Chapter 110: The Scroll of Honor

The three highest commanders of the expeditionary force changed their expressions slightly upon hearing the words.

The statement that the Empire could exist without the Imperial Family was nearly blasphemous. However, both the Dinh and Wei Princes had imperial blood in their veins, so it seemed more like a modest remark when they said it. Yet, the hidden implications were chilling.

The three exchanged glances, and Xiao Lingshi spoke first, “Prince Dinh is joking. Although I am stationed in the Evernight and come from a humble background, I am acutely aware at all times that I am a citizen of the Empire, working for the Empire and His Majesty.”

The other vice-commander, Yang Shuo, also smiled and said, “General Xiao is right. Even the Four Valves are subjects of the throne. As subjects, we must adhere to our duties, let alone us lesser families. Your Highnesses are being too serious.”

Prince Dinh stroked his beard with a smile and gently said, “Well said, generals! Come, let’s look at the leaderboard. It seems there are some changes.”

Prince Wei glanced at the light screen and praised, “Truly, the Empire is full of talent. The top ten are all from major families, and four of them are from mid-tier families. Neither the Four Valves nor the Imperial Family made it to the list.”

Yang Shuo, still young, began to sweat on his forehead. His family, the Xiangfan Yangs, was now on the list, ranked third. Since the beginning, the two princes’ words were laced with hidden meanings. One slip of the tongue could lead to disaster.

Commander-in-Chief Luo Mingji remained silent, his eyes lowered, as if not fully awake. Xiao Lingshi, on the other hand, appeared relaxed.

Yang Shuo knew he had to respond to Prince Wei’s comment, so he gritted his teeth and said, “The Imperial Family and the Four Valves are the pillars of the Empire. They always act after careful planning, how can they be compared to ordinary families? Moreover, looking at the registration, many teams from the Four Valves are participating. Presumably, they have just entered the Iron Curtain and haven’t had the chance to establish any achievements yet. The current rankings cannot be taken seriously.”

The two princes exchanged a glance and nodded with a faint smile. Yang Shuo secretly released his tightly clenched right hand, which was slightly damp.

Xiao Lingshi added, “But considering the time, the teams from the various valves should be reporting their military merits by now.”

As if in response to his words, the leaderboard suddenly changed. The emblem of the golden-clawed serpent, representing the Imperial Family, and the crests of the Four Valves, shone brightly as they appeared on the list. The Song Valve, in particular, soared to the top with a high score of nearly 100,000. Surprisingly, the Zhao Valve showed a decline, failing to make the top ten, leaving everyone present somewhat stunned.

This scene was simultaneously displayed across the Empire, appearing before the heads and elders of the great families.

In the Palace of Fragrant Chambers, opposite the Unending Palace, a beautiful woman with an elaborate hairstyle sat on the Phoenix Throne. Before her, two maids stood respectfully, holding a black and gold-patterned source array, not daring to raise their heads.

The intricate patterns of the source array flickered, projecting a light screen displaying the current round of the Blood War leaderboard. What was astonishing was that as the leaderboard in the headquarters of the expeditionary force changed, this one almost mirrored it in real-time.

Those in the know understood that such a display required immense power and resources. However, for the stunningly beautiful woman on the Phoenix Throne, money was just a number.

She gazed at the leaderboard with a barely noticeable smile and asked lightly, “Why is the Zhao Valve performing so poorly at the start?”

Below the Phoenix Throne stood a distinguished man with a noble bearing, sharp eyebrows, and a commanding presence.

He smiled and replied, “The most outstanding members of the Zhao Valve’s younger generation are Zhao Jundu and Zhao Yuying. Zhao Ruoxi doesn’t count among them. Originally, Zhao Yuying would have been more suitable for the Blood War, but she was severely injured by Nangong Xiaofeng recently. She retaliated and crippled Nangong Xiaofeng. This incident led to a formal break between the Zhao Valve and the Nangong Family, and Zhao Yuying is currently unable to participate. However, we should not underestimate the Zhao Valve. Zhao Jundu is considered the top young talent in the Empire. If he enters the battlefield, he will surely perform impressively.”

“Mr. Yan, isn’t the Song Valve supposed to be weak? Why are they so formidable now?”

Mr. Yan scoffed, “The Song Valve has a generational gap; their younger generation lacks capable leaders, so there’s no need to worry. However, even a hundred-legged insect wriggles after death. The Song Valve, known for their wealth, certainly has the money. In this situation, they must have recruited a large number of teams to enter the Iron Curtain. When the true powerhouses from the dark races appear, these mixed teams will be useless.”

The young woman nodded, her gaze never leaving the Zhao Valve, even though their emblem had fallen out of the top ten.

At this moment, the leaderboard experienced a dramatic change. The Zhao Valve’s points doubled, and their ranking skyrocketed, reaching fourth place, only a few hundred points behind the Zhang Valve in third.

The young woman on the Phoenix Throne was startled and stood up, asking, “What’s happening?”

