Chapter 130: Command

“Does the Evernight side know?” Qian Ye asked.

“If we can figure it out, they can too. It’s just a matter of time. With such a large move from the Empire, how could they hide it? Lin Jiar must have come for this reason. Fortunately, you sent her back, giving us the upper hand.”

Qian Ye frowned, “This upper hand seems to be of little use.”

Whoever takes the initiative will have to fight against Tidehearing City. In this neutral ground, with the forces that both the Empire and Evernight can send, it’s hard to predict the outcome. If the battle against Tidehearing City results in significant losses, even if we win, the other side may take advantage of our weakness. Therefore, having the upper hand might not be a good thing. This entangled situation among the three parties is the most difficult to handle.

“This upper hand indeed isn’t very useful, but having something is better than nothing.” Song Zining pointed to a spot on the map, “For example, the Demonkin here temporarily lack reinforcements and are all lying low. We can use this opportunity to root out the families that are aligned with the Demonkin, letting the locals know that anyone who leans towards Evernight will suffer.”

Seeing that the place Song Zining pointed to was Guanlan City, Qian Ye said, “There are a few families here that might align with us, like the Xue family.”

“Then let the Xue family also contribute. Have them lead the charge to eliminate the families that are close to the Demonkin.”

Qian Ye slightly frowned; Song Zining’s approach left no room for the Xue family to retreat, which might provoke a backlash. However, in terms of strategy, Song Zining had a well-known reputation. No matter how difficult his decisions seemed at first, they always proved to be insightful in the end.

Song Zining looked at Qian Ye and said, “If you have no objections, we’ll proceed this way. I’ll send someone to inform the Xue family immediately.”

Seeing Qian Ye nod, Song Zining continued, “Let’s move on to the next matter. This Yan Ding…”

Song Zining furrowed his brows, seeming to find it somewhat tricky. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Qian Ye, if you encounter Lu Junyi again, how confident are you in defeating him?”

“Lu Junyi? The one who stopped me in the Indestructible City?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

Qian Ye pondered, “If he hasn’t made much progress, I should have a chance to kill him in the wilderness of the neutral ground, especially if Zhu Ji and others assist me. But if he has made another breakthrough, it’s hard to say.”

Song Zining chuckled, “How long has it been since that battle? Do you think everyone is like you, a monster who levels up for no reason?”

Qian Ye felt a bit embarrassed.

Song Zining sobered, “Even if Lu Junyi is mediocre, he is still a divine general. Are you really confident in dealing with him?”

Qian Ye replied seriously, “From what I can see, his attacks are unremarkable. Little Zhu Ji could hold him off back then, and I’m sure I can withstand them now. As for defense, I haven’t heard of anything special about him, so he shouldn’t be able to endure my Origin Gun. If it’s a hunt in the wilderness, I’m even more confident. After all, my blood aura has already advanced to Marquis level.”

Song Zining nodded, “That makes things easier. I cannot get involved in this battle, so I’ll have to rely on you.”

“You want to deal with Lu Junyi? He is an imperial divine general. Isn’t this a bit inappropriate at this time?”

Song Zining sighed, “It would be best if we didn’t have to, but unfortunately…”

He didn’t elaborate, and Qian Ye didn’t ask further.

Next, Song Zining explained the current deployment to Qian Ye in detail. The Imperial advance fleet was divided into three groups, all of which had arrived. The main fleet was still en route. Apart from the fleet led by Yan Ding, the other two were formed by the aristocratic families and the imperial family. This time, the Li family was in charge of the aristocratic families’ actions, primarily because determining the exact location of the channel and entering it required the Li family’s support in celestial divination. Given that the four major clans were not fully mobilized, it was logical for the Li family to take the lead.

The direct involvement of the imperial family surprised Qian Ye. Generally, the imperial family rarely dispatched its direct forces for such missions, usually relying on the military or some aristocratic families. The current emperor, who was reclusive and did not display prominent martial prowess, was mostly dormant compared to previous emperors. It was only recently that the activities of the imperial party had shown some promise.

Both the Li family and the imperial family had stationed themselves around Nanqing City, each building supply bases. They used the guise of constructing workshops to establish secret bases. As for the airships, how many were real cargo ships was debatable.

The three advance fleets, although slightly weaker than Lin Jiar’s fleet, were strong enough to engage in battle. The Demonkin’s strength in the neutral ground had significantly diminished, giving the human race a clear advantage.

With Lin Jiar severely injured by Qian Ye, Qian Ye knew, without needing Song Zining’s reminder, that they had a substantial advantage, especially since the early-arriving Demonkin, without fleet support, would be doomed if they dared to show themselves.

“Why wait? Why not concentrate all our forces and directly locate the channel’s position?” From Qian Ye’s perspective, the situation was already clear.

“Is it that easy?” Song Zining smiled bitterly, putting away the map, “Not to mention whether we can defeat the Tidehearing City Lord Luo Bingfeng in a head-on battle, even if we can, do we really want to fight? Of the three advance fleets, I can only speak for the imperial family, the other two don’t listen to me.”

