Chapter 671: The Grand Ceremony

Today's Great Xia City was decked out in lanterns and bunting everywhere, with all manner of celebratory ceremonies popping up one after another; the atmosphere throughout the entire city gave one the feeling of oil being seared over a blazing fire.

House Luolan Mansion.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge had finished their preparations to head out. Today's coronation ceremony concerned the future layout of Great Xia, so naturally they could not afford to miss it.

The morning sunlight poured down, and the youth standing before the steps had a tall, upright frame; his rather distinctive grey-white hair shimmered in the light, and his handsome features bore lines as if carved from a statue, with a smile hanging upon them that made it impossible to resist feeling a sense of fondness for him.

The girl at his side also had a slender, delicate figure; her long legs beneath the battle skirt were straight and rounded, glowing with a jade-like radiance, and her looks were even more exquisite. The only difference from the genial youth was that her temperament appeared somewhat cooler and more aloof—those deep, clear golden eyes were like the most resplendent gems in the world, making her seem as if a goddess had descended to the mortal realm.

A young man and a young woman standing together—what a truly delightful sight.

This lovely scene caused Instructor Xi Chan, who was walking over at an unhurried pace, to stop and admire it for a moment.

"Mansion Master, Old Niu can't accompany you all, but fortunately there's still Instructor Xi Chan. With her around, I can rest a little easier."

Niu Niu Biaobiao had also hurried over. He grinned at Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, then rubbed his shiny bald head, and turned with a smile to Instructor Xi Chan, who was walking over: "Instructor Xi Chan, I'm afraid the Mansion Master and the others will be troubling you."

Toward this Marquis-ranked expert hidden away within House Luolan Mansion, Instructor Xi Chan was also quite courteous. She smiled and said, "Brother Niu is too kind, but today's protagonists are not our House Luolan Mansion—we'll most likely just be spectators, so it should still be relatively safe."

Niu Niu Biaobiao sighed and said, "I hope so, but I keep feeling that today's danger may well be no less than the mansion ritual from a few days ago."

Xi Chan's gaze turned slightly solemn. "Does Brother Niu think there will be an incident at today's coronation ceremony?"

"That Regent is no good sort. I don't think he's the kind of person who'd willingly hand over the power in his hands, so when the time comes there will definitely be a clash between the two sides. And once that clash escalates, it might just turn into a great tearing apart—even the peace of Great Xia will come to an end here." Niu Niu Biaobiao said slowly.

Hearing this, Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge's expressions also grew grave. As members of Great Xia, if Great Xia truly lost its peace, they would inevitably be affected enormously.

"I understand." Instructor Xi Chan nodded. "Anyway, if things really go wrong when the time comes, return to headquarters immediately. There's a strange formation guarding it there, so it should still count as a safe place." Niu Niu Biaobiao reminded them.

The three of them all assented.

Then the three of them stopped dawdling and headed straight out of House Luolan Mansion, boarded the carriage, and made straight for the royal palace.

All along the way, what met the eye was nothing but prosperity and scenes of celebration.

Li Luo cast a glance out the window, and his mind recalled Niu Niu Biaobiao's earlier warning. Li Luo had been born in Great Xia and had lived here for over a decade. Although according to his father his ancestral land was that so-called Li Li Tianwang lineage in the Inner Shenzhou, he actually had no feelings for that place, so he did not wish to see Great Xia's current peaceful and prosperous scene shattered.

"This Regent really is a calamity."

A shadow swept through Li Luo's eyes. Setting everything else aside, just the fact that the Regent had schemed against his parents and coveted House Luolan Mansion meant there was an irreconcilable contradiction between Li Luo and the Regent, so Li Luo wished nothing more than for the Regent to drop dead on the spot.

If this fellow really seized power and became the controller of Great Xia, then the days ahead for House Luolan Mansion would likely not be so easy.

While Li Luo was turning this over in his mind, the carriage had already arrived before the royal palace. The three of them alighted, took out the invitation sent by the Eldest Princess, and handed it to the guards at the palace gate, whereupon someone immediately led the three of them inside with great deference.

Upon entering the royal palace, Li Luo's gaze swept across and he saw that the defenses along the way were strict; hidden in the shadows were many obscure, sharp auras—clearly today's royal palace had also pushed its defensive forces to the utmost.

As they proceeded, they occasionally encountered other guests, evidently the leading figures of some other great powers from Great Xia. After all, this coronation ceremony was the most supreme transfer of power in Great Xia; ordinary people had no qualification to attend and watch.

After walking for a while along the grand, imposing corridor, the view before Li Luo and the others suddenly opened up, revealing an extremely spacious and vast white-jade stone plaza. On the stepped tiers around the plaza were white-jade stone seats, and by now quite a number of people were already seated in them.

Li Luo's gaze swept toward the center of the white-jade stone plaza, where there stood a high platform roughly a hundred meters tall. The platform was like an altar for sacrificing to the heavens, with several hundred steps spreading downward, and at this moment every step was covered with golden carpets embroidered with dragon patterns.

Clearly this was the venue for today's coronation ceremony.

Following the palace maid ahead, the three of them went straight to the white-jade stone seats on the right side—and at the very top tier, where Li Luo saw quite a few familiar figures.

And just as the three of them entered, three figures happened to be walking toward them from the opposite direction. The expressionless middle-aged man in the center was none other than Duze Yan of Duze Mansion, and behind him were Duze Duze Honglian and the siblings Duze Duze Beixuan.

The two parties met on the corridor, and their gazes briefly met.

Li Luo smiled, cupped his fists toward Duze Yan, and said with a grin, "Mansion Master Duze."

Some gazes from the surroundings also drifted over, half-hidden.

Duze Yan glanced at Li Luo but showed no intention of acknowledging him, and turned directly into the white-jade stone seats on one side.

As for Duze Yan's cold attitude, Li Luo didn't take it to heart. After all, surface appearances didn't matter. In the past, whenever Mansion Master Si Qing of House House Jinque saw Li Luo, he would always affectionately call him "nephew"—but what then? When it came to adding insult to injury, he wished he could seal up the well opening entirely for you.

So after seeing that Duze Yan had ignored him, Li Luo looked toward Duze Duze Beixuan behind him and immediately put on a gentle smile: "Zhu Xuan ah..."

Duze Duze Beixuan's eyes turned cold, and he glared fiercely at Li Luo: "Shut your mouth!"

"Uh..."

Li Luo was taken aback—how could this person's attitude be so hostile?

Jiang Jiang Qinge at his side also looked toward Duze Duze Honglian, whose expression was somewhat complicated. Though she said nothing, she gave her a slight nod by way of greeting.

But this gesture from Jiang Jiang Qinge, in Duze Duze Honglian's eyes, made the latter's heart skip a beat. The Jiang Jiang Qinge of the past had been quite cold toward her; every time they met she was treated as if she didn't exist—how could she be like now, taking the initiative to nod at her in acknowledgment?

Such a change, for a moment, actually made Duze Duze Honglian feel a little overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. But immediately afterward she felt a bit of shame and annoyance at her own state of mind, cursing herself for being so spineless—just because someone nodded at you, you're already like this...

So Duze Duze Honglian forcibly steadied herself, keeping her face impassive, merely inclining her head slightly in return, then quickened her steps to catch up with Duze Yan.

After their brief encounter with the Duze Mansion group, Li Luo and the others also headed toward the seats for House Luolan Mansion.

But before they had walked a few steps, Li Luo's pace halted once more, because off to the side he spotted the House House Jinque contingent.

Si Qing, Si Si Tianming, Si Si Qiuying.

And at the same time, the other party also spotted Li Luo and his group, and for a moment their expressions each took on a different hue.