105. The Gatekeeper
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Over mountains, seas, and even the borders of realms, the Sky Armies had been dispatched, and thousands of warriors had set up camps around the Floral realm.
In the past months, a war had raged around the Floral realm. But the Sky generals scoffed. It was almost too easy for the sky armies to destroy the floral troops, and hundreds of floral soldiers were slain or captured daily.
But within the floral palace, the cloaked woman simply smiled as she watched the sunset from a window.
War was the perfect way to blind the enemy.
Each day, the Floral deity deliberately sent more soldiers out to battle, keeping the war alive while the cloaked woman moved in the shadows...
'Hmph. It's my turn...' She thought, turning away with a swish of her dark cloak.
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Meanwhile, back in Yue City, the Serene Moonlight Hall was once again filled.
Sect Leader Xu had summoned the fifteen winners, along with all other invited Yueyan representatives, for a meeting to brief them on the strange mysteries of Yu Shui City.
Thanks to Elder Zhou's dramatic flair and popularity- especially with the younger disciples, he was chosen to explain everything.
While he spoke, brows lifted and furrowed, as the audience quietly whispered amongst themselves.
"Now we all know about that strange place," Sect Leader Xu began, and there was silence. "...and we can guess the possible dangers."
He held out a hand and his own invitation appeared, floating over his hand. "It is a thing of honour to represent the sect at such a grand event. But your lives are more important to me.
"So I wouldn't force anyone to go if they're unwilling."
He said. "These invitations are enchanted tokens which would allow us dwell within the city for as long as the tournament lasts. A destroyed token voids the invitation, so anyone who doesn't want to go, can indicate right now and destroy their tokens..."
The whispers grew louder as elders, sect warriors, disciples, and friends alike, glanced at each other before making the difficult decision.
Weiyan's leveled gaze hadn't left her father. As Sect Leader, he didn't have the same choice, and she was internally torn.
She didn't particularly care for fame or fortune, and as for honour, she had recently grown quite selfish... She had no desire to leave Luoyin for honour, or any other high-sounding ideal.
If it were a matter of honouring the Sect, she might ignore it, but this was a matter of honouring her father.
And he was heading into danger.
She didn't dare assume she was as powerful as the elders accompanying him, so her presence might make no difference.
Yet, she could not let him go alone!
Xu Min and Xu Wen were the same. Even if Xu Wen could bear to ignore the sect, or Sect Leader Xu, he could not ignore his parents, both of whom were among the invited sect elders.
And as for Xu Min, he could not ignore either of them.
In the end, all fifteen contestants decided to go, each for their own reasons..
All twelve invited Sect Elders were determined to accompany Sect Leader Xu. And this included the Eldest Xu elder, who watched the proceedings with a sour look which clearly said: "We shouldn't even have a choice!"
The two invited regular Xu Elders would rather bite their own tongues and die, before admitting they were afraid to go!
Most of the invited family heads willingly destroyed their invites, but three decided to go, including one who surprised everyone.
He was Li San's father and was famous for avoiding all dangers, so it shocked all present that he was willing to go.
But his actions were understandable, since Li San was one of the five juniors going...
All that brought the number of representatives to thirty three, including Sect Leader Xu, and he nodded when all was done.
"Hao. The elders and I will try our utmost to keep everyone safe, and other Sect Leaders are working together as well.
"Prepare yourselves and buy all that you need from here. The Sect will provide other essentials. Apart from food, try not to buy anything from Yu Shui city, and even then, be careful what you put in your mouth...
"We leave in two days!"
'Why now?' Weiyan sighed as she left the hall.
Luoyin had gone on a mission the day before, and he wouldn't be back before they left.
'Not even a proper farewell...?'
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Two days later...
All thirty three Yueyan representatives appeared before Yu Shui city, using one of Luoyin's grander formations.
Yu Shui City's gates were large and heavily ornamented, and the younger ones stared in awe at the massive structure.
"Ahem!" Elder Zhou caught himself looking. "Sect Leader, do we simply go in?"
All had instantly noticed the absence of gateguards, or anyone else for that matter.
Sect Leader Xu frowned, but nodded to an older elder who boldly stepped forward.
However, he was met with a barrier at the gate's threshold. The elder held out his invitation scroll and the barrier faded away, letting him step over the threshold. But before going further, he turned to Sect Leader Xu, who held up his hand, revealing a seal behind it.
It was the same seal Luoyin had cast on the disciples in the hunting plains... Sect Leader Xu had adapted it for the sect at once. It was ingenious and quite handy for finding one's comrades if they separated!
"If you don't return, we'll wait for thirty minutes before following." Sect Leader Xu was saying. "If you're in any danger, I'll sense it through the seal. The elders and I will come in for you at once!"
The elder nodded and turned away, but after a few steps, a voice suddenly hollered:
"Oye there! You need to come over here and register!"
'Rude!' The elder thought, glancing around in surprise.
A small stand stood ahead with a lone figure seated at a table, a large book before him, and a shabby bamboo hat over his head.
The elder looked back at the gate, but everyone was now studying the gate as if they could no longer see him!
The elder took a breath and stepped towards the stand...
It was a basic affair. The man checked the scroll, and a brush moved on its own, writing down the elder's name and reason for visit, and then the scroll turned into a glowing blue and white token to match Yueyan's colours.
The only odd bit was when the man nodded upwards. "Look at the Gatekeeper." He said, and the elder followed his eyes.
There was suddenly a two-storey manor behind the registration stand, and the elder found himself wondering if it appeared, or if it had always been there and he simply hadn't noticed.
Atop the balcony there sat an individual dressed in elegant white robes, and before him was a wide spread table. A bamboo veiled hat sat atop his own head, shrouding his features from sight, but the mere sight of him sent a cold chill down the elder's spine.
He thought he heard the swish of a brush, and a strange sensation washed over him, making him feel lighter all of a sudden. If someone told him he could fly like a bird for endless days, he might be tempted to try, based only on this feeling...
But he quickly shook his head.
"I must go and bring in my company." He said, affixing the token to his belt, and the registrar simply grunted.
But after a few steps, he heard, "A warning." It was a soft voice this time, not from the registrar, but likely from the elegant gatekeeper.
"Once registered, you may not step out of the city till the tournament is done. Do not cross the gate's threshold." The voice finished.
The elder sighed and left, but made sure to stop right before the threshold. Thankfully, everyone could see him again and they all breathed sighs of relief, while he explained the registration and bizarre gatekeeper...
A few minutes later, they had all gone in and registered, each looking up at the strange gatekeeper, who seemed to be painting while each one looked at him.
'That fellow is certainly not ordinary!' Sect Leader Xu concluded, as the strange sensation made him feel like a dandelion in the wind.
Meanwhile, the gatekeeper's hand stilled over his painting as one of the family heads stepped forward.
It was Li San's father again...
Lord Li was a middle-aged man with early gray hairs at his temples and on his neat moustache, and he looked like he would seize his son up and run off at the slightest hint of danger.
But for a fleeting moment, Lord Li turned to look up at the gatekeeper, and the gatekeeper looked back at him. Both their lips turned up in an unseen smile, and both looked away.
'Then...' The elegant gatekeeper made a bold swish on the paper before him. 'Let us begin...!'
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