Chapter 483: The Grand Ceremony

The rhythmic beat of drums and the clash of gongs filled the air at the eastern gate of Yu's capital. Firecrackers exploded with a deafening roar, red flags flapped in the wind, and the streets were packed with an ocean of people.

With each thunderous stomp, a terrifying giant beast emerged, its mane like a lion’s and scales resembling a dragon’s, as it stepped into the city. Even though it consciously attempted to adopt a posture to make itself appear smaller, it still towered over a zhang tall.

This was the legendary spirit beast, Suanni—the mount of the great General Wu Anmin.

Seated atop the beast, Wu Anmin wore a suit of bright red armor. His brows were sharp as swords, and his eyes keen as an eagle's, exuding a dignified aura. Despite the thunderous cheers of the capital’s citizens, his expression remained calm, showing no trace of joy.

It was understandable. For a general of the Yu Dynasty, leading an army of thirty thousand elite soldiers to conquer a small island with a population of just over twenty thousand hardly qualified as a true military achievement.

Wu Anmin yearned to achieve real military accomplishments. Now in his forties, he had already climbed to the ranks of the top three generals in the Yu Dynasty. Yet, not once had he tasted the thrill of a true battlefield.

Generals in times of peace often felt somewhat helpless.

Moreover, Wu Anmin held a special status—the eldest son of the Wu Family, a prestigious noble clan from the Western Continent.

For generations, the Wu Family had defended the Western Regions' border on behalf of the Yu Dynasty and was held in high regard. His elder sister sat on the throne as Empress Wu, while his father had once held the esteemed position of chancellor. However, after His Majesty appointed Wu Anmin as the great general, his father retired and returned back to his hometown.

There were many rumors among the people, claiming that Wu Anmin had climbed to his position solely on the backing of his family, father, and elder sister, without possessing any true skill or capability of his own.

It was likely that His Majesty had appointed him to lead the expedition against the Roupu Kingdom to help him build some real military merit. Yet, he felt no interest in this sort of achievement—one that anyone could have easily obtained if they had been sent in his place. Still, he understood that this was a victory the Yu Dynasty needed.

As of now, all Wu Anmin wished for was to end this charade as quickly as possible. Behind him marched over a thousand sturdy soldiers, some mounted on fierce spirit beasts, guarding hundreds of carriages.

Each carriage carried a member of the Roupu Kingdom’s royal family, with standards that were nothing short of extravagant. People who had no idea that an expedition had happened would have thought that this was a welcoming ceremony for the dignitaries in the carriage.

A grand procession passed through the capital, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the citizens. The crowd, having waited since morning, tossed ribbons and garlands to the soldiers, offering fruit baskets and fresh clothes as a gesture of appreciation for their achievements.

It left the soldiers feeling dazed, as if they had genuinely risked their lives in battle for the nation.

The procession to present the captives had to maintain a slower pace.

First, they had to complete the ancestral rites performed ten li outside the city before entering the gates and reaching the imperial city. The entire procession took two hours, providing the citizens with a chance to witness the might of the Yu Dynasty's military.

In the center of Heavenly Street, the owner of a silk shop waved his arms, signaling his staff members to present several rolls of brand-new brocade to the marching soldiers. The staff member handed the rolls directly to the soldiers, prompting a wave of cheers from the surrounding crowd.

However, once the procession had passed, the owner descended from the building, wincing quietly in pain. To gain a good reputation, he had truly made a significant sacrifice.

He pushed aside the hanging cloth in the courtyard, intending to return to his house, when he suddenly noticed a pitch-black humanoid figure huddled in the corner behind the fabric.

"Who's there?" The owner was startled.

At first, he thought a petty thief had snuck in to steal something amidst the presentation, and he intended to drive them away.

But the shadowy figure crouched in the corner trembled uncontrollably, as if suffering from unbearable pain. It muttered, "Help me..."

"Hmm?" The owner's hesitation lingered. "What's wrong with you?"

He cautiously took slow steps forward, moving closer to the shadow in the corner to see what was wrong with the person.

In an instant, the small shadow's eyes gleamed with a fierce blood-red light.

"

Hissssss—

"

At last, the owner could see the shadowy figure in detail. It appeared to be around ten years old, with a dark greenish-black body, veins protruding ominously, and covered in grotesque patterns.

As the owner drew near, the shadow suddenly sprang up and lunged at him!

"Ahhhhhhhh—" The owner stumbled back, losing his balance and falling to the ground. The shadow lunged forward like a wild beast, sinking its teeth into the owner's calf with a vicious bite!

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Helpppppppp!" The sharp pain and overwhelming fear sent the owner into a frantic scream.

