Chapter 33: The Assault on the Jade Sea

“You are our King, the King of the Grand Corridor, and you should also be the King of the Emerald Sea. We offer you our loyalty, hoping that under your glory, we can escape our miserable fate.”

“Why me and not one of your own strong ones? For instance, isn’t there a Wolf Duke in the Emerald Sea?”

“Minoka, the Bone Duke, is the root of all the wolves’ misery in the Grand Corridor. His terrifying rule has made it impossible for any lower-level wolf to see a tomorrow. Any tribe that is not obedient or no longer useful will be driven into the desolate Grand Corridor, left to fend for themselves. The wolves in the Grand Corridor, in order to survive, must constantly attack the Zheng State, only to be shattered against their fortresses.”

Xu Jingxuan was infuriated and shouted, “You invade year after year, and yet you speak as if you are innocent! The lives of your wolves are precious, but are the lives of humans worthless? What about the many warriors who die each year in Zheng State?!”

A hot-tempered mercenary general retorted, “Don’t forget, our lord represents humanity, and originally intended to exterminate all of you wolf pups.”

Eskar, neither angry nor flustered, calmly replied, “General Xu, both humans and we face the same problem. The limited land cannot sustain so many people, or at least not during times of peace when the population grows. Even if we don’t attack, won’t you expand once your country stabilizes? Your first choice might not be the desolate Grand Corridor, but the real reason for these years of war is to eliminate the burden of too many people.”

Xu Jingxuan was momentarily speechless. He didn’t believe that war was simply about reducing the population, but Zheng State’s frequent changes in government indeed necessitated expansion. He could list many reasons for the necessity of external wars, but in the end, wasn’t it still about fighting?

Song Hui, on the other hand, was surprised. Despite her vigilance towards Eskar, she hadn’t expected such words from a wolf, especially one from a primitive tribe. Eskar’s words, though harsh, were near the truth.

Limited land cannot sustain so many. This applies not only to the lower layers of the continent but also to the middle and upper layers. The standard for sustaining life is undefined—whether it means mere survival without starvation, a future, or even a dignified life, the difference is vast.

At this point, Qian Ye said, “If war is for this reason, then I cannot solve it.”

“No, only Your Majesty can solve it!” Eskar said with great certainty.

“The land remains the same, but the population will always grow, and the more peaceful, the faster it grows. How can I solve this?” Qian Ye countered.

Eskar replied, “The land does not increase, but its output can. Currently, the wolves use the most primitive methods to utilize the land. If we could have a civilization like humans, we could support ten times or even more wolves than now. But Minoka doesn’t allow any change; in his eyes, the way of the ancestors is everything.”

“A fanatic ancestor worshipper,” Qian Ye remarked.

Eskar remained prostrate, awaiting Qian Ye’s decision.

Qian Ye’s thoughts drifted, recalling a name he hadn’t thought of for a long time, William, the peak of the mountain peaks. In the gray city of the Western Continent, the Tulip Market, Qian Ye first faced the internal conflicts of the wolves. Even now, seeing the state of the wolves in the Grand Corridor, Qian Ye still felt it was not simple to judge between tradition and change.

Moreover, the solution proposed by Eskar was not permanent. Short-term increases in output could support more, but this growth is not infinite and will eventually reach a limit, creating new conflicts. Changing the production method to alter the living environment is only a temporary solution.

With his hands behind his back, Qian Ye pondered for a moment before saying, “Since you believe I am your King, show me your loyalty. Eskar, the first batch of wolf troops is trained. Lead them to attack the Emerald Sea.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Leaving the tribe, Qian Ye returned to the spaceship with the generals, while Eskar went to the exit of the Grand Corridor, preparing to attack the Emerald Sea.

On the way back to the fortress, the mercenary generals were incredulous and whispered among themselves. Qian Ye stood silently in front of the map of the Grand Corridor.

As the door knocked, Song Hui entered and closed it, asking, “Are you really going to accept those wolves?”

“What do you think?” Qian Ye asked calmly.

“Well, the best way is to let those wolves fight among themselves, then, when they are exhausted, we can strike and annihilate them, root and branch!”

“Quite ruthless,” Qian Ye chuckled.

“Compassion has no place in war. I learned both administration and military strategy.”

Qian Ye looked at her with newfound respect, asking, “How much did you learn?”

“As much as Seventh Brother. I just don’t have his talent, being a young future military god. I learned, but I haven’t had the chance to use it.”

“Learning the same as Zining? That’s rare,” Qian Ye praised.

Zining’s military strategy was comprehensive, not something learned in a year or two. It was rare for a girl like Song Hui to learn it. Her strategies were often practical and ruthless. Given time, she would stand on her own.

Song Hui came to the map, drew a line, and said, “If we clear the dark races from the Grand Corridor and the Emerald Sea, this large area can support millions. We can continually migrate people from the neutral zone and annex Zheng State, creating a nation equivalent to two provinces of the Empire. Even the Zhao clan would not compare. Controlling the Emerald Sea gives us an advantageous position, whether attacking or defending.”

She turned the map to show the full layout of Yong Land, drawing two directions and continuing, “When the time is right, we can advance to the center of Yong Land. If our strength is insufficient, we can first wipe out the small human states to the south, then concentrate our forces to fight the Wolf Chieftain Kingdom in the center.”

“Those small states are also human. Attacking them would be like internal strife.”

Song Hui spoke quickly, “These small states have existed for years, fighting among themselves. They are just surviving, hoping to overthrow the Wolf Chieftain Kingdom in the next life! Since they can’t, they shouldn’t hoard resources. Let us take over!”

Qian Ye was surprised by her crudeness, but her logic was sound. After a moment, he said, “Let’s see how Eskar fares first.”

“What if the Bone Duke comes out?”

Qian Ye smiled faintly, “Then I’ll meet him.”

“You?!” Song Hui was surprised.

“Of course me, who else?” Qian Ye laughed.

“But, he’s a Duke! I think Eskar has ulterior motives, wanting to lure you to the Emerald Sea to confront the Bone Duke.”

Qian Ye patted her shoulder, saying, “If that’s the case, it would be convenient.”

Song Hui sighed, knowing Qian Ye’s mind was made up. She looked at him, her eyes brightening, making Qian Ye slightly uncomfortable.

Returning to the Wolf Tooth Fortress, Qian Ye immediately organized his army, airlifting fifty thousand wolf soldiers to the other end of the Grand Corridor as the first wave of the offensive against the Emerald Sea. Nearly a hundred thousand wolf warriors were undergoing training, with more arriving.

The arrival of the wolves did not worry Qian Ye, nor did he strengthen the defenses. The forts remained open, but in Tower City, Qian Ye stationed over ten thousand mercenaries, along with the original garrison and local guards, totaling nearly thirty thousand. However, their defensive line faced Zheng State.

When thirty thousand wolf soldiers were assembled, Eskar launched an attack on the Emerald Sea without waiting for reinforcements.

The number of troops, even with the additional forces from the tribes, was far less than the wolves in the Emerald Sea. After initial chaos, the Emerald Sea wolves united and sent a force of nearly fifty thousand to intercept, with more mobilizing in the rear.

The tribes in the Grand Corridor were exiled, and their combat and supplies were inferior to those in the Emerald Sea. In previous minor conflicts, even with numerical superiority, the Grand Corridor wolves were defeated. This time, the Emerald Sea wolves had the advantage.

When the two armies met, the Emerald Sea wolves charged from a distance, overwhelming the Grand Corridor wolves.

However, over a dozen gunboats rose from the rear of the Grand Corridor wolf army, mowing down swaths of Emerald Sea wolves. When the charging wolves reached the range, they found an unprecedentedly well-organized formation. In memory, even of their ancestors, the usually unruly wolves never formed such disciplined ranks.

The Emerald Sea wolves were then engulfed by a hail of bullets. By the time they reached close combat, nearly half of their comrades had fallen.

This was the first time the Emerald Sea wolves experienced the power of a disciplined formation. Like a tide crashing against a rock, only to shatter itself.

For the first time in history, the major battle between the Emerald Sea and the Grand Corridor wolves ended in a devastating defeat for the Emerald Sea.