A rider in court colors reached White Orchard before noon. Wei Zheng dismounted at the east gate, dust on his boots and a sealed case under one arm. He had come from the provincial station with Qiu Ren’s party, but did not enter with the Registry escort.
“I’m assigned as observer,” he said. “I want to see the challenge terms before I certify anything.”
Yan met him in the gate yard. “You’ve come to watch me die three times?”
“I’ve come to watch whether the court changes the rules after you agree.”
Qiu brought the scroll to a lamp in the assembly yard. The clause Qinghe had challenged was still there, though the words had been narrowed. The examiner could replace any prohibited method with an equivalent if a manual appeared incomplete.
Wei read the clause once, then checked the attached precedent. “It is valid under Registry rules.”
Qinghe asked what counted as equivalent. “Could the court substitute a hostile formation for a practitioner’s art?”
“It could,” Wei said. “The examiner would decide.”
