Chapter 161: In Service to the “Realm”

In truth, everyone knew that when the four races of Evernight gathered, their combined might far surpassed that of the Empire. Over the past thousand years, the Empire had grown stronger and expanded, primarily for two reasons.

Firstly, in the eyes of the four dark races, humanity was more like a fifth major race rather than an opposing force. The accumulated hatred and conflicts between the blood race and the werewolves, the blood race and the demon kin, and the demon kin and the arachne, spanned millennia and were no less intense than those with humans. Therefore, in every war, it was always one or two races that took the lead, while the others often played a role of dragging their feet, trying to cause as much harm as possible to the fighting races.

Secondly, there was the distinction between the long-lived and short-lived races. Because humans had brief lives, they placed greater value on the fleeting moments of glory, often ignoring life and death for the sake of their homeland. In contrast, it was far more difficult to convince the dark races to sacrifice their potentially centuries-long, even near-millennium-long lives for the sake of their clans.

Thus, in critical battles, the Empire often emerged victorious.

At this moment in the Black Sun Valley, under the command of Nighteye, the four races of Evernight united. Though they still feared death, within Nighteye’s domain, they could transfer their power to her without fear for their lives. The two great advantages of the Empire, which had sustained them for so long, vanished with Nighteye’s appearance.

After a long and grueling battle, the Empire’s elite below the rank of Celestial King, from Zhao Jundu to Song Zining, were defeated one by one. When it came to selecting new warriors, there was no one left.

The Celestial Kings could not intervene, and among those below them, only a few high-ranking divine generals could claim a sure victory over Zhao and Song. Either they were too old or too cautious, making them unsuitable and unwilling to fight. Those who did fight were mostly routed by Nighteye.

The last remaining option was someone like Zhao Xuanji, or perhaps the heads of certain clans, but they were too important to be risked on the battlefield. Emperor Hao personally ordered Zhao Xuanji to stay within the Empire to guard the New World Gate, prohibiting him from setting foot in the Black Sun Valley.

Emperor Hao’s question, “Where are my ministers of rejuvenation?” was truly heartfelt.

And because of that question, the court and the realm fell silent.

Perhaps Emperor Hao should have asked a third question, but at that moment, his gaze was fixed on the display wall opposite the throne, as if he could see through it to the small script in the corner, leaving him feeling despondent.

Looking at the assembly hall, filled with distinguished guests, but lacking that one person, it felt as barren as a desert.

In the Azure Wave City, when Qian Ye returned once again, he learned that an Imperial envoy was seeking an audience and had been waiting for a whole day.

Qian Ye had no idea why the Empire was seeking him out at this time. After arranging all necessary matters, he summoned the envoy.

Kong Yu accompanied the envoy, first offering an apology, saying, “I returned to the Empire to handle some affairs and happened to run into Master Pei, who was about to visit Yonglu. I volunteered to guide him. Master Pei is an old friend of mine, now serving in the military with a promising future.”

The envoy appeared to be around thirty, handsome and refined, with a hint of arrogance in his features. He clasped his hands in greeting, saying, “I am Pei Zijun, currently serving as the Assistant Chief of Staff in the military. I am here on behalf of the military leaders, hoping to invite Great Lord Qian Ye to serve the country and lead the army to the Black Sun Valley to crush the dark coalition!”

Qian Ye remained seated, replying, “Serve the country?”

Pei Zijun declared, “Great Lord Qian Ye, you are a hero of our time. In this moment of national crisis, you must step forward and fight for the country and for humanity. Only then will you not disappoint your cultivation.”

Kong Yu’s expression changed slightly, and he coughed a few times. Pei Zijun pretended not to hear.

“And if I refuse to go?”

Pei Zijun took a step forward, earnestly saying, “Great Lord Qian Ye, in this time of national peril, everyone has a duty! How can you, with your incredible cultivation, turn a blind eye? How can you not feel ashamed? Moreover, if the Empire calls and you do not obey, have you considered the consequences of defying orders?”

Qian Ye sneered, “Defy orders? Whose orders? Who is qualified to give me orders? Tell me.”

Pei Zijun’s face turned pale, and he coldly said, “Great Lord Qian Ye, are you determined to defy orders? I must report this back to the lords. This consequence…”

Qian Ye let out a long laugh, raising his hand and releasing a wave of primal force that sent Pei Zijun flying backward, slamming into the wall, embedding him there.

Pei Zijun spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to move, stuck in the wall. Only then did he show a look of horror, not expecting Qian Ye to actually attack.

Qian Ye shouted, “Crush the dark races? Do you think I don’t know who commands them? How dare you ask me to crush her? Are you tired of living? I’ve killed many from the military before, and I won’t hesitate to kill more today!”

Kong Yu, pale with shock, knelt down, hastily saying, “Great Lord! I didn’t know he would speak like this. But Pei Brother meant well, though perhaps he was eager to prove himself. He didn’t mean to offend you, and he doesn’t deserve to die. Please spare his life!”

