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Chapter 442 The Republic of China! Night Sacrifice to Heaven, Long Live the Ghosts! (22) Requesting monthly tickets and subscriptions!

Although a war of unprecedented scale is raging across Europe, with millions of soldiers fighting fiercely on the front lines.

However, the Allied Powers still sent a high-level diplomatic delegation to attend Yuan Shikai's coronation ceremony.

In addition, representatives from government and business circles and journalists from various regions, forming a group of over a hundred people, walked silently along a long aisle.

At this moment, the night was dark and silent, and the moon was obscured by thick, dark clouds.

Japanese Foreign Minister Kikujiro Ishii shuddered, feeling a surge of energy spreading upwards from his spine.

The enthronement ceremony of Yuan Xiangcheng.

It was at night.

midnight.

Since ancient times, no one has ever held a coronation ceremony at night.

Moreover, it happened in the dead of night, the time when yin energy is at its strongest.

Unless he is not the Human Emperor who ascends the throne, but the Ghost Emperor.

Moreover, the area around the Temple of Heaven was now pitch black, and apart from some guards dressed in black, it seemed as if the whole world consisted of only them.

More than a hundred people, mostly dressed in black suits, looked like guests who had come to pay their respects.

Most of the attendees had never seen anything like this before. They had only heard of paranormal events and had never participated in one themselves, so they were inevitably apprehensive and walked around tremblingly, not daring to make a sound.

Japanese Foreign Minister Kikujiro Ishii and British Minister Sir John Jordan are standing side by side.

Soon, the group stopped.

Because a huge wooden door stood right in the passageway.

The double wooden doors were tightly shut, and a faint, dark red light emanated from within, which made one feel uneasy.

They could have just walked past the side, but they insisted on going through the wooden door.

"What exactly is this Yuan Xiangcheng up to!" Ishii felt increasingly uneasy and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

thump—

I don't know what instrument made the sound.

The pale-faced, beardless man beside him let out a shrill scream.

"Guests have arrived, open the door—"

The sound was extremely shrill, making people feel uncomfortable all over.

Two burly men in black exerted their strength simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, pushing the door open with a screeching sound from the hinges.

As the door was pushed open, the scene inside came into view.

The next second, Ishii's pupils contracted sharply. He never expected that there was such a hidden world inside, with more than a dozen thick pillars standing in various places in the Temple of Heaven.

From their vantage point, each pair of pillars forms a pair, with a plaque hanging on top of each pair, each pair of plaques forming a congratulatory couplet.

Ishii was a China expert, and it was precisely because of his knowledge that he felt even more horrified.

Normally speaking, how can a dozen pillars stand on the ground without reaching the sky? That would be a crime of deceiving Heaven.

Normally it wouldn't matter, but now Yuan Xiangcheng is about to ascend the throne and offer sacrifices to Heaven.

Moreover, the plaque was nothing more than a sacrificial inscription such as "May you live long and prosper" and "May Heaven and Earth protect you."

But every word is bloody, as if smeared with fresh blood, and even seems to be bleeding.

Ishii quickly lowered his head to avoid looking.

He asked, a chill running down his spine, "Matsumoto, what are Yuan Xiangcheng's plans?"

"This is too eerie. Are they going to sacrifice us here?!"

"Sacrifice? Unless he becomes a ghost, how could he possibly have the guts?!"

A slightly ethereal man spoke in a sly voice: "Is Yuan Xiangcheng trying to scare us?"

"Using such despicable methods!"

"So this is considered the number one demon tamer in East Asia? Mr. Ishii, why don't you just send a telegram to your headquarters and let me take him down right here, kill their emperor, and completely conquer China!"

"Matsumoto, don't be impulsive." Ishii quickly pulled the demon tamer back.

Matsumoto Ichiro, Japan's number one demon tamer and also his bodyguard, was very dissatisfied with Yuan Xiangcheng's so-called title of East Asia's number one demon tamer.

In particular, his use of such a bizarre method to hold a sacrificial ceremony to heaven is a provocation to the Ghost Master.

Ishii turned to the British minister beside him: "Mr. Jordan, even so, do you still intend to continue supporting Yuan Shikai?"

British Minister Sir John Jordan's eyes were also twitching. He had been in China for over a decade and had witnessed many strange phenomena, but he had never seen a ruler of a country act so strangely.

He could only say, "Supporting Yuan Shikai was Downing Street's decision; he was willing to sacrifice some tariffs in exchange for our support."

