At that same moment.
Outside the main entrance to the Heaven Patrol Office headquarters in Yunlin County.
Dusk had just fallen when two figures in golden monastic robes approached from the far end of the street. Their steps were unhurried, yet they closed the distance to the Heaven Patrol Office gates with remarkable speed.
That alone made it clear these were no ordinary visitors.
The man in front was around forty, with an honest, kindly face. A string of glossy Buddhist Prayer Beads swayed against his chest as he walked. He was Jingyuan, the monk who had represented the Golden Sun Temple at the Quarterly Ranking Battle.
The man behind him was far more striking-powerfully built and a good half-head taller than Jingyuan, his broad-sleeved robes wrapped around a solid frame. His face was cold and stern, as though cast from iron and bronze. He looked formidable at a glance.
Neither monk walked quickly, but the backs of the two Patrol Guards at the entrance stiffened the moment they spotted them approaching.
It was a subtle feeling. The visitors were merely walking toward them calmly, yet something heavy seemed to have settled into the air, pressing down on them.
"Halt! Who goes there?" Once the two monks reached them, one Patrol Guard stepped forward to bar their way. His voice rose a little higher than usual, as though he were trying to bolster his own courage.
Jingyuan stopped at those words and pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. I am Jingyuan of the Golden Sun Temple, and this is my senior brother, Jingming. At our temple elders' command, we have come to call upon Director Qi and discuss an important matter."
He took a golden Command Token from inside his robes and handed it over.
The Command Token weighed heavily in