Chapter 83: My Subjects

A special aerial warship flew swiftly over the land of Yong, resembling a fierce and violent bird of prey from afar. This was the unique flying posture of an Imperial warship, and this particular model was known for its speed and agility.

Inside the floating warship, despite occasional violent jolts, everyone sat as steady as mountains. It was clear that they were all people of significant status and background, and maintaining their dignity was essential.

In the front row, a beautiful woman with her hair tied up gazed out the porthole, lost in thought.

The silence in the cabin was suddenly broken by a startled exclamation, “What’s that? A werewolf tribe?”

The others secretly found him to be making a fuss over nothing; they had seen countless werewolf tribes along their journey. It was said that this area, called the Grand Corridor, was originally the habitat of the werewolves. Although it was now supposedly under Qian Ye’s control, how could such a vast area be completely cleared in such a short time?

Moreover, there were many forms of conquest, most of which were nominal. For a place like the Grand Corridor, declaring ownership on a map and proclaiming it as yours was also a form of conquest, at least until someone challenged it.

In other words, seeing so many werewolf tribes in the Grand Corridor, many from the great clans already doubted Qian Ye’s claims. However, considering the chests of dark golden sand, no one would dare to expose this exaggeration. The purpose of conquering territory was resources. Everyone knew the harsh natural environment of Yong, and since it was not suitable for settlement, a steady flow of resources was more important than actual control.

Furthermore, they were also curious about what Qian Ye wanted to show them after such a long flight. Was it just a bunch of werewolf tribes?

Perhaps some werewolf tribes were special. Driven by a bit more curiosity, a few people peered out the porthole, and immediately exclaimed in surprise.

Below, tens of thousands of werewolves were busy, and the outline of a city was already visible. Not far away, there were still primitive and backward tribal camps, but the newly planned city, based on its layout alone, was quite rigorous and well-organized. Even new Imperial cities wouldn’t look much different. How did these primitive werewolves have such advanced technology?

Additionally, this tribe had an unusually large number of werewolves.

There were over ten thousand workers, and the camp was filled with numerous elders and children. In the wilderness, more werewolves were arriving with their entire clans. It seemed that once the city was built, it would become a major city with a population of nearly a hundred thousand.

Such a city, with this level of civilization, could be considered a major threat to humanity. Someone immediately remarked, “If the werewolves are already building such a large city, the region under Lord Qian Ye is not very peaceful.”

Many people agreed, but an elderly man dismissed it, saying, “I heard that Lord Qian Ye has already eliminated the strongest werewolf, Duke White Bone, in this region. Unifying the area is just a matter of time, so why worry?”

Everyone thought about it and withdrew some of their disdain and dissatisfaction. They were all key figures from their clans and understood the importance of a top-notch expert in territorial disputes driven by resource acquisition.

As the werewolf city gradually fell behind, someone else asked, “I wonder what Lord Qian Ye wants to show us.”

“Indeed, he must want to show us something to ease our minds.”

“I heard that it’s the location of the ‘Gate.'”

Many people became excited. The “Gate” was a top priority for both the Empire and the Eternal Night. Both sides were concentrating all their efforts on exploring the new world, even ceasing hostilities. Of course, if one side relaxed, the other would not hesitate to expand their territory.

Someone then remarked, “The Gate on Yong appearing in Lord Qian Ye’s territory is both fortunate and unfortunate. Many clans in Yue have fallen into such a state. Here on Yong, relying solely on his own strength, Lord Qian Ye may find it difficult!”

“With so many werewolves in front, Lord Qian Ye has some buffer time. With the assistance of our clans, stabilizing the situation should still be possible.”

“But the Western Frontier Fortress doesn’t seem to have strong defenses. Can it withstand the beast army?”

“Hmph! Even with our assistance, can we match the combined strength of the many clans in Yue? They were still defeated and lost their territories.”

As the conversation continued, a man in his early thirties, handsome and refined, spoke up, “Inviting us here at this time, I suspect Lord Qian Ye may have already established a foothold outside the ‘Gate’ and perhaps dealt with the second wave of the beast army.”

He looked at the woman and asked, “What do you think, Elder Yin?”

She finally turned around, revealing a stunningly beautiful face, extremely youthful, almost like a young girl. Hearing his question, she replied calmly, “Elder Kong’s insight is outstanding, so he cannot be wrong.”

Kong Yu laughed and said, “I’m not much older than Miss Qi Qi. Let’s drop the formalities and call me by my name or simply by my family ranking.”

While he allowed Yin Qi Qi to address him this way, others did not dare to show such disrespect. Someone asked, “Elder Kong, do you mean that Lord Qian Ye has already established a foothold? But he only took one-third of the land in the Zheng State. With such limited forces, isn’t it still a bit insufficient to resist the beast army?”

Kong Yu smiled and said, “Others might not be sufficient, but Lord Qian Ye should be able to manage.”

