Chapter 23: Dreams of Yore

Qian Ye grabbed Song Zining and forced him to sit down, saying, “Don’t get so worked up.”

Song Zining struggled fiercely, but no matter how refined his domain was, he was still a human, and in the face of Qian Ye’s overwhelming strength, he had no chance to resist. No matter how much he struggled, it felt like a massive mountain was pressing down on his shoulders, preventing him from standing.

Finally, Song Zining gave up struggling, but he stared intently at Qian Ye, saying, “How can I not be agitated? Do you know what you’re about to do? It’s an unparalleled feat that no one has ever achieved! If you can set foot on the sacred mountain of the Evernight Parliament, you would surpass even the Grand Ancestor and the Martial Ancestor. Do you really think it’s possible?”

Qian Ye smiled, “I’m just talking, don’t take it seriously.”

Song Zining didn’t smile, instead, he said seriously, “You’re not joking, you’re serious. We’ve known each other for so long; you can’t fool me!”

Qian Ye put away his smile and gazed at the starry sky, sighing deeply. At that moment, a landmass slowly drifted across the night sky, blocking out the stars and moon, casting a shadow over Qian Ye’s face. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before slowly saying, “Let’s consider this a dream. Dreams are worth holding onto, what if they come true?”

“This isn’t a dream, it’s madness. No matter how close you get to achieving it, once you take the final step, it’s certain doom!” Song Zining raised his voice.

“The final step is still far off. Let’s talk about more immediate matters. How long do you plan to stay here? Are you really not going back?”

“I’ll go back, but there’s no rush. I’ve already resigned from General Boqian, and I won’t be serving in the military anymore. This time, I want to use Ningyuan Heavy Industry as a foundation to build a channel between the Neutral Lands and the Empire, utilizing resources from both sides. In the end, I want to establish our own territory in the Neutral Lands, or even the border regions.”

As he spoke, Song Zining grinned, patting Qian Ye on the shoulder, “Do you remember, we once said we’d build our own kingdom together!”

“Of course, I remember! But, has no one in the Empire ever thought of doing this before?”

“Of course, they have. However, they eventually found that the Neutral Lands were basically a barren wasteland, and conquering it wasn’t worth the cost. The Neutral Lands are too far from the Empire, and a full-scale invasion would drain the treasury and give the dark races an opening. In fact, when the Neutral Lands were first established, the dark races almost succeeded in turning it into their new territory.”

“Why didn’t they succeed?”

“Because the Empire kept holding them back. The dark races’ expedition to the Neutral Lands took several decades, during which the Empire constantly attacked them, adding ten provinces to its territory. Of course, they almost succeeded in the end, but then the Blood Throne’s lord also came to the Neutral Lands.”

Qian Ye knew nothing about this history.

The Blood Throne’s lord, once a rare genius among the blood race, came from humble origins. In a society where status was determined by bloodline, he always felt marginalized. Despite his superior combat skills, he never received the recognition he deserved.

Finally, having become a marquis, his beloved was taken away by a duke, leading to his outburst. Boldly, he stole the Blood Race’s most treasured weapon, one of the top ten guns of the era, the Shattered Year, and used it to kill the duke.

He then fled to the Neutral Lands, where he caused massive destruction, severely wounding the dark race’s coalition, nearly wiping out the Blood Race. The Blood Throne’s fame was built on the bodies and blood of countless Blood Clan members.

After this, the dark races fell into chaos, losing the legendary gun and suffering a heavy blow, especially to the Evernight Parliament and the Blood Race. If not for the Queen of the Night’s firm control, who knows what might have happened.

The Empire, benefiting from the situation, grew rapidly. They successfully established a foothold in the Western Continent and gained an advantage. With time, it wouldn’t be difficult to take over the entire Western Continent, further increasing the Empire’s power.

Since then, the Evernight, the Empire, the Neutral Lands, and the small nations in the border regions have maintained a delicate balance. Whenever the dark races invaded the Neutral Lands, the Empire would seize the opportunity. After tasting the benefits, the Empire was careful not to repeat the dark races’ mistake by rashly attacking the Neutral Lands.

The Neutral Lands became a place of its own, with many strong individuals emerging, capable of defending themselves.

“So, it’s impossible to conquer the Neutral Lands with external force. Only by establishing a foothold here and gradually expanding can we grow and eventually rule.”

“Are you planning to establish a foothold in the Neutral Lands?”

“Of course!”

Qian Ye was at a loss for words, knowing it was futile to dissuade Song Zining. He could only sigh.

Song Zining patted him, asking, “Where is Yeting now? Can you still see her?”

