Chapter 442: Chapter 206: Pleas, Cold Element Festival, the Leader Emerges (Part 3)

Just as Xiang Liang stepped out of the main hall, the voice from above also came to an end.

Outside the main hall door, it was precisely the west corridor on the top floor of the main building.

Xiang Liang looked up and witnessed a scene he would never forget in his lifetime.

Bang……

A drumbeat sounded, followed by the rising sound of countless flames.

Boom… boom… boom……

On the rooftops of thousands of houses within sight, bonfires simultaneously ignited;

On the stone walls on both sides of the valley, thousands of bonfires also lit up simultaneously;

On top of the main building where Xiang Liang stood, a fierce flame rose, soaring twenty to thirty meters high.

The entire Great Xia Valley instantly became warm as a tide, bright as daylight.

“At the beginning of the New Year, peace and harmony of Cold Element!”

“At the beginning of the New Year, peace and harmony of Cold Element!”

“Hahaha, it’s the second year of Great Xia, set the tables, set the tables.”

“No need to leave home for fifteen days, it’s time for a good rest.”

“At the beginning of the New Year, peace and harmony of Cold Element!”

“Quickly set the tables, let’s eat, let’s eat.”

…

The people on the three main streets, after exchanging New Year greetings, quickly filled the entire street with round tables, and the bustling crowd nearby sat down.

The five to six thousand people originally in front of the wooden building were now taken elsewhere, replaced by round tables filled with Great Xia people.

“At the beginning of the New Year, peace and harmony of Cold Element!”

…

Those seated at the tables all wore smiles as they congratulated and greeted each other.

Dishes of Cold Beast Meat, various fruits, and many foods Xiang Liang had never seen before were served on the tables.

The entire valley was instantly filled with delicious aromas and echoed with booming laughter.

Xiang Liang was already too overwhelmed to care why Great Xia dared to illuminate the valley to this extent on such a night. The endless supply of Beast Meat and various delicacies on the tables below was enough to make him breathless and expressionless.

How could Great Xia be so affluent!

Their food, could it have fallen from the sky?

“At the beginning of the New Year…peace and harmony of Cold Element……”

Looking at the dreamlike spectacle of the valley before him, Xiang Liang murmured the eight words, and an inexplicable emotion suddenly arose from within him, his eyes filled with an indescribable heat and anticipation.

“Who is standing there?”

Suddenly, a rough voice came from the side.

Xiang Liang hurriedly turned his head and saw three people had come up from downstairs at some point, with the speaker being the tallest and burliest among them.

As the three approached, Xiang Liang saw the clothing they wore, shimmering like Yuwen Dao’s, and he became instantly nervous.

“I’m asking you, don’t you know that you can’t randomly come up to the third floor?”

The burly young man in the middle, seeing Xiang Liang remain silent for some time, came a few steps closer and emanated a bit of aura.

This aura was even stronger than Xu Ning’s…

Xiang Liang quickly bowed his head, ready to answer.

But before he could speak, another person in the group of three spoke up.

“He’s someone Xu Ning brought back from Wuyuan, about to present treasures to the leader, probably just came out of the main hall.”

“Presenting treasures to the leader…”

Hearing Qiu Peng’s words, Yuan Cheng showed a strange expression. In his view, the four camps in Wuyuan Mountain North were pathetically weak. What kind of treasures could such camps have?

Presenting to the leader, it’s even more laughable.

“If you have nothing to do, don’t linger on the third floor, go down!”

“Yes, sir.”

Upon hearing Yuan Cheng’s words, Xiang Liang quickly turned and walked down the stairs.

However, at this moment, a group of people were coming up the staircase in droves.

Xiang Liang quickly stepped aside near the stairway, bowing his head as he waited for them to come up.

“Eh, why is there a young man here?”

“Seems like he’s not from our camp.”

“Probably here to present treasures, brought over by Xu Ning from Wuyuan.”

“Oh, I see, Xu Ning’s really in the limelight this time.”

“Over five thousand people, more than a hundred Earth-digging Realm captives, the Black Arrow Team probably won’t need to enter the mines for years.”

“Once the Cold Element Festival is over, I have to find him to buy a few.”

…

When everyone had passed, Xiang Liang slowly raised his head, his eyes full of astonishment.

“Over a hundred people……”

Even though he didn’t sense the aura from these people, based on the content of their conversation, Xiang Liang could generally determine that their status was likely on par with Xu Ning’s.

Strength parallels status, as is the case in any camp.

That means the nearly hundred people who just came up, even if not all were stronger than Xu Ning, wouldn’t have significantly lower strength.

Gulp……

Xiang Liang swallowed hard and quickly descended the stairs.

Coincidentally, just then, the ceremonial voice rang again.

“On this inaugural Cold Element Festival, the leader decrees that all penal labor shall be pardoned for three months, to demonstrate the benevolence of Great Xia.”

Exemption from penal labor for three months?

Just having stepped down from the main building, Xiang Liang froze for a moment, a look of ecstasy appeared on his face.

Though his family of four had been exempted from labor, the other Earth-digging Realm in Hefeng Camp had not, and had to serve one and a half years of labor. A three-month reduction was a sixth of that, which was substantial.

“Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!”

“Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!”

“Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!”

……

Outside the main building, the crowd roared in cycle after cycle.

“Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!”

Xiang Liang was involuntarily infected by the emotion, raising his head to look at the top of the main building, he clenched his fist and joined in the shout.

……

Just as Yue Feng announced the final pardon decree.

Within the main hall at the top floor, Xia Chuan and others already seated first paused in unison, then all turned their heads toward the back of the hall, joy on their faces.

“Elder brother has emerged from seclusion.”

“The leader has come out.”

“Almost four months, finally out.”

……