Star Trace Gate

Chapter 827: People are smart as they get older, and ghosts are smart as they get older?

In the darkroom, the young man turned his head slightly towards the ray of hot sunlight, saw the bright sunlight, and then instinctively raised his arms to shield his eyes.

He has been taking refuge in this dark stone house for almost a year, surrounded by darkness and silence all day long. His flesh and blood can no longer adapt to the direct gaze of the sun.

His name is Long Yuqing. He was once forced by the Xianlan Sect and then sentenced to death by his father-in-law. Later, with the help of his wife Yang Linger, he hid himself from the world by escaping from the shell and survived in this dark room.

His wife Yang Ling'er would visit him every three days at most, bring him food, and talk to him. She also told Long Yuqing that his father-in-law Yang Ganglie did not want him to die at the beginning, but chose a stopgap measure in a dilemma to try to block the wrath of the Xianlan Sect.

Therefore, Yang Linger was able to successfully rescue Long Yuqing with the tacit approval and secret help of her father-in-law.

In response to this statement, Long Yuqing simply expressed his gratitude, but his outward expression did not change much.

It was as if this matter was not the most important to him, because his life was always in the hands of others, and it was never his decision to save him or not.

The iron door of the darkroom was open, and Long Yuqing's eyes were empty and his expression was frozen.

"Tap tap...!"

Two maids from the City Lord's Mansion walked in gracefully, holding the City Lord's dragon robe, crown, and brand new shoes and socks in their hands.

"This servant greets His Highness the City Lord and respectfully welcomes you back to Chaolong."

The two maids turned their backs to the sun and bowed respectfully.

When Long Yuqing heard this, he just sat there in a daze, as if he couldn't believe that all this was true.

"Yuqing!! Everything is settled, it's over!"

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the air as Yang Ling'er rushed into the darkroom. She grabbed Long Yuqing's arm and spoke excitedly, "Thousands of cultivators attacked the Xianlan Sect and burned down the Wendao Palace. Countless civilians in Chaolong City wiped out the gentry families that relied on the Xianlan Sect in a single night! The sky has collapsed in the Five Cities of Xianlan. Everything is over. Father has agreed. You can leave now."

The extremely excited voice of his beloved wife echoed in Long Yuqing's ears. He was stunned for a long time before some spirit appeared in his empty eyes.

His voice was trembling and a little hoarse when he asked: "Can I...can I really leave here?"

"Yes, we can leave here!"

Yang Ling'er had endured nearly a year of hardship, and now she was filled with immense emotion, tears of joy overflowing from her eyes. "My father has ordered countless notices to be posted throughout the city, specifically to clear your name. They clearly state that you and the descendant of the Ancient Emperor were close friends. Even under duress from the Five Cities of Xianlan, you refused to betray your friend, refusing to yield, and were subsequently sentenced to death by the Xianlan Sect. But your father and I were once sworn brothers, sworn never to betray each other. He would never kill his own son under the Xianlan Sect's coercion, so he faked his own death to free you. Now... with the thousand-year-old Xianlan Sect crumbling in the hearts of the people, he must declare to the world that he will welcome the City Lord back and return the seal and authority to you."

"Yuqing, not only has Father posted a notice to clear your name, he's also specifically ordered all civil and military officials to gather at 9:00 PM on Chaolong Street to welcome your return! The city is already packed with people, a sight of thousands of people paying homage. Quick, quick, change your clothes and wash up. We'll ride in a carriage, enter from the north, walk along the street... and return to the City Lord's Mansion."

"You need to hold your head high, be in high spirits, and have the aura of a king returning! Don't let your father down for all the hard work he put into carrying you in the sedan chair!"

Yang Linger urged, waving her hands and calling out, "Hurry up and change the City Lord's clothes...!"

After hearing her words, Long Yuqing stood up trembling all over and said woodenly, "I... I don't want the seal or power anymore. I won't fight for it anymore, and I don't need the people to worship me... General, just let me go back... and leave this dark place!"

When Yang Linger looked at Long Yuqing, whose expression was panic, uneasy, and terrified, as if he was afraid of being deprived of his freedom and life at any time, an unconcealable heartache welled up in her eyes.

She stretched out her jade hand and stroked Long Yuqing's pale cheek. Her voice was gentle, and her eyes were red as she said, "It's over. Everything will be the same as before. No matter what happens, I will be with you...!"

……

Morning, Si time.

The city lord's special carriage slowly drove through the long street of Chaolong City. Countless people stood on both sides to watch. They saw armored soldiers like a forest and the carriage was majestic and imposing.

But to be honest, at this moment, the people of Chaolong City have no intention of "kneeling to welcome" at all. They gathered here more to watch the fun.

The local people had always had a very bad impression of Long Yuqing, believing that the city lord was dissolute and cowardly, and was not qualified to be in power. Now, seeing the city lord return, they felt only disdain and contempt...

The Xianlan Sect has collapsed, and now you're jumping out again? And even issuing a pretentious announcement, claiming you and the Ancient Emperor's descendant are close friends? How shameless are you? Aren't you simply trying to capitalize on the Ancient Emperor's descendant and his Divine Protector?

To put it bluntly, does he want to take advantage of the invincible power of the Divine Protector to continue to bully others and continue to cling to the position of city lord while indulging in pleasure?

So fucking shameless!

As the people watched the vehicle frame driving through the long street, they were basically cursing in their hearts.

On the contrary, General Yang, who had taken the initiative to post the notice, once again gained a good reputation. The reason was simple: if Chaolong City did not take Long Yuqing back, the Yang family would be the king; but if they did, the Yang family would be the servants.

