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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 15 Youlang
No Demon Beast dared to approach him, nor did anyone have the courage to bother him. Flying Wolf sat down on a large rock, reflecting on how over the years he had worked hard to earn the chief's recognition and become his most trusted confidant. His efforts had undoubtedly paid off.
At the same time, he seriously considered Xia Lian. Flying Wolf had previously held a poor impression of her; the idea of her being immortal through body swapping was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle, let alone develop any feelings. However, after getting to know Xia Lian better, she had transformed in his eyes into a beautiful and captivating woman, regardless of whether this was a new body or not.
Flying Wolf once thought that he and Xia Lian would smoothly develop a relationship. He was also a person with a strong sense of pride and wanted others to admire his power and status. Of course, his position meant little to the dignitaries in the major cities, but in this village's hierarchy, he was considered a successful man. Many women in the village had hinted at their affection for him.
Flying Wolf merely smiled it off. Through his own efforts, he had become the chief's confidant and had saved many villagers' lives. With his handsome looks and extraordinary charisma, he believed that Xia Lian would willingly choose him.
But now there was Ji Zichen. The mere thought of Ji Zichen brought displeasure to Flying Wolf. He drew his sword and began hacking at a tree, seemingly taking out his frustrations on it as if it were Ji Zichen. He chopped vigorously until he was out of breath, leaving the tree cracked and splintered, with bark and debris scattered all around.
“She belongs to me!” Flying Wolf shouted at the damaged trunk, his voice echoing through the forest.
“I will make her change her mind!” He was confident in himself, yet his actions now revealed an annoyance that he couldn't shake off. “If it weren't for you, Ji Zichen, she would be mine!”
“The one who is meant for me will be mine!” A radical thought suddenly struck Flying Wolf’s mind; no matter what, he had to gain the upper hand.
“What should I do?” The best way to make someone disappear would naturally be to kill them, but Flying Wolf wouldn’t resort to that—not because he was afraid, but because it wasn’t necessary yet. He hoped Ji Zichen would die in Qingyang City; if she no longer existed in this world, then Xia Lian's choice would also vanish, and she would inevitably be with him.
Flying Wolf halted his chaotic thoughts and took out a handkerchief from his pocket. It belonged to Xia Lian and was embroidered with a lotus flower. She had given it to him when he was seventeen; many years had passed since then. Perhaps Xia Lian had long forgotten about this handkerchief. She hadn’t given it as a token of love but rather as an ordinary gift from a friend.
If Ji Zichen were no longer in the world, they could return to how things used to be. Flying Wolf placed the handkerchief back into his pocket. He had thoroughly investigated Ji Zichen ’s background; he knew well about her life in Fierce Death Valley. Someone like the Arbitrator would certainly pay special attention to Ji Zichen. A question lingered in his mind: “If I hand her over to the Arbitrator, perhaps he might show leniency towards their village.”
-
The war would inevitably become more chaotic; there would certainly be many casualties. Prince Huixin stated, “Only the strongest victor will not face condemnation.”
“As long as we work together with one heart, we will win,” Wei Ye said seriously as he pointed at the defense map on the table. After studying it for a moment, he added, “These are the newly added defensive outposts.”
Prince Huixin stared at the defense map, pondering for a moment before nodding and saying, "The best we can do for the defense is this. Next, we need to intensify our recruitment efforts and also reach out to like-minded individuals."
The thought of the Arbitrator made Prince Huixin feel a wave of nausea, and he pressed his finger heavily on the defense map. "You and I should go to the barracks; we need to get closer to the soldiers."
Wei Ye nodded, and the two headed toward the military camp.
Wei Ye understood Prince Huixin's intentions very well; the more they connected with the soldiers, the more willing those soldiers would be to risk their lives fighting for him.
Upon arriving at the barracks, Prince Huixin inquired about the soldiers' training with genuine concern. Although he was a prince, he lowered his status, wanting the soldiers to feel a sense of brotherhood towards him. Such feelings could be a key factor in achieving victory on the battlefield.
A sergeant replied, "Your Highness, we are all working hard in our training. Every soldier is committed to completely defeating the Desolate Evil Hall."
Prince Huixin nodded in satisfaction. At that moment, a messenger with a feather atop his helmet approached to report, "Your Highness, Lord Zhang has sent word that there have been movements from the Hall of Malevolence Cult in the Mountain Valley outside Zhang City."
Prince Huixin did not respond immediately; he thought to himself, "Is the Arbitrator planning to make a move?" But then he reconsidered, "No, there have been many casualties on their side as well; the Arbitrator wouldn't choose to go to war now." Regardless, Qingyang City and Zhang City were in a precarious situation. Prince Huixin ordered three hundred-man squads to set out at nightfall.
