Liu Che's verification team returned three days later with confirmation faster than anyone expected, the lead investigator practically breathless from hard riding.
"It checks out," the investigator reported, spreading documents across the camp's makeshift table. "Records matching seven family names, going back centuries, cross-referenced against regional archives that predate even the alliance court's founding. Su Wan's lineage is genuine."
"That's fast verification," Garrow said, still wary despite the evidence.
"She gave us everything needed to confirm it quickly," Liu Che said. "Deliberately, I think. Making the verification easy was itself a demonstration of good faith."
Xu's voice, steadily stronger over the past several days, came through the pendant with cautious agreement. "Tha
