Chapter 261: Oath of alliance

Li Qi and that elder brother stood among the onlookers outside, watching the welcoming ceremony for the diplomatic mission inside.

It was clear that this welcoming ceremony was also hosted by the Honglu Temple.

After all, that was the Honglu Temple's primary duty.

The elder brother next to him sighed, "The Central Plains' Dao of governing barbarians ensures that benevolence is indispensable, but might is also necessary. One must employ both benevolence and might to make them feel grateful and fearful, thus eliminating their cunning intentions. I wonder how they will strike these barbarians this time to dispel their hidden agendas."

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

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

As the two spoke, fireworks began to bloom all around them.

Those were ceremonial fireworks.

Following the fireworks, they saw:

Guests arrived in unison, creating great jubilation.

Green silk tents and white felt layers were stacked.

Exotic dishes and strange fruits were fragrant and neatly arranged.

Musicians played, with metal and stone instruments resonating.

The sound shook heaven and earth, heard for several miles.

Banners and pennants were lush, with Qilin and tigers harnessed.

Flying birds and soaring beasts leaped and covered the area above.

Flowing clouds and colorful mists drifted to the left and right.

Many civil officials wore their official robes and jade pendants.

Even more military officials wore helmets and armor, with banners fluttering and swords and spears gleaming.

Before and behind, flags obscured the sun, and auspicious clouds entwined heavenly horses, hornless Dragons, white tigers, and various flying beasts and birds that soared and leaped above the carriages, with five-colored auspicious clouds swirling and rising.

The display was grand.

Of course, such a grand display was fitting, because Li Qi saw a person wearing a purple official robe.

Tang Nation had clear rules and a strict system; the rank of an official dictated what clothes they could wear, and no one could wear them out of place.

A purple official robe indicated a rank of third grade or higher.

The Honglu Temple only had one third-grade official, and that was the Qing of the Honglu Temple!

To have the Qing of the Honglu Temple personally come to greet them meant there was at least one Great Shaman.

Had Shaman God Mountain actually sent a Great Shaman?

Li Qi saw that the two leading adults brought Yan Ke and Bo Yue forward.

A ritual official greeted them, led them to the hall, where both sides exchanged courtesies and bows. The ritual official presented the ceremonial gifts, and then they sat according to their host and guest positions.

Then, Yan Ke proactively stepped forward.

Yan Ke was a Invoker of the Human-Ghost lineage, and he was a great handsome man, so handsome that Li Qi stared in awe back then.

Clearly, that Great Shaman deliberately let this young Invoker come to recite the invocation, just to give him some practice.

From this, it could be seen that the Great Shamanes probably didn't care much about this meeting.

If they cared, a Grand Invoker would have personally written it, instead of letting an eighth-rank child write it.

Li Qi felt that it was highly probable that everything had already been settled behind the scenes, and what was said here was just for show, a mere formality.

Li Qi strained his eyes, watching Yan Ke, that handsome man, walk to the front of the stage and begin to recite the invocation.

This was not just an invocation, but a 'pact'.

It was one of the Invoker's specialized duties.

In ancient times, when states formed alliances, it was the Invoker who coordinated them.

Yan Ke stood before the crowd and chanted, "Since three hundred years ago, the Tang and Shaman sides have been in conflict, and thus in recent years, droughts and floods have been ceaseless, frost disasters have occurred repeatedly, mountains have collapsed, earthquakes have struck, and abnormal changes have emerged. Treacherous officials have seized power, and bandits have risen, causing the common people to suffer and become increasingly impoverished. The Baiyue nations, having read the edicts of the Central Plains, have always considered the well-being of the populace, and thus propose abandoning minor disputes, establishing trust, and cultivating harmony, treating warfare as a grave matter."

"However, although Tang and Song Kingdom of Baiyue engaged in warfare, they did not commit the slightest offense, and can be called a benevolent and righteous army. It was only the former military officials who accepted bribes and then released prisoners, and the appointments in Song Kingdom were particularly chaotic, with exploitation and extortion more cruel than warfare, leading to the rise of bandits who used this as an excuse. Relying on heavenly grace, fortunately, there were no incidents, and these practices have already been abolished, with those dismissed being banished to remote areas."

"This is the benevolence of the Ancient Holy King Yao and Shun, who loved life, and the magnanimity of Yu and Tang, who were not arrogant. We wish to pray to heaven on behalf of the people, so that the common folk may know that we have no desire for war, and that heaven, earth, and spirits may understand our unavoidable intentions, hoping that heaven will show compassion, transform discord into peace, and turn barrenness into abundance. How fortunate the world will be!"

"Therefore, with the mending of relations between both sides, each side has a solemn intention to repent and reform. The great villains will restrain themselves, and with the constitution in force, justice will prevail. Officials will have a renewed spirit, and the emergence of corrupt practices will not be seen."

"The atmosphere is completely new, demonstrating the effectiveness of this policy. Therefore, we wish for the two nations, Baiyue and Great Tang, to resume their relations. Nurture them with benevolence, acquire them with righteousness, pacify them with propriety, and act upon them with trustworthiness. With these four fundamentals established, the world will be filled with loyalty, integrity, and a sense of shame. With a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful customs, a hundredfold improvement will be seen, and there will be hope for clarity!"

Yan Ke recited the invocation with a serious expression.

Li Qi below was almost dumbfounded.

Sir, that's so aggressive?!

Aren't you afraid of being beaten to death on the spot for reciting such an invocation?!

Although this "Zhu" Book was adorned with beautiful words and a humble tone, appearing very rational.

But summarized, it was essentially one sentence.

"Originally, everyone was fine, but now you've come to hit me, and you're suffering the consequences, aren't you? Don't you still have to stop and make peace in the end, making it seem like something? Why don't you learn from my benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and trustworthiness, otherwise you're too ill-mannered."

Moreover, he even used the Ancient Holy King of the human Dao as an example, saying that the Ancient Holy King also disliked hypocrisy and that it was better to end the war sooner.

Although not explicitly stated, that was roughly the meaning.

Furthermore, what was even more outrageous was that the subject of this invocation was 'Baiyue'.

In other words, it didn't use the identity of Shaman God Mountain to speak with Tang Nation at all, but rather had Baiyue and Tang Nation negotiate as equals.

This was a public slap in the face.

Li Qi looked around and found that indeed, many people who understood showed angry expressions.

Some of those officials even glared directly at Yan Ke.

This was an invocation clearly not intended for friendly relations; it was full of passive aggression.

Now Li Qi understood why Yan Ke was chosen to recite it.

He was just an eighth-rank young man.

How to put it, the child was just ignorant, surely you wouldn't hold it against him?

Clearly, this occasion was just a small one, so it was a display of Shaman God Mountain's attitude?

Although there was anger, it was clear that everything had been settled behind the scenes, so it was naturally impossible to fall out at this time.

Below, another ritual official from the Honglu Temple stepped forward and also began to recite his oath.

Li Qi naturally listened to it below.

As expected, it followed basically the same path as Shaman God Mountain.

Everyone was passive-aggressive towards each other.

Tang Nation's oath could be summarized with one meaning.

"You barbarians, am I giving you face? Do I have to beat you up to make you comfortable?"

There was even a sentence in it that read, "The Supreme wishes to show the magnanimity of our Heavenly Dynasty, yet encounters the eager flattery of distant adherents. The barbarians are full of deceit and cannot be easily trusted; they are insatiably greedy and repeatedly demand more rewards. If there were no warfare, how would the various barbarians not laugh at the Central Plains for being easily deceived?"

This was even harsher than what Yan Ke wrote, basically cursing them directly.

A simple translation would be: "If I don't beat you two times, you barbarians are itching for it and won't be comfortable!"

This welcoming reception proceeded in such a lively atmosphere.

Then, both sides held a ceremony of alliance according to etiquette, forming a pact. Everyone laughed heartily, as if they weren't the ones who had just been cursing each other with the invocation.

The event continued to unfold.

The elder brother next to him was still continuously recording with his Spiritual Artifact, watching Tang Nation's invocation angrily, seemingly genuinely enjoying the scene.

Just before, when Yan Ke was cursing, he was also among those who glared angrily.

Li Qi watched this scene from the side, feeling an urge to turn and leave.

He had a feeling that if he stayed, his future days might not be easy.

He'd watch this ceremony to the end, then make a run for it, and ideally, avoid any public contact with the diplomatic mission.

Given the attitude displayed today, Shaman God Mountain would undoubtedly be lambasted on the terminal. If he exposed himself, he might even have his windows pelted with stones.

The ceremony above lasted for about an hour. After both sides finished their mutual cursing, the rest was just formalities.

Actually, it couldn't be considered mere formalities, because if those alliance rituals were performed seriously, they would truly take effect, binding both parties, and whoever violated them would suffer a backlash.

Unfortunately, it was clear that neither side intended to do so, so they each altered the rituals, making them incompatible and losing their efficacy, thus turning them into mere formalities.

When the ceremony ended, the people around also dispersed.

Li Qi turned, ready to follow the crowd and make his escape.

But as soon as he turned and took a step, he suddenly felt himself step into thin air.

Li Qi's heart tightened. He immediately gathered his Qi, straightened his body, and assumed a distinguished and imposing demeanor.

