C36
Xu Changping and Xu Zongyi watched from afar.
If it weren't for Xu Changping's special status, it would have been impossible to get to this place. This was the place closest to the main gate of the Xu Family, and also the highest point.
"I presume that the person inside is the youngest of the Great Zhou Imperial Clan, the Eighth Princess?" Xu Zongyi guessed as he looked at the overbearing war chariot.
"Oh? You seem to be pretty well-informed. " Xu Changping laughed heartily.
"What news could I possibly have? Recently, the people from the four academies will all come to the Scripture Hall, and they will occasionally discuss about it. Since the fourth prince has already appeared, the only person left in the chariot is naturally the little princess." Xu Zongyi would inevitably hear their discussion.
Regardless of how chaotic the outside world was, the power of the Great Zhou Empire was always there. Even the dukes of various kingdoms did not dare to act rashly.
On both sides of the chariot were a few young men wearing ceremonial robes. All of them were in high spirits and held all sorts of magical equipment.
"These people, they are the gifts and teachings of the Great Zhou Imperial Clan." Xu Changping said slowly, "Rites are also from the imperial family of the Great Zhou. They are in charge of the imperial power and the laws and regulations of the royal family. In the chariot, I'm afraid there are also Holy Maiden of the Rites, travelling together with the eighth princess."
"Rites!" Xu Zongyi gazed in front of him. The Great Zhou ruled the world with courtesy, and it was evident how powerful the teachings of etiquette were.
Even as the son of the Great Zhou Empire, he could not do as he pleased under the rule of etiquette.
The law of etiquette was laid down by the ancestors.
He had the authority to cripple the Son of Heaven.
Of course, it was impossible to create one without thinking.
Behind the chariot was one of the imperial Zhou Empire's most elite guards, the Flowing Dragon Guard. Dressed in dragon-scaled armor and holding onto a war spear, he walked majestically in formation.
In the end, there was a middle-aged man riding a dragon-scaled dragon horse. His strength was extremely terrifying, and he was one of the commanders of the Dragon Guards.
The man wore a dragon helmet, and his every action carried might. Only his eyes were revealed, and they were extremely mysterious.
He held a spear made from a dragon's spine. The body of the spear was curved and irregular. It was a light yellow color, but its combat power was terrifying. A faint dragon roar could be heard.
"The third commander of the Dragon Guards, Ao Ba." Xu Changping looked at the two sides of the chariot, his expression somewhat surprised. "It seems that a new face has come this time."
"What do you mean?" Xu Zongyi knew nothing about these people.
"The one on the left is the Wen King Manor. I didn't expect that it would be a little girl leading the team." Xu Changping laughed, "This girl should be the foster daughter of the Wen King. Wen Su actually brought a group of female soldiers out to train. She sure has some guts."
Xu Zongyi looked over and indeed, there was a large group of female soldiers dressed in military uniforms, looking valiant and formidable. Compared to the Flowing Dragon Guards, they appeared to be of a lower strength, but their auras were not weak as well.
The leader was a woman. Her horse had soft phoenix feathers on its neck, four hooves, and its tail. It was a Heavenly Phoenix Horse, and its bloodline was precious. Every step it took exuded a proud and noble aura.
There was almost no woman that could match up to her. Although she still had her childish look, her eyebrows were filled with an imposing heroic spirit. Her long hair was like a strand of silk, shiny and jet-black, giving her a refined and swift demeanor.
She was dressed in silver armor, with one hand on the hilt of her sword, while the other held onto the reins. She was looking straight ahead, her eyes flashing like lightning.
"Wen Wang's adopted daughter, Wen Su?" Xu Zongyi looked at her and said nothing.
"This girl is not simple. Although she is only in the Spirit Condensation realm, her future is limitless." Xu Changping looked to the side and said, "You should also pay attention to the ones on the right."
