Above Tiger Family Village, murky yellow light spilled from the sky.
Tens of thousands of spectators from all walks of life held their breath, eyes fixed on the arena. The pressure in the air was suffocating.
Amid that nearly frozen atmosphere, a clear voice quietly sounded from somewhere in the stands.
"Looks like I'm not late."
Qin Zhong had leaned forward in concentration. At the familiar voice behind him, every muscle tensed, then wild delight spread across his face.
He turned. A young man was climbing the stone steps where light met shadow. It was Li Xiang, back from Riverside after traveling through the night.
His steps were unhurried. Each time his foot touched down, the flagstone beneath it made not the slightest sound. He seemed weightless, as though he had fallen into rhythm with the breathing of heaven and earth.
Even more conspicuous was the little yellow dog nestled in his arms, its soft fur and harmless appearance hardly inspiring fear.
"Junior Brother, you're done with your seclusion?" Qin Zhong looked Li Xiang up and down. Somehow, he felt something about his junior brother had changed, though he could not say what.
"Mm." Li Xiang nodded, then looked toward Hong Tianbao and Ye Qingyao. "Master, Senior Sister, I'm back."
"You brat. Since when did you stand on ceremony with us?"
Hong Tianbao's little eyes narrowed to slits. He waved Li Xiang over with a plump hand. "Come sit by me and watch the Grandmasters fight. For youngsters like you who've only just found your footing, a clash at this level is an opportunity money can't buy."
Li Xiang accepted and sat in the wooden chair reserved beside Hong Tianbao.
The moment he sat down, Hong Tianbao's hovering hand came to rest on his shoulder.
Pat.
The sound of contact