Chapter 176: New Year


    Colorful lights shone on the streets of Norad.


    The street was already crowded with people.


    This was a special moment.


    People looked up expectantly, with their hands crossed over their chests and their eyes fixed on the sky.


    The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The clear night sky like a happy spring was filled with a huge fiery red column of light shooting straight into the sky.


    "It''s coming!!"


    "Here it comes!!"


    The column of light rose into the sky and suddenly burst open. Colorful light spots were scattered into the vast night sky, adorning the stars in the sky like a beautiful wedding dress.


    More than a dozen huge flower magic ships flew across the sky. The heads and tails of the ships were connected, and the bizarre singing flowers placed on the gunwales opened their gorgeous petals. The joyous and melodious music fell from the sky, bathing everyone''s bodies and hearts.


    "Happy New Year!!!"


    The New Year in the Northern Alliance Continent was set in summer, the day when the starry sky was the most brilliant.


    "Happy New Year!!"


    A girl in a cute short skirt stood on tiptoe lightly and kissed her lover''s cheek affectionately.


    "Happy New Year!!"


    A quiet and peaceful woman with a satisfied smile on her face handed a bowl of cool and sweet summer melon juice to her husband.


    "Happy New Year!!"


    Outside the Imperial Palace of the Rhine Empire, the imperial guards were wearing fiery red light helmets, with the red Doran flowers offered by the citizens stuck on their helmets.


    "Happy New Year!!"


    Countless common people celebrated the festival across the country.


    Outside the gate of the Magic Guild, magic flowers released by wood mages were in full bloom. Above the gate, there was a flower vine symbolizing peace and joy.


    "Happy New Year, President!"


    The busy magicians welcomed the two presidents of the Magic Guild with smiles on their faces.


    "Hehe, Happy New Year to you all!"


    Valerie shook hands and chatted with every magician in front of her kindly.


    "Don''t keep a straight face. Smile."


    Valerie poked Chilard''s waist quietly.


    "Grandpa Chilard, this... this is the fresh berry soup I made myself. Thank you for curing my mother''s illness."


    A little girl about seven or eight years old, looking dirty all over, held a bowl of thin soup and handed it to Chilard. The broken edge of the small bowl had many small notches, and there were several black spots floating on the thin soup, which were smeared from the little girl''s muddy fingers.


    "Little sister, your fresh berry soup is dirty. Come here, give me the bowl, and I''ll get you a new one."


    A young magician was afraid that the little girl would annoy the vice president with a strange temperament, so he hurried forward and tried to take the not - so - clean small bowl from the little girl''s hand.


    "No, don''t..."


    The little girl, who had never seen so many noble magicians, was already a little trembling. Seeing someone coming to take her fresh berry soup, her little nose wrinkled, and her bright big eyes began to turn slightly red.


    Chilard kept his face straight and reached out to take the small bowl.


    "Vice President, this..."


    The young magician hesitated.


    Chilard looked expressionlessly at the expectant little girl, tilted his head back, and swallowed all the fresh berry soup.


    Valerie looked at Chilard with a smile.


    "How is it?"


    The little girl looked at Chilard expectantly.


    As time passed second by second, Chilard''s old face remained tight.


    "No, is it not good..."


    The little girl was a little panicked.


    Chilard''s face was cold. He handed the small bowl back to the little girl and strode into the Magic Guild.


    The little girl looked at Chilard''s back aggrievedly, pursed her small mouth, and was very sad.


    "This soup is good. You should make it often in the future. Bring it to the Magic Guild after you finish making it. Here''s some money."


    Chilard squeezed out a sentence stiffly and entered the Magic Guild.


    "This old ghost, he was actually so moved but still pretended to be indifferent." Valerie chuckled.


    "Yahoo!!! Great!!!"


    The little girl jumped for joy, struggled to lift a small wooden bucket beside her, gave it to the group of magicians, and ran away happily, jumping and bouncing.


    "Tsk tsk, let me have a taste."


    The young magician scooped out a bowl tentatively and took a light sip.


    "Ugh..."


    The young magician''s face immediately turned pale. He grabbed his neck with both hands and vomited violently on the ground.


    "Hehe."


    President Valerie laughed happily.


    Inside the Magic Guild.


    "Are you awake?"


    Valerie came to the side of a huge bed surrounded by white curtains. Chilard was sitting on a small chair at the head of the bed, smiling at the person lying on the bed.


    "He should be awake. It has been half a month already. You come here to restore his body at a fixed time every day. It''s really rare." Valerie teased.


    "This is my masterpiece. Of course I''ll care about it."


    Chilard said toughly.


    The person on the bed moved slightly.


    "About to wake up?"


    Han Ming slightly opened his eyes, and what he saw were the gazes of a man and a woman.


    "Old fart, where am I? And who is this..."


    Han Ming looked at Valerie''s unfamiliar face in confusion and asked. He had woken up from a comfortable sleep, but his good mood was spoiled again by this female voice.


    "This is Valerie, the president of the Magic Guild of the Rhine Empire. Don''t worry. The effect of the transformation potion will wear off soon, and then you can regain your original appearance."


    "Hmm... Why am I here?"


    Han Ming slowly sat up, rubbing his aching temples. His last memory was what Mullen said beside him when he was unconscious.


    "Hello. I''ve admired your name for a long time."


    Valerie smiled and reached out her right hand, thinking in her heart that this kid was really lucky to have survived such a torment. Thinking of Han Ming''s terrifying Hydra Emperor beast soul and his sharp water magic, she had infinite feelings in her heart. The time for water magic to thrive had come.


