Everyone rose and bowed respectfully to Soxia.
"Hehe, sit down, everyone. No need to stand on ceremony. Carry on with your discussion." Soxia spoke casually as he walked over to an empty seat beside Yetos and sat down.
Over the next half hour, everyone offered suggestions and debated, thoroughly discussing the threats facing Sand City, its strengths and weaknesses, and its advantages and disadvantages. In the end, they arrived at three conclusions: first, they needed more people; second, they needed more food; and finally, they had to root out the spies.
By this point, the midday meeting was drawing to a close. After Yetos stood and said a few words, everyone else rose, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.
When Zeng Mu, the last to leave, walked out, only Yetos and Soxia remained in the room, speaking quietly about something he could not make out.
Outside, brilliant sunlight bathed the hundred-odd pointed-roof stone houses, large and small, making them look pale and translucent, almost like jade.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the three of them, the knights went their separate ways, each returning to his own quarters.
In the bright light outside, Zeng Mu noticed more details that he had missed earlier.
Though Ma Linya's pale gold armor was of excellent quality, it now bore nearly a hundred blade marks of varying sizes across its gauntlets, knee guards, breastplate, and back. Up close, he could see that some cuts were half a fingernail deep. It seemed that just a little more force would have breached the armor and opened red gashes in the delicate body beneath.
The sight startled him. His eyes flickered, and his voice rose despite himself. "Lingya, your body-"
"My body? What's wrong with my body?" Ma Linya, who had still been watching the others leave,