Wayfarer

Chapter 590: Session of Court

In the Sieve of Heaven, within Xiao Nanfeng's manor, Xiao Nanfeng was in secluded cultivation. Sage Blue Lion's inner core rested before him, glowing with resplendent light and blazing with fire. However, this would clearly be insufficient in its own right. Xiao Nanfeng had also prepared a large number of other pills to supplement it.

He rapidly absorbed everything—the Golden Immortal's inner core and auxiliary pills—into his body. Roiling energy ravaged his body, causing flames to blaze from within.

His ten golden crows furiously absorbed all that energy, causing radiant light to be released from his body. His Jade Emperor's Frame grew brighter and brighter.

Four hours later, a gust of flaming energy erupted from his body.

"The ninth stage of the Heaven Immortal realm..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured, opening his eyes and exhaling.

Just then, a beam of golden light shot through the formation around his hall and straight toward his body.

Incredible waves of fortune surrounded him, so massive in quantity that it dwarfed the entire supply that Dazheng possessed many times over.

"Is this the reward from the Martial Aspect mission, the 30% of Dayin's fortune that was promised to me?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

He immediately retrieved the Divine Seal of Dazheng and channeled the fortune within. The seal began to glow with gleaming light.

Before long, once all the fortune had been stored securely in the seal, he sat cross-legged in meditation, drew some fortune from the seal, and began to clear away his karmic consequence as he attempted to advance his spiritual cultivation.

However, considering the complexity and depth of his spiritual cultivation technique, despite the countless star maps that he was able to contemplate, each successive breakthrough would drain a tremendous quantity of fortune. It took him half a day and almost a third of the fortune he had received as reward before his cultivation finally budged—and not with his main body, but his avatar in Yongding instead.

Within the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm in Yongding, Xiao Nanfeng's avatar looked up into the air. Twin moons shone bright in the sky, red and blue light intermingling in the shape of taiji, like yin and yang revolving about each other. Suddenly, his body vanished from sight as he invoked spiritual harmony. A hundred figures in red and blue fog manifested in his deific domain, the figures of red fog wielding lengths of red rope and charged with cursed spiritual power, while the figures of blue fog were potent in their own right as well.

The hundred figures of fog popped and vanished from sight as Xiao Nanfeng's avatar manifested again. He opened his eyes, causing the red and blue moons to float back into his body, and reined in his deific domain.

"Mid-stage Yin Body... Cultivating the Taiqing Yin Body and Shangqing Yin Body simultaneously really is draining my reserves. This breakthrough alone expended a tenth of Dayin's fortune!" Xiao Nanfeng sighed. "The remaining fortune won't be enough for a subsequent breakthrough. With a huge fight soon to break out, I'd better save what remains just in case."

He slowly stepped out of the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm and headed to Yongding's study.

Just then, an official requested a meeting.

"Come in!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

The official entered the study and reported, "Your Majesty, Dayin has sent envoys to Dazheng hoping to ransom Mo Shanhe and Yin Tianci. They request that you establish terms for the ransom and are seeking to effect it as quickly as possible."

"Tell them they don't qualify to discuss things with me. Have Yin Shenhua come himself. I'm busy dealing with affairs at the moment and won't be holding audiences at court. I'll only be present for the court session in the Sieve of Heaven in three days' time for a moment. Have Yin Shenhua come then."

"Understood!"

In a hall in Dayin, Yin Shenhua was glaring at the golden-armored cultivator before him.

The golden-armored cultivator frowned. "That's what Xiao Nanfeng said. What's more, his aura was difficult to detect and frequently appeared in and out of existence. I'm afraid his words may be no excuse."

"Ha! He's simply stepping in and out of the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm," Yin Shenhua said coolly.

"Xiao Nanfeng refuses to meet with us. There's no chance for negotiations at all," the golden-armored cultivator reported.

Yin Shenhua's eyes flashed with killing intent. "He wants to negotiate with me? Very well, then. I'll have a look and see just what he wants."

"Understood!" the golden-armored cultivator replied.

Three days later, in the Sieve of Heaven, an announcement rang out throughout the land. "The Heavenly Palace is open for a session of court! All officials are invited to attend!"

Sessions of court were rarely held in the Imperial Court, and each session represented a prelude to an important event or announcement. All those eligible to participate rushed into the Heavenly Palace from all over, not daring to miss out.

Xiao Nanfeng and Ao Zhou did the same.

Many officials of the Imperial Court had already gathered by the plaza, and were led to their designated spots by officials from the Hall of Rites and Rituals.

Xiao Nanfeng was the subject of many people's attention, not only because he had recently reclaimed 60% of Dayin's fortune just a few days ago, but also because there were tens of thousands of his purple-furred monsters nearby. Everyone anticipated that he would be a focal point of this session of court.

"Why have you brought all these purple-furred monsters, Xiao Nanfeng?" Ao Zhou whispered by his side.

Xiao Nanfeng lowered his voice as well. "The Heavenly Emperor commanded it."

"Oh?" Ao Zhou seemed perplexed.

