Chapter 32: The Calamity at the Banquet

  Why did Li Xie suddenly become a Grand Duke?

  This is certainly what Mercedes VII means, but this time he is not as arbitrary as the last time he promoted Duke Rhein, and he does not let people know the reason!

  This time, he invited several powerful officials from the imperial court as well as a group of nobles with lower titles but longer family histories to discuss together.

  And Li Xie was promoted to Duke, and no one opposed it!

  The reason is that Li Xie's achievement this time is really greater than heaven!

  Avril becoming a Saint Priest is a shocking and earth-shaking event for the entire Toudou Dynasty and even the entire continent of Gods! Because currently, there are only seven Saint Priests on the continent of Gods! And in the history of the Toudou Dynasty, not a single Saint Priest has ever appeared! Having one Saint Priest is equivalent to having the hope of the dynasty's rise!

  As the Duke of Avier was closed, and the Holy Sacrifice no longer needed the rewards of these dynasties, Mercedes VII threw all the merits to Li Xie!

  Li Xie can also be accepted with dignity!

  Why?

  He was the host of the ceremony for Duke Everell's promotion! Although those who had investigated Li Xie's background were well aware that this "country bumpkin" with no magical or aura fluctuations wasn't even a "sacrificer", Duke Everell's promotion was entirely due to his own devotion, and had nothing to do with Earl Ye in reality. But who made Li Xie the host of the promotion ceremony? In name only, he was the sole person helping Duke Everell get promoted!

  He nominally helped create the first saint of the Tudor dynasty and the eighth saint of the mainland!

  Although everyone knows that Li Xie "didn't help", however, the nominal credit, Mercedes Seventh brought up, and no one can refute!

  So, the great credit fell on Li Xie's head like a pie in the sky. According to the size of the merit and Li Xie's identity as the heir of the Lamborghini family, our evil earl was predetermined from a small earl to become the third Grand Duke of the Tudor dynasty!

  The Sleep Master said: A happy heart is always lucky!

  Li Xie just smiled wryly and admired the cuteness of Mercedes VII.

  Tudor Palace, Bolingbroke's Wing

  This place is specially used for entertaining royal guests and holding important banquets.

  Inside is a spacious great hall, large enough to accommodate three thousand people. The innermost part of the great hall is the golden throne of the imperial family, with long tables on both sides for placing food and drinks. Outside the long table are chairs. A large area in the middle is paved with red carpet, where you can dance or invite a performing group to perform. The great hall has three floors, and the upper two floors also provide seats for the nobility to watch the performances below.

  At this moment, the Bolans' side hall was filled with almost all of the nobles from the imperial capital who had some status, all of whom were accompanied by their families. They were drinking, eating and chatting, but the banquet hadn't started yet. For these nobles, socializing at this moment was extremely important. Who knows, maybe they could even discuss a business deal or arrange a marriage before the banquet began!

  "Your Majesty has arrived!" Minister El cried out loud, and Mercedes VII strode out of a doorway inside.

  "Long live Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years and ten thousand more." This ritual has now become a regular ceremony for the Tuddon Dynasty and even the entire continent of Gods to pay respects to their monarch.

  "Everyone get up, where's Earl Xiao?"

  "Your Majesty," Erl said with a bow, "the Earl of Evil will arrive immediately."

  Mercedes VII nodded: "So, let's wait for our evil count, you all go ahead."

  Outside the palace, a horse carriage was galloping, with Kano as the coachman and inside the carriage were Li Xie and a little cat sleeping in a circle on top of his head.

  "Damn it, Cano, hurry up!" Li Xie is now very depressed!

  Aile's shift change was at 8 o'clock in the evening, and Li Xie left an hour early, only to discover that it took one and a half hours from Earl Ye's manor to the imperial palace!

  Actually ignored the travel time!

  "Sir, these ordinary horses can't go any faster. If you're in a hurry, why not let Kano carry you?"

