Oath of Alliance

Li Qi and the passerby stood in the crowd outside, watching the ceremony inside to welcome the delegation.

Clearly, this welcoming ceremony was also presided over by the Honglu Temple.

After all, this is the primary function of the Honglu Temple.

The man next to him sighed, "The way the Central Plains governs the barbarians is that kindness is indispensable, but so is authority. One must combine kindness and authority to make them feel grateful and fearful, and then their cunning will disappear. I wonder how we should teach these barbarians a lesson this time and make them give up their little schemes."

"They haven't even arrived yet, and you already think they have ulterior motives?" Li Qi asked helplessly.

"Otherwise what? What else could they be here for? For friendship? Do you believe that?" the man retorted.

As the two were talking, they saw fireworks exploding all around them.

Those are fireworks.

As the fireworks went off, we saw:

Guests arrived one after another, and the atmosphere was one of great jubilation.

Blue silk curtains, layered with white felt.

Exotic delicacies and exotic fruits are displayed in abundance, exuding fragrance.

The music of entertainers, a harmonious blend of metal and stone.

The sound shook heaven and earth and could be heard for miles.

Banners fluttered in the breeze, and horses rode on swift steeds and tigers.

Birds and beasts leaped and covered it.

Clouds and rosy hues drift and fall, swirling around you.

Many civil officials wore official robes and jade pendants.

Even more military officers, fully armored and clad in helmets, with banners fluttering and swords gleaming, stood in formation.

The banners at the front and back blocked out the sun, and auspicious clouds swirled around the Heavenly Horse, the hornless dragon, the White Tiger, and various flying beasts and birds, which soared and leaped on the carriage, with five-colored auspicious clouds swirling and rising.

It was a grand affair.

Of course, such a grand display was expected, because Li Qi saw a person dressed in a purple official robe.

The Tang Kingdom had clear rules and strict regulations. There were rules about official rank and what clothes one could wear; one could not dress arbitrarily.

Purple official robes indicate that the official rank is third grade or above.

The Honglu Temple has only one official of the third rank, and that is the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial!

The fact that the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial personally came to greet them indicates that there was at least one high-ranking shaman present.

Did Wushen Mountain actually send a great shaman here?

Li Qi saw that the two leading officials led Yan Ke and Bo Yue forward.

A master of ceremonies greeted them and led them to the hall. The two sides exchanged greetings and bowed to each other. After the master of ceremonies presented the gifts, the guests and hosts took their seats.

Then, the Yan Ke took the initiative to greet him.

Yan Ke is a member of the Zhu family, a lineage of Human-Ghost, and a very handsome Shaman at that—so handsome that Li Qi stared wide-eyed at him back then.

Clearly, the high shaman deliberately sent this young Shaman to read the prayer, just to give him some training.

This shows that the high priests probably didn't care much about this meeting.

If it matters, the Great Shaman should have written it himself, not a lowly eighth-ranking child.

Li Qi felt that it was highly likely that the agreement had already been made behind the scenes, and that the conversations here were just casual remarks made by everyone in public.

Li Qi gazed into the distance, watching as the handsome Yan Ke walked to the front of the stage and began to recite his blessings.

This is not just a blessing, but a 'covenant'.

It is one of the professions of Shaman.

In ancient times, when states formed alliances, it was to Shaman to reconcile their differences.

The Yan Ke stood before the crowd and chanted. "Since three hundred years ago, the Tang and Wu have been at odds, which is why in recent years there have been no shortage of floods and droughts, frequent frosts, landslides and earthquakes, and other unexpected events. Corrupt officials have seized power, thieves have been rampant, and the people are crying out in despair, becoming increasingly impoverished. The Baiyue people have read the edicts of China and have always been concerned about the lives of the people. Therefore, they have put aside trivial matters, emphasized good faith and harmony, and prioritized military action."

"Although the Tang and Baiyue Song Kingdom fought each other, they did not commit any offenses against each other, and can be called a benevolent and righteous army. However, the officers of the former army were bribed before they were released, and the Song Kingdom's recruitment was particularly chaotic. They embezzled and extorted, which was worse than the war. When bandits broke out, they used this as an excuse. Fortunately, thanks to the Emperor's grace, nothing happened, and the reform was stopped. Those who were dismissed were demoted to remote areas."

"This is the virtue of the ancient Sacred King Yao and Shun who loved life, and the virtue of Yu and Tang who were generous and not complacent but feigned benevolence. I wish to pray to Heaven for the people, so that the common people may know that they have no desire for war, and that Heaven, Earth, and the spirits may understand their unavoidable intentions. In this way, Heaven may turn its sorrow and favor, change the discord into peace, and transform barrenness into abundance. The world will be fortunate indeed!"

"Therefore, with the two sides reconciling, both sides have a strong sense of remorse and a desire to reform themselves. The most wicked and cunning have become more restrained. With the constitution in effect and justice prevailing, officials have a spirit of innovation, and the seeds of corruption have been sown."