Matsumoto Ichiro scoffed, "Hmph, neither our Great Japanese Empire, nor the revolutionaries in the South, nor the powerful figures of the Beiyang government, will support his claim to the throne." "Planning to scare us away with a vengeful ghost?"

Ishii quickly whispered, "Of course I won't object."

"A complete but weakened China is in the interest of all parties," was all that Jordan could say.

Britain and Japan are now allied and share common interests, but there are fundamental differences between them on the issue of China.

Britain most desired China to maintain the state of a single central government as it was in the late Qing Dynasty, rather than as it is now, with the Kuomintang, the Beiyang clique, and local warlords fighting each other in various places.

Although we can sell weapons, they only fetch a small amount of money. The current situation is so chaotic that many commodities cannot be sold.

Ishii then spoke up, saying, "But Mr. Minister, don't you think Japan has sacrificed too much in this regard? We've only just taken over Shandong from the Germans, and we're already facing obstacles from all sides. The Chinese are going too far."

Although Ishii claimed to be Chinese, what ability did the Chinese have to stop the Great Japanese Empire? The real interventionist was the British in front of him.

Originally, Ishii would never have dared to talk to Jordan so casually.

However, in recent years the balance of power has shifted, and Britain, due to the European war, has had to win over Japan.

At the same time, due to the trade deficit, Japan transformed from a debtor nation into a creditor nation in just a few years.

With money in their pockets, Japan has gained confidence and standing taller.

The group finally took their seats, and seeing hundreds of living people around him, Kikujiro Ishii finally felt a sense of security.

He frowned and said, "Minister, is Yuan Shikai's behavior truly solely for the purpose of becoming emperor, or is it—"

"Just like the legend says, he will turn China into a ghost kingdom on earth, and he will command 400 million evil spirits to conquer the world."

"absurd!"

Jordan's face was tense: "In the South, those revolutionaries will absolutely not give up this opportunity to assassinate Yuan Shikai."

"He was just trying to protect himself!"

As he said this, Jordan was internally pounding with anxiety. If it weren't for Downing Street's pressure, he would never have wanted to participate in this bizarre sacrificial ceremony.

thump—

The familiar sound of drums rang out.

Ju Erdian and Kikujiro Ishii stopped talking and instead focused their attention on a curtain that had appeared in the center of the Temple of Heaven at some unknown time.

Ishii is certain that there was nothing there before.

He looked at Matsumoto Ichiro, whose expression was also very serious.

In addition, the ground was covered with pale white candles, which were placed at the four corners of the Temple of Heaven and inserted into bronze candlesticks. They were not placed in the exact cardinal directions of east, west, south, north, and north, but rather in the four off-center directions of southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast.

The fire was just beginning to ignite, emitting a greenish glow.

Through the thick curtains, one could vaguely see something standing inside, like a blurry human figure.

The figures were bloated, as if they had been soaked in water and were rotting. At the same time, blood began to seep from all the plaques, exuding a chilling aura and creating a shocking scene.

This sudden scene made Ishii's heart tremble. Without a doubt, this must be the protagonist of tonight, Commander-in-Chief Yuan.

Yuan Xiangcheng stood motionless and silent behind the plain curtain, which made everyone wonder if he was still alive.

At that moment, a cold wind blew.

A corner of the curtain was lifted by the wind.

He wore a black imperial robe and a gilded crown with tassels hanging down at the front and back, adorned with jade beads. The crown was supported by a jade balance and fastened with a jade hairpin.

However, his body was so large that it stretched his robes open, making him look like a corpse that had been soaking in water for several days.

Ishii even smelled an indescribable stench.

"No... he wouldn't really have turned into a ghost, would he!" Ishii looked at Matsumoto Ichiro for help.

Japan's number one demon tamer was no longer as arrogant as before; his expression was solemn, and he shook his head slightly.

"It should still be a human being."

Isn't this scarier than a ghost?!
Even with more than a hundred living people around him, Ishii felt a chill.

At this moment, a solemn, deep, and resonant sound arose, accompanied by various unidentified instruments that created a rich and powerful melody.

Yuan Xiangcheng finally moved. He stiffly raised an ancient seal above his head, and his aged, deathly, and terrifying voice resounded throughout the entire venue.

"In the fifth year of the Republic of China, the year of Bingchen, on the first day of the first month, Emperor Yuan Shikai dares to proclaim to Heaven and Earth that..."

"The mighty heavens bless our China, extending for thousands of years with profound virtue and grace."

A gunshot rang out, followed by shouts from several people.

"The thief shall die!"

　The previous chapter was blocked, and I've been trying to fix it for a whole day but it's still not working. It's unbelievable.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)