.
The man was safe.
His rationality immediately returned at lightning speed, and a list of people to eliminate quietly began to take shape in his mind.
Not long after the covert guard withdrew, the heavy doors were pushed open again.
Xiao Yuan raised his head and saw Su Muchen stride inside, dressed in coarse gray-blue cloth. Mu Li and Mo Fei followed closely behind him, their expressions grave.
The moment Xiao Yuan saw Su Muchen standing alive and well before him, the murderous depths of his eyes seemed to break through the ice.
Almost instinctively, he strode forward so abruptly that his sleeve swept the tactical flags off the edge of the terrain model. He did not spare them so much as a glance.
“Mu’an!”
Xiao Yuan’s voice was very low, yet it carried a barely perceptible tremor.
He gripped Su Muchen’s shoulders with both hands, his gaze sharp as a hawk’s, and examined him meticulously from head to toe—not once, but twice.
When his eyes fell upon the bloodstains on the sleeves and chest of Su Muchen’s gray-blue clothes, his breathing abruptly stopped.
For an instant, the violence within him nearly broke loose.
“You’re injured?!”
The veins on the backs of his hands bulged, and his grip was so tight that Su Muchen’s bones began to ache.
Even though he had personally heard the report that Su Muchen was safe, the moment he saw the blood on the man’s clothes, his heart leaped into his throat all over again.
“Jingyuan, I’m fine. This isn’t my blood.”
Feeling the force pressing into his shoulders, almost enough to crush his bones, Su Muchen hurriedly reached up to cover the backs of Xiao Yuan’s hands and gently reassured him in a low voice.
“Mu Li was injured and poisoned, along with another military physician. I haven’t even lost a single hair.”
Xiao Yuan continued staring at him, dark menace roiling in his eyes.
“Who touched you?”
“No one touched me.”
Su Muchen met his gaze directly, softening his voice.
“Jingyuan, look at me. I really am fine.”
The two stared at each other for several breaths.
Only after hearing the steady breathing of the person before him, feeling the undeniable warmth of his body, and confirming that he was indeed completely unharmed did Xiao Yuan finally loosen his grip and slowly release him.
He paused for half a breath.
The moment he turned and walked toward the seat of authority, all the fear and uncontrolled violence in Xiao Yuan’s eyes were forcibly suppressed within half a second. Once again, he donned the icy armor of the commander of the northern frontier.
“Speak. What exactly happened?”
Xiao Yuan returned to the main seat and looked coldly at Mo Fei and Mu Li, who were kneeling on one knee. His voice had already regained its composure.
Mo Fei gave a detailed report on the assassination attempt.
“Reporting to Your Highness. There were four assassins. None carried tokens, weapons, or other items that could be traced to their origins. They showed no intention of surviving or breaking through the encirclement. The moment they were captured, they activated their double-layered poison capsules and took their own lives without hesitation.”
Mo Fei raised his head, his tone grave.
“Your Highness, judging by their skills, method of poisoning themselves, and self-destructive measures, they were extremely similar to the death warriors who attacked Your Highness several times in the past.”
He paused, his voice growing heavier.
“However, those people died too cleanly in the past. They never left behind the slightest evidence pointing toward the Eastern Palace.”
The assassins carried no tokens, wooden plaques, or distinctive tattoos that could establish their identities. Yet they had been able to fight Prince Su’s personal guards and covert guards on relatively equal terms, even getting close to their target. They were no ordinary death warriors. They had clearly been trained by a powerful noble family or the imperial household.
After hearing the report, Xia Lanshi tapped his fingers lightly against the edge of the terrain model.
“Four death warriors. The same level of skill, the same method of self-destruction.”
He raised his eyes.
“Other than the one in the Eastern Palace, I can’t think of anyone else.”
Xiao Yuan sat in the main seat.
His rationality had fully returned, but the oppressive aura emanating from him had grown even colder, lowering the temperature in the room to freezing.
