Chapter 615: Then Stay Behind Me

The Qinghong Banquet was held in the main hall of the imperial palace. Two hours before the feast began, civil and military officials had already arrived to prepare for entry into the imperial city. This grand event, held once every twelve years, carried greater significance and grandeur than even the New Year's palace banquets for both the imperial family and officials.

However, this time, the atmosphere in the palace felt grim, with an unmistakable sense of unease. The more cautious officials avoided looking around and walked silently, while the bolder ones whispered inquiries, though the answers they received were vague.

Within the palace, a purge was underway. Xiao Wuyin had revealed the complete list of spies that the Celestial Charm Sect had planted. The Night Dragon Hall guards were fully mobilized, executing any resistance on the spot. Cleanup crews followed closely behind, restoring the surroundings to their pristine state in the blink of an eye.

In just two hours, the entire operation ended.

By the time the officials entered the grand hall, all they saw was a scene of opulent splendor.

The main hall of the imperial city was vast, divided into two tiers of steps. The first broad step beneath the dragon throne was reserved for the winning immortal sects to dine. Below that was the hall where nobles and officials, while not partaking in the meat of the Qinghong bird, enjoyed their fine wine and delicacies.

The imperial family and officials took their seats first, followed by the team from the Mount Shu Sect, which was next to enter the imperial hall.

Due to recent events, Chu Liang had been temporarily reassigned and was unfamiliar with the Qinghong Banquet's ceremonial procedures. The palace attendants responsible for this had anticipated some difficulties but never expected the source of the problem to be someone else entirely.

"Esteemed cultivators of the Mount Shu Sect, please follow me," Warrior Lao personally arrived to escort the group into the hall.

Then two groups stood up in the hall.

On the left was Di Nufeng, leading Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai.

On the right was Wang Xuanling, accompanied by Xu Ziyang and Ling Ao.

"Um..." Warrior Lao hesitated to point out that there was an extra Di Nufeng and could only say, "Is there an extra person in your group?"

"There's no extra," Di Nufeng declared, waving her hand. "The Mount Shu Sect is splitting into two teams this time."

"We are Mount Shu Team One," Wang Xuanling interjected.

Di Nufeng turned and glared at him. "THEN WE ARE MOUNT SHU TEAM ZERO!"

"Hmph!" Old Wang huffed, flicking his sleeves angrily.

"Hmph!" Di Nufeng retorted, spinning around indignantly.

The two had been arguing over this issue long before Warrior Lao arrived. If they weren't in the palace, they would have started fighting already. Meanwhile, the four juniors behind them stood nervously, too frightened to utter a word.

"Uh..." Warrior Lao wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile. "This is the first time I've heard of a Team Zero and a Team One... Please wait here while I report this to His Majesty."

With that, the old eunuch scurried back to the main hall to inform the emperor of the situation.

By right, as the second-ranked member of the Four Great Warriors and the emperor's personal steward, Warrior Lao's authority in palace affairs surpassed even that of Yao Dengxian. There was no need to bother the emperor about such a matter—especially when the emperor had just endured the betrayal of not one but two wives. The emperor's mood was undoubtedly sour.

Under normal circumstances, Warrior Lao would have simply waved it off, denying the request. After all, the immortal sects had already submitted the number of attendees for the banquet long ago. Since when was it reasonable to add extra people just because they had won the Assembly of Immortal Sects?

But the person trying to join the feast was someone he dared not offend, so he hurried back to report the matter.

"Hah..." The emperor furrowed his brows upon hearing the situation. "This Second Aunt of mine... Forget it, let her be."

"Your Majesty, that would break the tradition that the ancestors has set," Lao Santai reminded him.

"She's closer to our ancestors than I am—go ask her about it!" the emperor said irritably. "I already have enough headaches. Don't trouble me further with this. Oh, and since there's one more person, let's slaughter an extra Qinghong bird for this year's banquet."

"Your Majesty, it takes five people to finish one Qinghong. Do we really need to kill another just for one more person?" Lao Santai asked in shock.

"Five people? Maybe that's enough elsewhere," the emperor chuckled. "Sixty years ago, when I was still young, I clearly remember that no one ate a full meal during that Qinghong Banquet..."

He shook his head. "Enough. This Second Aunt of mine has done great service today. If not for her early discovery of the corpse, the Qinghong Banquet wouldn't have happened at all. Her disciple has also worked hard. One more Qinghong bird is no big deal."

"But this..." Lao Santai hesitated. "If we make an exception and kill an extra Qinghong bird this year, the next Assembly of Immortal Sects..."

"Who would know if you don't tell them?" the Emperor frowned. "The Qinghong bird is only presented briefly before it is divided and served later. Just tell them that this year's Qinghong bird was well-fed so it's nothing weird if it has a bit more meat."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Lao Santai said. "This year's Qinghong bird has been well-raised. A couple of extra legs or wings won't hurt."

As he was about to leave, the emperor suddenly raised his hand and added, "Oh, and for this year's Qinghong Banquet, change the wine to something with less alcohol."

...

Moments later, a long procession of drum music echoed through the square outside the main hall. At the center of the grand parade were two teams, striding forward with pride and vigor.

It was the two teams of the Mount Shu Sect.

The six of them reached the main entrance of the hall, only to be stopped.

Di Nufeng asked, "Hasn't the banquet started? Why won't you let us in?"

"Before the Qinghong Banquet, you must slay the Four Evils," Jiang Yuebai whispered.

"Slay the Four Evils?" Chu Liang asked, puzzled. "What's that?"

"You weren't present when the palace attendants explained earlier. It's part of the Qinghong Banquet ceremony," Ling Ao said. "The four members from the team that won the assembly must slay four types of evil spirits—demon, devil, ghost, and monster—before entering the banquet to showcase the martial virtues of humanity."

