Kong Xuan stared at Zhong Shan, a strange light flickering in his eyes. anwhile, Mr. Corpse and the others remained on high alert. After all, Kong Xuan's fearso reputation was well-known across the vast world. The wounds he had suffered in the past had mysteriously healed, and if he were to strike now, it would be far more dangerous than dealing with Zilu!
"Attending Ying's grand birthday celebration?" Kong Xuan frowned slightly as he spoke.
Nangong Sheng found this reaction sowhat odd. Given the deep enmity Kong Xuan held towards the Sacred King from their ti in the smaller world, his attitude was unexpected. The Sacred King had not only destroyed the Longevity World but had also fought against Kong Xuan himself.
Yet, before him now, Kong Xuan showed no sign of aggression.
Nangong Sheng was puzzled, and even Mr. Corpse couldn't decipher the situation. Even Hao ili was prepared to curse Kong Xuan at any mont.
But Zhong Shan understood.
There are no eternal enemies in this world—at least so grudges can be resolved.
Although there was enmity between him and Kong Xuan, it didn't necessarily an it couldn't be settled.
Kong Xuan's tone made it clear that he had t Ying, or at least encountered him in the Great Thousand World. Perhaps they had even ford so sort of alliance, and since Zhong Shan was a guest invited by Ying, the old grudges seed less significant.
"Are you going as well?" Zhong Shan nodded slightly.
Kong Xuan didn't answer Zhong Shan but instead cast a deep, lingering gaze at the group before him, then with a flicker of his figure, flew back towards the East Sea.
Only after Kong Xuan had left did Mr. Corpse and Nangong Sheng finally relax, letting out a small sigh of relief. Kong Xuan's reputation was indeed overwhelming.
Zhong Shan watched Kong Xuan's departing figure, his expression growing solemn as he took a deep look, then turned back to the others.
"Since everyone is here, let's move on," Zhong Shan said.
"Understood!" The group nodded in agreent.
"You four can return now," Xiao Jin said to the four Dragon Princes.
"Us? But our father instructed us to stay by your side," the lead Dragon Prince from the East Sea said with a troubled expression.
"I'm not even in the East Sea anymore, why do you need to follow ?" Xiao Jin retorted indifferently.
"This... we need our father's permission. Otherwise, why don't you co back to the Dragon Palace with us?" the East Sea Dragon Prince suggested, looking even more distressed.
At this mont, Zhong Shan had no intention of seeing Kong Xuan again. The earlier eting was more than enough. Ying's relationship with him had suppressed their old enmity, but no one could guarantee that another encounter wouldn't lead to conflict.
"There's no need! Ti is running short," Zhong Shan shook his head.
"How about this—my uncle is also heading to Dongzhou to congratulate Ying. I can accompany you, and once I get my uncle's permission, I won't have to follow you anymore. Besides, we've been to Dongzhou before, so we can show you the way to Xianyang Sacred City," the East Sea Dragon Prince offered.
"Yes, we know exactly where Xianyang Sacred City is!" another Dragon Prince eagerly added.
"Alright then," Zhong Shan nodded in agreent.
The group continued on their journey, now joined by Xiao Jin and the four Dragon Princes, who were sowhat of a burden.
Of course, with Dongzhou just ahead, these four burdens would soon be left behind, saving Zhong Shan's group from the trouble of locating Xianyang Sacred City.
Along the way, Hao ili vividly recounted the scenes she had witnessed in the Heavenly Court.
As she described the arrival of a Saint, the Dragon Princes pricked up their ears. In the past, they had grumbled about the Dragon Palace being subordinate to the Heavenly Court, thinking that the Jade Emperor was too weak to be worthy of their allegiance. But now, they realized—was this weak Jade Emperor actually this powerful? Could it be true?
Had they really fought against a Saint?
The once-arrogant Dragon Princes, who had prided themselves on their noble status, found their haughtiness subdued as they approached the grandeur of Dongzhou.
Dongzhou lay just beyond the vast East Sea, separated from the Four Great Continents by this expansive body of water. Though the East Sea was imnse, it had its limits. After a month of travel, the group finally reached the borders of Dongzhou.
Two more months of flight brought them to the outskirts of Xianyang Sacred City.
Even from a distance, they could see countless glittering lights converging from all directions—these were not the effects of formations but rather treasures. Precious, luminous artifacts from all over the world were gathering to celebrate Ying's 90,000th birthday.
"All travelers, halt! By order of the Sacred King, flying is prohibited within the Xianyang Sacred City's boundaries during the grand celebration!" a commanding voice rang out.
Below, a large contingent of soldiers watched Zhong Shan and his group warily, their weapons drawn.
"Given the circumstances, let's land," Zhong Shan suggested.
The group nodded in agreent.
They descended and landed in a large plaza filled with enormous demonic beasts, each carrying various treasures from all corners of the world. It was clear that people had co not only to celebrate but also to showcase their wealth and power.
Seeing Zhong Shan's group land, the soldiers relaxed slightly. Most of the soldiers dispersed, leaving one to approach.
"Are you here to celebrate the Sacred King's birthday?" the soldier asked.
"Indeed," Zhong Shan nodded.
"Do you possess a Great Qin household registration?" the soldier inquired.
"No," Zhong Shan replied directly.
"I am the Crown Prince of the East Sea. My uncle is currently in Xianyang Sacred City..." the East Sea Dragon Prince quickly spoke up, trying to assert his status.
However, the soldier rely glanced at the Dragon Prince, dismissing him with a look that indicated he didn't care in the least.
"Without household registration, entry to Xianyang is prohibited," the soldier stated firmly.
"Oh?" Zhong Shan raised an eyebrow in slight confusion.
"Do you have an invitation?" the soldier asked next.
"We do," Zhong Shan confird.
Upon hearing this, the soldier's deanor softened considerably. An invitation ant they were esteed guests of Great Qin.
"At the end of the plaza, there is a red palace. That is where those with invitations are received. Please proceed there," the soldier instructed.
"Understood," Zhong Shan nodded, seeing no need to argue.
The group made their way to the end of the bustling plaza. The entire area was filled with the sounds of people, all seemingly here to celebrate the grand event. Yet, those without permission were not allowed to enter the sacred city. Those carrying treasures were all converging toward a distant blue structure, surrounding it completely.
Zhong Shan's group, however, headed toward the red building.
Above the red building, a large plaque read: "Noble Guest House."
Around the Noble Guest House, a large number of Great Qin guards stood watch, protecting those who held invitations.
As Zhong Shan and his group approached, a guard at the entrance stepped forward to greet them, "Do you possess an invitation from Great Qin?"
"We do," Zhong Shan confird.
"Please, co inside!" the guard imdiately invited them.
Zhong Shan's group was quickly ushered into the building, drawing envious glances from those outside who were previously flaunting their treasures.
They were led to a side hall where two officials dressed in Great Qin court robes were waiting.
One of the officials stepped forward, introducing himself, "I am the Left Pushe of this Noble Guest House, and this is the Right Pushe. The head of the house has temporarily stepped out to handle matters at another Noble Guest House, so we ask for your understanding."
"Oh? How many Noble Guest Houses has Great Qin prepared for this event?" Zhong Shan asked.
"Eight hundred in total. This is the 364th house," the Left Pushe imdiately replied.
Clearly, those who held invitations were esteed guests of Great Qin, and they could not afford to offend them.
"Hmm," Zhong Shan nodded thoughtfully. To have so many people attending, and with just one guest house plaza, it made one wonder about the scale of the entire event—eight hundred guest houses, each likely teeming with visitors. Could this be an everyday occurrence?
"Honored guests, our duty here at the Noble Guest House is to receive those with invitations. May I kindly ask you to present your invitation so that I may verify it and prepare transportation to Xianyang Sacred City?" the Left Pushe requested.
"Of course," Zhong Shan agreed, reaching into his sleeve to retrieve the black-gold invitation that Wang Jian had given him.
The Left Pushe respectfully accepted the invitation, but as soon as the black-gold invitation touched his hand, his expression shifted dramatically.
The Right Pushe beside him also froze, his face stiffening at the sight of the invitation.
The two exchanged a bewildered glance, and then the Left Pushe's deanor changed completely. The previous respectfulness vanished, replaced by a cold, stern gaze.
"What's the matter? Finished examining it?" Zhong Shan asked calmly.
The Left Pushe shot a cold look at Zhong Shan, his voice icy, "You dare present a fake invitation? What are your intentions?"
"Hmm?" The group collectively raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Are you saying this is a fake?" Zhong Shan asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"I've seen countless invitations over the past few months, but never anything as audacious as this. You've fabricated an invitation, and such a poor attempt at that!" the Left Pushe scoffed.
"What do you an by that?" Hao ili demanded angrily.
"Hmph! There are only three colors of invitations—red, yellow, and blue. Yet you've dared to create a black one? Such audacity!" the Left Pushe finally erupted in anger.
He felt insulted, as if they thought he was colorblind. If they were going to fake an invitation, could they not at least put so effort into it? This was beyond absurd—a black invitation? He had seen hundreds of invitations in recent months, and not a single one was black.
The Left Pushe was fuming, while the Right Pushe quickly intervened to calm him down. "Please, take it easy. I believe these guests are simply eager to witness the grandeur of the Sacred King. Although the invitation is a forgery, the craftsmanship is quite decent, which shows so effort. Many people wish to congratulate the Sacred King; they ca with good intentions, so there's no need to get too angry."
The Left Pushe nodded, cooling down a bit. After all, it was a joyous occasion for the Sacred King, and causing a scene would be inappropriate.
"Please, return from whence you ca. Or, you may head to the gift exchange area to exchange your offerings for entry into Xianyang," the Right Pushe suggested politely.
The group stood in silence for a mont.
"Are you certain there are only three colors of invitations? Or have you simply only seen three?" Zhong Shan asked, feeling sowhat amused.
The two officials paused, suddenly unsure. Indeed, they had only ever seen three colors, and their superior had only ntioned three. What if this was so sort of special guest? What if they were showing disrespect to soone important?
The Left Pushe broke into a cold sweat at the thought.
"My apologies. Allow to inspect it again," the Left Pushe quickly said.
Zhong Shan nodded, allowing him to proceed.
The Left Pushe carefully opened the invitation and took a closer look. After only a mont, he snapped it shut, his face paling even further.
He turned to Zhong Shan's group, his eyes blazing with anger.
"What now?" the Right Pushe asked curiously.
The Left Pushe took a deep breath before speaking, "The Noble Guest House is a prestigious institution of Great Qin, not a place for you to play gas. A black invitation? I've never seen such a thing before. I could consider the possibility of a fourth type of invitation, but the writing inside, though bold and elegant, doesn't match any handwriting I've ever seen. Every invitation was personally overseen by Pri Minister Li Si. The red invitations were handwritten by Li Si himself, while the yellow and blue ones were penned by three hundred officials from the Ministry of Rites. I may have many shortcomings, but I never forget handwriting. This invitation's script does not belong to any of those officials!"
The Left Pushe was thoroughly enraged. The handwriting on this invitation was unlike anything he had ever seen in the official ranks. How dare this group repeatedly try to impersonate distinguished guests?
Zhong Shan's eyes glead with a peculiar light. Indeed, the handwriting was not Li Si's—it was from Ying himself.
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link syoutu.be/GnU613H6xm8
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