Golden Scale Gathering

The Laba Meeting, also called the Golden Scale Gathering, was held once a year and was Qinghe County's liveliest day.

But it was the city's dignitaries who made it lively; it had little to do with ordinary folk.

The common people only knew there was a grand affair inside the yamen today, but they could not even get through the gates. They could only stand beside the pair of stone lions at the entrance, craning their necks to peer inside. Faint voices drifted out from within, but they could see nothing at all.

The arena for the martial academy disciples' sparring matches was in the county yamen's rear courtyard training grounds.

It was a large, perfectly square courtyard, twice the size of the main hall out front. Blue bricks paved the ground, smooth as a mirror, with fine sand packed between the seams. The snow had been swept away spotless, without even a speck left in the corners.

The grounds were enormous. A hundred people could stand there without feeling crowded, and even with disciples from all six martial academies plus guests who had come to watch the excitement, there was still more than enough room.

On the east side of the training grounds stood a side gate leading to a two-story building in the rear courtyard.

From upstairs, one could see half the county town. The building was exquisitely constructed, with upturned eaves and carved lattice windows. A plaque hung beneath the eaves, bearing the three words "Listening Wind Tower" in vigorous brushwork. It was said to have been personally inscribed by County Magistrate Lin Hanshan.

The snow before the building had been swept completely clean, while a red carpet covered the steps, stretching from the entrance all the way to the edge of the training grounds.

Today's banquet was set on the second floor of Listening Wind Tower.

Before long, the Zhao Family Martial Hall's carriage stopped outside the county yamen gates.

Yamen runners had long been waiting there. As soon as Zhao Yan stepped down from the carriage, he was led toward Listening Wind Tower.

Ning Yun arrived at the training grounds with Xu Qing and the others.

Xu Qing held a post at the yamen and was familiar with the training grounds.

But today, the grounds looked different from usual.

A high platform had been erected in the center, nearly a zhang tall and three zhang wide. It was built from fine pinewood, its surface covered in thick planks without so much as a crack between them. The benches and weapon racks along the edges had all been removed, leaving the place neat and open.

Quite a few people had already gathered on the training grounds. They stood in twos and threes; some conversed in low voices, some looked around, while others closed their eyes to rest their minds.

Xu Qing followed behind Ning Yun. The moment they entered the training grounds, someone noticed them.

A broad, powerfully built young man stepped out from the crowd. From afar, he clasped his fists in salute, his voice ringing loud and clear. "Senior Brother Ning! It has been a long time!"

Ning Yun smiled faintly and returned the salute. "Junior Brother Cao, I trust you have been well."

The newcomer was Cao Sheng, a Dark Force expert from the Shi Family Martial Hall and a prized disciple of its master.

Both the Shi Family Martial Hall and the Zhao Family Martial Hall were located in the western part of the city. Their masters were acquainted, and their disciples were close as well. More importantly, both martial halls were on good terms with the Su Clan, the county assistant magistrate's family.

Besides those two, the Raging Tide Martial Academy in the eastern part of the city was also close to the Su Clan.

Ning Yun and Cao Sheng had barely exchanged a few words before people from the Raging Tide Martial Academy came over with smiles to greet them as well.

No sooner had Cao Sheng and the Raging Tide Martial Academy people left than someone else approached.

This time, it was a tall, thin man in a black martial outfit. He walked up to Ning Yun, a half-smile curling his lips. "Oh, Senior Brother Ning is here? The Zhao Family Martial Hall sent you out again this year to prop up the show? Does your martial hall have no one left, or is your master simply too reluctant to let anyone else come out and disgrace themselves?"

Ning Yun glanced at him, his expression unchanged and his tone calm. "Junior Brother Li still does not seem to know how to speak like a human being. Are the rules of the Rushing Thunder Martial Academy to teach only fists and kicks, but not manners?"

The tall, thin man's smile froze for an instant. He snorted and turned away.

"Li Yunhe of the Rushing Thunder Martial Academy, Dark Force at the major attainment stage." Ning Yun calmly withdrew his gaze from the receding figure. "The Li Family's eldest son, and also Yu Tai's prized disciple. He once lost to me, so whenever he sees me, he has to make a few barbed remarks. Pay him no mind."

Xu Qing nodded, committing the name to memory.

Before long, several more groups arrived. Some wore smiles piled high on their faces, some had cold expressions, some wanted to see Ning Yun make a fool of himself, and some pitied him.

Ning Yun treated them all with calm indifference, responding with composure.

Ning Yun was introducing the background of the previous group to Xu Qing when a gentle voice came from beside them.

"Senior Brother Ning."

Xu Qing turned and saw a young man of eighteen or nineteen walking toward them.

He wore a dark bluish-gray brocade robe. His features were handsome, and there was a touch of scholarly refinement between his brows. His pace was neither hurried nor slow, steady and composed.

