Looking out, the original slum area outside the city had expanded by at least twice its size. Around these construction sites, a new residential zone had been set up, and the werewolves from the original slums had moved here.
Suddenly, a cluster of bright feathers drifted past Qian Ye’s eyes, and he spotted a familiar face. He gestured to Nighteye to stay put, then grabbed the chief.
After not seeing him for a while, the werewolf chief had clearly gained some weight and grew a bit taller. His larger physique allowed more space for brightly colored feathers and jewelry to be displayed, showcasing his wealth.
Caught off guard, the chief was surprised; he had intended to explode in anger, but upon recognizing Qian Ye, he instantly broke into a smile, both surprised and delighted: “Your Majesty, you’ve finally returned!”
The chief’s genuine surprise somewhat alleviated Qian Ye’s doubts. He asked, “How is the situation in the city now?”
“Absolutely terrible!” The chief’s voice rose an octave. Before Qian Ye could inquire further, the chief continued, “You have no idea; all sorts of races are here, making a racket. There’s no place to live, yet every day, dozens of transport ships bring more people. Look, is this still our former Emerald Wave City?”
The chief, with a scowl, said, “These outsiders are all so rude, whether it’s the Blood Race, the Demon Kin, or the Spider Demons—werewolves included. Every one of them says, ‘Find me a piece of land; I’ll build the biggest shop, and money is no object.’ It’s as if they think we’re poor.”
This was actually a good thing… Qian Ye continued listening.
The chief waved his arms vigorously, raising his voice again, “They want to use money to insult us, so we’ll use money to insult them back! Yes, that’s exactly what we did.”
“According to werewolf tradition, shouldn’t we respond to insults with strength?” Qian Ye was puzzled.
“We can’t fight them,” the chief admitted honestly.
“Can’t fight… oh, alright.” Qian Ye was speechless. If they couldn’t even fight, he didn’t expect these werewolves, who were still in primitive tribes just a few months ago, to have accumulated any wealth.
The chief, having forgotten his small displeasure, started waving his arms again, spitting droplets of saliva as he spoke, “But we properly educated these outsiders on what true wealth is! The land we stand on is the ultimate wealth. Without our land, where would they build their shops? In the sky? No matter how big the shop, they all have to buy land from us.”
Qian Ye questioned further and finally understood the cause.
Originally, Emerald Wave City had already seen the initial shape of neutral trade among various races. After the renewed outbreak of the Evernight Civil War, the demand for military supplies surged.
Although the Blood Race suffered a defeat in their stronghold on the Twilight Continent, they still had considerable power on other continents and territories. Especially on the few continents where various races coexisted, the Blood Race lords, being adventurers, naturally wouldn’t submit. They resisted fiercely, and in some remote areas, even drove out the council alliance forces.
Now, it seemed like the situation had reverted to the old holy war state. Both the Blood Race and the Demon Kin needed to procure large quantities of goods, and there was a high demand for gray market transactions. Yonlu happened to be a natural location for this.
On Yonlu, there was no better place than Emerald Wave City. The lord here was Qian Ye, with two dukes supporting him, and the Peak of Mountains backing him, ensuring security far beyond other areas.
Even though the Demon Kin had issued an arrest warrant for Qian Ye, most people didn’t know the complex reasons behind it. The Evernight races had been warring for thousands of years, not just between races but also within them, shifting between allies and enemies. As long as Qian Ye wasn’t confirmed captured or killed, no one without the confidence to take over the entire Emerald Wave City dared to act recklessly.
The influx of merchants, adventurers, and opportunists from all races made Emerald Wave City overcrowded. Each merchant represented a huge demand, which was the foundation of the city’s prosperity.
The massive construction work also caused a labor shortage in Emerald Wave City. Those who came discovered that the werewolves here were exceptionally hardworking and efficient, completing tasks quickly and without the usual impatience and troublemaking seen in werewolves from other continents.
The labor shortage attracted nearby werewolf tribes, creating the scene before Qian Ye.
The chief swept his hand across the original slum area, including it in the gesture, and said, “During your absence, all the chiefs and priests discussed and agreed that, as the Son of Darkness, you should also be the wealthiest. Therefore, everyone unanimously decided that this land belongs to you.”
