We followed the large group to Posuo Lake. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and its clear light shone on the lake, adding a mysterious touch to the Lotus Terrace.
Several tourist boats on the lake surrounded the Lotus Platform in an irregular circle.
The altar had already been set up on the stage, waiting for the chosen talented men and beautiful women to go up and offer wine.
All the red chips were gathered in one place, and a special flag officer was assigned to count them.
Just as Changping said, there can only be one beauty, and this year is no exception; without a doubt, it is Consort Cheng.
However, no one knows who this talented person is.
Amidst everyone's anticipation, the flag officer read out the talented scholar's name.
“The Prince of the South, An Qingfeng.”
The crowd cheered.
Qing and the others looked curiously toward the altar, where they saw a handsome young man walk onto the cruise ship and slowly move toward the lotus platform.
Qinghe stroked his chin: "I've never heard of this young master. What's the background of this Prince of the South?"
No one answered her; clearly Changping was not there, and they had lost their guide.
Someone in front heard her question and kindly turned around to answer it for her.
"This Prince of the South is extraordinary. He is the pillar and backbone of our Tianqi Kingdom, with numerous military achievements. Back then, it was he and his father who fought on the battlefield to reclaim the territory, which led to the Tianqi Kingdom we have today. Although the Prince of the South is old now, his position in the court is second only to the emperor!"
“Oh,” Qinghe nodded, “I see.”
The man continued, “The Prince of Nan comes from a prominent family and is a man of deep feelings. Years ago, a girl who had drifted to the capital came to visit. The Prince of Nan fell in love with her at first sight and said he would marry no one but her. The old prince strongly opposed it, saying that they were not a good match and that a beggar was not qualified to enter the royal palace. But the Prince of Nan did not care and even wanted to elope with the girl. The old prince only had this one son, and he could not bear to part with him. In the end, he agreed to the marriage.”
Qinghe, engrossed in the conversation, decided to sit down at the nearest tea stall, order a cup of tea, and listen while sipping.
"That girl must be very beautiful."
The man slapped his thigh: "That's right! I even helped that girl when she was homeless. She was absolutely stunning, like a fairy descended from heaven! With such good-looking parents, it's no wonder their child is so handsome. Look, this Prince An is one of the ten most handsome men in the capital."
"Cough cough..." Qinghe choked on the words "Top Ten Handsome Men," "Top Ten Handsome Men?"
“Yes,” the man said, sitting down as well. “This Prince An is ranked third.”
Qinghe raised an eyebrow, covered her mouth with her fan, and muttered, "You ancient people really know how to have fun." Then she asked loudly, "Who was first? Why wasn't he chosen?"
The man said, "The first one is that one." He pointed in a direction, and Qinghe looked up and saw a profile at the very front of the shore of Posuo Lake.
"That one is the king's youngest son, who is very much loved. He is undoubtedly handsome, but he has a bad temper, which is probably why he was not chosen."
Although only a profile view was visible, one could vaguely discern the anger and resentment on the face of the most handsome man.
The talented man and beautiful woman had already taken the stage; the two stunningly beautiful women and handsome men standing together were a feast for the eyes, and the cheers from the audience reached a climax. Qinghe, standing amidst them, felt as if he had entered a singer's concert.
In the distance, Mo Zhanli's gaze was cold, a smile playing on his lips as he stared at the altar. After a moment, he tilted his head slightly.
The attendant beside him immediately understood, cleared his throat, and shouted, "The altar libation begins!"
As the cannons boomed across the sky, all the people of Tianqi Kingdom seemed to hear a call to action, and one after another, they knelt down and devoutly shouted out their slogans.
"May the heavens bestow blessings upon all living beings, and may the heavenly officials grant them blessings through the prayers of all believers!"
The scene was so spectacular and breathtaking that it was truly awe-inspiring!
The shouts assaulted the ears of the group, who watched the scene without uttering a word.
Dragon heads surrounded the lotus platform, from which water gushed forth. Prince An and Consort Cheng poured the finest Dragon Pool wine into the ravines on the altar. The wine flowed down the ravines to the dragon heads, merging with the lake water, thus creating the endless flow of the Zi River.
The purpose of offering libations is to pray for blessings. This amber, passed down through generations, represents reverence and faith.
Even in the world of cultivation, it is unavoidable.
Having faith is a good thing.
It lasted for more than half an hour, until the sacrificial ceremony ended. Qinghe could still hear those slogans in her ears. She patted her ears and shook her head.
Li Jiang Mudong next to her was also doing the same thing, which looked a bit funny at first glance.
Mo Junqian's gaze remained fixed on Qinghe. Seeing that she never looked at him, he lowered his head, his expression somewhat gloomy.
So he didn't notice Qing's slightly complicated gaze as she looked at him.
Suddenly, Shen Xun tugged at her sleeve and pointed to the sky: "They're here."
Qinghe looked up and saw a dazzling array of stars.
The next instant, a streak of red light flashed across the sky, and a phoenix and a dragon appeared, their momentum as powerful as a rainbow.
Someone exclaimed, "It's Apocalypse Academy! People from Apocalypse Academy have arrived!"
Before the words were even finished, everyone looked up at the sky, and the cultivators who had come to the capital earlier also became excited.
The magical beast landed, stirring up a gust of wind. Qinghe recognized the beast as a nine-headed Fiery Phoenix.