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    "Oh, hello, respected President Valerie. Look at me. I just woke up and my head is still a little muddled. I even forgot to greet you."


    "Hehe, don''t be polite. Your injury has basically healed."


    "Where is Mr. Mullen?"


    Chilard curled his lips and said, "That dead old ghost is busy attending the New Year''s court banquet of the Rhine Empire. He doesn''t care about you."


    Valerie glared at Chilard resentfully and said, "Don''t listen to his nonsense. Mullen is now the king of the Monte Empire, and this kind of social event must be attended. He has been guarding you all afternoon."


    "Um, thank you both... But you just said, New Year?"


    Han Ming was a little surprised. He had been in this world for several years, but due to some misunderstandings, he had never encountered the New Year festival. The word "New Year" here was understood by Han Ming in his own way, equivalent to the Spring Festival in China or Christmas in Western countries.


    "Yes, today is New Year''s Day. In a few hours, it will be the start time of the New Year''s court banquet."


    A hasty sound of footsteps came from outside the room.


    A person in servant''s clothes ran into the room quickly, greeted Valerie and Chilard respectfully, and looked at Han Ming in surprise and said, "Miss Han, you''re awake!! Mr. Mullen sent me to confirm. Great, you finally woke up."


    Hearing this, Chilard moved back two steps soundlessly, thinking that this kid hated being called by a female title the most and might explode! It was better for him to stay away.


    But at this moment, Han Ming was thinking about his own world, and all he could think of were the lively and happy scenes of the Spring Festival. He didn''t hear what the person called him.


    "Honored President Valerie and President Chilard, Mr. Mullen sent me to invite you and Miss Han to attend the banquet. There is less than two hours left until the start of the banquet. Let''s go quickly."


    The servant said respectfully.


    "Let''s go!"


    Han Ming jumped off the bed lightly, and the two lumps on his chest trembled up and down.


    Han Ming''s face had three black lines drawn on it, obviously very annoyed.


    Clang clang clang...


    A burst of gongs and drums sounded outside the Magic Guild. A large number of court bands came to the outside of the Magic Guild along with the royal guards.


    Berryman rushed into the Magic Guild.


    "Miss Han!! I''m here!!!"


    Berryman rushed into the room with a big bunch of gorgeous flowers in his hand. Seeing the two presidents in the room and Han Ming standing in front of the bed staring at him, Han Ming''s eyebrow twitched slightly, while Chilard and Valerie watched Berryman with schadenfreude.


    Berryman nervously put the flowers on the table and rubbed his hands on his pants, his big face blushing.


    "What did you just call me?" Han Ming asked with a dark face.


    "Miss... Miss Han."


    Berryman was overjoyed. The person he had been longing for finally spoke to him.


    "Your grandma Han!" Han Ming kicked Berryman flying to the wall with one foot.


    "Audacious!!"


    The personal guards following Berryman drew their weapons one after another.


    A gust of wind swept through, rolling up the weapons of Berryman''s personal guards and flying out of the window in a flurry.


    "The Magic Guild doesn''t allow you to act recklessly!" Valerie''s face was gloomy, obviously annoyed by the actions of the two personal guards.


    "Quickly, get out. What do you have to do here!"


    Berryman hurriedly dismissed the two guards. The two guards were also terrified. Who would dare to take action against Berryman on weekdays? So now that Han Ming suddenly kicked Berryman away, the two guards were quite unaccustomed to it. In their excitement, they actually took out their weapons in the Magic Guild. They regretted it in their hearts. Fortunately, it was New Year''s Day, and President Valerie didn''t want to make too much of a fuss about it. Otherwise, things might have gotten out of hand.


    "Go!"


    Han Ming led the way and strode out of the door. Chilard tilted his head high and snorted coldly, following closely behind Han Ming.


    Valerie smiled and helped Berryman up.


    "So beautiful... Even angry, you''re so beautiful. I like it so much..."


    Berryman held his chin with both hands, and his eyes twinkled with little stars.


    "You''re really hopeless." Valerie shook her head helplessly.


    It was better not to tell this kid for now. Otherwise, if he found out that Han Ming was a man, he might not be able to accept the fact and would suffer a huge blow. Anyway, in another seven or eight days, Han Ming would regain his true form. At most, Berryman would think that Han Ming had suddenly disappeared. It was better than letting his hope be shattered.


    Han Ming was led by the servant onto the carriage, and Chilard lifted the curtain and sat in as well.


    "Han kid, you''ve advanced, haven''t you? I see that you are already a third - stage sixth - rank grand magician now."


    The carriage drove smoothly on the wide street. Outside, there were bursts of gongs and drums, and the festive atmosphere was brimming with joy.


    Han Ming nodded slightly. In fact, after the previous turmoil, his strength had jumped directly from third - stage fifth - rank to third - stage seventh - rank. However, his actual strength could not be perceived by the magicians in this world. Whether Han Ming was seventh - rank, eighth - rank, or ninth - rank, in the eyes of outsiders, he was still at the peak of sixth - rank.


    Such a leap in ranks was partly because his body had undergone earth - shattering changes after being possessed by the Hydra Emperor, and partly thanks to Chilard, the fourth - stage magic mentor, who had been repairing his body every day for half a month. The water magic energy was absorbed into the wood magic energy, which was a big step up in both the quality and quantity of the magic energy in his body.


    The little guy was still asleep. Han Ming glanced briefly at the small cloth bag at his waist.


    I wonder when this guy will break out of his cocoon.