Even a three-year-old child could feel the difference between Tian and Chen. Therefore, although the general clearly had the ability to replace his former master, he still resolutely welcomed back his old master. In a feudal society, this move would naturally be praised and admired.

This old general is still loyal to the emperor and the country!

On both sides of the long street, those civil officials and military generals were actually unwilling to welcome their damn old master!

Everyone knew that the true ruler of Chaolong City had never been the City Lord, but General Yang. But as long as the City Lord was still in power, the Yang family would be subjects, and they, like them, would be subordinates, high-ranking slaves who could never change their lowly status, achieve a class transition, and even less likely be truly appointed as generals and given titles of nobility.

Take the generals of the Yang family for example. If Long Yuqing lives one more day, they will at most be foreign relatives and foreign generals. But if General Yang can take over the position of city lord, then Yang Mingtang will be the crown prince, and they will be royal relatives. Yesterday's glorious military exploits will be the actual reward for tomorrow's prosperity of the family and eternal support.

But they couldn't understand why General Yang insisted on bringing this dandy waste back. He was clearly "dead", so why not just let him live in the grave?

In the carriage, Long Yuqing listened to the noisy sounds on both sides of the long street. He felt no excitement in his heart, nor the joy of seeing the light of day again and ruling the world again. Instead, he felt only deep fear and uneasiness.

He felt like a lamb caught in a pack of hungry wolves. On his way back, he seemed to see countless hidden weapons and ambushes among the people of the world. He might one day be torn apart and eaten...

"Yuqing, why don't you lift the curtain...let the civil and military officials, and the people of Chaolong see you." Yang Linger, dressed in gorgeous clothes, reminded him considerately.

Long Yuqing's hands fiercely grasped the hem of her skirt covering her thighs, and she asked with a timid and nervous expression, "Is this... is this what my father-in-law meant?"

Yang Ling'er was stunned and frowned. "Why would father tell me such a trivial matter? But today's grand occasion shows that father really wants to carry your sedan chair. You've returned... but you're hiding in the carriage, and the people are sure to suspect something."

Long Yuqing lost his usual carefree and cynical demeanor. After careful consideration, he said softly, "Since this is what my father-in-law wants to see, then let's lift the curtain."

As soon as the voice fell, two maids rolled up the carriage curtain, allowing the couple Long Yuqing and Yang Linger to appear in the sight of Chaolong people and civil and military officials.

After revealing himself, Long Yuqing became even more nervous, his entire body trembling, as if he was afraid that there were assassins hiding on both sides of the long street who would suddenly jump out and kill him.

Yang Linger raised her arm and held his hand tightly, easing his nervousness: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it's already dawn here...!"

"With my father-in-law here, I'm not afraid of anything." Long Yuqing nodded slowly and said seriously, "From now on, I'll do whatever my father-in-law says..."

……

Chaolong City, government office, and back garden.

Yang Dajun, with gray hair and a straight posture, was feeding the koi in the garden pond with a handful of fish food.

"Tap!"

There was a sound of hurried footsteps, and the eldest son, Yang Mingtang, dressed in official uniform, hurried over: "Father."

"kindness."

General Yang nodded slightly: "Has he entered the city?"

"After entering the city, people from below reported that he was too reserved and lacked the dignity of the city lord." Yang Mingtang replied.

"For him, this city is full of dangers, so he's inevitably cautious." General Yang waved his hand gently and said, "Have you completed the food and military equipment I asked you to collect?"

“It’s all done…!”

Yang Mingtang frowned, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

General Yang glanced sideways at his son and asked softly, "Do you have something to say?"

"Father...Father, I'm truly baffled." Yang Mingtang pondered for a moment before speaking forcefully, "Since you know Chaolong City is fraught with danger for him, why did you insist on having him return?"

"For the past two days, my Yang family's generals and officials have been filled with complaints and dissatisfaction. Many people think that the banner of Chaolong City should be changed. They are also unwilling to give up the actual benefits they have already grasped, including their official status."

"If you let him back now, there might be chaos. If someone were to do something shady again and cause his death... then our action of bringing him back would seem foolish. We wouldn't gain the reputation of being loyal, and we would be called power-stealers."

"Since disaster doesn't happen today, what about ten years from now, a hundred years from now?! Three generations of blood are so weak, can you guarantee that his sons and grandsons will be as dissolute as he is? If not, my Yang family is so powerful, and there will be rivers of bloodshed!"

Yang Mingtang's words were rather harsh, practically questioning his father directly: "Why are you so stupid? Why on earth is it so? Is it because of my silly sister?"

General Yang did not get angry when he heard this. He just continued to feed the koi and pointed into the pavilion: "There is a secret letter on the stone table. Take a look."

Yang Mingtang was stunned when he heard this. He forced himself to calm down the confusion in his heart, walked into the pavilion, reached out and picked up the letter to look at it.

The backyard was quiet. He wanted to take a quick look at the contents of the memorial, but the more he read, the more frightened he became, and the more seriously he read... In the end, his forehead was covered with sweat and his face was pale.

"brush!"

Yang Mingtang slammed the memorial shut and looked up in shock, "The four cities of Bailu, Qiushan, Dongming, and Guojun...are actually planning to raise an army of 400,000 to attack...attack Chaolong City?! Father, has this been confirmed?!"

General Yang bent down to gaze at the koi in the pond, his expression calm as he spoke, "The Li Gui Sect was the first to attack Xianlan, and then... these four cities secretly sent high-ranking cultivators, masked, to the mountains to fish in troubled waters, burning and looting! At that time, I felt something was wrong. Why did these four cities act so united, and why did they not discuss or communicate with Chaolong City in advance about such a major event as overthrowing the Xianlan Sect?"