"Move," Wang Deyu said. The word was flat. Dismissive. The Jade River Sect leader didn't even look at the mayor. His small eyes were on the ship's ramp.
"Move aside," Han Tianxiao said. His rough voice carried the edge of a man who had no patience for civic officials. "This doesn't concern you."
Madam Fengyan said nothing. Her dark eyes, cold, swept the delegation beyond the barrier. They passed over the mayor, the elders, the academy heads. They found nothing of interest. She stepped aside, positioning herself to the right of the ramp, her thick body, the formal robes pulling across her curves, standing with the other sect leaders.
The mayor's mouth opened. Closed. His round face was the color of old paper. He stepped back further. The town elders, their cultivation bases insignificant compared to the forces before them, retreated behind him. The academy heads followed.
All except Madam Yueying.
