Chapter 61: The List of Grudges

The people present were all pillars of their clans, at least Grand Stewards or the like, with extensive experience and broad knowledge, their horizons far surpassing ordinary individuals. When Qian Ye’s divine general ability was revealed, especially its characteristic of being able to stack with other secret techniques, even those least skilled in cultivation quickly realized the immense power of this ability after a moment’s thought.

Qian Ye breaking through the divine general threshold had already caused a sensation among the upper echelons of the Empire within a short time. Every available piece of information about him had been dug up; it could be said that the entire Empire was scrutinizing him under a magnifying glass.

His cultivation path began with the Soldiers’ Art, and although he possessed the Dawn Enlightenment talent, in theory, his potential should have been long exhausted. Therefore, many still found it hard to believe that among the new generation, it was Qian Ye who had broken through the divine general threshold. His documented experiences mainly involved battles from the Eternal Night War, such as the Iron Curtain, the Slumber of Giants, the Great Vortex, and a series of factional wars.

It seemed to signify the success of the hard-nosed, battle-hardened cultivation style represented by Zhang Boqian. However, apart from the Song Clan, which young master had not emerged from blood and fire? Which family had not experienced the pain of a prodigy’s premature death?

Among the new generation, Zhao Jundu advanced to the rank of divine general earlier than Qian Ye, but his foundations were damaged after a severe injury, and he only succeeded in advancing by taking great risks. Although he managed to retain and even enhance his terrifying, infallible ability, his prospects for ascending to the rank of heavenly king grew dim. Almost everyone believed that Zhao Jundu would stop there.

Therefore, Qian Ye’s successful advancement attracted widespread attention. Particularly, when Qian Ye had faced off against the Witch, the Primordial Spear first appeared before the public, and some noticed that it posed a threat even to divine generals. Thus, Qian Ye was not only the top among the new generation but also considered potentially the strongest lower-tier divine general upon his promotion.

If Qian Ye’s divine general ability could also stack with the Primordial Spear…

The crowd suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

Someone whispered about the Bai Clan, realizing why they had managed to swallow their pride at that time.

Surrounded by the crowd, Qian Ye felt a bit dizzy from the cacophony of voices, but he maintained a smile, though it was becoming somewhat stiff. Still, basic politeness was necessary, as various families were now sending troops and supplies, not in small numbers.

From Song Zining, Qian Ye had at least learned one thing: it was important to be kind to one’s benefactors.

Furthermore, while sending supplies and equipment was one thing—although Qian Ye had to pay, at least nominally—sending private armies to fight was quite another. This was akin to securing a fiefdom on Qian Ye’s territory, effectively tying these families to him.

This was, in essence, an early bet. If Qian Ye made another breakthrough, or even reached the zenith of the heavenly king, then these families would be like branches on a great tree, their own status significantly elevated.

Some of the visiting clans might have had some history, and Qian Ye vaguely recalled a few surnames that were once highly esteemed, even hailing from powerful families centuries ago. But in recent generations, they had lost much of their influence. The only truly influential and powerful family left was the Yin Family, and the Yin representative maintained a certain reserve, discussing only the contribution of money and supplies, and not troops. Even sensitive military supplies were not mentioned.

Other smaller and medium-sized families, while each individually weak—with the strongest able to muster only a thousand soldiers after much effort—collectively, they formed a force of 15,000 elite warriors for Qian Ye.

The initial equipment and transportation of this army would be handled by each family, and Qian Ye would only need to cover their expenses once they arrived on Yong Land. With this force, which was considered elite even in the heartland of the Empire, facing the ragtag groups on Yong Land, it would be a complete rout.

Two major trading companies’ representatives were quietly calculating, and in the end, each contributed a thousand mercenary soldiers. This showed that they were not particularly optimistic about the profit prospects of opening up Yong Land, but they did not want to miss the best opportunity to align with Qian Ye, so they took a compromise approach.

Someone from one of the clans sneered, mocking, “Short-sighted!”

The two representatives did not get angry, merely saying, “We’re just small-time traders, making a quick buck. Don’t mind us.”

With that, the others felt embarrassed to press further, and since these two major trading companies had their own backgrounds, a few polite words were exchanged, and the matter passed.

Clans were different from trading companies; many managed their family businesses with a long-term perspective. For them, even if the output of Yong Land was meager, having a fiefdom would eventually yield a return on investment after a few decades, and thereafter, it would be pure profit. This was the foundation for the continuation of their lineage. In the eyes of trading companies, a business that took decades to break even was simply not worth it. Neither side was necessarily right or wrong; they just had different perspectives.

Moreover, the Great Qin was founded on martial prowess, and the foundation of the aristocratic families lay in expanding territory and military achievements. Any family wishing to maintain or advance their status needed fiefdoms. Especially for those families with core fiefdoms in the heartland of the Empire, where peace prevailed, the difficulty of expanding territory and gaining military achievements was considerable. Now, Qian Ye presented a good opportunity, as Yong Land was at least more bountiful than the lowest tier of the Eternal Night Continent.

When the crowd quieted down a bit, Qian Ye clasped his hands and said, “I have seen the enthusiasm of all the families. I will wait here for seven days, and then head to Yong Land.”

The crowd understood the implication and responded enthusiastically.

“No problem.”

“Our sincerity, we will be here in seven days!”

Fortunately, Qian Ye was now a divine general, with greatly enhanced discernment, and he had already mentally noted the “sincerity” of each family amidst the chaos, ready to receive it in seven days.

Thus, everyone was satisfied, and they agreed to a banquet that night, drinking until they were thoroughly drunk, before dispersing.

Only then did Song Zining find a moment alone with Qian Ye, grabbing his sleeve, and said, “You rascal, you have such a powerful ability and didn’t tell me!”

