The act of undermining one’s reputation, when viewed in the short term, seems futile and even somewhat foolish. However, if one considers the long-term implications or looks at it from a higher perspective, it is truly chilling.
Qian Ye’s ambition, could it be so great?
The two werewolf generals dared not delve too deeply, and the Wolf King was unwilling to elaborate. He merely drew a circle on each of the two documents and tossed them back, saying, “Give these to the people of Tianwang Palace and have them take it back.”
Staring at the somewhat lopsided circles, the werewolf generals were left dumbfounded, unsure of the meaning behind this gesture.
“Reply?” One of them couldn’t hold back and asked.
The Wolf King pointed at the two circles and said, “Isn’t this the reply? It means I acknowledge it. That’s all!”
“But, but this seems disrespectful to the Sky King.”
“I’ve been disrespectful to him for a long time; he knows that.” The Wolf King cut off any further protest with a single sentence.
The general in charge of the tribe’s internal affairs asked, “Great Chieftain, you mentioned a major event will occur. What preparations should our tribe make?”
“None. I don’t want to get involved in power struggles. Why should we entangle ourselves in it?”
The two werewolf generals looked at each other, puzzled. Was the Wolf King planning to close his doors and live a quiet life?
They didn’t understand the Wolf King’s intentions, and others were even more perplexed. At this moment in the City of Listening Tides, the heads of major clans and the leaders of various forces within the city were engaged in a heated argument.
“If Qian Ye dares to come to the City of Listening Tides, we must make sure he can never leave!”
“Hmm, he is the City Lord acknowledged by the Sky King himself. Isn’t what you’re saying a bit too much?”
The first man immediately retorted, “What’s excessive about my words? How he became the City Lord, we all know the truth.”
The second man sneered, “My point is, even the Sky King had to recognize his position as City Lord. With your clan’s limited strength, do you really think you can detain him?”
The first man, red-faced, argued, “Of course, my family doesn’t have the capability. But this matter requires the cooperation of all the families in the city, right?”
“You’re not the City Lord, and you don’t have the authority to command the others.”
“Hmph! So, now that Lord Luo’s body is still warm, you’ve already turned against your own people? Lord Luo showed great favor to your family, I never expected you to be such an ungrateful wretch!”
These two families had long been at odds, and even before the meeting began, they were already in a heated argument.
Representatives from several major mercenary groups in the City of Listening Tides tried to mediate, finally managing to calm things down. A leader of a large trading house then said, “This matter is extremely important, and the Sky King’s true intentions are crucial. If anyone has a close relationship with the Tianwang Palace and knows the inside story, please share it with everyone, so we can make a decision. Now is not the time to withhold information.”
“Right, right, exactly,” many agreed.
However, a silence followed. A few people shared some information, which everyone already knew. It became clear that the Tianwang Palace’s stance on the matter was also ambiguous.
This was troubling.
A leader of a trading house said, “Perhaps less trouble is better. Qian Ye has someone like Song Zining by his side. Although his strength is average, he excels in both military and administrative matters. Just look at how Nanqing City transformed in a short time. Having Qian Ye as the City Lord might not be a bad thing.”
As soon as he spoke, the leaders of the trading houses and the heads of several families nodded in agreement. For them, who became the City Lord wasn’t very important; they needed the prosperity of the entire City of Listening Tides to benefit.
However, more people opposed this idea. Some remembered the old favors from Luo Bingfeng, while others feared offending the Tianwang Palace. After all, Qian Ye had forcibly seized the position of City Lord, and Zhang Buzhou would eventually seek to reclaim it.
“What is the Wolf King’s opinion?” someone asked.
This question was critical. With Zhang Buzhou in seclusion and Su Weidao severely injured by Qian Ye, if the Tianwang Palace wanted to deal with Qian Ye, the Wolf King was their only available pawn.
The person in charge of contacting the Wolf King had a strange expression and said, “Lately, the Wolf King has been spending his days in the rear courtyard, consorting with his concubines, and hasn’t even stepped out of the main gate. The messenger I sent hasn’t been able to see him yet.”
“The Wolf King has concubines?!” Everyone was surprised.
“He just took them in recently.”
“When?”
“A month ago.”
The Wolf King’s actions were full of mystery, making it difficult to fathom. At a loss, the people resumed arguing from their respective positions. Such arguments, neither resolved by force nor by logic, would never reach a conclusion.
Fortunately, Qian Ye had not appeared, giving them more time to continue their disputes.
In the Neutral Zone, undercurrents surged, while the tension between Evernight and the Empire escalated once again.
A massive fleet of demonic spider ships recently arrived at the floating land, repelling several attacks from the Imperial fleet and firmly controlling the routes connecting the continents of Evernight. Under the cover of this fleet, supply convoys and regiments of troops continued to arrive at the floating land, unloading mountains of supplies and organized units.
The Empire, naturally, could not sit idly by. It issued another mobilization order, recruiting troops from major clans and powerful families, and sending them to the floating land for combat.
