The woman in blue clothing heard this and dared not say more, bowing and leaving. Once outside the door, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The man’s orders, she had no choice but to follow, because if she refused, she would be the one to die. The man was named Gu An. He was a descendant of the First National Preceptor, Gu Wei. After Gu Wei left this world, the Gu Family became one of the four great families of the Celestial Capital. And Gu An was the person in charge of this time’s security in the Celestial Capital. As for the woman in blue clothing, she was not a member of the Gu Family, her previous identity was... a member of the Monster Hunter Guild, named Ji Ru. Another day passed, and this day Lin Chen awoke early, already hearing commotion outside. Opening the window to look out, he could see the crowd surging under White Emperor City. In the nearby cemetery, the atmosphere was solemn and grave. People wore serious expressions, holding white flowers in their hands, moving slowly toward that towering martyr’s monument. The monument stood tall and imposing, appearing even more majestic under the gloomy sky. Though it was still early, wreaths had already been placed all around. At this moment, a man approached and said, "Are you Lin Chen? My room over there isn’t facing this way, can I come take a look?" Lin Chen turned his head and saw a young man with white hair appearing with a smile. In almost an instant, Lin Chen knew who he was. Every student would have a legendary figure they all admired, just like back in the Inner Courtyard when Ning Tian was seen as a reliable Senior Brother by many. In the Spirit Academy, the young man before him played that role. His name was Wu Chen, nicknamed Senior Brother. Because he always wore a smile upon meeting anyone and treated others well in the Spirit Academy, he was given the title of Senior Brother. Even students of the same class would call him Senior Brother. Yet this seemingly harmless Senior Brother was now recognized as the top student in the Spirit Academy. "Greetings, Senior Brother." Lin Chen also cupped his hands, politely said. "Hahaha, no need for that," Wu Chen laughed. "In a couple of years, that title of Senior Brother will be yours." Lin Chen merely smiled, not responding to those words. He had no interest in being a Senior Brother, nor any interest in being the first in the Spirit Academy... Unless, the reward for being the first was substantial. As the two stood by the window, the crowd grew. From time to time, the City Lord of White Emperor City appeared, causing the crowd to swell until twelve noon when time seemed to stand still. Even those walking on the streets stopped what they were doing. Low funeral music resonated over White Emperor City, everyone bowed their heads in silent mourning. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, casting a golden shine on the monument. Then, people gently placed the flowers in their hands on the ground, bowing slightly towards the cemetery in the city center, offering their highest respect. Lin Chen and Wu Chen did the same. They couldn’t go down, so they silently performed these actions from the tavern above. At that moment, the entire city seemed to fall silent. In the room, Sazuki angrily slammed the table, instantly shattering it to pieces. The East Sakura Country people beside him also remained silent. They knew why Sazuki was so angry. The Cangling Ancient Country selected White Emperor City as the hosting site, clearly a show of force to their five countries, and the timing of the event coinciding with Memorial Day was a statement all its own. However, in their hearts, they too were extremely surprised. Among the six great countries of Blue Star, three carry the ancient name, representing their glorious past. The Cangling Ancient Country is one of these representatives... In the past, when Cangling Ancient Country was prosperous, it could dominate the world. But later, the decline of Cangling Ancient Country, along with enduring wars, weakened national power, giving neighboring nations the chance to rise. Yet Cangling Ancient Country remained deeply resentful, spreading this dark Chapter of its history everywhere... For instance, the reformed history textbooks from last year divide the history books post-Late Taichu into nine volumes, even dedicating a single volume each to the Battle of Ling Mountain and the Battle of White Emperor City. As for the glorious history before Late Taichu, it is summarized in a single book. This may not seem like much, but to the other five countries, it’s quite terrifying... That’s national unity. East Sakura Country, once under Cangling Ancient Country’s influence, is actually somewhat united, but historically they are inherently weaker, so they have a strong aversion to Cangling Ancient Country, hoping Cangling Ancient Country would disappear... That way, the history of them being a vassal state to Cangling Ancient Country could be erased. As for the other four countries, it’s a different story. Their internal conflicts far exceed those of Cangling Ancient Country, even the most powerful Youlan Empire faces the same issues. The Youlan Empire is a new nation with a complex populace, making it the least united. Given this situation, the other five countries are not keen on seeing Cangling Ancient Country rise again... The main reason being, when it rises, it becomes too powerful. Read full story at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁 Luckily, this era is one that values Spirit Beast resources, and Cangling Ancient Country does not have much advantage. "Back in White Emperor City, many of our ancestors died too, even more so than Cangling Ancient Country." One person from East Sakura Country said, "Cangling Ancient Country’s actions are clearly a slap in our face, aren’t they?" Everyone else naturally understood without needing him to say more, but now being in White Emperor City, the territory of Cangling Ancient Country, they absolutely cannot provoke Cangling Ancient Country people.