NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 384: Heavenly Grace, Mediocrity, and Eternal Bliss
Chapter 384: Heavenly Grace, Mediocrity, and Eternal Bliss
Jun Yunshang’s gaze was icy as she looked at Jun Chengye. Her voice was cold as she declared, “Jun Chengye, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Heavenly Grace King with your fiefdom in the Southern Hills. I hope you will act accordingly.”
She had changed Jun Chengye’s title at the last moment. “Heavenly Grace” was meant to signify the grace left behind by Jun Lintian, but those present misunderstood her intention.
They thought that she was subtly warning Jun Chengye: You are only alive because of the grace of Heavenly Fiend Sovereign. Remember that well!
Jun Chengye interpreted it the same way. He gritted his teeth and replied, “Jun Chengye accepts the decree and expresses his gratitude for Your Majesty’s benevolence.”
“Jun Fengya steps forward to receive your coronation!” Zhao Ban announced again.
Jun Fengya followed suit, and Jun Yunshang looked at her with a slightly softer expression, though she still steeled herself to make a firm decision.
“Jun Fengya, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Mediocrity King with your fiefdom in the Eastern Counties. I hope you understand the meaning behind this.”
Jun Fengya was intelligent, so she understood immediately.
Mediocrity. Mediocrity. A life of mediocrity.
This was a clear message: since she had not taken the initiative earlier, she should remain in the background for the rest of her life.
Do not oppose Jun Yunshang. Be content with her title as the King of Mediocrity.
The throne?
Forget about it!
Jun Fengya forced a bitter smile and bowed. “Jun Fengya accepts the decree.”
Jun Yunshang continued, “Send my decree: I hereby grant Jun Yutang the title of Blissful Marquis, with no fiefdom, only a stipend. Tell him that without military power or authority, he can enjoy eternal peace and happiness”.
Zhao Ban quickly acknowledged the order and instructed someone to draft the decree, sending it to the Blissful Marquis, who would never return to the capital.
According to the emperor’s intention, if Jun Yutang refused to be content, they would ensure that he was.
When the coronation ceremony was over, everyone present was filled with anxiety, their hearts racing.
One bold minister plucked up the courage to ask, “Your Majesty, how should we handle today’s events?”
Jun Yunshang glanced at the methods Jun Lintian had left for her and, after a moment, lowered her eyes. “Regarding today’s events, everyone must swear a Daoist oath not to reveal a single word to outsiders.”
“To the public, we will claim that a mysterious expert attacked during my ascension to the throne, but fortunately, the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign’s projection descended to protect Junyan.”
“We deeply appreciate the grace of the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign and will offer generous gifts to the Heavenly Fiend Hall as a token of our gratitude, fostering a friendly relationship with them.”
Even before her words faded away, a thunderous laughter echoed through the air.
“Little girl, you’re really smart!”
Blood-red light spread across the horizon as the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign returned.
Everyone became tense, and some even turned pale, fearing that Lin Fengmian might have been killed.
Jun Chengye’s face suddenly lit up with joy, as if the tide had turned once again.
Jun Yunshang stood calmly, her expression composed as she greeted him without subservience. “Fengyao pays her respects to the Sovereign.”
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign’s projection appeared in the sky, scanning the crowd before finally focusing on Jun Yunshang.
“Fengyao? Let me ask you once again: are you willing to abdicate?”
Jun Yunshang smiled faintly and shook her head. “I am not.”
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign slowly nodded. “Not bad. You’re starting to show the behavior of an emperor.”
“Thank you for your praise, Sovereign,” Jun Yunshang replied without flinching.
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign felt a bit helpless. Earlier, he had pursued Lin Fengmian, only to suddenly sense a change in the situation here.
Jun Lintian, that old fox, hadn’t been completely destroyed. While the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign was away, the old man had made his move.
Damn it, I’ve heard of mortals having a seventh-day spirit return, but I’ve never heard of cultivators doing the same.
This was truly a bizarre turn of events.
Meanwhile, that brat Lin Fengmian had taken advantage of the confusion to escape, and the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign had been unable to catch up.
In a rush, he had turned back only to arrive too late.
With Jun Lintian’s formal abdication, it was now too late to use Jun Chengye as a pawn.
He looked at Jun Yunshang and asked, “Since you claim that I came to your rescue, how do you plan to deal with this Ye Xuefeng?”
