Chapter 460: Chapter 45: The Will of the People Cannot Be Deceived

April 30, 2018

The long-anticipated public trial assembly has finally arrived.

On this day, from early morning, Golden Jade City entered a frenzied rhythm. Most of its residents woke up an hour earlier than usual, tossing and turning in their warm beds for a while before rubbing their sleepy eyes and stepping out of their homes, heading towards the square in front of the City Lord’s Mansion.

There, they would witness the day that would decide the fate of Golden Jade City.

As the Golden Jade people gradually gathered, a vast number of Silver Armor soldiers were already positioned in advance, standing scattered throughout the square, dividing the massive area into several sections with their neat formations. These soldiers, undoubtedly the elite of Golden Jade, each exuding powerful True Essence fluctuations beyond the Cloud Flipping Realm, were highly intimidating. The lingering sleepiness of the Golden Jade people was instantly dispelled by this formidable presence.

The guards of Golden Jade City might not be as battle-hardened as the soldiers from Shen City or the Feiyan Mountain region, but those in the ranks of the elite had, during training, repeatedly ventured onto the various battlefields of Xiangzhou, gaining formidable combat capabilities.

The temporary government has exerted all its effort for this public trial assembly.

Zhao Hongwu stood on a high platform temporarily erected in the center of the square, overlooking the continually gathering crowd, and softly inquired, "Have you found those Cyan Cloud people?"

The Golden Armor General beside him shook his head: "I’ve led a search throughout the city last night, yet found no clues; they should no longer be in Golden Jade City. I can only guarantee that within the scope of this square, no Cyan Cloud person will be able to infiltrate."

Zhao Hongwen snorted coldly, saying, "Even if they did infiltrate, it would be of no use. The situation is entirely under our control; they can’t deceive the masses with their bluster anymore. Attempting to sway people’s minds with musical theater, they’ve underestimated the resolve of the Golden Jade people!"

With a smirk, Zhao Hongwu said, "They went through the trouble of crafting a five-act grand play, yet the sixth act—the epilogue that decides everything—will be completed by us! Compared to their convoluted narrative that distorts truth and lacks grandeur, our current version of the script is seamless. It’s fine if the Cyan Cloud people don’t come, but if they do, seeing the difference in the script’s quality firsthand might lead them to regret overestimating themselves."

Zhao Hongwen also laughed, saying, "Had I known writing was this simple, we brothers should have made our debut in the literary world—surely we’d surpass that Three Lives Stone! By the way, have the actors taken their places? Especially that most important one..."

Listening behind, the Golden Armor General stepped forward hastily, answering, "They’re all in position. Zhao Xinyu has remained within our control without any issues. He appears quite compliant now..."

Dismissively, Zhao Hongwu remarked, "The situation is set; he can’t stir up any tricks, so he should behave, but still keep an eye on him. After all... he is Zhao Chenlu’s ex-husband; he might come in handy at some point. He might need to make an appearance in the coming performance."

Zhao Hongwen sternly instructed, "We can’t afford any mistakes; if anything goes wrong, neither of us will find a place to die in peace, understand?"

The Golden Armor General nodded earnestly: "I will not disappoint the Lord’s expectations; today, we will quell that demoness so she can never rise again!"

——

Meanwhile, Wang Jiu had already followed the crowd to the square.

The Zhao Xinyu left in the City Lord’s Mansion was merely an Illusory Sword Puppet, remotely controlled by Li Wanqing and others from the lakeside outside the city, while the Divine Sword Body had slipped out the night before.

The Star River Lock vigilance network assiduously arranged by the Golden Armor General, symbolizing the pinnacle of Golden Jade’s Immortal Technique, was virtually non-existent to him.

The prototype of this Star River Lock was initially developed by Wang Jiu and the Jiu Immortal Venerables. The version set up by the Golden Armor General is actually a simplified second-generation version promoted by Zhao Chenlu in Golden Jade City—a masterpiece exceeding its time by Xiangzhou’s standards, but to veterans who’ve experienced the Immortal Demon War, this simplified Star River Lock was riddled with flaws, allowing easy access.

However, infiltrating the square was merely the first step of the plan, the easiest part. The real challenge lay ahead.

During the public trial assembly, he needed to correctly guide public sentiment, cause the amassed Wish Power of millions to transform, and then channel this power to disrupt the Seventeen Linked Rings, rescuing Zhao Chenlu.

Relying solely on the power of the Celestial Divine Sword, this was a near-impossible task. Although Wang Jiu possessed the sharp Celestial Divine Sword capable of cleaving through heaven and earth, he was unfamiliar with the human heart, forced to draw on the glorious feats of his old friends, following a template without understanding the reasoning behind it.

Fortunately, Wang Jiu had a reliable team behind him. With the support of Li Wanqing and others, the operational plan for the public trial assembly was refined to perfection.

All that remained was to set it into motion.

——

At 9 AM, the square in front of the City Lord’s Mansion was already packed with people.

More Golden Jade people showed up at the square than expected; by 9 AM, over 200,000 people had gathered there, forcing Zhao Hongwu to urgently deploy the Great Cultivators to use Space Overlap Immortal Techniques to expand the square’s capacity.

