Finally, the moment had arrived.
Many seated in the Green and Purple section knew the procedure—Lord Sui was making his way back to the front of the hall, where he would personally read a document bestowing knighthood, and afterward, the neatly dressed youth would enter with a procession of guards, solemn and dignified.
Of course, this was not the ritual for this position, but it certainly was the ritual for heroes, and all glory would be settled today.
The atmosphere was quite different among the Swordbearers.
Su Xingke had lost to Xiang Zongyuan and had admitted defeat to Cui Zijie; the proud young man now stood with his sword hanging down, his lips pressed tightly together... because he had a target he felt he must defeat.
Cui Zijie was still gently tapping the hilt of his sword, gazing at the ground, and whenever people looked at him, they could always seem to see the bright white feathers filling the sky.