I think its rereading and editing i dont know what its called though
I believe the correct answer is practices.
The entire paragraph is describing a practice which is quite common for this culture group. The practice is that of a competition where the emperor is present. There are no particular attitudes, values, or goals presented in the excerpt.
Present participle would be 'clipping'. Perfect participle would be 'having clipped'. Therefore, the only option left is 'past participle'.
Answer:
"Was"
Explanation:
Hope my answer has helped you!