Golden Jade people, by nature, prefer entertainment and distance themselves from politics. Under Zhao Chenlu’s rule for the past two decades, it was the norm, trusting the Lord City Lord to handle political affairs exclusively, making their concern irrelevant.

Yet this public trial assembly caught almost everyone’s attention. Part of it was due to yesterday’s city-wide sensation, an epic musical titled "In the Name of Love," but more crucially, every Golden Jade person understood this would be a vital moment in determining Golden Jade City’s future destiny.

By 9:30 AM, the number of people in the square had exceeded 200,000.

For a city with a fluctuating population of about two million, having one-tenth of its citizens present at the scene, along with countless others watching broadcasts from other parts of the city, practically resulted in the entire city coming to a halt! Such a spectacle had been rare over the past two decades, occurring only during Zhao Chenlu’s occasional public performances.

Besides the residents of Golden Jade City, curious observers from other cities had also come to watch, from Cyan Cloud City, Shen City, Heaven-Reaching City... even from the distant Feiyan Mountain, with some enthusiasts purchasing premium Immortal Platform Tickets for overnight journeys to arrive on site. Naturally, the official Envoys representing each of the noble families were all present, with delegates from the Three Academies and the Seven Great Noble Families gathering in one place.

Of course, the Holy Sect Envoy was also present.

Regarding the coup in Golden Jade City, the Holy Sect maintained a neutral and silent stance, only dispatching an envoy to the scene to keep basic order without interfering with anyone’s actions.

Zhao Hongwu specially prepared superior seats for these distinguished guests, while also arranging heavy guards. Almost all available troops of Golden Jade City were deployed, even many forces usually stationed outside were recalled, to prevent internal disorder.

During the coup period, Golden Jade City is at its weakest. As one of the wealthiest cities in the world, losing Zhao Chenlu makes it easy prey for others. This segment of the public trial, if not handled carefully, could lead to total failure.

By 10 a.m., nearly 300,000 people entered the square. No matter how hard the Immortal Technique Masters tried to overlap space, the capacity of the square still reached its limit, unable to accommodate more people.

Zhao Hongwen timely reminded, "It’s almost time, we can start now."

Zhao Hongwu pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Let’s begin then, starting with the most anticipated segment, Act Six!"

After speaking, he signaled the actress to take the stage.

A sweet and tender-looking young girl, receiving Zhao Hongwu’s signal, blushed and nodded, then prepared to enter the scene.

This actress was handpicked by Zhao Hongwu to play the previous role of Li Wanqing.

Unlike the spirited Li Wanqing, this actress exuded feminine allure all over, not just the superficial kind. This aspect was something Zhao Hongwu and Zhao Hongwen had personally verified late at night with great diligence.

Such a woman was just right for the leading role in Act Six.

As the lead actress walked down from the high platform, heading to her designated entrance position, the light over the square dimmed, and the space, overlapped many times over, seemed to transform into the familiar grand theater.

Moments later, a line of dazzling characters appeared in mid-air, capturing everyone’s eye.

Act Six.

Under the glow, the actress appointed by the City Lord held back her inner nervousness, stepping forward, ready to appear under the spotlight, ushering in a turning point in her life.

She was self-aware, knowing that as an actress, she was merely second-rate. Her only noteworthy professional skill was pleasing men... But what does that matter? With enough resources and a big enough stage, even a second-rate actress can perform a sensational show; at least at this moment, all eyes were on her!

Unexpectedly, at that moment, she saw another woman gracefully walking from the crowd in front.

The throng of people unknowingly parted to the left and right, forming a spacious path. As the woman progressed, the surrounding crowd quieted, focused solely on her.

No stage, no lighting, no lines needed—some people naturally become focal points, becoming the stars of the show.

As the woman in the crowd drew closer, she soon arrived at the boundary between the audience and the stage.

Then, the barrier theoretically capable of stopping Mountain-Overturning Realm cultivators, was effortlessly crossed by her, as if it never existed, as if this stage was tailor-made for her.

At this moment, standing at the stage’s edge, the lead actress felt her legs stiffen, immobile.

Even the Silver Armor soldiers guarding the stage halted, unsure whether to step forward and stop her intrusion.

Even Zhao Hongwu on the high platform was stunned, turning to his brother, asking in unison, "Did you arrange this actress?"

In the brief silence, the woman finally stood at the stage’s center and spoke.

"Chenlu, I’m here to save you."

As soon as these words left her mouth, tens of thousands of people in and around the square erupted.

Cheers and exclamations filled every corner of Golden Jade City, the atmosphere so fervent that even the brothers on the high platform were rendered speechless.

Meanwhile, the actress supposed to be the lead now dared not confront the intruder.

Though she was the officially appointed lead by the City Lord, compared to the woman on stage, even a blind person could discern who the true lead was.

Seeing the woman on stage, people seemed to see Zhao Chenlu, the City Lord—so similar were they.

Objectively, the two women had completely different styles, yet they alike approached the pinnacle of beauty.

Today’s Xiangzhou residents certainly wouldn’t know; this person in the Jiuzhou Era was named Shang Lanfei.