The Dragon Vein and the Golden Silk Soft Armor

Night fell over Tianjin, and the sky looked like a great black pot clamped shut. Not a glimmer of starlight showed through.

Wind swept inland along the Hai River, carrying lingering damp and the smell of coal smoke from somewhere unknown.

The main hall in the Ye Residence's rear courtyard blazed with light, but none of it warmed the atmosphere inside, so heavy it seemed ready to drip.

The doors and windows were shut tight.

Everyone seated inside belonged to the Ye School's inner circle.

The eldest senior brother was absent. He governed a region and could not leave his post lightly.

Second Senior Brother Zheng Tonghe was there, his expression grave.

Third Senior Brother Iron Mountain, built like an iron tower, stared blankly at his calloused hands.

Fourth Senior Brother Chu Xing, who usually thrived among the beggars, had lost his easy grin. His brows were knotted tight.

Seventh Senior Brother Lu Xingmin, an Earth Official who had started out as a Paper Effigy Maker, wore a frighteningly dark expression. His finger traced talismans against the corner of the table without his noticing.

Eighth Senior Brother Li Tingyun sat in plain clothes, his back ramrod straight, though confusion showed in his eyes.

And Qin Geng sat in the last seat.

Ye Lanzen sat in his Grandmaster Chair. The tobacco in his old pipe had gone out, but he had not asked anyone to relight it. He merely tapped the pipe against the armrest, again and again.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

The sound was soft, yet it seemed to strike everyone in the heart.

"You're all here."

Ye Lanzen finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, like old plaster smoked black over the years.

"I called you here tonight for one thing: the sky above our heads and the ground beneath our