  "Never mind, never mind. Anyway, big shots always make their entrance last, I'm just afraid of stealing the limelight from His Majesty and making him unhappy. After all, our emperor is still quite considerate of us. By the way, did you bring the spatial ring I gave you?"

  "Sir, let's go!" Kano glanced at the white gold ring set with gems on his little finger, feeling a thrill in his heart. Having followed Earl Xie for just over two months, he already had assets of 100,000 gold coins, and this was not all - Earl Xie had also given him a space ring, which was a symbol of nobility, not something that ordinary people could possess!

  "Hmm, bring me more fine wine later!" Li Xie is now racking his brains for the sake of fine wine! Who made him raise a spoiled little kitten?

  Normally it wouldn't drink ordinary wine, but when it's hungry, it would scratch Li Ye and force him to give it fine wine!

  "Sir, Kano can't attend the banquet, it requires an earl or higher title."

  "I say you can, and you can! Once I officially become the Grand Duke, I'll confer a title and surname on you, and promote you to Earl!"

  "Amazing!" Kano was so excited he didn't know what to say!

  According to the customs of the Tudor dynasty, nobles could grant surnames to slaves or confer titles and surnames on non-slave attendants. Granting a surname to a slave could allow the slave to directly leave their slave status and even have the opportunity to become a noble. Conferring a title and surname could enable an attendant to be promoted to the nobility, generally only to the rank of viscount, but the king could confer two earldoms.

  Li Xie said so, it's going to be one of the earl titles given to Kano!

  Suddenly becoming an earl, his status has been elevated again. No wonder Cano is so excited, but for Li Xie, he just casually said it and gave it away. He's actually quite worried now, sighing: "Ah, Meow's taste is so picky, a bottle of fine wine costs at least 100 gold coins. Alas, Meow can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk! My savings are in trouble, I need to think of ways to collect more money, after all, I can't starve my pet."

  The little cat on Li Xie's head raised its head, ready to express its discontent with Li Xie's hair, but after hearing this, the little cat closed its eyes and fell asleep again. Following a good master was its good fortune.

  They finally arrived at Bolans' side hall, and Li Xie and Kano rushed into the hall in a hurry.

  Li Xie was anxious, fearing that keeping Mercedes VII waiting would displease him. After all, Mercedes VII had been good to Li Xie, and Li Xie had begun to consider the feelings of his lord.

  However, Li Xie's worries were apparently unnecessary. The nobles of the Imperial City often held banquets, and their leisurely lives had made them accustomed to this kind of wait. Mercedes VII was not paying attention either, drinking wine and chatting with his attendants.

  Outside the main hall, guards and slaves were waiting, and when they saw Li Ye arrive, they shouted loudly.

  The nobles in the hall stopped what they were doing and looked at the entrance. Li Xie stepped into the great hall, and the demonic minister Skamord Osley, who was closest to the entrance, came forward to greet him. As soon as they met, he bowed: "Congratulations, Earl Ye, soon you'll be called Duke Ye!"

  After finishing, Scamode looked at Li Xie's head and smiled: "Baron Xie has a good taste! This leather grass hat should be made of the skin of the three-stage magic beast Blue Light Mouse from the Western 'Destan Dynasty', soft and shiny, with a great texture..."

  Before Scamode finished speaking, Li Xie's meow on his head had already lifted its head, with dissatisfaction in its blue eyes: how dare you call this cat a mouse!

  "Oh... the God of Earth is above! The beast of misfortune!" Scamode's smile froze, immediately replaced by a ghostly expression, his hand pointing straight at Li Xie's head, his eyes rolled back, and he fell straight down.

  Beast of Calamity!

  Scammon's voice, raised several pitches due to fright, echoed throughout the great hall, from the nobles above to the servants below, and everyone's gaze was fixed on Li Xie's head!

  The hall, which was once filled with music and conversation, suddenly fell silent.

