“This is prepared for Li Mo, since you have inherited the fate of the Da Shang Empire, breaking it down to establish something new…”
The King of South Border pulled out a yellowish object, cradling it in one hand, and cleared his throat, looking quite serious.
He was about to unfold it and begin the proclamation when he suddenly noticed Li Mo quietly retreating behind the crowd.
Zhong Qin: “?”
“Young Hero Li now has the imperial fate from the previous dynasty, his name is established, and his words flow smoothly; it’s time to achieve great things!”
“The heavens have had enough, let the Phoenix Sky rise! Da Shang thrives, Li Mo shall be King!”
“Exactly, that’s how you memorize the lines.”
“I’ll return home and have the subordinate Carp Clan stuff it into their bellies; who made the Fox Clan memorize their lines properly?”
The South Border monster clan members’ eyes lit up, each of them eager to participate.
“I, oh no, I’m going to become the Supreme Emperor?!”
Li Dalong was initially taken aback by the sudden happiness, then assumed a stance with his hands behind his back, radiating an aura of dominance and authority that didn’t quite fit a mere county official.
And he didn’t forget to embrace Ying Bing:
“My dear, don’t worry, I shall only love you alone from now on.”
“Partners for life!”
They held each other tightly.
“The significance of our Qingyuan Sect going forward…”
Shangguan Wencang discussed with the elders: “Do you think we might become the national sect or national religion or something?”
“I wonder if I’ll be able to manage the national treasury then?” Qian Bufan’s eyes sparkled.
Zhong Qin: “??”
An elder from Tianshan Sword Manor scoffed: “Tianshan Sword Manor, huh? Now that we possess the dragon’s essence, we will surely take over! Hehe!”
“Ah, splendid! The Sword City will reclaim its status as the sacred land of the sword way!”
“Cackle.”
“…..”
Elder Xu fell into silence.
Zhong Qin frowned and cleared his throat, reminding them: “Old Xu, what kind of nonsense is this? Are you guys trying to make trouble with the monster clan?”
It’s one thing for the monster clan to be clueless, but why is Sword City joining in the frenzy?
How will others in the martial world see this?
Elder Xu nodded, scolding the crowd: “Enough with the laughter, you’re laughing more shamelessly than people from the demonic sect. Does this make sense?”
Zhong Qin chimed in: “Exactly, does this make sense!”
Elder Xu continued: “We are doing this with the utmost integrity!”
“That’s right, we must be upright.” Zhong Qin dutifully followed through.
“As royal path practitioners, we must restore order; a laugh should be like this.”
Elder Xu sank his energy into Dantian: “Ha ha ha ha!”
“Ha…” Zhong Qin hadn’t even laughed out loud yet before his expression darkened, despair creeping in.
“What royal path practitioner restoring order—this king was almost led astray by you!”
Elder Xu scratched the back of his head awkwardly: “Well, things just came out like that… strange, how did I get carried away?”
Zhong Qin felt he could no longer count on him, shifting his gaze to Qin Yuzhi and Shang Qin Qing.
“Hey, you two, this has nothing to do with you, just keep bantering!”
“What do you mean this has nothing to do with us?”
“…..”
Zhong Qin was nearly at the end of his rope. Don’t you two know your own roles?
“Young Hero Li, say something!”
Hmm, if Li Mo doesn’t speak soon, someone’s going to break into a coronation tune.
Seeing this, Li Mo had no choice but to step forward, sighing and raising his hands to indicate everyone to quiet down.
He sighed, but what left his lips was:
“Everyone, I’ve told you time and again that I don’t want to wear a yellow robe. You’ve put me through so much trouble…”
“What’s this about a yellow robe? This is a holy edict!”
Zhong Qin shook it and the holy edict unfurled with a flurry.
“…..”
The vast Qingyuan Peak hall suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of the wind remaining.
After what felt like an eternity.
“What a lovely evening; the wind is gentle, and the sun is shining!” Ke Mo looked up at the sky at a forty-degree angle, as if nothing had just happened.
“Alright, alright, enough with the nonsense.”
The King of South Border waved his hands helplessly, handing the holy edict to Ke Mo: “Take this and read it at your leisure.”
Funny how suddenly he also lost interest in reading the decree.
…..
The illegal gathering concluded in this serene and rebellious atmosphere, with everyone claiming they had urgent matters to attend to, including the King of South Border.
But in reality, a notable portion stayed within the Qingyuan Sect.
Speaking of which, since heading to the South Border, these friends from all corners hadn’t gathered for a long time; who would have thought that today, because of him, they all came together.
Once everyone was settled, Ke Mo took Ice Chunk and his parents back to Qiushui Pavilion.
Stepping into Qiushui Pavilion, which he hadn’t visited in ages, especially watching his mother and father look around, he suddenly felt a sense of relaxation and comfort.
“Mom, let’s cook together.”
“You should rest; you just recovered from serious illness. Don’t tire yourself out.”
“It’s no trouble at all. By the way, where’s Dad?”
“He said as the Supreme Emperor, he must know the rules and that he wouldn’t eat after the designated meal time.”
“???”
Ke Mo thought he knew his father had a flair for the dramatic, but usually, he was diligent, so why was he putting on such a show this time?
Wait!
Something feels off, it’s not just Dad and the others nearby; he realized he also felt a bit off himself; earlier at the peak, he meant to tell everyone to stop fooling around, but in the end, it turned into ‘you’ve put me through suffering’…
He knew himself well enough; while he had an interest in being a carefree sword immortal, kingship or power held no allure for him.
“Could it be the atmosphere is just affecting everyone?”
Ke Mo pondered while preparing the dishes.
Hmm.
At least he felt at ease cooking with his mother; no lowly person would dare poison…
As night deepened, Qiushui Pavilion lay still beneath the sound of cicadas and the scent of fireworks.
Shang Qin Qing, Qin Yuzhi, Shang Wu, along with the South Border monster clan members and Elder Qian, came drawn by the aroma.
Fortunately, Ke Mo had anticipated this and prepared a generous amount earlier, and the ingredients were exceptional.
Once inside Qiushui Pavilion, the monster clan seemed quite restrained.
“Is that still~~ the Qingluan Divine Maiden~~?”
“Why wouldn’t it be…. wait until you’re married….”
Wu Qing followed their gaze.
Amidst the scents of cooking, Ying Bing, with her hair styled in braids and wearing a simple plain robe, was sweeping the dust off Qiushui Pavilion, along with the mess left by Shang Wu after drinking.
As Ke Mo walked by with dishes in hand, she stopped him and rolled up his sleeves.
“The cuffs are hard to wash; go on.”
Ying Bing coolly finished and, with a hint of reluctance, flipped his collar out.
“After marriage,~~ will you learn this~~?” Mambo asked.
“…..”
Wu Qing nodded but still found the whole scenario quite surreal.
Earlier, the monster clan had been indirectly questioning Shang Qin Qing, as this had long been her curiosity.
Ke Mo seems to have some divine powers; we can tentatively consider it shape-shifting martial arts, allowing him to adapt like a member of the monster clan.
But how did Ying Bing manage it?
And why did she carry an overpowering aura that made one feel compelled to submit, a pressure that seemed to stem from the depths of the soul…
Shang Qin Qing pointed a finger upwards.
At that moment, all the monster clan looked up.
But all they saw was the pitch-black night sky.
Qin Yuzhi even uttered a rather strange remark.
Something about whether little Ke could stand there and speak; presumably, the final verdict was already a done deal…
