A learner says, “Sufyan, Malik and Yahya are three names, so our example shows three ṭuruq.” What is the mistake?

Ṭarīq and Ṭuruq: Chains of One Hadith

• The learner counted people, not distinct transmission chains.
• Only Yahya should be counted, because he appears in both.
• Yahya should be counted again in each chain, giving four ṭuruq.