On the day of the grand ritual to worship the heavens, New City, along with Qingshui City, Rong City, and Yuan City, was heavily fortified with multiple cordons of troops. The veteran General Yuguo personally held command in the north, while in the south, apart from a small garrison left to guard the mountains, Hong Jiang had dispatched almost the entire Chenrong Army to assist Xiangliu in defending the city. Consequently, all four cities appeared relaxed on the outside but were strictly guarded on the inside. New City, in particular, despite being crowded and bustling with people from all walks of life, was secured like an impregnable fortress from top to bottom.
The God Clan had always attached great importance to worshiping the heavens. Early that morning, guests who had come to observe the ceremony gathered at the central plaza. The area surrounding the ritual platform was already tightly packed with layer upon layer of spectators. Unlike ordinary sacrificial ceremonies of the God Clan, Xiaoyao had not barred commoners from attending; the only restriction was that young children were not allowed to approach, purely to ensure the solemnity of the occasion remained undisturbed.
As the auspicious hour arrived, Guifang Qing walked up the towering ritual platform from the front. More than a hundred other members of the Guifang Clan ascended the steps from the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north—and moments later stood neatly in formation. Guifang Qing stood…
Chapter 194