There was no need to guess.
“The Crown Prince has grown increasingly brazen over the past few years.”
His voice was devoid of fluctuation, yet it concealed an almost unbearable murderous intent.
First, the Crown Prince had targeted him. Then he had gone after Xia Lanshi. And now, he had dared to reach for Su Muchen.
The room fell completely silent.
Xia Lanshi lowered his eyes slightly and said nothing more.
Everyone knew it was the Crown Prince.
But in the imperial court, under the law and before the Emperor, accusations required evidence.
Mu Li continued his report.
“One of the death warriors swallowed poison, but Military Adviser Su managed to save him by the narrowest margin. He is still unconscious. I have secretly ordered Commandant Que to transfer him to the dungeon at the administrative headquarters and place him under strict guard. All news has been sealed, and the entire camp has been locked down.”
Xiao Yuan abruptly turned toward Su Muchen, a profoundly complicated light flashing through his eyes.
He had never imagined that the captive they had tried everything to obtain in the past could now be dragged back from the gates of the underworld by Su Muchen’s medical skills.
This was more than saving a life. Su Muchen had captured the Eastern Palace’s greatest vulnerability for him—a living witness.
Xia Lanshi was equally astonished.
He could not help thinking that the Crown Prince had probably never imagined that targeting Su Muchen would be the worst decision he had made in his entire life.
The Crown Prince might have believed he was merely removing one of Prince Su’s most capable aides, and that his target was simply a somewhat renowned physician.
He had never considered that this physician’s medical knowledge came from another world—or that he could even bring a death warrior back from the brink of death.
Just then, the heavy doors of the study were suddenly thrown open.
Xiao strode in, almost in a panic, barging into the room without even bothering with the most basic announcement.
He did not look at Xiao Yuan or the injured Mu Li. His gaze fixed directly on Su Muchen.
Only after confirming that Su Muchen was completely unharmed from head to toe did Xiao’s taut expression finally relax a little. He let out a long, shaky breath, expelling the stale air of lingering fear.
“…You’re not dead.”
Su Muchen froze for a moment. Looking at Xiao’s unusually unrestrained reaction, he muttered, “That sounds like a very ominous thing to say.”
But Xiao did not joke around as he normally would.
He looked at Su Muchen, a trace of lingering fear seeping into his voice.
“I’m not joking…”
Xia Lanshi immediately sensed something unusual in Xiao’s words.
“Xiao, why do you look so pale?”
Xiao lowered his eyelids, concealing the fear that only he understood.
“It’s nothing…”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Xia Lanshi pressed, watching him closely.
Xiao managed a faint smile.
“Don’t worry. It’s all right now.”
Xia Lanshi did not question him further, but a flicker of thought passed through his eyes.
The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive that it was almost difficult to breathe.
Xia Lanshi walked to the terrain model, his brows tightly furrowed. His mind was already racing through possible scenarios and analyzing every detail.
“The fact that they knew Military Adviser Su would be visiting the wounded soldiers’ camp today proves that someone leaked his itinerary. What’s strange is just how precisely they knew it.”
He paced slowly around the model.
“They knew the time and location, the route, possibly even the number of personal guards accompanying him. They also knew that the entrance to the wounded soldiers’ camp would remain open to the usual flow of patients today. Your Highness, this wasn’t information from a single source. It was the result of piecing together intelligence from at least three different sources.”
Mo Fei immediately added in a cold voice, “Judging from the assassins’ timing and positions, they not only knew the itinerary but may also have conducted their own reconnaissance.”
A bone-chilling coldness passed through Xia Lanshi’s eyes.
“The enemy’s informants calculated everything precisely. Unfortunately for them, they were one move short.”
This proved that their decoy strategy, hiding the tree among the forest, had successfully saved Su Muchen’s life—but the danger had been extreme.
Xiao Yuan turned around, his gaze settling heavily on Su Muchen once more.
