Qian Ye had no time to speak when Yin Qiqi, who was clutching his collar, slowly released her grip and finally placed her hand gently on his chest. She looked up at Qian Ye’s face and said, “You still look the same, almost unchanged.”
“I…am half a bloodline, and they age slowly.”
“Then you wouldn’t be a good partner. Look, I’m already starting to age.”
“No, you’re as beautiful as ever.”
“Really?” Yin Qiqi’s melancholy instantly dissipated, and she smiled, radiating loveliness.
Qian Ye secretly marveled at how Song Zining’s method of comforting women was indeed effective, turning her mood from gloomy to sunny with just one sentence. Seeing Qiqi no longer depressed, he subtly removed her hand from his chest.
Yin Qiqi’s eyes dimmed for a moment before she resumed her composure and asked, “Do you have a family now?”
Qian Ye was taken aback by the question and nodded, “I have, long ago.”
“Is it still Nighteye?”
“Yes.”
“But she’s been missing, hasn’t she?” Yin Qiqi seemed unaware of certain secrets.
“She’s just in a faraway place.”
However, Yin Qiqi was astute and quickly deduced the truth, “She returned to Evernight?”
Facing an old friend, Qian Ye didn’t want to lie and nodded. But Yin Qiqi wasn’t ready to let it go and pressed on.
“Why didn’t you follow? You are also a bloodline, right? I see, you two have separated, haven’t you?”
Qian Ye smiled and said, “Pretty much.”
Yin Qiqi’s eyes lit up, “What will you do then?”
“As it is, isn’t that good enough? I’ll find her again soon.”
“You need someone to take care of you; you can’t always be alone.”
Qian Ye looked into her eyes and asked, “What are you trying to say?”
She suddenly seemed flustered, “No, nothing. I’ve said everything.”
Qian Ye nodded and escorted her out, where the crowd from the noble families had been waiting impatiently. Unlike the somewhat arrogant Yin and Kong families, they were fully aware of their position in front of Qian Ye and instantly swarmed him with enthusiasm.
“Lord Qian Ye, your military prowess is unparalleled, truly invincible!”
“Please take us with you to explore the new world, we’ll serve you faithfully!”
“My lord, please accept my knees…”
…
Amidst the overwhelming flattery, Qian Ye felt rather disoriented. Finally, the flattery subsided, and they moved on to more serious matters.
The various families cut to the chase, adding their tokens of “sincerity.” This time, it wasn’t just about sending troops and money but also people, both men and women. Men, being versatile talents, were fine, even if not on the battlefield, they would be elite in other positions. The competition for women, however, was fierce. Each family wanted to provide a close attendant for Qian Ye, nearly leading to physical altercations.
Even though few knew the current state of affairs between Qian Ye and Nighteye, the conflict with the military back in the Unfallen City was well-known among the upper echelons of the noble families. Observing his recent actions, most figured securing the position of his wife was unlikely, but the roles of concubines or close attendants were highly coveted. Everyone understood the principle of being close to the water first, and even if there was no deepening affection, perhaps some drunken misbehavior could lead to something.
Qian Ye accepted all the men but refused all the women.
Naturally, they tried to persuade him, presenting countless reasons, one of which gained widespread approval. With Qian Ye’s unparalleled talent, shouldn’t he leave more descendants? It was best to have a large family, with sons and daughters forming an army.
Qian Ye was overwhelmed by the arguments, forced to refuse them all, his face becoming increasingly stern.
Seeing the risk of counterproductive efforts, they reluctantly backed off. Fortunately, Qian Ye promised to include them in the exploration of the new world and other endeavors.
At the mention of other endeavors, their eyes lit up, feeling the time to pledge loyalty had arrived, and they eagerly asked what these other tasks entailed.
Qian Ye pondered briefly and took out a map, pointing to the border of Emerald Sea, “This is the territory of Duke Galewind, another werewolf faction. I don’t have the energy to deal with it now, and I’ve heard there have been some minor skirmishes, with Duke Galewind’s werewolf tribe constantly harassing my lands. What if I entrust this battlefield to you?”
The crowd immediately erupted.
“The Empire has stood for a thousand years, and every noble family has fought to rise. A little fighting is nothing, leave it to us!”
“Be it Galewind or Wildwind, we’ll turn them into a tornado!”
“Fellow, a tornado might be a bit too big…”
In the midst of the chaos, someone kept their wits about them and asked, “My lord, how should we respond if Duke Galewind himself comes?”
This was the key question. For the martially inclined Qin noble families, ordinary battles weren’t a problem. The average martial strength of Yonglu was far less than the core families of the Evernight Council, the only obstacle being the godgeneral-level duke. Even if some families had secret methods to counter godgenerals, the cost was too high for such a minor land expansion.
