222: Chapter 223 Paying Homage to the Duke of Zhou!

The high-pressure relocation of residents continued for two days.

The populations of the Ten Cities and Gu City were being sent to Flower City in batches via the Hongdao Array along the way.

At this moment, in the new city square of Flower City, the sun was shining, and the place was bustling with noise and excitement.

Wan'er was leading the officials of the Administration Department, methodically registering and settling the million Yellow Turbans refugees who had just surrendered.

Just as the area in front of the registration sheds was noisy and busy, the previously clear sky suddenly trembled violently without warning.

"Boom!!"

In the Void Realm, the roar of the Heavenly Dao rules exploded like rolling thunder.

Before the people in the square could react, ten dazzling streams of light, like meteors in broad daylight, whistled in from the distant horizon, carrying irresistible pressure. They traced ten brilliant golden arcs in the sky, and finally, with a series of crisp "clack, clack, clack" sounds, they fell as precisely as birds returning to the forest into the palm of Zhou Yun, who stood on the high platform.

Below the high platform in the square, the busy officials and guards were stunned, staring blankly at this scene.

Minister Wang Fugui was the first to react. He shuddered, immediately bowed down, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Congratulations, City Lord! Congratulations, City Lord!!"

The officials nearby also woke up one after another and hurriedly bowed to show their respect. For a moment, sounds of congratulations echoed one after another.

The common people in the square hadn't quite processed what was happening, but the next moment, someone inadvertently looked up at the sky and let out a scream:

"Look! The arrows in the sky... have dispersed!!"

Everyone looked up in unison.

They saw that the ten killing arrows that had previously spanned the sky over Flower City, emitting dazzling red light and representing the declaration of war by the Ten Cities, were now melting like snow and completely dissipating in the golden light!

In that instant, after a brief silence, the entire Flower City erupted into cheers of ecstasy that almost blew the roof off!

"We won! The front line won!!"

"The arrows in the sky have vanished, the war is over! Minister Lei and the strategist... with the strength of one army, really conquered all Ten Cities!!"

The old residents were moved to tears. Although relocated people had been arriving from the front line via the Hongdao Array for the past few days, bringing news of victory after victory, the arrows of the Heavenly Dao declaration of war were still stuck overhead, and everyone had felt a weight in their hearts.

Now that the arrows had scattered and the streams of light had landed as seals, it meant that this counterattack was a complete and utter victory for Flower City! The ten city lord seals were the best medals of honor! The power of Flower City had once again ushered in an unprecedented surge! An unparalleled sense of pride exploded in the chest of every old resident!

Unlike the ecstasy of the old residents, the new residents from the Ten Cities who were mixed in the crowd had complex expressions, filled with both nostalgia for their old cities and confusion about the future.

Hum—

Before the cheers could die down, the Void Realm trembled again.

Another slightly dim silver stream of light flew over and landed steadily in Zhou Yun's hand.

Everyone was stunned.

"The ten city lord seals correspond to the Ten Cities, so what is this eleventh one... about?"

Zhou Yun looked at this slightly old, additional seal in his palm. He turned it over and saw a vigorous seal script character engraved on the bottom — "Gu".

"Gu City?" Zhou Yun frowned slightly. In his memory, there was no such city among the surrounding subordinate cities.

Just as he was pondering, Minister Wang Fugui, who was beside him, inadvertently glanced at Zhou Yun's palm and suddenly screamed in his duck-like voice, his fat face trembling with excessive excitement:

"City Lord! Sixteen cities! You are now... holding sixteen cities in your hands!!"

Hearing this number, Elder Tie, the old foreman standing nearby, was a bit dazed. He counted on his thick fingers and muttered:

"Flower City itself is one... the four satellite settlements... plus the eleven city lord seals sent from the front line... sixteen... it is indeed sixteen! I didn't miscalculate!"

Minister Wang Fugui laughed heartily and slapped Elder Tie on the shoulder: "Elder Tie, oh Elder Tie, what's the point of just counting the numbers? Look under the city walls, look right in front of us!!"

Elder Tie followed Minister Wang Fugui's line of sight toward the south gate of Flower City.

At first, his eyes were a bit dazed, but when he saw that direction clearly, he was struck as if by lightning, his pupils contracted sharply, and even his voice trembled violently:

"Four cities... and those four cities..."

The upper echelons of the Four-City Allied Forces had collapsed, their main force was routed, and the four city lords were dead.

Once the post-war settlement was done, those four cities would fall into the hands of Flower City!

