This won't do either!
Dou Zhao's gaze was sharp as a blade as it swept over Old Man Ju. Wherever it passed, men and gods alike recoiled.
Perhaps everyone was thinking, perhaps they were simply silent. In any case, no one met Dou Zhao's eyes. His gaze cleaved through wind and parted leaves all the way until it landed on Qin Zhizhen, who had casually shut the door behind him.
Qin Zhizhen did not wear a smug smile, though he rather wanted to laugh.
He had a steady temperament, never letting joy or anger show on his face. He met Dou Zhao's gaze squarely and, without yielding the slightest bit, stepped forward.
His black robes were like iron armor, crisp and cold. The phantom of Yama Son of Heaven in his palm had contracted into a mysterious knot of light, shrouding him in a faint, noble gloom.
He placed that hand behind his back, while the other rested on his sword hilt, and slowly... walked forward.
Unruffled by favor or disgrace, he strode ahead with his head high.
"Our Great Qin Empire has always placed great importance on civil governance. This Qin began reading the classics at the age of three, using the Quiet Void Thoughts Collection as his primer..."
He spoke as he thought. But the distance was too short; after only that one sentence, he had reached the inscribed wall.
The advantage of weighing every word was that one need not fear a quick tongue slapping one's own face. Before he had time to mock anyone, he had already grasped the complexity of this Dao Script question—however one put it, it would take three to five hours to write this essay properly. If perfection were sought, requiring repeated revisions and polishing, then it would take more than eight