A special airship was flying rapidly across the Fort Continent. From a distance, it looked like a fierce bird of prey darting across the skies. This flying style was characteristic of a special warship of the Empire, a model that was both swift and nimble.
Within the airship, all the passengers were seated firmly despite the occasional rocking. These people were of important backgrounds and needed to maintain this level of dignity.
A beautiful lady with neatly done hair was gazing out of the window from the front row.
Silence within the cabin was broken by a sudden exclamation. “What are those!? Werewolf villages?”
The group felt that this was nothing. There were werewolf tribes and villages all along the way. This place called the great corridor was reportedly a werewolf habitat. Qianye had just taken over the place, so there was no way he could’ve cleaned everything up yet.
Besides, there were many types of “taking over” with the most common being nominal. For a place like the great corridor, he could just point on the map proclaim it as his. That was one way to conquer the place as well—it would remain effective until someone stood up to challenge him.
This also meant that most of the aristocratic families believed that Qianye was bluffing about his conquest. They, of course, couldn’t reveal that out of consideration for the dark golden sandstones. What was the objective of conquering territory if not for resources? Everyone was familiar with Fort Continent’s territories, that immigration was impossible. Hence, actual control wasn’t important if there was a steady stream of resources pouring in.
Additionally, they were quite curious about what Qianye wanted to show them. Had they been flown such a long distance just to see some werewolf tribes?
Werewolf villages were special in their own right, and some were curious about them. They couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise as they looked down from the window.
Not far below, tens of thousands of werewolves were working busily around the silhouette of a city. There were still primitive tribal habitats in the distance, but the planning and operation of this city seemed fairly well-knit even from its silhouette.
There were too many werewolves here!
There were tens of thousands of workers, with more elderly and children living in the camps. There were even more of them arriving through the wilderness. From the looks of it, this would become a city of over a hundred thousand after its completion.
A city of such standard would pose a great risk to the human race. Someone commented, “The werewolves are already building such a big city. This Qianye’s rule isn’t so peaceful, it seems.”
Many others chimed in, but an elder didn’t quite agree. “I heard Sire Qianye has already killed the most powerful expert in the area, the Whitebone Duke. Conquering the land is just a matter of time now, why worry?”
Everyone found this line of thought reasonable. This lowered their contempt and dissatisfaction quite a bit. As core characters of their respective clans, they understood the role of a top-expert in a fight for territory—especially one that was rich in resources.
By the time they had passed the werewolf city, one of them said, “I wonder what Sire Qianye wants us to see?”
“Exactly, he called us over from so far away. He must be trying to show us something.”
“I heard the ‘door’ is over here.”
Many people became more alert. The “door” was the most important event for both the Empire and Evernight. Both sides were so focused on exploring this new world that they were no longer fighting. Of course, neither side would mind taking over some territories if the other side became lax.
Someone replied, “I wonder if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that the door appeared in Sire Qianye’s territory. The Transcendent Continent fell into dire straits even with so many aristocratic families working together. Sire Qianye can only rely on himself here, I think it’s going to be a rather difficult task.”
“He’ll have some time to prepare with all these werewolves blocking the way. And with our help, there’s still some hope of stabilizing the situation.”
“But that Western Fortress’ defenses don’t look so strong. Can it hold against the beast horde?”
“Humph! Even if we help him out, what will that change? Are we stronger than those aristocratic families on Transcendent? You have to know that they were all defeated badly and even lost their territories.”
While everyone was in a heated debate, a handsome man in his thirties said, “As I see it, inviting us over at such a time might mean that Sire Qianye has gained a stable footing at the ‘door.’ Maybe he has even dealt with the second wave.”
He glanced at the young lady, saying, “I wonder how Elder Yin sees it?”
The girl finally turned back, revealing the countenance of a stunning beauty. She looked exceptionally young and almost like a little girl. “Elder Kong is so much more experienced, you’re surely right.”
The man laughed out loud. “I’m not that much older than you are, why don’t you forego the formalities and call me by name, or you can also address me by my seniority. I’m fifth among my siblings.”
He offered to let Yin Qiqi address him so, but the others wouldn’t dare disrespect him. Someone asked, “Elder Kong, you said Sire Qianye has found his footing? But he has only managed to take a third of Zheng. Don’t you think it’ll be a bit too difficult with the troops he has?”
Kong Yu said with a smile, “Other people might not be able to do it, but Sire Qianye can.”
“But all those aristocratic families on Transcendent…”
Kong Yu said, “None of those families can walk into Frozen Jade Manor and walk away unscathed, can they?”
