Chapter 501

The three-day limit arrived in an instant.

On this day, Liangshanpo's banners fluttered and the crowd surged.

From the wide square before the Hall of Gathered Righteousness, stretching all the way to Gold Sand Beach, everywhere was decked with lanterns and bunting, brimming with an almost frenzied festive atmosphere.

All the leaders, big and small, wore fresh new armor, and the foot soldiers were spirited.

Many leaders of the forces attached to Liangshan, as well as martial artists who rushed over upon hearing the news to see the spectacle, packed the outskirts of the square so tightly that not even water could seep through.

Everyone wanted to personally witness the legendary Heirloom Jade Seal and bear witness to this 'Mandate of Heaven' moment.

In the center of the square, a three-zhang-high altar had already been erected.

On the altar stood an incense table, bearing the three sacrificial offerings; curling incense smoke lent the scene a solemn, reverent air.

Song Jiang wore a reddish-yellow robe and a golden crown; though not a dragon robe, he already bore the air of a king.

He stood beneath the altar, with Wu Yong and Lu Junyi to his left and right, while the remaining leaders of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends took their places behind them in order, forming an imposing array.

Duan Jingzhu, as the meritorious presenter of the treasure, was also placed in a prominent spot, but he was so excited his whole body trembled, barely able to stand.

Lu Fang and Guo Sheng led the elite foot soldiers, bright helmets and gleaming armor, standing solemnly around to maintain order.

And in the shadows of the crowd, some figures with a chilling aura flickered in and out of sight.

They were the 'Nether Shades' arranged by the Iron Crow Army, together with the leaders under its control.

Such as Zeng Tu and his ilk, their sharp eyes swept over the crowd, missing not the slightest movement.

Wu Yong lightly waved his feather fan, his expression calm.

Only occasionally, when his gaze swept toward the altar, did a faint, hardly perceptible chill lurk in its depths.

Lin Chong stood with his hand on his sword, his countenance composed.

But the hand gripping the sword hilt had whitened knuckles, revealing his inner unrest.

Shi Dun blended into the crowd, appearing casual.

In truth, he had already memorized several key exits and possible flashpoints.

The auspicious hour has arrived.

The master of ceremonies shouted the proclamation, his voice carrying in all directions:

'The auspicious hour has arrived— the Jade Seal Offering Ceremony, begin! '

Drums and music sounded together, their voice shaking the wilderness.

Song Jiang drew a deep breath, and under the gaze of the multitude, he stepped onto the altar with steady strides.

In his hands he steadfastly held the bluish-green jade seal placed upon a sandalwood tray.

Sunlight fell upon the seal, making the chi-hu knob lifelike, while the bird-and-worm seal script flowed with a mysterious sheen.

That aura of imperial majesty grew ever stronger, filling many below with awe, almost prompting them to kneel.

Song Jiang walked to the top of the altar and faced the incense table.

He raised the jade seal high, his voice ringing loud, brimming with restrained excitement and pride:

'Heaven above, earth below! Today, Song Jiang has been favored by Heaven and granted the Heirloom Jade Seal! This is the Mandate of Heaven, the will of the people!'

'From this day forth, Liangshanpo shall heed the Mandate of Heaven, act on Heaven's behalf, eradicate villainy, purify the realm, and rebuild an age of peace!'

'May Heaven and Earth bear witness!'

Below, a shout like mountains and seas erupted in cheers!

'Mandate of Heaven!'

'Act on Heaven's behalf!'

'Long live Lord Song!'

The waves of sound rose one over another, the atmosphere reaching its zenith.

Song Jiang stood on the high platform, savoring this moment of being embraced by ten thousand, feeling that life's peak could be nothing greater.

Wu Yong slightly lowered his head, the corner of his mouth twitching into a faint, almost imperceptible arc.

Lu Junyi's gaze was complex; he let out a soft sigh.

Zeng Tu and others of the Iron Crow Army also felt their tense nerves ease a little.

As long as this final step went smoothly, their mission would be deemed a complete success.

However, just as the cheers reached their loudest and Song Jiang felt triumphant and self-satisfied—

at that very instant, everyone's vigilance—including that of the Iron Crow Army—dropped to its lowest because of this 'success'—

Then—an abrupt anomaly!

The jade seal that Song Jiang had held aloft, glittering in the sunlight—

suddenly, without warning, emitted a low, teeth-grating 'crack'!

Immediately, under the gaze of countless shocked onlookers, the surface of the seal—

the originally uniform bluish-green jade began to ripple with strange, eerie waves!

