Please, Young Master, Slay the Demon!
Chapter 628 - 92: Then You Just Follow Me [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]_1

Chapter 628: Chapter 92: Then You Just Follow Me [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]_1

The Qinghong Banquet was held in the main hall of the Imperial Palace. An hour before the banquet, all the civil and military officials were preparing to enter the Imperial City to wait. This event, held once every twelve years, holds greater importance and grandeur for the Imperial Family and officials, surpassing even the New Year’s banquet in the palace.

However, this time the palace atmosphere was slightly solemn, clearly indicating that something unusual was happening. Careful officials dared not look around and just quietly walked their own path; the bolder ones whispered information, the details of which were often unclear.

People were being killed all over the palace. Xiao Wuyin had exposed the list of intruders he’d slyly placed within. The Night Dragon Palace Guard was dispatched to hunt them down, executing any who resisted on the spot. Then people would clean up the area and everything would return to normal as if nothing had happened.

Within an hour, the whole matter was over.

When the officials entered the main hall, all they saw was a scene of magnificent splendor.

The main hall of the Imperial City was extremely spacious, divided into two tiers. The first tier below the Dragon Chair was the banquet seat of the champion of the Soul Snatching Immortal Sect. Down further was the main hall where although the princes and ministers did not eat Qinghong meat, they would have their own fine wine and sumptuous dishes.

First, the Imperial Family and officials took their seats, and then it was time for the team from the Shu Mountain Sect to ascend the court.

This time, due to unexpected changes, Chu Liang, who had been temporarily pulled away, did not fully understand the ceremony of the Qinghong Banquet. The palace attendant in charge of this matter suspected there might be difficulties, but didn’t expect this difficulty to come from another person.

"Shu Mountain’s Immortal Masters, please follow me." Lao Lishi arrived in person to beckon everyone into the venue.

Then two groups of people stood up in the main hall.

On the left was Empress Feng, leading Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai.

On the right was Wang Xuanling, leading Xu Ziyang and Ling Ao.

"This..." Lao Lishi hesitated to say outright that there was an extra Empress Feng and instead said, "Seems like our team has an extra person, doesn’t it?"

"There’s no extra," Empress Feng waved her hand and said, "We, Shu Mountain, are just divided into two teams this time."

"We are Shu Mountain team one." Wang Xuanling declared first.

Empress Feng glared at him and said, "Then we’re Shu Mountain team zero!"

"Hmph!" Old Wang left indignantly.

"Hmph!" Empress Feng turned abruptly in anger.

Before Lao Lishi arrived, the two had already argued about this issue for a long time. If they weren’t in the palace, they might have resolved it by force long ago. The four younger ones behind them could only tremble in fear, how could they dare to speak a word?

"This..." Lao Lishi mopped the cold sweat on his forehead and smilingly said, "I’ve heard for the first time that we can have team zero and one... Please wait a moment, I’ll go and report this to the Emperor."

With that said, he swiftly returned to the main hall and reported the situation to the Emperor first.

Being second only to the Four Great Warriors and the Emperor’s personal steward, Lao Santai had more power over the palace affairs than Yao Dengxian. There was basically no need to report such a matter to the Emperor. Moreover, the Emperor must be in a foul mood after experiencing his wife’s betrayal...

But to handle this normally, all he would have to do is to wave his hand and not grant permission. They had long since informed the Immortal Sects of the number of people attending, so how could more people be allowed to come and pig out after winning the championship?

But the problem was that he dared not provoke the person taking advantage of the situation, hence he rushed back to report the situation.

Upon hearing the situation, the Emperor’s brows furrowed, "As for my second aunt... Forget it, let her go."

"Your Majesty, that will break the ancestral rules," Lao Santai reminded him.

"She’s closer to our ancestors than I am, if you want to find someone, find her!" The Emperor said impatiently, "I already have a headache. Don’t use this sort of issue to bother me anymore. Ah, yes, since there is an extra person this year, kill one more Qinghong for the Qinghong Banquet."

