Hurried footsteps rang out in the corridor outside the Thousand Mechanisms Office. Hearing them, Guan Minjun, the head of the Earth Treasure Court who was on duty at the Thousand Mechanisms Office, immediately frowned. She shifted her gaze from the official document in her hands, displeasure showing on her face.
"Hong Lei, go outside and see who is making such a commotion. They have no sense of decorum at all. This is the temple's central hub—how can they be so flustered when something happens? What kind of conduct is this?"
Seeing Guan Minjun's anger, the attendant on duty at the Thousand Mechanisms Office bowed to accept the order, then quickly left the office.
Yet after watching the attendant leave, Guan Minjun had no mind to continue reading the document in her hands. She set it down and looked out the window, unable to keep herself from sighing...
Outside the window, spring was bright and beautiful, hidden fragrances drifting through the air. Several little birds chirped on the trees outside, while the crape myrtles, blooming at the height of their season, blazed in all their splendor. A few crimson branches framed the latticed window, enough to lift anyone's spirits at a glance.
But Guan Minjun's spirits could not rise. At a time when the Dragon Emperor Temple was battered by bitter winds and relentless rain, no matter how fine the scenery, it could not bring even a trace of pleasure or relaxation to those Divine Generals who truly cared about the Dragon Emperor Temple.
Ever since the Hundred-Faced Devil Emperor's first surprise attack on Dragon Emperor City seven years ago, when he killed Elder Wang Laisheng, who had been on duty at the Thousand Mechanisms Office, the elders of the Dragon Emperor Temple had no longer taken turns standing watch there.