Free Web NovelChapter 407: Chapter 32: [Master of Greedy Banquet] Anise
The Thousand Laws Royal Court was a Realm of Order forged from seventy-seven Cities in the Lake. Although the cities were generally built around the nodes of the Grand Ensemble, they were no mere industrial products churned out on an assembly line. Each City in the Lake was a masterpiece of the Royal Court’s people, and being man-made, they were inevitably adapted to their local environments, each one unique.
The Central Royal Court, for example, occupied the most fertile region in the entire Land of Thousand Lakes. Even though the entire realm, shaped by the [Thousand Laws Ceremony], contained no barren lands and was a fairytale kingdom of Wind Spirit and Water Beauty, of abundance and peace, distinctions still existed. The Central Royal Court was the ancestral land of the Jade clan, the original homeland of the Elves.
When it came to prosperity, its foundations were naturally much stronger than anywhere else.
Besides the Central Royal Court, the most vital region was undoubtedly the cluster of Cities in the Lake near the south. There was no special reason for this, other than it being the place where [Emperor Qianlu] rose to power. It was from here that an Enchanter once set forth, declaring his intent to end all strife and war in the Land of Thousand Lakes.
At the time, the young Enchanter received nothing but ridicule and scorn. Some even plotted to take this impudent Little Succubus, who knew not his place, and break him for their own cruel pleasure. In the end, however, these mockers either became vengeful spirits slain by the Enchanter, or they were enthralled by his wiles, captured, and refined into nothingness in an instant.
If the Central Royal Court was the Capital, then the core of the southern Royal Court, the City in the Lake known as Serralis, was the Royal Court’s secondary capital.
Unlike the Elven style, which integrated exquisite art, flawless jade, and natural scenery, the style of Serralis, as the Divine Ancestor’s place of origin, had been personally guided by [Emperor Qianlu].
In contrast to the artistic style the Elves constantly emphasized, the impression Serralis gave was one of ultimate beauty and luxury—a City in the Lake of resplendent opulence, built with no expense spared.
The massive city walls were covered in gray-gold runic patterns. The colossal walls rising from the lakebed were breathtakingly huge, filled with a magnificent and majestic beauty. Every inch radiated the glow of a Barrier, a manifestation of the [Thousand Laws Ceremony]. Anyone who approached without the approval of the Holy Sanctuary would be terrifyingly weakened.
And within Serralis lay sights that were even more awe-inspiring.
Golden domes, magnificent reliefs, grand archways, colonnaded buildings constructed from white Holy Stones, and open-air halls and plazas elegantly set off by sparse vegetation. Although the architectural style and basic color scheme were uniformly luxurious and extravagant, everything from the ordinary residential houses to the massive, wonder-like Great Holy Hall high above was exquisitely detailed beyond imagination.
The most common vegetation were maple-red shrubs and large trees. Countless maple leaves drifted down onto the grand avenues, not considered trash but existing as embellishments and decoration. A gentle breeze would carry their delightful fragrance.
If an outsider completely unfamiliar with the Thousand Laws Royal Court were to judge, most would likely mistake the relationship between Serralis and the Central Royal Court. In terms of scale and splendor, the two were evenly matched, with the former even having a slight edge in its stunning beauty.
Yet, after the separation of gods and mortals and the beginning of the Age of Strife, this important hub lost contact with the Central Royal Court. A Celestial God’s Shadow, unsealed from the [Thousand Laws Ceremony] in Serralis, occupied the city. Using Serralis as its center, it radiated its influence outward, becoming one of the Demons who carved up the largest portions of the Royal Court’s lands.
Demon Practitioners referred to it as the [Master of Greedy Banquet]. In the circles of Demon Practitioners throughout the Mortal World, it was a renowned figure.
This was because it never shied away from contact with mortals; it even enjoyed interacting and communicating with them, generously distributing power and contracts. And what was most remarkable was that the price this Celestial God’s Shadow demanded was extremely low. Compared to other Demons, it could hardly be considered a price at all.
This master, who reveled in joyous banquets, asked of the world only the pleasure of the feast.
What it bestowed was likewise the same.
In the center of Serralis, within a beautifully decorated courtyard, servants in magnificent attire bustled about. Both men and women were quite handsome. They were maintaining the courtyard’s scenery, setting out tables and carpets. The area around the golden railings was adorned with vibrant and colorful clusters of flowers.
TAP, TAP, TAP—
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the floor tiles, which were polished to a mirror sheen.
Upon seeing the newcomer, all the servants stopped their work and bowed respectfully, saying:
"Greetings, Lady Anise."
"Lady Anise..."
"You are as magnificent and noble as ever, an inspiration to us all."
"The [Master of Greedy Banquet], my Master..."
"..."
The one being praised and greeted by the attendants was a beautiful girl with long, silver-purple hair.
The forms manifested by most Demons were their original appearances from before Soul Fusion. There might be slight differences, but they were largely the same, and thus were all sorts of monsters and ghouls. After all, before [Emperor Qianlu] unified the Royal Court, the Land of Thousand Lakes was indeed a place where a hundred clans fought in a thriving, chaotic free-for-all.
But the [Master of Greedy Banquet] was completely different. Her appearance was indistinguishable from that of a mortal.
Her silver-purple hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching all the way to her ankles. A large, black bow was tied in her beautiful hair, and a tress of hair obscuring her left, pointed ear was intertwined with a red ribbon.
