The battle raged outside the mountain, but Wang Yuesong hurried to a Bronze Gate in the back mountains.
He lifted the hem of his robes, knelt, and touched his forehead to the ground. "Wang Yuesong respectfully requests the Sect Leader to emerge from seclusion!" he announced loudly.
His voice echoed through the mountains, but within the secret chamber, Zhang Hongguang remained unmoved.
But Wang Yuesong didn't give up. He continued to kowtow. "The Sect is in peril! I implore you, Sect Leader, to emerge and take command!"
Still, there was no response. It was as if he were facing nothing but a cold Bronze Gate.
"The Elders are leading the disciples in a bloody battle! I beg you, Sect Leader, emerge from seclusion!"
Wang Yuesong continued to kowtow. As long as Zhang Hongguang refused to emerge, he would keep going.
Time ticked by, second by second. The only sounds in the mountains were the dull thuds of his head hitting the ground and Wang Yuesong's anguished cries.