Just then, an official from the Hall of Rites and Rituals walked right up to him. "Martial Aspects, please follow me."

Xiao Nanfeng and Ao Zhou nodded, then entered the Heavenly Palace behind the official.

The Heavenly Palace was particularly large. Its exterior had been built from countless relics and colored glass, and was ornate and resplendent. The building itself seemed to be a natural magnet for spiritual aether. Merely stepping within the palace made the officials feel comfortable.

The interior of the Heavenly Palace was a cavernous space. Its floor was made of crystal, and its ceiling seemed to be covered with clouds bearing fortune. Fog spiraled up into the air, ethereal and wispy. A throne of nine dragons rested in the distance.

By the time Xiao Nanfeng had entered the palace, there were already a full crowd of officials before him. There seemed to be no fewer than a thousand officials present, and Xiao Nanfeng and Ao Zhou were at the very back.

"Has there been a mistake? We're Martial Aspects. How could they have put us at the end?" Ao Zhou exclaimed.

"Don't talk nonsense, lest someone weaponize your remark against you. The Imperial Court is filled with the legends of the era. Do you really think the 72 Martial Aspects necessarily stand out among them? It's already a rarity that we'd be invited at all."

"Ah, I'm just joking around," Ao Zhou said immediately.

Officials continued to stream in rapidly, dividing themselves into two domains, with five rows in each domain and at least a hundred officials in each row. An open passageway in the middle led straight to the nine-dragon throne.

Everyone in the palace was silent as they awaited the presence of the Heavenly Emperor, Yu Fuli.

After a moment, an official shouted, "The Heavenly Emperor has arrived!

A rainbow arces across the air outside the palace and straight to the nine-dragon throne. Yu Fuli, dressed in white draconic robes, with a crown of white jade on his head, strode down the rainbow and toward his throne.

He waved an arm, dispelling the rainbow, as he turned to survey the officials of the Imperial Court.

"We greet the Heavenly Emperor!" All the officials of court bowed.

"Rise," Yu Fuli said.

"Thank you, Heavenly Emperor." All the officials stood up straight.

Only then did Yu Fuli sit down. As he did so, a haze of rainbow-colored light flared into existence behind him and spread out all around him, giving him an aura of nobility.

Yu Fuli's gaze swept over the gathered officials. "Today, I have convened this session of court to discuss an old affair of court."

All the officials faced the Heavenly Emperor, knowing that nothing he spoke of could be but extraordinary.

"Do all of you remember when the Princess of the Moon attempted to assassinate me during an anniversary banquet?" Yu Fuli continued.

"We witnessed it with our own eyes, Your Majesty!" countless officials replied.

"Your Majesty, if I may, the Princess of the Moon ever respected you. There had to be an underlying plot behind this affair!"

"Your Majesty, I concur. The Princess of the Moon was an icon of benevolence and grace. She would never harbor ambitions toward the throne."

"Your Majesty, I concur. The Princess of the Moon must have been exploited by another!"

Many of the officials attempted to speak up.

The Princess of the Moon had been beloved by the court, and the Heavenly Emperor seemed to intend to seek redress.

Yu Fuli patiently listened to the officials' testimony and support for the Princess of the Moon. Only as the commotion winded down did he state, "You are correct, my officials. I have confirmed that the Princess of the Moon had been possessed by a cursed effigy, that she bears no responsibility for her crimes. The cursed effigies are to blame," Yu Fuli declared.

He was the Heavenly Emperor, the premier cultivator of the era in strength and in authority. His words were law; he did not need to provide exhaustive explanation nor evidence. If he declared the Princess of the Moon innocent, then innocent she would be.

"Wise be the Heavenly Emperor!" all the officials chorused.

"Where is Princess Lingjun?" Yu Fuli continued.

Then, Zhang Lingjun slowly walked into the palace. Her purple robes showed off her exquisite features and illuminated her in radiant flair.

As everyone watched on, Zhang Lingjun stepped down the middle passageway and stopped right by the throne.

"Zhang Lingjun greets the Heavenly Emperor." She bowed in obeisance.

"Rise," Yu Fuli said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Zhang Lingjun stood up.

"The Princess of the Moon has been maligned for many years. Today, I right this wrong. I authorize you to avenge the death of the Princess of the Moon and inherit her former position. Henceforth, let Princess Lingjun receive a distribution of fortune granted to premier officials of court and ownership over the Palace of the Moon. What once belonged to the Princess of the Moon shall now be bequeathed upon Princess Lingjun."

A golden dragon of fortune swooped down from the sea of fortune high above the Heavenly Palace and darted into Zhang Lingjun's body, causing it to glow with radiant golden light. Thereafter, even more fortune descended and surged into her body until she illuminated the entirety of the Heavenly Palace.

A golden dragon of fortune, over ten times as large as the initial one, flew out of her body and into the sea of fortune, where it thrashed about in excitement.

Zhang Lingjun's eyes were red as she bowed down once more. "I thank the Heavenly Emperor for righting the wrongs that befell my mother."

"We congratulate Princess Lingjun!" Countless officials within the Heavenly Palace cheered for her.