Chapter 1 The King's Coronation Ceremony

Numerous voices pierced the young man's ears. The originally quiet environment around him suddenly burst into wave after wave of shouts. The voices gathering from all directions were noisy and indistinguishable. The clear and transparent blue sky was cloudless, like freshly washed jade. A gentle breeze curled up, slightly lifting the long robe that Ormazd wore. Ormazd looked up. What lay before him was an overly long staircase leading to the high platform. Two attendants came up simultaneously from both sides, draping a cape over Ormazd. Even without turning his eyes, Ormazd could glimpse the bright red color on the cape, which looked like burning flames. Ormazd subconsciously looked at his hand. On the back of his right hand was a mark that resembled the sun. At this moment, "Your Lordship, please ascend the throne." The two attendants who had draped the cape over Ormazd sang out in unison. Their strange rhythms, combined with their high-pitched voices, startled Ormazd, who had been lost in his thoughts, and made him tremble a little, bringing him back to his senses. Ormazd was an orphan in Aurashan. It was said that his ancestors were nobles. But ever since his parents passed away unexpectedly, the family had ignored him, only barely taking care of his basic food and shelter. When he turned 18, one day, he was suddenly taken away by a group of men who looked like guards. At this moment, however, Ormazd felt that his mind had never been so clear. He easily accepted all this and even felt a bit of a subtle excitement. The bamboo shoes, woven in an exquisite pattern, stepped out from the layers of drooping clothing hems and onto the steps leading to the high platform. At first, Ormazd was full of enthusiasm, observing his attire. The kind of encounter that only existed in wonderful stories had happened to him. From now on, would he be the king? This inevitably made his heart surge with excitement. The smooth fabric, the elaborate attire, and the gold ornaments on his body jingled as he walked. Later, after Ormazd had climbed most of the steps, his breathing became disordered. Lifting his leg each time was torture, and the action of playfully flicking the ornaments on his body just now wilted. Sweat droplets on his forehead dripped down along his jaw, while his whole face seemed to be stifled by something. His excited mood subsided a little. Was being a king this tiring? Thud. One step landed on the last step. Ormazd was so tired that he didn't even want to speak, and his whole body was about to fall forward with a thump. The attendant's hand promptly supported Ormazd's forearm and led him to turn around. Beneath the overly tall building, in Ormazd's eyes, people dressed in ancient - style clothing were packed tightly, filling the square beneath the entire building. Ormazd stood on the towering pyramid - like building. The wind at a high altitude wiped away the sweat, and a strange, swelling feeling rose in his heart. These people... were his subjects. Clang. The clear sound of jade colliding drew Ormazd's attention back. Wearing a long robe and with vermilion runes outlined on his face, the young man merely glanced lightly at Ormazd, then turned around and declared downward: "We, the people of Aurashan, are the children of the gods, bathed in the radiance of the sun!" After the priest sang out a long string of mysterious words, he walked towards Ormazd. At the same time, Ormazd was pulled forward. After seeing the priest's attitude, Ormazd's mood was completely different from what it was at the beginning. Perhaps he, the king, wasn't as highly respected as he thought. A sense of vigilance rose in his heart. Ormazd raised his eyes and looked at the priest in black robes. The priest moved his hand to a tray held by someone nearby. On the tray, a crown lay quietly. Bright red rubies and tiny white crystals were alternately inlaid on the pure - gold crown, making it extremely luxurious. It was the coronation. Although Ormazd wasn't sure how important the king was, he knew what he had to do now. He stepped forward and, taking the opportunity, broke free from the attendant's hand. His knees touched the soft silk spread on the ground. The red cape behind him trailed long on the ground. He lowered his head, revealing a section of fair skin at the back of his neck. A voice came from a step away from him, and the weight of the crown was placed on his head. "The king chosen by the gods is born from this moment! In one month, the king will convey our happiness, our sincerity, and our faith to the gods in the sky!" Ormazd suddenly raised his head and stared intently at the priest who had spoken. The crown on his head sat firmly. Due to the angle, he could only see the other person's black clothing. A burst of cheers erupted from below, cheers praising the gods and the king. The priest in black robes waved his hand downward, and immediately the area below fell silent. Only the