IT WAS WITH GREAT POMP and circumstance, and even greater flair that the Chancellor made his entrance into the arena attended by General Jiang, who would officially hear the ruling from Tournament Officials. He would proclaim the winner and make the award presentation. With the rest of his entourage, numbering almost fifty in all, Gengshi made his entrance, but not until he was certain that the uproar following Liao's declaration had been restored to a more manageable level. In many ways, this was a victory for him as well. It looked as if a supporter of the Mang Clan had been defeated, and Liao, for whom he would only now proclaim openly the responsibility for his even being present at the tournament, had won. It was as much a victory for the Gengshi Clan as the Rong Clan. It equaled a st
