Chapter 146: Ominous Signs

Weibotian did not fully comprehend why Song Zining was so tense.

As someone well-versed in military matters, he understood that for Song Zining’s fortress to be defended, or even held for a longer duration, the guerrilla forces on the periphery were crucial. Their presence deterred the dark races from going all out in their assault, compelling them to leave sufficient rear and defensive forces behind.

The garrison troops could neither be too many nor too few, which became a dilemma given the limited total number of soldiers. Too many would weaken the attacking force on the fortress, sharply increasing the casualty ratio. Too few, and they would be annihilated by a concentrated assault from Song Zining.

In a battlefield where only Song Zining could use the Celestial Art, the dark races were like blind men fighting, feeling extremely uncomfortable. They had no choice but to swallow the bait set by Song Zining.

If it were a battle of maneuver, the casualties would be higher than in a fortress defense. So, seeing the imperial fortress, the dark races felt compelled to attack, whether they wanted to or not.

But now, Song Zining was calling back all the guerrilla forces, as if amputating his own arm. Weibotian could not understand this at all.

Song Zining recalled the guerrillas and ordered a reorganization of three battalions, each led by a Duke. He warned them to be extremely cautious in their actions.

At the same time, a bright signal flare soared into the sky, remaining lit for a long while. This signal was to alert the Celestial King to the situation in the area, indicating that even with the Dukes leading, Song Zining was still not at ease.

After a series of deployments, Weibotian, who had been watching, finally could not hold back and asked, “Is all this necessary?”

Originally, the demands for mobility in a fortress defense were greatly reduced, and the consumption of airships decreased to a level that the Empire could barely maintain.

Most of the guerrilla forces outside operated using off-road vehicles, only summoning airships when absolutely necessary. Now, with Song Zining’s three specially configured battalons, all of them designated for airship mobility, the demand for military supplies more than doubled.

These three battalions were indeed stronger, but the cost for them could have been used to form six guerrilla units. In Weibotian’s view, the latter would have been more advantageous in controlling the battlefield.

After the arrangements were completed, Song Zining let out a sigh of relief. He unbuttoned his collar, took a deep breath, poured himself a glass of strong liquor with ice, and downed it in one go. Then he said, “Didn’t she say she would kill you if she saw you again?”

“That’s right, but…”

Before Weibotian could argue, Song Zining interrupted, “I understand. It’s settled then. You should return to the Empire immediately and take your Wei family private army with you.”

Weibotian was taken aback, exclaiming, “Wait! Why do I have to go back? My Thousand Nights Mountain is almost complete.”

“Do you think you won’t meet her again? Do you think she’ll let you go if you do? Do you want Qian Ye to be unable to face us in the future?”

Three questions, one after another, left Weibotian gasping for breath. After a moment, his face fell, and he said, “No way, I thought our last meeting went okay, aside from me getting beaten up a bit.”

With every word deliberate, Song Zining said, “If she sees you again, she will definitely kill you.”

“Then avoid her. Can’t you use the Celestial Art to help me dodge her? If we can’t confront her, can’t we at least evade her?” Weibotian found it hard to believe things were that serious.

“I can’t calculate her movements.”

“What?”

“I can’t calculate her.” Song Zining repeated.

“But there’s someone you can’t calculate? Didn’t you say that only Great Emperors are beyond your calculations, and there’s no Great Emperor here now?” Weibotian was incredulous.

Song Zining retorted, “Do you think she’s easier to deal with than a Great Emperor?”

Stunned, Weibotian suddenly said, “Qian Ye’s future days won’t be easy.”

Amazed by Weibotian’s way of thinking, Song Zining covered his face and said, “Let’s worry about ourselves first!”

Weibotian still refused to accept it, saying, “Come on, we’re brothers with Qian Ye. Surely, it won’t be that bad, right?”

Song Zining, though exasperated, could not just let him act recklessly. As he was pondering how to explain, a servant burst in, looking frantic.

“The Duke of Yuan Guang’s forces were ambushed by the dark races, and the entire army was wiped out! The Duke of Yuan Guang barely escaped, heavily wounded!”

“What?!” Song Zining’s face changed, and he commanded, “Take me there immediately!”

Weibotian, stunned, hurriedly followed.

In the hospital wing of the Duke’s mansion, the Duke of Yuan Guang lay pale as paper, without any visible blood. Several imperial physicians looked anxious and helpless.

Song Zining rushed to the bed, asking urgently, “What happened?”

The Duke of Yuan Guang opened his eyes, smiling bitterly, “The dark races…appeared suddenly, without any warning…I saw Yeya, and I’m not ashamed to lose to her. The Empire treated her so badly, and now…we’re finally reaping what we sowed.”