A voice nearby murmured, "Look! It's a high-level magical beast, the Nine-Headed Fiery Phoenix! Could it be the Dean?"
"It seems so, but the dean has never participated in the flower viewing and wine offering in the past. Why is he doing it this time..."
Qing frowned. Could it be that the dean of Tianqi Academy has arrived?
In my memory, the dean of Apocalypse Academy in the book was just a minor character. I wonder what role he will play now that the plot has changed?
A man descended from the monster in the distance. He was dressed in a simple gray robe, appeared to be middle-aged, with a small wisp of white hair tied up on his head. His expression was cold and unsmiling.
This person is none other than Zhuge Hongming, the dean of Tianqi Academy.
As soon as he landed, Mo Zhanli quickly walked over to greet him, saying, "I am very pleased that the Dean has come to visit in person!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand to pat Zhuge Hongming's shoulder in a gesture of friendliness, but Zhuge Hongming dodged to the side. With a stern face, he said indifferently, "Your Majesty is too kind."
Mo Zhan's hand missed its target, and he smiled somewhat awkwardly.
A young man dressed as a disciple stepped in to smooth things over: "It's been a long time since I've seen Your Majesty. How have you been?"
Mo Zhanli looked at the young disciple and said, "Oh, it's Luo Fan. You've matured a lot and your cultivation has improved. You have a bright future ahead of you."
The man named Luo Fan smiled sheepishly: "Your Majesty, please don't flatter me. In terms of cultivation, you and your master are truly unparalleled in this world."
Zhuge Hongming was completely unmoved by the flattery, but Mo Zhanli seemed to enjoy it, laughing and saying, "You silly child!"
A courtier reminded Mo Zhanli that several important figures, surrounded by others, were moving towards the palace.
The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only Qing and a few others behind.
Qinghe turned to look at Li Jiang and saw that he had a serious expression and was deep in thought with his head down.
Qinghe patted him on the shoulder and said, "You didn't expect Zhuge Hongming to come, did you?"
Li Jiang nodded: "Indeed, I didn't expect it. Someone of his status would never come to participate in such a folk ceremony. He must have come for the divine pearl."
Mu Dong, who had bought some pastries at some point, stuffed a piece into his mouth and said with his cheeks puffed out, "I just don't know if he's friend or foe. If he helps us, and given his relationship with the King of Tianqi, it will definitely be twice as effective."
Li Jiang took away his pastries and said coldly, "I've said it before, the relationship between the five sects is unusual. Perhaps that mysterious person behind the scenes has already planted spies among them. The search for the Divine Pearl must be carried out in secret, and we must not act rashly."
Mu Dong snatched the pastries back and pouted, "Okay, okay."
Li Jiang shook her head helplessly, then turned to Qing He: "Anyway, you have to be careful."
Qinghe gave him a reassuring look and then looked away. His wandering gaze passed through the dispersing crowd, swept over Zhuge Hongming in the distance, and landed on the nine-headed Fiery Phoenix beside him.
Qing stared at it intently, her gaze filled with inquiry.
High-level magical beasts like the Nine-Headed Fiery Phoenix possess powerful spiritual energy and advanced intelligence, enabling them to think independently and even speak human language.
At that moment, it sensed someone staring intently at it. Its blood-red eyes darted around, and it slowly turned its neck to look at Qinghe's location.
Their eyes met, and even from a great distance, Qinghe could feel the belligerent nature and volatile temperament in its blood, as if it could erupt in fury at any moment and start a great battle.
Taming such a magical beast is no easy task.
"But..." Qinghe smiled and muttered to herself, "If we had this, it would be a huge help in the future..."
A moment later, the Nine-Headed Fiery Phoenix was taken away by Zhuge Hongming's accompanying disciples. Qinghe kept a close eye on it until it was completely out of sight before turning his gaze away.
The crowd dispersed quickly, perhaps because they had been busy all day and were going home to rest early, but for them, the main event was just beginning.
Li Jiang and Mu Dong left first, lying in ambush outside the palace to provide backup, while the remaining three went into the palace for a banquet with Chang Ping, who had come to find them.
On the way to the palace, Changping kept talking about the rules of the banquet. Qinghe listened to her while observing the surrounding environment.
The palace walls and courtyards, with their glazed bricks and tiles, exude a heavy sense of oppression despite their majestic and beautiful appearance.
As soon as Qinghe stepped into this place, he felt uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because of the layers of barriers that were set up here, or perhaps it was because he simply didn't have a good feeling about this kind of place built with blood and human bones.
Although they differed from the palaces I had imagined, they all felt confined and cold.
Historical dramas, they really live up to their reputation.
Just as he was lost in thought, Changping suddenly flashed in front of Qinghe, causing Qinghe to stop abruptly.
Changping pouted, looking rather cute: "Did you remember everything I said?"
Qing smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble."
Changping was dazzled by the smile, blinked, and giggled, "That's good." She shuffled her feet closer to Qinghe, "Actually, I don't mind that you're causing me trouble..."
The voice was a little soft, and Qinghe didn't hear it clearly: "What?"
Changping stuck out his tongue: "It's nothing, let's go quickly."
"Um."
A few crows flew overhead, their mournful cries heralding the arrival of night.
Tonight is destined to be an unusual night.
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