That was a battle that shook the Empire. Since then, he became a true major character with the qualifications to lead his own clan. No domestic or foreign power dared to challenge his authority anymore.
Everyone fell silent.
Moments later, someone exclaimed, “What is that!?”
That cry was so loud that even Kong Yu became curious. He moved closer to the window and saw a majestic city on the shores of the Jade Sea, standing between the sky and water. The tall buildings jutting into the sky looked somewhat crude but also contained a hint of tyrannical intent. This was definitely a scene of prosperity.
Who would’ve thought there would be such a city in the middle of this barren land?
Even so, everyone could see that the city was rich in werewolf architecture. The airship flew over the outskirts of the grand city, granting the passengers a clear view of the duke’s residence. The mere sight of it shook their hearts.
“That way, a military camp…” The speaker’s voice was soft, almost as though he had no more strength left to gasp.
All the people here were experienced and insightful people. Each and every one of them had been to the warzone and seen military camps, but not all of them had beheld one this big.
There was a sea of tents outside of the grand city, covering an area even bigger than the city! How many soldiers would be in such a massive army camp?
After observing the camp, their eyes fell upon the tens of thousands of soldiers training in the drill grounds. The group was dumbfounded. Their only hope at this point was for the safety of the airship. Otherwise, no one would escape from this massive werewolf army if they were to drop down.
But their wishes did not come true—the vessel made a sharp descent after flying past the drill grounds. Many of the passengers went pale, their heads filled with words describing their potential fate: hostage, slavery, extortion, torture, food, etc.
The military’s style had always been simple and crude. The airship more or less slammed onto the ground, almost as though they were dropping into battle and completely ignoring the feelings of the nobles inside. The group was fairly strong, but still, many of them were dazed by the sudden impact.
A good number of them remained seated, pale and unwilling to disembark. After all, a hundred-thousand-strong werewolf army was just nearby. Escape would be impossible if they were to charge.
Yin Qiqi was the first to stand up and walk out. There was a young man standing at the end of the gangway—handsome, elegant, and with deep, bottomless eyes. He was an old friend whom she had not seen in many years.
“Qianye!” she called out, jumping down from the ramp and reaching out to touch his head habitually.
Qianye leaned forward with a smile, making it easier for her. Yin Qiqi’s hand froze as she remembered Qianye’s current status halfway through.
“What does Miss Qiqi need?” Qianye asked with a smile, addressing her the way he used to back then.
Yin Qiqi’s eyes turned a bit red. She had half a mind to rub his hair, but the stunned gazes behind stopped her. She couldn’t help but sigh when she recalled their statuses; it felt like there was an invisible barrier in front of her.
Word in the Empire was that Qianye could beat up any early divine champion as soon as he had broken through. Zhao Jundu’s foundations had been damaged, so he was probably not Qianye’s match anymore. Not just anyone could enter the Bai clan’s Frozen Jade Manor. There was a superior divine champion overseeing the place, yet they held back from attacking Qianye. Now, that was rather thought-provoking.
The Drinking Horse Yin Family might be a high-ranking aristocratic family with a long line of inheritance, but no one in their generation could compare to Qianye. Even the head of their family would have to act politely if he were to see Qianye. She might be able to relax in private, but with so many people watching, her hands simply couldn’t move forward.
Yin Qiqi pulled her hand back and bowed respectfully. “Elder Yin Qiqi of the Drinking Horse Yin Family greets Sire Qianye.”
This salutation was performed with great skill. After a brief pause, Qianye came to understand her concern. Myriad emotions ran through his mind, and he simply couldn’t describe what he was feeling now. None of it showed on his face, however. He reached out a hand from afar, “Please, no need for formalities.”
Kong Yu also stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Kong Yu of the Kong family greets Sire Qianye.”
They had performed a salutation reserved for a clan lord, lowering themselves by half a generation even though Qianye was clearly younger than them. Qianye nodded and extended the same response.
With the Yin and Kong families taking the lead, the others had to follow as well. Most of the visitors weren’t even elders yet, so they wouldn’t dare act arrogant. They all stepped forward in greeting, but the difference in status was so great for some that they had no choice but to bow all the way to the ground.
A good while had passed after everyone had had their turn displaying etiquette. Some of those with good judgment had figured out that something wasn’t quite right. “Sire, those werewolves…”
“They have sworn loyalty to me, now they are my soldiers and subjects.”
The group was shocked out of their wits. An elder pointed at the endless formation of werewolf soldiers, asking, “Could it be that all of them are your subjects?”
Qianye nodded. “Yes, all of them.”
These words bore down like thunder, throwing everyone into a daze.
