Outside Of Time

1166 The Hearts of Humans in the Hall

It was the moment of sunrise.

Not all the suns in the Wanggu Continent rose from the east. However, in the human race’s Grand Imperial Capital Region, the sun came from the east. At this moment, it was like a huge furnace that burned the world, forming a red light that slowly spread.

It tore through the night and scattered the light on the statue of the Sword Holding Emperor, causing the Great Emperor’s shadow to envelop the rainbow bridge and the palace.

From afar, the Immortal Receiving Square in front of the palace’s main building was covered in purple smoke.

There was a feeling of dense fog as well as a large bell. At the moment the night and day fused, it appeared out of thin air and hung in the air above the square.

It was the Immortal Inquisition Bell.

This bell dated back to the Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether Era. It stayed between yin and yang, appearing at sunrise and vanishing at sunset.

Its effect was to verify the heart.

Since ancient times, there would occasionally be officials whose words were doubted by others. They had to ring the Immortal Inquisition Bell to prove their true intentions.

This was during the ancient times.

However, during the period of the Human Emperor Mystic War’s reign, there weren’t many such matters.

At that moment, the officials in black, including Xu Qing, had already stepped into the main hall. What entered Xu Qing’s vision was a vast hall.

This hall was so vast that it could accommodate thousands of people. In the surroundings, there were huge pillars carved with auspicious beasts that supported the roof of the hall. There were also bright lights that illuminated the hall.

Teams of golden-armored guards could be seen at the edges of the two sides. They stood there motionless and lowered their heads slightly to show respect to the arriving officials.

As for the front, there was a nine-tiered long platform, rising like a ladder. Each tier was nearly a thousand feet long and hundreds of feet wide, progressively advancing until the ninth tier, where a majestic dragon throne was present.

There was a person sitting upright on the dragon throne.

This person’s entire body was hazy and his exact appearance couldn’t be seen clearly. One could only see that he was wearing a golden emperor’s robe that emitted supreme might.

He wore a crown on his head, and there were twelve tassels hanging from the front and back, crafted from five-colored immortal silk interwoven with pearls of the sun and moon, representing the sovereign’s ability to perceive both the seen and unseen.

He was the core of the entire hall, the core of the Grand Imperial Capital Region, and the core of the human race in the Wanggu Continent.

What was even more astonishing was the fortune.

The fortune from the entire human race gathered on the Human Emperor. Under such enhancement, Xu Qing only took a glance and felt as though he was being suppressed by an endless aura.

His eyes felt a piercing pain. Even when he faced the heir and the others in the Moon Offering Region, he didn’t feel such a piercing aura. This had nothing to do with cultivation. This was the power of fortune.

Under this fortune, the Human Emperor could shatter anything with a thought.

Xu Qing lowered his head slightly. The etiquette Zi Xuan had told him before appeared in his mind.

“Ancient Sovereign Mystic Nether unified not only the lands of the living, but also the realms of the dead. Thus, the orientation of the court was shifted from facing north to facing south, symbolizing that the fate of all beings, living and dead, lay within the hands of humanity.”

“From then on, during both minor and major court sessions, the Emperor faces east.”

“At minor court sessions, the Great Emperor, Heavenly Kings, and Upper Mystic Palace Masters need not attend, but they must be present at major court sessions. The Great Emperor sits on the sixth tier, the Heavenly Kings sit on the third tier, and the Heavenly Marquises sit on the first tier, all facing east. The Three Dukes stand below the first tier, facing east. The Deputy Palace Masters of the Upper Mystic Five Palaces stand to the north and face west, while the Deputy Palace Masters of the Lower Mystic Five Palaces stand to the south and face west. Members of the imperial family stand to the right of the main entrance, while the Grand Stewards and their officials stand to the left.”

While Xu Qing was pondering, the dozen or so cultivators in black court dress who had entered with him had already taken a step forward and walked onto the first platform. They stood there and faced the entrance of the hall.

Xu Qing took a deep breath and similarly flew out, heading straight for the first platform.

