Yang approached several groups discreetly, planting the same suggestion in a low voice: "I heard from a merchant that they're going to open the gate in a few minutes. Something about orders that arrived from the capital."
The lie spread rapidly among the anxious crowd like wildfire through dry grass. People began to stand up, gathering their belongings, approaching the closed gate again with renewed hope gleaming in their tired eyes.
Yang positioned himself strategically near the front of the group, but not completely at the head. He wanted it to appear spontaneous.
Through the gate's bars he could see the two guards: an older man with mole fur covering his muscular arms, and a younger one with the bluish skin characteristic of aquatic toad users. Both Silver 1 rank, formidable against common workers, but below Yang's level.
