With the territory stabilized, the new army formed, and the werewolves numbered in the tens of thousands, everything was on the right track. However, Qian Ye had a small dilemma when choosing the next direction for an attack.
One direction was a series of small kingdoms established by the humans, with Wang Renyang, known as the King of Qinghai, being the most respected. Combined, these kingdoms had a strength comparable to the werewolves of Emerald Sea. Wang Renyang himself was similar in power to the former Duke Zheng and was rumored to possess a formidable secret method of evasion.
The other direction was the Dark Domain Werewolves. Countless large tribes inhabited this area, occupying more than half of Maple Leaf’s territory and even cutting into significant portions of the central region. The Duke of Galewind, ruler of the Dark Domain, was one of the strongest on Yonglu.
From an expansion perspective, it was natural to choose the human kingdoms. Wang Renyang’s combat ability was average, likely not a match for Qian Ye at this moment, especially with Carol by his side. With two against one, victory was almost assured. On the other hand, Duke Galewind’s strength far surpassed that of Duke Bones. Compared to the vast, blackstone-rich Dark Domain, the Emerald Sea was barren. Duke Galewind had no interest in this land, focusing instead on advancing towards the central region.
In the central region, bordering the Dark Domain, was another of Yonglu’s strongest, the Duke of Blaze Soul, a werewolf duke.
Duke Galewind and Duke Blaze Soul were mortal enemies, having fought for decades without either gaining a decisive advantage. This ongoing conflict also kept Duke Galewind preoccupied.
Conquering the Dark Domain was no easy feat. Even with Carol’s help, Qian Ye might be able to repel Duke Galewind, but completely defeating or killing him would be extremely difficult. Additionally, Duke Blaze Soul might not sit idly by, potentially intervening to seize the spoils of victory. Qian Ye had no intention of losing the territory he fought so hard to gain.
For several days, he had nothing pressing, so he spent his time staring at the map of Yonglu, weighing the pros and cons.
The best option was to start with the human kingdoms, subdue Wang Renyang, and gain his support, thereby increasing the chances of defeating Duke Galewind. Once the duke was defeated, the retreat of the Dark Domain forces would be inevitable.
However, it wasn’t yet time to launch an attack. The Great Corridor and the Emerald Sea wolves had limited food supplies. They needed to wait for the new harvest and slaughter livestock. Many of Zheng’s industrial areas were now under Qian Ye’s control, but the grain-producing regions remained within Zheng’s territory. The aid from the great families was still in the process of being arranged, and such a large amount of military rations would take at least half a month to arrive.
Waging war was not something done overnight, and Qian Ye was not one to rush recklessly. For now, he focused on organizing the structure, personnel, and troops of his entire territory.
Two peaceful days passed, and then a werewolf rushed into Qian Ye’s office, forgetting to knock. “My lord, there is a change in the God-Given Land!”
Qian Ye raised his eyebrows. “What happened? Speak slowly!”
The werewolf chieftain was so flustered that he stammered, “It’s like that… it’s very strange. I can’t explain it clearly. My lord, you should see for yourself.”
Seeing that he did not seem to be lying, and given Qian Ye’s current strength, he was not afraid of any trap. “Prepare the airship. We’ll go and take a look.”
When the airship was ready, Qian Ye stepped out of his office and noticed many worried werewolves whispering among themselves. The news about the change in the God-Given Land had already spread.
The God-Given Land supported nearly half of the werewolves in Bibo City and was crucial for the city’s establishment. Without this land, the werewolves’ primitive farming and hunting methods would only allow for a city a tenth of its current size. Thus, any problem with the God-Given Land would cause anxiety among even the most informed werewolves.
Qian Ye boarded the escort ship and headed directly to the God-Given Land.
Even before they arrived, Qian Ye saw layers of fog rising straight up, forming a wall hundreds of meters high. The fog covered the entire God-Given Land and continued to extend into the depths of the mountains.
As they got closer, Qian Ye could see that the once thriving crops and pastures were withering at a visible rate, explaining the chieftain’s urgency.
On the ground, some werewolves were yelling and rushing into the fog, trying to salvage what they could. They knew that if the crops and pastures in the God-Given Land failed, Bibo City would face a severe famine, possibly resulting in the death of tens of thousands of werewolves from cold and hunger.
“My lord, please look. What is happening?”
On the escort ship, the accompanying werewolf chieftains and shamans anxiously watched Qian Ye, even the shamans were at a loss.
The human mercenaries, equally bewildered, understood the gravity of the situation upon seeing the withering crops.
The strategists from Ningyuan Heavy Industry also looked grim, with Song Hui furrowing her brows.
Most werewolf tribes had little surplus food, and life was extremely harsh, especially during the winter when many would die. Small tribes faced even worse conditions, often resorting to war when food became scarce.
During Duke Bones’ rule, disobedient or troublesome tribes were relocated to the Great Corridor to attack Zheng, thus depleting their population and freeing up territory. Qian Ye would not do this, but the problem now was how to fill the gap caused by the failure of the God-Given Land.
Qian Ye turned to Song Hui, who shook her head. “Such a large gap cannot be filled by transporting grain from the empire. The transportation costs alone are prohibitive, and we cannot afford it with our current resources.”
Qian Ye knew that even imperial grain allocations would be insufficient to feed the tens of thousands of civilians in Bibo City. Moreover, with the Floating Islands War just over and preparations for the New World Gate beginning, the empire was already stockpiling grain. Even if officials turned a blind eye, it was unlikely anyone could provide such a large quantity of grain to Qian Ye.
Qian Ye narrowed his eyes and asked, “When did this start?”
The werewolf shaman in charge replied, “The fog started this morning. By noon, the fields were withering. We couldn’t find the cause, so we came to report to you.”
“Could it be the work of a tribe?”
“No ordinary tribe has the capability. It could be the King of Qinghai or Duke Galewind.”
“Possible.”
As the others whispered, Qian Ye stared at the expanding white fog. The view beyond the fog grew increasingly indistinct, and the fields and running werewolves disappeared, their voices fading away.
Soon, an eerie silence enveloped the area.
A werewolf chieftain suddenly shouted, “Where are the people below?”
Everyone was startled, realizing they could no longer see far into the fog. The cries and curses of the werewolves had vanished, as if they had ceased to exist.
No matter how the werewolf shamans, chieftains, or warriors strained their vision, they could not penetrate the fog. Even those with enhanced sight found their perception weakening rapidly.
But in Qian Ye’s eyes, the fog revealed another scene.
The concentration of origin power within the fog was astonishingly high and very unstable, existing in a gray zone between eternal night and dawn. The deeper the fog, the denser the origin power, akin to condensed void origin power. Ordinary experts’ perceptions could not last long in such an environment.
Using his Command Pupil, Qian Ye extended his vision deeper into the fog. The more he saw, the more alarmed he became. This type of origin power, unfamiliar and unique, was dense, heavy, and restless, somewhat like mercury.
In the depths of the fog, it was like another world. Ordinary people could not survive in such an environment, which was even more hostile than the neutral lands’ perilous areas.
“Wait here.” With that, Qian Ye flew out of the airship and dove into the fog.
Upon entering the fog, Qian Ye felt a cold, slippery sensation, as if snakes were crawling on his skin. He soon realized it was the unusual origin power eroding his body. Standing still, he examined its characteristics.
This new origin power was similar to but not entirely like mercury. It tried to seep into his body, but as a Divine General, his higher-tier Dawn Awakening made him immune.
Taking a bold step, Qian Ye allowed the origin power to enter his body, quickly understanding its properties.
The erosion was not intense, allowing ordinary experts to function in the fog for a while. However, the origin power released a peculiar toxin, which, in large quantities, could be fatal.
Understanding this, Qian Ye descended and finally saw the ground clearly.
The crops and grass were withered, brittle, and dry, as if deliberately dehydrated. Yet, the fog was humid, making this scene bizarre.
In the fields, several werewolves lay on the ground.
Qian Ye flew over and tried to lift one. When he touched the werewolf, he felt a wooden stiffness. Frowning, he turned the body, revealing a mummified corpse!
The werewolf’s body was completely desiccated, the muscles tightly adhering to the bones, resembling a skeleton.
Examining several more corpses, Qian Ye found them all similarly mummified.
He looked up, gazing into the deepening fog.
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