It was clear that most soldiers were reluctant to march at night, but under the cover of darkness, it would be safer than during the day. Although their combat effectiveness might be reduced at night, it also meant a lower probability of conflict. The most important factor in marching and fighting was their determination.
Prince Huixin estimated that this might lead to a large-scale battle, and those from the Hall of Malevolence were waiting not far away for their arrival. A slaughter awaited them, yet they could only charge forward.
-
At that moment when Prince Huixin was responding to Lord Zhang's request, Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu were engaged in a completely different struggle in their dreams.
The Vermilion Bird slowly descended into a deep valley. Ji Zichen couldn't see his own face, but if there were a bronze mirror present, he guessed his face would be pale because they had been flying for quite some time. Now that the Vermilion Bird had landed, it seemed they had reached their destination, which made Ji Zichen feel a twinge of unease.
At that moment, a golden Vermilion Bird emerged from the depths of the valley and said, "Are you Xuanhua from the Green Feather Division? What brings you here?"
Lin Chuyu thought, "The Vermilion Bird we are possessing is called Xuanhua? And what is this Green Feather Division?"
Ji Zichen looked at the two Vermilion Birds' plumage. The one in front of him had golden feathers, while the one they were possessing had green feathers. Ji Zichen said, "Look at the color of their feathers."
Lin Chuyu understood immediately, "Ah, I see now."
Xuanhua spoke, "Yes, I am Xuanhua of the Green Feather Division. I have come to inform you of some matters on behalf of the Green Feather Division. If I remember correctly, you are Li Tang?"
Li Tang nodded, "You have a good memory; we met at Nine Nether Ridge."
Xuanhua continued, "Humans have requested assistance from the divine clan, and soon they will launch an encirclement against us."
Li Tang frowned, seemingly unable to believe it. "How could the divine clan respond to the humans' request?"
Xuanhua shook his head. "I don't know that either, but it is a fact we have verified clearly."
Li Tang's expression darkened. "Since this is the final result of your investigation in the Green Feather Division, I trust you. Do the other divisions know about this?"
Xuanhua replied, "No, you are the first person I have informed."
Li Tang said seriously, "You need to notify the other divisions as soon as possible. We must think carefully about how to respond."
Xuanhua responded, "Of course. I have already sent the message. Please report to your superior and head to Nine Nether Ridge to discuss countermeasures."
Li Tang acknowledged, "I understand."
Xuanhua concluded, "Then we shall meet at Nine Nether Ridge."
With a flap of its wings, Xuanhua soared into the sky. At that moment, a change occurred; Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu had now possessed Li Tang's body, following Li Tang's perspective to meet with Zhi.
Zhi's feathers were similar to Li Tang's, but appeared somewhat aged. Li Tang conveyed Xuanhua's message to Zhi, who sighed, "Discussing this—does it even matter? How could we possibly stand against the divine clan?"
Li Tang replied, "They were the first to notify us. Perhaps they want us to inquire about Youlang."
Zhi pondered for a moment, clearly reluctant, and added, "Then you should go and see if Youlang wishes to meet you. If he has any objections, the Vermilion Bird King is the one most likely to listen."
"I will do my best," Li Tang said as she took her leave. Youlang was one of the five Vermilion Bird Divine Beasts of the Zhuque clan and the greatest ruler of the Golden Feather Tribe, holding power above Zhi. But would he bother to listen to her?
Ever since the Vermilion Bird King decided to divide the Zhuque clan into five tribes, each residing in different locations, Youlang had not been pleased with this decision. It felt to him like being forcibly separated from his family. In a fit of anger, he had not returned to the Zhuque Sanctuary for two hundred years and ignored the summons from the Vermilion Bird King.
Li Tang soared through the air while Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu looked down at the lush green expanse below. After crossing the plains, Li Tang flew into a vast area filled with bizarre rocky mountains. The terrain here was different from ordinary mountains; it was steeper and more jagged, with peaks that appeared less weathered by time.
The landscape was uneven and the climate seemed quite humid. Although Ji Zichen had not descended to experience it firsthand, she believed such a place was unsuitable for human habitation. With important duties at hand and time pressing, she had no interest in admiring these magnificent mountains; however, Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu were deeply moved by the scenery.
Li Tang headed toward the highest peak in the distance. This place felt like an uninhabited tranquil land; facing those towering mountains made Ji Zichen feel like just a drop in the ocean. Surrounded by mountains with no signs of life, everything seemed ethereal and dreamlike.
As Li Tang slowly approached her intended destination, she began to slow down. When she landed atop the highest peak, Ji Zichen immediately spotted an imposing and fierce face.
Another golden-feathered Zhuque appeared before Ji Zichen; this must be Youlang.
Ji Zichen and Lin Chuyu were taken aback, as was Li Tang, who staggered back a few steps under Youlang's overwhelming presence. After a moment, Li Tang gathered her courage and stepped forward again.
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