The murderous intent in his eyes was forcibly suppressed, replaced by an almost suffocating need for control and a deep-seated unease.
“For the next few days, you are not to leave my sight or that of my personal guards for even a single step. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
Su Muchen nodded. He had no intention of recklessly showing off his courage at a time when life and death hung in the balance.
But after a brief pause, he raised his eyes and met Xiao Yuan’s uneasy gaze without flinching. He calmly stated his own assessment.
“Jingyuan, this isn’t the first time they’ve known where I was going.”
The room fell silent once more.
Su Muchen slowly laid out his reasoning.
“They accurately predicted when I would leave the city and the size of my escort. But they couldn’t identify the real face of ‘Military Adviser Su.’ They didn’t know that the real me was actually traveling among the group, entering and leaving under the identity of a records clerk. Yet they also included ‘Shen An’ among their targets.”
Xiao Yuan tapped his fingertips against the tabletop, producing a cold, rhythmic sound.
Once.
Then again.
The murderous intent he had suppressed began surging back to the surface.
Xia Lanshi turned to Mo Fei to confirm the detail.
“The assassins attacked ‘Shen An’?”
Mo Fei lowered his head.
“Yes. At the time, His Excellency was standing just two steps behind Mu Li.”
Mu Li added, “The hidden crossbows were fired twice. One shot was aimed directly at Shen An, and the other targeted Military Physician Lin Qin, who was hit by the arrow. However, the death warriors’ primary target remained the person playing the role of ‘Military Adviser Su’—me.”
“Shen An and Lin Qin are both among those who have had the closest contact with ‘Military Adviser Su’ recently.”
Xia Lanshi lightly tapped the table with his long fingers. His voice was steady but incisive.
“This means that the pair of eyes hidden in the shadows has limited access. They can only observe Military Adviser Su’s public movements from a distance. They cannot reach the core of military affairs, nor do they know that a substitute is being used. After receiving the report, the decision-maker behind them issued an order to kill without exception: Better to kill the wrong person than let the right one escape.”
The Crown Prince did not know that Shen An was Su Muchen, but he remained suspicious. Therefore, he had marked the people around Military Adviser Su as well and included them on the elimination list.
A cold smile curled the corners of Xia Lanshi’s mouth.
“Better to kill the wrong person… Such a ruthless and overbearing approach is exactly the usual style of that deeply suspicious master of the Eastern Palace.”
A chill ran down Su Muchen’s spine.
Although he had been mentally prepared for such a possibility, when he thought about how close he had come to disaster just moments ago, he knew he might not be so lucky the next time.
In Great Sheng, he could use modern medical knowledge to treat other people. But if an arrow truly pierced his throat, no one would be able to save him.
“Quite a few people could observe our movements: administrative headquarters officials, the city garrison, the military medical office…”
Xia Lanshi swept his gaze across everyone.
“But very few could continuously profile our movements, piece together fragments of intelligence into a complete picture, and then send the information out of Linbei City without being detected—all while being capable of mobilizing death warriors to carry out an ambush.”
“The Imperial Army?” Chi Banyue’s gaze turned cold.
Xiao Yuan’s fingers abruptly stopped tapping the table.
He thought of the Imperial Army stationed outside the city, a force that appeared obedient and well-behaved but was, in reality, harboring ulterior motives.
They had ample reason and opportunity to record every movement in the northern frontier, whether at the city gates, along the streets, or in the teahouses.
“The Imperial Army is the most promising source of intelligence to investigate right now, but it may not be the only one.”
Xia Lanshi remained composed as he continued his analysis.
“The city gate guards, traveling merchant caravans, and even people within the administrative headquarters could all serve as blind channels for passing messages. Your Highness, what we truly need to investigate is this: Who is providing the Eastern Palace with its eyes? And who is taking what those eyes see and selling it to someone else?”
Xiao Yuan spoke coldly.
“Investigate the Imperial Army first. Their hands have reached too far over the past few months.”
