Shooting Sand in the Shadows

Everyone had been seated, conversing in low voices, when someone suddenly rose to his feet, immediately drawing all eyes.

The song and dance below had reached the Ballad of Mulan. More than a dozen dancing girls were using their graceful figures to portray a battle scene, while the music had turned somewhat mournful and stirring. But because that official had suddenly stood up, the atmosphere in the hall changed, and several dancers made obvious mistakes in their movements.

Ao Huang looked around wildly, paying no attention to that official.

Fang Yun looked at the official. He was burly and robust, the very image of a military officer, dressed in the robes of a Hanlin Academician. Pointing at one of the dancers, the officer roared, "The Void Sage has arrived, and the ruler is present. Who gave you the nerve to be so negligent?"

The twelve dancers stopped dancing in fright, dropped to their knees, and trembled from head to toe.

The musicians also stopped playing, staring at the military officer in terror.

This was no ordinary occasion. It was even stricter than a ruler's birthday banquet. A dignified Void Sage had come to Qing Kingdom, and he had come to wage a Literary Battle against Qing Kingdom. This was unfavorable to Qing Kingdom. If anything went wrong at a time like this and someone found a handle to seize, the crime would be compounded.

Fang Yun said unhappily, "What exactly did they do wrong to make this general raise such a great fuss? If they committed no grave error, then forgive them. Why haggle over such trifles?"

Hearing this, the officials of both kingdoms vaguely understood. In an occasion like this, even the stupidest official would not suddenly spout wild words without cause. There had to be something behind it.