Wan'er pursed her lips and smiled from the side, a moving light flickering in her beautiful eyes.

Soon, the common people under the city wall also gradually realized what was happening.

Sixteen plus four, that was exactly twenty cities!!

"We are going to level up! We are going to level up!!"

"Twenty cities are right before our eyes! City Lord is going to be promoted to a lower-tier city lord!!"

The overwhelming cheers erupted again.

The new residents who had just moved from the Ten Cities were confused and urgently grabbed the old neighbors beside them to ask: "What does it mean? What are the benefits of being promoted to a lower-tier city?"

"Benefits? Those are huge benefits!" The old resident spat while talking, his face full of fanaticism, "Once a lower-tier city is promoted, the Spiritual Qi of the whole region will directly double! Most importantly, it benefits the descendants! The children born in the next generation will all have their Aptitude and Foundation raised by one level along with the Heavenly Dao status! This is a great happy event that is closely related to the ancestors of every family for eight generations!!"

Hearing this, those new residents from the Ten Cities who were still sad about "the change of city ownership and leaving their hometowns" were completely stunned.

Some were still clutching the bundles in their arms, their eyes red.

Others had already raised their heads, and when they looked at the dozen or so city lord seals, their eyes began to light up.

"My god... just arrived in Flower City, and we're about to become citizens of a lower-tier city?!"

"I'll get to live in a lower-tier city in this lifetime?!"

The new residents were caught up in this joyous atmosphere. Some jumped and danced with the old residents, while others stood dazed on the spot, but the confusion on their faces was gradually washed away.

On the other side of the square, the million Yellow Turbans refugees who were being registered had an even more intense and fanatical reaction.

Many weather-beaten Yellow Turbans men knelt on the ground with a thud, pointing at the sky and crying:

"No wonder the Heavenly Master told us to follow Flower City! Told us to follow City Lord Zhou!"

"The Heavenly Master was right! He did not misjudge the person!"

Zhang Daniu and other canal commanders were the first to react. They faced the high platform and shouted with all their strength, issuing a thunderous cry:

"Duke Zhou!!"

"Duke Zhou!!"

In the Han Dynasty, princes were called Duke. Zhou Yun's surname was Zhou, so this "Duke Zhou" was both a tribute to his surname and a title for the upcoming promotion of his Heavenly Dao status.

The million Yellow Turbans were led by the canal commanders, and the shouts soon merged into a torrent, instantly sweeping across the entire city. The soldiers on the city walls were boiling with excitement, also raising their weapons and roaring in unison:

"Duke Zhou! Duke Zhou! Duke Zhou!!"

The sound shook the heavens, and the mountains and rivers resonated!

Amidst the deafening shouts, Minister Wang Fugui smiled from ear to ear. He flicked his sleeves, trotted to Zhou Yun in a very exaggerated manner, knelt down with a thud, performed the most solemn ceremony, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Subject — Minister of Trade Wang Fugui, pays respects to Duke Zhou!!"

Elder Tie, who usually couldn't stand Minister Wang Fugui's sycophantic behavior, had a flushed face at this moment. He actually learned from Minister Wang Fugui, strode forward, knelt on one knee with a thud, and performed a military salute:

"Subject — Tiangong Department's Elder Tie, pays respects to Duke Zhou!!"

Wan'er and Shang Youjun exchanged glances, both of them had smiles in their eyes. They followed suit and walked behind Zhou Yun, bowing slightly to pay their respects.

However, when they bowed and waited for City Lord to smile and help them up as usual, there was no response from the high platform.

Wan'er looked up, puzzled.

On the edge of the high platform, a strong wind blew his white clothes.

Zhou Yun lowered his head, quietly looking at the eleven city lord seals suspended in his palm.

The whole city was cheering like a tide.

But on that young face, there was not a trace of the joy of a victor.

...

Late at night, everything was silent.

The night shrouded the entire Flower City.

The hustle and bustle of the great victory during the day and the surrender of the million Yellow Turbans had gradually faded away.

However, in this darkness, a weak and stubborn warm candlelight was still lit in the City Lord's Mansion.

At the same time, in the shadows of the night, countless eyes were silently watching the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.

There were the newly settled residents from the Ten Cities, the weather-beaten Yellow Turbans new residents, and of course, the native old residents of Flower City.

In their eyes, there was anticipation and excitement.

But more than that, it was a deep confusion.

"Didn't the city lord seals of The Four Cities also fly over this afternoon?"

"Yes, counting the final four, plus the eleven from the morning, that makes fifteen!"

"Plus the four satellite cities and Flower City itself, that's 20 cities, right?"

"That's right! The condition for promotion to a lower-tier city is 20 cities, right?"

People whispered on the balconies of the treehouses.

The Four-City Allied Forces were defeated, and the city lord seals of the four city lords turned into meteors and landed in Zhou Yun's hands after the Heavenly Dao's post-war settlement.

In this way, together with Flower City itself, the four satellite settlements, and the eleven city lord seals from the front line, Zhou Yun now held a solid twenty cities in his hands!

Flower City should be promoted to a lower-tier city now.

However, Flower City remained motionless.

This made everyone extremely confused.

It wasn't until several literate and knowledgeable scholars in the city explained it in low voices that everyone finally understood...

There was no promotion, not because Flower City wasn't qualified, but because their City Lord had not yet completely integrated those city lord seals with the Flower City seal to achieve the unification of the authority of twenty cities!

However, this brought up a new question.

"Then why doesn't the City Lord integrate them?"

"As long as they are integrated, the Spiritual Qi of the whole region will double, and we can become citizens of a lower-tier city. This is a huge happy event..."

"What is the City Lord hesitating about?"

...

Despite having many doubts, out of respect and trust in Zhou Yun, no one in the entire city made any questioning or urging.

They just watched silently in the darkness, waiting.

"The City Lord hasn't integrated the city lord seals yet, he must have his own thoughts!"

"Exactly! The City Lord is far-sighted and thoughtful, I think! Let's not let our imaginations run wild!"

"Just trust the City Lord!"

"That's right!"

"We have already gained enough. One shouldn't be too greedy, right?"

"That's the logic!"

...

With this shift in mindset, looking at that candle that didn't go out late at night, many residents couldn't help but feel some self-reproach.

Flower City had walked from a desperate F-level broken small city to today. While it was inseparable from the contribution of every minister, everyone understood that the only person who had been steadily steering the ship of Flower City in the waves was the City Lord alone.

And now, it was clearly another crucial moment that would determine their fate.

But they were low-skilled, and apart from watching silently, they couldn't help at all!

When the original excitement gradually faded, the hearts of the old residents began to ache for Zhou Yun.

Since Zhou Yun arrived, they had eaten well, drank well, and used good things.

Everything had become better.

Strength, dignity, they all had it!

But behind this, what was the City Lord bearing?

It was so late, yet he was still awake, what was he worrying about?

On the other side, at No. 888 Dog Tail Alley, Minister Wang Fugui's house, the lights were also on.

By the window, the Fourth Concubine was putting a coat on Minister Wang Fugui while asking with confusion:

"Master, I really don't understand. There was such a big happy event during the day, the number of twenty cities was gathered, why does the City Lord delay the decision to integrate? If we were promoted, wouldn't our Flower City make more money?"

At this time, Minister Wang Fugui stood with his hands behind his back by the window, looking at the faint light of the City Lord's Mansion through the overlapping tree shadows.

Hearing the woman's words, Minister Wang Fugui retracted his gaze and glanced at her grumpily,

"The City Lord is far-sighted and has his own universe and decisions in his heart. Why are you, a woman, worrying about this? Go back to sleep!"

The Fourth Concubine curled her lips and muttered unconvinced:

"I am a woman and don't understand, but Master, if you are not really anxious, why are you not sleeping in the middle of the night?"

The fat on Minister Wang Fugui's face twitched, he flicked his sleeves, and shouted in annoyance:

"Do you think I don't want to sleep? It's because I'm old and have insomnia! Do you understand insomnia?!"

...

The moonlight was like silk.

In the shadow beside the new city square, Supervision Department's Shang Youjun's different-colored eyes flickered slightly in the moonlight. The young man hugged his chest and leaned quietly against a stone pillar.

Beside him, Xiaobai followed suit.

Not far away, the old craftsman Elder Tie was sitting on a granite strip, holding a dry pipe in his hand, but he didn't light it. He just rubbed the pipe with his calloused hands over and over again, his eyes also looking at the direction of the City Lord's Mansion in a daze.

And in another elegant pavilion.

Chief Administrator Wan'er rubbed her sore wrists after finishing the last official document, stood up, and walked to the window.

She looked at the faint light still shining from the City Lord's Mansion, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

That was a smile of trust.

Then, she gently closed the window, washed up, and fell asleep peacefully.