"Worship me?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingfeng was momentarily stunned and asked, "What's this about? Don't tell me my tombstone is in there too?"
"This... yes, it is."
"That's nonsense. I'm not a member of the Yanluo royal family, so how could my tombstone be in their mausoleum?"
"After the Yanluo emperor died suddenly in the Ancient Era, it was you, Young Master, who single-handedly swept away the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects, and prevented the Immortal Dynasty from taking control of Yanluo. To express their gratitude, the Yanluo royal family specially erected a tombstone for you within the royal mausoleum."
In truth, Gu Qingfeng was unaware that tombstones dedicated to him were scattered all over the world, especially during the Ancient Era, when almost every major region had one—some regions even had more than one. Some were built by the Chixiao people guarding various regions, while others were erected by locals praying for protection. In the Ancient Era, many people worshipped Chixiao Monarch as if he were a deity, particularly those in gangs and halls where his memorial tablet was enshrined. They all aspired to be like the Chixiao Monarch of old, dominating the world with unmatched prowess.
However, by the Modern Era, with the Immortal Dynasty's return to rule this world, locals, to avoid suspicion and being labeled as sinners of the immortal path by the Immortal Dynasty, rarely worshipped Chixiao Monarch anymore. Gradually, the tombstones and mausoleums across the world fell into disrepair.
Yet, it was only the smaller-scale mausoleums and tombstones that were abandoned.
Some of the larger-scale mausoleums and tombstones for Chixiao Monarch still exist to this day.
For instance, in the Divine Land, there are thirty-six larger-scale monarch tombstones. Every year on the anniversary of the monarch's death, the Chixiao people would bring their descendants to pay their respects.
"Every year during the temple fair, the descendants of the Yanluo royal family come to worship you."
"Worship my ass, I'm not dead."
Gu Qingfeng was not a chivalrous person, nor was he remotely associated with such things. The reason he helped the Yanluo royal family back then was solely because of Yanluo Empress Tang Henghe. It wasn't about repaying a debt of gratitude—he didn't owe Tang Henghe anything. Looking back, it was mostly due to youthful impulsiveness and a momentary fondness for Tang Henghe that he puffed out his chest and agreed to handle the matter.
At the time, he didn't think too much about it, figuring that since he was already a wanted criminal by the Immortal Dynasty, he wouldn't mind being wanted a couple more times.
As the saying goes, once you've boasted, you must see it through to the end, even if you have to kneel while doing so. Thus, back then, Gu Qingfeng went all out, first clashing fiercely with the Four Great Families, then with the Seven Great Sects, and finally with the Immortal Dynasty itself, ensuring he didn't drop the ball on this matter.
Recalling it now, even he admired the courage he had back then.
...
At noon the next day.
Gu Qingfeng and Fei Kui arrived at the Yanluo royal mausoleum.
The mausoleum was vast, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Looking out, the endless mountain range resembled a long dragon coiled around the area.
After Fei Kui secured the Two-Headed Lion-Tiger Grand Carriage, the two began heading toward the mausoleum. There were quite a few people on the road, seemingly heading to the mausoleum like them. Gu Qingfeng asked, "Is it always this lively here?"
"Not really. Usually, there aren't many people coming to the mausoleum to pay respects, and it's quite deserted."
Fei Kui followed obediently, responding respectfully to Gu Qingfeng's questions. "However, besides your tombstone, the mausoleum also contains tombstones for some ancestors of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects, so their descendants occasionally come to pay their respects."
Gu Qingfeng nodded. During his time in Yanluo Country, he had visited the mausoleum a few times and had naturally seen the ancestral tombstones of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects.
It was said that long, long ago, the ancestors of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects were on very good terms with the ancestor of the Yanluo royal family—the founding emperor—addressing each other as brothers. When the Yanluo ancestor founded the nation, the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects also made significant contributions. Therefore, to commemorate them, the Yanluo royal family erected tombstones for the ancestors of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects within the mausoleum.
This was precisely why the Yanluo temple fair was so grand.
After all, the mausoleum housed the ancestors of the Yanluo royal family, the ancestors of the Four Great Families and the Seven Great Sects, as well as the tombstone of Chixiao Monarch, who was considered an ancestor of the Crimson-Letter Sect. Every year during the temple fair, when the Yanluo royal family came to pay their respects, the Four Great Families, the Seven Great Sects, and even the big shots of the Crimson-Letter Sect would also attend, making it an undeniably lively affair.
However, with over a month still to go before the temple fair, the mausoleum was already this bustling, which surprised Gu Qingfeng somewhat.
Regarding this, Fei Kui explained, "This year marks the grand anniversary of Yanluo Country's heritage, so it will be exceptionally grand. Both the Yanluo royal family and the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects will come to the mausoleum early to prepare."
"It's just paying respects to ancestors. What's there to prepare?"
"Young Master, you may not know this, but the Yanluo temple fair has evolved over time and is no longer purely about paying respects. Rather than calling it a temple fair, it's more like the Yanluo Grand Gathering. The Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects within the territory have always been engaged in covert and overt struggles, vying for the title of Yanluo's top family and top sect. Every year during the temple fair, they spare no effort to demonstrate their strength, and the outstanding disciples of each sect and family also compete in matches."
"Since the descent of the Heavenly Mandate and the extraordinary blossoming of the Great Nature, the world's landscape has been changing, and Yanluo Country is no exception. They all want to seize this opportunity to dominate Yanluo. Moreover, many prodigies blessed by fortune have emerged from the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects, and they will make a powerful debut at this year's temple fair, flaunting their might."
"So that's how it is."
Gu Qingfeng thought for a moment and asked, "Fengxu said the Immortal Dynasty would make a big move at this year's temple fair, and Zhou Taihe and his people would respond. Do you know what this big move is?"
"This... I'm not too sure either."
Fei Kui replied, "I've only heard that the Immortal Dynasty seems very determined in its stance to seize the recently emerged 'Crescent Moon Ruins.' A few days ago, I also heard that many experts from the Immortal Dynasty side have arrived and stationed themselves at the Yanluo Immortal Mansion. It looks like the Immortal Dynasty is planning something big, but as for the specifics, I really don't know and dare not speculate recklessly."
"Crescent Moon Ruins?"
Gu Qingfeng felt a vague sense of familiarity. Thinking carefully, he asked, "Are you talking about the ruins of the Crescent Moon Sect from that blank period in history during the Ancient Era's Dark Age?"
"Exactly!"
"That thing has actually emerged?"
Gu Qingfeng knew of the Crescent Moon Ruins. Not only did he know of them, he had even entered them back in the day and plundered quite a few treasures. In his memory, the Crescent Moon Ruins were extremely eerie. What left the deepest impression on him were the incredibly powerful experts inside, who had been forced to seal themselves away due to the calamities suffered during the Dark Age—and there were quite a few of these experts.
When he broke into the Crescent Moon Ruins back then, Gu Qingfeng had encountered a great expert who called himself some kind of Palace Lord and nearly got killed by him. Fortunately, he was clever enough and used some underhanded tactics; otherwise, he might have perished in the Crescent Moon Ruins back then.