"The new atmosphere demonstrates the effectiveness of this strategy. Therefore, I hope that the two nations of Baiyue and Tang will resume their relations, nurture them with benevolence, win them over with righteousness, pacify them with propriety, and act with trust. Once these four principles are established, the world will be filled with a sense of loyalty, integrity, and shame. With a peaceful and beautiful society, the world will see a hundredfold increase in its splendor and there will be hope for a clean and prosperous future!"

The Yan Ke read the blessing in a very serious tone.

Li Qi below was almost dumbfounded.

Officer, you're so tough!

Aren't you afraid of getting beaten to death on the spot if you read out such a blessing?!

This Zhu's Path, though ornate in language and humble in tone, seems to have the appearance of something from the science department.

But to sum it up, it all boils down to one sentence.

"Everyone was fine before, but now you've come to hit me, and you're reaping what you sowed, aren't you? In the end, we still had to stop and make peace. You're acting like some kind of jerk. You should learn from my benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and trustworthiness, otherwise you're just too rude."

Moreover, he cited the example of the Human Path ancient Sacred King, saying that even the ancient Sacred King disliked hypocrisy and preferred to end the war sooner rather than later.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, that's roughly the gist of it.

What's even more outrageous is that the subject of this congratulatory message is 'Baiyue'.

In other words, they didn't use Wushen Mountain's identity to say anything to the Tang Kingdom at all, but instead let Baiyue and the Tang Kingdom negotiate on an equal footing.

This is a public slap in the face.

Li Qi looked around and found that quite a few people who understood the explanation were indeed showing angry expressions.

Some of those officials even glared angrily at the Yan Ke.

This is a congratulatory message that is clearly not intended to foster goodwill; it is sarcastic and unfriendly throughout.

Now Xia Li Qi understood why the Yan Ke (yanke) was used.

This is just a young man of the eighth rank.

Well, kids are just immature, you're not going to hold a grudge, are you?

Clearly, this was just a small occasion, so it can be seen as a demonstration of Wushen Mountain's attitude.

Although he looked angry, it was clear that everything had already been agreed upon behind the scenes, so it was impossible for him to turn against them at this moment.

Next, an official from the Honglu Temple stepped forward and began to recite his own oath.

Li Qi naturally listened to the whole thing from below.

Unsurprisingly, it follows basically the same path as Wushen Mountain.

Everyone was being sarcastic and sarcastic towards each other.

The oath of alliance from the Tang Kingdom can be summarized in one sentence.

"You bunch of barbarians, have I given you face? Do I have to beat you up to feel satisfied?"

There is even a sentence in it that reads, "The Emperor wishes to show the magnanimity of our Celestial Empire, but is met with the eagerness of those who come from afar. These barbarians are deceitful and deceitful, and are not easily trusted. They are greedy and insatiable, and keep asking for more rewards. If there were no war, how would we know that these barbarians would not laugh at the Central Plains for being so easily deceived?"

This is even harsher than Yan Ke wrote; it's basically a direct insult.

To put it simply. "If I don't beat you up a couple of times, you bunch of barbarians will get itchy skin and won't feel comfortable!"

The welcome party took place in this warm atmosphere.

Then, the two sides met according to etiquette and formed an alliance. Everyone laughed heartily, as if they hadn't been the ones just cursing and hurling insults.

Continue developing downwards.

The older brother next to him was still recording with his Law Treasure, watching Tang Kingdom's blessing and cursing with an excited expression, seemingly really enjoying the scene.

Just before, when Yan Ke was cursing, he was one of those people who glared angrily.

Watching this scene unfold, Li Qi felt an urge to turn around and leave.

He always felt that if he stayed, his future would be difficult.

Watch it all, watch the ceremony, and then run away. It's best to avoid contact with the delegation in public.

Judging from his attitude today, it's likely that Wushen Mountain will be thoroughly scolded on the terminal. If he exposes himself, he might even have his windows smashed with stones.

The ceremony lasted for about an hour, and after the two sides finished hurling insults at each other, the rest was just formalities.

It can't really be called red tape, because if those covenant rituals were performed seriously, they would truly be effective and begin to bind both parties, and whoever violated them would suffer the consequences.

Unfortunately, it was clear that neither side had this intention, so they each modified the ceremony, making it incompatible and rendering it ineffective, thus turning it into mere formalities.

When the ceremony ended, everyone dispersed.

Li Qi turned around, preparing to run away with the crowd.

He had only turned around and taken one step when he suddenly felt himself fall into thin air.

Li Qi's heart tightened, and he immediately gathered his strength, stood up straight, and struck a dignified and imposing pose.

Sure enough, his vision blurred and suddenly he found himself standing in the ranks of the Wushen Mountain.