A calculating glimmer flashed through Xia Lanshi’s eyes.
“If we search everyone one by one now, we’ll only alert the enemy. We don’t need to waste our efforts investigating who leaked the information.”
“What do you mean?” Xiao Yuan asked.
Xia Lanshi walked to the red sandalwood desk and casually picked up four black chess pieces, arranging them in a row.
“Let them… reveal themselves.”
Everyone in the room focused their attention on Xia Lanshi.
Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Have you obtained results from that roster you’ve been working on?”
Xia Lanshi took the investigation roster documenting all eight thousand Imperial Army soldiers and placed it firmly on the red sandalwood desk.
“Over the past three months, I’ve tested them with false intelligence in three complete rounds. I’ve now unraveled most of the connections among these eight thousand men.”
His fingertip moved across several different markings on the roster.
“In the first two rounds, I identified the affiliations of most of them. Some commandants regularly send messages to the Eastern Palace. Some deputy generals maintain contact with people close to His Majesty. Several clerks pass information to senior court officials. There are even a few channels connected to the residences of other princes.”
Xiao Yuan’s expression remained calm as he waited for him to continue.
Sending messages to the Crown Prince did not necessarily mean someone had participated in the assassination. Reporting to the Emperor did not necessarily mean someone was a loyal spy.
The military was riddled with interlocking interests and competing factions. Exchanges of favors were commonplace. From the beginning, Xiao Yuan had never expected all eight thousand men to be clean.
“What truly concerns me isn’t any of that.” Xia Lanshi’s voice grew more serious. “It’s the third round.”
Xiao Yuan looked at him.
“Go on.”
“I deliberately sent a false message into several designated camps: ‘The northern frontier administrative headquarters plans to transfer a shipment of grain and fodder from the eastern line to the western line.’”
Xia Lanshi’s fingertip stopped on a particular page.
“After that message went out, neither the Eastern Palace nor the Emperor reacted. But two days later, the Northern Di reconnaissance cavalry along the frontier abruptly changed its patrol route for no apparent reason.”
Xiao Yuan’s expression turned utterly cold.
“Are you certain?”
This meant that the Imperial Army did not merely contain informants serving various factions at court. There was also an exceptionally well-hidden channel sending internal military intelligence from Linbei City to the Northern Di.
“I can’t call it irrefutable proof yet, but it’s certainly no coincidence.”
Xia Lanshi met Xiao Yuan’s gaze, his eyes clear and calculating.
“After cross-checking the information, I’ve narrowed the suspects down to six people. Two belong to the Eastern Palace, one serves His Majesty, and one is affiliated with the Fifth Prince. As for the remaining two… the timing of their intelligence transmissions correlates very closely with the Northern Di’s movements.”
“Since you already know who those two are, why not arrest them directly?” Chi Banyue asked, frowning.
“Because if we arrest them, the trail will go cold.”
Xia Lanshi answered calmly.
“What I’m missing is the downstream contact in this intelligence chain. We still don’t know whether they are spies directly planted by the Northern Di or whether the information is being sold off to someone else along the way.”
He closed the roster with a sharp snap.
“Originally, this web would have needed another month or two before I could tighten it completely. But this assassination attempt, together with the surviving captive Military Adviser Su rescued, has given us an excellent opportunity to conduct a stress test.”
Xia Lanshi casually picked up the four black chess pieces again and arranged them in a row on the desk.
“This time, we won’t search for spies. We’ll test the intelligence chain. Using the channels I’ve already identified, we’ll precisely distribute four different versions of information—”
Xia Lanshi pointed at the first chess piece.
“The first is the life-and-death bait. Through the known Eastern Palace channel, we’ll spread the news that Military Adviser Su is gravely wounded and on the verge of death. We’ll see which channel rushes to report this ‘victory’ back to the capital.”
His finger moved to the second piece.
