253 The Fox laughs through the pain

Chu Yun and Xiao Zai weren't the only ones to hear the approaching hoofbeats. Xiao Yuan's hand trembled on his tea cup. He shot Xiao Zai a worried look while Xiao Ziyi straightened her back and raised her chin in defiance.

Neither of them was quite conveying the posture Chu Yun had hoped for, so he turned to Xiao Zai and said loudly: "It seems our guests are almost here."

Xiao Zai got up to his feet and walked to the front of the stage. "Please, everyone, play as loudly as you can, some of our brethren have travelled very far to be here."

He gestured towards the two roads leading to the square, and the musicians and dancers all turned in that direction as well. 

The anticipation among the people was palpable, even more so when the first horses came into view. If anyone found it odd that the riders in the front were carrying banners with the insignia of several prominent Zui clans, the music and dance served to distract them.