Outside the railing in front of the third arena.
In the spectators' area.
Sun Yong sat upright in a large chair, gently waving the palm-leaf fan in his hand, his eyes gleaming with an excitement he could barely conceal.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds and fell upon him, lending even his usual navy-blue martial instructor's uniform an extra air of distinction.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Lin Yue was in the third arena.
Yang Jing was in the Seventh Arena.
Xu Hong was in the Eighth Arena.
Three arenas, three disciples from his Sun Clan Martial Arts School, and all of them had reached the fight for first place.
As that thought turned over in Sun Yong's mind, he could not help straightening his back, sitting much more upright than before.
In past Parade Ground Trials, among the many disciples of the Sun Clan Martial Arts School, Xu Hong had often been the only one to last until the end. Merely having a chance at first place was reason enough to burn incense in thanks.
But today was different. His disciples stood in three arenas, a grand spectacle never before seen since the Sun Clan Martial Arts School's founding.
Sun Yong could feel the glances drifting toward him from time to time—from other Martial Arts Hall masters, from Yuhe County's dignitaries, and from its many martial artists and wealthy merchants.
He could almost hear them praising him with remarks such as, "Master Sun certainly knows how to train disciples," and, "A great teacher produces outstanding students."
Thinking of those words, Sun Yong could no longer suppress his smile. He accepted a cup from a disciple beside him and took a sip, finding that even the tea, normally somewhat bitter, had become sweet and mellow.
Yet beneath that