“The second is the living-captive bait. Through the known channels connected to the Emperor and the Eastern Palace, we’ll spread the news that all the assassins are dead. But to the camps associated with court officials, we’ll leak a different coded message: ‘One assassin is still barely alive and is undergoing secret interrogation.’ We’ll see who will pay any price necessary to rush over and eliminate the evidence or confirm the captive’s survival.”
He moved to the third piece.
“The third is the military-command bait. Through those two highly suspicious individuals, we’ll spread the news that, because of the assassination attempt, Your Highness intends to redraw the border-defense deployment zones for all eight thousand Imperial Army soldiers within three days. If the Northern Di’s troop deployments along the frontier change accordingly within two days, we’ll have definitive proof of treasonous collusion.”
Finally, he pushed the fourth piece forward.
“The fourth is the logistics bait. Through the merchant caravans and relay stations in the city, we’ll spread the news that the wounded soldiers’ camp is changing routes and that a shipment of essential medicinal herbs and grain will be relocated tomorrow. We’ll see whether the Northern Di receives merely a military order or information detailed enough to reveal how our city operates on a day-to-day basis.”
After listening, a note of admiration flashed through Chi Banyue’s eyes.
“Four messages, fed to four different levels of the network. As long as anyone involved makes a move, the direction of the entire intelligence chain will be exposed right before our eyes.”
“Although the Eastern Palace will receive the message that all the assassins are dead, if the Crown Prince sends someone to eliminate the evidence, that will mean someone among the court officials has informed him. The Eastern Palace cannot determine how much we actually know or what the death warrior may have revealed. The more desperately the Crown Prince tries to confirm the captive’s condition, the more likely he is to expose a weakness.”
Xia Lanshi raised his clear, pale-red eyes and looked at Xiao Yuan.
“In the past, we could only test the network passively with false information. But now—we have a living captive who actually knows the answers. Once he wakes up, he may become one of our trump cards against the Crown Prince.”
“As for the eyes hidden within Linbei City and the Imperial Army, once we compare their movements against the reactions to tonight’s four baits, that poisonous snake lurking within Linbei City, with its body extending all the way to the Northern Di, will no longer be able to hide.”
Su Muchen listened from the side. His heart gave a slight jolt, and he immediately understood Xia Lanshi’s plan completely.
This was not merely an operation to catch internal spies in the Imperial Army. It was a gigantic intelligence echo chamber.
Once these carefully crafted messages traveled back to the capital through different channels, the Emperor, the Eastern Palace, and the other princes and court officials harboring ulterior motives would all receive completely different intelligence—and react in different ways.
Even the Northern Di beyond the border might expose its spies if it received the logistics bait.
Tactically, the enemy’s assassination attempt had failed.
But strategically, the enemy had succeeded in proving one thing—
Their claws had already reached deep into the very heart of Linbei City.
Yet Xia Lanshi had turned the tables, transforming the failed assassination into a counterattack.
Xia Lanshi gently pushed the final chess piece forward.
“Since someone has been watching us all along…” He raised his eyes, a smile that did not reach them appearing on his lips. “Then let them keep watching.”
“Only this time, what they see will be decided by us.”
Xiao Yuan remained silent for a moment. The savagery and murderous intent in his eyes had now been completely suppressed, replaced by unfathomable darkness.
He raised a hand and spoke coldly.
“Banyue, follow Chief Strategist Xia’s plan. Release all the bait.”
He looked at Xia Lanshi and Chi Banyue, his gaze dark and unfathomable.
“I want to see how much longer this invisible pair of eyes in Linbei City can keep watching!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Chi Banyue accepted the order and disappeared into the shadows.
Four entirely different messages quietly spread out from four directions of Linbei City on the same day.
No one knew.
The positions of hunter and prey had silently switched.
Once the arrangements were complete, Xia Lanshi looked at Xiao Yuan and spoke again.
“Your Highness, now that ‘Shen An’ has been attacked, we must adjust our original hiding the tree among the forest strategy and move into the second phase.”