Jun Yunshang followed Jun Lintian’s instructions word for word and firmly stated, “Ye Xuefeng murdered our Holy Emperor of Jun Yan and plotted to usurp the throne. His crimes are unforgivable.”
“From this day forward, his title as a Saint will be stripped from him, and all of Junyan will work together to capture him. Whoever captures him alive will be richly rewarded.”
Her voice was calm, but her hand tightly gripped the sword at her side, betraying her inner turmoil of reluctance and pain.
However, she had no choice but to follow Lin Fengmian and Jun Lintian’s plan. Junyan had to distance herself from Lin Fengmian.
If Junyan sided with Lin Fengmian, the Heavenly Fiend Emperor would be humiliated and might turn the entire Heavenly Fiend Pavilion against Jun Yan.
Currently, although Junyan nominally lacked a Saint to sit on the throne, according to the rules, if no new Saint emerged within two hundred years, the dynasty would lose its imperial status.
Under normal circumstances, a dynasty without a saint during those two hundred years would undoubtedly be swallowed up by other dynasties.
However, Junyan’s situation was unique. Even though Lin Fengmian was not physically present in Jun Yan, the deterrence of a Saint was still great.
If a Saint did not intervene, then Junyan could handle its own affairs.
If a Saint did intervene, then Lin Fengmian would intervene.
Therefore, as long as Lin Fengmian was alive, Junyan would have over two hundred years of breathing space.
If Lin Fengmian were to die, without the deterrent of a Saint, Junyan would be on the verge of collapse.
By preserving the dignity of the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign, Jun Yunshang had given him a way to save face.
After all, the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign couldn’t very well admit that he had come to cause trouble only to have his avatar destroyed, could he?
Jun Yunshang’s submission was in essence Junyan’s submission, showing the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign the possibility of bringing Junyan under his control.
He nodded slightly and asked, “Let me ask you, is Junyan willing to submit to the Heavenly Fiend Pavilion?
Jun Yunshang shook her head. “Thank you for your kindness, Sovereign. Junyan is currently capable of self-government and does not need the protection of the Heavenly Fiend Pavilion… for now.”
She didn’t reject the idea outright, but she made it clear that Junyan didn’t need to submit at the moment.
If no new saint appeared within two hundred years, then that would be the time for Junyan to submit to the Heavenly Fiend Pavilion.
Two hundred years was neither long nor short.
However, given the lure of a dynasty’s wealth, the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign was willing to wait.
Besides, if Lin Fengmian was killed within those two hundred years, Junyan would immediately submit!
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign looked at Jun Yunshang with a hint of amusement, but didn’t press her too hard. Instead, he smiled faintly.
“Very well. If Junyan ever wants to surrender, send someone to inform me.”
Jun Yunshang nodded. “Thank you, Sovereign.”
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign didn’t leave right away. Instead, he turned his gaze to Zhao Ban, his eyes cold.
Jun Yunshang stepped forward to shield Zhao Ban, her voice calm. “Zhao Ban is a pillar of Junyan. If he offended you earlier, I hope you can forgive him, Sovereign.”
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign withdrew his gaze. After all, Zhao Ban was different from the others – he was a Void Realm expert. Killing him would be going too far.
He snorted coldly. “I’ll give you a face this time.”
The sound of his snort alone caused Zhao Ban to suffer severe injuries, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Normally, Zhao Ban should have expressed gratitude for the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign’s mercy, but at this moment, he felt a rare surge of anger.
He took the opportunity to collapse to the ground and feign unconsciousness.
I’m badly injured, unable to speak or move. Isn’t that normal?
The Heavenly Fiend Sovereign was stunned for a moment. Was this eunuch’s cultivation that weak?
Although he suspected that Zhao Ban was feigning unconsciousness, he had no proof and could only let it go.
He didn’t leave immediately, but stood in the air, muttering something under his breath. The surrounding area was bathed in blood-red light, and gusts of eerie wind swept through.
The reason he had returned was twofold: first, to see if he could intimidate Jun Yunshang into abdicating, and second, to attempt to summon the soul of the Netherworld Sword Saint.
After all, Lin Fengmian had still managed to kill the Netherworld Sword Saint without needing the title of Saint, which made the Heavenly Fiend Sovereign suspect that there might be more to the story.