Chapter 502: Ancient Yue Zhang Yan

The capital of the commandery was held aloft in the hands of the statue of the Profound Nether Ancient Emperor. At the place closest to the statue, there existed a massive plaza.

This plaza was large enough to hold a million people, paved with bluestone, featuring a ninety-nine-step high platform, and surrounded by nine hundred and ninety-nine massive dragon-carved pillars.

At this moment, beneath the altar, only several hundred thousand people were permitted to attend.

These several hundred thousand people stood there in silence; among them were Sword Holders, cultivators from the Palace of Administration, the Palace of Law, and the commandery government. Each was dressed neatly, yet their expressions were filled with mourning.

On their chests, each wore a black flower.

The arrival of Xu Qing and Kong Kong Xianglong drew the gaze of many; within these gazes were sorrow, complexity, and reminiscence...

When they reached the ranks of the Sword Holders, the Sword Holders in front of them stepped back in unison, clearing a path to the very front. Xu Qing's footsteps faltered.

Kong Kong Xianglong remained expressionless, walking forward until he reached the very front, where he lowered his head and stood motionless.

Xu Qing did not go over; he arrived at the Captain's side.

The Captain patted Xu Qing on the shoulder. The two remained silent, waiting in this solemn and grave atmosphere.

All around was quiet, save for the sense of mourning that gathered upon these hundreds of thousands of cultivators, spreading throughout the capital, rising within the three great palaces, and diffusing across the Fenghai Commandery lands and the entire Fenghai Commandery.

The clouds in the firmament churned at this moment, and the dim sky, moved by the sorrow of the earth, let fall rain.

The pattering curtain of rain fell upon the bluestone, creating a splashing sound, and also fell upon the bodies of everyone present.

No one used their cultivation base to avoid it, letting the rain fall upon them.

Until, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, following a roar of heavenly thunder and the appearance of countless bolts of lightning in the clouds, several figures walked from the distance, step by step to the plaza, and step by step up the stairs.

The appearance of these people caused the hundreds of thousands of cultivators present to lower their heads.

Among them were the Vice Palace Masters of the Sword Holding Palace, the Palace of Law, and the Palace of Administration, as well as three middle-aged men who had changed into plain clothes but still radiated a murderous aura.

These three were the commanders arranged by the Imperial Prince to take over the three great palaces.

Besides them, the Commandery Chancellor was also among them, his expression heavy.

And at the very front of this group was a young man wearing a yellow robe.

"Flood dragon totems on the deluge, phoenixes reborn in the raging fire."

"Today, I report to the Profound Nether Ancestral Emperor and memorialize to the Profound War Human Emperor: our human race's defense of Fenghai has brought peace to a commandery, protected eight hundred years of spring and autumn, and established over a dozen cycles of peace. Furthermore, there are countless heroes, with the three palaces at the forefront."

"The Palace Master of the Palace of Administration, who treated subordinates with courtesy; the Palace Master of the Palace of Law, who was humble, righteous, and brave; the Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace, who was loyal and dedicated to duty."

"The heroic souls of Fenghai, their spirit vast and righteous, dimming the stars and moon. For a thousand years of the nation, for a thousand generations of ancestors, how much glory and shame have risen and fallen, how many times have we seen prosperity and decline."

"I mourn that the heavens and earth are about to collapse, and grieve that the stars of the blue sky have sunk. The objects remain but the people are gone; seeing the past and recalling it brings tears like snow. The sorrow rises from within, and I cannot restrain myself."

When the Seventh Imperial Prince reached this point, his eyes were full of sorrow, his expression downcast, and his words paused.

The people on the ground were filled with grief, and cries could not help but break out, echoing in all directions.

"However, the fire of the human race shall never be extinguished for ten thousand generations, and the hearts of the human race are hard for the gods to bury. I shall petition the Human Emperor to send the Fenghai heroes into the Soul Temple, erect a Tablet of Peace, and enjoy the offerings of incense for ten thousand generations!"

"Our race has had ancients before us, brilliant as the stars, and those who come after, a hall of heroes. With the movement of the Qian, we strive unceasingly; with the tolerance of the Kun, we carry all things with virtue."

"The ancestors of our clan are admired by all; we gather for this grand event to build a shrine and let their names endure. Let this be shown to future generations, never to be forgotten."

The Seventh Imperial Prince's sorrowful voice spread across the firmament. At this moment, the bells from every state and every sect in Fenghai Commandery also reached this place, echoing throughout the entire Fenghai Commandery.

The entire commandery mourned together.

Beneath the capital city, the highest sword pavilion on the ground, which represented the Palace Master, suddenly collapsed and fell, turning into fly ash and scattering across the land of the capital.

【Note: This line was merged with 33 in the source text structure.】

Cries erupted uncontrollably from the mouths of these hundreds of thousands of cultivators, their tears having long since blended with the rain, indistinguishable from one another.

Xu Qing's vision was somewhat blurred; he could not tell if it was the sorrow of his heart or the haziness of the rain curtain. Vaguely, he seemed to see the Palace Master's figure standing there once more.

This figure was infinitely tall and majestic, supporting the sky of Fenghai Commandery after the Commandery Governor's death.

With sorrow churning in his heart, Xu Qing suddenly remembered a sentence once spoken by the Immortal Immortal Zixuan.

"Xu Qing, when you have respect for this organization and the people within it, and from that, develop reverence, perhaps you will have your answer."

At that time, Xu Qing had confusion in his heart; he had not truly identified with the Sword Holders. But now, standing in this rain curtain, the sorrow in his heart contained a deep sense of reverence.

Regrettably, the figure in the rain could only remain in his memory, separated by the boundary of life and death. The only physical object left to him was the Palace Master's token.

With the Palace Master's death and the Sword Holding Palace being taken over by the Seventh Imperial Prince's commanders, all authority had been stripped away, leaving only the power of a forbidden magic treasure of the capital left behind by the Palace Master, along with permission for one final deployment.

After a long time, in this world shrouded in sorrow, the voice of the Seventh Imperial Prince standing on the high platform echoed once again.

This time, there was no sorrow, but an incomparable determination and a heaven-shaking murderous intent, causing thunder to appear in the firmament, roaring in all directions. Even the four-clawed golden dragon within it possessed infinite ferocity, rising into the world.

"I announce to the entire Fenghai Commandery: the death of the Commandery Governor, the calamity of the war, the fall of the three palaces, and the blood of the heroes—the person behind all of this has now been identified!"

Xu Qing looked up abruptly.

"Yao Yao Tianyan, descendant of the Human Race Heavenly Marquis, has lost his mind. He has consistently shielded outsiders in Fenghai Commandery, colluded with the Saint-Lan, murdered the Commandery Governor, plunged Fenghai into the flames of war, betrayed the human race, and harmed the lives of countless people in Fenghai!"

"It has also been verified that the collapse of the northern front is related to him. This person's crimes are heinous. Today, this Prince issues a decree: the entire territory of Fenghai is to issue a wanted notice for the traitor Yao, and I shall memorialize to the Human Emperor for the entire human territory to issue a wanted notice for him!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a surge of monstrous rage erupted directly from the hundreds of thousands of cultivators below, and even more anger erupted from the citizens of the capital who heard these words.

The things the Yao Hou had done over these years had long since caused dissatisfaction among many humans, and curses against him had existed at every moment.

Such as shielding outsiders repeatedly, intermarrying with outsiders, acting in collusion like jackals and wolves, being worse than pigs and dogs, a traitor to the human race, devoid of conscience, and bowing and scraping to outsiders.

All these curses

echoed for eight hundred years.

In the eyes of the world, it seemed that in Yao Hou's eyes, the interests of outsiders were supreme, and the honor and disgrace of outsiders were the most important.

Compared to this, the human race counted for nothing.

This point had accumulated in the hearts of the capital's cultivators for eight hundred years, long since turning into intense resentment. When Xu Qing first arrived at the capital, he had heard those around him cursing Yao Hou in private more than once.

And his betrayal, looking at it now, was a logical conclusion!

Even as early as when the Commandery Governor died, there had already been many voices suspecting Yao Hou.

At this moment, especially the cultivators of the three great palaces, their eyes were incomparably bloodshot.

The murderous intent at this instant was unprecedented.

The fall of the Palace Master was a sharp pain in the hearts of all Fenghai Commandery Sword Holders, and avenging the Palace Master was the mission of their entire group.

"Kill Yao Hou!"

"Avenge the Palace Master!"

"Avenge the Commandery Governor!"

"Avenge the countless sons of our Fenghai Commandery who sacrificed themselves!!"

"The Yao family, the whole clan deserves to die!!"

On the ground, within the military camps, intense murderous intent also erupted at this moment. Countless soldiers simultaneously emitted a chilling aura, rising to the heavens and causing the rain in the firmament to pause!

And Yao Yao Yunhui in the crowd trembled, sorrow appearing in her eyes. The people around her glared at her with anger, each stepping back, as if feeling dirty just by being near her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to make a sound.

It was the same for Zhang Zhang Siyun; soon, amidst the arrival of a group of Imperial Capital soldiers, the mother and son were both taken away.

The commotion in the crowd was clearly seen by the Seventh Imperial Prince on the high platform. His gaze swept over Zhang Zhang Siyun, seemingly casual, with a flicker that was almost imperceptible.

And at this moment in the capital, at the Yao Fu, Yao Hou's younger sister, Yao Yao Feihe, had tears streaming down, falling onto her neat lapels, staining them dark.

"Brother... was it worth it?"

Yao Yao Feihe closed her eyes. The mansion where she resided roared as the people arranged by the Seventh Imperial Prince broke in, and all the women, children, and elderly left in the family were bound.

She did not offer any resistance, letting the group of soldiers approach and seize her.

Even as these Yao family women and children were being led out of the Yao Fu, there were many citizens of the capital around who spat on them, cursing incessantly, the hatred in their eyes as if they wanted to devour their flesh and blood.

In the distance, Li Li Shitao arrived a step too late. She stood there with a grief-stricken expression, but was powerless to do anything.

The anger of countless people from the capital could drown out all voices in the flames of fury.

Er Gen