Qian Ye was quite surprised. The inner area of Emerald Wave City was limited, and the original slum outside had been converted into a commercial district. This land belonging to Qian Ye meant that the rents from the shops above it would all go to him, a significant fortune. It seemed the werewolves of the Jade Sea hadn’t abandoned their faith after Qian Ye left.
Out of caution, Qian Ye still didn’t let Nighteye appear, following the chief back to the duke’s mansion instead.
Qian Ye hinted to the chief to control the spread of his return and to inform William first.
William arrived quickly, and upon seeing Qian Ye, he said, “You dare to show up?”
“Just a quick visit, I’m leaving right away.”
William’s expression softened a bit, saying, “It’s good that you know fear. I was worried you’d insist on fighting the Demon Kin to the death.”
Qian Ye shrugged, “I haven’t lived enough yet!”
William scrutinized Qian Ye, saying, “When I first heard the news, I thought it wasn’t real. You really know how to stir up trouble, even getting involved in the war between the Blood Race and the Demon Kin.”
“This time, it wasn’t me causing trouble; the council came after me first. Besides, the King of Azure saved me, and I couldn’t just watch his people get slaughtered.”
William frowned, “That may be true, but this war has gone beyond personal factors. Sigh!”
Qian Ye said, “This time, I also want to understand the werewolves’ stance on this war. Not long ago, Sosa and the Demon Kin tried to kill me.”
“Sosa?” William’s expression turned serious, “He is very cunning, and his actual combat strength far exceeds his reputation. Many have become corpses because they underestimated him. It’s not surprising that he would serve the Demon Emperor. We werewolves are now practically split, with the Wolf Ancestor fully siding with the Demon Emperor. Under his call, many ancestral factions have followed.”
Qian Ye shook his head, “Even the Wolf Ancestor would do such a thing? It’s incomprehensible.” The Blood Race had given up on the power from the River of Blood, wanting to find another way to the Dark Origin Point. But why the werewolves?
William said, “Rumor has it that the Demon Emperor promised to restore the seat on the Holy Mountain that originally belonged to the werewolves, so the Wolf Ancestor defected.”
Having some understanding of the Evernight Council’s structure, Qian Ye responded, “A Supreme on the Holy Mountain needs someone else’s promise? Even if a place is reserved, without the strength of a Supreme, can one sit there? Can one remain stable there?”
William laughed bitterly, “The Wolf Ancestor is nearing the end of his life. Even without the Demon Emperor’s promise, he would likely agree to sit on the Holy Mountain for a moment. If he can’t become a Supreme, he won’t live much longer. So even if the chance of the promise being fulfilled is small, he will try.”
With the precedent of the Longevity King, Qian Ye knew how tempting the promise of extended life was to someone at the end of their life.
“What about the Peak of Mountains?”
William said, “The Wolf Lord handed over the Storm and sent a large number of warriors to the New World War, which is considered a compromise. His only resistance was to have me hide, and it seems the Demon Emperor has no intention of pursuing it. So, we don’t plan to participate in the war between the Blood Race and the Demon Kin.”
“If the Blood Race falls, the next will be the werewolves.”
William gave a self-mocking smile, “You don’t understand the Evernight landscape. Even if he wanted to strike, the Demon Emperor would target the Spider Demons first. It’s not our turn. In the Demon Emperor’s eyes, we are not a threat.”
Qian Ye sighed, admitting he didn’t understand the intricate relationships, but he sensed something was off with the werewolves’ judgment. However, he didn’t say much, as such matters involving the survival of the entire race were beyond William’s decision-making and even influence.
Here, they could only vent their frustrations.
William’s expression became a bit strange, saying, “By the way, there are two pieces of not-so-good news. Do you want to hear them?”
“Go ahead.”
“One is that the Demon Kin have explicitly issued a bounty for you, demanding all Evernight races to cooperate.”
Qian Ye nodded, “I know. But you dared to meet me? Aren’t you afraid the Demon Kin will come after you later?”