Qian Ye was taken aback, “You’re not the commander of this battle?”

“Of course not.”

This seemed inconceivable. Song Zining and Qian Ye had been operating in the neutral ground for some time and had established a solid footing. In Qian Ye’s view, Song Zining’s strategy and actual combat record far surpassed those of the so-called aristocratic leaders. In terms of military achievements, there were few in the Song clan who could match him. Many elders in the council had never killed even a count, yet they still talked about military and political matters.

Now, in the expedition to the neutral ground to control the Grand Vortex channel, this was a matter second only to the Floating Land War. Such a campaign, it was natural for Song Zining to be the commander. Only Evernight truly understood how formidable the Seventh Young Master with a winning hand was.

Yet, the commander was not Song Zining.

Qian Ye asked, “If not you, then Yan Ding?”

“That useless one? How could that be? Even if the higher-ups are muddled, they wouldn’t make such a decision.” Song Zining composed himself and sighed, “In the end, it’s because we’re too young. Those who have been fighting for decades, people old enough to be our grandfathers, how can they bear to follow my command? When the three fleets gathered, we had a meeting, and I volunteered to command, but several strongly opposed, so I had to give up.”

Qian Ye frowned, “Who opposed? I’ll go talk to them. Military matters can’t be allowed to be manipulated by these old men!”

“Talk? How do you plan to talk?” Song Zining laughed.

Qian Ye raised his fist, “I’ll have a good talk. Among those who came, I doubt many can’t be persuaded by me.”

“Forget it, let them be. I’m tired anyway.”

“How can we let them? They can fight for power, but below them are the empire’s soldiers. How can they sacrifice these people for their own selfish interests?”

Song Zining smiled, “They aren’t that bad.”

Qian Ye snorted, “Aiden is here with the Demonkin. If these old guys were capable, how could they have been beaten so badly by Aiden in the Mist Forest back then?”

Song Zining didn’t refute, sighing, “Aiden is not only outstanding in combat but also a master in tactics, as seen in the Mist Forest battle. If the Demonkin are led by him, these people… might not be able to beat him. That’s why I wanted to be the commander. But those old-timers, after decades of warfare, believe they won’t lose to a young Demonkin. What can I say?”

Qian Ye said, “Aiden’s true strength might be at the Marquis level, but he’s hiding it. Such a famous Marquis, and you call him young? Can those old guys beat him?”

“In their view, leading troops in battle has nothing to do with personal combat strength.”

“Those who say that probably don’t have much combat strength. Is he at least level fifteen? Did he get his force from eating medicine?”

Song Zining laughed, “It’s not you who’s being sidelined, so why are you so worked up? But you have indeed changed. The old man who said that is only level fourteen, ha!”

“Level fourteen, fine, I’ll go talk to him.”

Song Zining held Qian Ye back, shaking his head, “You look down on people. What’s wrong with being level fourteen? Don’t forget, you and I are also level fourteen. So they don’t think they’re much worse than us.”

Qian Ye sneered, “How can you and I be the same as him? An old man like that, how long can he last against us, three moves?”

“That’s you. I don’t like fighting.” Song Zining rolled his eyes at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye’s unique skills, whether it’s ‘Eight Directions Fixation’, ‘Life Plunder’, or ‘Origin Gun’, all have immense power, deciding life and death in a single move. Opponents with slightly weaker strength could hardly last a half-move under Qian Ye. However, when Song Zining said he didn’t like fighting, it wasn’t humility, it was clearly a lie. This guy, when he puts on his mask and wields his silver gun, is almost as fierce as Qian Ye.

Seeing Qian Ye’s anger hadn’t subsided, Song Zining put away his frivolity and sighed, “They not only fear me but also you. We are too close, and you have offended the military, so they also intend to curry favor with the military.”

Qian Ye sneered, “I’ve offended the military?”

Song Zining said slowly, “Qian Ye, have you considered that Qian Ye’s situation, even without the Chaos Grinding Plate, her awakening is just a matter of time?”

“Do you want me to reconcile with the military?”

“Of course not. I just don’t want you to make a wrong decision out of anger. The military is a massive entity, and to topple it requires patience. There’s another way besides toppling it.”

“What is it?”

Song Zining refused to say, simply, “It’s too early. We’ll talk about it later. Let’s focus on the present. Will you go to Guanlan City?”

“Fine.”

Song Zining nodded, “This time, the strategy is different. No need for violence. I’ll send someone with you, and he’ll handle everything. You just observe. You don’t need to act unless necessary.”

“What am I there for then?”

“One is to guard against the Demonkin, the other is to keep those families in check. With you there, whether Aiden or those families, they will think twice before doing anything. Ha, they’re all afraid of you.”

“I still don’t see the point.”

“It’s very important.” Song Zining didn’t give Qian Ye a chance to object, opening the door, “Send someone to bring in the commander!”