Chapter 1685: Its Name Shall Be Song (I)

Simin Prefecture.

The night was deep, though a pale haze had already begun to appear along the horizon. The moon hung dim and lightless while the stars shone brightly, awaiting the imminent rise of the sun.

The palace gates were tightly shut at this time. Yellow brocade hung from the balustrades, while profound patterns adorned the green latticework, glowing faintly in the gloom. Soldiers and generals clad in green-black armor stood silently before the steps. The entire palace complex was utterly still, disturbed only by the occasional cry of a crane echoing across the beams.

From time to time, a wisp of gentle breeze stirred the hanging yellow brocade. Above the great hall, a plaque with a lacquer-black background and golden lettering cast a rich amber glow into the night.

[Martial Reverence Hall].

Hundreds upon thousands of white cranes circled the great hall in perfect unison, their wings obscuring the sky. Every so often, one or two would drift gracefully down to alight upon the palace eaves or beside the steps, folding their wings and tucking up one leg as though dozing.

Long, serpentine lengths of brocade adorned the front of the great hall. Inner paths of vermilion stone extended in all four directions, decorated with intertwined serpents of water and fire. Lampstands were positioned every ten paces across the vast, dark-red plaza, which was filled with kneeling cultivators dressed in identical ceremonial attire. Their foreheads pressed against the ground as they stayed absolutely still.

Three hundred and thirty-three meters farther stood a flight of nine steps. Another broad terrace lay beneath the vermilion stairs, filled with kneeling men and women of varying ages dressed in unlined green-black robes. Men and women faced one another, each occupying the proper position and corresponding precisely to someone above the steps. All of them were bloodline descendants.

Even with tens of thousands of cultivators kneeling throughout the grounds, the entire palace complex remained utterly silent. As light slowly crept across the great hall, it finally revealed two figures standing beside the hall at its highest point.

The man stood with his chest raised and head held high, his bearing proud and dignified. He wore green robes, with an unopened scroll hanging from one side of his waist and a golden talisman from the other, while he held a sword in his arms.

The woman standing opposite him wore only a simple white robe and held a green-black wooden box painted with profound patterns. Her expression was calm and serene, but something seemed to be imprisoned within the box, causing it to tremble strangely from time to time. Intertwined currents of water and fire surged from it, only to slide harmlessly across the woman's fair arms without injuring her in the slightest.

Nine steps farther up, a man stood beside the hall. He was tall and slender, with golden eyes that scanned his surroundings and a remarkably handsome face. He wore white beneath a resist-dyed silk garment, with a black robe patterned in white draped over them. Its front opened symmetrically beneath a straight collar, while crane feathers adorned his shoulders, making his figure appear exceptionally upright and imposing.

Li Jiangliang looked utterly solemn. He waited until the intermingled radiance of the stars gradually began to fade, but at last, he could wait no longer. He bowed before the steps and respectfully declared, "May your majesty ascend the throne, command the transformations of water and fire, harness the auspicious sign of the intertwined serpents, and assume your rightful place facing south. All living beings within the four seas shall rejoice beyond measure."

The man waited before the steps for some time. A palace attendant listened beside the hall for a moment before respectfully relaying the command, "Lord Li, please enter."

Li Jiangliang's expression shifted slightly. He bowed, then entered through the side hall.

Within the side hall stood eighteen steps, each a deep, vivid red. Purple currents cascaded down from above like a waterfall, carrying a profound and wondrous sensation that refreshed both mind and spirit.

After ascending the eighteen steps, he came to a side door of green-black wood traced with golden patterns. He pushed it open and entered, only to be met by the overpowering scent of sandalwood. Fragrant smoke filled the palace hall, and several pale figures could be seen standing within the haze.

The bodies of the several naked women were utterly immaculate, without a single hair. Their faces were round and their skin fair. Some held precious green-gold robes, while others carried green-black sashes. Some crouched and others stood, each assuming a different pose, yet none moved in the slightest. They resembled statues.

The women stood in closely ordered rows, varying in height. At the main position, the back of the immortal throne was carved with dragons and phoenixes, while two flood dragons were depicted on either side, their elongated bodies resembling a pair of enormous pythons.

A young man stood beside the throne with his back to Li Jiangliang. A simple white robe hung loosely from his body, and his long hair fell unbound around his shoulders.

Li Jiangliang did not dare raise his eyes. Instead, he stepped back, knelt before the threshold, and bowed. "Your majesty's benevolence embraces all living beings, and the radiance of your Dao shines over the world. With this sullied mortal body, your subject dares not enter the Immortal Hall of Martial Reverence. I can only prostrate myself before its steps and await your immortal command."

His faintly trembling voice echoed through the hall. From above came a voice as clear and cold as ice, "Enter the hall."

Li Jiangliang had no choice but to rise and cross the threshold. The moment he stepped inside, he felt something brittle beneath his feet, followed by a crisp cracking sound. Beneath the white qi, crystals of salt and brine covered the floor, mingling with frost and snow in a glittering expanse.

Li Jiangliang concealed his alarm and slowly approached until he stood ten steps from the young man, stopping just before the many women who resembled ceremonial objects.

He bowed. "Your subject is here."

Only then did the man turn around and descend the steps. Purple qi spread around him, and white frost crystallized in his wake. His eyes were narrow and dark, his brows finely shaped as he examined Li Jiangliang.

"Come here."

Li Jiangliang murmured an apology, then immediately took the green-black inner robe from the woman's hands and draped it over him.

Yang Zhuo watched him silently before speaking, "Back then, I intervened on the road to recover provisions that had been embezzled from one or two minor cultivators. It was there that I encountered you on your travels south, and thus began our friendship... Looking back now, every detail remains vivid in my mind."

He smiled faintly and raised a brow. "Have you ever wondered... how much calculation lay behind it?"

Li Jiangliang lowered his gaze and replied, "Your majesty, I see no calculation in it. It is enough that my lifelong aspiration has found something in which to place its hopes, that it will not be buried beneath a clan's petty pursuit of survival, and that I have been granted the power to save the common people..."

"Save the common people..." Yang Zhuo stared at him in silence. His lips moved, but no words emerged. Then, he smoothed his expression and replied, "You have been my friend since childhood; you are the husband of my younger sister; and you stand honored above all my other ministers. You deserve a share of the credit for what has been achieved today."

Li Jiangliang did not dare accept even the slightest credit. He bowed respectfully and said, "Your majesty is the sovereign of a mighty realm and has received Heaven's mandate. This was all ordained by destiny, and your subject cannot claim any credit for it. I seek only to serve before your throne and obey your every command."

Yang Zhuo continued to stare at him. "You must not say that. Without you, who knows how many fewer subjects Great Song would have today, or how many more worthless officials would be occupying posts while doing nothing? Although becoming emperor cannot make me a Golden Core Realm cultivator, it has granted me boundless power nonetheless. You deserve a share of this glory."

"It is all thanks to your majesty's grace."

Yang Zhuo looked away and casually said, "Among all the kings, the King of Wei shall rank highest. He will contend for the fortunes of north and south and bring the sects east of the Huai River under control. The other heirs must also receive their due rewards. Which envoy should be sent to confer the royal title today?"

Li Jiangliang picked up a black outer robe with green edging and an embroidered collar, along with a white gauze undergarment, and helped him dress as he replied, "Your subject must avoid any suspicion of partiality and dares not answer."

Yang Zhuo glanced at him. "It would indeed be awkward for you to go. Send Daoist Master Ning instead."

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