Qi adepts and masters stood outside the main area of the hall where ceremony was about to take place, visibly uncomfortable as if confronting an unforeseen adversary. Unarmed and unarmored, some were poorly clothed; a few even wore their battle tunics, having no other attire. Wuyi himself was modestly dressed in black trousers and a snug black tunic—his last respectable outfit from his travels. His only sign of rank was a standout black treasure cloak.
The modest appearance of his men sharply contrasted with the grandeur of the spiritual hall where last rites were going to be done for warriors that had died. Even with sacred symbols and talismans covered in rich purple cloth for spiritual reflection, the hall exuded opulence. However, Wuyi noticed the worn gilt on a hidden relic and the use of tallow instead of wax in the sconces, its acrid scent clashing with the other aromas.