Sure enough, his vision blurred, and suddenly, he was standing among the Shaman God Mountain contingent.

Beside him was Yan Ke, who had excellent self-control, capable of cursing people while smiling.

And Bo Yue, with a Sima face, who looked unhappy no matter how you saw him.

He had appeared abruptly in their midst.

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

The Tang Nation official's camp, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised, but they quickly composed themselves, pretending not to notice.

There was, however, some commotion among the onlookers outside.

The elder brother he had just spoken to, seeing him suddenly appear inside, had his eyes wide open.

As for the most important Great Shaman…

Li Qi secretly glanced and found that the leading Great Shaman was also looking at him, his eyes seemingly speaking.

He was saying: "After we go back, you'd better give me an explanation."

For some reason, Li Qi understood the other party'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 it after we go back.

After all, he had run away first, then detached himself to watch from outside, and then immediately wanted to run away after watching.

He really should give this leading Great Shaman an explanation…

As soon as Li Qi stood firm, he saw one of the Tang Nation officials walk over.

He cupped his hands and very officially presented an invitation.

"Well then, the ceremony here has concluded. The banquet has been prepared, so please, gentlemen, join us for the feast. Afterwards, various parties will discuss matters, and I trouble the envoys to discuss them one by one. The banquet will be held tonight, and at that time, not only the Qing of the Honglu Temple, but also other dignitaries and even the rulers of various barbarian states will be waiting."

After speaking, he presented the invitation and then withdrew.

Numerous rituals had been completed; it was time to leave.

The next matter was the evening banquet.

According to custom, there would usually also be people from the Honglu Temple to take them to visit scenic spots, and there would be interviews and such.

However…

Everyone had cursed each other publicly, so their relationship was clearly not that good. It seemed the sightseeing and interview segments had been cut.

Despite this, one of the two leading adults still walked out, responsible for negotiating some details with Tang Nation. Otherwise, if they were allowed to arrange the banquet venue freely, it would probably be a huge mess.

The one who walked out looked like the deputy, which meant the other one was the Great Shaman?

The remaining adult, who had just been staring at Li Qi and also pulled Li Qi out of the crowd, led the three Young Masters towards their carriage.

The large carriage pulled by the injured, listless True Dragon.

As they walked past the carriage, the True Dragon slightly raised its head and looked at Li Qi, making Li Qi involuntarily take a step back.

This was a True Dragon; that glance made his heart pound.

But immediately, a Dragon-whipping whip appeared on the carriage, and with a crack, it directly struck the True Dragon's back. Scales flew, and its skin tore and bled. It let out a mournful cry, then lay down on the ground again, motionless.

Li Qi frowned at the sight.

At this moment, he felt a gaze.

It was the gaze of that Great Shaman.

Information was conveyed through the gaze, just like the feeling before.

The look in his eyes said: "Four wisps of Great Forest Wood Qi, one wisp of flowing water Qi. Water and wood solidify the Origin."

Li Qi was slightly surprised.

Was he hinting at him to save this True Dragon…?

However, since the adult had spoken, there was no need for him, a child, to say more. He lightly tapped his finger, and five wisps of Qi were silently drawn from his personal small heaven and earth, condensing in his palm.

Then, pretending to be a curious child, as if he had never seen a True Dragon before, he touched the Dragon's skin, and casually patted the Qi into its body.

The Qi of water and wood could slightly enhance its self-healing ability.

Healing its injuries was impossible, and he didn't have that ability, but he could make it feel better through this method.

The True Dragon snorted, as if it wanted to say something, but the Dragon-binding ropes on its body prevented it from making any other movements, so it could only respond in this way.

Then, under the gaze of many people, Li Qi and the others got into the carriage together.

As soon as they got in, the atmosphere inside the carriage changed.

Li Qi glanced at his terminal.

Sure enough, there was no signal.

The Great Shaman had used his personal small heaven and earth to isolate this carriage.

Then, this unfamiliar Great Shaman pulled up a stool and sat down.

Li Qi, Yan Ke, and Bo Yue stood obediently, waiting for the adult to speak.

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

It was unknown what method that Great Shaman used; it was neither telepathy nor sound, and he didn't even feel any True Knowledge Dao Resonance. It was estimated that even other Tang Nation officials didn't feel anything.

It was as if it truly was just a look.

The Great Shaman first spoke, "This carriage was given by the Human Dao officials. Our riding in this carriage is a slap in the face to the East Sea, so I'm leaving you to do some good deeds, so we can explain it better later."

Then, he asked Li Qi, "Young Master Qi, it's one thing for you to sneak into Tang Nation, but I heard you also secretly brought Moonborne Daoist Master from Mount Luofu. Is this true or false?"