Chapter 504 Ancient Eight Surnames (1/2)

The person who walked to the front of Shen Lian was no taller than Shen Lian's shoulders. His skin tan, his physique powerfully built - especially on his shoulders, indicating that he was strong.

This man wore clothes made out of leopard skin, a jade-colored bamboo hung from his chest. A dagger was kept on his waist. His hair was kept short, voluminous and greasy. His eyes looked fierce.

He pointed at Shen Lian: ”You, surrender this seat and move to the back.”

It seems that there exists certain protocols to Xia Kingdom's palace banquet, the envoys of various countries will be divided into three classes of seatings - top, middle and lower seatings. All food and alcoholic beverages served differed according to the class of seatings. More importantly, the divisions were based on the Kingdoms' influence in Da Xia's eyes

In order to be less conspicuous, Shen Lian's seating was specifically arranged by Lei Nuo to be placed in the middle. However, top and middle-class seatings are initially numbered/limited to start with, to place Shen Lian in the middle-class seating would naturally necessitate the removal of a certain Kingdom's envoy.

The person who happened to be removed came from a Kingdom called Ba.

The people from the Ba Kingdom specializes in the dark arts, residing in caves located in the Southwest of Da Xia. Shen Lian had never gone through the Ba Kingdom despite traveling from Xi Liang Kingdom to Diqiu. But he heard of the bravery of the Ba people that were known for.

Their physiques were not considered tall, their powers were sourced from ghosts, but they were unafraid of death. The Kingdom of Ba were considered prosperous and powerful in the Southwest region.

They were also descendants of the ancestors who first arrived in the Netherworld long ago, and were among the eight great surnames.

The ancestors who first arrived in the Netherworld were not only the Xia tribe, but there were also other tribes. All of which possessed a unique bloodline, which was classified by their surnames. Among which eight surnames were the most prosperous, with numerous tribes. They were also the strongest ethnic group that were pit against the ghost god of the Netherworld. Respectively, the surname associated with Xiahou - Si, as well as Ji, Jiang, Yao, Ying, Yun, Gui, and Ren.

Tens of thousands of years down the road, only the Si surname thrived due to an assimilation of bloodlines with Xiahou, with most of the Si surname belonging to Xiahou. The other seven surnames had more or less dwindled, some were even subject to a life of destitution.

However, although the people in the country of Ba belonged to the surname of Ji, they were looked down upon by other countries. Because they had abandoned their ancestries, serving the ghost god that had great vengeance with their ancestors. The territory of the country of Ba were concentrated around the region of Mount Zhong Li, where the ghost god remained. In order to survive in the Netherworld that was gradually being encroached by humans, they made a deal with the people of Ba.

The people of Ba would be able to borrow the power of the ghost gods. In exchange, the people of Ba would offer sacrifices in order to feed the ghost gods, preferably in the form of humans. Consequently, the country of Ba was in hostility with its surrounding countries.

However, due to the remoteness of the Southwest region, the Xia find it undesirable; thus letting matters slide. Moreover, the country of Ba feared the strong and had paid significant tributes to Da Xia.

Shen Lian did not speak, naturally, someone would deal with the person before him in his stead. When the envoy of Ba was seen approaching Shen Lian, someone had already notified Dianke from the Prefect Grand Usher. Dianke was an official empowered to maintain order, and he arrived expeditiously.

Dianke was a member of the Hu surname. After working for the Prefect Grand Usher for more than a decade, he was known by many of the envoys.

The person from Ba also knew him, saluting/greeting him upon sight. Dianke shot a glance at him, and said: ”Someone lead him out.”

Once Dianke ordered, naturally someone lifted the envoy from Ba away. Even if the envoy had extraordinary force, and was able to be possessed by ghost gods, he would not have dared to cause a scene here. He merely made some noises before he was sent far beyond the palace gate.

Dianke merely smiled at Shen Lian before leaving without a word.