Another person of a similar age followed behind him, somewhat sturdier in build, with sharper lines to his face. Yet he did not seem hostile either.

When Ning Yun saw the newcomer, his expression shifted slightly. It was neither vigilance nor coldness, but a kind of complexity that was hard to put into words. Like someone rummaging through an old chest and finding an object from many years ago—he clearly remembered it, yet seeing it again still stirred ripples in his heart.

He paused before clasping his fists. "Junior Brother Shen, it has been a long time."

The newcomer was Shen Zhao, the Shen Family's second young master. The sturdier man behind him was his cousin, Shen Kang.

Shen Zhao stopped before Ning Yun. His gaze lingered on Ning Yun's face for a moment, and he sighed softly. "About what happened to you... my Shen Family wronged you. My father had his own difficulties too..."

Ning Yun fell silent for an instant. That instant was brief, as brief as a blink. Then he smiled. The smile was faint, like thin winter sunlight—offering little warmth, yet carrying no chill. "Junior Brother Shen, there is no need for this. What is past need not be mentioned again."

A flicker of guilt passed through Shen Zhao's eyes. He opened his mouth, wanting to explain further on his father's behalf, but after glancing at the people coming and going around them, he ultimately said nothing more.

He merely patted Ning Yun's arm, quietly said, "I'll treat you to a drink another day," then left with Shen Kang.

Xu Qing watched Shen Zhao's departing figure, then looked at Ning Yun's profile. There was little expression on Ning Yun's face, but Xu Qing vaguely sensed there was something behind all this. Still, he did not ask.

Ning Yun had no intention of explaining either. He simply turned back and continued forward, his tone returning to its usual calmness. "Come. I'll introduce you to a few more people."

He said he was introducing them to people, but he was really only explaining things to Xu Qing. There was no need to mention Wu Mingyuan; Chen Wang's family was also in the city, and he had seen nearly everyone at the training grounds before.

They walked to the western side of the training grounds, where the view was good enough to take in the entire arena without being squeezed by the crowd.

Ning Yun stopped, his gaze sweeping over the scattered groups in the arena as he began pointing people out to Xu Qing.

After looking over the people in the arena, Ning Yun turned his gaze toward Listening Wind Tower in the rear courtyard.

"Look over there, at those people behind the second-floor railing."

Xu Qing followed his gaze. Several figures sat dimly behind the railing on the second floor. Some drank tea, some spoke quietly, and some casually watched the crowd below. Their postures varied, but all carried an air of composure—the composure only those standing high above others possessed.

"The one in the center, wearing the dark purplish-red robe, is the county magistrate's eldest son, Lin Zhuo." Ning Yun's voice was low, as though he were whispering into Xu Qing's ear. "The one beside him in the moon-white brocade robe is his younger brother, Lin Mu."

Xu Qing's gaze settled on Lin Mu.

Lin Mu was in his early twenties, with fair skin and a trace of softness between his brows. He held a cup of wine as he looked down at the people on the training grounds, a vague smile hanging at the corner of his mouth, as if he were watching a flock of fighting cocks.

Xu Qing's expression did not change, but his heart suddenly clenched tight. It was as though a hand had reached into his chest, seized his heart, and twisted it again and again.

This was the man who had given the order to ram the boat. In his eyes, Xu Qing's parents' lives were worth less than a fish. A fish could still be sold for money; a human life was not worth a single coin.

Ning Yun could not detect the change in Xu Qing's feelings and continued, "The Lin Family is Qinghe County's main pillar. Salt, iron, tea, silk, pawnshops, money houses—more than twenty percent of the county town's businesses bear the Lin name."

Xu Qing said nothing. His gaze left Lin Mu, and he saw Su Changhe smiling and nodding in their direction with another man.

Su Changhe stood out among the crowd in a moon-white brocade robe. The man beside him was several inches taller and looked similar to him, though there was more steadiness between his brows.

Xu Qing and Ning Yun smiled in response.

"You have met Changhe. The man beside him is his elder brother, Senior Brother Su Mingkong, whom you have not met yet. Junior Brother Su went to the prefectural city some time ago and only returned yesterday."

Ning Yun lowered his voice until only Xu Qing could hear. "The Su Clan is Qinghe County's other great mountain. Twenty percent of the county town's businesses bear the Su name. On the surface, the Su Clan and the Lin Family are all harmony and goodwill, but in truth, they have been fighting for decades."

Xu Qing nodded.

He had heard Captain Qi mention these matters before, but hearing Ning Yun say them now felt different. Those names were no longer words on paper, but living, breathing people.

These people sat behind the railing of Listening Wind Tower, drinking wine, sipping tea, talking, and watching the martial disciples below as if they were looking at a troop of monkeys.

They sat high above. With the slightest movement of a finger, they could decide the fate of countless people in this county town.