"Your Majesty, five people only eat one Qinghong, so if there’s one more person, should an extra Qinghong be killed?" Lao Santai asked in surprise.

"Five people? Perhaps that’s enough elsewhere," the Emperor laughed, "Sixty years ago, I was still young, but I distinctly remember, during that meal everyone was left hungry..."

He shook his head, "Forget it, my second aunt has accomplished a great feat today. If it wasn’t for her discovering the bodies in advance, the Qinghong Banquet would surely have been cancelled. Moreover, her apprentice has worked incredibly hard, there’s no harm in eating one more Qinghong."

"But this..." Lao Santai hesitated, "If we make an exception and kill one more Qinghong today, at the next Immortal Sect Conference..."

"Who will know if you don’t mention it?" the Emperor frowned, "In any case, the Qinghong is presented after the partitioning. The Qinghong has been well-raised in the palace this year, having a bit more meat won’t be an issue."

"Yes, I understand," Lao Santai also said, "This year the Qinghong has been well-fed, a couple more legs, a couple more wings... that won’t matter."

He was about to leave when, before he could turn around, the Emperor suddenly raised his hand again, "Right, for this Qinghong Banquet, change the wine to something less intoxicating."

...

A while later, a long-lasting drumming sound arrived at the square outside the main hall. Amidst the grand procession, two groups of people walked, exuding a majestic and heroic air.

It was the "two teams" from Shu Mountain.

The six people were stopped at the main entrance of the main hall.

Empress Feng asked, "Isn’t the banquet starting? Why aren’t we being allowed in?"

"Before the Qinghong Banquet, the ’Four Evils’ must be killed." Jiang Yuebai quietly reminded her.

"Kill the Four Evils?" Chu Liang was puzzled, "What is that?"

"When the palace attendant was explaining earlier, you weren’t there. It’s a ceremony before the Qinghong banquet," Ling Ao explained, "Before the four Immortal Sect disciples who won take their seats, they each need to kill ’Demons, Evil Spirits, Ghosts, Monsters’ to demonstrate the martial virtue of the Human Clan."

Wang Xuanling looked at Empress Feng, "Your apprentice wasn’t there during the explanation, but weren’t you?"

Empress Feng puffed out her chest and lifted her head, proclaiming loudly, "I forgot!"

Chu Liang thought to himself that she didn’t need to be so proud. Afterwards, he turned back to whisper and ask Jiang Yuebai, finally understanding the details.

It turns out the process originates from the coming of age ceremony of the Xia Family from the Imperial lineage. When the Xia Family was one of the Three Great Ancient Families, their martial virtue was very strong.

They would arrange a battle for the disciples of the family when they came of age, and the target was usually chosen from the evil demons and curses that wreaked havoc near and far. If the young man succeeded in slaying the curse, he would be welcomed back with a grand victory banquet.

Of course, those who failed could earn the honor of being buried in the ancestral tomb.

Later, when the Xia Family succeeded in seizing the throne and established the Yu Dynasty, this ceremony was incorporated into the Qinghong Banquet.

It symbolizes that the young heroes of the Immortal Sect who took the title not only had to defeat their kin, but also had to slay the curse and defend the Human Clan.

Of course, the curse chosen at this time was not some formidable demon, asking you to fight a battle to the death. Most of them were some recently arrested, less powerful ones, brought here by the Regent Residence.

All one needed to do was go through the motions, slay the curse and enter the hall, then they could enjoy the cheers of the civil and military officials on both sides of the hall, covered in glory.

As they were talking, the prison carts that held the four curses were already rolled out.

The first prison cart held a wild boar demon who had lost a tusk. It was clad in armor, its eyes bloody red, and reeked of a bloodthirsty scent.

"The wild boar demon has destroyed villages and killed people on the edge of the Western Regions, it should be executed for its crimes," the young eunuch beside them loudly read out from a scroll.

The second prison cart contained a demonic monkey that was all dark. It looked mostly human, but it had completely lost its intellect. Even though it was in the cart, it was still maniacally tearing at the seal around it.

