Li Fang finally couldn’t bear to back down, and with a hateful expression, he said, “Qian Ye, don’t think you can do as you please in the neutral zone. One day, someone will come to teach you a lesson.”
“Is that so? I’ll be waiting,” Qian Ye replied indifferently. He had heard similar threats far too often, and they no longer fazed him.
Infuriated, Li Fang turned and left, his departure hurried and lacking the composure with which he had arrived.
After he left, Qian Ye became serious and asked again, “Who is this person, and why is he here?”
Song Zining also grew serious and said, “This Li Fang does have some genuine abilities. Though he holds a minor position in the court, he has studied governance and has unique insights into establishing a complete military-economic system. He is from a collateral branch of the Li family, and his current position is largely due to his own skills. This time, the Li family has entered the neutral zone, and he sought a position to showcase his talents here.”
“But from the look of him just now, he doesn’t seem to be here to get anything done.”
Song Zining smiled and said, “Qian Ye, you don’t understand. The smaller the official, the greater their sense of authority and the more they fear being looked down upon. In contrast, those with real power are often approachable and unpretentious.”
“Alright, but what is the Li family doing here?”
“Because Li Kuanglan is here. The Li family officially sent some guards, but in reality, they brought three hundred people.”
Qian Ye frowned, “Three hundred people, that’s quite a lot. Who are these people?”
“They are all elite warriors from the Li family, led by two elders. Also, in a couple of days, more people from the palace will arrive.”
“So many people coming to the neutral zone? Aren’t they afraid of backlash from the Blood Throne?” Qian Ye’s question was not without reason. It was well known that the Blood Throne was extremely opposed to any interference from the Evernight or the Empire in the neutral zone. That individual had even intervened multiple times. With the Shattered Flow of Time in hand and the home advantage in the neutral zone, even the mighty dukes and kings faced the risk of falling.
This time, the Empire had sent nearly a thousand elite troops into the neutral zone, breaking the previous unwritten rules. If the Blood Throne intervened, these people would likely not leave the neutral zone alive.
However, Song Zining was not worried and calmly said, “Don’t worry, this matter involves Empress Li. Those old men in the capital are very cautious. They wouldn’t do something like this unless they were certain. Since the people have arrived, it means they’ve already negotiated terms. Don’t underestimate those old men; they may lack other skills, but they excel at internal strife and negotiations.”
“Why the Li family?” During their time in the Misty Forest, Qian Ye had a very unpleasant encounter with the Li family. It was only through Zhao Clan’s influence that he managed to reclaim the Sky Cloud Wind Pearl.
Song Zining said naturally, “Because of Kuanglan, of course. If not them, who else would come?”
The political scene of the Empire was always complex, especially when involving the palace. Song Zining was unwilling to elaborate further, and just thinking about it gave Qian Ye a headache. He decided to set the matter aside for now and instead discussed the mysterious young demon he had encountered.
Upon hearing this, Song Zining realized the gravity of the situation, put away his smile, and pondered, “So, the Demon Race has produced another prodigy on par with a witch? No, he must have existed for some time but kept a low profile. If he’s here, then this is indeed troublesome. What do you plan to do?”
“Go back into the wilderness and fight when the opportunity arises. The Demon Race is severely restricted in the neutral zone, and no matter how many strong individuals they have, there are always ways to deal with them.”
Song Zining nodded, recognizing this as the best way to utilize Qian Ye’s combat abilities. In the wilderness or the Misty Forest of the neutral zone, Qian Ye’s strength could greatly increase. Even a Marquis, if ambushed by Qian Ye, might be killed on the spot.
But then he remembered something, his face changing, and he urgently said, “Wait! If that Demon came with the vanguard…”
Song Zining immediately ordered someone to bring a map of the neutral zone and drew several lines on it. The more he drew, the graver his expression became. He dismissed the others and asked Qian Ye, “Can your Valhalla travel through the void right now?”
“Of course. But its exterior hasn’t been completed yet, and weaker individuals may find it difficult to survive for long. Of the current crew, perhaps only half can handle it.”
Song Zining raised his eyebrows and said, “I’ll provide you with fifteen more people, which is my limit. However, half of them are craftsmen, and they must be protected during actual combat.”
“Are we going to fight in space?”
Song Zining nodded and pointed to a spot on the map, his expression serious. “Ningyuan Heavy Industries’ last batch of engines and ballistae are already en route. This secret route is unknown, but it intersects with the routes from the Evernight Demon Continent to the neutral zone. If the follow-up forces from the Evernight are already heading to the neutral zone, they might intercept our transport fleet in three days. This fleet also carries a batch of high-performance alloys that cannot be lost.”
