Chapter 17: A New Twist

In the distant sky, a mass of dark clouds moved at an astonishing speed. Soon, those with keen eyesight were all exclaiming in shock. It was not a cloud, but an entire fleet! The leading behemoth, with its sleek and sharp design, was both breathtakingly beautiful and terrifyingly massive.

Even for the people in Zheng’s capital, most had never seen a battlecruiser or even a larger warship. After all, Zheng was a small nation with limited resources. Maintaining a state-of-the-art battlecruiser was out of the question, and even an outdated battleship was beyond their means. Therefore, the flagship of Zheng’s fleet was merely an old cruiser. Even so, it was treated as a national treasure.

Seeing such a fleet, commoners were less affected, but the nobles turned pale, instantly realizing why Liao City, heavily fortified, had fallen in just one day, and even the maternal grandfather of the second prince had been killed.

Leading the fleet was a flagship battlecruiser, followed closely by the high-speed destroyers brought by Song Hui, flanked by frigates, and then by over a dozen high-speed transports, each equipped with additional weaponry. About ten of these transports stood out, their advanced design unmistakably the latest from the Great Qin.

These transports were also brought by Song Hui, intended for transporting supplies and ammunition. After reaching Yōng continent, they naturally became part of Qian Ye’s fleet. While the Song family might not be great at warfare, their military equipment was still impressive.

On the throne, Liu Zhongyuan could no longer maintain his calm demeanor. He suddenly opened his eyes, and a sharp-eyed disciple noticed that the veins on his hand gripping the armrest were pulsating, indicating his inner turmoil.

Inside the bridge of the battlecruiser, Qian Ye stood quietly, with Carol to his left and a young girl of about ten years to his right. She was stunning and already developing, her height surpassing Qian Ye’s shoulders.

The girl was extremely curious, constantly observing everything around her, as if she wanted to understand and remember every detail.

Carol asked, “Do you really not need me?”

Qian Ye smiled, “Of course I need you. Without you, the fleet would be in danger.”

Carol glared at him, “Your words are getting sweeter. Have you been learning from that scoundrel Song Zining? I meant for the battle!”

“An old man, what’s there to fear? Are you worried I’ll lose?”

“He is a Divine General! A thirty-year veteran Divine General!”

“But he has only been a Divine General for over thirty years. No matter how strong he is, can he match the Wolf King?”

Carol huffed, “What do you mean? I can’t beat the Wolf King either.”

Only then did Qian Ye think of the difference in cultivation speed between long-lived and short-lived races. He quickly added, “Naturally, he can’t match you either.”

“That’s more like it.”

By now, the fleet had approached the capital, and up close, the pressure was overwhelming. Many could not withstand the impending threat and shouted, “Where is our fleet? How could they let the enemy fleet come this close!?”

More uninformed people joined in, while the true elite were all ashen-faced, guessing that something bad had likely happened. The main gun of the battlecruiser still crackled with electricity, clearly showing it had been fired.

The fleet halted a mere kilometer away, within the range of the capital’s defensive turrets. From this distance, the battlecruiser’s main guns could bombard the capital.

Qian Ye stood at the prow of the battlecruiser, looking down at Liu Zhongyuan. Then, he leaped down, landing in front of Liu Zhongyuan without raising a single speck of dust.

Liu Zhongyuan’s eyelids twitched, but he remained seated, slowly saying, “Young man, you indeed have the audacity to be arrogant.”

Qian Ye gave a faint smile, “After so many days, haven’t you figured out my origins?”

Liu Zhongyuan’s gaze sharpened, and he coldly said, “Young man, don’t be so ignorant. You, Qian Ye, may have been famous in the past, but you are not a Divine General. This is Zheng, not the Great Qin, nor the Neutral Grounds!”

Qian Ye chuckled, “Listening to the National Teacher, it seems the Great Qin should learn from Zheng.”

“Our empire may be large, but it is not necessarily strong everywhere. Zheng may be small, but we are united and unafraid of anyone!”

His words were powerful and resolute, and the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

Qian Ye found many flaws in these words, unsure which to counter first. The princes of Zheng fought for the throne, even to the point of civil war, yet they claimed unity? Moreover, this struggle for power was not new; it had happened every few decades. Since its founding, Zheng had spent much of its energy on internal strife, leading to a decline in national strength.

Zheng’s territory was not small, but it was treated like a minor kingdom by the Great Qin. The empire judged the status of vassals based on strength and contributions. In the empire’s assessment, Zheng was equivalent to a regular large county, far from the status of a province.

