Princess Gouyu's appearance silenced every last noisy voice in the crowd.
After all, her role as the chief supervisor of the Hidden Dragon Trial gave every noble heir present a healthy dose of caution. Nobody wanted to cross Princess Gouyu and find themselves quietly squeezed from behind the scenes — that would be a terrible trade.
The Hidden Dragon Trial was a once-in-twenty-years grand event that involved the entire kingdom. After Princess Gouyu made her entrance, two squads of elite soldiers from the Heavenly Capital swiftly marched in along the main avenue, lining both sides and establishing a security perimeter.
The King was about to appear.
Eastern Lu strode forward with vigorous energy, his steps steady and powerful. His tiger-like eyes swept across the crowd, radiating an imposing authority.
"Long live His Majesty! Long live the Eastern Kingdom!"
The assembled officials all dropped to their knees to receive the King.
The one hundred and eight noble lords each found their designated areas and took their seats.
Eastern Lu stood at the center of the venue and spoke with a resonant, powerful voice: "Our Eastern Kingdom has carried on its heritage for a thousand years, and we have always placed great emphasis on the traditions of martial cultivation. To honor the martial way and spur our lords onward, I attach the highest importance to this Hidden Dragon Trial held once every twenty years. Now, seeing the heroic bearing of lords from every corner of the kingdom, I am greatly pleased."
"Today, all one hundred and eight lords of our realm gather together in a grand convergence. As the saying goes, every generation produces its own talents, each leading their age for centuries. I hope that each and every lord will showcase a new face, demonstrate your highest abilities, and carry forward our kingdom's proud tradition of martial excellence."
Eastern Lu kept his speech brief. After a few words, he handed the floor back to Princess Gouyu — after all, she was the chief supervisor of the Hidden Dragon Trial.
"Your Majesty, I, Yan Jiuzhuang, have a matter to report." Right after Eastern Lu finished speaking, Marquis Yanmen, Yan Jiuzhuang, stepped forward and bowed.
"Oh? What matter does the Marquis of Yan have?" Eastern Lu asked with a mild smile.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that the Marquis Jianghan has fallen gravely ill — rumors even claim he has already passed away. The Jianghan territory sits in the southern frontier of our kingdom and is a vital strategic stronghold. If the Marquis Jianghan remains absent for long, I fear bandits and troublemakers in the south may seize the opportunity to stir up chaos. I respectfully request that, before the Hidden Dragon Trial begins, we first discuss the question of who holds the noble lord's seal for the Jianghan territory."
The Jianghan territory. The noble lord's seal.
Eastern Lu's expression tightened slightly. No one had confirmed intelligence on Jiang Feng's actual condition. Yan Jiuzhuang was clearly the first to leap out as a spearhead for the Marquis Longteng's faction.
Eastern Lu's gaze drifted toward the Jianghan section.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this Yan Jiuzhuang is an elder who lacks propriety — at such a grand gathering, he openly curses my father. As a son, how could I stand by and ignore this? I demand that Yan Jiuzhuang apologize to me."
"Apologize? Jiang Chen, you're still green behind the ears. What gives you the right to demand an apology from a marquis who governs border territories?" Yan Jiuzhuang sneered.
"Cursing others without cause is a sign of a foul mouth. A foul mouth marks you as an old dog. Old dog Yan — you're supposed to be a marquis, yet you're willing to play the role of someone's running hound and attack dog. Calling you an old dog is actually an insult to dogs."
Jiang Chen's venomous tongue was no idle boast.
"Jiang Chen, you openly insult a border marquis! I will file a formal charge against you for defamation and humiliation of a lord!"
"Old dog Yan! You touch my son and see what happens!"
Suddenly, a thunderous voice erupted from the Jianghan section.
A man strode forward with a dragon's gait and a tiger's bearing, his gaze sharp as frost, fixed squarely on Yan Jiuzhuang: "Old dog Yan, what exactly did my son get wrong? You, the Marquis of Yanmen, are at least a first-rank noble — yet you've sunk so low as to serve as a disposable spearhead for someone else. If that's not a hound's role, then what is?"
Jiang Feng!
It was actually Jiang Feng — the Marquis Jianghan, who had been missing for ages.
The crowd erupted into commotion. Nobody had expected the Marquis Jianghan to suddenly appear, and looking more vigorous and imposing than ever.
His unrestrained aura was unmistakably that of a True Qi grandmaster!
Jiang Feng had actually broken through and become yet another True Qi grandmaster!
"Your subject Jiang Feng greets Your Majesty!" After his outburst at Yan Jiuzhuang, Jiang Feng performed a proper bow of fealty to Eastern Lu with perfect composure.
"Marquis Jiang, I heard you were unwell — so the reports were false?" Eastern Lu felt a measure of relief seeing Jiang Feng show up at such a critical moment. As the reigning King, the last thing he wanted was for the Jianghan territory to change hands under these circumstances. Even if ownership were to transfer, it had to be his decision — he would not let the Marquis Longteng and his cronies snatch it away under cover of murky scheming.
Jiang Feng laughed heartily: "A few petty figures resorted to underhanded little tricks. Hardly worth mentioning."
"Ha ha! Marquis Jiang's loyalty and integrity are blessed by heaven and earth. It seems I was worrying over nothing." Eastern Lu's spirits lifted considerably.
Over at the Marquis Longteng's side, the mood was dismal. This Jiang Feng wasn't dead? And he looked even more robust than before? His cultivation had apparently advanced too.
Long Zhaofeng seethed with frustration. His dissatisfaction with his subordinates' competence had been growing ever since he'd crossed paths with this father-son duo — not a single thing had gone right.
Jiang Feng had been poisoned with a lethal toxin — how could he possibly be this vigorous? Not only was he alive, his cultivation had improved. This meant their scheme to seize the Jianghan territory through underhanded means was backfiring spectacularly.
Yan Jiuzhuang's face was painfully awkward, as if someone had slammed a fist into his nose. He was stuck — neither advance nor retreat, trapped in an excruciating limbo.
"Marquis Yan, I have a piece of advice from Jiang Feng. If you're going to serve as someone's cannon fodder, take a look at Du Ruhai's fate first, and then consider what happened to the Dan King's estate."
The allied lords standing behind the Marquis Longteng heard Jiang Feng's words and felt a chill run through them.
Indeed — Du Ruhai had played the role of the Longteng faction's spearhead, only for the Marquis Longteng himself to personally eliminate him. In the end, his entire family was executed and their properties confiscated.