Chapter 14: Qi
Yang Zhen strode in a dignified manner, exuding authority without anger. With a sweep of his tiger-like eyes, the courtyard fell silent.
"You all," Yang Zhen said, pointing to his formal disciples with a voice as resonant as a bell, shaking the roof tiles, "go fetch your horses and head to the training ground outside the city. Today, I will test your martial skills."
The group of young men scattered in a flurry. Qin Sang was still a bit bewildered when a tall, slender youth grabbed his arm and said, "Brother, why don’t you ride with me? My name is Huang Chen. How should I address you?"
This Huang Chen seemed to be the oldest among them. Seeing that the others were pairing up, Qin Sang followed him, saying, "My name is Qin Sang. Brother Huang, where are we going?"
"The training ground is outside the city; we need to ride the escort agency's horses to get there."
The Wuwei Escort Agency was located in the southern part of the City of Three Witches, with the training ground built outside the southern gate. Since Qin Sang didn’t know how to ride a horse, Huang Chen took him along.
The two of them rode side by side, galloping towards the city gates. As they approached the southern gate, they saw a squad of soldiers in bright armor standing at attention. The soldiers had blocked the gate, not allowing any commoners to pass through, and a large crowd had gathered at the entrance.
Everyone had to dismount and lead their horses. After asking around, they learned that the Zhenshui King was heading to Baoguo Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings for the holy emperor. The royal procession had already departed from the palace.
Baoguo Temple was located on Luoma Mountain, fifteen li west of the City of Three Witches, but the southern gate was the main gate, so for such a grand ceremonial event, the procession had to exit through the southern gate.