“She’s still in the Neutral Lands.” Hesitating for a moment, Qian Ye recounted the current state of his relationship with Yeting. This had troubled him for a long time, but he had no one to confide in. With Song Qi by his side, it was a good opportunity to seek advice.

Song Zining frowned, “This won’t do. I’ll go talk to her.”

Qian Ye was shocked, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“How is that getting myself killed? Even if I can’t win, I can still escape. I know her capabilities very well.”

“You don’t know,” Qian Ye smiled bitterly, “Even I don’t have confidence in escaping her. Together, we’re no match for her. Her personality is completely unpredictable now. Would you willingly meet a completely unfamiliar high-ranking Blood Clan member?”

Song Zining’s expression turned grave, not expecting this. Finally, he sighed, “Forget it, there are so many women in the world. Why cling to one? Follow me, and you’ll never lack for women!”

Qian Ye smiled and shook his head, “I’m not interested in women right now. By the way, I have something to show you.”

“What is it?”

“A new-born nation.”

A short while later, two off-road vehicles drove out of Nanqing City, speeding towards the edge of the landmass.

Qian Ye led the way, driving the first vehicle, while Zhi Feng followed closely behind in the second, carrying the cannon and other spoils of war.

Song Zining sat in the passenger seat, his feet propped up on the window, reclining the seat, feeling quite comfortable, “After getting used to airships, I still find off-road vehicles more exhilarating. Wild!”

Qian Ye laughed, stepping on the gas, the vehicle roaring like an enraged lion as it charged forward.

Their wild ride was short-lived, as several trucks blocked the road ahead. These armed vehicles, converted from small delivery trucks, were filled with mercenaries drinking and laughing loudly.

The loud music blaring from the armed vehicles blocked the entire road, forcing traffic to slow to a crawl.

The mercenaries saw the approaching off-road vehicles but had no intention of making way. They continued drinking, pointing and laughing at the off-road vehicles. Some even unzipped their pants and made lewd gestures.

“Better cover your ears,” Qian Ye said. Before Song Zining could react, Qian Ye pulled a valve.

High-pressure steam rushed through narrow pipes, erupting from the vehicle’s roof, emitting a shrill whistle. This custom-made horn, usually found on ships or heavy cargo trucks, was somehow installed on this small off-road vehicle. The sound was deafening, unbearable even for those inside the car.

Despite his profound original force, Song Zining was startled.

The sudden, piercing horn startled the mercenaries, causing the one with his pants unzipped to accidentally urinate in his trousers.

The mercenaries, hot-tempered as they were, couldn’t stand this. They slowed down, blocking the road even more tightly. Some even picked up their weapons, aiming at Qian Ye’s vehicle. This wasn’t a bluff; they were ready to shoot, their eyes filled with murderous intent.

This was the Neutral Lands, a land where a single word could lead to bloodshed.

Song Zining sighed, retracting his feet and preparing to open his domain to interfere with the shooters’ vision. However, before he could act, the off-road vehicle suddenly lurched forward, accelerating to maximum speed, crashing into the armed trucks!

“No! You madman!” Song Zining screamed, gripping the handle as the front of the off-road vehicle collided violently with the rear of two armed trucks.

With a loud crash, the two armed trucks were thrown into the air, smashing to either side. Qian Ye, not yet satisfied, stood up in the vehicle, kicked open the deformed door, and delivered a powerful kick to the armed truck!

The armed truck, along with a dozen mercenaries, flew dozens of meters, crashing to the ground, rolling several times before stopping. Most of the mercenaries were thrown out, and those in the driver’s cab were battered and bruised.

Fortunately, these mercenaries were tough, and though they were injured, none of them lost their lives.

Qian Ye’s figure flashed, appearing on the other side of the off-road vehicle, kicking the two armed trucks aside, then returned to the still-moving vehicle, jumping back in.

Zhi Feng, from the rear off-road vehicle, leaned out, holding a multi-barrel machine gun, aiming at the mercenaries. Some of the more aggressive mercenaries, disoriented from the impact, began cursing, but were quickly silenced by their companions.

Qian Ye extended his left hand from the vehicle, firing four shots from the Bloody Mandala, blowing up the engines of the four armed trucks, then drove off.

Zhi Feng grinned, the multi-barrel machine gun spewing flames, instantly tearing apart one of the armed trucks. Fortunately, the mercenaries inside had been thrown out, saving their lives.

The two off-road vehicles sped away, leaving the stunned mercenaries standing in place, only daring to search the wreckage for usable items after the vehicles were out of sight.