"""
Clang! Clang! Clang...
Nine gong strikes reverberated above the wharf, rolling ceaselessly.
To both sides of the altar, Shamans held short staffs, chanting hymns, yet if one listened closely, every note was a tremble.
One might truly believe this was the characteristic of a hymn upon first hearing it.
The Priest, looking toward a figure at his side, took a deep breath to steady his heart, then bellowed deeply.
"Chief Priest, proceed!"
The musicians lifted their bronze horns; the large drum with buffalo hide sounded through Qing Stone Street, growing more solemn and robust as though pounding at the core of one's being, echoing profoundly.
Liang Qu stood up, with each drum beat a step, and under countless gazes, he proceeded slowly along the central axis of the altar, ascending the thirteen steps to stand upon the altar.