Wang Xuanling looked at Di Nufeng. "Your disciple wasn't there during the explanation, but weren't you there?"

Di Nufeng puffed up her chest and raised her head high. "I forgot!"

Chu Liang thought to himself,

You don't have to be so proud of that.

Then he leaned over to Jiang Yuebai to quietly inquire further, gradually piecing it all together.

It turned out that this ritual originated from the coming-of-age ceremony of the imperial Xia family, back when they were one of the Three Aristocratic Families and brimming with martial virtue.

During the ceremony, the family would arrange a battle for their disciples, typically against local evil entities or spirits. If the young participant succeeded in slaying the evil, they would return triumphant to a grand victory feast.

Of course, those who failed were granted the honor of burial in the ancestral tomb.

After the Xia family's rise to power and the establishment of the Yu Dynasty, this ritual was incorporated into the Qinghong Banquet's proceedings.

The symbolism was clear: the young heroes who won the Assembly of Immortal Sects were not only victors among their peers but also defenders of humanity that would slay evil spirits to protect their kin.

Naturally, the chosen evil spirits for this ceremony weren't powerful demons requiring life-and-death battles. They were typically recently captured troublemakers of moderate strength, selected and delivered here by the Imperial Supervisory Bureau.

It was a mere formality: slay the evil, enter the hall, and bask in the cheers of civil and military officials lining the grand hall, draped in glory.

As they spoke, the prison carts holding the four evil entities were wheeled in.

In the first cart was a boar demon with one broken tusk, clad in armor. Its crimson eyes glowed fiercely, and it reeked of bloodlust.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"The boar demon ravaged villages and slaughtered innocents on the Western Regions' borders. By its crimes, it deserves execution."

A young eunuch beside the cart read aloud from a scroll.

The second cart held a pitch-black devil ape. It looked seventy percent human but had lost all divine intelligence. Even within the cart, it furiously tore at the surrounding seals.

"The devil ape was created by a diabolical sect cultivator, existing solely to kill. This creature was released into Changling City in the Northern Regions to massacre the people, and disaster was averted only thanks to the timely intervention of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau's cultivators."

The third cart contained a nearly transparent ghostly creature resembling a child in size and stature, with bulging, terrifying eyes and sharp fangs.

"The Human-Faced Xiao is a rare and cunning ghostly entity with a vicious temperament. It caused numerous deaths in the Western Regions and evaded capture for over seventy days before being apprehended by the Imperial Supervisory Bureau."

The fourth cart held a demonic monster that was jet-black in color. It resembled a leopard, but it had four wings and three tails and exuded an imposing presence.

"The Three-Tailed Winged Leopard originally lived in the sea. After coming ashore in the Eastern Regions, it wreaked havoc across more than ten cities before being captured."

After reciting the details of the Four Evils, the young eunuch loudly announced, "Will the four disciples of the winning sect please step forward and slay the Four Evils in turn!"

The first cart was slowly pushed forward. Sensing its impending death, the boar demon began violently ramming the cart, causing loud thuds.

Jiang Yuebai glanced at Chu Liang with her bright eyes. Naturally, the first person to slay an evil and enter the hall should be the champion of the Assembly of Immortal Sects.

To her surprise, Chu Liang gently took her hand and said, "You should go first."

"Hmm?" Jiang Yuebai looked puzzled.

Chu Liang smiled and said, "You are the head disciple of Mount Shu, representing the face of our sect. That so-called champion of the Assembly of Immortal Sects was something you gave to me. I've already enjoyed more than enough glory thanks to you. Without your leadership, winning the immortal sects competition would have been impossible. No matter what, the honor of slaying the first evil and entering the hall first today belongs to you."

Jiang Yuebai smiled faintly. "Alright."

With that, she stepped forward as the seals on the prison cart were released. The boar demon lunged out, roaring and displaying such ferocity.

"

Raa—

"

But its roar was cut short as a brilliant sword light split it cleanly in two.

Jiang Yuebai, untainted by a speck of dust, floated gracefully into the hall.

The imperial family members and civil and military officials in the hall cheered and applauded her.

However, some were curious as it was unusual for the champion of the assembly not to be the first to enter the hall.

Judging by the earlier scene, not only was Chu Liang a prodigy, but he also displayed remarkable humility, which was such a rare characteristic.

Jiang Yuebai walked the length of the grand hall, ascended the steps, and took her seat, signaling that it was time for the second person to act.

Before that could happen, Chu Liang turned to Xu Ziyang. "Senior Brother Xu, you should be the second to enter."

"How could I possibly?" Xu Ziyang responded immediately. "It's understandable for the head disciple to go first, but among the rest of us, you've contributed the most. Without you, our sect would not have won..."

"Senior Brother Xu!" Chu Liang grasped Xu Ziyang's arm and said earnestly, "You are older than me and have guided me countless times. I do not have a senior brother at my Silver Sword Peak so I've always considered you my own. You are someone I respect the most! If not for you, our sect would not have won at the Assembly of Immortal Sects. Each one of us played a crucial role! No matter what, you must go ahead of me!"

Seeing him so passionate and sincere, Xu Ziyang was deeply moved. He patted Chu Liang's arm and then strode forward confidently.

As the devil ape was released from its prison cart, Xu Ziyang dispatched it cleanly with a single strike—

shing!

This time, his entry into the hall caused even more surprise.

Chu Liang not only yielded to Jiang Yuebai but also to Xu Ziyang? This was no mere humility.

Chu Liang had demonstrated true nobility.

When Chu Liang turned back, Ling Ao opened his mouth to speak. "I—"

Before he could finish, Chu Liang nodded slightly and said, "Then stay behind me."