“But there are so many clans in Yue…”

Kong Yu replied, “No matter how many clans there are, none of them could have escaped from the Jade Condensation Manor unscathed, right?”

This battle had made Qian Ye famous across the Empire, and since then, he had officially become a true great figure capable of founding his own clan. No one inside or outside the Empire dared to challenge his authority lightly.

The group fell silent.

After a moment, someone suddenly exclaimed, “What is that?!”

This loud exclamation piqued Kong Yu’s curiosity, and he leaned forward to look. What he saw was a majestic city standing proudly, towering to the sky, situated by the Emerald Sea. The city’s architecture was grand and imposing, with a hint of dominance, like a magnificent painting, a true marvel of the world.

No one expected to see such a colossal city on this primitive and barren land.

However, everyone could tell that the city had a distinct werewolf style. The floating warship flew straight towards the grand city, passing along its outskirts. At this distance, every detail of the Duke’s residence was clearly visible, causing their hearts to race.

“Look over there, the military camp…” a voice groaned. He had no more energy to shout in surprise.

All of them came from prestigious backgrounds and had seen many things. Each of them had been to a military camp, but not everyone had seen a camp of this scale unless they had participated in a national war.

Outside the grand city, military tents stretched endlessly, covering an area even larger than the city itself! How many soldiers could be inside such a grand military camp?

After seeing the military camp and the thousands of training werewolves on the parade ground, everyone was speechless. They only prayed that the floating warship remained safe; otherwise, falling here would mean no one could survive the onslaught of the hundreds of thousands of werewolves.

Unfortunately, just as they passed the training area, the floating warship began to descend, causing many faces to turn pale. Their minds raced with thoughts of hostages, captives, extortion, torture, cooking, and food.

The military style was always straightforward and brutal. The floating warship practically slammed onto the ground, as if ready for battle, without regard for the distinguished guests on board. Though they were all powerful, many were shaken, almost to the point of vomiting.

As the ship’s door opened, many remained seated, pale-faced. After all, the werewolf army was right there, and they would not have time to escape if the beasts charged.

Yin Qi Qi was the first to stand up and walked straight out of the floating warship. At the foot of the gangway stood a person with a graceful demeanor and unfathomable eyes, an old acquaintance from many years ago.

“Qian Ye!” she exclaimed, jumping down the gangway, lifting her hand to touch Qian Ye’s head out of habit.

Qian Ye smiled and leaned forward to make it easier for her. But halfway through, Yin Qi Qi suddenly remembered Qian Ye’s current status and froze in mid-air.

“What does Miss Qi Qi command?” Qian Ye asked with a smile, using the same familiar address as before.

Yin Qi Qi’s eyes reddened slightly, and her hand was about to pet his head, but she suddenly felt the astonished gazes behind her and remembered Qian Ye’s current status. She sighed inwardly, and her fingers stopped as if encountering an invisible barrier.

There were rumors in the Empire that Qian Ye, upon becoming a Divine General, could already sweep aside all other early-stage Divine Generals. Zhao Jundu’s foundation was damaged, and he was likely no longer a match for Qian Ye. The White Clan’s Jade Condensation Manor wasn’t something anyone could enter or leave freely. The Manor had a high-ranking Divine General stationed there, but he remained inactive, leading to much speculation.

Though the Yin family of the Drinking Horse Clan was an esteemed lineage, no one in the current generation could compare to Qian Ye. Even the head of the Yin family had to treat Qian Ye with respect. In private, she might have been more relaxed, but now, with everyone watching, her hand felt as if it was bound by a thousand catties, unable to move.

Yin Qi Qi withdrew her hand and bowed respectfully, “Elder Yin Qi Qi of the Drinking Horse Yin family, paying respects to Lord Qian Ye.”

Her bow was precise and thorough, and Qian Ye, realizing her concerns, felt a mix of emotions but kept his composure. He extended his hand in a gesture of support, saying, “There’s no need for such formalities.”

Kong Yu stepped forward and bowed deeply, “Elder Kong Yu of the Kong family, paying respects to Lord Qian Ye.”

He used the same respectful bow typically reserved for the heads of great clans, placing himself in a lower position, even though Qian Ye was much younger. Qian Ye nodded and responded with the same courtesy as he had to Yin Qi Qi.

With the example set by the Yin and Kong families, the rest, who were of lesser status and not all elders, quickly followed suit, some even bowing to the ground due to the vast difference in status.

After the formal greetings, Qian Ye addressed the assembled, “These werewolves have all sworn allegiance to me. They are now my warriors and my subjects.”

Everyone was shocked. An elderly man, with trembling hands, pointed to the endless sea of werewolf warriors on the parade ground and asked, “Are they all your subjects?”

Qian Ye nodded, “They all are.”

His words were like a thunderbolt, instantly leaving everyone dazed and disoriented.