The Martial High Registration Plaza gradually emptied as the afternoon wore on.
Applicants dispersed throughout Azure River City.
Some searched for inns.
Others visited training grounds.
Many hurried to gather information about the tournament.
One quiet mountain youth...
Simply wandered the streets, looking for an affordable place to stay.
Meanwhile...
Elsewhere in the city...
---
Jian Yu
The courtyard of the Sky Hawk Pavilion's temporary residence was silent.
Only the steady sound of a sword slicing through the air echoed within.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Jian Yu's movements were clean.
Precise.
Without unnecessary flourish.
A middle-aged man stood nearby with his hands behind his back.
"Your breathing is uneven."
Jian Yu immediately stopped.
"...It won't happen again."
His master nodded.
"It shouldn't."
"The Entrance Tournament isn't difficult for someone of your talent."
His gaze hardened.
"But Martial High isn't your goal."
"You already know why we're here."
Jian Yu lowered his head.
"...To enter the Inner Court."
"Correct."
"The Entrance Tournament merely grants you the right to compete."
The master looked toward the bustling city outside.
"Have you noticed anyone worth paying attention to?"
Jian Yu thought briefly.
"...No."
"There are talented people."
"But no one exceptional."
The master smiled faintly.
"Then continue training."
---
The Zhao Clan Residence
Unlike the quiet pavilion...
The Zhao Clan manor bustled with activity.
Servants hurried through the corridors.
Bodyguards stood watch.
Inside an elegant courtyard...
A young woman calmly poured tea.
She was the same girl Kael had unknowingly seen entering the city.
Her name was...
Zhao Lian.
Across from her sat an elderly man.
"The registration is complete."
She nodded.
"Yes, Grandfather."
"You'll undoubtedly enter Martial High."
"I hope to."
The old man chuckled.
"Modesty has its place."
"But confidence is equally important."
He placed a scroll upon the table.
"These are the applicants we've investigated."
She opened it.
Several names were written neatly.
Jian Yu—Sky Hawk Pavilion.
Han Zhen—Crimson Saber Hall.
Xu Ren—Northern Spear Sect.
Each name was accompanied by a brief description.
She carefully read every line.
Then looked up.
"...Only these?"
"For now."
"The truly dangerous ones..."
"...often arrive unnoticed."
The old man's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Never underestimate an unfamiliar face."
---
Eastern Inn
A young man carrying an enormous wooden staff quietly entered a modest inn.
Unlike most applicants...
He carried almost nothing.
Just a small cloth bag.
The innkeeper smiled.
"One room?"
The young man scratched his head.
"...Actually..."
"...What's your cheapest room?"
The innkeeper laughed.
"I thought so."
Moments later...
The youth happily carried his room key upstairs.
Another guest passing by couldn't help smiling.
"What a strange fellow."
The staff wielder smiled back.
"My master says smiling makes traveling easier."
The guest laughed.
"I like your master already."
---
The Tournament Grounds
Far beyond the city center...
An enormous arena stood beneath the afternoon sun.
Workers hurried everywhere.
Some repaired stone platforms.
Others erected banners bearing Martial High's emblem.
Several instructors quietly observed everything.
One of them...
The elderly instructor who had registered Kael...
Held a thick stack of applicant records.
A younger instructor approached.
"Finished reviewing today's registrations?"
"Almost."
"Any interesting discoveries?"
The old man flipped through several pages.
"Several."
He stopped.
One page caught his attention.
Name: Kael
No family name.
No clan.
No sect.
No known background.
The old instructor frowned thoughtfully.
"Strange."
The younger instructor glanced over.
"What is?"
"This boy."
"What about him?"
"He answered every question honestly."
"...And?"
"I couldn't learn anything."
The younger instructor laughed.
"Perhaps there wasn't anything to learn."
The old man slowly shook his head.
"I've interviewed applicants for nearly thirty years."
"I've become rather good at reading people."
He looked once more at Kael's record.
"His posture..."
"His breathing..."
"The condition of his hands..."
"...None of them belong to an ordinary mountain hunter."
The younger instructor became curious.
"You think he's hiding something?"
"I don't know."
"...Perhaps he doesn't even realize it himself."
---
Azure River City's Western Market
Kael stood quietly in front of a food stall.
"...Excuse me."
The elderly vendor smiled warmly.
"What can I get you?"
"How much is a bowl of noodles?"
"Three copper."
Kael carefully counted the coins Gareth had given him before they parted.
Then looked back up.
"...If I only eat twice a day..."
"...Will this last until the tournament?"
The vendor blinked.
"You planning to survive on noodles?"
Kael nodded.
"They're delicious."
The old man laughed heartily.
"You really are an honest boy."
He filled an extra bowl before placing it on the counter.
"Here."
Kael looked surprised.
"I only paid for one."
"The second one's free."
"...Why?"
"Because you remind me of my grandson."
Kael hesitated.
"...Then..."
"...Thank you."
The vendor smiled.
"Enjoy it while it's hot."
---
Not far away...
Two well-dressed youths quietly observed him.
"Isn't that the boy from registration?"
"The one without a family name?"
"Looks ordinary."
"He probably won't last past the first round."
They soon lost interest and walked away.
Kael never noticed them.
He was too busy deciding whether to eat the second bowl immediately...
Or save it for later.
After several seconds of serious consideration...
He chose to eat it.
"...Cold noodles probably aren't as good."
---
As evening settled over Azure River City...
Lights illuminated every street.
Thousands of young martial artists rested before the days ahead.
Some trained until exhaustion.
Some meditated.
Some sharpened their weapons.
Some couldn't sleep from nervousness.
And one quiet mountain youth...
Sat alone beneath the evening sky with a satisfied expression.
His greatest concern...
Was whether he would be able to find another stall that made noodles as good as today's.
Far above the city...
The Martial High banner fluttered gently in the wind.
The tournament had not yet begun.
But invisible threads of fate had already started drawing extraordinary individuals toward one another.
Soon...
The first round would begin.
And names unknown today...
Would gradually echo throughout the martial world.
End of Chapter 16