His arrival attracted the gazes of the others. However, most of them only swept their gazes over. Very soon, Xu Qing’s figure appeared on the first platform, standing near the end.

Almost at the same time that he stepped onto the first platform, outside the grand hall, the officials began to enter, taking their positions in accordance with their respective court ranks.

The main hall was silent.

As for the three dukes under the first platform, Xu Qing only saw one. It was an old man in a red court dress. His white hair draped over his shoulders and his figure was tall and straight, looking dignified. As for his identity, Xu Qing didn’t know the details and guessed that this person might be the Grand Chancellor.

According to what Zi Xuan told him, the court meeting was usually presided over by the Grand Chancellor.

At that moment, as everyone took their respective positions, the old man in the red court dress swept his gaze across everyone. Finally, he turned and looked at everyone on the first platform, including Xu Qing.

When his gaze landed on Xu Qing, he paused slightly. What he focused on wasn’t Xu Qing’s appearance but the details of his clothes. A hint of surprise flashed across his face.

He sensed a slight difference in Xu Qing’s attire. That ancient aura and authenticity might be difficult for ordinary people to notice but he could tell at a glance.

After that, he retracted his gaze and cupped his hands and bowed to the Human Emperor on the ninth platform.

“Your Majesty, the court ceremony is set.”

Everyone in the hall lowered their heads. According to past court meetings, the Human Emperor would stand up at this moment to show his respect to the officials and perform a collective bow, signifying the conclusion of the ceremony.

However, this time, there were some differences…

The Human Emperor slowly stood up from his seat. His pressure enveloped the surroundings and the power of fortune of the human race spread out into the world.

The clouds and fog churned outside, and golden dragons roared. He didn’t join the officials in the collective bow like before; instead, he turned his head and directed his gaze through the crown tassels towards Xu Qing.Then, he nodded slightly three times.

“For your meritorious service in governing the borderlands, take your seat!”

The voice of the Grand Chancellor echoed as he spoke on behalf of the Human Emperor.

At the next instant, the surface of the platform behind Xu Qing rippled and a black-colored dragon chair slowly appeared.

Xu Qing’s expression was solemn as he bowed nine times to express his gratitude. He didn’t lack manners and his posture was correct, revealing the feeling of ancient customs.

When this scene landed in the eyes of everyone in the hall, none of them batted an eyelid. However, in their hearts, they paid more attention to Xu Qing. They realized that behind Xu Qing, there were people who had an extremely deep understanding of human etiquette.

After that, the Human Emperor and the officials bowed together. The Human Emperor sat down and Xu Qing sat down. The cultivators in black court dresses sat cross-legged.

The bell rang and the morning meeting began.

Soon, someone walked out and spoke about the political affairs.

First, it was the people’s livelihood, followed by various incidents in the human race, including impeachment, financial problems regarding the human race, diplomacy, and so on.

As for the Human Emperor, he rarely spoke. Most of the time, it was handled by the Grand Chancellor. Only at important matters would the Human Emperor say something concise and decisive.

This was Xu Qing’s first time in the hall of the core of the human race and participating in such a meeting. There were waves in his heart and it was very difficult for him to be as calm as usual.

Sitting with his back facing the Human Emperor, his gaze landed on the main hall.

From the expressions of everyone here, it was impossible to tell what they were thinking. As he listened to their words and everyone’s participation in a series of events, Xu Qing could sense what it meant by every word was a gem—concise yet potent, often open to multiple interpretations.

“These people are all extraordinary talents among humans…”

As discussions in the hall turned to diplomatic matters and the conflict with the Black Heaven Race, with each minister speaking in turn, Xu Qing’s gaze settled on the right side of the hall, where the imperial family was seated.

There weren’t many of them and most of them were elders. As for the prince, there was only one person there and that was Ning Yan.

He stood there cautiously, clearly afraid of his father.

Xu Qing’s gaze swept over. The moment he retracted his gaze, he heard the aged voice of the Grand Chancellor.

