There wasn't much ceremony involved in paying respects to the Moon Lineage's ancestors. Xu Jianwei simply brought Zhang Lexuan before a row of memorial tablets, where she murmured a long series of words and then instructed Zhang Lexuan to kowtow four times. That was it.
With this step completed, the mission for Zhu Ziyang and his group was now officially done. After all, Xu Jianwei wasn't just the Silver Moon Priestess and de facto head of the Yin Clan—she was also the current head of the Moon Lineage.
Now that Zhang Lexuan's identity had been recognized by her, it was as good as law. Even if Zhang Lexuan hadn't originally been of the Moon Lineage's direct bloodline, she was now. And more importantly, she actually was of the core bloodline.
From here, things were simple. All that was needed was for Elder Song and Zhang Lexuan to represent the Shrek side, while Xu Jianwei and Yin Zhengqi represented the Moon Lineage side. Once both parties discussed cooperation and resource handovers, the "Empress Ascends" plan could officially move into its second phase.
Xu Jianwei and Yin Zhengqi left to summon the upper ranks of the Silver Moon Priesthood and the Yin Clan, while Zhu Ziyang, Zhang Lexuan, and Elder Song departed the marquis estate to regroup with Elder Zhu and Jiang Nannan. The two parties had arranged to meet the next afternoon at the Moon Southern Marquis Mansion.
"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly," Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but sigh as they stepped out of the estate.
"Well," Zhu Ziyang looked thoughtful, "this might be what you call divine providence. Who would've thought a former imperial princess was hidden inside the Moon Southern Marquis's estate? Compared to the Yin Clan, who are entangled in political interests, someone like her—who suffered from the coup—would naturally have a much stronger desire for revenge. That's what made things go so smoothly for us."
"Of course, the key factor was still your martial soul, Sister Lexuan."
"Exactly," Elder Song agreed with some emotion.
"That's how unpredictable life is. When you and Elder Mu first proposed this plan, I was full of doubt. I thought, 'How could we possibly deceive the world with just Lexuan's Moon martial soul?' But now it's clear I was being short-sighted. The Sun Moon Empire's devotion to the sun and moon isn't just empty talk."
"Ziyang, we still have the Moon Emperor's Imperial Seal in our possession. Should we bring it out now?" Zhang Lexuan asked.
"That's entirely up to you," Zhu Ziyang replied with a casual wave.
"If you want to reveal it now or keep it as a trump card, it's your choice. I can't tell you what's better."
"I see. Then I'll hold onto it for now," Zhang Lexuan nodded.
"Once I've completely taken control of the Moon Lineage and the Yin Clan's power, I can bring it out then."
"That's a wise move. With a trump card in hand, even if things get complicated later, you won't be caught unprepared," Elder Song approved.
When the three returned to the hotel, Elder Zhu, Jiang Nannan, and the others had already been waiting. The two groups immediately exchanged updates on their progress and discoveries.
"Who would've thought… a lost princess actually existed!" Elder Zhu said with amazement.
"According to the intelligence you gathered, the Marquis of Moon South currently controls only March, April, and May Islands? And he has no effective control over the other four?" Elder Song wasn't focused on Elder Zhu's sentiment. Instead, she was thinking through the strategic implications. "So where are the remnants of the Moon Lineage that the Yin Clan has been sheltering? Will any of them pose a threat to Lexuan's status?"
"The Yin Clan is extremely weak right now. As a result, January, February, June, and July Islands all only give them lip service. In fact, they seem to be supported by mainland powers. Especially January Island—that's where the Sun Moon Empire's South Sea Fleet is stationed," Elder Zhu explained.
"As for the Moon Lineage members the Yin Clan is sheltering, only seven remain. They all live on May Island. Four of them are elders over sixty. The remaining three are in their thirties and forties, but none of them possess the Moon martial soul—or even Moon blood."
"I see," Elder Song nodded slowly. "In that case, everyone should get some rest. We'll work out the plan tomorrow."
"Alright." Everyone agreed.
—
The next afternoon, at the Moon Southern Marquis Mansion.
The Shrek Academy delegation had five people present: Zhang Lexuan, Elder Song, Elder Zhu, Zhu Ziyang, and Jiang Nannan. On the other side, the Silver Moon Priesthood and the Yin Clan had brought more than ten representatives.