“I just succeeded in nurturing it recently. Back in the Bai Clan, I couldn’t use it yet!”

Song Zining said, “Come with me!” He pulled Qian Ye into the command room of the airship, dismissed the others, and picked up a piece of paper, writing quickly on it.

At a glance, Qian Ye saw a list of names, some familiar, some unknown.

“What is this?”

Without looking up, Song Zining said, “A list of enemies! Now that you’re powerful, I can take revenge!”

Qian Ye was at a loss, pointing to one name, and asked, “This is from the Kong Family, what did he do to you?”

“Have you forgotten the Spring Hunt of Tianxuan?”

If Song Zining hadn’t mentioned it, Qian Ye would have forgotten. Recalling it now, the Spring Hunt, which was meant to select the young talents, was nothing more than a children’s game. The once-revered Duke Wei, who had been injured several times, probably had a combat power similar to Qian Ye’s. Such was the nature of the world.

After reminiscing, Qian Ye looked at the serious expression on Song Zining’s face and asked, “Are you serious?”

“Of course!”

“Did he do anything else to you later?”

“Later? Who cares about later?”

“So, you put him on this list just because of the Spring Hunt?”

“Yes.”

“…” Qian Ye was speechless.

Having finished the long list, Song Zining said with satisfaction, “I’ve always held grudges, you know that.”

“This is also a grudge…?” If this was the standard, Qian Ye would have countless enemies, could he kill them all?

Ignoring Qian Ye, Song Zining carefully reviewed the list, put it away, and smiled, “With this list, I have motivation. It doesn’t matter if you don’t help me. Once I become a divine general, I’ll handle it myself.”

“You want to become a divine general now? Isn’t it a bit too soon?”

Song Zining’s Worldly Prosperity was indeed one of the three top-tier Dawn Force, but the few evolutions it had undergone still showed that compared to Qian Ye, it was slightly lacking. To reach the zenith of the heavenly king, absolute purity and refinement were required. Song Zining currently had only a sliver of hope, and he should focus on solidifying his foundation before advancing to the rank of divine general.

Facing Qian Ye’s questioning gaze, Song Zining shook his head, “There’s no time.”

“What’s the rush?”

“The new world is about to open, and I must break through the divine general threshold before that!”

“Why? Does the Empire lack one more divine general?”

“You’ll understand in due time.”

Qian Ye frowned slightly. Despite what Song Zining said, he was never rash. Why was he being so hasty about something so important? But like Zhao Jundu choosing to risk advancing to the divine general rank, Song Zining’s plan was likely unshakable.

Over the next few days, the two of them continued their cultivation until the agreed-upon seven days arrived.

At this moment, the airship landing field was extremely busy, crowded with transport ships. The cargo ships that had been transporting military supplies had already departed to make space. The private armies arrived in waves, and needed to be reorganized on-site before heading to Yong Land.

Integrating the private armies and mercenaries from dozens of families was extremely complex. Even with Song Zining’s leadership, it took three days to complete. After reorganization, a massive fleet of transport ships took off, slowly leaving Qin Land, heading to the distant Yong Land for exploration.

As they exited the protective layer of Qin Land and entered the void, Qian Ye suddenly felt something, an overwhelming sense of coldness, loneliness, and pain, a feeling that he did not wish to live. He was startled, and when he tried to pinpoint the feeling, it had vanished.

Expanding his senses, Qian Ye found nothing in the void, assuming it was a misperception due to his recent promotion to divine general. He did not dwell on it.

The massive fleet gradually moved away from Qin Land, heading to Yong Land. Song Zining did not accompany them, remaining in the Empire to continue his secretive plans. In his view, Qian Ye, even if not invincible in Yong Land, would not be easily provoked by anyone.

On the flagship, there were now nearly thirty warlords, each leading a private army. The two major trading companies, perhaps to display their strength, each sent three warlords to lead their forces.

But no matter who it was, they all showed utmost respect to Qian Ye. He was no longer a young prodigy from the lower continent with an uncertain future but a genuine divine general, a figure of great power in any camp.

Qian Ye usually did not speak much, and occasionally exuded the aura of a divine general, instilling a sense of awe in the others, who dared not breathe loudly in his presence.

Qian Ye led the transport fleet to land at the western fortress of the former Zheng Kingdom, where the next phase of reorganization would take place. Before the reorganization was complete, Qian Ye did not plan to bring them into the Great Corridor, to see the special relationship between the werewolves and himself.

With the arrival of new supplies and equipment, this former Zheng territory became very lively. The experts responsible for escorting the equipment, upon surveying the geography, redirected many mining and exploration devices to the Xudong Floating Island. These islands, close to the protective layer, often produced rare minerals.

Such allocation and distribution of materials were major matters, even Song Hui could not decide on her own, needing to consult Qian Ye. Thus, in these days, Qian Ye was kept busy.

A month passed in a flash, and Qian Ye was almost buried in trivial matters, unable to attend to anything else. Finally, everything was on track, and Baron Ashka of the werewolves brought good news: the rebellious tribes around the Emerald Sea were largely pacified.

The process was faster than Qian Ye had anticipated. Reading the battle reports, he learned that Ashka, in conjunction with the High Priest, had dispatched multiple priests to the various tribes, urging them to surrender.

With the priests’ involvement, the results were much better than using chieftains or generals. Many tribes surrendered, and Ashka concentrated his forces on the larger, more stubborn tribes, coordinating with those who had secretly submitted to launch attacks from both inside and out, quickly conquering the major tribes.

With the major tribes defeated, the other werewolves lost their leaders, either surrendering or migrating en masse.

The entire Emerald Sea thus fell into Qian Ye’s hands.