The Quarterly Ranking Battle ended, and the crowd dispersed.
More than half the people had already left the viewing stand north of the drill ground.
The wealthy merchants and stewards of prominent houses in the side galleries had been the first to leave. Their carriages rumbled over the flagstones toward the city gates, leaving scraps and tea stains scattered behind.
Only two men remained on the raised platform.
Chen Wuya sat to the right of the seat of honor, his iron staff resting across his knees. Before him lay a roster half a foot thick and a pot of tea someone had brought over.
Song Tiecheng sat opposite him, his hands folded over his lower abdomen. His posture of eyes-closed repose had never changed, though his eyes had shifted beneath their lids several times.
The two monks from the Golden Sun Temple had left. Before leaving, Jingyuan had pressed his palms together and said, "I hope we can act soon." His tall, thin senior brother had not spoken once. The two had boarded their carriage and departed.
The attendants on the viewing stand had also been dismissed. What came next was not something they should be present for.
All that remained on the platform were two cups of tea, a stack of rosters, and the aura between two Inner Qi Realm warriors that no outsider could perceive.
Once everyone had left, Chen Wuya opened the roster recording the previous rankings and battle results, then tapped the first page twice with his fingertips.
"Let's start with the top four."
Song Tiecheng lifted his eyelids a fraction, finally focusing some attention on listening. Of their trio, he was the least inclined to use his head. Fighting was enough for him; everything else could be left to his two elder brothers.
Take this