Qian Ye, although mentally prepared for the pressure from the werewolves of the upper continent, had to admit that hearing their logic of interference firsthand was quite an eye-opener.
The primitive werewolf tribes, due to their ignorance and backwardness, were seen as having limited potential and thus were not acknowledged. When Qian Ye brought them out of their primitive state and into civilization, reaching the standards recognized by the Summit of Peaks, they became “kinsmen.” The old fogies at the Summit of Peaks would never allow “kinsmen” to be ruled by Qian Ye.
In other words, if no one cared, the werewolves of Yong Land could fend for themselves. But if someone did, they would come to reap the benefits. This kind of logic sounded like pure thuggery.
Despite his inner complaints, seeing William’s helpless expression, Qian Ye knew arguing was futile.
Qian Ye bluntly asked, “So, how do they plan to deal with these ‘kinsmen’? What about all the resources I’ve invested? How are they going to be compensated?”
“Compensate? Not holding you accountable for enslaving our kinsmen is already a kindness. You want compensation? Dream on!” William mocked.
Qian Ye replied calmly, “Then don’t blame me for being impolite.”
William burst into laughter, “Finally figured it out, huh? Don’t worry, at least I’ll stand by your side.”
“Seems like it won’t make much difference.”
William immediately flared up, “I’m a big shot now! Even ordinary Dukes aren’t my match!”
“You said ‘ordinary’ Dukes. I’m a Duke too. Want to try a fight and see who wins?”
“You…” William glared at Qian Ye, but he had no intention of fighting. He wasn’t even interested in a trial.
William had fought Qian Ye more than once, and he was well aware that even at the same level, he might not win. Now, with a rank difference, it was a losing battle. Plus, Qian Ye had that despicable and underhanded skill, Void Blink, which meant if he couldn’t win, he might not even be able to escape.
Seeing William deflated, Qian Ye felt a bit relieved. Upon reflection, he didn’t feel particularly disadvantaged. He had gained the Gale Duchy without bloodshed and an ally in Duke Gale, albeit for only three years. That was a significant gain, and there was no way it would come without a cost. Being drawn into the werewolf internal strife was likely part of that cost.
However, Duke Gale was both an asset and a potential threat. No matter how strong or well-positioned Qian Ye was, he couldn’t guarantee that there wouldn’t be any lapses or low points. When everything went smoothly, it was manageable, but if things went awry, how could he ensure Duke Gale wouldn’t stab him in the back? It was a genuine headache.
But what Qian Ye was thinking, William had already considered. He addressed Duke Gale, “Since we’re in agreement, let’s swear by the name of our ancestors’ souls.”
Duke Gale’s expression changed slightly, but he still said, “By the greatest of our ancestors, the former Great Chieftain of the Tizlik Tribe…”
“Hold on,” William interrupted. “You should swear by the soul of the Great Priest of the Tizlik Tribe.”
Duke Gale’s face completely changed. “You know this too?”
“The library at the Summit of Peaks has the complete lineage records of all major tribes over thousands of years. So, you’d better not have any ill intentions, or it will be embarrassing for everyone.”
Duke Gale remained silent for a moment, then recited the oath again. This time, he seemed solemn and serious, and Qian Ye felt a mysterious force descending, entering Duke Gale’s body. This force was very obscure, similar to the power generated by the werewolves’ prayer rituals. If Qian Ye hadn’t been personally transformed by that mysterious force, he might not have noticed its presence.
It seemed that swearing by the ancestors’ souls had a real binding effect on werewolves, and from Duke Gale’s reaction, he took the true oaths very seriously.
After this ritual, Duke Gale clearly put away any extra thoughts, and Qian Ye’s subtle sense of danger dissipated.
Duke Gale didn’t stay long and immediately returned to the Gale Duchy to arrange the handover. Qian Ye found the allied aristocratic forces, ordered them to hold their positions, halt the offensive, and strictly prohibited any further slaughter of the werewolves.
Recently, the allied forces, bolstered by elite werewolf warriors, had displayed astonishing combat power, advancing nearly a hundred kilometers, defeating several alliances of tribes from the Gale Duchy, and killing nearly a hundred thousand enemies.
Naturally, Qian Ye wouldn’t just leave this army alone. He planned to deploy them to the front line bordering Duke Blaze’s territory after the merge. According to William, Duke Blaze was a key figure in the Ancestor Faction. The Ancestor Faction would definitely come after Qian Ye, and Duke Blaze would be their vanguard.
Qian Ye had no goodwill towards the Ancestor Faction and was not averse to giving Duke Blaze a hard blow.
Duke Gale and Duke Blaze had been mortal enemies for decades, neither gaining the upper hand, meaning that in terms of strength, they were evenly matched. As long as the powerful elites were not disadvantaged, the tactical skills and combat power of the Empire’s aristocratic private armies would be significantly advantageous against the primitive werewolves.
After setting everything up, Qian Ye finally had time to chat with William about the details of the dark races’ new world expansion.
William sighed, “Our expansion has not gone smoothly. We’re still stuck in front of a Three Sacred Tree Forest, making no progress, and suffering heavy losses. This is the best progress so far. The other two continents are even worse. We underestimated the impact of the Beast Legion. On one continent, the defense force was even scattered and completely wiped out by the Beast Legion.”
Qian Ye was surprised, “Wasn’t the new world gate opened by you? And you had gathered forces early. How could this happen?”
“There were no werewolves in the team tasked with opening the new world gate.”
“How was the gate opened?”
“No idea,” William answered bluntly.
Qian Ye didn’t expect the werewolves to be marginalized to such an extent. They were completely excluded from something as important as the opening of the new world gate. The title of one of the four dark races was now in peril. The cessation of the holy war had not improved the werewolves’ situation; instead, it had intensified the loss of their influence in high-level matters.
No wonder William had taken the initiative to help Qian Ye take over the Gale Duchy, handing over millions of werewolves to him.
It seemed the new world’s opening had truly shaken the Summit of Peaks, compelling visionaries like William to resolve to eliminate the Ancestor Faction, a poisonous tumor hindering the werewolves’ development.
Qian Ye’s position was a bit awkward. From his perspective, should he help the werewolves break free and become stronger? After all, they were one of the four dark races and a formidable enemy of humanity. Raising an enemy doesn’t sound wise.
The situation of the Yong Land werewolves was unique. Qian Ye’s initial goal was simply to ensure they had food, without sacrificing the weak. Without external intervention, even if their social structure improved, it would take a long time to reach the level of the upper continent. After all, Qian Ye had no way nor intention to promote a leap in their power system. But if the upper continent intervened, it would be a different story.
For Qian Ye, there was no middle ground. Either help the Yong Land werewolves break free and face an uncertain future, or let them struggle in their current fate.
However, at least the werewolves in the Grand Corridor and the Emerald Sea were genuinely loyal. They not only served him in battle but also regarded Qian Ye as a demi-god. The mysterious power he received from their prayer rituals was the most tangible feedback.
Qian Ye shook his head inwardly and continued to listen to William explain the werewolves’ current situation. Because they were excluded from the new world’s opening, the subsequent intelligence sharing was inadequate. They knew they needed to gather forces, but the exact objectives were unclear.
Among the three continents where the werewolves held sway, one great lord was extremely arrogant. He assembled insufficient forces, neglected to build proper fortifications, and had an incomplete mix of troops. As a result, they suffered heavy losses in the first wave of the Beast Legion’s attack and were utterly defeated in the second.
Worse, the commander was from the Ancestor Faction, but most of the forces came from the Progressive Faction’s werewolf tribes. Handing over the command was a concession by the conservative elders of the Summit of Peaks, given the Ancestor Faction’s strength. But this concession led to disastrous results, with nearly a hundred thousand elite werewolf forces wiped out.
Qian Ye inquired about the battle situation and found the problems lay in insufficient forces and poor command.
After the first defeat, the Ancestor Faction’s leader flew into a rage, gathered the remaining troops, and prepared to fight again, without considering air defense or rear protection. As a result, the rear heavy artillery support was annihilated by a massive aerial assault, leading to a total collapse. The Ancestor Faction leader, seeing the situation, fled, causing the werewolves’ great defeat.
Though the Summit of Peaks quickly intervened to stabilize the situation, the expansion progress was far behind, with only a limited number of fighters sent into the new world.
In the new world, the werewolves’ situation was not much better than Qian Ye’s initially. They received limited intelligence from the other three races and had to rely mostly on their own exploration. Several brutal battles left the werewolves severely weakened.
To Qian Ye’s surprise, from William’s description, he could determine that when the werewolves attacked, the six-armed beings in the forest were awake. Their combat power in the forest environment was significantly enhanced, and with the aid of the Beast Legion, they inflicted heavy casualties on the werewolf elites. It took the combined efforts of three Duke-level werewolves to barely kill a single six-armed commander from the Three Sacred Tree Forest.
Qian Ye well understood the terror of a conscious six-armed being. Only then did he realize his luck in encountering mostly sleeping ones, and discovering their weakness early, allowing him to strike and cripple them, then eliminate the Beast Legion with his base, and focus fire on their host beasts. The process of being driven out caused the six-armed beings to suffer another blow, and two such incidents would be unbearable even for a god.
The werewolves faced fully alert and mobile six-armed beings, with no other means but to confront them head-on. No wonder they struggled so much.
Qian Ye hesitated but ultimately decided not to tell William about the six-armed beings’ weakness. The werewolves were a significant enemy of the Dawn faction, and as the new world expanded, a direct conflict was likely. The relationship between Qian Ye and William was delicate; though William was well-intentioned, he didn’t represent all werewolves.
After sending William off, Qian Ye returned to the Duke’s mansion in the Wave City. The upper level was Qian Ye’s temporary residence, off-limits to unauthorized personnel. Since taking over the Wave City, Qian Ye had no time to refurbish, so most of it remained as it was. In the evening, the corridors were dim and eerie.
As Qian Ye walked down the long corridor, his footsteps echoed softly. The place was deserted. As he passed a torch sconce, the shadow behind him suddenly twisted unnaturally.
Qian Ye stopped and said calmly, “Come out yourself. It wouldn’t be good if I have to make you.”
A figure emerged from the darkness, coming to Qian Ye’s back and gently blowing on his neck. “What, not happy to see me?”
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