Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Prelude to the Gala

In the Maple Leaf Courtyard, within the small wooden cabin.

The young lady sat at the dressing table by the bed, combing her long silver hair that cascaded down to her waist.

First, she used a comb to smooth out her long hair, letting it fall over her shoulders. Then, she gathered two strands of side-swept bangs behind her head, holding one strand down with one hand while using the other to pick up a light red hairband in front of her.

She tied the two strands of hair with the hairband, then adjusted it, forming a slightly larger red bow.

At this moment, the mirror reflected a dreamlike young lady. Her long silver hair flowed like a waterfall down to her waist, and she wore an elegant long dress. The skirt was divided into three layers, starting with pomegranate red, followed by light red, and ending with pure white. Seven deep red roses were elegantly tilted and dotted across the dress. Below the dress, she wore white silk stockings, perfectly outlining her slender and youthful figure.

Her crimson eyes were like clear, transparent crystals, where innocence and seductiveness, two contrasting qualities, harmoniously coexisted on her.

Since she had switched to the Demon Sequence, Lolan Hill’s eyes had changed from a light blue to a crimson red. Initially, it surprised her, but after several experiments, she discovered that as long as she returned to her natural sequence—Level 2, Scented Wind Tree Artisan—her eyes would revert to their original light blue color.

Today, all the rabbit-eared tribes in Tixilan Mountain Range would gather for a grand ceremony to swear allegiance to her. Although she had expressed that it was unnecessary,

the old chieftain said that without such a grand ceremony, it would be difficult to change the outdated notions and habits of many tribespeople.

Only a grand ceremony, deeply etched into everyone’s memory, could break old habits and numbness, lifting the burdens on their hearts and allowing them to start anew.

At the same time, such a grand ceremony would better establish Lolan Hill’s status and authority.

In this era where order was lacking and laws were absent, the leader’s authority was, in a sense, a potent form of order.

It spread outward from the center, ensuring that everyone listened to the same will, voice, and command, thus breaking down barriers between villages and merging into a new unified system.

Therefore, for the sake of the ceremony, the young lady had to prepare a formal outfit, and she used the red madder from Maple Leaf Courtyard to dye some of the fabric red.

—

That night, the grand gala began.

Numerous large bonfires were set up on the original hills, and each fire was lit, sending flames soaring up to five meters high. Around the fires, circles of rabbit-eared tribespeople from various parts of the mountain range gathered. Some had received messages and traveled for a long time, only arriving tonight.

These rabbits excitedly conversed around the fires. Such grand events hadn’t occurred in a long time; some sang songs, while others played small drums in rhythm.

Near the fires, skewers of meat were being roasted. Snake meat slowly turned golden-brown under the firelight, glistening faintly with oil. After sprinkling some salt, the enticing aroma of the meat began to waft through the air.

Among those rabbits, many had never seen Lolan Hill before. They initially felt somewhat rebellious, but when they saw the corpse of the terrifying giant snake being cut into skewers, a sense of admiration gradually arose in their hearts.

Strength and the ability to provide food won over many rabbits’ hearts and stomachs. Who wouldn’t want to survive? Even serving a human became an acceptable thing.

A series of bonfires illuminated the mountains. In a flat area surrounded by five hills, a massive stone platform was erected.

At this moment, a gray-eared old rabbit dressed in a white robe ascended the stone platform. Behind him stood leaders and representatives from various rabbit-eared villages, all wearing white robes.

Two large drums were placed on either side of the stone platform and were now struck by several strong rabbit-eared tribespeople.

Dong—

Dong—

Dong—

The thunderous drumbeats echoed through the mountain area, startling countless birds and beasts in the night.

In the distant dark forest, shadows loomed heavily, and occasionally, sparse sounds could be heard, as if a huge creature was slowly moving through it.

“Dear fellow tribespeople, today, I stand here with representatives from various villages to announce an important matter.”

Below the stone platform, thousands of rabbit-eared tribespeople stood silently, watching their leader, awaiting his words. On the nearby hillside, countless rabbits stood, looking toward the central high platform.

“The scattered villages and clans throughout the wilderness and mountains have come together today to integrate into a unified tribe once more.”

“For centuries, we wandered far and wide, crossing countless mountain ranges east of the Sighing Mountains to reach this land, just to find a place of rest.”

“But this dream has shattered. The Western Wind Kingdom is no longer the enlightened nation it once was, and the Fangtooth Empire, which belonged to the beastmen, has long been buried in the sands.”

“Our tribe’s numbers have dwindled from the 500,000 we were when we migrated to the current 200,000.”

“Every year, we hear of our fellow tribespeople’s settlements being destroyed, some by demonic beasts, others by capture from the Western Wind Kingdom.”

“Why do we suffer such dire straits?”

“Because we are too weak, with no fighting spirit!”

The old rabbit’s deafening voice woke up many rabbits who had long been numb, stirring the buried dignity and hope within them.

“Weakness is not a sin, but it is pitiful that we remain immersed in it, without any thought of rising up.”

“Constant retreat and compromise will never satisfy greedy enemies. Choosing humiliation in disgrace and war will only lead to more war.”

“I know some learned tribespeople remember the lost history from a thousand years ago, unwilling to mention it, losing confidence.”

“Well, then I shall tell the younger tribespeople about these shameful histories.”

“In the First Era, Year 8143, the allied forces of the 182 tribes of the Fangtooth Empire, totaling 3.1 million, faced off against the Mercury Dynasty on the endless battle lines of the Gaodan Plain. Our rabbit-eared tribe’s 300,000-strong army was mainly responsible for transporting supplies. During a minor enemy attack, our ancestors shamefully fled, leaving 300,000 troops without resistance, leading to the burning of granaries and the downfall of the empire.”

“Since then, our tribe has been despised and rejected by all other beastmen!”

“Do you feel ashamed? Yes, very ashamed!”

“Once we lose our dignity, we will lose even more.”

“This is why we can only huddle in this forest and wait for death. From the peak of over 60 million, we have dwindled to less than 200,000 tribespeople today.”

“Is this the price we pay for our past humiliations? Even if it is, it should end now.”

“A week ago, a hero arrived in this forgotten forest. She bravely killed the monstrous serpent that plagued the region, saving several nearby villages.”

“Not only that, but she also taught us the methods of cultivating the Extraordinary Sequence, imparting various survival skills—farming, animal husbandry, and metallurgy. She is a benevolent and great being.”

(End of Chapter)