270: Oguni comes to Japan!

The morning mist had not yet completely dispersed, and the bluestone path still carried the chill of dew.

Li Shengyuan and Shen Xinrong walked slowly side by side into the Shen Family ancestral hall.

Inside the ancestral hall, candlelight flickered, fresh fruits and clear tea on the offering table exuded a faint fragrance, and green smoke curled up before the spirit tablets, intertwining with the old lanterns hanging from the beams.

Shen Xinrong took out a plain silk handkerchief she had prepared earlier and gently wiped her parents' spirit tablets. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she traced the carved names, but her voice was full of calm:

"Father, Mother... the mastermind of the Demonic Cult has been eliminated, and our great revenge is avenged. With your spirits in heaven, you can now rest in peace."

She turned her head to look at Li Shengyuan beside her, her eyes filled with an unyielding tenderness. "Thanks to Shengyuan, and also Addressing Ye Xingzhou, Luo Qingwan, and Yue Xiyan, the glory of the Shen Family will not be broken."

Li Shengyuan raised his hand and inserted three sticks of incense into the censer, watching the flickering flames as he softly said:

"Aunt Shen, this is what I should do. From now on, with Jiangnan peaceful, I will accompany you to visit often."

"Mm..."

Shen Xinrong smiled and nodded, leaning into Li Shengyuan's embrace. With the emotional release from last time, Shen Xinrong's mind was much calmer.

What puzzled Li Shengyuan was that the Demonic Cult had previously gone to great lengths to search for the Shen Family's heirloom, but in the end, it came to nothing.

Could it be that searching for this cauldron was merely for alchemy and nothing more?

As they left the ancestral hall, a Wupeng boat was already docked at a nearby alley entrance.

Ye Hangzhou leaned casually against the bow, his black crow pecking at a candied fruit on his shoulder. Seeing the two approach, it flapped its wings and squawked:

"Finally, I've waited for you! Princess Pingyang and the others said the morning market in the east of the city is really lively, and they're just waiting for you. I heard there are freshly steamed crab roe soup dumplings!"

That last sentence was probably added by Coal Ball himself; he felt the candied fruit in his claw wasn't sweet enough anymore... Luo Qingwan stood at the stern of the boat. Having shed her solemn Daoist robe, her plain white dress fluttered gently in the morning breeze. When she saw Li Shengyuan looking at her, her cool, clear eyes curved into a smile:

"I hear the lotus flowers in West Lake are in full bloom. How about we go boating today?"

Li Shengyuan and Shen Xinrong smiled and nodded in response.

After a period of busyness, it was time to relax.

In the following days, the waters of Jiangnan were filled with everyone's laughter.

They went to temples to listen to the morning bells and watched the sunset by the Broken Bridge.

Ye Hangzhou was always dragged by the black crow to tea houses to listen to stories, and occasionally, with a straight face, he would perform a spell for the children on the street, eliciting gasps of surprise, then his expression would soften slightly, revealing a faint smile... Luo Qingwan, on the other hand, favored the old-fashioned rouge shops on Pingjiang Road, and she would even pull Yue Xiyan along. Both had similar cultivation levels and were sect leaders, so they had many common topics.

As their fingertips glided over rows of mother-of-pearl boxes, a rare sparkle would appear in both women's eyes. Although they were sect leaders, they were still quite fond of beauty.

It was just that within the sect, they needed to maintain the dignity of a sect leader, and outside, it was a rare chance to relax, as few people recognized them.

They also wanted to be like Princess Pingyang and the others, to display their charm and beautiful side in front of people... Princess Pingyang and Yue Qingmeng were the most lively, pulling Shen Xinrong to pick lotus flowers. The oars churned the lake's rosy glow, startling a lake full of dragonflies.

Li Mu and Wenren Qingxuan also continued their two-person world.

Li Shengyuan looked at the smiling faces of the people beside him, feeling all the gloom in his heart dissipate.

Until the morning of the fifth day, city officials rushed to report that envoys from the six major island nations overseas had arrived at the Jiangnan pier.

All of them carried national letters, wishing to see the Emperor of Great Qian. Passing through Jiangnan, they wanted to pay their respects to him first, stating that they came to congratulate Great Qian on thwarting the Demonic Cult's conspiracy, willing to revere Great Qian, and engage in trade!

Upon hearing this, Li Shengyuan immediately put away his smile and fell into deep thought.

He turned to look at Ye Hangzhou, who understood. Coal Ball, the black crow on his shoulder, also put away its playful thoughts and said seriously:

"Chancellor had long anticipated this. Overseas nations have always observed the situation, sometimes even having unclear ties with the Demonic Cult. Now that they're actively coming to court, it saves a lot of trouble."

Luo Qingwan also nodded: "Great Qian has just undergone a battle, and its prestige is at its peak. Their arrival is perfectly timed."

Shen Xinrong gently straightened Li Shengyuan's clothes, and said softly: "Shengyuan, you now represent Jiangnan, and even more so, the demeanor of Great Qian."

Li Shengyuan took a deep breath, his gaze fixed in the direction of the pier.

In the morning light, he could vaguely see distant fleets raising various flags, fluttering in the wind.

He raised his hand to brush away the wrinkles on his clothes and said loudly: "Let them wait at the yamen first!"

The people behind him exchanged glances, understanding the meaning.

The wind in Jiangnan was still gentle, but it seemed to carry a different quality... that was the majesty belonging to a great nation!