Several staff members hurried over at the sound of his cries. Upon seeing their owner being mauled, they quickly grabbed sticks, ready to come to his aid.

However, even as the staff members struck the shadowy figure several times, it didn't budge at all. It continued to gnaw on the owner's leg.

One brave staff member shouted in anger, reaching out with both hands to pull the shadowy figure away. Yet the figure's body felt as hard as iron, its strength overwhelming. No matter how hard he tried, the shadowy figure wouldn’t budge an inch.

Suddenly, the shadowy figure did a flip, knocking the staff member to the ground in an instant.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh—" the staff member screamed as the shadowy figure moved to bite his neck. He felt the impending doom closing in around him!

Swish—

In that critical moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the scene, and a powerful figure suddenly appeared, grasping the child by the head. A golden dragon flickered into view, paralyzing the child's entire body in an instant.

Behind this powerful man stood several cultivators clad in the uniform of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau.

"It's just as Chu Liang had predicted. Thank goodness for his timely warning. Someone is truly trying to stir trouble during the presentation of captives..." The powerful man was none other than Ji Zidian, the celestial official of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau.

Upon receiving news that the Walking Jiangshi Poison had spread to the capital of Yu, Chu Liang immediately deduced that someone would take advantage of the presentation of captives to create chaos.

At that moment, the citizens of the entire city lined both sides of Heavenly Street. If this Walking Jiangshi Poison were to spread on this street, countless individuals would instantly become Walking Jiangshi, leading to unimaginable consequences.

So, he quickly alerted those at the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, including the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, who had already arrived at the palace. Upon receiving the message, they swiftly returned to the scene.

The Imperial Supervisory Bureau and the city patrol guards dispatched all their forces, staying alert for any possible emergence of Walking Jiangshi.

But as the presentation of captives reached the end, screams erupted from both sides of Heavenly Street. Amid the cheering crowds, these cries were swiftly drowned out.

Ji Zidian's expression darkened. "Don’t follow me. Split into pairs and use your divine sense to patrol the streets. If you encounter any more evil entities, detain them immediately! Detain anyone who is poisoned or has been bitten, and send them back to the Imperial Supervisory Bureau! Chu Liang can help clear the toxins in them."

"Yes!" his subordinates behind him replied, accepting the order before swiftly setting off on their task.

...

The disturbance in the rear went unnoticed by the procession that had already passed.

Wu Anmin, riding the Suanni, made his way to the forefront of the imperial city. With a flip, he dismounted and guided his mount to the side. Following his lead, all the soldiers dismounted and began their march into the imperial city to receive their rewards.

The members of the Roupu Kingdom, who had been in the carriages, got off and followed the soldiers, moving forward slowly.

At the front was the King of the Roupu Kingdom, an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, wearing traditional white hemp garments. His dark, cracked skin looked like that of an old fisherman weathered by years at sea.

As he took in the scene before him, he was amazed by the power of the Yu Dynasty. Though he was a ruler himself, there was a vast difference between him and the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty. In comparison, even calling himself a landlord felt like an exaggeration.

The procession soon moved through the numerous palace walls of the imperial city and reached the expansive square in front of the palace. The Emperor of the Yu Dynasty stood on the dragon steps outside the main hall, ready to review the victorious soldiers.

Behind him stood the current civil and military officials of the Yu Dynasty. Aside from those like the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, who had temporarily departed, everyone who could be there was present.

A bright yellow figure stood high above. Wu Anmin was the first to kneel, declaring loudly, "This humble general greets Your Majesty! I have completed the Eastern expedition as commanded!"

Following his lead, those behind him knelt down in unison.

"Hahaha!" The Emperor of the Yu Dynasty laughed heartily from his elevated platform. He waved his hand and declared, "All soldiers, rise! People of the Roupu Kingdom, rise!"

As they rose, the people of Roupu Kingdom, led by their king, reached into the folds of their garments to retrieve grayish-white bone teeth. Those who witnessed this did not stop them as they knew it was their highest form of respect.

Whenever the people of the Roupu Kingdom wished to sincerely pledge allegiance to someone and express their willingness to serve as slaves, they would use a fish tooth to cut their cheeks, symbolizing their loyalty.

At this moment, it was clear that they were about to perform this ritual.

The King of the Roupu Kingdom raised the bone tooth and slowly cut his right cheek, allowing blood to trickle down.

Most of the royal family members behind him had unmarked faces, but some bore scars, likely indicating their previous pledges of loyalty to another king.

Now, a new scar would be added to their faces.

The Yu Dynasty's civil and military officials in front and the soldiers around them all watched with due respect as they completed this ceremony.

However, as the blood trickled down their cheeks, a faint and strange scent began to permeate the air.