Chapter 139: Evading Peril

In the Land of Yongsu, Qian Ye returned to the City of Azure Waves once more from the New World.

Standing on the balcony of the Duke’s manor, the sight of the City of Azure Waves before him brought a sense of unfamiliarity.

In the distance, the outskirts and vast areas beyond the city gates that were once covered with low shacks and strewn with filth and sewage, had been leveled and rebuilt with distinct structures. The uniform styles revealed that one area belonged to the demon offspring, another to the blood kin, while the werewolves were divided into several regions, each with their own unique preferences. The preferences of the werewolves from the Jade Sea, the Grand Canyon, and the Gale Dominion differed, as did those from the various continents of Eternal Night.

The human territories also displayed clear distinctions, easily discernible as Empire, Zheng Kingdom, and Neutral Lands styles.

Each region was neatly divided into square blocks, separated by wide roads. In comparison, the original homes of the werewolf chiefs and shamans now seemed like slums.

These werewolf chiefs and shamans, used to arrogance, could not bear such humiliation. Although they appeared primitive, they were not short of resources. The accumulated wealth, which could only be stored without trade, was now converted into currency.

Seeing the new buildings erected by outsiders, they were dazzled and decided to renovate their own homes according to their tastes, hiring either Imperial or Eternal Night craftsmen.

Thus, the noble district of the City of Azure Waves became a construction site, bustling with renovation and rebuilding. However, even before completion, it was clear that the area would be a chaotic mix of styles, far from the organized simplicity of the refurbished slums.

The new design for the slums was the work of Song Hui. She dismissed traditional Imperial principles of feng shui and scenic views, instead simply drawing straight lines on the map to divide the land. Her only contribution was insisting on the construction of wide roads.

Given the limited skills of the werewolf shamans in charge, this block-based method was perfect, and they executed it faithfully, resulting in the transformed City of Azure Waves.

Apart from the residential areas, a large area was allocated for a dedicated trading zone, where shops sprouted up rapidly. The bustling crowds indicated the influx of gold coins.

Qian Ye, uninterested in such mundane affairs, was about to retire when he noticed a familiar figure at the edge of his vision. In a flash, he appeared before the man. Qian Ye’s techniques were now so refined that he moved through the crowded streets unnoticed.

Before Qian Ye stood a scruffy, disheveled man—William.

William looked up, saw Qian Ye, and sighed, “You’ve come at the right time. I was just looking for you. Buy me a drink; I’m not in a good mood.”

Without much ado, Qian Ye asked, “My place or somewhere else?”

William waved his hand, “Find a tavern. Your place is too empty; there’s no atmosphere for drinking.”

Qian Ye agreed, and given the mixed population of the City of Azure Waves, taverns abounded. They entered a lively one and found a corner table.

Before sitting, William sniffed the air, “Lagrange? And the scent of sherry… Is that Saint Romain?”

His eyes lit up at the mention of these famous wines.

Qian Ye, unfamiliar with wine, thought all wines tasted the same. But since William was keen, he called over a waiter, “Do you have the wines he mentioned?”

The waiter proudly replied, “My lord, though our establishment may seem small, we are part of a well-known chain in Eternal Night, with over four hundred branches across three continents. This is our first in Yongsu. We can find any fine wine you desire.”

Qian Ye said, “Good, bring two bottles of each.”

“Three bottles!” William interjected.

The waiter hesitated, “Sirs, this will cost quite a bit.”

William slapped Qian Ye, “This brother here is wealthy!”

Qian Ye smiled bitterly, then remembered the elixirs in his space. He produced a vial, “Pay with this.”

The waiter, surprised, recognized it as a holy tree sap elixir, “This is more than enough.”

Soon, the table was filled with bottles of fine wine. William opened one, took a sip, and praised, “Excellent wine!”

He drank half the bottle and sighed, “I never expected to find such fine wine here.”

“Neither did I,” Qian Ye agreed. The luxury supply indicated the city’s wealth, surpassing what he had expected.

“Cheers!”

William drank in silence. Qian Ye, not asking, kept him company. Soon, most of the bottles were empty.

William, despite his power, was getting drunk, his eyes unfocused.

Qian Ye, feeling a bit dizzy, continued to drink. William seemed intent on drowning his sorrows.

With the alcohol taking effect, William suddenly said, “In this cursed world, if you’re weak, someone will want to eat you! Without strength, there is no damned dignity!”

“I might feel sorry for others, but you? Forget it.”

“I’ve only gone through soul awakening twice, progressing a bit faster than others. What’s wrong with that?” William was indignant.

“Wait, soul awakening? Twice?” Qian Ye, with millions of werewolf subjects, was well-versed in their customs.

Soul awakening was a sacred ritual, where werewolves underwent tests in the ancestral altar to gain some of the ancestors’ power. Those qualified were geniuses, yet the success rate was extremely low.

Those who passed gained a significant boost in power, with some even advancing two levels. This enhancement, unlike human elixirs, had minimal side effects and provided diverse powers, from physical strength to enhanced primordial energy, and even prophetic abilities.

Soul awakening was one reason the werewolf clans remained strong, continually producing powerful figures.

For William, it seemed as simple as eating and drinking.

“Then your current rank is…” Qian Ye, sobering up, asked cautiously.

William, drunk, replied, “Duke. So what?”

He sighed and drank more.

“Wait, as a duke, higher ranked than me, what are you complaining about?” Qian Ye was annoyed.

William glared, “Even as a duke, or a Werewolf Lord, I still have to bow down and sacrifice our interests.”

“Are you talking about the Holy Mountain?”

William nodded, continuing to drink in silence.

The Werewolf Lord, nearing his end, was one thing. But the peak Werewolf Lord, in his prime, forced to bow, likely due to the combined might of the two supreme beings on the Holy Mountain, causing William’s depression.

William looked at Qian Ye, “Guess why I came to you?”

Qian Ye leaned back, “Not to drink. You wouldn’t do that to yourself.”

William wanted to retort but knew better. He sighed, “I’m here to avoid trouble.”

“Avoid trouble?”

William, morose, explained, “In a thousand years, I am the only werewolf to have undergone two soul awakenings. The Werewolf Lord sealed the news and sent me away to avoid being drafted into the New World, where fate would be out of my hands.”

Qian Ye, understanding the situation, said, “You mean, as a sacrificial lamb?”

William scoffed, “Wouldn’t the King of Qingyang himself come to kill me?”

Qian Ye sighed, unable to see William as an enemy. William had saved him many times, and as a Noble of Eternal Night, he was more of a lone wanderer, seeking neutral ground between the factions.

“If they do this, they risk turning the werewolves against them.”

“The Werewolf Ancestor and Lord fear this, hence they sent me away, denying them the chance.” William’s voice was filled with sorrow.