The wind rose in the Western Regions, and none knew whence it came.
The wind descended upon Unshuang, and none knew where its fury lay.
In Unshuang City, the people of the Western Regions surged like a tide around the Temple, each speaking their own tongue, wearing their own garb, bearing their own blades, with their own faces and their own faiths.
The Temple had been built around the principle that "the Sage King holds the greatest weight under heaven; without magnificence, his majesty cannot be given weight, and nothing must be left for later generations to surpass." Its grounds were vast, its proportions grand, its construction a mingling of timber and stone, far surpassing every Buddhist and Daoist temple in the Western Regions.
High Priest Luo Gu and the other senior figures of the Temple stood within it, watching the crowds surge toward them. Luo Gu held the Divine Scepter, with the Temple Army's commanders, commandants, and the Temple priests standing solemnly behind him. He asked softly, "How many commoners have entered Unshuang City? How many rulers of the Western Regions have arrived, and how many troops have they brought?"
The Temple Army's supreme commander rested one hand on his sword hilt as he replied, "High Priest, little time has passed since the divine decree was issued. Only the five rulers closest to Unshuang City have arrived so far. They have brought several thousand cavalry, including three hundred and two armored horsemen. The rest are all farmers and herders.
"Judging by the current situation, however, the rulers have responded very enthusiastically to the Temple's summons. We should be able to gather most of the rulers of the entire Western Regions and meet the Grasslands in battle. The ruler of Loulan State requests an audience."
Luo Gu spread his arms,