Qian Ye looked at the map and said slowly, “You mean I should take the Valhalla to intercept them?”
Song Zining nodded, “That’s the only option. Neither the transport fleet nor your Valhalla should be known to the Li family. After intercepting the transport fleet, transfer the cargo in the void, and let the transport fleet return along the same route. The craftsmen and crew members who come with the fleet should join the Valhalla. These people are reliable; I’ve trained them for years.”
After saying this, Song Zining patted Qian Ye’s shoulder and smiled, “I’ve given you everything I have. There’s nothing more I can offer.”
Only now did Qian Ye realize the true wealth of Song Zining. At such a young age, he was already close to the status of “wealth rivaling a nation.” With Ningyuan Heavy Industries’ strength, it could support a minor clan. If given another two or three years, allowing him to master the new alloy formula, he would be qualified to be a pillar of a major clan.
The Song Clan was indeed perceptive in this regard and had been trying to gain control over Ningyuan Heavy Industries. Unfortunately, Song Zi’an was not in the right place at the right time. With a perfect opportunity in hand, he met Qian Ye, who single-handedly turned the tables. Otherwise, if Song Zi’an had taken Song Zining away, who knows what might have happened.
Now, in just a short time, Song Zining had moved most of Ningyuan Heavy Industries’ assets to the neutral zone, with the majority of the accumulation ultimately intended for Qian Ye’s Valhalla. The Valhalla was no ordinary floating warship; it was built on the bones of the ground beetle, and its control mainly relied on the residual will of the ground beetle. Unless Qian Ye was killed, no one could take the Valhalla from him.
Song Zining was not exaggerating; once the assets were invested in the Valhalla, they could not be retrieved. Even Qian Ye did not fully understand why Song Zining was so dedicated to the Valhalla.
Still, Qian Ye had concerns and asked, “If I leave, can you hold up here?”
Song Zining waved it off, “Don’t forget, we still have Kuanglan and Tianqing. I can’t let them go out adventuring, but if the Demon Race comes, it won’t be my responsibility.”
Qian Ye was speechless. Thinking about it, he decided that the sooner he left and returned, the better. He didn’t even return to Nanqing City but headed straight back to the wilderness, choosing an isolated direction and running for half a day. Once he was sure no one was following, he leaped into the air and flew towards the sky.
The massive hull of the Valhalla emerged from the clouds, silently gliding. Qian Ye flew directly into the ship through a side opening. The giant warship seemed to come to life, raising its head and flying higher and higher, heading towards the endless void.
Inside the Valhalla, there were dozens of crew members, most of whom were busy pushing an engine into place. Once the engine was in place, several craftsmen came forward to check and calibrate it.
About a third of the people inside the Valhalla were Gao Hu people, mostly natural mechanics. The rest were Song Zining’s trusted subordinates from Ningyuan Heavy Industries. Among them were craftsmen and ten experienced warriors. These warriors served as efficient labor in peacetime and as the core force to protect the ship’s facilities in critical moments. They were actually wary of the Gao Hu people, as Song Zining instinctively distrusted outsiders.
When Qian Ye boarded the ship, the crew members respectfully greeted him with “Sir” and continued their work. The Valhalla was enormous, requiring dozens of sails and over a hundred engines. The amount of work was staggering, and it would likely take these few dozen people decades to complete.
Qian Ye clapped his hands and raised his voice, “We’re about to enter the void. Everyone below level five, stop working and go to your cabins to rest. Those above level five, report to your positions and stand by.”
These crew members had their roles: they were mechanics in peacetime, but during combat, some were lookouts, some operated the ballistae, and others controlled the engines and sails. With so few people, only two engines and one sail could be activated. As for the ballista mounted on the ground beetle’s skull, it would be operated by Qian Ye himself.
As soon as Qian Ye gave the order, the less capable crew members retreated to their cabins and locked the doors.
Once they were all in their cabins, Qian Ye controlled the Valhalla to ascend, breaking through the protective layer of the Eastern Sea landmass and entering the vast void.
From a distance, the Valhalla still resembled the skeleton of a void beast, but around its heart, muscle tissue had grown, sealing the chest cavity. According to Qing Yue and Song Zining, this muscle tissue was the best material for the ship. The strength of a void beast was incomparable to the Empire’s warships.
However, the growth of this muscle tissue relied on the energy of the ground beetle’s heart, a slow process. Therefore, additional construction was needed to supplement the ship. Given the size of the ground beetle, building the hull alone would be equivalent to constructing several mother ships.
Once in the void, the Valhalla shone with a faint light, heading towards its destination.
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