Chapter 26: The Legacy of the Zhao-Song Dynasty

Hong Lian was momentarily at a loss, unsure of where her words had gone wrong. However, being reassigned as Qing Yue’s subordinate was a punishment she could not accept. She immediately defended herself, proclaiming her innocence. Seeing that it was ineffective, she quickly claimed that her value surpassed that of Qing Yue, citing numerous examples.

Yet, no matter how she pleaded or threatened, Qian Ye remained unmoved.

Finally, in a fit of anger and humiliation, Hong Lian roared, “If you treat me this way, I’d rather take my own life! Think carefully; if you drive me to suicide, my maternal clan will never let you rest.”

Qian Ye finally responded, his voice calm, “If they become my enemies, your maternal clan may not last long.”

Song Zining furrowed his brows, gesturing for Hong Lian to be quiet. Then, he pulled Qian Ye to begin the tour of the Hero’s Hall, temporarily setting the matter aside.

A moment later, the massive Hero’s Hall slowly ascended, flying toward the Northern Continent.

As the colossal ship silently glided into the void storm and disappeared, a figure in a white dress appeared amidst the rocks at the foot of the mountain. She held an old suitcase, standing alone in the wind.

The wind at the foot of the mountain was fierce and cold, causing her long hair to flutter, making her petite figure look incredibly lonely. She gazed up at the distant horizon, just in time to catch the last glimpse of the Hero’s Hall before it vanished.

Her face was filled with confusion, her eyes reflecting the same bewilderment.

The Hero’s Hall returned to the Northern Continent, and Qian Ye wanted to show Song Zining the magical land. Along the way, Song Zining was far from idle. He spent an entire day listening to Qian Ye recount his experiences in the Neutral Zone. Then, he called upon Hong Lian, asking for her insights on the major forces there. Still unsatisfied, Song Zining also chatted with nearly every high-ranking Hu person, asking a variety of questions.

Two full days passed in this manner. As they approached the Northern Continent, he finally completed this massive task. The following day, Qian Ye focused on his cultivation. Every bit of original force added to him was most welcome.

On the third morning, the Hero’s Hall soared over the vast East Sea, arriving at the Northern Continent. From high above, Song Zining, like Qian Ye, held his breath, looking down in awe at the natural masterpiece below.

It seemed that the essence of the entire Neutral Zone was concentrated here.

After a long while, Song Zining exhaled deeply, saying, “This is the foundation of an emperor!”

“When I first came here, all I wanted was a place to live in peace.”

Song Zining replied, “In this world, there is no paradise, no tranquil haven. All peace must be fought for, bit by bit. Just like the stability of Qin Land, it was won through the efforts of Wu Zu and many predecessors. If we want to enjoy peace, we should stay in Qin Land, in the capital, not here. Alas, we are not those kind of people.”

Qian Ye sighed softly.

“Alright, let’s descend. I’m eager to see how the new homeland of the Gao Hu people is coming along.”

The massive Hero’s Hall slowly descended, hovering fifty meters above the ground. Song Zining and Qian Ye leaped down, and when Zhu Feng was about to jump, he noticed Hong Lian frantically signaling him. Under her stern gaze, the former prestige of Zhu Feng took effect, and he carried Hong Lian off the ship.

When Qian Ye left, the Gao Hu people’s homeland was only a small village. Now, it had transformed into a town. Although most of the buildings were still just foundations without walls, a town that could accommodate a thousand residents was already taking shape.

Outside the town, near the foothills, several workshops had completed their land leveling. The bases for three power towers had been built up to two meters.

Yes, three power towers. From the start, Qing Yue had proposed this ambitious plan. Her heart was set on building a great city that could house ten thousand people, so all plans were designed with ample room for expansion.

Outside the town, several Gao Hu people were using converted trucks as bulldozers, busy clearing roads. One of the roads led to the coast, where nothing yet existed.

All of this was the work of Qing Yue and a few dozen Gao Hu people. It was easy to imagine the countless sleepless nights of labor they must have endured.

Seeing the new homeland, Hong Lian was completely stunned. She sneaked a glance at Qian Ye, her gaze filled with indescribable complexity. At this moment, she truly understood why, despite her pride, Qing Yue willingly submitted to Qian Ye.

“Let’s walk around here,” Song Zining said, flying forward, followed by Qian Ye. The two quickly vanished into the distance.

Now, Hong Lian and Zhu Feng remained where they were, with the Hero’s Hall suspended fifty meters above them. The only thing restricting Hong Lian was the lack of energy. Zhu Feng, on the other hand, carried a machine gun. In this moment, their combined strength could potentially overpower all the Gao Hu people, even capturing the Hero’s Hall.

