On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Shengjing was packed with people.
Beneath the Vermilion Bird Gate, the figures of the crowd merged into a slow-moving, massive tide, the endless snow blending into the throng as if falling into a dark sea.
The snow had been drifting for a whole day and night. Not all residents of the various trades and strata in Chang'an City might be aware of yesterday's Winter Sword Assembly, but everyone had undoubtedly heard about today's betting duel before the Vermilion Bird Gate in the presence of the court officials.
The expansive surroundings of the Winter Sword Platform were already lined with the figures clad in cyan, red, and purple. There were more attendees than on the day of the grand court assembly, and they gathered quietly together, forming a solemn and quiet atmosphere above the Sword Platform.