  Li Xie's mouth twitched, he forgot the cat on his head was still a harbinger of bad luck in other people's eyes! Thinking about the chaos that might ensue next, this guy's mouth had enough strength.

  Perhaps feeling everyone's gaze, the kitten lifted its head, its bright blue eyes scanning around, its small mouth opening: "Meow..."

  "Ah! The beast of misfortune!"

  "The God of Earth is above! What a calamitous beast!"

  "Oh no! I'm in trouble!"

  "Your Majesty, retreat quickly! Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

  "Calamity Beast is a 9th-tier demonic beast! Everyone be careful! All of you retreat behind me!"

  A big Han in brocade shouted loudly, jumping to the front of the crowd, while a group of nobles had already shrunk into the inner hall, trembling with fear, as if they had seen a ghost!

  That big fellow let out a loud roar, and his body was surrounded by golden light. His aura rose outside of his body, and a strong gust of wind suddenly blew up around him!

  Aura released!

  This man is a tenth-tier Sword Saint!

  "Viscount Evil, don't be afraid! If we kill the beast of misfortune, the misfortune will disappear!" said Li Xie of the Great Han Dynasty.

  Li Xie's forehead was already sweating profusely, the aura of that tenth-stage Sword Saint was sharp as a blade, making Li Xie feel uneasy all over, and he feared that if the tenth-stage Sword Saint made a move, his own life would be in danger, not to mention the young ninth-stage demonic beast on his head.

  Li Xie remembered that the Tudor dynasty didn't have a tenth-level Sword Saint, at least, no tenth-level Sword Saint had ever visited his Viscount's manor! Where did this guy pop out from?

  On the other side, Mercedes VII also had an anxious face and shouted loudly: "Vandi, be careful not to hurt Earl Shi! Also, you must kill the Calamity Beast and help Earl Shi lift the curse!"

  Wow!

  Lao Qi, you're scared too!

  Li Xie hastily said: "Don't be afraid, it's not a beast of ill omen!"

  Li Xie could understand the reaction of these people and had expected it, after all, a cat in the eyes of an interdimensional person is like a ghost on earth. For example, when you talk to someone, there's a ghost standing next to that person, wouldn't that scare you half to death?

  However, Li Xie didn't know that killing the ominous beast could dispel the ominousness. Perhaps it was because Kano's strength wasn't enough, so he didn't mention this point, but now there is a tenth-level Sword Saint on the scene, and if things go wrong, Meow will be in trouble!

  Everyone, don't be afraid! This is the pet of our family's earl, not a harbinger of doom! A harbinger of doom has golden horns on its head, this one doesn't, it's a lucky divine beast!

  The ground was originally a faintly magical beast minister Skamord suddenly got up, rubbing his buttocks and shrinking into the inner hall, then retreated to the side and shouted: "What lucky god beast! It's actually a unlucky beast! I won't be mistaken! A ninth-level magic beast, the unlucky beast. Being close to it will bring bad luck for three years, being stared at by it will bring bad luck for ten years, and being touched by it will bring continuous bad luck until death! Evil Earl, you must kill the unlucky beast to lift the curse of touching it!"

  Looking at the terrified crowd, Li Xie deeply lamented the power of the older generation telling ghost stories to scare children! Moreover, their fear has already taken root, and with the Beastmaster profession's testimony about dealing with beasts, Li Xie couldn't use some details to blur the appearance of the ominous beast. Now, what should he do?

  Ka No Pa Li Xie was afraid that he would be injured by the tenth-level Sword Saint, and had already protected Li Xie in front of him. He hastily said: "What are you all afraid of! If it's really a calamitous beast, my family's elders would have been plagued with disasters long ago, how could they still be so prosperous today!"

  Kano's words suddenly enlightened Li Xie, who burst out laughing and exclaimed: "That's right! The cat on my head is indeed the beast of misfortune!"

  Wow!

  These words gave Kano a fright!