Rain fell thick and fast during Clear and Bright. After days of unbroken drizzle, people found themselves growing irritable without even realizing it.
The Clear and Bright rains continued until Fan Dazhi's clothes gave off a heavy, sour stink and the underpants he dug out from the bottom of his trunk had grown moldy. Only then did the rain slowly stop...
Fan Dazhi hung his freshly washed underpants on a bamboo pole. Gazing at the long-absent sun, his spirits brightened too.
Washed clean by the rain, Vermilion Bird Avenue looked spotless. Green buds had already sprouted on the roadside willows, and Luoyang, the imperial capital, remained as bustling and prosperous as ever.
A piece of news swept through the streets and alleys of Luoyang City like a spring breeze.
The Knowledge and Practice Institute would face Dragon Gate Academy in a martial contest at the drill ground to determine which was superior.
The news soon caused an enormous stir among the common people. The Great Chen Empire prized martial prowess, and the world-renowned Knowledge and Practice Institute was actually going to compete against the ascendant Dragon Gate Academy. It immediately drew the attention of the empire's people.
The court soon announced the venue: the Ministry of War Drill Ground near Heaven's Mandate Gate. Rumor had it that the emperor himself might come to the gate to watch on the day of the contest.
The people of the Great Chen Empire, who loved a spectacle by nature, began eagerly awaiting the event. Patrons in teahouses and taverns traded inquiries about the news, while gambling dens and money houses enjoyed unusually brisk business. Some gambling dens even established wagers and odds for the contest.
In preparation for the two academies' grand Clear and Bright tournament, the capital's Feathered Forest Guard took action