The arena matches were held in a martial hall beside the western bank of the river.
It was one of the few martial halls in Yellow Maple Town, built of blue bricks and gray tiles. An old plaque hung above the entrance, bearing the bold words "River-Guard Martial Hall."
The lettering on the plaque had weathered and flaked, but still exuded a vigorous, forceful spirit.
By the time Mo Yun arrived with the Sky Wolf Gang leader, people had packed the martial hall inside and out.
Two rows of men with curved sabers at their waists stood by the entrance, all burly and unfriendly-looking.
A black wolf howling at the sky was embroidered on each man's chest. They were members of the Sky Wolf Gang.
Inside the martial hall, another group had already occupied the left side of the training platform.
Each had a whale tattoo on his wrist. Their skin was dark and rough, and many faces bore the weathered marks of a life spent earning a living on the water. These were the Giant Whale Gang's men.
The two gangs stood as distinctly apart as two rivers of different colors, separated by a three-foot-wide aisle. The air reeked of gunpowder, with swords drawn and bows taut.
Whenever members of the two sides met each other's eyes, they glared back with gritted teeth, as though they might draw their blades and start hacking at any moment.
Mo Yun followed his guide through the crowd and soon found Black Wolf below the training platform.
Black Wolf wore a pitch-black martial outfit that day, with a curved saber hanging at his waist. At first glance, he looked imposing, but Mo Yun spotted something wrong immediately.
On Black Wolf's rugged face, his thick brows were tightly knitted, and fine beads of sweat