In the fourth month of the year 2,932 of the Dark War calendar, the governor of Sea-Sealing County perished. In addition to that, Holytide forces invaded three prefectures, while the Nightshades mounted a large-scale offensive on the imperial capital. 1

Sea-Sealing County was thrown into profound chaos, and hovered on the brink of utter disaster.

In the sixth month of the same year, Sea-Sealing County, after marshaling all the county forces and mounting a two-month-long defense, failed to hold its northern front. Li Rongyu, the palace lord of the Administration Palace, died in battle. Zhang Hengxin, the palace lord of the Justice Palace, also died in battle. Yao Tianyan went missing. The allied army suffered untold casualties, and was forced to retreat 100,000 kilometers.

The day after the defeat on the northern front, the western front also collapsed. Kong Liangxiu, the palace lord of the Swordsage Palace, died valiantly in battle.

In that most critical of situations for the humans of Sea-Sealing County, the seventh imperial prince, who was deeply worried about the situation, fought against all odds to break through the Nightshade blockade and arrive with relief troops.

Seventh Prince hacked through brambles and thorns and struck like a thunderbolt backed by hundreds of thousands of pounds of force. Under his command was an imperial army 60,000,000 strong, including forces from five Celestial Divisions as well as 49 commanders-in-chief from Eastglory. With those forces, he swept through the northern front. 2

He slaughtered 7,000,000 enemy cultivators from the two Holytide kingdoms of Heavengale and Earthsoil. Using the blood of those enemies, he established an impenetrable defensive perimeter on the northern front.

After that, he sallied forth into the night with 27 commanders-in-chief, 113 generals, and a host of seasoned warrior cultivators from the imperial capital. Mounted on a golden dragon imperial carriage, he made his debut on the western front. 3

At that moment in which the western front collapsed, and all humans in Sea-Sealing County faced the peril of imminent extinction, Seventh Prince stopped the advance of the two royal Holytide dynasties of Redspirit and Moonmist. Personally taking to the field of battle, he inflicted grievous wounds on the emperors of both dynasties.

Seventh Prince didn’t just seriously injure two emperors. Under his leadership, the forces of humankind slaughtered more than 6,000,000 enemies on the western front. Imperial blood stained the dome of heaven as Seventh Prince, with the cooperation of the commanders-in-chief, disregarded his own safety to unleash a taboo magic to seal half of the entire county and halt the effects of the Nightshade domain treasure. In that manner, he came to the rescue of the defeated forces on the western front.

He then marshaled the surviving forces to create a unified line of defense. He assigned 10,000,000 of his own troops, along with the surviving Sea-Sealing County cultivators, to guard the border. Then he assigned three commanders-in-chief and ten generals to lead warrior cultivators from the imperial capital into the heart of Sea-Sealing County to track down the Black Guard infiltrators.

The spirits of everyone in Sea-Sealing County were lifted, and during that time, fiends and devils trembled in fear, while evil spirits cowered in terror! All the villains in Sea-Sealing County were rooted out, and humankind entered into a period of peace and tranquility. The numerous allied species cried out in joy, and countless other species bowed in respect.

In the seventh month of that same year, after the Holytides were thoroughly defeated, the humans launched a major counteroffensive, sending a terrifying armed force out to reclaim their lost prefectural land.

Seventh Prince was a skilled strategist, and had the reputation of having an outstanding military mind. He turned retreat into assault and set devious traps for the enemy. By detonating the earthflame in Rainfield and Enlightenment Prefectures, he used countless volcanoes as weapons. Lands shook and mountains rocked. The effects stretched all the way into Tidefall and Tranquility Prefectures. Four prefectures were set ablaze.

The sky there turned dark, with the only light coming from the ever burning earthflame.

The Holytides in those lands screamed in anguish as they were exterminated in large numbers. In that manner, the Holytide invasion was ended. When news of the victory spread through Sea-Sealing County, cries of rejoicing echoed out everywhere.

The lieutenant governor made several formal visits to the imperial prince, to formally beg for him to come to the county capital and take control. All such requests were denied. However, after the great victory was achieved, Seventh Prince, out of consideration of all the officers and soldiers in the human forces, announced his plans to travel to the county capital. That was in the seventh month of the year.

***

It was three days before the imperial prince planned to depart for the county capital.