“Regarding the matter of the Black Spirit Region in the Black Heaven Race, I ask the Governor of Fenghai County, Xu Qing, to provide a detailed report.”

Numerous gazes instantly landed on Xu Qing. Xu Qing slowly stood upright up and bowed to the Human Emperor. Under the attention of everyone, he spoke in a deep voice.

“The Black Spirit Region is divided into the north and south, each controlling half. The northern part is controlled by the scattered forces of the Black Heaven Royal Family, and the southern part is led by the Black Heaven Priests.”

“The death of Crimson Goddess caused the Black Heaven Priests’ status to fall and lose the blessings of the god. Fenghai County has already taken them under our wing and reestablished the temple of faith for them.”

At this point, a middle-aged man in a blue court dress suddenly took a step forward and spoke.

“County Governor Xu, may I ask what’s the source of Black Heaven Priests’ faith in the rebuilt temple?”

The expressions of everyone in the hall fluctuated but it was very light. The matter of the Black Heaven Race’s priests believing in Lord Purple and the fact that Lord Purple was related to Xu Qing wasn’t a deep secret but some matter were too sensitive and couldn’t be mentioned lightly.

Hence, the question itself contained many layers of meaning.

Xu Qing’s gaze landed on the middle-aged man, replying calmly.

“You have lost your decorum.”

As soon as these utterances were spoken, the middle-aged man glanced at Xu Qing and took a few steps back, returning to his position.

Everyone in the hall had their own thoughts about Xu Qing’s answer. They had some guesses about the expert who had guided Xu Qing.

The Grand Chancellor nodded slightly.

“The achievements in governance, the attire of the Heavenly Marquis, and the seat on the first platform are a show of County Governor Xu’s accomplishments. Zhao Tianqi, your interruption violates the ancient customs, and is indeed a lack of decorum.”

Zhao Tianqi lowered his head and agreed without any change in his expression.

Xu Qing didn’t bother with him. He bowed to the Human Emperor and sat down.

While the hall turned quiet, another person walked out from among the officials. This person was also wearing a blue court robe and was in the center of the hall. He first bowed to the Human Emperor before looking at Xu Qing.

“County Governor Xu has already taken his seat. I have an inquiry to make, which does not constitute a lack of decorum. County Governor Xu, how did you come to know about the Sun of Dawn, the highest secret of our human race? How did you obtain it, and how many are there? Furthermore, why did you bring it into the Imperial Capital and the Imperial Palace?”

This topic was equally sensitive. When his voice echoed, it contained some killing intent, causing the surroundings to be filled with a murderous atmosphere. Even the golden-armored guards on both sides turned instinctively vigilant.

Xu Qing didn’t stand up. After a few breaths of silence, he calmly spoke.

“There are a total of nine Suns of Dawn given by the Moon Offering Ruler’s heir. I used six of them when I assisted in killing Crimson Goddess.”

“Why did I bring it to the Imperial City? It’s because I’m afraid of death.”

The official who asked the question looked at Xu Qing and didn’t speak anymore. He then returned to his position.

The Grand Chancellor glanced at that official. The other party’s utterances seemed to be making matter difficult for Xu Qing but from another perspective, this also gave Xu Qing a chance to explain.

The significance of this was both good and bad, and differed depending on the individual.

However, it had nothing to do with him. Hence, the Grand Chancellor looked at the Human Emperor.

The Human Emperor was high and mighty and his expression could not be seen clearly. However, he emitted a dangerous aura, causing the atmosphere in the entire hall to become increasingly oppressive. A cold feeling spread in all directions.

Tens of breaths later, the Human Emperor’s dignified voice echoed.

“Grand Chancellor, announce the results of the assassination attempt.”

The Grand Chancellor lowered his head. He understood that the Human Emperor had chosen not to pursue the matter of Xu Qing’s Sun of Dawn. This attitude was also a signal. Everyone in the hall understood.

As for the Grand Chancellor, he lifted his head again. When he looked outside the hall, his stare became cold and his voice contained killing intent.

“Bring the individuals who participated in the assassination up!”