"Demonic Monkey, it’s a demon beasts created by demonic cultivators, existing only for murder. The demonic cultivators release this creature in the North Region’s Longling City, intend to massacre the civilians, thankfully the cultivators from the Regent Residence arrived in time to avert the disaster," he continued.

In the third prison cart, there was a creature that was almost transparent and about the size of a child. It was a terrifying specter with bulging eyes and sharp fangs.

"The Human-faced Mandrill is an extremely rare ghost. It’s sly, vicious, and has a violent nature. It committed murders in the Western Regions, and after roaming around for over seventy days, it was finally arrested by the Regent Residence," he said.

In the fourth prison cart, there was a black beast that was shaped like a cheetah. The difference was, this monster had four wings and three tails, exuding a menacing aura.

"Three-tailed Flying Leopard, this monster originally lived in the sea. Since it came ashore in the Eastern Region, it has disturbed more than ten cities before it was finally captured," he concluded.

After announcing the four curses, the young eunuch loudly indicated, "Now, for the four disciples of the Immortal Sect to slay the four curses one by one!"

The first prison cart was slowly pushed forward. The wild boar demon seemed to have sensed its impending death and began to batter the cart violently, creating loud bangs.

Jiang Yuebai looked at Chu Liang. Naturally, the first to slay the curse and enter the hall should be the Immortal Sect champion.

Who would have thought that Chu Liang gently gripped her hand and said, "You should be the first one."

"Huh?" Jiang Yuebai was puzzled.

Chu Liang smiled and said, "You are the Chief of the Shu Mountain Sect, representing the face of our sect. My Immortal Sect champion’s title- wasn’t it given to me by you? I’ve received enough honor that day. If you hadn’t led the way, seizing the title for the Immortal Sect would have been impossible. Today, slaying the curse for entry, no matter what, you should be the first to go."

Jiang Yuebai also smiled faintly, "Alright."

Then she stepped forward, and the seal on the jail cart was simultaneously removed. The wild boar demon leapt out, showing its ferocious appearance, and let out a roar, "Ow—"

But its roar was cut off halfway through, cleaved in two by a flash of bright sword light.

Jiang Yuebai, untouched by dust in her white robes, floated into the hall.

Both the imperial descendants and the civil and military officials in the hall cheered and roared. At the same time, some were puzzled. It was unusual for the champion of this term’s Immortal Sect not to be the first one to enter the hall.

Seeing what happened just now, not only was Chu Liang extraordinarily gifted, but he also knew how to be humble. He truly was exceptional.

As Jiang Yuebai walked the long corridor of the Main Hall, climbed up the high steps and took her place, it was time for the second person.

But before that, Chu Liang had already turned to Xu Ziyang, "Senior Brother Xu, you should be the second one to enter."

"How could that be?" Xu Ziyang immediately replied, "It is reasonable for the Chief to go first, but for the rest of us, you are the greatest contributor this time. Without you, there wouldn’t be the Immortal Sect victory..."

"Senior Brother Xu!" Chu Liang grabbed Xu Ziyang’s arm, earnestly saying, "You are older than me, and you have given me a lot of guidance. As the Silver Sword Peak doesn’t have any senior brothers, I’ve always treated you as my real brother, you have always been the person I respect the most! If it weren’t for you this term’s Immortal Sect Assembly wouldn’t have been a success, every one of us is absolutely crucial! This time, in this important occasion, I insist you go in front of me!"

Seeing his ardent and sincere words, Xu Ziyang was quite touched. He immediately patted Chu Liang’s arm and then strode forward.

The demonic monkey was released from the cart. Xu Ziyang also simply cut it down with a single sword, hiss—

This time, when he entered the hall, it caused even more surprise.

Not only did Chu Liang let Jiang Yuebai go in first, but he also let Xu Ziyang? This can’t simply be called humility anymore. It is truly a display of high moral character and integrity.

When Chu Liang turned his head again, Ling Ao began to speak, "I..."

He only uttered one word, and Chu Liang nodded, "Then you are behind me."