Every Light Has Its Shadow

Because there were six people instead of eight, it had been decided that the third round would be a round robin. The top two winners would go on to fight each other. That being the case, the battles were slated to take place tomorrow.

Night had come.

While the Xia Dynasty boasted about being the safest nation, that did not mean there was no crime.

In the dimly lit section of the city, the night swelled with untamed life. The so-called respectable veneer of the day had faded to reveal a grittier world that thrived in darkness. Dim paper lanterns hung from the balconies of various establishments, bathing the narrow, cobblestone alleys in an eerie glow. They cast long, dancing shadows that stretched and twisted like spectral serpents in the uneven night. The air carried a mix of scents, from exotic herbs located in nearby apothecaries to the bittersweet fragrant of incense and sex emanating from brothels that lined the street.