"You're quite something, Ji Shaoqing."
A voice spoke from within the great hall.
Ji Shaoqing, dressed in black brocade robes edged in gold, stood with his head bowed in the center of the hall, not saying a word.
A huge incense burner sent wisps of smoke curling upward.
Through the faint haze, the middle-aged man with long hair streaked black and white remained clearly visible.
Or rather, a man who had kept his middle-aged appearance.
He stood in profile, both hands behind his back, radiating the bearing of someone long accustomed to high office.
The short beard on his profile trembled slightly as his lips moved. His features were, in truth, strikingly gentle.
"But you're not the one who's impressive. You weren't the one who held off Wudong Island or Huaying Palace. Do you have any idea how little weight you carry in front of those people? The one with real clout is the Sea Fishing Tower. And you're squandering its prestige."
He drew a deep breath.
Then he turned around. Unable to contain himself, he raised his voice and demanded furiously, "Who told you to guard the End of the World Terrace?!"
"With such a petty mind, how could you ever amount to anything?"
"It would be one thing if you were petty on your own, but you went and did something so stupid, making outsiders think less of my stature!"
"Is this how I taught you to handle things? Would I personally go after Jiang Wang over some grudge with Bizhu? Would I force an innocent young girl, who had nothing to do with any of this, to suffer until she died? Especially when she came from the Sea Fishing Tower!"
"How will the people of All-Under-Heaven see the Sea Fishing Tower now? How will they see me,