Mutated Tao

Chapter 771: Banquet

Bai Lingmiao slowly made her way towards the grand hall under the guidance of four eunuchs holding lanterns.

This was not the palace of Si Qi’s Emperor. It was a smaller place he lived in to escape the summer heat.[1] Even so, the entire place was built based on the palace itself.

Bai Lingmiao grew closer and heard the sound of cheerful music.

She entered the hall and saw hundreds of people sitting in two rows, chatting happily and toasting each other.

There were civil officers, martial officers, monks, daoists, and several others who looked like they didn't belong there.

In the middle of the hall, several beautiful ladies with small feet were elegantly and gracefully dancing in the palm of a massive armored man.

“Is this a celebratory banquet?” Bai Lingmiao wasn’t sure what was happening. “Is this why Xuan Pin sent a message for me to come here?”

“Saintess, please sit here.” The eunuchs guided her to a designated seat.

As soon as she sat, several rare dishes, such as bear paws and deer antlers, were served to her.

It was Xuan Pin. The dead Xuan Pin has somehow appeared again.

Bai Lingmiao wanted to take a closer look, but Xuan Pin noticed her. He shook his head gently and gestured to her to remain still.

She felt a familiar presence and frowned but still complied. She sat down without a word.

Bai Lingmiao then looked towards the main table and saw the emperors sitting on their thrones. The Liang Kingdom’s Emperor, Qing Qiu’s Khan, Si Qi’s Emperor, and Hou Shu’s Emperor were all present.

Gao Zhijian’s status was the highest, so he sat in the middle. Qing Qiu’s Khan sat at his side while the emperors from Si Qi and Hou Shu, who had just regained their kingdoms, sat on the edge.

Gao Zhijian held his cup, and the eunuchs gave the dancers a knowing look. The dancers swiftly finished the dance and retreated.

“Today.” Gao Zhijian’s low voice silenced the hall. “Today, I am thrilled to announce that the kingdom of Si Qi has been reclaimed from the evil Dharma Sect!”

Everyone in the hall smiled at the good news.

Gao Zhijian continued his speech. Bai Lingmiao had no formal education, but she still felt that his speech was meaningless.

The point was that the Dharma Sect had been defeated in Si Qi, and everyone was called to work towards its complete eradication diligently, with the goal of restoring normalcy by the end of the year.

The dancers made a comeback. This time, they didn’t dance on the man's palm—they danced on top of some drums! Their tiny white feet moved rhythmically on the drums, synchronizing with the beat of the music. The crowd loved it.

Bai Lingmiao felt conflicted when she witnessed how wasteful the others were being, all while her followers had to make do with nearly spoiled vegetables.

She waited until the banquet ended late at night.

When almost everyone had left the hall, Bai Lingmiao approached Si Qi’s Emperor. “Your Majesty, the war is not over. I don’t believe spending so much on a feast is necessary.”

“I was the one who told them to do it,” Gao Zhijian said. He looked exhausted, as if the weight of his crown was too heavy.

“Junior Bai, I understand what you are trying to say, but we cannot skimp on this. If we don’t do this, the people beneath us will speculate a lot. The expenses for tonight are a minor cost to reassure everyone and make them believe everything is running smoothly."

Bai Lingmiao looked at Gao Zhijian and noticed that he was much different now.

Bai Lingmiao decided to let it go and asked another question. “And what about Xuan Pin? Isn’t he dead?”

Gao Zhijian waved his hands and signaled the guards to surround the palace. The eunuchs became the second line of defense as they surrounded the place too. “Let’s talk inside.”

They entered the inner palace. Then, Bai Lingmiao saw that Li Sui and Li Huowang were hidden beneath Xuan Pin’s robes. Li Sui slithered out of the robes with her tentacles, revealing Li Huowang’s face beneath the robes.

The Xuan Pin that everyone had seen at the banquet was fake—it was actually Li Huowang and Li Sui in disguise. The real Xuan Pin was dead.

The red robes filled with weird runes were trailing on Li Huowang’s body like a large bedsheet.

However, the red robes eventually became smaller until they became a good fit for Li Huowang's body.

Li Huowang hugged Bai Lingmiao lightly before letting her go.

“We cannot let news of Xuan Pin’s death spread. It would affect the soldier’s morale,” Gao Zhijian said as a group of people walked into the inner palace.

Those who could enter the place were naturally the core nucleus of the allied army. Everyone in the room knew what had happened.

The banquet was just a smokescreen. The real fight began here.

As everyone took a seat on the chairs adorned with gold embroidery, the eunuchs served them a cup of tea before making their way out.

In contrast to the festive mood outside, the atmosphere within the inner palace was rather somber. A wisp of white steam escaped from the teacup, yet silence hung in the air, with no one daring to break it.

Li Huowang was the first one to talk. “Xuan Pin is dead and there’s no need to hide anything from me. How’s the situation?”

Li Huowang steeled himself for the battle to come, no matter how hard it would get.

But no one replied to him.

“What? Do you all think my rank is so low that I don’t have the right to ask?”

He looked at Gao Zhijian, who gestured at the deputy chief of the Liang Kingdom’s Surveillance Bureau to speak.

“The Dharma Sect is now hiding in Nan Ping. We’ve just sent the informants and we have no insight into their internal structure yet.”

Li Huowang frowned. “That’s it? I don’t believe that you guys would still hide information from me when the situation is already this critical.”

“Daoist Li, Chief Xuan Pin instructed not to divulge certain information to you.”

“Stop trying to use him to suppress me! I don’t have to listen to his orders! How did he die if he’s really that strong? Don’t try to push me to the side—I intend to fight in the war! Tell me everything, including what you expect me to do. I’ll decide if I want to do it or not!”

Gao Zhijian waved lightly at Li Huowang to calm him down. “Senior Li, please don’t be upset. They are not trying to hide anything from you. What specific questions do you have? They will talk.”

“How did Xuan Pin die? What happened to them while I was fighting Ma Tuo?”

1. Essentially a summer home ☜