Five days before the grand ceremony began, everyone finally arrived in the capital. During this special period, the streets and alleys were under strict martial law everywhere, but it was still difficult to conceal the surging anticipation of the common people.
Dongfang Xiao looked around excitedly. Then, suddenly, he sighed and said,
"What a grand occasion! It would be great if Pei Yu were here too. It always feels a bit less fun when the four of us can't get together... By the way, what on earth has this guy been busy with recently? He's like a dragon that shows its head but not its tail..."
Zhong Shengwan rarely nodded in agreement and said,
"It's just that Pei Yu doesn't have spiritual power. We can't even use the communication talisman to find him..."
Hearing this, Shen Cuiyu looked straight ahead, not daring to join their conversation.
But in her heart, she really wanted to say - you'll soon see Pei Yu at the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. Maybe he'll be sitting on the top seat beside the emperor and the empress, above everyone else...
She just didn't know how Dongfang Xiao and Zhong Shengwan would react after they found out Pei Yu's true identity.
After a long journey, all the disciples finally checked into an inn. They took a few days' rest to regain their energy and prepare for observing the grand ceremony.
In the room, Shen Cuiyu sat on the couch, mobilizing the spiritual power in her body to recuperate.
Since there were spiritual - power courses in the Myriad Phenomena Academy, even though Shen Cuiyu hadn't deliberately practiced spiritual power after her rebirth, due to her excellent natural talent, her spiritual power had quietly improved a lot.
However, this spiritual power was of little use to Shen Cuiyu. With her special constitution, she had another shortcut to cultivation.
A thought suddenly flashed through Shen Cuiyu's mind - if Liu Ruyan targeted her twice in this life and the previous one because of her spiritual power, then what would Liu Ruyan do if her spiritual power suddenly disappeared?
The next day, when Shen Cuiyu went out of the inn with the disciples of the Myriad Phenomena Academy for study, she happened to pass by the Liu family who were entering the inn.
Thanks to their status as relatives of the quasi - high priest, the Liu family was all the rage in the capital for a while. Wherever they went, there were crowds of people and a continuous stream of well - wishers. Everyone in the world praised the little daughter of the Liu family, who had been lost and then found, as a rare and unpolished jade. It was truly a great fortune.
Shen Cuiyu's gaze only stayed on the Liu family for a moment and then she shifted her eyes and kept walking.
In her previous life, all her longings and discontent for her relatives had been healed by the family affection given by Shen Zanghai, Mrs. Zou and Shen Mu'an in this life.
She didn't forget the partiality of the Liu family and their harsh treatment of her in her previous life, and she would never forgive them.
But this time, Shen Cuiyu would no longer let them affect her emotions.
On the contrary, when Liu Jinyan caught a glimpse of the fading light - blue figure from the corner of his eye, he paused slightly.
He recognized that back. It was Shen Cuiyu, the second young lady of the Shen family.
Since the day when Shen Cuiyu claimed that there was a red - dressed ghost on his back in the Shen Mansion, he had known that Shen Cuiyu was different from ordinary people. He didn't expect that she had also come to the Myriad Phenomena Academy for study and become a classmate with Ruyan...
For a moment, Liu Jinyan was lost in thought.
Although his little sister was punished because of the conflict with Shen Cuiyu, Liu Jinyan didn't resent Shen Cuiyu. After all, she was also a victim.
Strangely enough, since the day he left the Shen Mansion, for some reason, the image of Shen Cuiyu throwing herself into Mrs. Zou's arms and sobbing would often appear in his mind.
Every time this happened, he would feel a little flustered and sad.
Especially Shen Cuiyu's back seemed so familiar, but Liu Jinyan just couldn't remember where this sense of familiarity came from...
"Jinyan, what are you standing there for?"
The voices of Liu's father and mother rang out in time. Only then did Liu Jinyan come back to his senses. He twitched the corner of his mouth and said it was nothing. Then he calmly followed the others, but his heart was filled with more doubts...
A few days passed in a flash, and soon it was the day of the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven.
Before dawn, the inside and outside of the Temple of Heaven were already brightly lit.
The white - marble altar towered into the clouds. Each step was carved with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains and rivers. In the center of the altar top stood a circular dome, symbolizing the round sky and the square earth.
Dozens of black flags stood around the altar. The patterns of the twenty - eight constellations were embroidered in gold thread on the flag faces, fluttering in the gentle breeze!
The civil and military officials in their court robes stood upright under the altar according to their ranks.
From the first - rank officials to the fifth - rank officials, everyone held their breath. Even the sound of the friction of the clothing materials was clearly audible. The imperial guards were fully armed, forming a strict barrier around the altar.
When the first ray of dawn broke through the sky, nine salutes were fired. The emperor and empress's retinue slowly came from the fasting palace.
Under the bright - yellow canopy, the emperor was dressed in a dragon robe and the empress in a phoenix - crowned robe. Surrounded by maids and eunuchs, they ascended the viewing platform on the east side of the altar. With a long chant from the director of ceremonies, tens of thousands of officials knelt down in unison. The shouts of "Long live the emperor" shook the sky.
When the auspicious time arrived, the bells and drums rang together. In this sacred hubbub, Shen Cuiyu stood under the high platform with tens of thousands of disciples.
She slowly looked up. Her gaze swept roughly over the solemn - faced ministers, and finally stopped suddenly when she saw a certain figure.
It was Pei Yu, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
He stood on the high platform. His jet - black court robe was like the condensed night. His waist was tied with a jade belt. The sea - cloud and dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread coiled around his body. With the flowing light and shadow, they seemed to come to life. A coiling - dragon pendant symbolizing supreme power hung from his waist. His black hair was all tied up by a purple - gold crown, revealing his whole handsome and peerless face.
The former idle and gentle aura had completely disappeared, replaced by a general air of dignity and aloofness.
Shen Cuiyu stared blankly. This was the first time she had seen Pei Yu dressed like this. Her heartstrings were really plucked for a moment by his overwhelming elegance...
However, at this moment, she was not the only one who was distracted.
Two clear gasps came from beside her.
"A Cui, bookworm... Quick, pinch me and tell me who that person on the altar is?? I must have not slept well last night and am seeing things..." Dongfang Xiao closed his eyes tightly and shook his head like a rattle. The shock on his face was beyond words!
"You're not seeing things..." Zhong Shengwan was silent for a moment. His voice also had a rare hint of hoarseness. He paused and then whispered, "I've heard of the reputation of that little prince Pei Yu before. I only thought it was someone with the same name. I didn't expect it to be really him..."
As if they had a telepathic connection, the person on the high platform seemed to sense something.
That calm gaze passed through the crowds and accurately caught Shen Cuiyu's line of sight.
Pei Yu's lips curved into an almost imperceptible shallow arc. With this smile, the cold and forbidding aura that had kept others at a distance instantly melted like ice and snow.
The two of them clearly hadn't seen each other for a month, but at this moment of looking at each other from afar, Shen Cuiyu felt that her floating and unstable heart strangely settled down, completely at ease.