Furthermore, Zheng was weak but strangely confident, with even the National Teacher asserting that the empire was large but not strong. Qian Ye couldn’t understand where this confidence came from. Looking at Liu Zhongyuan, with his white beard, Qian Ye felt a deep sense of sympathy.

His gaze moved past Liu Zhongyuan, surveying the dense crowd. The impending battle seemed like a play to them, and the distant, grand but somewhat awkward capital made him sigh.

Calmly, Qian Ye said to Liu Zhongyuan, “Admit defeat, give up your title, and serve the new Zheng king. I can offer you a suitable position.”

Liu Zhongyuan was stunned, then laughed angrily, “And if I refuse?”

Qian Ye said, “A Divine General who has made no progress for decades, though killing him is a waste, keeping him isn’t very useful.”

With a bang, Liu Zhongyuan could no longer contain his anger, crushing the armrest of the throne. He slowly rose, ready to unleash his fury, but suddenly, his face froze, and he looked up at the sky.

A small figure descended from the sky, smashing into the ground like a cannonball. It was the young girl who had been standing next to Qian Ye. She seemed unsteady, unable to adjust her landing, and her face hit the ground, creating a large crater.

The onlookers were speechless, too shocked to even cry out. Her fall looked excruciating.

However, under everyone’s watchful eyes, she got up, shook her head, seemingly dazed but otherwise unharmed.

The little girl looked around, ran to Qian Ye, pointed at Liu Zhongyuan, and said, “Is that the old man? I’ll take care of him!”

Qian Ye instinctively held her down, despite her struggling.

The little girl pouted, “I can handle him!”

Qian Ye, at a loss, asked, “How do you plan to do it?”

“First, I’ll spray him…” she said, matter-of-factly.

“And then everyone in front will die.”

“…Seems like it,” she admitted, slightly nervous.

“It’s not ‘seems like it,’ it’s exactly that!” Qian Ye tapped her on the head, and she immediately hugged her head, looking aggrieved.

No one, after seeing her fall, thought she was truly hurt.

Liu Zhongyuan was trembling with rage, pointing at Qian Ye, speechless. To him, this girl was a tool Qian Ye used to humiliate him. After decades of respect in Zheng, how could he endure this?

Qian Ye, serious, held the girl down, as if genuinely worried she would kill too many. Everyone watching saw this as a humiliation, and it was escalating to a deadly feud.

Perhaps only Qian Ye and the girl didn’t see it that way.

The tall girl was Xiao Zhūjī, who had grown rapidly, changing her appearance almost every period. Her strength had grown exponentially, especially her core toxin, which was terrifying. A full-powered spray could poison even a Divine General, and if it entered the bloodstream, it would be fatal.

If the conditions were right, Xiao Zhūjī’s toxic fog could wipe out half the people in the arena. Next to Qian Ye, she was the ultimate weapon.

Liu Zhongyuan took a deep breath and roared, “You, Qian Ye, are arrogantly overstepping! If I don’t end your life today, how can I lead the people?”

Liu Zhongyuan waved his hand, and a chorus of shouts echoed, though the volume was lacking. Enraged, he turned to see only the white-robed disciples responding, while the royal guards and other forces remained silent, gazing at the sky.

Following their gaze, Liu Zhongyuan saw the battlecruiser, his heart sinking. In his anger, he had forgotten this behemoth.

If they clashed, Qian Ye, with the battlecruiser, had an overwhelming advantage. Zheng’s ground-to-air defenses were no match. Unless Liu Zhongyuan risked a solo assault into the battlecruiser, he had no chance. However, such ships were designed to repel invaders, and Liu Zhongyuan had no confidence facing Qian Ye aboard.

Considering all options, a one-on-one duel, proposed by Qian Ye, was the best choice for Zheng.

Qian Ye pulled Xiao Zhūjī behind him, “Stay here and don’t move.”

Her eyes darted, “What if someone attacks me?”

“Let them, but don’t spray toxin.”

Xiao Zhūjī’s toxic spray could turn any area into a death zone. Zheng’s capital was valuable, and Qian Ye needed it intact.

Xiao Zhūjī nodded, and Qian Ye turned to Liu Zhongyuan, “Now, it’s our turn.”

Liu Zhongyuan snorted, extending his left hand as a disciple handed him a seven-foot-long sword. With the sword, Liu Zhongyuan’s aura grew, appearing like a celestial being from afar.

Qian Ye drew a plain-looking origin pistol, and a pair of luminous wings unfurled behind him.