Ji Xia woke from his reverie to find that the victory celebration for Tai Cang's defeat of the Dog-headed Kingdom was still in full swing.
He was seated at the highest position, with Lu Yu, Ji Qianqing, Zhao Qu, and two middle-aged officials in long robes sitting beside him. Below them were the officials of Tai Cang, just released from the dark prison.
These officials, who had spent their time in fear within the dark prison, worried that Tai Cang would be destroyed, were now overjoyed to hear of the kingdom's great victory. The resentment they once held against Ji Xia for imprisoning them had vanished completely.
Moreover, these officials were not traitors. Upon learning of Ji Xia's crucial role in the victory, they were all smiles and held him in high regard.
Although it was called a banquet, it was more of a gathering of officials to eat a simple meal.
Outside the cities of Tai Cheng and Cang Cheng, the rest of Tai Cang was either a barren desert or a lush, humid rainforest. These regions were not suitable for human habitation.
This stark geographical contrast seemed illogical in Ji Xia's memory, but this was not Earth.
The boundless wasteland was filled with the strange and inexplicable.
Perhaps the separation between these entirely different geographical environments was just a small path.
On one side of the path was a desolate, scorching land with jagged rocks. On the other side, massive trees towered overhead, dark clouds gathered, and lush vegetation thrived.
These bizarre natural conditions forced Tai Cang's people to concentrate in Tai Cheng and Cang Cheng, but also left the kingdom's material conditions extremely harsh. Food shortages, barren lands, and low living standards were Ji Xia's most direct impressions of Tai Cang.
As the crown prince, Ji Xia now held the highest position in Tai Cang. On the stone table in front of him was a plate of dark green vegetables, a dish of red beast meat, a bowl of broth, and a bowl of rice.
The stone tables of the other officials were even more pitiful, with two or three people sharing a single dish and soup. They mixed their food with rice, eating with great relish, and Ji Xia couldn't help but swallow as he watched.
"Is it really that delicious?"
He looked at his plate with anticipation and slowly picked up a piece of green vegetable to try. At first, there was a slight bitterness on his taste buds, but after chewing, a pleasant aftertaste lingered, which surprised him.
"I thought it would taste terrible, but it's not bad."
Ji Xia's eyes lit up. He quickly picked up a piece of beast meat, and it tasted just as good.
"Given how scarce resources are in Tai Cang, it's surprising that the food is still edible."
He had just started to smile when his expression froze. After taking a bite of the rice, an indescribable taste instantly filled his mouth. It felt like chewing on a century-old log—bitter, astringent, and woody, making it almost impossible to swallow.
"What's wrong with this rice?" Ji Xia grimaced, forcing himself to swallow and gently pushed the bowl aside. It wasn't that he was picky; the taste was simply unbearable.
"Maybe it's the type of rice. I saw some spirit rice seeds in the first layer of the Decayless Divine Tree. Once I have more spirit seeds, I'll exchange them and try those. Eating this rice every day would be too difficult."
As Ji Xia was pondering this, a middle-aged man in a long robe sitting below him finished his meal. With elegance, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, stood up, and loudly declared, "Today, Tai Cang's great victory is due to the protection of the Great Wind. Let us pay our respects to the Great Wind!"
Several burly soldiers carried a massive stone statue from the side. The statue, a stone carving, stood a meter high, depicting a dragon-headed, human-bodied figure with the Great Wind totem beneath its feet.
Everyone stood up in unison and placed their hands on their chests in respect, chanting, "Great Wind, Great Wind!"
Ji Xia, still eating, was startled by the loud chant. Noticing Zhao Qu's gaze upon him, he quickly stood and joined the others in chanting "Great Wind."
After the ceremony, the Great Wind totem was taken away by the soldiers.
The middle-aged man glanced at Ji Xia and said, "The previous ruler has passed. Tai Cang cannot be without a ruler for even a single day. We must have a new ruler succeed him."
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the middle-aged man.
He turned to Ji Xia and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
Ji Xia wiped his mouth and casually replied, "Where is the Minister of Rites?"