Xu Zongyi glanced at Wen Su. She was only about the same age as Xiao E, but the aura she exuded was filled with a strong sense of sternness. It was obvious that she had been tempered by the battlefield, making her stand out from the crowd of women.
"Right?" Xu Zongyi looked at their mounts and saw that they were giant deer that could be compared to horses. They had two horns on their heads and a square-shaped body. These deer were all wrapped in five colors and were called five-colored giant deer.
The people sitting on the giant deer were all dressed in long robes, seemingly relaxed. Xu Changping nodded and said, "This is the Dao Clan of Jiang Clan, under the Great Zhou Imperial Clan, it is the Dao Clan that helped to lay down this place. The Jiang Clan is one of the representatives, and there is a huge clan behind the Jiang Clan."
"You mean that the Jiang Clan's strength surpasses the Great Zhou Imperial Clan?" Xu Zongyi was a little puzzled.
"That's not the case. Rather, the Jiang Dynasty and the humans of the sky are inextricably linked. I'm not too sure about the specifics, and it is also one of the biggest trump cards of the Great Zhou Dynasty." Xu Changping knew that his youngest junior brother had been involved in a lot of miscellaneous records, so he should have a certain level of understanding towards the Celestial Clan.
"It is said that the innate constitution of the Celestial Race is compatible with the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth. Their comprehension ability is excellent and they can comprehend tens of thousands of Dao. Therefore, they are called the 'Heaven Man' because their aptitude is extraordinary." Xu Zongyi did indeed know a bit about the Celestial Clan.
"However, all these years, the luck of the Jiang Clan wasn't very good. It seems that there aren't many bloodlines that can enter the eyes of the Celestial Clan. There aren't many that have stepped out." Xu Changping smiled.
"The Celestial Race will even accept disciples?" Xu Zongyi was a little surprised, as he didn't understand the situation too well.
"Naturally, the Celestial Clan is extremely difficult to nurture. In the past, the ancestors of the Jiang Clan were selected and entered the Heaven's Path Sect. At the end, their cultivation levels broke through, surpassing the mortal limits, and they helped the Great Zhou Empire establish a new territory and pass down their legacy." Xu Changping was still yearning towards the location of the Celestial Race. However, since he was still young, he was in no hurry to go there.
"In the Great Zhou Imperial Clan, there are five kings and eight marquis. All of them have come." Xu Changping continued to introduce Xu Zongyi.
"Behind the Dragon Guards are the remaining four kings, the eighth prince."
"The Wise King has been guarding the Luo Yi all year round. The Broken Army King guards the Eastern Divine Pass, the North Pingping King guards the Yin Mountain Pass, the Righteous King guards the Devil Resisting Mountain Pass, and the Gold Spear King guards the Corridor."
"Among the eight hundred marquises, the most outstanding are the eight marquis. They are the valiant, the Seven Deadly Lords, the Marquis of Peace, the Ghost Underworld, the Nine Tribulations, the Marquis of Anyang, the Marquis of Dingkun, and the Marquis of Zhang Wu."
"However, this time, the four kings had only sent their generals. The eighth duke had also brought their direct descendants and trusted aides. The situation of the entire Great Zhou Empire seemed to be rather delicate."
Xu Changping analyzed the situation while Xu Zongyi listened attentively from the side. Looking at the vast army lined up neatly and advancing side by side, he sighed in his heart. The Great Zhou Imperial Clan was indeed extraordinary, and did not look like they were incapable of controlling the situation in the outside world at all.
The powers behind the four kings and eight marquis were all famous families of the Great Zhou Empire.
Behind these famous families and clans were some disorderly merchant flags. The troops were worn out from the journey, and the troops that led them were not as mighty as they were now.
These were all travelling merchants, yet they had traveled to many places and were experienced.
Great Elder Xu Yangyan personally welcomed them. When the Great Zhou Imperial Family arrived at the main gate of the Xu family, they all dismounted, and no one dared to act rashly.
