Ever since that enigmatic descendant of the demon race escaped, Qian Ye knew he might have encountered a real problem. This descendant of the demon race was exceptionally talented, with combat skills no less than Zhao Jundu’s, and clearly of noble birth; just the two one-time-use treasures destroyed by Qian Ye were invaluable. Such excellent items, at least Qian Ye had never owned any.
Worse still, this demon seemed to lack combat experience, being unseasoned in actual battles. However, after such a big loss, he would surely reflect deeply and constantly hone himself. It wouldn’t be long before a completely new opponent stood before Qian Ye.
In this sense, this guy was even more terrifying than Aiden. Although Aiden was gifted, his limits could be seen. In contrast, this descendant of the demon race was a once-in-a-generation genius with limitless potential.
Even though Qian Ye managed to launch a successful sneak attack, he still couldn’t kill him. The next time they met on the battlefield, it would probably be Qian Ye who would have to flee.
Therefore, once An Wen left, Qian Ye hesitated slightly but still decided to chase after him. An Wen had sustained multiple injuries, and some demonic energy inevitably leaked out. Thus, although he fled far, there were still traces to follow.
However, after not pursuing for too long, Qian Ye suddenly felt a sharp icy line rising from the nape of his neck, instantly making his whole body feel cold!
Qian Ye immediately stopped and slowly turned around. Though the turn was slow, it was flawless, and with Dongyue in hand, he could unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.
Bai Kongzhao stood less than a hundred meters away.
Qian Ye frowned and said, “What, have you changed your mind and plan to fight me?”
“No, I’m just thinking about something here.”
“Thinking about something?” Qian Ye found this to be the lamest excuse, so much so that she didn’t even try to come up with a slightly plausible one.
To appear precisely at this critical moment, no one would believe that the young girl had no ulterior motives.
However, the young girl pointed into the distance. Qian Ye followed her gaze and saw a bonfire burning under a tree, with a simple cloth tent set up above to shelter from wind and rain. The camp was simple but not shabby, clearly prepared for overnight stay. Moreover, Qian Ye’s keen eyesight noticed that the bonfire had been burning for some time, indicating that she had not just impulsively set it up.
“Alright, take your time to think. Also, this area has been quite unstable recently. Maybe you can find a safer place to think.”
Qian Ye was subtly driving her away. He did not want a variable like Bai Kongzhao around at a time when many descendants of the demon race were appearing.
However, the young girl seemed not to catch the meaning behind Qian Ye’s words and said, “I need to think for a while longer. If I don’t find an answer, I might come to ask you.”
“What exactly are you thinking about?” Qian Ye suddenly became curious.
“I’ll tell you later.” The young girl became surprisingly smart.
Qian Ye shrugged and did not press further. Instead, he glanced at her camp and turned to leave. With this delay, it was already impossible to catch up with that descendant of the demon race. Even without Bai Kongzhao’s appearance, Qian Ye decided to return to South Azure once to inform Song Zining about the emergence of the young descendant of the demon race. Aiden’s appearance might be a big trouble, but this young descendant’s status and position should be higher than Aiden’s. Such a person would certainly have guards. Regardless, Song Zining must be extra cautious.
Before long, South Azure City was in sight. Qian Ye suddenly exclaimed, remembering a lingering mystery: since he first met Bai Kongzhao, he had never seen her set up camp. The young girl, like a wild beast in nature, could utilize all natural terrain and leave no artificial traces. This made her difficult to track; Qian Ye’s repeated attempts to hunt her down had failed for this reason.
When did she start setting up camps?
Qian Ye laughed at himself, maybe it was just a camp left by some unlucky mercenary, which she had taken advantage of to deceive him.
Inside South Azure City, everything was as busy as ever. The mercenary camp was mostly completed, and now numerous workshops and shops were under construction. The original layout of South Azure City was insufficient to support such development, so a large new area was designated in the northwest to serve as the new city district.
When Qian Ye left, this area was empty, with only a few dozen people surveying and mapping. Just a few days later, four initial watchtowers had been erected, and thousands of workers began leveling the land. Besides the regular workers, nearly a hundred mercenaries worked day and night, significantly accelerating the project.
Song Zining held a thick stack of blueprints and stood high, comparing them with the distant area. Seeing Qian Ye from afar, he immediately waved.
Qian Ye quickened his pace and appeared beside Song Zining in an instant. Song Zining pointed forward and smiled, “What do you think? You can hardly recognize it, right? This will be the new city district of South Azure City.”
Looking at the area covering a thousand square meters, Qian Ye was already surprised and asked, “What are you planning to build that requires such a vast space?”
Song Zining laughed heartily and confidently said, “A floating vessel workshop!”
“Can you build floating vessels?” Qian Ye was genuinely shocked.
“Ning Yuan Heavy Industries can already build them, but only the most basic models. Once I gradually master the use of new alloys, I can try building warships.”
Even the most basic floating vessels were enough to shock the entire neutral territory. Before this, the neutral territory could not produce complete floating vessels; key components like power sails, airship engines, and floating arrays had to be purchased from Evernight or the Empire. The two major factions controlled the fleet size of the neutral territory by limiting the supply.
“Wait, you’re just going to build a floating vessel workshop? Will the forces in the neutral territory just stand by and watch?”
Song Zining closed the blueprints and fanned himself, smiling, “What else can they do? I’ve already spread the word that this workshop, once completed, will be open to all forces for orders. Since they can buy what they need, why bother fighting? Now, even if someone wants to stop us, other forces won’t agree. They’d have to wait until our workshop is built. Otherwise, if I abandon it now, they won’t get anything.”
Qian Ye frowned, still finding it hard to believe, and asked, “Won’t the Empire just let it happen?”
Song Zining pointed forward and said, “I’m not building a floating vessel workshop, but a floating vessel repair workshop. There are already at least eighty of these in the neutral territory. How can the Empire control that?”
“You… alright.” Qian Ye was speechless.
“Humph! Do you think such a petty trick with names can fool anyone? This is a grave offense against the emperor!” A stern and slightly angry voice sounded behind them.
Qian Ye turned around to see a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance walking towards them. His steps were powerful and full of presence, clearly showing his long tenure in the imperial court and his mastery of official conduct.
Such a figure would be commonplace in the Empire’s various bureaus, but in the neutral territory, he stood out like a sore thumb.
Qian Ye, with a military background, naturally held a bias against civilian officials. He turned to Song Zining and asked, “Where did this guy come from?”
This blunt question made the man’s face turn purple. Song Zining covered his mouth with his fan and laughed, “Qian Ye, that wasn’t very polite. This is Li Fang, a high-ranking fourth-grade official. If assigned to a region, he’d be only two grades away from governing a province.”
Qian Ye knew the basic political system of the Empire. To govern a province, one usually needed to be a second-grade official. From fourth grade to second grade, it might seem like only two levels, but in reality, it was a vast chasm. Many people spent their entire lives unable to ascend even one grade. Moreover, between second and third grades, there was also a deputy second grade. Song Zining saying it was just two grades was quite generous.
Li Fang, originally looking smug, didn’t expect Qian Ye to suddenly ask, “What specific position does this Mr. Li hold?”
Song Zining said, “Mr. Li is responsible for compiling history and offering advice in the imperial court, which concerns the long-term plans of the Empire.”
Qian Ye oh-ed and said, “So, it’s a rather idle and powerless position, then.”
This infuriated Li Fang, who pointed at Qian Ye, stammering, “You, you ignorant youth, what do you know! History is a mirror to judge the rise and fall. Think of me, Li Fang, back then…”
Qian Ye had no patience for this pretentious man’s old stories. Seeing how he ended up, Qian Ye figured he had no grand achievements to boast about. So, Qian Ye interrupted him and again asked Song Zining, “How did this guy pop up?”
Finally losing his temper, Li Fang scolded, “Don’t think hiding in the neutral territory allows you to commit treacherous acts. Even if I hadn’t seen it, now that I know, I won’t let it go. When I return to the imperial court, I will… I will…”
Li Fang trailed off. Qian Ye and Song Zining exchanged glances, then scrutinized him with ill intent. Li Fang shivered and trembled, “What, what do you want to do?”
Ignoring him, Qian Ye turned to Song Zining and said, “Do you think this guy, who isn’t even a warrior, can return to the imperial court?”
Song Zining seriously said, “Well, he does have guards. As long as their combat strength is sufficient, it should be fine.”
Qian Ye asked humbly, “Can a fourth-grade official have a general-level guard?”
Song Zining said earnestly, “According to the imperial system, a fourth-grade official can serve as a general’s advisor or deputy. However, military rules prefer warriors in such positions, as they need to follow the commander into battle, and those with weaker strength often die quickly on the battlefield.”
Qian Ye nodded, “It seems Mr. Li doesn’t need a general-level guard. But an imperial colonel is roughly equivalent to a marquis of Evernight, and we’ve killed several of them, right, Zining?”
Song Zining irritably said, “That was you. I don’t have that kind of skill. Fighting and killing don’t suit me.”
Li Fang, standing by, alternated between pale and flushed, finally realizing that these two young men could indeed prevent him from returning to the Empire.
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