sound of birds flapping their wings could be heard. The priest used his hands to lift Ormazd, who was still kneeling in front of him, and summoned a silver cup and a small knife made of gold from an attendant. He held the knife with both hands and presented it in front of Ormazd. His serious eyes met Ormazd's. Although his etiquette was perfect, there was no respect audible in his voice. "Your Majesty, please bestow the blood of the gods flowing from you to the people." Ormazd stared into the other's calm yet crazy eyes. To his own surprise, his voice was steady as he said, "I understand." It seemed that his power as a king was even less than he had imagined. The sharp blade pressed against the palm of his left hand. Ormazd suddenly moved his right hand, and blood spurted out, tracing a beautiful curve in the air. In no time, the silver cup was filled with the dark red liquid. "Thank you for Your Majesty's generosity." The priest lowered his eyes and showed a docile and submissive manner. The bright sky gradually darkened. The clouds in the west were tinged with the bright red of burning flames. The sun showed half of its round shape, shining on the earth. After the ceremony, Ormazd was taken to a place called the Divine Mountain. The place that the people of Aurashan called the Divine Mountain was really just a mountain. It was overgrown with trees, and there were no signs of any artificially - excavated paths. Ormazd was carried in on a wooden plank by several men. As soon as they got in, those men slipped away faster than anyone. Ormazd was left alone, standing in front of the dilapidated, grass - grown temple, staring blankly at it. Ormazd was completely bewildered. A king shouldn't be staying in a place like this, no matter how you looked at it. He turned his head to look at the place where those men had run away. In the darkness, the bushes rustled with the chirping of insects. Everything seemed so peaceful and quiet. Suddenly, a wolf's howl that pierced the eardrums came from the distance. Startled, Ormazd took off and rushed into the temple to hide. Boom. The stone door of the temple was slammed shut with great force. Ormazd fell to the ground, breathing rapidly. Subconsciously, he reached up to wipe the sweat from his face. But instead of touching soft skin, his raised arm met a hard and cold metal mask. So was this the reason why his face had felt so stuffy since just now? Ormazd quickly took off the mask from his face and threw it far away. The mask made a few clear sounds on the stone floor and then stopped rolling. Ormazd didn't know what his situation was now. The voice that had appeared in the white space hadn't sounded again either. His long golden hair was tousled by him, looking just like a bird's nest. When the hair touched the palm of his left hand, the numbed pain was suddenly awakened, and the pain penetrated deep into the bone marrow. He spread out his left hand and looked at the long wound on his palm. If the wound got infected and inflamed, there was a high probability that he would die. Fortunately, he has had a lot of experience in dealing with wounds since he was a child. He pulled out the only golden short - knife he had. The layers of fabric on his body also had a new use. First, he used the clean fabric from the innermost layer to wipe off the coagulated blood. As soon as the fabric touched the wound, it split open again. It hurt! Ormazd wrapped the prepared fabric tightly around the wound. With great difficulty, he used his teeth to tie a knot. He looked up at the pitch - black interior of the temple and muttered, "The current task is to figure out what kind of situation I'm in." There were several oil lamps burning on the walls inside the building. Ormazd didn't understand the principle of how they had been burning all the time, but it didn't stop him from picking one up. Walking through the winding passage, Ormazd saw a door. He quickened his pace, gently pushed open the half - closed door with his right hand. Immediately, the dust in the room choked Ormazd half to death. "Cough... cough!" Ormazd waved his hand, dispersing the dust in front of his eyes. After he managed to catch his breath and get used to the turbid air in the room, he walked inside. There weren't many things in the room. A wooden bed and a desk were placed on either side. Ormazd glanced over and saw the conspicuous book on the desk. He moved closer. It was a notebook with a cowhide cover, and a quill pen was clipped to it. He had found something useful. This was Ormazd's first thought. A smile couldn't help but curl up at the corner of his mouth. Great! His long, fair fingertips opened the black cover. The bright red characters on the title page were immediately exposed to Ormazd's eyes. His blue pupils constricted. Against the dim yellow candlelight, they seemed bright and piercing. However, these bright eyes were filled with shock. [The king of Aurashan will be killed one month after ascending the throne.]