Qian Ye slowly said, “Eager to prove himself? Even if it costs his life? Then why didn’t he go to the battlefield? Or do the remnants of the long-lived kings in the military still wish to destroy us?”

Kong Yu, startled, knew that a wrong answer could bring disaster.

Fortunately, Qian Ye did not wait for an answer. Instead, he said, “Since you brought him here, you’ll take him back. But after returning, your Kong family must find out who sent this fool. Once you have the results, you should know what to do. If the Kong family insists on being my enemy, I can ensure you never set foot in Yonglu again!”

Kong Yu, truly alarmed, quickly said, “Great Lord, rest assured, I will handle this matter!”

He carefully lifted Pei Zijun from the wall and carried him out. Pei Zijun, half-conscious, awoke from the pain.

He called out, “Even if I, Pei Zijun, die… it is not a loss, but the Empire is truly… at the brink of life and death… how can you… stand by and watch… and not save…”

His voice faded away, echoing in the corridor.

Suddenly, Qian Ye felt a strange unease. He stood by the window, looking at the endless emerald sea outside, his thoughts drifting to the distant Black Sun Valley.

Qian Ye had never been to the Black Sun Valley, but he had heard the name countless times. All the recent battle reports, regardless of their scale, were related to the Black Sun Valley. Even though Qian Ye knew nothing about military affairs, he knew that the valley had become the site of the final showdown.

Was the military’s choice of Pei Zijun to persuade Qian Ye intended to provoke him, or was it a desperate move, or just a reckless action by a young man?

Qian Ye could not tell, nor did he want to. He stood by the window until night fell.

William appeared behind him, saying, “Do you have time for a drink?”

“Sure.”

William set down a case of wine, and without choosing a place, they started drinking right in Qian Ye’s office.

After a few drinks, William wanted to say something, but fidgeted, unsure how to start. Qian Ye said, “If you’re trying to comfort me, just drink.”

“Alright, cheers!”

They drank one after another, and soon half the case was empty. William, feeling the effects of the alcohol, transformed into a giant wolf and fell asleep on the floor. Qian Ye shook his head, put down his glass, and left, closing the door behind him.

Qian Ye’s eyes were clear, showing no sign of intoxication. His heart was heavy, and no amount of alcohol could make him drunk.

He wandered down the stairs, thinking of taking a walk to clear his mind, when he heard a commotion. Several attendants were chasing a man who ran straight to Qian Ye, grabbing his arm.

Qian Ye did not dodge, recognizing the man as Wei Po Tian.

The attendants rushed over, surrounding them, and the head guard, sweating, said, “We were powerless to stop him, please forgive us!”

Qian Ye waved them off, saying, “He is my brother, it’s fine. You may leave.”

Relieved, the guards bowed and left, knowing Qian Ye’s capabilities.

When they were gone, Wei Po Tian said, “Qian Ye! Save the Empire!”

Qian Ye was shocked, pointing to Wei Po Tian’s empty left sleeve, asking, “What happened? Who did this?!”

There was already a hint of killing intent in Qian Ye’s voice.

Wei Po Tian’s left sleeve was empty, his arm gone.

“It doesn’t matter…”

Qian Ye cut him off, “It doesn’t matter? What does matter? Tell me, who did this?”

Wei Po Tian sighed, “Telling you wouldn’t help, why bother?”

Qian Ye’s face was grim, “How is it not helpful? Even if he is a prince, I will kill him one day!”

Wei Po Tian shook his head, “Others, maybe, but she… you should forget about it.”

“Are you saying…” Qian Ye’s heart sank.

Wei Po Tian said, “I don’t blame her. She spared me twice, but I insisted on leading the army in front of her. This last time, she only cut off my arm. Anyone else would have been killed. Losing an arm isn’t a big deal; I can get a new one. It’s expensive, but I can afford it.” Wei Po Tian spoke casually, as if the lost arm wasn’t his.

However, even with a new arm, the recovery process would weaken him for a long time, and in times of war, reduced strength meant a higher risk of death.

Having said this, Qian Ye, not avoiding the topic, took a deep breath and asked, “Did she not recognize you?”

“Do you think that’s possible? If she hadn’t recognized me, I’d be dead,” Wei Po Tian said, shattering Qian Ye’s last hope.

“Why… why did she do this?”

Wei Po Tian sighed, “You should ask yourself that, how would I know? But you must find a way to stop her. I’m not asking you to kill her, just make her withdraw from the battlefield. The Empire… the Empire’s forces in the New World are nearly wiped out!”

Qian Ye was shocked, “But don’t Zhao Jundu and Song Zining have the situation under control?”

“Jundu was stabbed in the chest by her, and if not for the Duke of Qingyang’s intervention, he would have died on the spot. Zining fought her with the Art of Heaven’s Will, was severely injured, and is still unconscious. All the Empire’s renowned generals have been defeated by her. So far, at least… at least 400,000 Imperial soldiers have fallen to her.”

Wei Po Tian’s voice trembled, and Qian Ye felt a chill run through him.