Simultaneously, the Imperial treasury opened up, recruiting individual strongmen and accelerating the production of military equipment. The Emperor even decreed that within a year, enough floating warships to equip two new fleets must be built, at any cost, to maintain air superiority over the floating land.
At the same time, the Empire’s hidden agents in Evernight activated, attempting to create conflicts among the four major races, causing internal constraints to alleviate the pressure on the front lines. This strategy had been used many times, and the other side should have been aware. Yet, due to deep-seated enmities spanning thousands of years, they often jumped into traps, allowing the Empire to succeed every time.
Naturally, Evernight was not idle either, trying to stir up trouble within the Empire. Long-buried hidden hands began to activate.
In the capital, outside the city, a tightly covered carriage entered an estate.
Carriages had long been replaced by off-road vehicles, but many of the upper class in the Empire favored nostalgia and vintage aesthetics. Hence, intricately decorated carriages were often seen in the capital and other major cities. Those who could afford them were either wealthy or of high status.
The estate was not large but exquisitely serene, with a balance of stillness and activity, and the changing scenery displayed the skill of its designer.
A man descended from the carriage, appearing to be around thirty, with an ordinary face but exuding an otherworldly aura.
He asked as soon as he got off, “Has the distinguished guest arrived?”
The servant replied, “He is already waiting in the study.”
“Good, lead me there.”
Moments later, he arrived at the study, where a person was already seated, sipping tea, with an aura of calm and majesty.
The middle-aged man sat across from him, took a sip of tea, and said, “Excellent tea! It’s not easy to find such a good blend elsewhere. You should try a few more cups.”
The man wore black, with a flying swallow pattern embroidered in dark gold on his chest. He seemed barely twenty, with an overly youthful and strikingly handsome face. He took a sip of tea and said, “Indeed, it’s quite good, though a bit lacking in strength. When you have the opportunity to visit us, I will treat you to the best blood wine.”
The middle-aged man smiled slightly and said, “I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. Speaking of which, your side has sent someone of your caliber, truly a grand gesture. Are you not worried about attracting too much attention with such a prominent appearance?”
The young man chuckled, “I was sent here so that if negotiations fail, I can escape easily.”
The middle-aged man said, “You jest. We have cooperated many times, and if we can’t agree, so be it. There won’t be any other issues, will there?”
The young man laughed heartily, “When cooperating with humans, no matter how many times we’ve worked together, it’s always best to treat it as the first time.”
“Better to be cautious. Since your side has sent someone of your rank, there must be important matters. This place is not suitable for a long stay, so let’s get to the point.”
Despite his youthful appearance, this black-clad figure was actually a great duke of the Blood Clan. His presence in the capital’s outskirts was highly risky, and if discovered, he would be pursued relentlessly. In the past, Habus had only ventured to the western border, causing a major uproar, and now he was in the heart of the Empire. This arrangement highlighted the immense influence of the estate’s owner, daring to make such arrangements.
The great duke of the Blood Clan said, “My master has recently sensed changes in the Imperial Palace.”
“Whatever changes, they are beyond our control.”
“My master merely wants to remind you. After all, we have cooperated well in the past. You should not be consumed by internal court struggles. Your human court battles are quite famous.”
“We appreciate the concern, but it’s not necessary.”
The great duke of the Blood Clan said, “You know my master. This time, he wants someone dead.”
“Who?”
“Zhao Jundu!”
Even the middle-aged man, with his deep reserve, couldn’t help but change color, saying, “You jest.”
“This is no jest.”
“Is your master serious?”
“Naturally, he is.”
The middle-aged man’s expression grew grave, and he said, “Zhao Jundu is a formidable person. Despite your multiple attempts to kill him on the floating land battlefield, do you think we can accomplish what you failed to do?”
“If this succeeds, the benefits will be enormous.”
The middle-aged man frowned deeply, pausing before asking, “What benefits?”
The great duke of the Blood Clan smiled slightly, drew a small, exquisite golden dagger, and pierced it into his chest, then slowly pulled it out. The tip of the dagger had a drop of golden blood, perfectly round like a pearl, vastly different from ordinary blood.
The great duke placed the golden blood into a small, exquisite box. On the black satin, the golden blood rolled around, almost looking like a golden pearl.
“A drop of my source blood as a deposit.”
The middle-aged man’s breathing grew slightly rapid, his eyes fixed on the drop of source blood. A drop of source blood from a great duke of the Blood Clan, if used by a human, could create a Blood Noble capable of becoming a Marquis. While the ability was secondary, the key was the longevity of the Blood Nobles. For some elderly men nearing the end of their lives, the value of this drop of source blood was immeasurable.
And this was just the deposit.
The middle-aged man looked up, his sharp gaze fixating on the great duke, and said, “Tell me the truth, why must Zhao Jundu die?”
The great duke said calmly, “Because his blue blood is the key to unlocking a new world.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage