Chapter 89: Schemes Afoot

Qian Ye took two steps in pursuit, only to find that Zhao Jundu had vanished without a trace. Realizing he had no idea where Song Zining was within the new encampment, he scratched his head in frustration and went to ask the deputy of Duke You for the location of the Imperial Central Army’s strategic command.

Zhao Jundu, on the other hand, moved much faster. A streak of purple qi sliced through the camp, stopping only at the entrance of the central army’s main camp. Moments later, he found Song Zining in a separate tent within the strategic command.

Song Zining stood before a table, painting a fierce tiger under the moon. Just as he finished the final stroke, Zhao Jundu pushed open the door. Glancing at the stern-faced Zhao Jundu, Song Zining sighed, “I knew an unwelcome guest would come today. What do you want?”

“I need a favor from you, to give to Li Kuanglan,” Zhao Jundu said bluntly.

Song Zining’s face darkened instantly, “Can’t you ask for something else? It has to be her?”

“It has to be her.”

“Absolutely not! You know very well who she is,” Song Zining flatly refused.

Zhao Jundu slowly flexed his fingers, “I’m not here to negotiate. I’m just informing you.”

Song Zining sneered, “Planning to attack? Go ahead. I won’t fight back. This is the central army, and if you kill me, you’ll be in trouble too.”

A frosty glint appeared in Zhao Jundu’s eyes as he pointed a finger at Song Zining’s throat. True to his word, Song Zining neither dodged nor defended. Zhao Jundu’s fingertip halted just shy of Song Zining’s throat, leaving a red mark on his skin. One more gentle push, and it would have pierced his neck.

Zhao Jundu’s anger flared, “I never thought the seventh young master of the Song clan would stoop to such levels.”

Song Zining smiled, “We are both in the same boat. Even the fourth young master has his moments of forcing others. Besides, being able to be a rascal in front of the fourth young master is quite an achievement for me.”

“You must give this favor to Li Kuanglan.”

Song Zining chuckled, unperturbed, “I didn’t know my favors were so valuable. But why don’t you offer one of your own?”

“I already gave her one.”

Song Zining let out a surprised exclamation, clearly not expecting this. He put away his frivolous expression and said seriously, “You know what a mess she is, yet you still dare to owe her a favor? Of course, you are different. Your reputation is spotless, but I don’t have such a good name. How can I get involved in this mess?”

Zhao Jundu replied, “These two favors were originally owed by Qian Ye.”

Finally, Song Zining’s expression changed, “Qian Ye! What did Li Kuanglan originally want? Why did you have to help him with this?”

Zhao Jundu caught a hint, “Do you know how Qian Ye ended up owing her a favor?”

Song Zining smiled bitterly, “When Qian Ye explored the subterranean world of the Titan’s Sleep, he used a bottle of ‘Mirror Water Rebirth’ from her. I didn’t know Li Kuanglan would be so serious about asking for a favor. There aren’t many things she covets, right?”

Zhao Jundu frowned and briefly recounted his agreement with Li Kuanglan. Song Zining’s expression became subtly different, and he mused, “If it’s just a life-or-death battle, it might be fine…”

Zhao Jundu cut him off, “No, Qian Ye cannot be involved with the Li family of Jing Tang.”

After a moment of staring, Song Zining finally sighed, “If that’s the case, I’ll agree.”

Zhao Jundu nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait.” Song Zining called out, “My favor must be worth something. Can’t you give me anything in return?”

Without turning back, Zhao Jundu said, “The esteemed seventh young master, haggling over money?”

Song Zining, indignant, retorted, “Why can’t I haggle over money? I have a family to support!”

Ignoring him, Zhao Jundu continued walking.

Song Zining laughed softly, “It seems Qian Ye’s status in your Zhao clan isn’t so great. Rather than hiding like this, why not… give him back to me?”

Zhao Jundu suddenly turned, his gaze icy.

As if not noticing the murderous intent in Zhao Jundu’s eyes, Song Zining flicked open his fan, fanned himself twice, and closed it, saying smugly, “My humble estate may not be much to the fourth young master, but Qian Ye is at least half its master, better than being a subordinate and controlled…”

Before he could finish, a fierce gust of wind slammed into him, and with a loud thud, Song Zining was punched in the ribs and sent flying out of the tent.

Zhao Jundu was momentarily stunned. He knew the power of his punch; it was fast and concentrated, enough to hurt but not enough to send someone flying. Even if Song Zining didn’t defend, it shouldn’t have made such a commotion. Frowning, he stepped out of the tent.

The commotion wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t small either. Some passersby looked over but kept walking. However, near the tent, there were four or five high-ranking officers from the Zhang private army, two of whom Zhao Jundu recognized.

