Blacksun Valley, the Empire’s side.
The Imperial Guard duly executed the heavenly monarch’s orders. The fleet unloaded the ground forces and cargo at the designated location, then set out on the return journey.
Tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers grasped this opportunity to begin constructing a fortress. No one knew when another attack would come.
These new soldiers weren’t clear what had just happened, nor did they understand when the Empire regained the power to build another fortress. None of that was important to these ordinary soldiers because all that mattered was for them to have a defensive stronghold. The presence or absence of a fortress would make a big difference in the death toll.
They didn’t really care about what was going on above, only about how long they would survive.
Now that Song Zining had woken up, he naturally resumed his post as the commander of the Empire’s forces in the new world. It was just that his body hadn’t fully recovered, and there would be no active battles in the near future. So, he finally gave in to everyone’s persuasion and went back to the Empire to rest for three days, getting a checkup in the process.
After sending him away, the core generals finally heaved a sigh of relief. They no longer needed to worry about him dashing into the dark race camp.
After returning to the Empire, Song Zining discovered that there was no news at all about the last battle at Blacksun Valley. All intelligence channels merely described the Empire’s return to the valley and the ongoing construction work. There wasn’t a single word about the process or any mention of Qianye’s name.
All records of Qianye’s ragtag army—a force that had broken through countless blockades and defeated forces several times their own—had been wiped clean.
The weird thing was that the Evernight side was also quiet, almost as though their tremendous loss in titled experts didn’t affect them at all.
Duke Minghai and Xuke Wenyuan did receive their rewards but under a different name.
Duke Wenyuan could only sigh when he heard of these developments. He was in no position to speak out as his crime had just been pardoned and the final processing had yet to be completed. Not only had his faction offended the Radiant Emperor, but they also failed to gain the favor of Prince Greensun’s group. They had been completely marginalized to the point where he couldn’t get a glimpse of anything remotely classified.
Duke Minghai claimed sickness and had applied for leave to recuperate in his hometown. The doc.u.ments had been delivered to the military but not yet approved.
Liu Chengyun regained his old post. He went around begging everyone after being sent back to the Empire by Qianye and, in the end, his contributions weren’t docked as Qianye had ordered. The old man was rather active in seeking more errands to do.
Although he wasn’t a part of the final assault, he had followed Qianye into several big battles before that. Those who survived such fights without injuries would always make some progress in cultivation, and Liu Chengyun’s benefits weren’t small. According to the doctor, he would live ten more years at least.
News of his prolonged lifespan changed everything. He started making plans for himself, no longer eager to earn contributions with his last breath.
Liu Chengyun hated Qianye to the bones for trying to dock his contribution points. Once he was free, the old man immediately submitted several memorials to the Imperial court, accusing Qianye of one crime after the other. Unfortunately, however, the old man failed to grasp what was going on in court. Some of the higher echelons didn’t want to bring up Qianye’s topic at all, be it good or bad.
Liu Chengyun’s memorials only invited severe rebuke from the Imperial court, and even the army corps assigned to him as a reward was revoked. His supporters also shut their doors and refused to meet him. In the end, Liu Chengyun couldn’t act recklessly anymore and had no choice but to keep his grudges to himself.
This was the scene Song Zining saw when he returned to the Empire.
Many people believed that Song Zining would go about crying injustice for Qianye. Who would’ve thought he’d leave again after reading half an hour’s worth of battle reports?
Just as he was about to leave the military, a general called out to him. “The elder prince wishes to invite you to his manor if you can spare some time.”
Song Zining glanced at the time. “I’ve heard so many good things about the food at the elder prince’s residence but never had the opportunity to try. Judging from the time, I guess I’ll be able to try the chef’s cuisine today?”
The general laughed. “That’s a given. The elder prince is already waiting at the table.”
“What are we waiting for then?”
Moments later, Song Zining walked into the Pointer Monarch’s residence where he was led to a pavilion by the lakeside. The cutlery had been laid out on the table and the maids were starting to deliver the dishes.
The Pointer Monarch was fishing at the lakeside. He greeted the seventh young master upon noticing his arrival, “Zining, you’re here at the right time. Have a seat. These dishes won’t taste as good if you were any later.”
Song Zining didn’t refuse the invitation. He sat down at the second seat and drank three cups with the Pointer Monarch.
After three cups, the old monarch sent the attendants away with a wave of his hand.
After there was no one around them, he said, “Do you have any objections about how Qianye’s case was handled?”
“Was it your idea?”
“Not entirely, but I did give them the nod.”
Song Zining said after a moment of silence. “It’s impossible for me to be satisfied with this, but you must have your reasons for doing so. Zining wishes to know so that I’ll learn how to handle such matters should they arise in the future.”
The Pointer Monarch said, “I know this isn’t fair to Qianye. I was just like you guys at one point, I’ve done my fair share of impulsive things. As I grew older, I came to understand that family and country come before all.”
Song Zining listened attentively.
The Pointer Monarch sighed, “You must’ve heard some stories about my youth. Truth be told, that matter was stuck in my chest for an entire twenty years without pause. One day, I realized that the world is so big, with so many people. How can there be justice for everyone?