An elderly man with white hair slowly stepped forward and bowed.
"Lord Changfeng, you, as the Minister of Rites, oversee all ceremonies. I ask you, with the ruler's passing, who should succeed the throne?"
"Your Highness," the old man replied, his voice clear despite his aged appearance, "Since the ruler has journeyed to the Court of Heaven, the kingdom's orders should naturally be assumed by the Crown Prince."
Ji Xia nodded in satisfaction and turned to the middle-aged man. "Uncle Qing, did you hear that?"
The man, Ji Qing, Ji Xia's third uncle, seemed a bit worried. "Your Highness, you are the only son of the late ruler. Ordinarily, you should succeed the throne. But given the current state of Tai Cang—both internal and external troubles—we cannot afford any mistakes. I urge you to reconsider carefully..."
Ji Xia paused, realizing his uncle was speaking with genuine concern for the kingdom. He felt a little embarrassed.
"So, my third uncle is worried about Tai Cang's future, not trying to usurp the throne," Ji Xia thought.
Before he could speak, another middle-aged man with a stern expression stood up. His words were filled with authority.
"Ji Xia, what Uncle Qing says is correct. You are still young and do not yet understand the difficulties of managing the kingdom. These are the most trying times for Tai Cang, and we cannot afford any further mistakes. Furthermore, as the envoy of the Great Wind, even if you do not ascend to the throne, no one in Tai Cang would dare to disrespect you. You need not worry."
This was Ji Xia's elder uncle, Ji Ze. When he spoke, the other officials murmured among themselves.
Ji Ze was originally the Crown Prince, but when the previous ruler passed away, it was expected that Ji Ze would ascend to the throne. Instead, he had willingly relinquished the position to his younger brother, Ji Xia's father.
Despite opposition from the officials, Ji Ze had stated loudly, "The gap between my brother and me is like the mighty river. He is upstream, I am downstream."
"If Tai Cang had no enemies and the people were prosperous, I would certainly be willing to take the throne. But as we all know, Tai Cang is surrounded by enemies, and the human race is the weakest."
"If I ascend to the throne today, Tai Cang will surely fall. But if my brother takes on the responsibility, Tai Cang may still have a chance to survive between the Dog-headed Kingdom and the Zhou Qing Kingdom."
Ji Xia stood silently for a moment before getting up. He turned to Ji Ze and asked, "Elder Uncle, who do you think should succeed the throne?"
Ji Ze glanced around at the royal family members mingling with the officials, then fell silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "Since the ruler's passing, I have already sent people to search for your seventh uncle."
Ji Xia nodded, agreeing. "Seventh Uncle is wise and powerful. If it's him, he would be fit to take the throne."
A sigh escaped Lu Yu, who slowly stood up. "But Lord Ji Su has been away for over five years. It may be some time before he is found."
Everyone fell silent. Now, the royal family had only four branches—Ze, Shang, Qing, and Su. The other branches had died out due to years of war. The Shang line had only Ji Xia, and the Su line had only his seventh uncle. The Ze and Qing lines were small but still had over a dozen people.
Unfortunately, none of them seemed suited to take the throne.
Ji Xia looked around at the worried officials and royal family members, feeling the weight of Tai Cang's unity and pressure.
In the brief two days he had spent in Tai Cang, he had already witnessed too many sacrifices made by its people to protect their kingdom. A deep sense of recognition for this small, struggling country filled his heart.
"I can never go back," Ji Xia suddenly realized. "I am now the Crown Prince of Tai Cang, and Tai Cang is the kingdom I must identify with."
"If I do not identify with this land, where else can I go? The human kingdoms are thousands of miles away, and their situations may not be any better."
"The entire wasteland is boundless. The only place where humans are said to live decently is the distant Zhao Huang Kingdom, beyond the Abyss."
"Even if the rumors are true, Zhao Huang is too far away. Even if I lived a thousand years, I would never reach it."
"The only thing I can do is make Tai Cang strong and survive."
"This world is not one for lone travelers."
As Ji Xia realized this, the knot in his heart was untied, and his thoughts became clearer. He stood up and descended from the throne.