Mr. Yan’s expression turned serious, and he said, “It must be Zhao Jundu reporting his military merits. Seeing the increase in points, he truly lives up to his reputation, and he is very capable.”

The young woman slowly sat down, regaining her composure, and smiled sweetly, “If that’s the case, it’s a good thing. Send someone to inform Lady Zhao, and take the pair of fire crystal bracelets I received today as a congratulatory gift.”

Mr. Yan felt a bit surprised and cast a subtle glance at the young woman on the Phoenix Throne. Seeing the joy on her face, he couldn’t help but feel a chill.

In the Zhao Valve’s council hall, the twelve elders sat in heavy silence. The central light screen clearly displayed the Blood War military merit rankings. The Zhao Valve was still not in the top ten, and this fact weighed heavily on the elders’ hearts, making it hard to breathe.

Although the Three Princes of the Zhao Valve were not present, each had a trusted confidant in attendance.

The source array used in the council hall was far inferior to the one in the Palace of Fragrant Chambers. It relied on continental floating boats to transport secret silver cards, resulting in data delays of one to two days.

Finally, one elder could not hold back and asked, “Has Jundu not yet entered the battlefield?”

Another elder thought for a moment and said, “Jundu’s team has probably been in the battlefield for only three days, so it might not be time for him to report his military merits yet.”

Someone snorted, saying coldly, “Such a big matter, and he only left on the last day after receiving the message so early! Now, the other three valves are advancing together, while our Zhao Valve lags behind. How do you think others will perceive this? Does he still consider the honor of the Yan Yun Zhao? Lord Cheng En can truly be proud of his upbringing.”

The elders of the Cheng En line, represented by only two members, were furious but restrained themselves from speaking.

“We must take preventive measures. We should allocate more funds and send additional teams.”

An elder from the Cheng En side finally spoke, “Send more teams? Where will the money come from?”

“Let’s use some of the military funds allocated to the Wolfsmoke Army. After all, the rebels haven’t made any significant moves lately.”

The elder immediately stood up, angry, “How can that be possible?”

However, the majority of the elders agreed, and the matter was decided by a vote. The two elders from the Cheng En line sensed something was amiss but were too late to intervene.

The Wolfsmoke Army, a type of regional military force in the Empire, was effectively half a private army of Lord Cheng En, Weyi Huang. Two-thirds of its funding came from the Zhao Valve’s public account. This decision by the council essentially reduced Weyi Huang’s recent power.

When the elders dispersed, the leaderboard on the light screen remained unchanged.

Inside the Song Valve, there was jubilation. Many people ran around to share the news, feeling a sense of pride. At the Wen Dao Estate, the Song family matriarch, Duchess Anguo, hosted a private banquet, with all the Song Valve elders in attendance.

The atmosphere at the banquet was tense.

The head of the valve, Song Zhongnian, spoke first, “Old Ancestor, given our current situation, is our rapid progress in the Blood War a bit excessive? It might attract unwanted attention.”

The Old Ancestor spoke slowly, “There are no outsiders here, so let’s be frank. Our valve has been weak for a long time, with a strong exterior but a hollow core. It’s no secret. We don’t need to hide anything. This Blood War requires all our efforts, and we can’t afford to hold back. Instead of worrying, why not contribute some of your personal funds to form more teams and improve our standings?”

Many of the attendees looked ashamed.

“Where is Zining? He hasn’t been in contact for some time. What has he been up to?” Duchess Anguo raised another topic.

The Song Valve elders exchanged glances. Finally, Song Zhongnian said, “Zining hasn’t returned to the clan for a while, but the daily clan affairs he handles are still running smoothly. It seems he is focusing on the Evernight Continent, buying several mines and investing in some mercenary groups.”

The Grand Elder, Song Zhongcheng, although stripped of his duties, still had a seat at the family banquet. He couldn’t help but say, “This is ridiculous! What good resources can be found in those abandoned lands? At a time like this, he should be forming teams for the Blood War, not making investments!”

The Old Ancestor pondered, “Has he not returned since the grand examination?”

“Yes,” was the reply, and the elders realized something was amiss.

The Old Ancestor didn’t delve deeper and asked, “What about his marriage? How is it going?”

Song Zhongnian said, “We have discussed it several times, and the betrothal is not fitting for Zining’s status and abilities. The Ye family girl is not suitable either, so I plan to propose reevaluating the arrangement and dissolving the betrothal.”

The Grand Elder glared, “That’s not acceptable! A binding contract cannot be broken easily. The Ye family’s second daughter might not be ideal, but surely they can find another suitable match.”

The atmosphere at the table became even heavier.

The Old Ancestor waved her hand, “Let’s not discuss this. Let’s eat.”

By the end of the meal, no one mentioned calling Zining back to form a team for the Blood War, as if the matter had been forgotten.

Song Zicheng followed Song Zhongnian out of the estate, watching his grandfather’s aged silhouette under the moonlight, sighing deeply. He was the only third-generation member allowed to attend, but in such a gathering, it was not his place to speak.