Aragorn's smile froze: "Why is that? Do you look down on the position of elder in the merchant guild?"
The atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became heavy, and the others looked at each other, none of them daring to say anything.
Zuan replied, "Uncle, you misunderstand. I'm just used to being free and unrestrained. Besides, I wasn't part of the Order faction before, and I'm not a believer of the Guardians now. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to be an elder."
Isabella quickly chimed in, "Yes, Father, Brother Zu is too young and may not be able to win people's hearts. He has many things to do, so why should we force him to become an elder?"
Aragorn laughed heartily: "That's easy. Here's what we'll do: Azu, you'll become a permanent honorary elder of our merchant guild. You won't have to manage affairs on a daily basis, and you can do whatever you want whenever you want. If you still refuse after all that, does that mean you don't want to be with Isabella?"
Since the other party had already put it that way, Zu'an naturally couldn't refuse any longer: "Then thank you for your kindness, Uncle!"
Aragorn's expression brightened, and he resumed control of the banquet, which quickly returned to its lively atmosphere.
After the banquet, Zu An returned to his room and was chatting with Chu Chuyan when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
When the door opened, Isabella stood somewhat awkwardly in the doorway.
Chu Chuyan stood up and said, "I'll go back to my room first. You two chat."
Isabella hurriedly waved her hand: "Sister Chu, you don't need to leave."
"Bella, what's wrong?" Chu Chuyan sensed that she had something to say, so she took her hand and led her into the room.
The two had been helping each other through the Ceremony of Order for many years, and were no longer as estranged as they had been at the beginning.
Isabella looked at Zuan: "Brother Zuan, why did you refuse my father just now?"
Zuan hesitated, but Isabella spoke first: "Do you suspect that Father actually knew everything all along?"
Zuan looked at her with some surprise. Isabella smiled sadly: "Having lived in the Grand Ceremony for decades, experienced the destruction of the country and the desperate struggle, how could I not have grown at all?"
The flow of time inside the main hall is different from the real time outside. Just like when Zuan and Pei Mianman spent decades in the secret realm, not much time had actually passed outside.
“Indeed, looking back, the entire Order Ceremony is more like a meticulously planned conspiracy,” Zuan said in a deep voice. “Of course, you don’t have to blame your father. This ceremony was probably a power struggle among the True Gods, and the others were just pawns pushed out by them.”
Isabella's eyes reddened: "But I'm still very sad. My uncles and elders have worked together all these years, but they all had their own agendas and betrayed each other during the ceremony. You know, there were many people from the lower and middle classes who were unaware of this. They upheld their faith in order and fought until their last breath. Now they know that their sacrifice was meaningless from the beginning."
Thinking of how many of her comrades-in-arms had died one by one, she could no longer hold back her tears.
"You are a kind girl," Chu Chuyan gently put her arm around her shoulder and whispered words of comfort.
Zuan remained silent. In the eyes of the true god, those who could become pawns were already famous figures in all the heavens and myriad worlds. On the contrary, what about those who died upholding their faith?
"Brother Zu, what are your plans for the future?" With Chu Chuyan's comfort, Isabella regained some composure.
"Someone promised to give me an answer, and I hope to get good news." Zuan thought of how Meng had asked him to witness the Ceremony of Order, saying that after completing the task, he would be told how to find the Goddess of Wushan. He suddenly felt a little nervous. What if he got an answer he didn't want?
"Then stay at the Chamber of Commerce a little longer. I haven't been able to properly entertain you." Isabella said expectantly. Although the Order Ceremony had been going on for decades, the two sides had rarely met and had hardly had time to be together.
Chu Chuyan couldn't help but tease, "Grandpa, you should take this opportunity to get married to Bella."
Isabella blushed instantly: "Ah, that's not what I meant, Sister Chu, you're so naughty..."
As Zuan watched the two girls playfully bickering, a warm smile crept onto his lips.
Suddenly, I felt a sense of disorientation, and the surrounding space began to distort. When I came to my senses, I was in another space.
Sensing the unique aura of a true god, Zu'an was overjoyed, knowing he would soon obtain the method to save the Goddess of Wushan: "Great record..."
"Oh, so you really want to see that guy. Looks like I've come at the wrong time." The lines in the sky twisted and contorted.
Zaun Falls Khan: "Great God of Chaos and Mystery, I was worried that something had happened to you because I did not receive a response when I called out to you in the temple last time. That's why I wanted to inquire about you from the God of Memory. I am so glad to know that you are safe and sound!"
"Heh, you're quite cunning, managing to cover this up." A hint of mockery crept into the dazed voice.
Zuan silently wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "I still have to rely on your magnanimity. By the way, I heard from the God of Memory last time that you were in some trouble and couldn't get out of it. Has it been resolved now?"
"Although it's not completely resolved, it's much better than before, and I have to thank you for that." The hazy voice indicated that He was in a very good mood.
Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He remembered that he had originally entered the Order Ceremony as a Mirror Envoy, but by some twist of fate, he had become Hong Chengchou. He immediately realized, "I became Hong Chengchou. Was all of this your arrangement?"
"Of course, it was just a casual move at first, but I never expected you to turn it into something amazing. I knew I hadn't misjudged you; you're a born historian of time."
Despite receiving His praise, Zuan was not happy at all: "Next time you want me to do something, could you please let me know first? I'm not always this lucky."
He didn't want to experience that feeling of walking a tightrope over a cliff so often.
"Many things cannot be said in advance, and how else can you bring out your potential?"
Zuan felt a surge of anxiety, but dared not let any thoughts arise. He could only say, "Having ruined Ji Mie's plans time and time again, will I be blasted into dust by divine punishment if I walk down the street now?"
"Don't worry, with me protecting you, He won't directly attack you. At most, He'll send the followers of the Order faction to deal with you."
Zuan hesitated for a moment: "But last time you were tied up with something and couldn't show up."
"Ha, even without me, you still have someone protecting you."
"..."
He took a deep breath and asked again, "Where did my companions go after this ceremony?"
"They've simply returned to their respective temples. Don't worry, I checked on them, and they're not in any danger."
Hearing Him say this, Zu'an was completely relieved.
So he boldly asked, "Great God of Chaos and Mystery, I have accomplished such a great feat and offer it to you. I wonder if there is any reward for me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com