The disciples of the Xu family, who had come from the village, led a large group of their men and horses towards the left square of the Heaven's Eclipse Pavilion.
That place had already been divided into many plots, each of them belonging to a different region of the dukedom, arranged according to the etiquette of the Great Zhou Imperial Family.
The troops of the Great Zhou Empire could not enter the main house of the Xu family.
However, people like Ji Yue, the eighth princess, and the holy maiden, Wen Su, could naturally enter, yet each of them could only bring one follower.
These rules had existed since ancient times.
"Heh, it seems like the markets on both sides of the road have started to get busy." Xu Zongyi was extremely excited. According to the records, these large foreign powers and travelling merchant groups would set up their own stalls after they had stationed themselves here.
A feast of bartering began.
"Senior brother, I know most of these people. I'll go first and learn from them." Xu Zongyi didn't want to trouble his senior brother too much. There were some things that he could do, and those that he could learn, he would first give it a try.
"That's fine too, take a look. Don't be anxious, see if you can get some good stuff." Xu Changping chuckled, liking his junior more and more.
At this moment, in the Taoist Jiang Clan, there was a rather special mount. It had antlers like a deer, face like a horse, hooves like a cow, and tails like a donkey. However, it looked like a deer but not a deer, or a horse, or a cow or a cow, or a donkey but not a donkey.
This mount's bloodline was not pure, but it was not simple. Seated on the David's Deer was a seventeen or eighteen year old youth. His expression was lazy, and even though his daoist robe was on the ground, his eyes were still fixed on Xu Changping.
They looked at each other as if they were old friends.
The entire village was in an uproar. During the season of the autumnal equinox, the feast lasted until the end of the first winter.
In these few days, the internal affairs of the Xu family would not be at peace.
The feast of abnormally exchanging rice grains concealed the internal game of the peasant family, the Xu family.
In succession, the soldiers of the foreign powers were stationed on the east and west sides of the Heaven's Food Square under the guidance of the village disciples.
Almost all of the Great Zhou Empire's royal families were stationed at the West Plaza, while those famous families and merchants were stationed at the East Plaza.
If he wanted to enter the Xu family of the village, he would need a card to do so.
Every year, if he wanted to enter the Xu family, he would have to send in a card in advance to change the grain.
It was only with the consent of the Xu family that he could enter the Xu family.
Only two people could enter the main house of the Xu family with at most one follower each time.
"Everyone, please follow me." As the son of the family head, Xu Tianggui naturally had to receive direct descendants of the same age as him.
The Holy Maiden of Rites, the Fourth Prince Ji Yue, the Eighth Princess, Princess Wen Su, and the Jiang Clan youth were among them.
Beside Xu Tianyang, there was a man around seventeen or eighteen years old. He was the pride of the Autumn Battlefield Academy, and his name was Xu Wanku. His fame was on par with Xu Changping and Xu Gongming.
Xu Tianyi naturally could not be in charge of the overall situation. Naturally, he had to have a sufficient number of people to hold the line.
Xu Xindie and Xu Zhengdao stood to the side to welcome the other guests.
As for the elders behind them, they were also welcomed by the elders of the Four Great Academies.
After Xu Zongyi went downstairs, he went straight to the main entrance of the Xu house.
Xu Zhengdao's sharp eyes caught sight of him. At the moment, they were conversing with their peers from various forces as they prepared to head to the Autumn Battlefield Academy.
Xu Tianyun had already set up a banquet to give them a welcoming reception.
"Zong Yi, I'm here." Xu Zhengdao was not alone.
Xu Zongyi looked at him, and Xu Xindie was beside him, "You're here too? Then let's go together. "
"Where to?" Xu Zongyi truly wanted to see if the children of the same age group from the outside world had anything extraordinary about them.
"We, the Autumn Battlefield Academy, do not welcome idle bystanders." At this moment, Xu Tianyi laughed coldly, causing many to turn their gazes towards Xu Zongyi.