Chapter 1535: The Embittered Savages' Holy Land
Jiang Chen pondered for a moment, but to no avail. He waved his hand. "Oh well, let's maintain the status quo in that case. Rather than keep guessing at their plans, we'll continue improving our strength and be ready for no matter what they throw at us."
"Understood." Wellspring smiled.
That was why he admired the young lord. Despite Jiang Chen's age, he didn't panic in the face of all of these strange events. It spoke volumes about his courage, his broadness of vision, and his confidence. Such a leader was born to achieve great things.
Peerless laughed. "I was convinced the moment I laid my eyes on the young lord I should be friends with him and not enemies. Hahaha!"
Indeed, he'd favored the young man ever since their first meeting in Pillfire, when Jiang Chen had posed as Shao Yuan.
"Gentlemen, don't worry and continue cultivating diligently. In the troubled times to come, there will be ample opportunities for leading figures such as yourselves to contribute."
The two great emperors nodded. Indeed, the greatest help they could provide at present was to break through to empyrean realm as soon as possible. The presence of empyrean masters would be the greatest deterrence and morale boost.
"I need to make a trip to deal with some issues." He did so without any fanfare, departing alone without disturbing anyone.
He soon reached Coiling Dragon Retreat, Emperor Coiling Dragon's domain.
"Young lord, weren't you in seclusion? What wind's blown you my way?" Coiling Dragon asked with a happy smile.
"Coiling Dragon, I came to bestow an opportunity onto you."
"Oh?" The great emperor rubbed his hands in eagerness. The young lord wasn't one to disappoint. "Hehe, young lord, don't leave me hanging. What opportunity?"
Without further ado, Jiang Chen produced a great emperor relic in his palm. "This relic contains the martial dao essence of a peak-stage great emperor."
"Ah? A great emperor relic?" Coiling Dragon flushed with excitement.
"You've heard of them?" Jiang Chen said in surprise. These items were seldom seen. How did Coiling Dragon know of them?
The great emperor scratched his head with a chuckle. "Hehe, I've heard His Majesty Peafowl mention them once upon a time. They're apparently hard to refine? And most cultivators are reluctant to create such relics."
Jiang Chen smiled. "You're right, that's why you're fortunate."
Coiling Dragon laughed heartily. "Definitely, but my greatest fortune was for my clan to meet you, young lord!"
Back then, he'd been stuck at peak-stage emperor realm. His life had been near its end, so frail even a breeze could've blown it away. It'd been extended thanks to a Pinecrane Pill granted by Jiang Chen, allowing him to smoothly reach great emperor realm.
He'd obtained the young man's guidance once more afterwards. Together with the assistance of the Emperor Supremacy Pill, he'd broken through again. Although his cultivation still trailed behind most great emperors in Veluriyam, his progress had been lightning fast.
The relic was certain to sharply increase his strength even further in a short time!
"The Coiling Dragon bloodline flows in your veins, so I have high hopes for you. You'll reach peak stage soon with this relic and will be ready to challenge the empyrean realm. Remember, that realm holds an entirely different meaning for you. You'll be a dragon grown wings, soaring to the heavens!"
Coiling Dragon felt his blood boil. "Young lord! Be assured I'll spare no effort to repay your trust!"
Jiang Chen nodded. "This relic is most suitable for you. No one else has one."
The great emperor grinned. "Hehe, I reached great emperor realm not long ago, so I have a great deal of room for improvement, right? Don't worry young lord, my lips are sealed."
Such a matter truly needed to stay a secret, or it might cause envy.
"If you break through in the future, just tell the others it's because heritage in your bloodline awakened. There's no need to mention the relic."
"Understood." Coiling Dragon well knew the importance of the matter.
"How's Ji San been of late?" Jiang Chen suddenly remembered he hadn't seen this companion-in-arms of his for a long time.
"He left the city to gain experience in the outside world soon after reaching emperor realm."
"Oh?" Interest sparkled in Jiang Chen's eyes. Such a move at such a time was daring indeed.
"Ole Third is more talented than me. He said that in our chaotic times, a man of character ought to leave his mark and make a name for himself."
Jiang Chen laughed and exhorted patiently. "Haha, great. His ambition is commendable. Alas, I would do the same were it not for my heavy responsibilities. Apart from the relic, there's also this jade token. I've stored some of my refining methods inside. Just follow them. Remember, don't be rash or fearful. Proceed as you ordinarily would,"
There was some risk involved with refining the relic, but with enough control and lack of undue haste, the issues wouldn't be too severe. At Coiling Dragon's age, he wouldn't strive recklessly for quick results like a young man.
…...
The Savages' domain was about only a tenth the size of the human domain, equal at best to the smallest region in Upper Eight Regions. Their lands were also far less fertile in comparison.
Only, they were fierce and resilient folks, their character forged by the poor environment. Hence, they could survive no matter the crises they faced. Even the ancient demon-sealing war had left few scars.
Of course, it was partly because their lands were too barren that no demons had been stationed there, sparring them from a great calamity. Without too much threat from the demons, the Savages' gap with the greatly wounded humans shrank further and further, to the point they'd almost caught up.
Inside their holy land, inside an ancient temple.
A sacrifice was currently drawing to a close. Countless warriors had received the ritual's baptism, their sharp blades ready for a brand new campaign.
"Greetings to Forefather Embittered Bamboo and the Holy Beast! Our tribe will be ever victorious!" The warriors lifted their bone spears aloft, exposing their sinewy muscles, tall frames, and explosive bodies.
Smoke clouded the sky above the temple. A hazy red light faintly flickered within.
In the next moment, a strange, thin as a match man walked out with a disproportionately big head. A beast followed in his wake from the smoke, looking like a lion yet not a lion. Its mouth was filled with malevolent fangs that still seemed to drip with the blood of its prey.
An equally malevolent necklace made from bones rested on the old man's chest. Added to his skeletal body, he made for an incomparably strange sight.
"Children, my Embittered Savage graves, you are invincible with the blessing of the Savage God!" he suddenly said in a hoarse voice.
Like the world's holiest gospel, his voice sent the gathered warriors into a frenzy. He was clearly a supreme ancestor-level figure, the reverence from the sturdy warriors proof of his godlike status.
He squinted slightly, basking in the feverish atmosphere of an army before battle. But radiant light suddenly flared in his seemingly drowsy eyes as he gazed at a certain spot in the sky.
"Who goes there!" As soon as his voice fell, the beast at his side pounced at the sky like an arrow springing from its bow. The flawless coordination between voice and action demonstrated the old man's perfect control over his beast.
"Long live the Holy Beast, long live!" Rather than being surprised by the sudden turn of events, the warriors became even more fervent, inspired by the beast's grand, heroic outburst.
Streaking through the air like a meteor, the Holy Spirit reached the sky in the blink of an eye and opened its maws wide, its fangs pervading the air with the stench of blood.
"Back down you go, filthy animal!"
A stern shout resounded from the air. In the next moment, alternating purple and white lightning clapped down from the clouds, faster than the eye could see, and smacked the Holy Beast on the top of its head.
The spirit creature twitched fled with a roar and its tail between its legs. In its eyes, dread had replaced the previously ferocious glint. Whimpering, it scuttled back to the forefather.
Bitter Bamboo frowned in surprise. The beast was contracted to him. Though its strength couldn't match his, ordinary empyrean cultivators were nothing in front of it.
Who on earth was the invader to scare it away in one move? He narrowed his eyes, his expression reluctant. "Who is it that trespasses my tribe's forbidden temple? Don't you understand the rules?"
An indifferent voice descended from the clouds, "Forbidden? It's only forbidden for your kind. As an outsider, I have no obligation to abide by your rules."
Anger swelled in the forefather's chest. He cackled through clenched teeth. "So does that mean you're not simply passing by, but here to stir up trouble?"
"I guess so," the voice replied languidly.
Such a frank answer struck Forefather Bamboo speechless. He brayed laughter at the sky, but his tone suddenly darkened. "So you intend on being unreasonable!"
"Why should I be reasonable? Am I not allowed to come to your holy land?"
The forefather fumed. "Nonsense! How dare you sound so self-righteous when you're the trespasser?"
Chapter 1536: The Disheartened Forefather Bamboo
Forefather Bamboo and the Savages had never been ones for appropriate conduct, but like anyone else, they were harsher on others than on themselves. It was fine enough oppressing others, but they would never stand for being toyed with!
Sure enough, the voice chuckled remotely. "Isn't trespassing on another race's lands a specialty of yours? What, are you the only ones allowed to? Can't I come and take a stroll in your domain?"
"Oh?" Looking pensive, Forefather Bamboo's eyes suddenly lit up. "I understand now. Human?" He broke out into hearty laughter. "It's hard to imagine. Humans have always been weak and timid as a mouse, but you must be a powerful one to dare make trouble in my holy land."
"You're right. And what of it?"
The clouds suddenly roiled downwards, as if some sort of power was pressing down on the entire sky. Countless bolts of purple lightning snaked amongst the clouds like snakes and dragons as they rained down in a furious torrent.
Seeming to possess aiming ability of their own, the fearsome bolts struck the group of Savage warriors dead center. There were at least several thousand warriors in front of the temple, all of them helpless against the deluge of lightning. Naked torsos toppled one after another as they lay on the ground, twitching.
Those most critically hit were instantly scorched into lumps of coal.
Forefather Bamboo stared, dumbstruck. "Bastard, I'm going to kill you!"
To think this human would attack without warning! And rather than the forefather himself, his target was his fighters instead. The lightning-wielding human was obviously an empyrean master, someone the gathered warriors couldn't compare to individually.
Though shrewd beyond comparison, the forefather had been caught off-guard.
"Die!" The old man's skinny figure turned into a faint blue blur that shot at the sky. At the same time, his fingers gripped the air, creating enormous bone claws encircling half of the sky.
These claws could capture anyone slightly lacking in cultivation. It was incredibly difficult to escape from their clutches.
But with a flash of light, the figure in the clouds turned into a trail of light that vanished in the sky.
"Don't think you can run away!" Seething, Forefather Bamboo chased tightly behind, afterimages trailing behind as he gained speed and punctured the clouds.
However, the fleeing figure in front of him was equally fast. It seemed that after all that talk, the interloper would avoid a direct confrontation!
The Holy Beast followed behind the forefather, man and spirit creature united in hot pursuit.
The temple was a mess after the strange events. The earlier strike had killed more than half the warriors, while the survivors lay on the ground and wailed with grief.
A terrible glint shone in the forefather's eyes, but he was secretly alarmed. "They say humans are weak, but this man is clearly different. Even if he's not my match, he can't be that much worse judging by his speed."
He'd previously imagined he'd quickly catch up. Then he'd capture the man and beat him into submission, and then parade him around in the human domain and strike a lethal blow to their morale. However, his plan sounded lovely, but it wasn't so easy to achieve in practice.
One retreated and one chased behind. The show went on for one hour, then two hours...
One day, two days, three days...
A month went by in the blink of an eye. Many times, the forefather had thought he'd finally caught his prey, only to be thwarted at the last second.
At the beginning, he'd considered calling it quits, but his anger wouldn't let him. Near the end, this determination had almost become a form of torture.
He'd left his domain to lead his kin to great glory. The armies of the four great villages were gathered northwest of the human domain, waiting for his command. But a surprise foe had appeared before he could set off.
On the third day, he'd begun to suspect the human was intentionally leading him on a merry chase. But he couldn't give up now even if this was the case. Every time he thought of doing so, the man would swagger in front of him like a ghost, threatening to flatten his temple and destroy the Savages' faith.
The temple was the tribe's pillar of spiritual support. It was a totem, the fulcrum of their beliefs. Its destruction would be a catastrophe for the entire tribe.
Hence, though the forefather burned with impatience and yeared to fly to the human domain, he had no choice but to stay the course. He summoned various Savage powerhouses in the meantime, urging them to pursue this trespasser.
Only, his target was far more slippery than he'd imagined.
Most importantly, the human was always on his guard. He accurately predicted each time the experts blocking his path and deftly avoided their traps, leaving the forefather and his empyrean reinforcements powerless. Crestfallen, they could only hurl abuse his way.
…...
In the dead of the night, inside a deep valley somewhere in Savages territory,
Inside a secluded cave, Forefather Bamboo and four other empyrean masters were tensely debating the best plan. These four new elders were the guardians of the four great villages who'd come at his call, respectful of his status of a totem to the tribe as a whole.
"Forefather, the bastard is cunning. He's wasting your time on purpose. Our armies are waiting in the northwest, and the more we delay, the greater the blow to their morale."
"I agree. The humans have a saying that one needs to strike the iron when it's hot. We can't make our warriors wait any longer."
"Despicable humans, how dare they use such a cheap trick!"
"Forefather, why don't you go ahead and lead the invasion? Leave the chase to us. We can protect the temple even if we can't kill him," an elder with angular eyes suggested.
The forefather sighed. "Do you think I don't want to? But what if the bastard goes to your villages and attacks your lands while you're guarding the temple? Is there anyone back home who can withstand that guy?"
The Savages had four great villages, each of them powerful enough to count several empyrean masters in their ranks. However, most had left for the campaign against the humans, ready to sweep away everything in their path like a tornado.
The four elders paled, their expressions turning stiff.
After trying to catch up to the human powerhouse for this long, they'd personally experienced how troublesome the man was. It would truly be an issue if he raided their homes as the forefather had said.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
A slightly chubby elder gnashed his teeth. "How can our plans of a grand, holy war be halted by a single man?"
The group was at its wits' end. If the forefather couldn't go to the northwestern lands, the results would be easy enough to imagine.
Left to their own devices, each village had its own selfish goals. They seldom acted in concert. If they were to fight without a leader, the elders would thank the heavens if the forces weren't all picked off one by one, to say nothing of wiping out the humans. It was the reason they'd been waiting for the forefather.
The latter was the villages' common ancestor. No one could contest his prestige or his power. He was a supreme figure towering above them all. His presence would keep the army under control.
Without him, the army might achieve a few easy victories, but to make deep inroads into enemy territory was another kettle of fish.
The ancestor asked darkly, "This old man has a mission for you. Can you complete it?"
"What is it?"
"You don't need to kill him. Just keep him busy. Can you do that?" He now had no choice but to compromise. He couldn't waste his time any further.
All four elders mumbled indecisively. No one answered outright. They were weary after a month-long chase and had no confidence they could handle the human.
"There are four of you and only one of him. If you can't deal with a single human, we might as well give up the invasion and go back home. Revitalizing our tribe would be impossible." Displeasure laced the forefather's voice.
He'd hoped these four fellows would agree decisively. But none of them possessed any courage, it would seem. They hemmed and hawed, shirking their responsibilities.
Intimidated by the forefather's scowl, the elder with the angular eyes responded weakly, "Keeping him busy might be possible. How long do we need to?"
The forefather thought for a moment. "A month at best, three at most. I'm roughly aware of the humans' general situation. There's only a Veluriyam Capital who can weather the storm. The other factions are worthless rabble. Of course, there must be some hidden masters as well, which is worrisome. Taking all the elements into account, three months is a reasonable estimate!"
Three months. The four elders looked at each other and nodded. "Forefather, we'll do our best. In worst comes to worst, we'd rather leave our villages vulnerable than let him destroy the temple. This we swear to you!"
They knew the temple was the forefather's main worry. As to their villages, he might not particularly care.
Chapter 1537: A Plan of Splitting Troops
In the northwestern lands, the four great Savage armies occupying Moon God Sect territory teemed with impatience. Forefather Bamboo ought to have arrived a month ago, but he was still nowhere to be seen.
They'd received word that he'd been held up by something. Meanwhile, the villages weren't to act rashly, but to stay put and wait. But their patience had worn thin.
On this day, the upper echelons had gathered together.
"Everyone, we don't know when the forefather will grace us with his presence. By waiting here, we're giving the humans more time to prepare. This really… goes against our fast and furious style!"
"Definitely? We come and go like the wind. That's our main advantage. If we give the humans enough time to prepare, that's shooting ourselves in the foot. All of their factions have been scared stiff and have taken refuge in Veluriyam. They've taken all the good stuff with them. Even if we go loot them one by one, there's little profit to be made. So what are we supposed to do, let off steam on some commoners?"
The Savages loved massacre, but in principle, the martial dao world left the commoners alone. Only the deranged would slaughter them. Such actions went against the heavenly dao. It damaged the cultivators' own fate, and to be more dramatic, it could endanger the race as a whole.
"Gentlemen, this king has a bold suggestion," a chieftain offered with a smile.
"Chieftain Flowerback, what's your brilliant plan? We're all ears."
"I don't know how brilliant it is, but according to my analysis, almost all of the human experts are currently in Veluriyam. So what are we staying here for? We can absolutely press forward and lay siege to the city."
"Isn't it too rash to march before the forefather arrives?" someone countered skeptically.
"Hmph! We can wait for him before starting the battle, but why can't we surround them first? We'll weaken their resolve and scare them witless. Once the forefather arrives, we'll cut into their panicked ranks like a hot knife through butter. We have nothing to lose." The man who'd spoken was the chieftain and foremost powerhouse of Flowerback Village, one of the four great villages. He was also one of the greatest heavyweights in the entire race.
The other three villages fell into quiet contemplation.
Another chieftain wore a headband with a green plume inserted in the back, a combination sported by all the tribe's upper echelons behind him. Known as King Greenplume, he was the chieftain of Greenplume Village, another of the four great villages.
"King Flowerback's proposal is bold but feasible. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As long as we're careful and cooperate sincerely, we can make the best use of time!"
For the Savages, time was money. Their one concern on this campaign was the faster the better. Compared to the humans, they were far too few in numbers. They couldn't afford a protracted war.
Otherwise, no matter how ferocious their warriors were on the battlefield, they wouldn't be able to trade life for life against the enemy's tide of numbers.
"King Gunuo, King Yuanqiang, what do you think?" King Greenplume smiled faintly at the two other chieftains.
Among the four chieftains, the bronze-skinned King Gunuo was the only handsome one, yet it didn't diminish his manly, virile image in the least. He was father to Gunuo's prince.
King Gunuo had been nursing quite the grudge. As firstcomers, his village should have been first to the loot, but the punk Jiang Chen had disrupted their plans, even ambushing his son by surprise. His son still hadn't fully recovered from his wounds!
So he nodded as well. "I agree. Time is of the essence. I'm sure the forefather won't blame us for our showing of initiative."
Out of the four great chieftains, only the chieftain of Yuanqiang Village had yet to declare his stance. His golden-brown hair rippled like a lion's mane, imparting a ferocious and untamed air.
He grinned from ear to ear. "Since no one objects, of course I'll go along with the plan." This fellow seemed the straightforward type, but was in fact slick and evasive, never offending anyone.
"But how should we proceed? We can't have all four villages marching together. It'd attract too much attention and we'd easily fall prey to an ambush." His eyes shifted left and right as he voiced his worries.
"You're right. I've considered this issue as well." King Flowerback nodded. "Our warriors are temperamental. Traveling together will harm our march's efficiency. We should divide our forces into four instead."
"Split up? Is that right?" King Greenplume looked skeptical.
"What's inappropriate about it? The main human force is in Veluriyam. The first rank sects are all empty shells." King Flowerback's tone was firm. "Look at this map. There are too many sects between us and Veluriyam.
"Here's Pillfire, once their most flourishing city. And here's the Sublime Chord Temple and Eternal Celestial City domains. There, the Skysword Sect. A bit further to the northwest is the Empyrean River Palace. To the west and southwest lie the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Ninesuns Sky Sect. We can reach Veluriyam from any of them! By splitting into four, we might even reap some unexpected gains along the way. First rank sects are the fattest sheep in the human domain. Their people might have run away, but they can't take their houses with them, can they?"
His suggestion excited all of the other chieftains. All had benefited quite a lot from occupying the Moon God Sect. The women had taken a large portion of their treasures with them, but it had been impossible to stow everything away.
The looting of a first rank sect was a temptation hard to resist. They looked at each other, their eyes brimming with eagerness, clearly moved by the proposal.
"Alright. King Flowerback, you're full of strategies. I can't refute your reasoning." King Gunuo sighed softly.
King Greenplum chuckled. "What are we waiting for then? Let's plan our routes at once!"
The route partitioning was in fact tricky as well. All four chieftains were shrewd beings. They knew that even among first rank sects, some were wealthier than others. Everyone naturally wanted the richest itinerary.
King Yuanqiang cackled. "Hehe, the routes need to be fair. We can't afford internal conflict. Otherwise, we'll have to face the forefather's wrath!"
This was no exaggeration.
King Flowerback turned grave. "I've highlighted four routes. Please examine them in detail. We'll need to come to an agreement in advance, so if you come to regret your choice later, you only have yourselves to blame!"
Everyone pricked their ears and solemnly looked in his direction as he unfurled a map. "Look. This route goes straight south across many mountains. You'll need to endure the bitter cold to reach the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Ninesuns Sky Sect. It's the most rewarding route, but also the one most fraught with hardship because humans haven't settled the areas in-between. It's completely barren land.
"The second route goes through Pillfire. After wiping it out, you can march towards the Eternal Celestial Capital or Skysword Sect before the final destination.
"The third one goes through the Sublime Chord Temple and Eternal Celestial Capital. Afterwards, you need to head south to reach Veluriyam."
"The fourth one makes a long detour towards the Empyrean River Palace, then goes down south through the Skysword Sect before arriving in Veluriyam. Does anyone have objections?"
"No objection. They all seem clear and reasonable and there's no conflict between them. But how do we allocate them?"
The choices were relatively fair, but a slight difference still existed. However, the difference was within their margin of tolerance.
"That's not for this king to decide alone. For the sake of fairness, I suggest drawing lots!"
Drawing lots?
The three other chieftains beamed at the idea. "That's right, let's decide on that. We'll swear an oath to not change our minds after the results!"
No contradiction had arisen between the villages this time. No one had sung a different tune as everyone had the greater plan in mind.
The results were quickly delivered.
Gunuo Village was given the route toward the Heavenly Dragon Sect. It might be the richest route, but it was also the most arduous one. Of course, arduous didn't mean the great factions, but rather many natural obstacles.
Yuanqing Village drew the northeastern route toward the Empyrean River Palace, then south to the Skysword Sect.
As the ones to suggest the plan, Gunuo Village drew the one through the Sublime Chord Temple and the Eternal Celestial Capital, while Greenplume Village was the one to go through Pillfire.
King Flowerback announced, "Gentlemen, to avoid disputes, let's swear in the name of the temple never to complain about our marching orders!"
"Certainly!"
After the chieftains swore the oath, the villages began their preparations, full of eagerness for the upcoming journey. They headed in four different directions the next day.
Countless Goldbiter Rats were disseminated through the northwestern lands. Although they didn't understand the Savages' plans, they continuously kept Veluriyam abreast of the latest developments.
Chapter 1538: Counterplans
News steadily passed on to Jiang Chan through the Goldbiter Rat King.
"Taking four different routes?" Jiang Chen was truly dumbstruck this time. Was this what the four great armies had finally come up with after biding their time for so long?
The Savages were isolated in enemy territory. Weakening their forces by dividing them was a cardinal military sin. The young lord was shocked by the enemy's decision. Not out of fear, but stupefied by the sheer idiocy.
"These Savages must have mush for brains. Don't they have any fear? What do they take us for?" He smiled wryly despite himself.
Wellspring muttered, "They've always been known for bravery rather than intricate schemes. I'd be dubious if they could come up with any profound war plans." To tell the truth, despite the great emperor's wisdom, he couldn't fathom the enemy's intentions.
Peerless shook his head with a wry smile. "I don't understand this either."
Jiang Chen laughed. "No matter what, judging by their different itineraries, it'll be difficult for them to coordinate their efforts. This is an opportunity for us."
Peerless' eyes lit up. "Do you have an idea, young lord?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "I do, as a matter of fact. But I still need more information to be certain it's not a trap."
But in fact, he'd already devoted significant thought to it and felt that the Savages didn't seem ones to come out with new tricks. Without question, they'd made a major blunder.
But he was in no hurry. He sat down and waited for news.
By splitting their forces and marching in different directions, it would take them some time before reaching Veluriyam, not to mention they planned on wiping out stray forces along the way. It would take half a month at the very least, giving for the young lord ample time for his arrangements.
So, he waited to consolidate the stream of information from the Goldbiter Rats. His instincts told him this was a chance. Sure enough, news arrived one after another.
"The four villages really have split up! It seems they're headed for the various first rank sects." He was flabbergasted when he realized their pathing.
Wellspring slapped the table with a shout. "Young lord, what a chance! They're true to their nature alright. Their wildness is bone-deep. They lack any semblance of discipline and can only see immediate gains. It looks like they're planning to loot the deserted first rank sects. They're nothing but bandits!"
Jiang Chen nodded in agreement and slapped his thigh. "Great! I was worried they'd hole up in the Moon God Sect. Since they took the initiative to leave and even split up, it'd be a pity to refuse such a gift. What do you think?"
Wellspring smiled. "One shouldn't refuse a heaven-sent present. Young lord, what are your plans?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I need to crush only one of the four villages. If I can eradicate it completely, it'll terrify the other three."
He didn't have enough men to split his own forces. It was impossible to head for a second village after dealing with the first, so he had to pick his target carefully.
Wellspring unfurled the map and analyzed the four routes. "Young lord, which group is your goal?"
Lost in thought, Jiang Chen stayed silent for a moment. "This one. They're isolated and their itinerary is full of danger. The conditions are ripe for an ambush."
"It's the one chosen by Gunuo Village." This route headed straight south from the Moon God Sect through countless barren areas en route to the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Perhaps the Savages thought they were experts in this kind of terrain, hence they didn't particularly mind the route.
"Gunuo Village, what a coincidence!" Jiang Chen's mind was set. "Gentlemen, I leave Veluriyam in your hands while I'm gone. If these secluded masters come to cause trouble, just delay them. They won't be too reckless with the Vermillion Bird here."
He was most worried about the threat posed by the hermits when he was gone. Fortunately, he wasn't so short in manpower at the moment. He even had Senior Vermillion guarding the city.
As usual, he left four golem brothers on Sacred Peafowl Mountain as a guarantee against any possibilities.
He secretly left on that day with the other four brothers, on his way to lay a trap for Gunuo Village. On the whole, their route was crystal clear to him. The question was where to ambush them.
In the end, he set his sights on a large mountain valley sitting just before Heavenly Dragon Sect territory. Gunuo Village was sure to pass through there; they'd have to take a detour that would last a couple days otherwise. That was an impossible choice for a group pressed for time.
Not to mention, the valley was rather safe. There was little reason to avoid it, especially when the Heavenly Dragon Sect would be almost within reach once outside.
"Here will do." After an on-site inspection, the place seemed simply perfect.
The valley wasn't difficult to traverse, but it wasn't particularly wide. There was a razor-thin line in the middle, sandwiched between two mountains.
"Young lord, are we going to fight head to head with the Gunuo here?" Big Stone eagerly rubbed his hands.
"There's just a few of us against a whole bunch of elites. It'd be a gratifying fight, but do you think we're likely to win?"
Big Stone scratched his head with a chuckle. "Hehe, not likely."
Jiang Chen nodded. "In that case, why should we do so? We'd play straight into their favorite style."
With a smile, he started looking for the best spot. The final choice had to be perfect. He couldn't grant the enemy any chance to sniff out any clues. Once done, he announced with a smile, "This place."
He fished out big bundles from his clothes. Those were spoils he'd seized from the Order after killing Elder Mo and Elder Peng.
They contained one of the Order's two most fearsome poisons, namely the Soulless Powder. It was transparent and odorless. Once blended into the terrain, it was more terrifying than any miasma, a silent killer in the night that struck without warning.
Jiang Chen disseminated the powder in every direction.
Big Stone chuckled. "Hehe, isn't that the stuff the Order used against us last time? Savior, you're so good at taking advantage of everything."
Jiang Chen patted his hands with a smile. "It's free, so it'd be waste not to use it."
"Yeah. You're not a moron like that Order. You put that stuff to good use. Then again, the Savages are braindead musclemen, how could they match your intelligence?"
Young lord this, savior that, Big Stone spewed flatteries nonstop, highly excited.
Jiang Chen did indeed put the Soulless Powder to good use. This was the most efficient method he could think of right now. More importantly, he could avoid unneeded fighting. If lucky enough, he could even subdue his foes without sounding the alarm.
If violent fighting were to erupt here, the battle would probably alert the other villages. Attacking a second village wasn't in the plans, but if everything proceeded without a hitch, there was no reason not to give it a try, was there?
After setting up everything, he relaxed and told the four brothers, "Let's take cover for now."
With Goldbiter Rats leading the way, they hid underground, entirely concealing their presence.
All they needed to do now was wait. Gunuo Village's men should be arriving soon, on their way to the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Meanwhile, the village was regretting their draw. They'd suffered untold hardships en route, encountering many crises as they trudged along: poisonous miasma, extreme weather, poisonous insects or animals, violent spirit creatures...
They'd already lost a tenth of their troops, quite an alarming number. Their so-called army was composed entirely of elites. There were a few thousand of them at most. Losing several hundred men in one go was a great blow for the village.
At long last they left the dreadful area behind them.
"Screw it, I get why humans haven't laid down a road here. It's simply impassable!" a Gunuo fighter swore.
King Gunuo walked among his men, his charismatic face unreadable. Hearing someone complain, he replied mildly, "Stay sharp. If you can't endure this little bit of suffering, how will you subdue the humans, gain wealth and status, drink their wine and enjoy their women?"
An elder at his side encouraged, "Stop complaining. We'll soon reach Heavenly Dragon Sect territory. Think of the loot! Isn't that the reason we've come this far?"
Sure enough, the ranks brightened at his words.
Chapter 1539: The Gunuo King's Anxieties
After bringing out the map to analyze their current progress, the Gunuo army livened up. The Heavenly Dragon Sect was indeed very near.
"Past this river is a valley. Beyond that are the sect's sacred grounds. That sect styles itself the third strongest sect in the human domain and is rumored to have an ancient dragon heritage. We won't be going home empty-handed today!" The elder rained encouragement.
"Great. Let's go now, we don't need to rest! It's just a valley!"
"There won't be that many dangers in that valley, right?"
"Haha, do you think dangers will be allowed to remain in a valley near the sect's home base?"
"That's true. So the valley should be safe then!"
"Come on. We'll see if it's safe or not. The chieftain is leading us and we have many elders with us. Do you think they'll miss anything?"
The Gunuo warriors shone with greed for the Heavenly Dragon Sect's goods. Their cleanout of the Moon God Sect had given them a taste of the spoils of war. The potential winnings from a first rank sect stronger than the Moon God Sect could only be more than what they'd gotten so far.
"Don't rush," King Gunuo ordered. "Everyone is tired from traversing the hills and mountains. Rest for a night and we'll set out tomorrow morning."
The king's orders had to be obeyed regardless of willingness. The army rested on the spot. After some well-deserved sleep, it recuperated much of its energy and spirit.
The king was pleased with his people's enthusiasm. "According to our information, the Heavenly Dragon Sect joined the Order of Wind and Cloud at first. After that Order's defeat, it was shut down by Veluriyam Capital. Most of its experts are dead and it's a husk of its former self. My sons, this is the time for us to pillage their wealth. Are you willing to put your blood and lives on the line?"
"We are!" These Gunuo warriors were uniformly ardent.
"We embark!" The king was roused by the exuberance of his subjects. He had ordered last night's rest to allow some time to think. They were deep into human territory now with no possible outside help or backup. Additional caution and consideration was needed for their every move.
The Gunuo king was a bit different from the other chieftains. He liked to think before doing, though the Savages weren't exactly known for their wisdom.
Past the river was a winding mountain range. There was a valley before them; beyond that was the border of the Heavenly Dragon Sect's headquarters. The valley didn't appear to be particularly dangerous.
King Gunuo observed the valley for a long while. "Gu Qi, do you think there's something strange about this valley?" he asked the old man near him.
Gu Qi considered the sight for a moment before shaking his head. "I can't tell," he cracked a crooked grin. "It's… different from the wastelands we were in?"
King Gunuo sighed after a long look. "I don't know why I chose to rest rather than proceed yesterday. I felt uneasy for some reason."
Gu Qi's eyes shifted around. "Shall we prepare a bit more, my chieftain? Or take a detour?"
The king laughed. "Am I supposed to back out of the plan because of some emotional disturbance? Do you know how long a detour would take?"
"Two or three days," Gu Qi coughed out a dry chuckle.
"Yes. We don't have that much time to waste. The other three villages have easier and straighter paths to their goals than us. We can't lag behind them in our conquest."
"Not too much, at least." Gu Qi nodded.
"Come. We've covered harder and more arduous roads than this. What can this harmless valley possibly do to me?" King Gunuo's tone carried the timbre of superiority and authority.
Prominent leaders like him tended to be a confident bunch. He wasn't going to be scared off by insubstantial internal warnings, nor was he going to shy away from the task at hand.
Savages didn't balk in the face of danger. If the Heavenly Dragon Sect was going to attempt a foolish resistance, all the better. Razing an entire first rank sect could make them fabulously rich overnight. For them, the human domain was heaven!
Unlike humanity, the Savages' leaders were more responsible. Right now, King Gunuo was at his army's vanguard. Several of the tribe's experts followed closely behind. Two others shored up the rear. The distribution overall was quite reasonable.
Unlike usual times, the king didn't take large strides forward. Instead, he slowly proceeded with care and discretion.
The valley was very quiet. There were a few bestial cries, but those didn't affect the cultivators' mentality. Everything appeared quite safe.
However, King Gunuo was more bothered the further in he went. There was a niggling in his mind that it'd been unwise to take this route. There was no evidence to prove that his premonition was correct, however. Not a hint of danger appeared.
"Am I overthinking things?" Doubt flickered through his mind. He usually placed great trust in his intuition.
"My intuition has rarely failed me through all these years. Is there really someone waiting in the valley?" King Gunuo slowed down a bit more. At the same time, he transmitted to his people: "Keep your wits about you. Prepare for battle."
Though everyone else had no idea why their king was being so prudent, his strength and ability was enough to give credence to his instructions. The army's relaxed nerves drew taut.
The troops continued onward. Each step was taken with excruciating care, as if the ground would sink in the very next moment.
Everyone was on edge, but the calm journey didn't seem to warrant their reaction. The battle they'd been anticipating didn't arrive.
They were almost at the valley's exit. They could see it with their own eyes.
There was a collective sigh of relief. Perhaps their chieftain had overreacted. There didn't seem to be much danger after all. If they were at the end already, what could an ambush really do at this point?
"Gu Qi, do you feel anything wrong?" King Gunuo still wasn't completely at ease. He turned to his trusted advisor.
"My chieftain," Gu Qi smiled wryly, "I'm afraid I was too slow to have noticed anything."
"Maybe I'm being too paranoid," King Gunuo sighed. "We're almost at the exit. Don't let go! Outside this valley is the sect's border. On flatter land, that sect can't hope to ambush us successfully."
"Yes, sir!"
The king waved. The army advanced without delay.
As it did so, King Gunuo's face suddenly fell. His brow furrowed heavily, his consciousness experiencing a bizarre shock. Dread coursed through his heart. In the next moment, he felt a vague emptiness in his empyrean qi ocean. It was hard to maintain focus.
What was happening?
This inexplicable condition sent beads of cold sweat down the king's back.
"Stop, stop!" the king waved, his voice terse.
"What is it, chief?" The nearby elders gathered to his side.
"Sense your qi oceans. Is there something odd about them?" King Gunuo was grim, clearly somewhat agitated.
One of the elders immediately yelped. "My qi ocean is blocked off. My head is spinning…"
"Mine… mine as well!"
"Not good!" The Gunuo king was in full panic mode. "Everyone charge! Hold nothing back. We must get out of here!"
The chief of Gunuo village led the charge by blasting off toward the valley's exit.
The others didn't dare defy the king given his reaction. They followed close behind using every ounce of their remaining strength.
The army's formation started to crumble. Some of the ones with weaker cultivation stumbled, their feet leaden.
Thump, thump!
More and more fell to the ground, moaning for their companions to help them up.
But who was going to rescue his fellow at this time? The terror of death chased the Savages, clogging their chests with a primal instinct to flee. None of them would help even someone at their feet.
A few seconds might mean the difference between their own life and death.
"Ignore the others. Charge out!"
"Charge!" Though the formation was now in complete shambles, many did manage to reach the valley's exit. The Gunuo king's dashing figure stood upon some empty space nearby, his eyes gazing into the distance. He was looking for something.
"Come on out!" The king's voice was cold. "You humans are cowardly and shameless. You only know how to use tricks and schemes! I'm not afraid of you!"
His voice rang out like a great bell, grand and majestic. From the sound, it certainly did not sound like he was weakened at all.
A mocking laugh echoed from the void. "The Gunuo Village, isn't it? You're the king, then. A word of advice, don't try to pretend you're fine. The more you resist, the faster the toxin will act. Be a good boy and sit down. With your cultivation, you might still have a chance at eliminating it from your system."
Every tribesman was wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the message. Apprehension was plain upon their faces. They'd been poisoned?
This scary thought drilled into every man's bone. The Embittered Savages were barbaric and fearless, but they did fear death. This kind of bloodless death without any battle was utterly shameful to them.
King Gunuo's handsome face contorted. "You bastard, do you think I can't pluck you from your hiding place?"
The voice roared with laughter. "Very good. The angrier you are, the deeper the poison will spread. King Gunuo, why are you even here? Aren't you a chieftain back home? Why must you deliver yourself into the jaws of death here in the human domain?" The derision came from none other than Jiang Chen, of course.
As he spoke, he appeared not far from the king. The Holy Dragon Bow was slung across his back and four stone golem brothers stood in a line behind him.
Chapter 1540: Taking Them All
"You… you are the young lord of Veluriyam Capital?" King Gunuo wasn't slow on the uptake. He immediately reacted to the youth's age and bearing. This couldn't be someone from the Heavenly Dragon Sect!
Jiang Chen smiled placidly. "You have a keen eye. What a shame you came to the human domain to forfeit your life. Shall I oblige you?"
The king paled. He finally realized that his intuition had been warning him about this poison formation rather than an ambush!
The formation had been cleverly set up to obscure all traces of its existence. When he'd finally noticed, the poison had already invaded his consciousness.
King Gunuo squinted at Jiang Chen through half-closed eyes. If I can take him down, maybe I can force him to give me the antidote! This is my last chance!
He knew that his current condition was awful. If he started a fight, the poison would only act quicker. But he had little choice otherwise.
He pounced like a shadow in Jiang Chen's vicinity.
The four stone golem brothers stepped up without another word. They swung their enormous weapons at King Gunuo with a practiced hand.
King Gunuo was extremely strong at fourth level empyrean realm. Two or even three cultivators at Shu Wanqing's level wouldn't have been able to stop him. But he needed to be at peak performance to be unstoppable.
Currently, the king could barely exert a third of his strength, and that fraction was quickly decreasing. This was why he had taken the risk to catch Jiang Chen.
"Out of my way!" King Gunuo instinctively believed that these four brutish guards had little combat ability. His shoulders shook, his empyrean aura slamming into the four giants.
The total ineffectiveness of the attack surprised him.
"How can this be?" Among the warriors of the village, four other empyrean experts came rushing in from the back, howling with fury. They understood what the king intended to do.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "Come on, then." He arched his back, raising the Holy Dragon Bow at the oncoming enemies. "Strike!"
He was a half-step great emperor now. The Holy Dragon Bow's power had been amplified greatly thanks to the increase in cultivation. Each arrow it fired had the power to bring about death.
Normally, he wouldn't have been able to kill empyrean experts with single arrows. But these ones were severely debilitated.
Missiles that normally would've been able to be dodged found its mark by half a beat's difference. A bloody hole appeared in the Savage expert's head, his body exploding in gory finale shortly thereafter.
"Again!"
Roaring loudly, Jiang Chen grabbed three more arrows, pointing them at the three other empyrean experts. They halted in their step when they saw the fearsome sight of their companion's corpse. They were afraid.
King Gunuo was utterly exasperated at their reaction. Why were they worried about personal safety at a time like this?
If the four of them had swarmed Jiang Chen, they would've had a very good chance at capturing him. Even if they'd killed him, it was possible to find the antidote on his body somewhere!
A moment's delay due to terror changed the circumstances entirely. The opportunity had been lost.
In their moment of hesitation, Jiang Chen tossed forth his Nine Labyrinth Formation. The three experts were swept within. They didn't have time to recover from being caught off guard, and scurried about fearfully like lost dogs.
Jiang Chen didn't want to waste energy attacking them. His goal was to trap them and leave them to live or die as they would.
King Gunuo was his only prey today. He was the formidable enemy. Though the king was poisoned, he was able to suppress its effects. This distinguished him far beyond his fellow tribesmen.
Thankfully, the four stone golem brothers were quite strong too. They put everything they had to prevent the king from escaping.
Sneering, Jiang Chen materialized two Confounding Puppets in the air. The puppets pounced upon King Gunuo with reckless speed.
The king was already gasping for breath in the one-against-four brawl. The two deathless puppets made the battle significantly harder for him.
Jiang Chen locked onto the king from afar, three arrows nocked upon his Holy Dragon Bow.
"Go!"
One, two, three. The linked arrows formed a perfect arc through the air towards the king.
King Gunuo was busy enough with his brawl. He couldn't respond in a reasonable manner to the three arrows.
Thump! A hammering blow from one of the stone golems slammed into the king's back.
King Gunuo stumbled forward, attempting to disperse into fleeing light.
However, Jiang Chen didn't give him any respite. The three linked arrows arrived at his face.
King Gunuo gasped, then flipped backward, barely managing to avoid the attack.
Jiang Chen's Confounding Puppets weren't far behind. They pounced on the king's legs, grabbing one leg per puppet.
The king was slack-jawed from what'd happened. He'd seen many fighting styles, but shameless clinging onto thighs like this was a first since childhood. Wasn't this something only kids did in spats?
It was exactly because he hadn't expected it that he had been caught off guard by the puppets. He was trapped now.
"Well done!" Jiang Chen shouted. An arrow was nocked once more. Whoosh! It hurtled in the direction of the king's knee.
The Gunuo king could use a variety of postures to avoid other points of attack. But his lower body was trapped, so he couldn't move his knee very much.
Boom!
The arrow turned into a ray of light, sinking itself deep within the king's knee. There was a cracking sound.
In the next moment, the bottom half of the leg disappeared. Only a bloody stump remained.
"Huh?" King Gunuo hadn't expected something so catastrophic. His leg was as good as useless. He fell over dejectedly, defanged and declawed. The Soulless Powder of Wind and Cloud had taken full effect now.
"Jiang Chen!" Loathing was writ all over the king's face. In the end, it transformed into intense supplication. "Jiang Chen, give me the antidote. I will exchange key intelligence for it!"
Antidote?
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "I got this poison from someone else. I don't have the antidote for it. Even if it exists, I'm not interested. As for key intelligence, why not trade it for your son's life?"
Someone dragged over the village's prince, Gu Tianqing. The younger Savage glared hatefully at Veluriyam's young lord. Clearly, he was still hung up on being injured in the assassination attempt.
"Is underhanded the only way you know how to fight, Jiang Chen? Trying to assassinate me and ambushing Gunuo's army. Why not fight face to face instead? Aren't you the young lord of Veluriyam? Dare you fight me fairly?!" Gu Tianqing shrieked.
Jiang Chen smiled mockingly. "Do you think yourself worthy to fight me?"
He had fought enemies far stronger than Gu Tianqing before. A fair fight? Jiang Chen wanted to bray with laughter. These bastards of bandits, these invaders of the human domain, wanted fairness and justice?
Gu Tianqing was too naïve.
The disdain at the corner of Jiang Chen's mouth burned Gu Tianqing with indescribable shame. Only one on high like him was fit to make that kind of expression! He seethed with anger.
"Oh that's right, about that attempted assassination. You should thank me! The person responsible was actually Shu Wanqing. I've already dealt with him."
Gu Tianqing's steps faltered, his face shifting between red and purple with blistering emotion.
"I have a lot of time, King of Gunuo, but your son doesn't look the same way. You should know how strong the poison is, hmm?" Jiang Chen had no words to waste with the Savage king. Unless he wanted to see his son die in front of his eyes, he had to divulge all he knew. King Gunuo blanched, looking a decade older.
"Ah, it's all over. I've lost completely. Jiang Chen, are you sure you'll let my son go? You won't kill him?"
"I don't particularly enjoy releasing predators back into the wild," Jiang Chen retorted coolly, "but since you're willing to make such a huge sacrifice for your son, I'll make an exception. Tell me your secrets. After you're done, I'll send you on your way. Tell me, why did the four villages' armies remain in the Moon God Sect's former territory without setting out?"
He desperately wanted to know the answer to this question. What kind of strange and stupid answer did the Gunuo Village have for him?
"Alas, if not for delaying there, how would things have come to this? I shouldn't have listened to King Flowerback's boasting!" However, the Gunuo king recalled their mutual agreement. No one could renege or vent their regret on anyone else.
"So you had no special reason for staying at the Moon God Sect for so long?"
"Of course not. Hmph, we were all waiting for Forefather Embittered Bamboo. He's a pillar of the Embittered Savages and his word is law. We couldn't come to any consensus without him, much less plan our attack."
"Then why did you split your armies four ways?"
"That was King Flowerback's suggestion. He said that the forefather would come at some point anyways. He said it was better for us to advance on Veluriyam Capital first, taking out a few other sects on the way."
The king had tossed aside his regal pride. He knew that his life was as good as over. But perhaps he could keep his son alive to visit vengeance upon his foe.
Jiang Chen burst into laughter. He shook his head inwardly. The Embittered Savages were destined to remain uncivilized and barbaric; their intelligence could not be overestimated. There were many ways to divide up the forces, but they'd chosen one of the dumbest.
Jiang Chen almost wanted to thank King Flowerback, despite having never met the Savage. How idiotic would one have to be to come up with such a crazy proposition?
Heading deep into enemy domain after splitting limited troops up into four groups… Jiang Chen wouldn't have ever made such a rookie mistake.
Chapter 1541: Subduing the King of Gunuo Village
Jiang Chen relaxed at this moment instead. He stepped forward with leisure and changed the subject. "King Gunuo, you make it sound like you four chieftains don't have the highest authority in your tribe?"
"The highest authority naturally belongs to Forefather Embittered Bamboo. All four villages obey him because he's the master of the Temple, the center of our faith. He can communicate with our gods."
"Communicate with your gods? Do you really believe that?" Jiang Chen smiled lazily. "Tell me about his cultivation."
King Gunuo felt a bit awkward. "I don't know exactly, but his cultivation is above us four chieftains. Some even suspect he's sixth level empyrean realm!"
"Oh?" The young lord quirked an eyebrow. Such a master would be an existence to be reckoned with.
Even in the heavenly planes, this strength would result in a decent status. Once at greater empyrean level, a man of common birth could be bestowed a noble title, albeit a lesser one. Was the forefather this strong?
Surprised, Jiang Chen asked again, "Then why hasn't he arrived yet?"
"I heard he's busy with a human powerhouse who's gone to our domain to cause trouble. The man even threatened the Temple's safety, so the forefather can't afford to take it lightly. The Temple is our holiest of holies. Our entire tribe's fortune would suffer if anything were to happen to it."
Jiang Chen tried to organize his thoughts.
"Forefather Embittered Bamboo, a human powerhouse…" His eyes lit up. "To think a human secluded expert would finally assume their responsibilities! I wonder who it is?"
The was highly unexpected. He'd stopped counting on human empyrean masters ever since meeting Shu Wanqing. Yet, one of them had gone to Savage territory to delay Forefather Bamboo and paralyze the Savage army's march.
People in Veluriyam had hazarded many guesses, yet it seemed they'd been far from the mark.
Looking at the Savage king wilt where he laid, Jiang Chen asked with an easy smile, "Do you think your tribe is truly strong enough to conquer us?"
The older man closed his eyes, his voice heavy. "The victor is king. What else is there to say? If not for our barren lands and lack of resources, you humans would have nothing on us! You have such vast territory, yet you waste it in petty squabbles among yourselves. What wastes of existence you are! Why do we hardworking Savages have to toil on barren wastelands while you lazy pigs wallow in these fertile soils?" His tone bristled with frustration and injustice.
Jiang Chen laughed despite of himself. "Each race is bestowed its own lot. You don't seem to recognize that. Such is destiny. Would your kin truly be so hard working without your difficult environment? With an easier life, are you certain your warriors wouldn't become indolent pleasure-seekers?"
It was the honest truth.
Who would willingly live an ascetic life? The Savages' nature had been shaped by the limits of their environment.
The king sighed softly. "No matter. Give me a clean death. I simply hope you will abide by your promise and spare my son."
Whether human or Savage, a son was always an object of constant worry.
Jiang Chen smiled. "I'm not the bloodthirsty sort and have little to gain by killing you. I can actually spare you. Do you want to listen to my offer?"
His survival instincts stirred, the king's eyes shot open. "What is it?"
"Have your village pledge allegiance to me. Not only will I spare you, I'll even make you the supreme ruler of your tribe and help your race flourish." He drew a perfect vision of the future for the older man to see.
Hesitation was writ large on the latter's face.
The proposal was certainly tempting. The Savages had little qualms about both attacking or surrendering to the humans. Integrity or honor wasn't high on their list of priorities. They were a pragmatic sort who'd always followed the profit. In this instance, survival.
After a moment of contemplation, King Gunuo looked at Jiang Chen with bright, piercing eyes. "Young lord, there's only one question. What about the forefather? How will you cope with such a powerful existence?"
Become the ruler of the tribe? As long as the forefather lived, such talk was a simple joke. A sixth level empyrean master was a thorny issue.
Jiang Chen didn't answer directly. Instead, he fired back another question with a subtle smile on his lips. "Isn't that your problem to solve?"
King Gunuo blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I'm merely offering you a chance to live. Are you going to rely on me for everything? Even if I'm looking for a puppet, I'd rather have a capable one, don't you think?" Jiang Chen responded lazily.
Since the king wanted to live and accomplish his ambitions, he should come up with a solution himself. Even if not, he ought to appear proactive at least. Otherwise, Jiang Chen might as well kill him right then and there
King Gunuo finally remember this wasn't a negotiation between equals, but a choice between life and death. He became lost in thought. How to deal with the forefather?
The issue was a great taboo he wouldn't even have dared to contemplate before. But other choice did he have now? Every man for himself, that was the rule of the martial dao world.
He seriously considered possible plans, before finally sighing. "Young lord, it's impossible to quell him with force. According to my understanding of Veluriyam, you don't have the power to either. But I might try the method you used against me."
He'd come to admire the young man's skills after unwittingly falling into his trap.
"Heh, that happens to be my idea as well. But you need to personally act as bait." Jiang Chen smiled.
The stratagem had been effective against King Gunuo. The same trick might not work against the forefather, but things might turn out differently with the king as a double agent. An inside enemy was the most poisonous kind.
Looking at the emptiness below his knee, the king lamented, "How can I go back in this shape?"
"If I could pierce your knee, so I can heal you as well. You just decide whether you're in or not," Jiang Chen responded uncaringly.
King Gunuo clenched his teeth. "I'm a dead man if I'm not, but I might have a chance if I am. Is that really choice?"
He'd made his decision. I'll do it!
Jiang Chen clapped with a chuckle, then glanced at the warriors behind the king. "What about your village? Can you guarantee they'll follow you?"
The king replied. "Please be at ease. Everyone I've brought is trustworthy! I've personally nurtured all these warriors!"
"Very well. Let's hear your oath then."
Realizing his impasse, the king clenched his teeth. "I, the king of Gunuo, hereby swears my surrender to young lord Jiang Chen. I will be wholeheartedly loyal. I will do whatever he tells me to do. May celestial thunder strike me dead if I lie!"
"And your son?" Jiang Chen turned his gaze to Gu Tianqing.
The latter had no choice but to follow suit. "I, Gu Tianqing, follow my father in surrendering to young lord Jiang Chen. May the heavens smite me if I renege on my oath."
Jiang Chen turned stern. "King Gunuo, not that I don't believe you, but each of your men has to swear the same oath, or I won't let them live."
"Don't worry, this I can promise you. Young lord, can you heal me now?" As a man who cared about his appearance, he didn't want to go about without half a leg.
There were many miracle cures in the world, but it would inappropriate for Jiang Chen to leave him hanging, so he started the treatment at once. He had many elixirs at his disposal that could restore a man's flesh and vitality. The king's wound was naturally no exception.
After a moment, the man's legs were roughly healed.
"Here's the antidote. Suit yourself." Jiang Chen handed it over to King Gunuo, releasing the latter's experts from the Nine Labyrinth Formation at the same time.
The king embraced this crushing defeat wholeheartedly.
"Young lord, not that I want to haggle, but I hope you can provide me with enough resources. I promise to be loyal unto death once I sit on my tribe's throne."
Resource shortage was the reason for the Savages' warlike nature. Plunder had been their only way of survival.
"Don't worry about that. Of those truly loyal to me, I've never treated any of them unfairly!" Jiang Chen promised with a generous wave of the hand, setting the older man's face alight with delight.
After detoxifying everyone, King Gunuo announced to his warriors, "Gentlemen, everyone is witness to today's events. Humans easily routed our entire army with a simple stratagem. Devouring mankind? That's nothing but a daydream! Our lands are barren and our numbers few. We're destined not to be the continent's main characters. But young lord Jiang Chen promised me that I'll become our tribe's sole ruler. Once I come into this supreme authority, you, my loyal companions, will also have your share. Just think of it! Are you willing to die in vain, or will you follow me on another glorious journey?"
His speech roused his warriors.
They had been ready to die for him to begin with, hence they immediately proclaimed, "We swear to follow the chieftain wherever he goes!"
Chapter 1542: Accomplishing All With One Operation
His eyes as sharp as an eagle's, King Gunuo swept his consciousness through his warriors while Jiang Chen deployed the God's Eye and the Evil Golden Eye. With the young lord's keen and penetrating insight, he could see clear as day who was genuine through and through, and who had second thoughts.
Most warriors were fiercely loyal to King Gunuo, ready to follow him without so much as a blink or a thought. But there was a suspicious glint in the eyes of some. No matter how faint, it didn't escape Jiang Chen. His consciousness immediately locked onto these people.
"Since you're following me, you have to swear an oath," the Gunuo king remarked faintly. "Whether we succeed or fail, your lives and that of your families will be on the line. Everyone needs to be responsible for their own actions."
"Right, we need to swear!"
"What if some bastard betrays the chieftain?" They cooperated willingly, each swearing the oath each in turn.
King Gunuo looked at Jiang Chen, "Young lord, does that satisfy you?"
The young man responded with a mental transmission. "Those over there are suspicious. They will stab us in the back."
King Gunuo's heart sank. These happened to be the ones he wasn't especially certain of either. In fact, he'd planned on secretly dealing with them afterwards. So he responded, "Don't worry. I already had my eyes on them. I'll find an opportunity to remove them in the future."
"No need, I can do it."
With a series of finger motions, two Confounding Puppets floated down into the crowd like ghosts. None of the suspicious warriors were empyrean realm. Thus, they could mount very little resistance as the puppets tossed them out.
A frightened hush fell upon the Gunuo warriors.
"Don't worry, everyone. This young master is proficient in heart-reading. To me, their thoughts are clear as day. These fellows are wretches who'll betray you for no apparent reason. I'll dispose of them for you."
Of course, Jiang Chen couldn't truly read a man's heart.
Even so, his judgement was keen enough with the help of his eye arts. In any case, his words induced the desired deterrence. These fellows certainly harbored hidden thoughts.
"King Gunuo, I've done my part. Everything's in your hands now."
The latter nodded. "Right, let's meet again outside Veluriyam. Forefather Bamboo will be there and I'll find an opportunity to release the poison."
"Not bad, but don't be overeager. It'd be a disaster for your village if you exposed your intentions. That being said, your village will be an ally to the humans as long as you carry out this mission. There will no longer be the Embittered Savage Tribe in the future, only the Gunuo Village and the Gunuo Tribe. How does it sound?"
King Gunuo flushed with excitement. "Then I'll be relying on you, young lord."
Jiang Chen beckoned to Gu Tianqing. "You're King Gunuo's precious son, so you have to do your part as well. Eat this pill as a token of your sincerity. There won't be any problems in the short term. I'll give you the antidote once things are settled."
Truth be told, Gu Tianqing was far above Jiang Chen in cultivation.
But in the here and now, he acted with extreme deference. Though embarrassed, he didn't dare disobey. He walked up without hesitation and swallowed the pill in a smooth movement.
"Very good!" Jiang Chen clapped. "The Heavenly Dragon Sect lies ahead. I'll turn a blind eye to whatever you do there. But you'd better be more restrained once in Ninesuns Sky Sect territory. You can make a few token lootings, but don't act in earnest. The sect is currently Veluriyam's ally, I won't allow any presumptuousness."
"Yes, yes of course." King Gunuo's worries eased when he saw how the young lord valued his friends. An alliance with him might be a dangerous deal with the devil, and the young man was an unfathomable mystery; but he didn't look to be a backstabber.
Perhaps cooperating was him really was an opportunity for his village to soar to new heights.
Jiang Chen smiled mildly. "I wish you success. We'll meet again in Veluriyam."
King Gunuo acquiesced like a good sycophant, heaving a sigh of relief only after the young man's figure vanished in a blur of light. He flopped back on the limestone, completely dazed. He wanted to cry after today's bitter experience, but tears weren't forthcoming.
How had things ended up this way?
The outcome wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't one he'd have wished for.
"Chieftain, don't feel sad. We Savages have always gone where our interests lie. Since we can't defeat the humans, what does it matter if we have to lower our heads for now?" Gu Qi consoled.
King Gunuo heaved a drawn-out sigh. "Gu Qi, I don't want to betray the forefather, but… I have to think of our village. It will fall if I die here. Those left back home won't be able to resist the other three's greed."
Gu Qi nodded. "Chieftain, survival has always been our first priority. The other villages would certainly have made the same choice. It's our tribe's philosophy."
His eyes gentle yet apologetic, King Gunuo glanced at Gu Tianqing. "My son, I've let you down this time."
The latter hurried to reply, "Father, like Gu Qi said, it might not be a bad outcome for us. I've already suffered several losses at Jiang Chen's hands. This kid is as hard to fathom as the devil. As the humans say, fortune seems to favor him. He will be mankind's leader. With such a brilliant man at their helm, the humans will be united as never before, so the odds would've been stacked against us in any case."
"You mean, since we can't beat him, we might as well join him?"
"Exactly. If we'd been completely wiped out, the other villages would have swallowed our families and clansmen. They'd have made the men their war slaves and taken the women for their pleasure, leaving them no hope of a better tomorrow."
Such was the cruel life among the Savages.
The strong rose to the top. The weak was disregarded, or, if cast down from great heights like the Gunuo Village, were doomed to a bitter fate.
King Gunuo's face brimmed with resolve. "A great man has to be ruthless. We've never been at peace with the other villages. As to Forefather Bamboo, apart from setting us endless missions, what consideration has ever he shown us? We need only be loyal to our bloodline and our village's legacy. The temple is our tribe's supreme totem, but who's to say I can't become the temple's head shaman?"
Jiang Chen had roused his ambitions. He'd been moved by the future the young man painted. If he could seize the entire tribe, why would he fear becoming Jiang Chen's subordinate?
He would be far away in Savage territory in any case, Jiang Chen would be a distant emperor high up in the mountains, making him a nominal sovereign that the king wouldn't need to worry about.
Not to mention, they would be allies. He could gain many benefits from the young man, an important point for him. Why had the Savages gone to the trouble of invading the humans? Wasn't it for resources?
So why should he keep fighting when surrender worked just as well? Savage warriors were ferocious, but their numbers simply paled compared to the human race. Pitting resources or lives against them would be suicide. They could only rob and plunder like bandits.
"Alright, everyone, keep it to yourselves. If we're successful, every one of you here today will know riches beyond your wildest imagination! The Heavenly Dragon Sect is ahead of us, so let's loot our fill!" His intense gaze landed on the sect's lands.
The sect had chosen to oppose Jiang Chen, so the young lord would never shield them.
…...
Wellspring and the others were stupefied by the young lord's return. Why was he back so soon?
"Young lord, was the plan successful?" Wellspring couldn't resist asking.
Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously. "More than that. We might solve the Savage issue in one fell swoop."
"Oh?" The great emperors looked at each other in confusion.
Jiang Chen rarely hid the truth from those he trusted, so he roughly explained the situation.
Wellspring sighed with praise. "The young lord's strategies are endless. To be your enemy is truly a foolish move."
Peerless laughed. "I hope King Gunuo will be smart enough not to be found out by that Forefather Something."
Jiang Chen had no control over that particular outcome, He couldn't be blamed even in case of failure. His own side was strong enough to face the Savage army in any case.
…...
After handing over pursuit of the human to the experts staying behind and settling the rest of the tribe's affairs, Forefather Embittered Bamboo brought the Holy Beast with him to the human domain.
On this day, he arrived in the Moon God Sect and met the garrison stationed there.
"What? The four great villages left several days ago?" He frowned tightly. Why had they acted on their own without his express command?
Anger swelled in his chest.
"Forefather, the chieftains left us to report that they've left to surround Veluriyam in advance, but won't fight without your esteemed presence to direct them."
The words somewhat appeased the forefather's ire.
"Hmph, what an impudent bunch." Since he couldn't delay any further, he rushed towards Veluriyam with the Holy Beast.