Beside him was a very well-mannered Yan Ke who could curse while smiling.

There's also a Sima-like face, and Bo Yue looks unhappy no matter how you look at him.

He suddenly appeared among them.

It was clear they weren't surprised by his arrival; Yan Ke even nodded slightly to him, obviously having anticipated it.

Meanwhile, the Tang Kingdom on the other side were somewhat surprised, but they quickly calmed down and pretended not to have seen anything.

However, some commotion arose among the onlookers outside.

The guy I had just chatted up stared wide-eyed when he saw me suddenly appear inside.

As for the most important High Priest...

Li Qi stole a glance and found that the leader of the shaman was also looking at him, his eyes seeming to speak volumes.

He said, "You'd better give me an explanation when you get back."

For some reason, Li Qi sensed the other person's meaning, as if he had said it to him personally.

It must be some kind of Divine Ability, right?

Forget it... I should think about how to explain this when I get back.

After all, he was the first to run away and come here, then he left the group to watch from the sidelines, and after watching, he immediately wanted to run away.

Indeed, an explanation should be given to this leading shaman...

As soon as Li Qi stood firm, he saw the Tang Kingdom officials, one of whom walked over.

He cupped his hands in a very formal manner and handed over an invitation.

"Now that the ceremony here is over and the banquet has been prepared, please join us. Afterwards, we will discuss matters with all parties. We will also need the envoys to discuss these matters one by one. The banquet will be held tonight. At that time, not only the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial will be there, but also other gentlemen and even the rulers of various foreign tribes will be waiting."

After speaking, he presented the invitation and then withdrew.

The formalities have been completed; it's time to leave.

What happened next was the dinner party.

As is customary, there would normally be people from the Honglu Temple to take them to visit tourist attractions and conduct interviews.

But...

Everyone was publicly cursing, so their relationship obviously wasn't that good. It's likely that the tour and interview sessions were cut.

Nevertheless, one of the two leading officials went out to negotiate some details with the Tang Kingdom; otherwise, if they were allowed to set up the banquet venue, things would probably get very funny.

The one who walked out looked like the deputy, meaning the other one was the high priest?

The remaining adult, the one who had been staring at Li Qi and had pulled Li Qi out of the crowd, led the three young masters toward their own carriage.

The cart was pulled by the wounded and weakened true dragon.

As the dragon passed the car, it slightly raised its head and glanced at Li Qi, causing Li Qi to involuntarily take a step back.

This was a real dragon; that one glance sent shivers down his spine.

But immediately, a dragon-slaying whip appeared on the carriage frame, and with a snap, it struck the back of the real dragon. Scales flew off, and the dragon's skin was torn open. The dragon let out a wail and collapsed to the ground again, motionless.

Li Qi frowned as he looked at it.

At that moment, he felt a gaze upon him.

It was the gaze of that great shaman.

The message conveyed in his eyes was exactly the same as the feeling before.

Those eyes seemed to say, "Four strands of Great Forest Wood Qi, one Long Flowing Water energy, water and wood form the foundation."

Li Qi was slightly surprised.

Was he implying to himself that he should save the true dragon...?

However, since the adults had already spoken, there was no need for him, a child, to say anything more. He lightly tapped his finger, drawing out five wisps of energy from his inner world and silently gathering them in his palm.

Then, pretending to be a curious child, as if he had never seen a real dragon before, he touched the dragon's skin and casually slapped it into the other's body.

The energy of water and wood can slightly enhance the other party's self-healing ability.

He couldn't heal the wounds, nor did he have the ability to do so, but he could make the other person feel better through this method.

The dragon snorted, as if it wanted to say something, but the dragon-binding rope on its body prevented it from doing anything else, so this was the only response it could give.

Then, surrounded by onlookers, Li Qi and the others got into the car.

The atmosphere inside the vehicle changed as soon as I got in.

Li Qi glanced at his terminal.

Sure enough, there was no signal.

The great shaman used his own personal sanctuary to isolate the carriage.

Then, the unfamiliar shaman pulled up a stool and sat down.

Li Qi, Yan Ke, Bo Yue stood obediently, waiting for their master to speak.

The three young people exchanged glances, but unfortunately, none of them could understand what the other two were saying, so they eventually gave up on this inefficient communication.

It's unclear what method that great shaman used; it wasn't telepathy, nor sound, and even the True Knowledge Dao Charm didn't register. It's likely that even the other Tang Kingdom didn't notice it.

It was as if it really was just a glance.

The high priest spoke first, saying, "This vehicle was given to us by Human Path officials. If we ride in this vehicle, we are slapping the East Sea in the face. So we're keeping you here to do some good deeds so we can explain things later."

Then he asked Li Qi, "Young Master Li Qi, it's one thing for you to sneak into the Tang Kingdom, but I've also heard that you secretly brought the Moonlit True Person from Mount Luofu with you. Is this true or false?"