The pointer monarch went down memory lane for a moment. “Actually, Qianye received my inheritance and can be considered half a disciple. The Empire and I owe him too much. Do you know why I did what I did?”
Song Zining said, “I understand Nighteye’s matter. Although I don’t know which ancient character she’s awakened, she will become a calamity for the Empire once she’s at full power. The Empire is in the process of resurgence and three supremes is already too much for us to handle. We cannot allow for a fourth.”
“That is indeed the case. Although I feel ashamed, I really have no choice. She might not have any enmity toward the Empire, but if one day she does, no one can shoulder that risk. We cannot allow it to happen even if the chances are one in ten thousand. A powerhouse like the one she’s awakened has to be nibbed at the bud, or the Empire’s resurgence might die young.”
Song Zining nodded.
The Pointer Monarch glanced at him. “Whether or not you understand now, you’ll know ten years later when the reigns of the Empire are in your hands.”
Without waiting for a reply, the old man continued, “Do you know what we’ve been relying on to sustain the people’s fighting spirit?”
This was a difficult question. Although Song Zining knew a fair bit of history, he wasn’t a researcher in this area. He felt that there were numerous answers but none of them sounded right.
Noticing the silence, the Pointer Monarch said, “Those of a different race will always have different intentions. These words were left behind by the founding ancestor.”
“This…” Song Zining hadn’t guessed this would be the answer. He had found himself growing quite averse to these words in recent years. At the very least he wouldn’t just bundle all dark races up into one.
The Pointer Monarch laughed. “The Empire now has billions of people under its rule. So many people, so many differences, how many of them do you think are educated enough to know reason? Most of them toil to get through the day and all they want is to relax, there’s no use reasoning with them. The only way to unite everyone is a common enemy. A strong, evil, and extreme enemy that can’t be easily defeated, best add a deep mutual hatred and a sea of blood to the story.
“After the Empire built its first foundation, the generation that had suffered the cruelty of the dark races were starting to leave this world. The newer generations wanted a peaceful life. They had never experienced being raised like livestock nor the fear of being eaten any day. They didn’t want to, either. Taking the temporary peace for granted, they felt that a single continent was enough to live and multiply on. The grey deals they made under the table became a future for them to look forward to.
“The popular thought among the people was that the humans had proven that they were independent and free, that the ceasefire was proof of that. They felt that the ceasefire should be expanded into a permanent agreement for peace. The holy war between the dark races was due to conflicts acc.u.mulated over tens of thousands of years. The humans didn’t have this kind of history with them, so peaceful coexistence wasn’t out of reach. It was then that the elders realized the founding ancestor’s foresight and the words he had spoken. Since then, the Empire stopped tolerating any other race—in the eyes of ordinary people, at least. Then they used various channels at their disposal to spread news about the dark races’ violent conduct. Just like that, the hatred grew with each generation until this very day.”
Song Zining listened with bated breath.
“With an external enemy, things became easier to manage inside the Empire. All the major aristocratic families and clans understood this logic. Besides, the war with Evernight was simply a fight for resources—a contest between and within factions. As the nobility grew stronger, the resources they needed increased as well, so a fight was inevitable. Look at the four major clans and all aristocratic families, all of them own industries related to war.”
Song Zining nodded. The Song clan had made a fair bit of their fortune in arms, and their crafts manor was also famous throughout the world. They could even build airsh.i.p.s on their own. Other big clans like the Bai clan excelled in making armor, while the Yin family specialized in ammunition.
“I know you’ve seen a lot of mutual exchanges between the Empire and Evernight. Just think about it, what common traits do they share?”
Song Zining saw through the point. “They’re all related to the top powerhouses.”
The Pointer Monarch nodded. “You’re right. The Imperial family, the major clans, and the military understand this very clearly. Evernight has the resources we need, and we also have things they want. Dealings were inevitable. We were afforded an advantage in price because their races were locked in a holy war. This has contributed much to the growth of the Empire as a whole.”
That was indeed the case. The higher Song Zining’s position grew the more frequently he saw dealings between the two factions. Yet, the Empire had only grown stronger instead of weakening.
The Pointer Monarch said, “These mutually beneficial arrangements had to be in the hands of the major clans. Otherwise, ordinary people will find out that the dark races are potential business partners, that they have their own reasoning and dignity, just like humans.
“It’s human nature to fear difficulty and seek easiness, to the point where they would start to entertain impractical illusions. Just look at the provinces that haven’t fought in territorial wars for a long time, see how they were easily routed by the beast army of the new world? Will humans have eternal peace today if we had secured a seat at the Evernight Council? Ignoring the small races that have disappeared throughout history, just look at the werewolves’ situation. It’s only been a thousand years since they lost their supreme.”
“The bloodthirsty will surely die, and those who forget how to fight will surely be in peril. The founding ancestor and predecessors sacrificed their blood and bones for the human race’s honor. They didn’t do it just so we can join their council, follow their rules, and ultimately disappear as a declining race. This world was full of darkness, to begin with. We, humans, were always the aliens here.”