Hong Lian bit her lower lip, suddenly reaching out to Zhu Feng. “Give me the energy black crystal.”

“This! Miss, this…”

“Give it to me!!”

Zhu Feng’s expression was conflicted, but he eventually lowered his head, extending his right hand, in which a high-purity energy black crystal glowed brightly.

Hong Lian snatched the crystal, inserting it into her body’s power slot. Immediately, a faint hum echoed from her various mechanical parts. Her face was filled with rapture and joy, as the long-lost power returned to her.

Hong Lian did not revel in her regained strength for long. Her gaze quickly turned cold. She leaped up, gliding a hundred meters in the air before jumping again. In a flash, she arrived at the edge of the town.

Qing Yue stood on a high spot, holding blueprints and comparing them with the construction site, deep in thought. Suddenly, she heard Hong Lian’s voice, “Let me see.”

Before Qing Yue could react, Hong Lian snatched the blueprint from her hand and began examining it intently.

Seeing Hong Lian, Qing Yue was shocked. When Qian Ye arrived earlier, she was entirely focused on the construction of the homeland and had not noticed him.

She stepped back, wanting to say something, but seeing Hong Lian’s demeanor, she hesitated.

After a few minutes, Hong Lian reached out and snatched a pen from Qing Yue, unceremoniously marking several places on the blueprint. “Here, here, and here—the planning is clearly flawed. How can these buildings be placed like this? And this road, it needs to be at least twice as wide, otherwise, once the population exceeds ten thousand, it will be a nightmare.”

Next, Hong Lian pointed out over a dozen minor errors, and Qing Yue listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

In terms of planning and construction, Qing Yue was indeed inferior to Hong Lian. She had earned her position as the War Maiden through her exceptional talent in combat.

This scene left all the Gao Hu people watching in secret amazement, but they quickly returned to their work.

Perhaps no one could truly understand the longing for a homeland felt by the Gao Hu, who had wandered for centuries as mercenaries.

As Qian Ye and Song Zining toured the Northern Continent, they discussed the Neutral Zone and the current situation. Anything related to Qian Ye, Song Zining asked in great detail.

They reached the northernmost point, where the mountains were the highest and most perilous, and lethal void storms raged, their dark ripples visible to the naked eye. Even the sturdiest alloys could not withstand them.

But Qian Ye and Song Zining were not afraid. Original force could counter original force. Song Zining’s Three Thousand Drifting Leaves Domain not only created illusions but also stabilized the surrounding space, repelling void original force. Around them, the scene was like a serene water landscape, a stark contrast to the harsh environment.

Hovering in the air, Qian Ye looked down at the rippling green waters, lotus leaves, and a weeping willow swaying in the breeze, even the air carrying a warm, moist fragrance. It was a peaceful scene. Without his True Vision, Qian Ye might not have detected the illusion.

However, Qian Ye was not impressed by the beauty. He asked seriously, “The scenery is nice, but the cost in original force must be high, right?”

Song Zining opened his fan, smiling, “Such a trivial matter, why worry about it?”

Qian Ye stared at his fan, asking, “Isn’t it too cold for a fan?”

Song Zining sneered, “This is called elegance. This fan is just a symbol, a representation!”

“Fine, does it consume a lot of original force?”

“A little…” Song Zining blurted out, then realized his mistake.

Qian Ye smiled slightly, extending his domain. A faint ebb and flow of sound could be heard in the air. But as soon as his domain expanded, the beautiful scenery wavered and distorted.

Song Zining glared at Qian Ye, pointing downward, “This is the treasure. This place has been infused with void original force for countless years. If we could excavate this mountain, who knows how many mineral veins we would find. And this land, if I’m not mistaken, might be a fragment of the fallen Void Valley Star. If the Empire knew, they would likely send an expeditionary force, wouldn’t they?”

Gazing at the towering, thousand-mile-long mountain range, Qian Ye frowned, “To excavate it, it would probably take hundreds of thousands of people a century.”

“Not necessary. With a few Heavenly Kings, it can be done in days.”

“…Still, let’s go with hundreds of thousands of people working slowly.”

Song Zining stared at the mountains, sighing after a long while, “What a magnificent sight!”

Qian Ye was puzzled, but dared not voice his thoughts. He humbly asked, “Where is the beauty?”

Song Zining waved his hand, speaking with grandeur, “This scene, if captured in a painting, should be titled: Wealth to Rival a Kingdom!”

Qian Ye’s domain wavered, almost causing him to fall from the sky. To Song Zining, the majestic mountains were mere illusions; the true value lay in the mineral veins beneath. Indeed, he was a true son of the Song family.