Ch 44: Martial Sage -2

In a grand hall, vast and imposing, a middle-aged man sat at its center with an air of absolute authority. His features were sharp, etched with the quiet wisdom of countless battles and victories.

A faint shadow of facial hair traced his jaw, and his eyes gleamed with a keen intelligence that missed nothing.

He sat on a throne-like chair, his presence dominating the room. Around him, the hall stretched out like the heart of a kingdom, the kind of place where decisions that shaped destinies were made.

Before him, seated in rows along the sides of the hall, were several elders... figures of great influence within the sect.

They sat in silence now, though moments earlier they had been engaged in heated discussions. The atmosphere was thick with tension and hidden intentions, a web of strategies woven between each elder.