Jin Guangyao gives Shen Yuan the mildest of reproving glances for continuing to fiddle with his sleeve--please don't fray the silk, shidi, such materials are not easy to come by in Trench--but his attention is still largely on the vendor. It pleases him to see the signs of tension easing from the stranger's body language; Jin Guangyao tries to make his expression more agreeable, conciliatory, in response.

"This one can only imagine all of the troubles such a situation has brought you," he sympathizes with all of the manufactured sincerity he can muster, without veering too close to obsequiousness. It's a balancing act. He allows his eyes to widen just a fraction more, curious. "Xiansheng, do you know if there is remedy to my friend's affliction?" Anticipating his refusal or continued insistance that he knows nothing, nothing at all, he smiles again warmly and adds, "This one would be most appreciative of any aid you could offer. Even a rumour shared amongst your fellow vendors of a possible solution would be more than we have right now and, as you can imagine, would be of great value to us."

A little lift of his eyebrows, a hapless gesture with his free hand. "We would be in your debt." That's not a bad thing to have from a pair of Sleepers, particularly a pair of cultivators in a land besieged by evil energy, is it?