Alliance Slope

Appearance

Little snowflakes like soft white fur drift down over the slope. After years of work the ordinary mountain slope has expanded tens of times into a giant town square along the mountain wall. A huge rock stands on that wall with rock-carved buildings and assembled rock furniture inside. Below the rock building, Gu Masters of the three clans stand in three large groups. ^{ch. 124} On the slope Gu Masters can plaster the ground until only three densely packed groups remain distinct. ^{ch. 127}

Slope and square

It began as an ordinary mountain slope on Qing Mao Mountain. The Gu Yue clan second generation clan head held the first three-clan alliance there, and later alliances kept using the same ground. After many years of work the slope had grown tens of times into a giant town square along the mountain wall. ^{ch. 124}

A huge rock stands on that wall with rock-carved buildings and assembled rock furniture inside. Clan heads and elders sit there to talk while Gu Masters of the three clans stand below in three large groups. Gu Masters at rank two form the mobile troops on the square; most rank one Gu Masters support elsewhere, and rank three sit as clan elders. ^{ch. 124}

Alliance meeting and Gu battle

At the end of winter, with the wolf tide already pressing the mountain, hundreds and thousands of Gu Masters gather for the Three Clan Alliance Meeting while light snow falls. Fang Yuan stands among the Gu Yue rank two line and watches Gu Yue, Bai clan, and Xiong clan Gu Masters size each other up across old grudges. ^{ch. 124}

The three clan heads stand at the rail of the rock building. Gu Yue Bo opens the meeting and calls a Gu battle tournament meant to show strength, ease grudges, and keep the alliance workable, with competitors told to stop before fatality. Crowds on the slope name past standouts, including that three years earlier Bai Ning Bing was first to step out and start the Gu battle there. ^{ch. 125} Later in the same alliance stretch the slope fills with Gu Masters from all three clans until only three densely packed groups remain distinct. ^{ch. 127}