Chapter 40: Whither Shall We Go?

Qian Ye was silent for a moment, unable to find an answer. Suddenly, he wondered how Lin Xitang would view his choices if he were still here.

At this moment, an old memory, almost buried in the annals of time, resurfaced in Qian Ye’s mind. The event was so long ago that he could barely remember the details of the junkyard on the Evernight Continent. All he remembered was the cold feel of the gun in his hand, his small fingers struggling to reach the trigger, and the smaller figure in his sights, stumbling away in retreat.

Lin Xitang lost a bet because of that incident.

After entering the Netherworld, Qian Ye realized that what he did that day was unwise. An enemy, even one retreating, could bare its fangs at any moment.

However, Lin Xitang did not comment on his actions that day. If he had, Qian Ye would never have forgotten. He only remembered Lin Xitang and Gu Tohai discussing the bet and his choice, as casually as if it were a child choosing between water and milk.

Why didn’t Lin Xitang point out his mistake? If it indeed was a mistake.

Qian Ye raised his head from his distant thoughts, looking at Song Hui, and said, “I haven’t figured it out yet.”

Song Hui did not press further. Before leaving, she told Qian Ye, “I’m not asking you to kill all the werewolves; I’m just reminding you that there are other options. I think my value here is to offer you advice from different perspectives. Not… Never mind.”

Qian Ye nodded, and she quickly left.

It seemed there was more to what Song Hui said, but if she didn’t speak, Qian Ye wouldn’t ask. Too many questions would make things awkward.

Qian Ye spread out the map, making marks and setting symbols. The territory on the map now was vastly different from a few months ago. The southwestern region of Zheng, the Great Corridor, and the Emerald Sea had merged into a vast expanse, three times the original size of Zheng. In the Empire, it would be equivalent to at least six or seven provinces.

Of course, the land had expanded, but most of it was barren, unlike the fertile and developed lands of the Empire. This land was home to over a million humans, but there were more than ten million werewolves. With full mobilization, a million-strong army could be assembled. However, such an endeavor would halt internal development, and Qian Ye currently lacked the resources to arm such a force.

The Emerald Sea was now firmly under control, with the few remaining disobedient tribes soon to be subdued. Complete internal stability might take some time, but judging from the three major tribes that first submitted, Aska’s so-called legendary stories had power beyond Qian Ye’s imagination. Unifying the werewolf tribes of the Emerald Sea might not take long.

Qian Ye felt a sense of inevitability, as if he had been placed on a throne by Aska and countless werewolves. He had once dreamed of becoming a human general, even a marshal. In dire straits, he occasionally thought of going to the Evernight and living a peaceful life as a blood race, watching over Nighteye from afar. But he never imagined he would become the king of a group of werewolves, with a large human population within his realm.

Reconciling two races with a history of enmity seemed impossible, and though Qian Ye had made his decision, the myriad potential problems ahead gave him a headache. He was not skilled in politics or statecraft, and his strategy still followed the framework initially set by Song Zining. Now, with Song Zining unable to return from the Empire, everything fell on Qian Ye’s shoulders.

Sitting on this throne, though Qian Ye’s martial prowess was sufficient, his governance skills were lacking. For example, after unifying the Emerald Sea, he had no idea what to do next.

Looking at the map, he saw countless restless werewolf warriors, their wolf heads bobbing, each agitated.

Qian Ye held his hand up, and a soft, milky light enveloped it, with faint golden and crimson tinges.

This was the Dawn Enlightenment, a power that came after ascending to the rank of divine general, closer to the endless light and heat of the Origin Point.

It appeared gentle, but its power was immense. The domain it created naturally bore the characteristic of intense heat.

This feature, while simple, was not to be underestimated. Extreme heat could be endless, and nothing could truly withstand it. Nothing could resist the relentless rise in temperature.

If Qian Ye could afford the terrible cost, his domain, combining pressure and heat, would be a lava hell where nothing could survive, and no power could oppose it.

But was such power enough to deter ten million werewolves?

Werewolves, especially those of the Ancestor Sect, were fierce by nature. Their doctrine sought to return to their primal form, abandoning civilization and becoming almost like beasts. Without external conflicts, they would fight among themselves. Werewolves were strong and prolific, and a litter of four or five pups was normal. Only high-level warriors would have fewer.

In areas densely populated by werewolves, there was no safety or peace. Being attacked or robbed was seen as a sign of weakness, according to werewolf tradition.

In their world, weakness was a sin.

