Chapter 42: The Army is Ready to Set Out

  In order not to get myself into trouble, when I first returned to the Beastman Country, I didn't mention the matter of the Holy Dragon Knights of the Dragon God Empire. I said: "I also just confirmed recently that the Dragon God Empire has a very secret military unit, you shouldn't know about it, right?"

  "The Beast Emperor was taken aback: 'Secret Legion? What Secret Legion.'"

  "I said in a low voice: 'The Holy Dragon Knights, a secret army consisting of only seventeen people.'"

  The Beast Emperor frowned and said: "A Holy Dragon Knights' team consisting of 17 people, what can they do? Even if they are all dragon knights, it's just to increase the power of the Dragon God Empire."

  "They are not formed by dragon knights, but by dragon generals."

  "What? Dragon Knights! Ah, you can't be saying that aside from the three marshals of their empire, there are seventeen more Dragon Knights?" I solemnly nodded.

  "The Beast Emperor widened his eyes and said: 'Seventeen Dragon Knights, seventeen Dragon Knights, no, this is impossible. Do you know how great the destructive power of a Dragon Knight is? They can easily destroy an elite thousand-man squad. If the Dragon God has such strong power, why didn't he wipe out both us and the Demon Clan?'"

  I smiled slightly and said, "This is why I said that secret can let us attack the Demon Clan with peace of mind. Why didn't the Dragon God destroy us and the Demon Clan? There's a reason for this. The ancestors of humans once obtained the guidance of the gods by chance, and the gods said: Every living being has the right to survive, and it is not allowed for them to change the balance of the mainland with their own powerful strength, otherwise they will be punished by heaven. The guidance of the gods is an order for humans, and no one dares to disobey this order. So, have you discovered that the Dragon God Empire rarely sends troops to attack the Demon Clan and us? It's always been on the defensive, and it's precisely because of this that we can live in peace."

  "The Beast Emperor widened his eyes and said, 'You're saying that even if we fight the Demon Clan, the Dragon God won't take advantage of our battle to launch a sneak attack.'"

  I nodded and said, "Right, this is exactly what I meant to express. Even if the Dragon God really comes to launch a sneak attack, they won't go too far, and will always leave us a way out. The magic tribe's strength is stronger than ours, if I were the commander of the Dragon God Empire, at most I would just lead troops to drag down the magic tribe's hind legs, and the best approach is to wait and see."

  At this time, the Beast Emperor had already been infected by my strong self-confidence, and his eyes shot out two cold lights: "What do you want to do? You should know that even without the participation of the Dragon God, the Demon Clan is not something we can easily confront."

  "I knew this, I planned it that way. Our goal is not to attack the demon tribe, but to launch a surprise attack. After all, the two tribes of demons and beasts have always been in a cooperative relationship, we can't afford to be too stiff with the demon tribe, as long as we give them some trouble and let them know that our beastman tribe is not so easy to bully."

  "The Beast Emperor said: 'Tell me in detail, how will you escape?'"

  I smiled slightly, pulled out the map from my bosom, and since the table had already collapsed, I could only spread it flat on the ground. Pointing to a narrow strip of land along the border between the Demon and Beast tribes, I said, "Your Majesty, look here."

  The Beast King also squatted down and said, "Yes, this is the Dundel Province of the Demon Clan. One part of it borders our Leopard People's Wind Eye Territory, and another part borders the Bear People's Mourning Sound Territory. The Demon Clan's province has a very close relationship with these two territories of ours, often conducting some trade, extremely rich, and is one of the Demon Clan's major commercial provinces."

  I nodded and said, "The Demon Clan's Dundde Province has a very long border with our two territories, and it is located in the inland area, so it is not afraid of being attacked by the Dragon God Empire. Therefore, this province is extremely rich, and there will not be too many troops stationed here. What I want to do is to use the fastest speed to bring people to occupy the entire Dundde Province, sweep away their various materials, what do you think?"

  I pointed to a point within the borders of Dundee Province on the map: "This is Stanra City, the capital of Dundee Province. I've inquired about it, and it's an extremely large city, the largest commercial center in the inland areas of the Demon Clan. As long as we occupy that place, we can defend the city and negotiate with the Demon Clan. Since the entire Dundee Province is under our control, we can station troops in several cities around Stanra City, forming a pincer movement. I think that even if we don't transport supplies ourselves, the plundered materials will be enough to support the army's use. As long as we can hold out for a period of time, the Demon Clan will not give up such a rich province. At that time, I want to let them know that my Beastman Nation is not so easy to bully."

  The Beast Emperor stood up and paced back and forth in the imperial study. After a while, he stopped and asked solemnly: "Are you really sure? What if the Demon Clan sends a large army to attack our other territories when we attack their Dundell Province?"

  "I've thought of this too, to avoid such a situation, I hope you can gather the armed forces from each territory of our country and station them in several large territories bordering the demon tribe. I think that if the Demon Emperor doesn't get rid of these invaders, they won't dare to attack our inland areas with a small isolated force."

  The Beast Emperor smiled bitterly: "You think it's too simple, we just sacrificed 3 million troops in the battle against the Dragon God, how can those tribal leaders still be willing to send troops to help us attack the Demon Clan. Those bastards, they will only shrink back into their own territory."

  I smiled slightly and said, "Hmph, when the time comes, they won't be able to help but send troops. We can directly launch an attack on the Magic Clan's Dundell Province first, and then notify those clan leaders to gather their forces to defend themselves. They don't need to send a single soldier or officer to fight, and in the orders we give them, we can tell them that the Magic Clan may attack at any time, so if they still want to preserve their power and status, they must unite to defend the border. If I'm not mistaken, these selfish guys all have elite troops up their sleeves. As long as they're not thinking of betraying the entire Beastman clan, I think they'll know what's best for themselves." The mention of elite troops was something I inferred from my interactions with Jinsil and Panzong.

  The beast king was stunned for half a day before reacting: "But this is too risky, if we don't notify the tribal leaders and get their approval before the war, I will be impeached by them jointly. If we start fighting in front, they won't help defend us from behind, what can we do? Won't our beast tribe..."

  I shook my head and said, "It won't happen. Firstly, no one wants their homeland to fall; secondly, the demon tribe wouldn't let us beastmen go extinct either. If we were to perish, who would they form an alliance with to resist the Dragon God Empire? From the beginning, I've said that our goal isn't to truly go to war with the demon tribe. We just want to do something to give them a strong shock, so they won't dare bully us at will anymore. As long as we leave some face for the demon tribe in the end, I think they'll be happy to accept it."

  "You're right, but if you don't notify the chiefs of each tribe first, what will we use to attack Dunde Province? The people on our side have reported to me that there are as many as 50,000 garrison troops in Dunde Province, and the commander of the garrison is a fallen angel."

  I rolled up the map and said, "Your Majesty, if you want to win this battle, you must give me the right to a free point. I don't ask for anything else, I only ask for two words: trust, can I?"

  "Of course," said Beast Emperor solemnly, "you are my son, how could I not trust you? What do you want to do?"

  A flash of cold light flickered in my eyes as I asked, "How many men are left in your Wild Lion Army?"

  "The Beast Emperor replied: 'There are still over 30,000, but I need them to defend the Imperial Capital, can't give you all of them.'"

  "I don't need all of them, I just hope you can allocate 10,000 elite troops to me and have the Bimon giant beast legion take out 1,000 people for my father to lead. Yunna and Sasari will also send some elites. With these people, I can take down the entire Dundee in the shortest time. Of course, the most important thing is that these people must be commanded by me, not my father."

  "The Beast King frowned and said, 'I can give you the Crazy Lion Army, but don't even think about touching the Bimon Army. You should know that the Bimon Army not only represents the strongest power of my beastman tribe, but also has a reputation on par with the Fallen Angel Army and the Dragon Knight Army. If we mobilize them, the Fallen Angel Army of the Demon Tribe will naturally join this battle, and it's hard to imagine winning.'"

  I shook my head: "No, I need a more powerful impact than Meng to attack the fortress. This action absolutely cannot be done without them. As for the Fallen Angel Legion, don't worry about it, they may not be able to harm us that much. To take a step back, if they join the battle, can you tell me how many people are in the Fallen Angel Legion?"

  The Beast Emperor thought for a moment and said: "There should be more than thirty, during the last attack on the Dragon God, two of them died, but they also killed two dragon knights."

  "I calmly said: 'Alright, let me analyze the current situation of the Fallen Angel Legion for you. As far as I know, there are 38 of them in total. You mentioned earlier that two have already died, so that leaves 36. This time, we managed to eliminate four Fallen Angels with our combined strength of three people on the battlefield of Sasari, which means there are now 32 left. During my time in the Human Dragon Empire, I heard from frontline scouts that the Demon Clan is currently divided into two factions: one led by the Demon Emperor, who controls most of the Fallen Angels, and another faction whose leader is unknown but also controls about a third of the Fallen Angels. The two factions have clashed secretly before, resulting in four Fallen Angels losing their lives. Looking at it this way, excluding the Demon Emperor and his Four-Winged Fallen Angel guard, there are only 28 Fallen Angels left. Even if the Demon Emperor can control all the Fallen Angels, he won't let them all come out to take risks. After all, our 1,000-strong army of Mong warriors isn't just for show. And with me, the Nine-Headed Snake Panzong, the Double-Headed Wolf Jinying, plus my father, we can at least handle around ten Fallen Angels. Even if a Four-Winged one comes, my father can take care of it. With our coordination and the strength of the Mong Beast, I think they won't be able to do much.'"

  Actually, there is a water content in these words. When I killed the fallen angel at first, I was also transformed at the same time. But if I lead the beastman tribe to attack, can I become a fallen angel? Definitely not.

  The Beast Emperor was clearly moved by my words: "Can you bring the two spiritual leaders of the Snake People and the Wolf People to see me?"

  I nodded and said, "Of course. I know you also need time to consider it. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring them to see you. Your Majesty, you must make a decision as soon as possible. The sooner the better, as speed is crucial in war. To minimize losses, we must prepare as early as possible. I know this operation involves certain risks, but the greater the danger, the greater the reward."

  "Uh, I see. You can go down first." It's clear that the Beast Emperor's expression is extremely exhausted, and it's really difficult to make a decision on this matter. If he makes a wrong move, he will become a sinner of the beastman tribe, so I won't pressure him anymore.

  "Yes, Your Majesty. I, your subject, take my leave. Please take care of your health."

  Just as I was about to leave, the Beast Emperor called out to me again: "Ah! Wait a minute, Lei Xiang."

  "Do you have any other instructions?" "Since you're back, why not go home and see your father? He's been in a bad mood lately because of the defeat last time. After all, he is your biological father. And if you want this attack on the demon clan to succeed, you must convince him. You want to bring the Bimon warriors, don't you? Then ask your father if he agrees."

  "I will, Father Emperor." It's time to go back for a visit. I haven't seen my father in a long time. Although I don't have any feelings for him, and it can even be said that there is only hatred, I still cannot ignore his position in my heart. Which son doesn't feel proud of his father's strength? Who doesn't want their father to be a hero respected by everyone?

  The Beast Emperor saw that my eyes were a bit dazed, and then said: "Your mother is living very well in the imperial palace, her changes are great. I went to see her once when you just left, and I went again a few days ago. Although it's only been a few months, the change is quite obvious. I almost couldn't recognize her."

  When he mentioned his mother, I felt a warmth in my heart: "Father, thank you for taking care of Mother. I'll go see her later."

  "Alright, you can go now... I need to think carefully about this." After watching me leave, the Beast King muttered to himself: "What should I do?"

  A dark shadow flashed, and a figure that couldn't be seen clearly floated beside the Beast Emperor: "Your Majesty, this child is right, this is an opportunity. If others bully you to your face and you don't resist, then your prestige will be even lower in the future. Moreover, the Demon Clan will become even more overbearing..."

  The Beast Emperor raised his hand, stopping the dark shadow from continuing: "Do you think Ray can be completely trusted? If this time is really successful, then his prestige in the Beastman Empire will also increase greatly. Moreover, you also heard that he only used such a short period of time to subdue the Snake People and Wolf People, I am somewhat uneasy."

  "Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking bluntly. From what I've observed of Lei Xiang, this child doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives. Based on my years of experience in reading people, he genuinely wants to help the Beastmen become stronger. The principle of 'doubting someone is unnecessary, using them without suspicion' should be clear to you. Moreover, his mother is still in our hands, so he can't play any tricks. The most crucial point is that he doesn't have the appearance of a Beastman, how can he possibly win over the crowd? Therefore, I advise you not to worry unnecessarily."

  After hearing his words, the Beast Emperor's expression changed slightly, and he sighed, saying: "If a situation where merit is high and shocking to the lord were to occur, it might not be so easy to resolve. However, you're right, I should reuse him. To be honest, I quite like this child, if only he were my own son."

  "Heiying said: 'You don't have to rush into a decision either, wait for our people to come back and ask him if Lei Xiang is trustworthy or not, isn't it better to make a decision after that?'"

  "The Beast Emperor nodded and said, 'Alright, let's discuss this first. If we attack...' Just then, a loud voice sounded from outside the imperial study: 'Report.'"

  "The Beast Emperor roared in anger: 'Didn't I tell you not to disturb me?'"

  The person outside replied: "I beg to report to Your Majesty, it is someone from the Demon Clan who has come, and they insist on seeing you in person, so I..."

  "Huh? The demon clan has arrived." The Beast Emperor glanced at the black shadow and said, "What does the demon clan want?" "It seems... it seems..."

  "What's with the hemming and hawing? Spit it out."

  "Yes, Your Majesty, the messenger from the Demon Clan seems to be asking us for money." The Beast Emperor was furious and stood up suddenly, angrily humming: "Damn it, these bastards are endless! Our losses are much greater than theirs, yet they come to ask us for money, I'm so angry I could die."

  "The man must be seen, Your Majesty, calm down." The Beast Emperor, after all, was the ruler of a country, took two deep breaths and ordered the guards outside in a low voice: "Take the demon envoy to the Imperial Palace and wait for me, I'll be right there."

  "Yes, Your Majesty." The dark shadow had already disappeared when the Beast Emperor spoke. He gritted his teeth and straightened his clothes before rushing to the Imperial Palace. As soon as I left the imperial study, I could no longer hold back my thoughts of Mother and hurriedly made my way to her residence in the garden at top speed.

  The garden gate was open, and inside it was extremely quiet, without any movement. The fragrance of flowers and grass wafted out from the courtyard, I love this natural atmosphere, suddenly feeling carefree and relaxed. I tread lightly, holding my breath, and quietly walked in.

  My mother's familiar back suddenly appeared in front of me, she was squatting in the yard sorting out those flowers and grasses, her movements were very serious and careful, as if afraid to damage those things.

  My mother wore a pale pink dress today, with a white cloak made of some unknown fur on the outside. Although it's already winter and the weather here is not bad, it's still a bit cold. My mother's hair was black and shiny, and occasionally a gust of wind would blow by, lifting up a few strands of her hair.

  When I see my mother, I feel that all the blood in my body is boiling, this must be the feeling of being connected by blood ties. In order not to disturb my mother's interest, I walk over step by step with care.

  But I forgot about my tall body, and when I came behind my mother, the shadow cast by my body blocked out the sunlight, and the ground suddenly darkened.

  Her mother's hands were surprisingly agile, and she quickly jumped forward, suddenly turning her head and shouting: "Who is it?"

  I took a step forward, thud, and knelt down on the ground: "Mom, I'm back." Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

  Mother hastily grasped my arms and excitedly said: "Son, how did you come back so quickly? Hurry up, get up and let mom take a look."

  My mother's presence brought a warm and soothing energy field, making me feel very comfortable. The strange discomfort I felt the other day suddenly weakened a lot, which might be the effect of green tourmaline.

  My mother helped me up and looked at me carefully, I also gazed at my mother. Indeed, as the Beast King said, my mother and I have changed a lot compared to when we left. Not only did she regain her raven hair, but her skin also became more delicate and radiant, no longer dry like before. The wrinkles on her face faded as her body gradually plumped up.

  My mother is indeed a beautiful woman, although she is nearly forty and has gone through decline, but now I can see the elegance of her girlhood from her. My mother wiped away my tears while saying kindly: "Child, you've lost weight. You must have suffered these days outside."

  No wonder I've lost weight, spending most of the time in bed. It's only natural that I'd lose weight. I held my mother's hand and said, "This doesn't count for anything, how can there be gains without sacrifices? You're really beautiful."

  A flush of red swept across her mother's face, making her look even more stunning, and she scolded, "You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you trying to make fun of your mom?"

  I smiled and said: "How could that be? Mom, I'm telling the truth. You really are very beautiful. I'm so happy to see you so healthy and strong."

  My mother pulled my hand and said, "Come on, let's go inside to talk." As we walked into the room, she pushed me onto a chair and sat down beside me. Her kind eyes never left my face.

  "Child, you know, when you first told me that I could recover my looks, I didn't have much hope at all. But after half a year of recuperation, I think it's likely that within three years, I'll be able to return to normal. Mom really wants to thank you, you gave me the hope to live on." As she spoke, her mother's eyes reddened.

  I affectionately called out: "Mom!" and took a step forward, squatting down in front of my mother.

  My mother held my head in her arms, and the strong life force nourished my body and mind under the embrace of maternal love. "Mom, these are all things I should do, you are already one of the most beautiful among your peers now."

  My mother pressed her face against my head and asked casually, "Really?" I smiled slightly and said, "Of course it's true. Have you forgotten? I've been to Longshen before."

  "Mother said, 'Yes, you've been to Longshen before. I don't know if I'll have the chance to go back in this lifetime.' I firmly said, 'There is, of course there is. Once I take care of things with the beastmen, I will definitely bring you back. The Duke will be overjoyed to see you.'"

  "Mother said faintly, 'If I could really go back, I just want to take a sneak peek at him in the dark, that's enough for me. I don't want to ruin someone else's family. Child, I forbid you from telling him I'm still alive, do you understand?'"

  I stood up, furrowed my brow and said: "Mom, I don't understand. After all these years, isn't this what you've been waiting for? Why not meet with the Duke? I believe Uncle Lin Feng is not someone who forgets past relationships."

  Her mother smiled wryly and said, "I just know he's not that kind of person, I don't want to see him, do you understand? If we meet, what about his wife, his daughter, his family, and even the power he has now may all be lost. He has already paid too much for me, I cannot let him suffer again, it has been so many years since we last saw each other, why should I give him more trouble? Ah! By the way, what do you plan to do with his two daughters?

  As I mention Ziyan and Zixue, a wave of tender feelings flashes in my eyes, intense longing surges in my heart, leaving me speechless for a moment. "Foolish child, from your eyes, I can tell that you truly like them, but why can't you just choose one? You men are always hoping to have three wives and four concubines."

  My face turned red, I scratched my head, and somewhat awkwardly said: "Actually, I don't want to be that way either. In terms of emotions, sometimes it's just not something you can control. Mom, I'm really not the kind of person who changes their mind as easily as turning over one's hand."

  "Alright, mom knows you're a good kid. As long as you grasp yourself and don't hurt these people who love you, no matter how many wives you bring back home, mom will support you."

  I said with emotion: "Thank you, Mom."

  "Right, didn't you say it would take a long time before you came back? How come you're back so soon?"

  I sighed and said, "Something happened and I had to come back. Do you still remember those bodyguards of mine? This time when I went out, only Meng Ke was left to follow me back, the others were all killed."

  "Mother exclaimed: "What? They're all dead? Didn't you say those guards were very skilled?" I gritted my teeth and said: "No matter how good their skills are, they can't withstand the fallen angel of the demon clan. Those bastards from the demon clan, in order to prevent our beastman nation from developing, actually resorted to such a despicable tactic. I will never let them off easily, this time I came back is to discuss with Your Majesty about sending troops."

  "Are we going to fight again?"

  I grasped my mother's hand and said, "Mom, I know you don't like violence, but when the enemy is already at our doorstep, shouldn't we fight back? After all, we need to protect our home from being invaded, right?"

  "Mother suddenly said solemnly: 'Ah Xiang, can you promise Mom one thing.'"

  I nodded happily and said: "Of course, it's okay. Don't just say one thing, even if it's ten things or a hundred things, as long as you instruct me, mom, I will definitely help you achieve your wishes."

  His mother said with relief: "That's good, I hope you can agree to me, no matter what happens in the future, don't lead soldiers to fight against Longshen, okay?"

  Not taking troops to fight the Dragon God? I bowed my head and thought for a moment, saying: "Mom, if everything goes smoothly, we'll teach the Demon Clan a lesson this time, and then calm down the Beastmen. After that, I'll take you to the Dragon God Empire. I think it shouldn't cause any conflict with them, besides, there's someone I love most in the Dragon God Empire."

  Her mother's face sank and she said, "I want a clear answer from you, okay?"

  Seeing mother somewhat angry, I hastily said: "Alright, I, Lei Xiang, swear that for the rest of my life, I will absolutely not lead the Beastman tribe's army to attack the Human Dragon God Empire. If I violate this oath, may heaven and earth destroy me."

  My mother covered my mouth when I was about to say something, and said with a scowl: "I only asked you to promise me, who told you to make an oath." I suddenly remembered something and asked: "Mom, until now I still don't know what your real name is, tell me quickly."

  Her mother smiled slightly and said, "You're just thinking of asking now? Remember, Mom's name is Ziyun."

  I asked in doubt: "Isn't it Ziling?"

  "Silly child, Lingling is Mommy's nickname, Mommy's full name is Ziyun."

  "Zi Yun sounds great too! By the way, mom, I've sworn brotherhood with a few beastman friends."

  "What kind of people are they?"

  "Counting me, there are four people in total. I'm the fourth, and my only surviving guard is Meng Ke. To be honest, I bear a great deal of responsibility for the death of the guards. If I had returned two days earlier, perhaps the tragedy wouldn't have occurred." As I spoke of the deceased guards, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. "So, I must protect Meng Ke well and absolutely cannot let him come to any harm again." Speaking of the four people, it should actually be five, because the second is the Double-Headed Wolfman Jinyu - they have two wolf heads and also two brains. My mother asked curiously: "Are there really beastmen like that? I've never heard of them before."

  I smiled wryly and said, "Don't say you haven't heard of it, I haven't either. This time, not only did we see the double-headed wolf, but also the nine-headed snake. Fortunately, he only has one mind, otherwise it would be chaotic. The nine-headed snake is actually our big brother Panzong, and his name was given by me."

  "Where are they now?"

  "I had Third Brother take them to arrange their accommodations and didn't come back with me."

  "Mother said: "This is where you're wrong, why didn't you bring them back home? We have enough space here, even if it's dozens of people, it's no problem. The Beast Emperor won't blame you anyway."

  Yes, how could I have forgotten? I hugged my mother and kissed her on the cheek.

  "Mother, you're right, I'll go find them now." After saying that, I hastily ran out.

  Her kind smile watched me leave: "This child."