[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces":3,"chapter-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-331":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon of a Thousand Faces",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2269977,4431,"Chapter 331","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-331",331,"\u003Cp>\"For heroic military merit, I bestow upon you the title of Baron, rewarding your loyalty and courage; never forget this moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elaborate and convoluted praise made even the speaker frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this Faner  gave the overly young noble even more dignity—at least, in the eyes of onlookers: the young princess spoke with seasoned precision, her expression solemn, every frown and smile radiating royal bearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words rang above his head; Li En knelt halfway, and began to lose his composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed this investiture would be as brief as the last one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, it was not merely an investiture—it was a proclamation of victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will this ever end?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The autumn harvest festival usually involved the common folk, farmers, and dwarves (who loved to drink themselves silly during festivals); this was likely the first time the state had officially organized an autumn harvest celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this, too, was a proclamation of Victory Day—under the organizers’ guidance, harvest and victory gradually became synonymous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your fief shall be the Watchers Below, the pioneers of the front line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En’s title was not granted in isolation, but as part of a series of speeches and accolades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not the only one being invested; the Huiguang Guard’s “Red-Haired Demon” received his viscount title at the same time—but he was inevitably the center of attention, forcing him to stand passively on stage under everyone’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some might see this as honor, but Li En did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knights beside Li En were flushed with excitement, their expressions almost grotesque with fervor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For them, this might be the greatest moment of their lives—a tale to tell their grandchildren when they retired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A city guard medal, or even one of the rare noble title medals, was already the ultimate goal for countless warriors who risked everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too insignificant.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden thought flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not arrogance, nor even much emotion—merely a statement of fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was lamenting that these people saw too narrowly, blinded by fame and gain, unable to perceive what truly mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph. The perspective of the ancestral spirits?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En knew this was not his own emotion; perhaps it was the lament of the ancestral spirit from that dreamland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, It, seemed to scorn the honors of mortals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was not that simple. It was an unnervingly detached emotion—he did not scorn them, but was \"indifferent,\" even felt these mortals wasted their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The indifference of the ancient ones?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investiture continued on stage; the inner drama passed in a flash, and Li En’s restless heart grew calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The battlefield shall be your fief; its name shall be—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dainya placed her sword upon Li En’s shoulder; around them, envious glances abounded, and cheers rose from the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The princess, while investing the Heroine, was also granting a fief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A fief! A fief that can be inherited by descendants!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True, it was small, and risky—but still a fief. A lord could collect rents while lying down, and do as he pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was asking for the name of Li En’s fief—the frontline town had a provisional name, but no official one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dainya Town.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En spoke; the princess instantly showed surprise—though the act was so phony, the expressions of the nobles on stage grew peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some struggled to suppress laughter; others, to quell fury. To laugh or shout now would mean the end of their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Has this favoritism stopped pretending?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name itself mattered little—or it didn’t. A meaningless name was trivial, but some names, by their very existence, were a statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I commemorate this war’s victory as stemming from the wisdom of its decision-makers and leaders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En gritted his teeth and recited the royal script.\u003C\u002Fp>",621,"2026-06-19T21:45:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","283bc0c7e9670da03143bb6fb7663024a909996c88398c91513e4aadfeaab64e","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-332","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-330",362,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-cover.jpg"]