It was not that the original strategy had been entirely ineffective. Without Mu Li, Su Muchen would have found it very difficult to emerge unscathed today.
But given the Crown Prince’s treachery and deep-rooted suspicion, they could no longer maintain the status quo.
Xiao Yuan’s gaze settled heavily on Su Muchen.
After what had happened today, he did not want Su Muchen to remain on the battlefield at all.
But would staying in the rear courtyard of the administrative headquarters make him safe?
Would returning to the modern world make him safe?
Even Xiao Yuan himself could not be certain of the answers.
In Great Sheng, the Crown Prince had already set his sights on “Military Adviser Su.”
And if Sheng Yuanli ever learned that Su Muchen was the key to opening the Gate, he certainly would not let him go easily.
In the modern world, the Sheng conglomerate was watching him like a predator. They already knew Su Muchen’s identity as the Gate Key.
Whether Su Muchen remained in the rear courtyard of the administrative headquarters or was sent back to the modern world, Xiao Yuan could never feel completely at ease.
A warning Xiao had given him in the past suddenly echoed in his mind—
“Are you going to make him live in peace in neither world?”
He had promised to protect Su Muchen and eliminate every threat against him.
That promise had never changed. It simply required time to fulfill.
Now the threat had reached Su Muchen’s doorstep. They had to devise a countermeasure immediately.
“…Go ahead,” Xiao Yuan said in a low voice.
“I propose that, since Military Physician Lin Qin has been injured and the great battle is approaching, we use the pretext that ‘records clerk Shen An distinguished himself in protecting others and possesses medical knowledge’ to grant him an exceptional wartime promotion to acting military physician, allowing him to serve temporarily with the military medical unit.”
Xia Lanshi smiled.
“Mu Li will continue playing ‘Military Adviser Su’ and handling military advisory affairs. Military Physician Shen will take charge of treating the wounded under a legitimate title. The two can operate together or separately. This will reduce the chance of the assassins indiscriminately targeting everyone close to Military Adviser Su.”
Su Muchen’s eyes immediately lit up.
“That’s a good idea. This way, I can move freely around the wounded soldiers’ camp. I won’t have to sneak around to treat people, and I won’t need to remain beside ‘Military Adviser Su’ all the time.”
Only after the two had finished discussing the matter did they turn together to look at Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan stared at them speechlessly. The scene was far too familiar.
The last time had been during their discussion of the first phase of the hiding the tree among the forest strategy.
Whenever these two were of one mind, they would bounce ideas off each other until they had discussed everything, only then turning to ask for his approval.
“Your Highness,” Xia Lanshi added, “if Shen An remains merely a records clerk serving under the military adviser, someone will keep watching him. Becoming a military physician gives him a second identity that is both independent and entirely reasonable. He cannot hide forever. Giving him an identity convincing enough to withstand scrutiny is the best possible cover.”
Xiao Yuan pondered for a long time. Looking at Xia Lanshi’s shrewd eyes and Su Muchen’s expectant gaze, he finally issued a strict set of orders.
“I approve. But security must be doubled. Under the pretext of a medical officer being endangered, strengthen security throughout the wounded soldiers’ camp and strictly inspect all identification tokens. Double the number of covert guards assigned to Shen An, with their primary duty being to protect him.”
Xiao Yuan stared at Su Muchen.
“Furthermore, whenever you leave the wounded soldiers’ camp while near the front lines, you must inform me, the chief strategist, or Pei Yi. You must also travel alongside ‘Military Adviser Su.’ Do you understand?”
He had to ensure that even when Su Muchen left the wounded soldiers’ camp, the protection around him would be sufficient.
This time, Su Muchen did not bargain. He nodded solemnly.
“Understood.”
Xiao Yuan turned to Mo Fei and Mu Li. His voice was as cold as frost.
“Protecting the military adviser is your only duty. Not the slightest mistake is permitted.”
“Your subordinates obey!” the two answered in unison.