The biting northern wind whipped up snow flurries, fiercely lashing against the towering dark basalt banners of the Garrison Commander Manor, producing a crisp, muffled snapping sound. Inside the council hall, however, it was as warm as mid-spring.
Before the maps of the Five Northern Frontier Cities hanging on all four walls, silver charcoal burned brightly in a massive bronze brazier. The leaping flames illuminated every corner of the hall, as well as the faces of the men within—some rugged, some composed, some weathered, and some sharp.
Qin Lie sat upright in the master seat. Draped in an ink-black brocade robe without armor, he possessed a heavier oppressive presence than one clad in heavy plate.
Chapter 276