William laughed, “Before, the Wolf Lord still had to worry about his successor. Now, he has no choice but me.”
“And the second piece of news?”
“The second is just a rumor; no one knows if it’s true.” William’s first statement declared the unreliability of the information, which made Qian Ye pause. His time was precious, so why would William share hearsay? But he soon understood why.
“After the fall of Twilight, the Blood Race has no Primordial-level powerhouses left, but you may have noticed that the Demon Kin are still controlling the intensity of the Holy War.”
Qian Ye thought for a moment, asking, “Do you mean the level of the powerhouses involved in the war?”
“Previously, it also included the regions where wars were initiated, with core territories not being directly attacked. But the Demon Kin’s attack on Twilight broke this rule. So, it’s strange that their princes and grand dukes haven’t appeared on the battlefield since then.”
Clearly, although the Peak of Mountains claimed neutrality, they were also very cautious about the situation. The Demon Kin, after achieving a decisive advantage, slowed down their conquest of the Blood Race’s other territories, which puzzled the werewolves. Qian Ye hadn’t noticed this issue, but after hearing William, he also found it strange.
William said, “Rumor has it that this is a promise the Demon Emperor made to the Blood Race’s Primordial, Prince Habsburg, to resolve the war through the Holy War format.”
Qian Ye, with only unpleasant memories of Habsburg, frowned, “Habsburg is still alive?”
“Probably,” William replied, “This promise is no small matter. The Holy War has rules, limits, and restrictions. Under the current circumstances, following the Holy War rules benefits the Blood Race, preventing massacres in occupied areas and allowing others to hold out longer.”
William sighed, “I never expected such a figure in the Blood Race, capable of making the Demon Emperor promise.” He patted Qian Ye’s shoulder, saying, “If this is true, you can rest half your worries. According to the rules, the Holy Mountain won’t intervene, so at least you don’t need to worry about the Demon Emperor descending before you.”
At this point, both were unaware that Qian Ye’s bounty was unrelated to his involvement in the Blood Race’s war, nor did they know the behind-the-scenes machinations. But William’s analysis, while somewhat misguided, was not far from the truth.
Qian Ye mused, “No wonder Sosa added an ancient rune beacon to me.”
“An ancient rune beacon?” William frowned, “That’s strange; it’s completely unnecessary. The Holy Mountain can track someone with a bit of a clue. And the Demon Kin’s unlit nightmare, the Great Prophet, is active again. The young Prince Pruetik, incredibly powerful, is said to surpass his uncle, the former Chief Prophet Master Gray. If he were to calculate your position, he would achieve a similar result. Either way, the precision wouldn’t be worse than a rune beacon.”
They discussed Sosa’s strange behavior for a while, to no avail. The Demon Emperor’s attitude toward the war was even more baffling. William then asked about Qian Ye’s next plans.
“Run, keep running,” Qian Ye smiled.
William nodded, “Then I’m relieved. When do you start?”
Qian Ye stood up, “Now.”
“Don’t you want to see the others?” William was a bit surprised.
“I’ll make this appearance and see the reactions. As for the others, there will be many opportunities to meet.”
William realized, “Yonlu is indeed a good place.”
By this, Qian Ye implied he wouldn’t leave Yonlu soon. Yonlu’s harsh environment, with chaotic and agitated primal force, greatly reduced the effectiveness of strong cultivation and tracking spells, similar to the Neutral Lands.
However, Yonlu was a whole continent, much larger than the combined floating lands of the Neutral Lands. Here, one could move around more freely and more easily shake off pursuers. Additionally, the Demon Kin had almost no local influence on Yonlu, making them pure outsiders compared to Qian Ye, who had been operating there for some time.
After meeting William and understanding the werewolves’ stance, Qian Ye left Emerald Wave City, disappearing deep into Yonlu, waiting for his next move. Now, as the top target of the Demon Kin’s bounty, if he could draw a large number of council forces, it would be a different kind of benefit.
At this moment, in Habsburg’s Magma Ancient Castle, the Demon Emperor put down the ancient book and gently asked Sosa, “Can you tell me, why use a rune beacon?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage