Three Days Later. (Y1010年 07月 25日)

  Julius’ phone rang in his pocket, prompting him to pull it out. His home screen revealed notifications of the Moon Senate’s latest vote. It was an 89-11 vote, with President Yang leading the majority, and she was the one who sent him a message. A better result compared to his first budget session. He stood up from the chair under his tent, viewing the capital of ??i Nam Cai, Hoàng thành Phong ??m from outside on a hill. Their post was about twenty miles or about thirty-two kilometers away. In that distance, they got a good view of the compounded civilization’s exterior in person. Unlike in Longyue’s Moon Palace, Phong ??m was more circular, like an arena, and within was the citadel. Julius and Empress Cai looked at the map with Han, who came along at the last minute. He came in through the tent.

  The citadel was where the kings, queens, and loyalists resided. That was all in its walls within. A separate gate was required to pass and reach inside its perimeters. What lies beyond the Citadel’s walls were the rest of Phong ??m. According to Empress Cai’s undercover team, there were forty square city blocks. Equilateral sides of 2 miles. It was a grid city plan. Ten rows and four columns, so it’s a decent walk across, putting the total distance significantly longer than the distance from the High Cai Plateau’s entrance gate to the Moon Palace complex’s wall. Of course, there were a couple of spots that didn’t follow the grid plan, giving the city’s irregular circular wall.

  A view of the city again where a few buildings stood high, taller than the walls. In a tighter density, it had way more skyscrapers than the current Longyue. The unique thing about these tall buildings was that they are institutions, mainly for education and research. Other than the mentions, there was nothing else to mention. On the whole, ??i Nam Cai has many problems. Massive wealth inequality, merit discrimination, and literacy levels were less than sixty percent. Han’s perspective of ??i Nam Cai, where he was for his teenage years until he was recruited by Emperor Cai V, was enough to decide how to deal with this southern neighboring country. It was more evident where Julius and the entire camp were stationed, the view of the distance to Hoàng thành Phong ??m where the vast numbers of fields. Farmers who were in their fields worked long hours to grow grain, wheat, rice, and many of the nation’s fruits.

  Han told him that this was exactly how he was raised and what led him to innovate the carriages. A few cities like the capital, but the rest were all farm villages and towns. That summed up the ??i Nam Cai’s economy.

  “Eighty-nine percent passed the bill in the Moon Senate. We’re clear to move forward on whatever we can,” Julius announced to the two.

  “Let us then use those funds wisely,” Empress Cai said, lifting herself up from her seat. She walked outside of the tent, tying up her robe. “Shall we get ready?”

  Julius sat down again briefly and closed up the belt of his black jeans; the first in a long time of using a buckled belt. He tightened it around his waist, tucked his inner black and Longyue-made T-shirt in, and put on his black overcoat before standing back up. He joined with Empress Cai and Han, taking a second to view the capital once more. Julius turned to his left, which directed to the rest of the camp. A gesture to Feng and Father Kang, where they ordered everyone to head down. Empress Cai launched and flew to a separate section of the camp where her army was stationed, and Han went back to his tent.

  Dr. Annia came into the scene from her tent, where she was accompanied by Gretel. Annia was holding her physician’s coat. The cool winds amped as she arrived closer. Julius felt the leaves levitating and flowing to his right. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m still not used to my height yet. I might regret wanting to be taller.”

  “Don’t regret it now. I have already grown up twice before, and I will probably go through another one. Let’s hope there’s a limit one day.”

  “No wonder the building's ceiling was so high,” Gretel commented.

  “You two ready?” Julius asked.

  “I think so,” Annia said, putting on her new doctor’s coat made by Solomon. “Before we leave, I heard you have a personal doctor. Is she good?”

  “Many loved her…She was resilient enough that most people would give up. Her selfishness led her to save thousands of people, and she cured Celeste and Empress Cai from near death,” Julius answered. “She would be delighted to have you on board. You had more time as a doctor, so that’s more arm strength.”

  “Is she a cultivator?”

  Julius shook his head. “No, not yet. That’ll be up to her if she wants to be one. Either way, she has background experience in researching how qi functions in our bodies. You’re scientific, so you should be safe talking to Dr. Bai Lian about all the things you contributed.”

  Annia exhaled, before giving a nod and a gentle hand rub on his arm. Gretel walked up, whispering into his ear. “She’s a little jealous, don’t worry.”

  “Why would she be?” Julius asked. He didn’t read her mind.

  “Playboy…That’s why.”

  “Oh, that’s a statement. As I've mentioned before, I’m not committed to anything yet, and unfortunately, I’m probably cursed by this prophecy…” Julius sighed. “…More pain.”

  Gretel stretched her legs, warming up. “Moving on, so what do we do now?”

  “We are heading to the capital.” Julius pointed to the city. “If we can make a diplomatic deal, then that will be less trouble for us.”

  “What if that fails?”

  Julius paused. “We will attack and unite all the farmers in a rebellion. Well, we already have a plan with the farmers, but that’s a different topic. Let’s hope for the former option with no strings attached.”

  “I’ll be with Mom; see you soon.”

  Gretel departed, leaving Julius, and the latter went to a tent adjacent to Han’s, where his hypercar was parked inside. He lifted the tent’s flaps and opened the butterfly driver’s door, entering inside the vehicle. One loud startup and he launched out of the tent. Julius steered and drove a little away from the camp as the plumes of white smoke unleashed from its jet-like exhaust. After a moment of the hypercar fuming, it rode down the hill to a solid dirt pavement. The wheels ground as they moved along. Everyone began descending from the hill while Julius drove past the hill and stopped. He waited until a little portion of the army had got down. When his rear mirror was all cultivators, his foot pressed on the gas pedals.

  The D.M.1 sped down the pavement undisturbed. Everybody picked up the pace, and some flew at low altitudes to not attract attention. However, the smoke trail from the hypercar’s speed on the dirt pavement gave a signal from the capital. Hence, the Hoàng thành Phong ??m’s gates opened. Even from afar, Julius’ ears heard the loud clunk echo miles away. His car reached beyond 300 miles per hour, reducing the travel time to one minute.

  Because the gates and the walls were massively tall, the time it took to open the entrance was relatively slow. When Julius arrived, he had to drift and put on his vehicle brakes. His eyes observed the opening widened from the center.

  “You thought if this was a qi cultivation world, the gates would’ve opened quicker,” Julius muttered to himself. Licht’s voice hummed afterward. “I haven’t heard anything from you in a while.”

  “I know…I’ve been sleeping way too much.”

  “That’s impressive. You are basically like a bear who hibernates over a long stretch in the winter…Except all the recent actions would jolt you up. Are you okay?”

  “Do I have to mention again that I’m a lazy bastard? With all the capabilities, you should’ve known about that.”

  “Good point…It was nice talking about anything, even for a second.”

  “Same to you.”

  The gate finally opened completely, and everyone who followed had arrived at the spot. They were welcomed by a few individuals who bowed and gestured them in. To be honest, an unnecessary and boring exchange. So, Julius pressed the gas pedals once again, launching the vehicle in to shoo them from their spots. When he moved away, he slowed down the hypercar. Funny enough, the three caught on to what he was doing, attempting to berate him for it. In response, he shunned them on the knees hard with his qi through his car’s doors until they cried. He got no faint of qi from them, so they are probably normal humans. An answer came immediately when an individual teleported to them. The guy carried the three like rice bags on his shoulders, disappearing away. So far, the qi in the vicinity was readable but below average.

  Below the average amount of qi was best to say the non-diplomatic option would be chaotic for them, assuming everything flows as it is in that scenario. Don’t get cocky-arrogant now. Julius reiterated himself from thinking foolishly. He rolled down the window with Empress Cai walking alongside.

  “I don’t think you had to bring the car with you,” Empress Cai said.

  “Why?”

  “For now, it feels inconvenient.”

  “Well, better be safe than sorry,” Julius said. “I rather have a backup of something whenever things go sour. It’s less risky in that way.”

  “I’m praying that doesn’t happen.”

  The military presence gave ease for everyone when they passed through the secured walls and gates of the Citadel. Not going to lie, it looked very medieval, which was an interesting cultural approach to architecture. Maybe Empress Cai or Míngyuè had read the histories, so they had the knowledge of the reasons that led to this. Julius drove it slowly until he arrived at the wide stairway. He exited and carried the car to a safe and decent parking space. The army went into formation and guarded the front of the stairway.

  Julius, the Skolritters, and the group all headed up the stairway to the Citadel’s main entrance. They were confronted by the guards, who pushed the doors open with their twig-sized forearms. Their eyes had turned ugly upon passing them. An eerie atmosphere, to say the least. It didn’t feel welcoming, and a gust of humid air rushed into their faces as they strolled through the open garden. Finally, the main complex. One foot onto the concrete platform, and the annoyance ceased. That was strange. Even at a high resistance, it won’t deter this mucky feeling. Julius thought about this weird humid gust briefly until a lady’s low voice announced nearby.

  “Please, the King is waiting for you all.”

  Everyone simultaneously nodded without budging a word. Not even a word of gratitude. They walked in sync, foot by foot. The second door opened, leading to the throne room. There it was, the ruler of the ??i Nam Cai sat on an iron throne. I sensed nothing from this man. What the hell is this? Disappointment punched Julius. Adding to this fact, the entire city carried a sense of dread that made the welcoming form of a few individuals before stepping foot into the throne room equal to unauthentic. Hence, his expectations dropped to an absolute low.

  “Please, come in. It’s good to meet you again, Empress Cai,” the king said, gesturing his hand to her. “What brings the West Cai Dynasty here to Phong ??m?”

  A translator was next to Julius, whispering into his ear. The West Cai Dynasty? Another lack of information. He watched the king greet her first, as if she was still the ruler.

  Empress Cai blinked for a moment, then thumb pointed at Julius. “The West Cai Dynasty doesn’t exist anymore. We are from the Moon Empire under his reign, so you must answer to him first…not me.”

  “That’s bullshit! I need proof, now!”

  Julius teleported right next to the throne, drawing his greatsword to the king’s neck. His translator did the same, standing behind Julius. The king’s guards came in with weapons drawn. “Are you going to answer me or be stuck in a useless denial?”

  The king attempted to lean his head to look at Empress Cai. “Empress Cai? Is this—”

  Empress Cai grabbed the spear from the guard next to her and shoved it right into his heart. She then obliterated him into ashes. “You won’t win. Listen to him.”

  Julius pressed his blade, pinning the king to his throne. “I thought this was supposed to be the wealthiest in this country. Instead, you and your citizens brought me jokes.” He let the blade’s edges lacerate his skin. “I’ll give you ten seconds.”

  The translator said the line and the king’s eyes met Julius, the translator, and others that stood below the throne. Julius headcounted from ten to one. No response.

  “…No.”

  The clock ticked. Julius’ eyes flashed. A thumping echo vibrated the walls, revealing a magnitude of guards who had arrived at the king’s call. Julius sensed his and Empress Cai’s cultivators’ qi jolted up. An unnecessary escalation caused by the king, but it was too late. He denied answering Julius despite Empress Cai’s insistence. Julius wasn’t aware of any hints of the past history of the two. So, the decision was made, so he violently decapitated him on the throne. Qi surged around his face, stopping the blood from splattering onto his face. The king’s head rolled down as his face touched the palace’s floor. Solomon dashed from his spot and began brawling against the guards, prompting everyone to do the same.

  Julius lifted the king’s dead body over his shoulders as if he were in a gym doing a squat while lifting the barbell. He exerted his qi out from his entire body like a balloon pop, squirting water in a sprinkle as it deflated. His arms extend fully upward, roaring to the entire throne room. Finally, it was more defined. He never mentioned it much, but his roar demonstrations were straightforward. However, most of the time it was weak, and the results were scratches and fractures. When he finally let out a roar today after forcing the throne to cease, it unintentionally knocked a few of the group away and intentionally dispersed a portion of the guards. It tore through the floor and sped to the exit, forcing and breaking the doors.

  A broken record. Julius threw the dead body to the other part of the mob and exploded upon touching them. He then walked down the throne, turned around, sliced the boring throne into a blitz, and transformed the bits into projectiles. A thrust from his hands launched a load of iron into the crowd and clean-cut off a bunch of heads. By the time the last head dropped, everyone had at least two to three kills. Julius had taken and killed at least 45 in less than half a minute. All the guards that were in this palace’s throne room a moment earlier and armed lay dead. Gretel came to her father’s side. “Are you going to call?”

  Julius nodded. “I will.” He pulled out his new custom-made smartphone, provided by the private agency’s science team. “This shall do it.”

  He tapped on the screen and clicked on the contacts. He selected one, putting the screen on call.

  Helda and Hóng raised up from the depths of human-sized wheat fields. They weren’t alone. The crowd was all spread out in the gigantic fields and rose from it. Helda couldn’t see them but knew for sure they reacted to their signal. It was because the ??i Nam Cai’s average stature was significantly shorter, like 5’1” to 5’7”. She had no choice but to waste the acres of grown wheat. One arm weave, similar to a successful motion of the scythe, trimmed off nearly a foot from sight. Hence, now she could see everyone else.

  A phone call rang in her pocket. Helda pulled it out of her pants, answering the phone on speaker. “Is this call?”

  “Yes, it is. The king’s dead. All outside forces are clear to wreak havoc and take control of this country,” Julius said, then warned her. "Don’t forget that there’s plenty of disguised guards out of the walls."

  “I’ve been told by our allied farmers, too. Will see you soon.” Helda ended the call, turning to Hóng with a nod. Hence, the latter looked at the rest of the field and gave off the loudest finger snap as she could. The farmers, in cone hats, moved from their spots and charged out. Explosions erupted everywhere, and Helda glanced at the low farm fields turned into a warzone.

  “So, that’s how that thing works,” Hóng muttered.

  “An advanced communications device in your hand. Pretty convenient, right?”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “How can I get these?”

  “You probably have to ask Julius for the details,” Helda said while she was clicking the screen simultaneously.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m sending a message to the rest. They were waiting on my count…Done. Now we can move.” Helda then sprinted out of the fields, charging her fists. Hóng followed her closely. The latter buckled up her black greatcoat over her war outfit as she exhaled a frosty breeze, and the lower part of her hair strands solidified from the temperature drop. She drew her blue katana and froze the blade to below zero. Both leaped up into the air, deploying a death sentence to the crowds below as their Skoltor System tracked the kill counts.

  R?ng cao r?ng r? c?a ?ng Tri?u

  Mr. Trieu’s Radiant High Forest

  The female in green and dark silver robes wielded a wooden katana on her back and wore a large bamboo cone hat. She strolled through the dense but vibrant forest. No sunlight could ever seep through the thick leaves. An average tree in this forest would need at least ten people to wrap around the trunk. All were as heavy as possible. Hence, that explains why these wood planks, or any product made by this specific kind of tree called Cay Tri?u, were expensive.

  Phan Th? Qu?nh, or Quynh, followed a path that she knew from many times being in this forest. There was one close friend she always met during lunch or late afternoon. However, today was a different story. It was only morning, and she had one criterion that needed to be done. Her direction relied on qi readings because, for most of the way, there was no dirt pavement, only tall grasses, and nature traps. Half a kilometer left.

  Growl!

  Quynh leaped over the hill, landing on flat land on the other side. She drew her wooden sword, expecting nature’s company. Shadows never ceased. The trees could emit such brightness, substituting sunlight’s role of displaying shadows. Quynh heard the growl again and instantly turned around, facing a cougar-sized animal.

  The beast opened its mouth, revealing pristine four fangs painted in silver. Quynh nudged to the left and followed up with a jab to its jaw, sending it abruptly crashing to the ground. “You’re a new being,” she said. One glance at its presence resulted in her going more on an offensive stance. Yinhai, the Obsidianclaw. The sleek and gray color could be anything. It was the claws. Long and bulky, wide, black claws drawn out from its paws. Quynh took a near-silent, deep breath before launching a brawl against the Obsidianclaw.

  Dodge from one after another. Quynh was given no space to inflict a slash. Much to her growing frustration, she put it away on her back, going melee. When she pulled out an uppercut, the beast’s head hit her first with a millisecond, knocking her back. “Damn you, motherfucker!” Her eyes were distorted, causing brief blindness. Shit. Quynh nudged away again. She held her forehead and felt something wet. Her vision was restored back, revealing her green blood. The Obsidianclaw’s durability was a gap in comparison. It launched right at her again, forcing Quynh to launch herself to the floor. She slid along the floor and rolled away, regaining her footing. Screw this.

  She unlocked her suppression, unleashing her leafy-green aura. The grass within a few feet of her disintegrated, and all the tree branches violently shook as the gusts swarmed. Quynh and the Obsidianclaw jumped into the air. The former, not wanting to get hit in the head again, charged right on with a boost. She extended both arms and fists tightened and one low maneuver, striking the beast’s abdomen. A couple of violent vomits followed from above. Quynh grunted as she raised the pressure, opening the abdomen. Finally, she flew through the body, decapitating the Obsidianclaw.

  Quynh landed safely and turned, watching the lifeless beast crumble and fall to the ground. She survived, much to her blessing. That was probably the most dangerous living creature she had ever dealt with so far, and it was out of the ordinary.

  “Damn, I heard the growls of such a beast. What a shame I missed it.”

  “Lam?”

  A broad bearded man flew out of the bushes, landing right next to the carcass. He rested his axe. “Since you killed this fucking beast, that makes you a native here. You’ve graduated.”

  “What?” Quynh breathed. “Graduated? That’s a thing?”

  “Well, I made that up. So, in my terms, you did it.”

  Quynh’s lungs grew fatigued, and she became thirsty. “Can we continue at your shop? I’m hella thirsty.”

  With Lam along the way back, Quynh could travel at a fast speed without having to worry about the forest’s traps. Lam’s aura was more potent, depleting any exterior externalities.

  Ahead was open land, surrounded by nature as its perimeter. Lam’s shop was constructed at the center of the lot. A two-story cottage with a double chimney. Plumes of smoke exited, meaning Lam was doing an order before going out to meet Quynh. Hence the disappointment when he arrived late. He landed first and sprinted to the cottage, unlocking the door for Quynh.

  Splatter!

  Lam turned around to find bloody puddles coming from her soaked boots. He didn’t fume, despite having cleaned the floors earlier in the day. “My goodness…You are really soaked…Here.” He handed her a towel. “Wipe all the bloody mess off of your face and head to the shower. I’ll be in the workshop to talk,” Lam said and went to clean up the floor with a spare rag. Afterward, he walked straight, passing by the lounge’s door. Once through the curtains, he went to work in his queues and pulled out the steel ingot from the forge.

  A few minutes later.

  Quynh came out of the shower all fresh up. She tied her cone hat, letting it hang on her back. When she showered, she cleansed her wooden sword. Luckily, in her locker, she always left a few pairs of backup clothes of the same outfit in situations like this. Hence, Quynh put them on before departing the lounge and headed into the workshop where Lam was working on crafting a new hatchet.

  The workshop had two forges, connected to two separate fireplaces leading to the roof that formed the two chimneys. Lam had already taken both out as the space was dark and not bright orange. Quynh saw him shaping out the steel ingot. He noticed her when she came in, so he stopped once the steel flattened and shaped like a hatchet’s blade. “So, you want something to tell me?”

  “Yes, I do,” Quynh said, drinking a sip of water. “Who are you doing this for?”

  “Actually, one is for me. I always make one myself after a couple of intervals to see if I still got it.” Lam looked at the other one. “While this was for one of our loyal customers. You met her before. The one who grows her own trees on her lot.”

  “Ah, yes. Vinh. I’m actually here for something else, and you might have to change the business model for it.”

  “Why?” Lam asked with a confused face.

  Quynh sat down on the bench. “I guess you didn’t hear the news…The North declared war minutes ago.” She then pulled out a strange device called a smartphone. It was given to her by a tall lady named Helda, and she had met Julius. That was a day ago. And all new information still overwhelmed her now because ??i Nam Cai’s access to information was heavily censored and disconnected from the rest of the world. Quynh looked at the screen. “Yep, Phong ??m is being invaded…I never thought this would happen in my lifetime.”

  Lam dropped his sledgehammer. He then pointed to her smartphone. “What are you holding?”

  “It’s a smartphone. I received it yesterday when I met the Emperor of the Moon Empire,” Quynh said, raising it for Lam to see it from a distance. She showed the open and bright screen. “I can communicate with someone that’s so far away from here right now because of this device. They have been sending me a lot of information this past hour.”

  “Hang on, you mentioned a new emperor,” Lam mentioned. He grabbed a spare bench and sat down. “You met him?”

  Quynh nodded. “I did. Emperor Julius is his name. I never asked why because obviously for us we would think it would be Empress Cai. They told us anyway, and I learned he had been ruling for more than two months and overthrew the former dynasty into an empire. He took all the states back under his rule.”

  “In that short amount of time? That’s impossible,” Lam said, scratching his head. He doubted that it could be a decision to pull off.

  “That’s what I thought, but I don’t know. He agreed to help us and let the farmers rebel against the king. His army is working with us at the capital.”

  “How big was it?”

  “I think it was at least ten thousand for this without adding the five hundred of us that live near Phong ??m.”

  “Yinhai, so that was legitimate.” Lam stood from his bench. “So, why are you telling me this?”

  “Time to get you in. You are out in seclusion with a comfortable lodging and blacksmith business for years. I’ve been with you and fellow assistants for at least a few. Emperor Julius would be interested in your work.”

  Lam went back to work, smoothing out the steel. “Oh, please. I made myself clear to avoid politics.”

  Quynh bit her mouth in response to his remark. “I know that, but I don’t think he is going to be pleased hearing you say the word ‘politics’ as a reason.”

  “What do you even know about politics?!” Lam asked in a loud voice, feeling a little offended.

  “I’m saying how my eyes saw it. What’s the issue with that?” Quynh never heard him get that high of a voice because she said what happened there. In fact, it was made discrete by Julius himself that preserving and improving humanity was his primary goal. He told every farmer and her at a gathering, miles from the capital. “And what is wrong with you? You always desire freedom. That’s why you moved out here in seclusion. Isn’t it wise to consider the fact that your freedom would be more recognized with his help?”

  “Are you na?ve?! These people can lie…use words to deceive and manipulate for their own personal motives. To me, you are falling victim and making it easier for him to have it.”

  Quynh felt her inside boiling. “Don’t talk down to me like I never experienced betrayal before! If I knew, I wouldn’t have—”

  Crash!

  A demolishing roar hammered behind the workshop’s curtain, cutting off the argument. They ran out through the curtain armed, not expecting what trouble had occurred outside.

  “What the hell was that beast?”

  --

  +1 Point.

  --

  “Skoltor said it was an Obsidianclaw,” Julius said after delivering a heavy blow that obliterated the beast into a load of splat. Its remains fell onto a cottage roof, creating a massive hole through the roof.

  Julius, along with Helda and Solomon, descended into an open lot. There were plenty of logs stacked in multiple spots. Multiple small fields filled with crops and small ponds. There were these machines that looked similar to the rotative generator back at Longyue. It was powered by the water from the ponds, so it might be the primary power source for the cottage here. Julius didn’t see any power lines unless it was built underground.

  “What’s this place?” Solomon asked.

  “From reports, I heard this is a blacksmith workshop specialized in using the trees from this forest. Only he can do it because these trees are difficult to manage.”

  “Interesting…is he a cultivator?”

  “Maybe. I guess we will find out inside,” Julius said. He walked to the door, where he felt a surge. “Yep, he is.”

  He banged on the door twice. Nothing despite the qi he sensed was literally behind the door. One more time and resulted in nothing. Hence, Julius effortlessly punched the door down. Inside it was all smokey and clustered up like a fog. After stepping inside, he sensed rapid footsteps, forcing him to teleport away and deliver a sidekick to the bulky man’s head. The latter was thrown through the cottage’s wall, crashing outside in the front. Solomon and Helda watched him travel a distance while his head broke through the ground, leaving a messy trail.

  Julius unleashed a burst of pressure, cleaning all the debris. Within the clustered air, Quynh came through the curtained entryway. She greeted him, apologizing for the fuss. He didn't mind because he already expected this to happen. The prior kick left a large hole, making the cottage’s entrance non-existent. Helda came in, greeting Quynh before turning around. The three then watched Solomon lifting the blacksmith off from the new, deep trail. He grabbed him by the head like it was nothing but a toy. Afterward, he summoned a bucket amount of water and poured it onto his face, waking him up.

  “You're up now?! What's your name?” Solomon asked while struggling through the Nam Cai language’s tone.

  The cottage blacksmith coughed hard as some of the water got through into his mouth and nose. “Agh…”

  “Speak clearly! I can't hear you!”

  “I’m…cough…Lam… Nguy?n Thành Lam.”

  “Ok, Lam. You’re awake now,” Solomon said, straining his jaw from attempting to speak in the right tone. He let Lam off his grip. The latter continued to cough, prompting Julius to walk out of the cottage.

  “Can you speak Yue?”

  Lam nodded.

  “Okay, then we can talk inside.” Julius healed him, removing all of what made him continue to cough involuntarily. As they walked inside and headed into Lam’s workshop, Julius asked: “You and Qu?nh had an argument a moment ago, did you?”

  “How do you know that?” Lam asked, looking baffled.

  Quynh asked the same thing.

  “Your head is an open book. Now I know who you are, and what Qu?nh said was true. If someone said that directly to my face, I would be disappointed. The balance has already been broken, and it will be us to rebuild it.” Julius said while looking around at the workshop. “Anyone who wants to live in peace and freedom must have an involvement in restoring that balance with us.”

  Lam looked at Quynh after Julius said it with absolutely no gimmicks. He looked at her, shaking his head with regret. Then Julius turned around, wondering why it was silent. “Are you afraid of me?”

  “No…”

  “You’re lying. Your mind said the opposite. What’s there to be concerned about? The king is dead, and the farmers overthrew the capital. It now needs a new leader, and your services will benefit many around here. Especially your experience with dismantling and crafting items using this forest’s trees. Maybe more people will hear more about this forest, making these jobs less difficult.”

  Lam tried to run up to him. Julius summoned a barrier, knocking him back.

  “Lam?! What the hell are you doing?” Quynh yelled. She then glanced at Julius. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what he is trying to do.”

  “Don’t worry about it…Until he returns to his senses, we will talk business.”

  Using the flat side of the blade, Quynh wielded her wooden sword and struck Lam in the back, knocking him out. “Sorry, I don’t want to drag this any longer.”

  Julius witnessed the scene and gained interest. “Speak away.”

  Quynh gave Julius, Solomon, and Helda the details of the workshop, including her job as an assistant. Because of Lam’s exclusion from the rest of civilization in the country, he had self-sustained for many years and only in the past few years has he become more open, like hiring assistants. Hence, Quynh was Lam’s first hire. She knew him long enough to comprehend what character Lam was. The problem was that he might go boundless and was warned ahead of time, and she hoped it would be the opposite. However, it came out in Julius’ eyes.

  Either way, Julius intended to take over the forest. Quynh’s information only confirmed his reports and intentions. Solomon would also get the most out of the region, opening him to new, innovative projects. Not only that, but Hans, too. He lived in ??i Nam Cai for years, so he probably had an awareness of the forest. Julius will get his answer back to the capital. He then saw Solomon tour around to see if any of the workshop’s features differed from his usual blacksmithing experiences. One came to his face. He was met by a cabinet. Doubled in height and as long as a side of a bedroom. Solomon’s excitement got Julius’ attention. So, he joined with him about to open the door to view inside.

  Quynh joined the view, explaining to them what was revealed when the former opened the cabinet’s doors. It was a stack of wooden swords, like hers. All lay in a pile on the shelves. “Oh shit, it’s so disorganized. Excuse me, guys.” She grabbed all of it out and placed it on the table. “Here, these are the swords like my own, made from that wood.”

  Julius grabbed one, feeling the blade. Dang. It’s fucking sharp. The tip was sharp, like any kind of steel. His finger bled a drop. “I want to confirm…What’s this wood called?”

  “Cay Tri?u,” Quynh said.

  “Ok, good.” Julius nodded and gave Helda a thumbs up, prompting her to send a text message about the forest. He waited until he heard a ding and continued. “So, how much have these been tested?”

  “Frankly, he doesn’t test as much as you would think, but take my sword as an example,” Quynh said, pulling out her sword. She gave one swirl, triggering a mix of a high-pitched scratch noise like a nail dragged across a hard pavement. Julius grimaced at the noise and told her to stop.

  “Yinhai…Who would’ve thought wood can be so taunting and aggressive?” Julius muttered and then had one idea. “Maybe I can try this.” He threw the wooden sword he held up in the air. Next, he pulled out his greatsword, Licht, and gave a heavy slash, ignoring that this was done in a closed space. “Shit!”

  Solomon intervened, and both absorbed all the energy into their bodies, saving the place a second from igniting into a blitz. Julius was done with all of this. “I think I had enough of what lies in this place. A team will be coming in a moment to analyze this entire forest…Oh, yeah, Helda, have you given them the warning of the Obsidianclaws?”

  “Yes, they’re aware.”

  “Alright, we can leave then. Let’s head back to the capital. The skirmishes outside aren’t done yet, and we are buying time to discover this forest.”

  Quynh, confused, blurted. “Wait what?!”

  “The capital is finished. However, the farmer skirmishes outside of the walls had expanded. Civilians are getting involved too,” Julius said while departing the workshop. “If I had to deal with Lam there, that would’ve forced more time to be bought.”

  “Then we need to leave now!”

  Solomon took the pile of wooden swords, putting them in his virtual inventory. Helda wondered what to do with Lam, who was lying on the floor. Irritated, Julius told her to take him back to the main camp on the hill and let him witness everything below. The idea of being departed from society was fine, but Lam’s emotional reaction was what tipped him off. A consequence for him, indeed.

  Julius ran outside, launching into the air. Solomon, Helda, and Quynh followed. Ahead was the team that Helda sent over. He gave a hand gesture, and they descended into the lot as Julius passed them. Afterward, he fired a tiny orb from his palm into the distance. A bright orange light flashed as the power ignited into the sky. The multiple Cay Tri?u across a long distance from the site’s radius succumbed to the wave of fire.

  “Why did you do that?” Helda asked.

  “To send a message to anyone nearby.”

  “They say you’re crazy. I didn’t believe it at first,” Helda commented while holding an unconscious Lam on her back. “Now, I can’t even deny it. You’re a wild man.”

  Quynh gave her input in a more neutral stance, only knowing Julius for at least a day. “How are you compared to Empress Cai?”

  “I mean, because now I’m leading the empire, she has more freedom to show her real self. It turns out she is more like me than the other way around on things. Crazy? Oh, yes!”

  The group boosted their speed, heading back to the capital while encountering more cultivators that are heading to the cottage.

  In no time, they arrived back in the region that led to the capital. The action remained consistent and progressively grew violent. Explosives and demolition derby everywhere. According to Skoltor’s System, the number of participants and qi exposure around the scene rose by a wide margin. The combined data from the Battle at the Swamp and the Raid of Longyue were used as a base comparison. Casualties were rapidly adding up, and Julius wouldn’t know the true numbers once the fight was conceded.