Zhang Muyi, helping Song Zining up, was furious, “Who dares to fight in the central army?” He turned and saw Zhao Jundu stepping out of the torn tent, and was shocked into silence.

Beside him, a young, handsome lieutenant general, Zhang Munian, reacted even faster. Before Zhao Jundu stepped out of the tent, he had already taken a half step, positioning himself to protect Song Zining and his companions. Recognizing Zhao Jundu, he paused, nodded, and greeted, “Brother Jundu.”

Zhao Jundu nodded in return, “Brother Munian.”

Zhang Munian, a leading figure among the younger generation of the Zhang clan, was a pillar of the family, though not as renowned as Bai Ao Tu or Zhao Jundu.

Zhang Munian glanced at the disheveled Song Zining, puzzled, “Brother Jundu, is there some misunderstanding between you and Zining?”

Hearing this, Zhao Jundu realized he had been played by Song Zining.

Zhang Munian was not one to meddle, especially in the affairs of the Zhao and Song clans. However, his words here and now were a clear indication that he wanted to mediate, showing that Song Zining had some weight with him. It seemed that the seventh young master had not only joined Zhang Boqian’s forces but also gained the recognition of the younger generation of the Zhang clan, a fact that even Zhao Jundu had to admire.

It was clear what Song Zining was up to. During the Iron Curtain blood battle, almost all of Song Zining’s military achievements were attributed to the Zhao clan, despite the pretense of a mutually beneficial exchange. His position was always somewhat uncertain. Now, with core members like Zhang Muyi and Zhang Munian witnessing the conflict between him and the Zhao clan’s elite, they could easily dismiss any previous connections.

Song Zining, who had left the Song clan in a public and dramatic manner, was a capable and unaffiliated young powerhouse. In the future, the Zhang clan would likely place more importance on him.

Zhao Jundu sneered inwardly. Song Zining’s favor was indeed not easy to obtain. His opportunistic move, though disliked, was commendable. Instead of responding to Zhang Munian, Zhao Jundu looked at Song Zining.

Song Zining managed a wry smile, “It’s just a personal matter. No big deal.”

Zhang Munian turned to Zhao Jundu, “If that’s the case, Brother Jundu, can you give me some face and let Zining apologize?”

Zhao Jundu coldly glanced at Song Zining, “Fine. Let’s call it even for today.”

Having achieved his goal, Song Zining showed no sign of relief, standing quietly. Zhang Munian, surprised by Zhao Jundu’s acquiescence, became even more amiable. The two, old acquaintances, exchanged a few pleasantries.

Just then, someone rushed toward the central camp. Both Zhao Jundu and Song Zining turned to see Qian Ye, exchanging a look.

Song Zining shrugged resignedly, “I’ll explain to him.” Seeing Qian Ye, he knew Zhao Jundu’s so-called favor exchange was likely opposed by Qian Ye. Since he had already set up Zhao Jundu, he might as well see it through to the end.

Over the next few days, the Imperial army cleared the battlefield and constructed temporary defenses, busy preventing a counterattack from the Eternal Night. For a powerhouse like Qian Ye, however, there was little to do but rest and recover, waiting for the battlefield to be cleared and casualties tallied to confirm his military achievements.

What puzzled Qian Ye was that, having paid a huge price to capture the Eternal Night camp, the Empire should have rebuilt the defensive system on the same site for a long-term hold. Yet, the defenses he saw were all temporary, indicating the Empire had no intention of staying.

However, these were decisions for the likes of Zhang Boqian, and even Song Zining in the strategic command had no knowledge of the details. Although curious, Qian Ye did not delve deeper. His immediate concern was to quickly cultivate Dawnforce, maintaining the balance of his dual attributes.

In the void beyond the Eternal Night continent, a blood-red line, like a rainbow, swiftly crossed a third of the continent and entered an ancient castle atop White Mountain.

This was deep in the dark lands, where the castle, thousands of years old, had seen the rise of human civilization. The passage of time had left indelible marks on its walls, but it had not crumbled. Instead, with each generation of vampires, it had grown more magnificent and imposing.

The main part of the castle was a sprawling, majestic complex covering the peak of White Mountain, connected to four auxiliary buildings on surrounding peaks by floating archways.

Each archway, thousands of meters long, spanned bottomless chasms, supported by massive floating warships that remained stationary year-round. From afar, it looked like a divine miracle.

On the upper level of the main building, a hundred-meter-long corridor extended outward, ending in a small square. Neither the corridor nor the square was supported by floating warships, hanging suspended over the abyss.

Around the square, dozens of lifelike statues stood, and a floating ship was slowly docking. This square, apparently, was a floating ship station, hovering a thousand meters above the ground.