Chapter 42: A Tranquil Life

The Marquis of Bowang, with his considerable power and influence over a province, saw the situation in the far eastern Wei family stabilize and improve after withstanding the assault of the dark races. Although he did not contribute much to the battles on the floating land, he was still among those privy to confidential information and had a good understanding of the defense arrangements and surroundings of the Unfallen City. Upon examining the outer perimeter layout of this defense map, he could roughly determine its authenticity and pinpoint which area it belonged to.

This defense map carried great significance, and time was of the essence. How it came into being was of less importance at that moment.

Decisively, the Marquis of Bowang said, “You come with me to the Zhao camp immediately!”

The overall command remained with the Duke of Youguo. The seasoned Zhao Xuanji, upon receiving the defense map, knew that there was no time to waste and made up his mind on the spot. Orders were swiftly dispatched to several major families. In a short while, the military forces within the Unfallen City began mobilizing, and one after another, airborne warships took to the sky.

Such a large-scale operation naturally did not go unnoticed. Seeing that it was mostly the private armies of the Zhao family being moved, many other clans grew curious and sought to find out what had prompted such a grand mobilization by the Zhao.

It was only at dawn when the battle reports were finally sent back to the Unfallen City.

The Zhao family, together with several allied families, launched a full-scale attack on a particular demonic sector. Almost all the resources that the Zhao family could mobilize were thrown into this endeavor. They even borrowed an imperial fleet stationed in outer space for fire support.

The battle proceeded surprisingly smoothly, with the Zhao army advancing almost without resistance. Many key defensive nodes were destroyed before they could be activated, as the imperial air fleet struck them according to the markings on the defense map. As the battle progressed, the demonic marquis responsible for this sector boldly stepped forward, only to be quickly overpowered by the joint efforts of Zhao Xuanji and the Princely Lord Rui. He eventually escaped with serious injuries.

After breaching the sector, the Duke of Youguo did not prolong the battle, instead retreating to their original position under the cover of the imperial fleet.

The swiftness and suddenness of the battle caught the opposing forces off guard. The dark race coalition continued to pound the military’s sector, making significant headway. Wu Daoyu’s elite troops started to be wiped out en masse. Wu felt helpless as it was already too late to seek reinforcements from the military. He could only hold on to the bitter end.

A single battle had cleared a demonic marquis’ sector, a truly impressive achievement. After this, rumors about the Zhao family’s lack of engagement were dispelled. Moreover, the ability of the Duke of Youguo to summon the imperial fleet at a critical moment left many deep in thought.

News spread the next day that the key to this victory was a defense map brought back by the Wei family’s heir, Wei Potian. In an instant, various versions of how the map was obtained circulated: tales of Wei Potian infiltrating enemy lines to seize the map; stories of him stealthily returning with the map amidst thousands of soldiers. Such stories abounded.

Given Wei Potian’s great contribution, accolades and commendations followed from the Zhao family, the imperial military, and even the royal house. Over the course of days, numerous award ceremonies and banquets kept Wei Potian dizzy and perpetually drunk, often being dragged into the next feast before fully sobering up.

Wei Potian basked in the spotlight, even overshadowing Zhao Jiandu for a time.

Indeed, the defense map was of enormous value. Not only did it enable Zhao Xuanji to annihilate an entire marquis’s forces, but it also drew out the enemy, inflicting a crippling blow. Although the demonic marquis managed to escape, his severe injuries meant he would never recover, effectively eliminating a formidable foe permanently.

Among the four main races, demons often became more formidable in later stages. A demonic marquis, at the very least, possessed combat capabilities on par with powerful marquises of the werewolf and spider demon races. High-level demons also wielded mysterious and unpredictable abilities, making them particularly troublesome adversaries. Thus, eliminating a demonic marquis was a significant feat on the floating land battlefield.

In the end, Wei Potian was awarded a personal merit for slaying a marquis. For the Wei family heir, this was like a golden pie falling from the sky. All he had done was run an errand and bring something back, with a brief period of unconsciousness and a few kicks to the rear thrown in for good measure.

Without a doubt, this was all orchestrated by Song Zining. So, aside from joy, Wei Potian also harbored hidden concerns. He didn’t think Song Zining was so kind-hearted; there was likely a trap lurking behind the sweet reward.

The empire was known for generously rewarding military achievements. Due to Wei Potian’s unique status and the Wei family’s strategic importance, he received special treatment. The military simply recorded his achievement, but the royal house bestowed rare materials for custom-made armor. These materials even provided specific benefits to Thousand Layer Mountain, clearly chosen with care.

The Zhao family’s private reward was equally generous, presenting Wei Potian with a small, high-speed airborne warship. Despite it being a basic model, it delighted the Wei heir immensely.

However, Wei Potian was puzzled by the fact that Song Zining had vanished after that night, his whereabouts unknown.

Although the rewards were substantial, Wei Potian didn’t lose his composure. After some reflection, he decided to return to the far east to oversee the situation there. The increasingly bizarre situation in the Unfallen City, with many powerful factions vying for control, made it no longer a suitable place for him. Furthermore, the Wei family’s interests in the area were limited, and Qian Ye’s defection from the empire left Wei Potian feeling despondent, eager to leave the place.

A thousand miles away from the Unfallen City, atop a solitary peak, Bai Kongzhao stood at the cliff’s edge, gazing at the endless starry sky, lost in thought.

Bai Aotuo climbed step by step to the peak, standing beside the young woman and dropping a backpack at her feet. “Everything you need is here.”

“T-Thank you,” she said hesitantly.

Bai Aotuo paused, then chuckled self-deprecatingly. “It’s the first time I’ve heard you say thank you. But, the word feels strange. You still don’t consider yourself part of the Bai family.”

Bai Kongzhao sighed softly. “I don’t belong to anyone, not even myself. I don’t know why I’m alive, perhaps just to survive.”

“Are you still going to leave?”

The girl nodded. “I can’t find any reason to stay here.”

“There’s a war here, plenty of strong fighters, countless enemies, and even those far beyond your match. Aren’t these reasons enough? If you seek to kill, there are innumerable soldiers on the side of the dark forces.”

“No, it’s not that,” she shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion. “I suddenly feel that killing has no meaning. Those people… no longer pose a threat to me. Killing them won’t make me feel safer. Now, I don’t know what I should do.”

Bai Aotuo stood silently for a moment, then asked, “Are you determined to go? Is it because of Zhao Ruoxi?”

The girl shook her head. “No. She may want to kill me, and she could, but… I can’t explain the feeling. I just feel there’s nothing left for me to do here. Something is calling me from afar.”

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“Neutral Grounds,” she replied without hesitation, clearly having made up her mind.

“For Qian Ye? Are you still going to kill him?”

Confusion returned to Bai Kongzhao’s eyes. “Him? Maybe, maybe not. I just feel I should go there and see.”

“The Neutral Grounds is indeed a good place for you. Good luck, then.”

The girl smiled bitterly. “In your eyes, good luck shouldn’t be for someone like me.”

“Nor for me,” Bai Aotuo said calmly.

The girl picked up the backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and waved. “Then I’m off.”

Before leaping off the cliff, Bai Kongzhao turned back and said, “Even though I’m not part of the Bai family, I like the name Bai Kongzhao and will keep using it.”

She leaped off the cliff, plummeting straight down, and disappeared into the distance.

Only after a long while did Bai Aotuo turn and quietly leave.

Life in the Neutral Grounds was unexpectedly peaceful. Qian Ye spent his days digging holes and building houses. After the war, the mighty East Peak had been reduced to a mere shovel for digging mud and a saw for cutting trees.

In just a few days, a decent home had taken shape. The walls were completed, along with a watchtower. Inside, two large, two-story houses occupied opposite sides, while a warehouse on the other side extended mostly underground, with only a small portion visible.

The old man had set up his workshop, but now he found himself producing everyday tools and spare parts for ancient machinery, leaving him feeling somewhat useless.

Ye Meng and Zhu Ji spent their days hunting and exploring the surrounding area. The environment on the other side of the river was similar, but within ten kilometers of the river, a mist began to appear. Both Ye Meng and Little Zhu Ji sensed a subtle danger and wisely chose not to venture further.

That evening, as the sky darkened and the temperature dropped, the courtyard remained warm, the dancing flames warding off the chill.

In the dining room, several dishes were already laid out, their aroma filling the air, unmistakably Qian Ye’s handiwork. The door opened, and Ye Meng walked in. She shook off the frost from her cloak, saw the food, and cheered, hurrying to the table and sitting down obediently.

Qian Ye emerged from the kitchen, carrying a large pot of soup in both hands, a spoon in his mouth, and a plate balanced on his head.

He set the soup and plate on the table, looked around, and asked, “Where’s Zhu Ji?”

“She went to the sea, but it’s dinnertime now, so she should be back soon, right?” Ye Meng replied.

“True, no matter how much fun she’s having, eating is always the most important. Let’s wait a bit, she’ll be back soon.” Qian Ye smiled.

The door burst open, and Zhu Ji dashed in, holding a giant lobster larger than herself, exclaiming happily, “More food, more food!”