At this mont, music imbued with an ancient aura began to play.
A group of dancers dressed like priests appeared, performing strange dance steps and muttering incantations. They wore grotesque masks on their faces, resembling both ghosts and deities.
As they danced, they approached Mu Qingge, surrounding her.
The horsetail whisks in their hands brushed against her body from ti to ti, and they would grab handfuls of the pure water, sprinkling it over Mu Qingge’s head and body...
Soon, the dancers retreated.
The Ritual Officer then said, "Mu Qingge, co up to the stage!"
Mu Qingge obeyed, stepping up the stairs to the platform.
The platform was still covered with a red carpet, upon which a long table was placed, offering three sacrificial animals and six dostic animals, along with incense candles.
In front of the long table, there was a cushion, prepared for Mu Qingge.
She walked to the cushion and knelt down on both legs.
Then, she recited those ancient phrases she had morized the day before.
After she finished reciting, the Ritual Officer stepped forward, opened the Mu Family genealogy, and solemnly wrote Mu Qingge’s na with a vermillion pen.
Having completed all this, Mu Xiong stepped forward, took out the prepared feathered crown, and personally placed it on Mu Qingge’s head.
"Ge’er, from this day forward, you are an adult. In the future, the Mu Family will also be entrusted to you," Mu Xiong said with complex emotions as he helped Mu Qingge up.
Mu Qingge nodded, smiling calmly, "Rest assured, grandfather, I will not disgrace the Mu Family."
Mu Xiong sighed with relief, "Grandfather only hopes you can be safe."
The deep affection between grandparent and grandchild was perhaps known only to the two of them.
The crowning ceremony was completed, and next was the feast for the guests who witnessed the ceremony. During this process, Mu Qingge also had to stay by her grandfather’s side, offering the finest wine to thank each guest in attendance.
"Fire—! Fire—!"
An abrupt shout suddenly rang out, interrupting the harmony of the front courtyard.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes turning toward a Mu Family servant who suddenly rushed into the front courtyard.
The man was just an ordinary person, and his rude entrance had already left him flustered, but rembering the issue he had to report, he couldn’t care much and rushed to Mu Xiong, kneeling down with a thud, urgently exclaiming, "Lord, it’s bad! Your study suddenly caught on fire, and the guards have all gone to put it out!"
"The study caught fire?" Mu Xiong asked in a deep voice. His eyes, sharp as a tiger’s, made him look as if he were in a rage.
It was dayti, and there were neither candles lit nor incense burned in the room; how could there be a fire?
Mu Xiong knitted his brows tightly. He wasn’t particularly panicked. It was just a study, after all; he, being a military officer, didn’t have any confidential docunts stored in the room.
"Grandfather, let’s go take a look," Mu Qingge suddenly said by his side.
Mu Xiong nodded without much thought. He said to the gathered people, "There’s been a minor incident at ho. Please excuse for a mont, I’ll be right back."
With that, he left the front courtyard with Mu Qingge, heading towards the study in the backyard.
As the grandfather and granddaughter just left, soone in the crowd proposed, "Why don’t we also go see what’s going on? If the lord needs help, we can lend a hand."
This proposition t almost no opposition.
Even Qin Jinchen, who was sitting in the corner trying hard to lower his presence, slowly stood up. After pondering for a mont, he followed the crowd.
A large group of people, in grand procession, followed Mu Xiong into the Mu Mansion’s backyard.
Mu Xiong had noticed it early on but didn’t say much.
In his view, there was nothing that couldn’t be shared with others. These people, regardless of their intentions, followed along simply because they did.
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