“Anyway, we can’t let them idle,” Qian Ye concluded. His gaze shifted to a distant target, searching for a way to channel the restlessness of the millions of werewolves.

With a plan in mind, Qian Ye tasked Aska and Xu Jingxuan with a challenging mission.

As they emerged from the meeting, both Aska and Xu Jingxuan wore bitter smiles. Both were still wrapped in bandages, injuries that even werewolves couldn’t recover from in a few days. The bodily repair devices in the Qin army were as rare as a fairy tale in Yonglu, and the original force potions for the strong in Qian Ye’s army were mostly of the Dawn attribute, unusable by Aska, whose recovery was slower than Xu Jingxuan’s.

Aska was about to speak when he coughed violently, blood seeping through his bandages.

“Are you okay?” Xu Jingxuan asked.

“A little injury won’t kill me. But this task, it really is a killer!”

Xu Jingxuan could only sigh in response.

A voice then spoke up, “Pride goes before a fall, doesn’t it?”

They turned to see Song Lun and Song Hui exiting the meeting. Song Lun looked helpless, and Song Hui glared at them.

Xu Jingxuan, being smooth, said nothing. Aska, with his straightforward werewolf nature, chuckled and said, “This task is hard to complete without help. You’ll probably have to get involved, right?”

Song Lun snorted, and Song Hui glared at Aska, saying, “I don’t understand why Lord Qian is so good to you. Your warriors didn’t wear armor for centuries. Aren’t werewolves supposed to have thick skin? Why do you need armor now?”

Aska chuckled, “Lord Qian is indeed very good to us.”

Xu Jingxuan added, “Their treatment is earned. Without the great battle in the Emerald Sea, Duke Whitebone wouldn’t have come out. If we had to attack all the way to the duke’s castle, the casualties would have been much higher.”

Song Hui snapped, “I know! But the supplies are limited, and so are the armor and weapons produced monthly. How do we divide them? Or should we give up your new army’s share?”

Xu Jingxuan fell silent. No general was without selfishness, and his own soldiers were his greatest concern. Letting go of armor and weapons was unthinkable. The new army also needed to fight, and human warriors needed armor more than werewolves.

Under Qian Ye’s command, the forces were roughly divided into three: the Dark Flame mercenaries from the Neutral Zone, who were his elite; the new army from Zheng; and the werewolves. Though the werewolves were numerically and militarily the strongest, the real contention would be between the new army and the werewolves.

Xu Jingxuan and Aska had shared life and death, making it difficult to take from the werewolves or to give up their own equipment.

Aska, however, understood first, bowing to Song Hui, “The werewolves have it tough, and our warriors don’t fear death. But if possible, we’d like to reduce their losses so they can keep fighting for Lord Qian.”

Song Hui’s expression softened. Pity was universal, and the werewolves had proven their loyalty with their lives.

Xu Jingxuan, realizing this, bowed as well, “Our new army is the same. We will lead the charge in future battles. This way, Lord Qian can use his elite core at the critical moments. So, please, Miss Song, help us with the equipment. I have some fine wine at the fortress, which I’ll send over.”

Aska, being a werewolf, realized he needed to offer something. “We have some… special products from our tribe. I’ll bring some over for you to try.”

Both men, with their flattery and gifts, aimed to win Song Hui’s favor. She, in charge of logistics, held the key to executing Qian Ye’s decisions. Appeasing her was essential.

Song Hui, pleased, began to look favorably on Aska. Xu Jingxuan, having navigated the Zheng political scene, already had good relations with everyone.

Song Lun, disapproving, cleared his throat, “No matter where your equipment comes from, just don’t get ideas about the Dark Flame mercenaries.”

Song Hui said, “Equipment should go to the front lines. Those leading the charge deserve better gear.”

Song Lun, expressionless, added, “Say what you will, but don’t think of this as your family business. Qian Ye can handle the Emerald Sea alone if he must.”

Song Hui, angry, said, “I don’t need your opinion. If you think I’m unfit, take my place!”

Song Lun smiled, “Qian Ye chose you for a reason. I won’t interfere. Besides, I’m better at mediating and building relationships. The rest isn’t my forte.”

Song Hui, glaring, finally huffed, “You know better!”

Song Lun said, “But the task Qian Ye assigned is challenging. Why don’t we discuss how to equip 500,000 werewolves and the new army in a short time?”

Xu Jingxuan and Aska agreed, and the four found a quiet room, discussing for the entire afternoon, finally making some progress.