The central city arena stood open when the convoy arrived. Apprentices, guild representatives and citizens filled the lower rows. A posted notice called the event a public safety test, though a second line said the Registry would review the result before changing its judgment.
Yan read the notice from the carriage. “They have already said the result won’t clear us.”
“They’ve said it will be reviewed,” Qinghe replied. “That leaves room for the evidence to matter.”
The crowd’s voices rose as the party entered the arena yard. The court had displayed a preliminary judgment that Yan remained a danger. Some spectators called his name; others asked why the Registry had sealed the clinic if the event was only a test.
Qiu’s riders brought the manual case to the ring. Wei checked the seals and compared them with the catalog. The corrected final note remained attached to the Thousand Thorn copy. Qinghe set out her gauges, and the physicians met at a table beside the ring.
The arena staff placed a target lane across the stone floor. A padded frame stood at its center. Beyond it, a ring of small markers showed the boundary of the ward. The physicians’ table sat to one side, far enough away that the outward force would not point toward them.