The High Priestess of the Silver Moon began introducing Zhang Lexuan to the others. These individuals—all over forty years old—were the remaining high-end combat power of the Yin Clan: one Soul Douluo, three Soul Sages, and nine Soul Emperors. Including Yin Zhengqi, this once-formidable Yin Clan now had only fourteen mid-to-high-level soul masters. These were all technically Zhang Lexuan's distant cousins—uncles, aunts, and relatives by blood or marriage.
No wonder they couldn't even control the Moon Southern Archipelago anymore. Zhu Ziyang and the others quietly understood.
As for the Silver Moon Priesthood, it now consisted of only a single person—High Priestess Xu Jianwei.
It was ironic. The Yin Clan had once been the family that controlled the moon faith and its rites on the Sun Moon Continent. Before Xu Zihuang unified the empire, the Yin Clan had reached the peak of their clan's prestige. Their rise had been thanks to their proud Moon martial soul. Yet now, not a single member of the Yin Clan possessed the Moon martial soul. Even the position of Silver Moon Priestess had to be handed to someone from outside the clan. It was tragic.
In fact, had Zhang Lexuan not appeared, the Silver Moon Priesthood's inheritance might've been lost altogether. If that happened, who could say whether the Silver Moon Empress—dead now for over ten thousand years—would have regretted merging the entire clan into the imperial bloodline back then?
But the Yin Clan couldn't entirely be blamed. After merging with the imperial family, to preserve the uniqueness and supremacy of the royal bloodline, all Yin Clan members with the Moon martial soul—except for one selected to inherit the Silver Moon Priesthood—were required to marry into the royal Moon Lineage.
As a result, the probability of the Moon martial soul appearing within the Yin Clan dropped drastically over generations. Eventually, they even had to "borrow seed" from the royal line just to keep the priesthood alive.
After introducing the Yin Clan members, Xu Jianwei turned to introduce Zhang Lexuan.
All eyes from the Yin Clan were filled with curiosity and scrutiny. Xu Jianwei hadn't told them anything beforehand—she had only summoned them—so everyone was completely in the dark.
"Come here, child," Xu Jianwei beckoned to Zhang Lexuan and pulled her forward. "Show them who you are."
Zhang Lexuan didn't hesitate. She immediately released her martial soul. As her Moon martial soul and eight soul rings appeared, the Yin Clan members froze in shock—then erupted with joy and excitement. Anyone with half a brain could see what this meant. At the very least, the Silver Moon Priesthood's legacy was no longer in danger.
"This child's name is Xu Tianxuan. She is the descendant of my royal uncle, Xu Yidong. You've seen it for yourselves—she possesses the pure Moon martial soul and the cultivation level of a Soul Douluo. Most importantly, she's only twenty-seven years old!" Xu Jianwei declared.
The Xu Yidong she referred to truly had been her uncle, the youngest brother of her father. He had perished in the coup at the palace, but his five sons had all escaped the Sun Moon Empire. Zhang Lexuan's lineage most likely came from one of them. Since it was impossible to trace precisely, Xu Jianwei decided to place her under Xu Yidong's bloodline.
She had originally wanted to assign Zhang Lexuan to her own line, but she had never married. Her two older brothers and nephews had all died in the coup. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. So she had no choice but to pass this legacy on to her uncle's line—which was, apart from her own, the most direct of the Moon Lineage's branches.
Xu Tianxuan—this was the new name Xu Jianwei gave Zhang Lexuan, based on generational hierarchy. Had her parents or grandfather still been alive, they likely would've been very pleased with it.
The moment the Yin Clan members heard Xu Jianwei's explanation, they understood why they had been summoned. Their hearts surged with enthusiasm. Then, one after another, they knelt on one knee and called out in unison, "Greetings, Princess Xuanxuan!"
No matter how many of them meant it sincerely, this act marked the moment Zhang Lexuan was officially recognized. From this day forward, she was the Moon Lineage's Princess Xuanxuan of the Sun Moon Empire.
"Please rise, elders." Zhang Lexuan smiled gently and lifted both hands in a gesture of respect.
The crowd stood, their expressions varied and complex—some respectful, some hesitant, some eager. But no one cared.
Xu Jianwei then introduced Elder Song and Elder Zhu.
"These two seniors are elders of Princess Xuanxuan's line. Elder Song and Elder Zhu are both Titled Douluo-level powerhouses."
As for their true identities, after discussion with the Shrek team, it had been decided to temporarily keep Zhang Lexuan's Shrek Academy background a secret. Secrecy was the foundation of all great undertakings—and the Yin Clan was far from united.
Until the Yin Clan was fully brought under control, all members of the Shrek delegation would be regarded as relatives from Zhang Lexuan's clan.
(End of Chapter)
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