The New King

Gu Shenwei arrived at Little Yanzhi's camp an hour later than planned, but he was still a little early: the newly appointed King Yue Yao, Tosai, had yet to appear.

Little Yanzhi personally came out of her tent to welcome him. She wore a light suit of armor, but on her head was a glittering crown adorned with jewels of every color. The outfit suited her perfectly, making her look several years younger.

She spread her arms like a man to welcome him, then grabbed the Dragon King's arm and announced to everyone, "The Dragon King has risen from the flames reborn. This is a blessing for the Northern Court and good fortune for the grasslands. He is the messenger Heaven sent to end the wars and restore our nation's glory!"

Many soldiers stood on either side. At Little Yanzhi's words, they cheered in unison, their voices far louder than those in Xiangji Kingdom's camp.

The two camps were not far apart, positioned to support each other. Old Man Mu had proclaimed himself the Dragon King's protector, so he had come along too. Amid the cheers, he pointed at himself and shouted, "I rescued the Dragon King from the fire! Risked my life doing it."

Shangguan Fei had followed close on Old Man Mu's heels and come along as well. Now he quietly exposed the truth. "What danger? It was all fake fire."

Old Man Mu jabbed a finger into Shangguan Fei's side and muttered, "If it was fake fire, why didn't you dare go in?"

Shangguan Fei didn't dare say more, though he was unconvinced. How could he have known in advance that Han Fen had created a special kind of fire? It looked like flames and smoke were billowing into the sky, but most of it was light