“So it was her,” Song Zining’s face darkened as he checked the Duke’s injuries.

The Duke of Yuan Guang waved his hand, laughing bitterly, “Don’t bother. I know my own injury. She crippled my foundation, and I can never be a Duke again. I can tell that if she had wanted to, I wouldn’t have made it back. But it’s a shame for my comrades.”

Despite this, Song Zining examined his injuries, frowning even more. The Duke of Yuan Guang’s sole Origin Crystal was shattered, wrapped in dark golden blood energy, which occasionally formed an ancient rune, discernibly the character for “death”!

The dark golden blood energy continuously drained the Duke’s essence to grow, yet it could not be removed easily, as it was keeping the Origin Crystal from shattering. Without the blood energy, the Duke’s Origin Crystal would break, and not only would he lose his rank, but his life would be in peril.

However, if the blood energy was not removed, it would eventually drain the Duke. This blood energy, like a maggot, could not be left or removed.

Now Song Zining understood why the imperial physicians were helpless. To remove the blood energy from the Duke of Yuan Guang’s Origin Crystal, one needed to surpass the practitioner in cultivation and Origin Power. Yeya had essentially set up a battlefield on the Duke of Yuan Guang’s Origin Crystal, challenging the entire Empire.

Song Zining withdrew his hand, saying, “Don’t worry. This injury is troublesome, but not unsolvable, and it won’t become critical for a while. From now on, don’t use your Origin Power. I’ll send an airship to take you back to the Empire. I’m sure the Princes will find a way.”

The Duke of Yuan Guang’s spirits lifted, grasping Song Zining’s hand, “Can I recover?”

“Yes,” Song Zining replied firmly.

The Duke of Yuan Guang sighed in relief, his face regaining some color, “That’s good, that’s good! I have so much left to do. I wondered why you didn’t foresee the dark races’ attack, but when I saw Yeya, I understood. She… Anyway, with the Celestial King, she won’t live long.”

Weibotian’s lips moved, wanting to point out that with the Tempest in her hands, even the Celestial King might not be able to do anything. But seeing the Duke’s state, he realized it was inappropriate and held his tongue.

Though the Duke seemed composed when he lost hope, his true feelings showed when he learned there was a slight chance. Known for his small-mindedness, if he returned and harbored resentment, spreading rumors of betrayal, Weibotian would suffer.

Weibotian was straightforward but not stupid; he knew what to say and to whom.

Song Zining comforted him further, and once the Duke of Yuan Guang’s condition stabilized, he arranged for an airship to send him back to the Empire.

Song Zining watched the airship carrying the Duke of Yuan Guang lift off, muttering, “She acted quickly…”

“Really her?” Weibotian still could not believe it.

“Who else could it be?” Song Zining sensed the “death” rune on the Duke of Yuan Guang’s Origin Crystal was meant for him.

The dark golden blood energy also made him uneasy.

As Song Zining pondered, a messenger rushed over, saying, “The King of Ding Xuan has spotted the enemy and is preparing to strike. He orders us to be ready for any monster movements and arrange for the return to the Empire.”

Song Zining, lost in thought, absentmindedly said, “Load the stasis chambers onto the airships, have the airships on standby… Wait, what?!”

Startled, the messenger repeated his message, causing Song Zining’s face to change. He stamped his foot, exclaiming, “This ruins everything!”

The messenger was even more shocked. The King of Ding Xuan, a god-like figure, did not need anyone’s permission for his decisions.

In fact, the King of Ding Xuan notifying them early was already considerate. He could simply appear and requisition any resources at will.

Yet, in Song Zining’s words, it sounded like he was more of a hindrance than a help. No one dared to comment.

Weibotian, thoroughly confused, could not grasp the situation.

Song Zining glanced at him, sighing, “The best move is sometimes not to make a move. Once the King of Ding Xuan acts, we lose all our deterrent against the dark races. Moreover, he may not gain much from this.”

Weibotian nodded in agreement.

Song Zining sighed again, shaking his head, “Ah, the Celestial King is human, and even he can make mistakes. But to err at this moment is truly regrettable.”

Weibotian said, “There’s nothing you can do; you can’t control the Celestial King.”

Song Zining’s face grew resolute, “When Marshal Lin was alive, even the Celestial King had to obey in his jurisdiction!”

“You’re not…wait, you’ve come to resemble Marshal Lin a bit. It feels like our days in Eternal Night’s Dark Flow City were just yesterday.”

Song Zining looked at him, saying, “You’re just a step away from becoming a Divine General. It’s been many years. Even in these times of resurgence, we’re all slowly growing old.”

Feeling the weight of the years, Weibotian let out a deep sigh.