Its color quickly became mottled and turbid!

What was even more horrifying was—

a faint yet unmistakably fishy, musky odor.

It resembled the strange spice aroma long used by steppe tribes in their adornments or rituals, now wafting from the seal!

This smell clashed with the sandalwood incense used in Zhongyuan's heavenly rites, appearing utterly out of place and bizarre!

For many who had dealings with the northern Jin state—

or who had heard of Jin customs, it was all too familiar!

'What's going on?!'

The ecstasy on Song Jiang's face froze instantly, turning to shock and disbelief; he instinctively wanted to bring the seal closer to examine it.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the anomaly of the Imperial Seal escalated again.

Its mottled surface, as if fading, slowly revealed several twisted, absolutely non‑Chinese characters.

It looked like the dark‑red imprint of the Khitan small script used by the Jurchen tribes, or some primitive symbol.

One of the markings bore a striking seven‑eighths resemblance to the wolf‑head totem commonly seen on the banners of the Jin Jun Ying.

"The Imperial Seal… the Imperial Seal is changing!"

"What kind of writing is this? It's not like our characters!"

"And this smell… it's the musky odor of a Jin dog! It's the incense they use in their sacrifices!"

Below the stage, some leaders and guests nearer the altar had already sensed something amiss.

Gasps and doubts spread like a plague.

The previously deafening cheers came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a deathly silence, beneath which surged tumultuous waves.

"No! Impossible! This is impossible!"

Song Jiang's face turned ashen; his hand trembled, and the tray holding the Imperial Seal nearly slipped from his grasp.

He desperately tried to steady the Imperial Seal, but that Imperial Seal constantly emitted foreign aura and displayed foreign totems.

At this moment, in his hand it felt like a red‑hot branding iron, burning him to the core.

Wu Yong abruptly raised his head, his face showing shock and anger, his feather fan pointing at the Imperial Seal, his voice trembling:

"Gongming, elder brother! This Imperial Seal… this Imperial Seal is strange! How… how could it have the aura of the Jin barbarians?! And this barbarian script totem?!"

Lin Chong stepped forward at the right moment, his voice like a thunderclap exploding in the silence of the square:

"Brothers, do you see clearly? This is the so‑called Imperial Seal? This is the so‑called Mandate of Heaven?"

"It is clearly a nefarious object reeking of barbarian stench and engraved with barbarian markings! Someone intends to use it to sully the good name of Mount Liang and throw the Chinese realm into chaos!"

His words were like pouring cold water into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire crowd!

"Fake! The Imperial Seal is fake!"

"It also carries the smell and totem of the Jin dog! This is a plot by the Jin dogs!"

"We've been deceived! Chief Song has been deceived!"

"What Mandate of Heaven! It's clearly a calamity that invites foreign corruption!"

Below the stage, the pot boiled over completely—anger, doubt, fear, contempt…

All these emotions intertwined; the fiercer the earlier fervor, the more violent the backlash now.

Duan Jingzhu had already collapsed in terror, limp on the ground, bloodless, only able to mutter unconsciously:

"It's not my concern… I don't know… I picked it up…"

The hidden ones, Youying and Zengtu, were both shocked and angry; they never expected such a turn of events.

They wanted to step in to suppress the situation, but found the crowd's emotions turbulent.

Countless angry gazes had already turned toward Song Jiang and those of them who claimed to be "maintaining order" on the altar.

At this moment, to act forcibly would be tantamount to admitting a guilty conscience.

Song Jiang stood alone on the altar, cradling the Imperial Seal that continued to emit foreign aura and display the wolf‑head totem.

Facing the countless gazes from below that had shifted from admiration to suspicion and anger,

Even the looks of contempt made him feel the world spin, as if he had instantly fallen from the clouds into an abyss.

The ochre yellow robe and gold crown now appeared glaringly conspicuous and ridiculous.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but found he couldn't utter a single word.

All words, before the Imperial Seal that incessantly recounted its true origin, appeared pale and powerless.

The seal‑offering ceremony had completely turned into a farce and a disaster.

The Iron Crow Army had meticulously crafted the Imperial Seal, using it to lock in the Mandate of Heaven.

At its most glorious moment, in the most dramatic fashion, it exposed that false veil itself.

And after this blow, Song Jiang's aura of Mandate of Heaven, which had been built on the stone monument and the support of the Iron Crow Army,

had already manifested a huge, irreparable rift.

Before the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, the winds and clouds shifted abruptly.