Smarting from the slight

Fu Shulin didn't have much time to ponder the absence of Jade Dragon Manor's sect leader, because within moments, Tao Yuanming called someone else to join him on the stage. Everything fell silent around Fu Shulin as he watched Xin Rufei climb up the stairs, the silver train of the hairpin holding up his ponytail, sung down to his waist, moving with each step.

He was too far away to hear the sound, but he could still remember the tinkling bell-like chime of it, like water rushing through the stones in a creek.

Xin Rufei smiled at Tao Yuanming when he gestured at him to move forward, and addressed the crowd with a regal bow, welcoming all the spectators as well as the participants.

"We're going to start with something simple, but in which we'll eliminate half of you," Tao Yuanming said.

His words fell on the crowd like an axe. Half of the challengers gone in the first round. That was brutal. There were about 100 of them, so only fifty would remain.