Qian Ye drew a line on the map, “As long as they don’t cross this line, it should be fine. You just need to hold out for three months. If he truly attacks, I will handle it.”
The crowd calmed down, and they left to discuss the deployment of troops. Together, these lower and middle-class noble families were numerous and well-equipped, lacking only a top-tier powerhouse to stabilize the troops. Since Qian Ye had agreed to take on Duke Galewind, there was no issue.
Following the usual practice, any land they conquered would be split, and they would work hard to win this battle.
Eventually, Qian Ye was left alone in the meeting room, reflecting on the day’s events, still somewhat bewildered.
He had thought that his many werewolves would be the biggest obstacle, but after the initial shock, the Yin and Kong families, along with the smaller noble families, accepted the reality without further comment. It seemed these tens of thousands of werewolves were treated as human beings.
Kong Yu even invited Qian Ye to bring his troops to the mainland.
Qian Ye firmly refused, primarily because he feared that a large number of werewolves entering the Empire would cause a backlash from various factions. The Empire’s stance against dark races was always firm. Surprisingly, during this tumultuous time, even the conflict between Evernight and Dawn seemed to be set aside, for better or worse.
On the other hand, Qian Ye also needed to guard against the Empire. Even if he was currently dealing with goodwill, the internal politics of the Great Qin were never straightforward.
In any case, Qian Ye did not intend to let his werewolf army set foot on the Empire’s soil. He planned to use them exclusively in Yonglu and the new world.
Having made his decision, Qian Ye gathered his generals to arrange the training of the new army. With the war supplies provided by the Yin and Kong families, he could arm at least another hundred thousand werewolves. The additional resources from other families could be used for the construction of the new world base.
The forward base in the third forest was already quite distant from the gate. Qian Ye planned to build a large supply and transfer base there and use it as a foundation to explore and conquer other forests, advancing step by step.
In the new world, Zhao Jundu put down his telescope and tossed it to a nearby staff officer, saying, “It’s blurry again. Tell the research institute to hurry up and come up with something better.”
Turning around, he saw a bustling construction site, a defensive fortress rising at a visible rate, with tens of thousands of soldiers working tirelessly. Next to the base was a forest, with fresh battle marks and the bodies of many beasts yet to be cleared.
“When will the power towers arrive?” Zhao Jundu asked.
“The second one has already entered the new world and is on the way. Three more are en route and should arrive by the day after tomorrow.”
Zhao Jundu frowned, “Only five power towers? That’s only enough for the next expansion. Are there no more?”
“More power towers require tapping into the war reserve, which needs approval from the military.”
“Approval?” Zhao Jundu sneered, “At a time like this, those old men still cling to power. Fine, let them take their time. Notify the fleet heading to the mainland to return!”
“Sir, this…”
“Execute the order!”
“Yes, sir.”
Zhao Jundu checked the time, “Where is Zining? Any news?”
“Not yet, sir. I’ve sent someone to find Lord Zining’s unit.”
Just then, a messenger rushed in, “Lord Zining reports that he has discovered another forest and is launching an attack!”
Zhao Jundu paused, “Without waiting for me? Is he that eager?”
Looking at the officers around him, he said, “Continue the construction, speed up. Once this is done, we’ll send reinforcements.”
One officer, concerned, said, “Sir, each forest has a beast horde nest. Lord Zining’s forces are limited, can he manage on his own?”
Zhao Jundu shook his head, “He wants to handle it alone, so he attacked immediately. Let him try, and see if he can live up to the title of the future military god.”
The officers exchanged glances, none speaking, and went to urge the construction progress.
Standing on high ground, Zhao Jundu gazed into the distance.
A trusted aide by his side asked, “Sir, you seem worried about something?”
Zhao Jundu pointed in the direction he was looking, “I have a feeling we might encounter the dark races soon in that direction.”
The aide was undaunted, “Let’s give them a good fight! We, the Zhao family, fear no one!”
Zhao Jundu shook his head, “This battle won’t be easy.”
The aide was surprised, “You’ve never been this cautious before.”
Zhao Jundu replied calmly, “Now is different. Past battles could be decided with individual effort. But this time, we cannot afford to lose. If we fail here, the Empire may never recover in the new world.”
The aide, understanding, became worried, “What should we do?”
“Fight as we must, what’s the difficulty?”
Before Zhao Jundu could finish, a powerful aura shot into the sky, piercing the clouds. Though distant, the column of energy was clearly visible, filled with countless fantastical images, like a dream.
The Imperial soldiers, seeing this, were stunned.
Zhao Jundu, recognizing it, smiled, “Good! Good for you, Song Qi, daring to break through in battle. I underestimated you!”
The others, shocked, asked, “Does this mean Lord Zining…”
“Song Zining has broken through to the godgeneral level, and the Great Qin Empire now has another godgeneral!”
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