Climbing the Hall with Snow Monarch

The Wave Pavilion disciples leading the way looked respectful and solemn. After all, they were guiding a Fighter from a distant great nation, and one their teacher had invited as an opponent. Neither dared show the slightest discourtesy.

As Chen Chuan followed them uphill, the warship escorting him reached the waters near Erwen Island. It turned broadside, and every gun aboard lowered to aim at the island.

If anything unusual happened on the island, or if the Fighter they had brought met with an accident, they would bombard the entire island.

After leaving the beach, Chen Chuan followed the disciples for a dozen minutes. They entered a shaded path steeped in Zen tranquility and arrived before a gate.

Beside it stood a large stone inscribed with the words "Wave Pavilion." The strokes were broad and powerful. Just looking at them, he could almost hear surging waves, yet beneath their roar lay a yielding stillness, as though some force had subdued them, leaving them resounding without startling, furious without menace.

Seeing him study the stone, one disciple promptly explained, "The words 'Wave Pavilion' were written by the first pavilion master, the Zen Blade Ancestor, more than six hundred years ago."

Chen Chuan gazed at the inscription. Despite the centuries that had passed, he could still sense a faint spiritual power within it, much like Grandmaster Hongfa's Lotus Seat.

And...

He looked more deeply. Those characters held much more besides.

Seeing him stop, neither disciple spoke to interrupt or hurry him. They waited respectfully at his side.

Only after a long while did Chen Chuan withdraw his gaze. He looked toward a mountain path winding upward through the Bamboo Forest behind the gate. "Let's go."

"After you, Your Excellency," the disciple said at once, then continued leading him uphill. The first few