Autumn leaves fell to the ground as fierce winds raged.
Several black cars stopped outside the Martial Arts Hall. People in suits, Daoist robes, and tai chi uniforms entered, each looking grimmer than the last.
None belonged to the world's three major powers-the Laboratory, the Club, and the Illuminati. They represented the other factions outside those three organizations.
Some had roots in Hua Country, some came from across the Pacific Ocean, and some were affiliated with mysterious organizations in the Southern Hemisphere.
Rather than taking their seats, they stood outside the courtyard and began talking.
An elderly man in a tai chi uniform, about the same age as Daoist Liu, paced irritably around the courtyard, waving away the tea Xu Zhouluo offered him.
He slapped his thigh hard.
"Daoist Liu, say something! What exactly are this instance and the Laboratory playing at? Do the laws and regulations you discussed with those two giants, the Laboratory and the Club, at the United Nations conference still count?"
"Why did we end up being the only ones following them? The Laboratory and the Club are doing whatever they please. What a joke!"
Only Daoist Liu and Xu Zhouluo remained at the Martial Arts Hall now. Seated firmly in the place of honor, Daoist Liu calmly asked Xu Zhouluo to give him the tea instead.
"Oh, Old Li, did you really have to come here in such force? Can't you all calm down? I didn't see you making this much fuss when the Laboratory was in trouble."
A foreigner in a suit said in broken Chinese, "This incident is different from the last one. You can't treat them as the same..."
"What's so different? Aren't they both global crises?" Daoist Liu took a sip of tea and pointed at them.
"Still, everyone was fairly