When Qiu Ling took out the token, everyone in the room was stunned.
Especially Leng Wuyi and Qiu Xian—they could hardly believe that their daughter had gone out to gather information and, in the blink of an eye, had become a citizen of the Huaxia Empire?
"And not only that, I am also the City Lord of Xiaoling City!" Qiu Ling's tone carried a hint of pride as she flipped the token over for everyone to see.
The front of the token was engraved with four large characters: "Huaxia Empire"! And when she flipped it over, the characters "Xiaoling Qiu Ling" were clearly inscribed. As everyone stared in shock, Qiu Ling explained that this token was the emblem of her position as the City Lord of Xiaoling City under the jurisdiction of the Huaxia Empire.
The current situation was far beyond everyone's expectations. They had initially been worried about how the Huaxia Empire would treat them and what their future held. And now, Qiu Ling had suddenly become the lord of a city.
"Qiu Ling, what on earth happened?" The turn of events left Leng Wuyi so astonished that he forgot the usual formalities and called his daughter by her nickname, something he rarely did in public.
Seeing the expressions of her father, mother, and the other branch masters, Qiu Ling couldn't help but chuckle. "Actually, the Huaxia Empire is nothing like what you all imagined."
"Nothing like what? How is it different?" Qiu Xian quickly asked, eager to understand what had transpired.
Because of certain circumstances, Qiu Ling had not been able to acknowledge her father at first and had lived with her mother, taking her surname. Over time, she became accustomed to the name Qiu, and Leng Wuyi, not minding the details, had never forced a change after their reunion.
Since Qiu Ling had lived with her mother from a young age, Qiu Xian knew her daughter's personality very well. For Qiu Ling to willingly become a citizen of the Huaxia Empire, and even serve as a city lord, there had to be something special about this empire.
"When I first entered Xiaoling City, I found that the situation there was not at all what I expected. Everyone had smiles on their faces, and they seemed genuinely happy. The old, dirty slums had been leveled, and people were building their own new homes with their own hands."
"As long as the people followed the Huaxia Empire's craftsmen's instructions and helped with the construction, they would be gifted these new homes. In fact, when the people were needed for certain tasks, those from the Huaxia Empire even paid them in soul crystals!"
"The treasury of the City Lord's mansion was opened, and the Huaxia Empire's officials distributed wealth to every citizen who had been oppressed in the past. Taxes were waived for three years, the heavy taxes of the past were abolished, and new tax policies were implemented."
"Not only did the Huaxia Empire's army patrol the city, but they also sent people to patrol the nearby towns and villages to ensure everyone's safety. And you wouldn't believe it—those so-called scholars even set up spirit-gathering formations in every new home, and they also went to the towns and villages to establish large spirit-gathering formations and plant spiritual trees."
Qiu Ling spread her hands excitedly, shouting at the dumbfounded crowd, "Tell me, isn't the Huaxia Empire completely different from other forces?"
After Qiu Ling finished speaking, the room fell into a stunned silence. You could hear a pin drop.
After a long pause, Leng Wuyi suddenly stood up. "Qiu Ling, do you know where the young emperor of the Huaxia Empire is?"
"How would I know that?" Qiu Ling replied helplessly, looking at her father. "Someone like him is probably as elusive as a dragon."
Bang! Bang!
At that moment, a knock on the door startled everyone inside.
Only the high-ranking members of the Temple of Fate had the authority to come here, and they were all present. Who could be knocking at the door?
A branch master with a goatee cautiously rose and slowly opened the door, his soul power gathering just in case.
Not only him, but everyone else in the room had also activated their soul power, ready for anything.
However, when they opened the door, they found a young man, about twenty-five years old, dressed in white robes. He smiled and nodded politely as the door opened.
"And you are...?" Leng Wuyi asked carefully, eyeing the young man with suspicion.
The total hall of the Temple of Fate was surrounded by illusionary formations, so for this young man to ignore them and arrive here, he was clearly no ordinary person.
"I happened to overhear Hall Master Leng outside. Weren't you looking for me? I apologize for intruding uninvited!" Lin Qian looked at Leng Wuyi with a gentle smile as he spoke.
Young, dressed in white, the leader of a royal force, and referring to himself as "Zhen" rather than "this emperor" or "this sovereign."
Given the young man's words, it didn't take long for everyone to realize that this was the emperor of the Huaxia Empire.
"You... you're the emperor of the Huaxia Empire!" Leng Wuyi couldn't help but exclaim. He couldn't blame himself for losing control of his emotions—it was hard to imagine that Lin Qian would come to them in person.
Lin Qian nodded and looked at the Hall Master of the Temple of Fate. "What is it, Hall Master? Won't you invite me in to sit?"
Hearing Lin Qian's words, Leng Wuyi snapped out of his daze and quickly moved to welcome him, leading him to his own seat while the others automatically stood up.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Lin Qian quickly waved his hand, motioning for them to sit down. "In the Huaxia Empire, when discussing national affairs, I take the dragon seat or the main seat, and everyone else sits in secondary seats. After the formalities, there is no need for bowing or kneeling."
Lin Qian's words left everyone in the room surprised, but they eventually sat down under his encouraging gaze.
As they looked at Lin Qian, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Despite his youth, he was the ruler of forty-nine states in this vast land—the emperor of the Huaxia Empire.
The power the Huaxia Empire had displayed during its war with the Qin Dynasty made it so that no one in the southern region dared underestimate it. And the three elders behind Lin Qian—Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yian, and Yang Guixiang—were forces to be reckoned with.
Therefore, facing Lin Qian naturally made them feel pressured.
At this moment, Leng Wuyi's gaze towards Lin Qian was filled with even more guilt. Finally, he knelt down and spoke with deep shame, "I, Leng Wuyi, measured Emperor Lin with a petty mind. I am deeply remorseful and apologize sincerely."
Leng Wuyi's regret came from the heart. After hearing his daughter's words, he understood what kind of person this young emperor truly was. It was laughable that he had once harbored malicious thoughts towards him.
Moreover, Lin Qian's gesture of allowing them to sit down showed immense respect, making Leng Wuyi fully realize what kind of emperor Lin Qian was.
Having fully realized this, Leng Wuyi could not suppress his feelings of guilt and hurriedly bowed to apologize. Otherwise, he would find it hard to find peace.