On the border of Enlightenment Prefecture, where the mountains formed a natural barrier millions of kilometers in length, Xu Qing sat atop a mountain boulder looking out into heaven and earth.

He looked very different compared to the past.

Instead of his swordsage uniform, he wore a battered suit of armor. He no longer had long, flowing hair. It was cut short. He was dirty and smelled of blood and gore. His lips were dry and cracked. Deep exhaustion filled his eyes. As he looked out into the evening he saw smoke everywhere. What had once been lush and verdant mountains were now scorched and bare. He saw either darkness or flames everywhere. And within all of that smoke and fire were countless blackened corpses….

Xu Qing took it all in silently.

At some point he heard footsteps behind him. It was Kong Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong was dressed in the same attire as Xu Qing, and looked just as exhausted and lonely. He approached and sat next to Xu Qing.

“Go back and rest, Xu Qing,” he said, sounding numb and emotionless as he looked out at heaven and earth. “I’ll take over for now. By the way, I saw your Eldest Brother on the way here. He wants you to hurry over and meet him. Earlier this morning the deputy palace lord said that our main force will be returning to the county capital in three days. He mentioned wanting you to come along. The Secretariat Division is no more, so there’s little point in you sticking around. I agreed on your behalf to go back.”

Xu Qing stood and looked at what was now the front line of defense. The forces here were made of Sea-Sealing County cultivators and imperial troops. Off in the distance was the main camp overseeing the second line of defense.

A long moment passed, and then Xu Qing clasped Kong Xianglong’s shoulder. Taking out a jug of alcohol, he placed it off to the side. It was the only jug he had left after standing watch at this spot all day and all night.

Kong Xianglong took the jug and drank deeply. As Xu Qing turned to leave, he spoke again.

“Xu Qing, did you see that shadowy figure…?”

Xu Qing closed his eyes and nodded.

Kong Xianglong was silent for a moment. “What do you think of the imperial prince?”

“He’s ruthless,” Xu Qing replied in a hoarse voice.

He thought back to the moment when the grand net of taboo treasures collapsed, and the four-clawed gold dragon appeared in the sky. And he thought about the figure who had been riding that dragon.

“He detonated the earthflame in two provinces,” Kong Xianglong said. “The old man—er, I mean, the palace lord was also planning to do that, which is why he was trying to evacuate those provinces. But this imperial prince is so ruthless he didn’t bother. All he cares about is victory and reputation. He doesn’t care about life!”

Xu Qing didn’t say anything.

“Have you read the war reports, Xu Qing? All they talk about are the prince’s glorious achievements. He injured two emperors! Oh, how amazing! But why didn’t he come earlier? Even an incense stick’s worth of time would have made a big difference….” Kong Xianglong chuckled bitterly and said nothing further. After taking another long drink from the jug, he waved his hand dismissively.

Xu Qing stood there for another long moment, then walked away.

A month had passed since the death of Palace Lord Kong.

Now that Seventh Prince had arrived, there was no point in having a Secretariat Division. In fact, most people had forgotten about it. The swordsages Xu Qing had recruited into his old division had been assigned to other posts.

Life went on. As the war dragged on, Xu Qing had personally come to know more about Seventh Prince’s personality and way of doing things. The prince seemed to care only about victory, regardless of the price to be paid. It was just as Kong Xianglong had said. To him, life didn’t count for much. Most of the humans, nonhumans, and mortals in Rainfield and Enlightenment Prefectures never had a chance to evacuate.

When the right strategic moment came, Seventh Prince detonated the earthflame. A lot of Holytides had died during the last month. But a lot of humans had also died.

It was the same with the forces who had originally been stationed on the western front. They usually served as the vanguard in battle. Not many survived, and those who did were sent out into the larger imperial army. Through the course of the war, each of them had been tempered into elite warriors, veterans of many battles.

Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong were no exception. Eventually, the deputy palace lord and other county leaders managed to get the two of them exempted from the most deadly missions. As of now, they were members of the grand imperial army, serving in the forces of the Seventeenth Commander-in-Chief. Specifically, they were in Fourth Legion led by Third General. That legion was in charge of this stretch of the defensive perimeter.

It was currently evening. The dark clouds and the smoke made everything look brown as Xu Qing walked silently along the mountain path.

He went straight to the garrison, which had been set up in a nearby valley. There were hundreds of cultivators there. Some were from the old western front. There weren’t a lot of people, but neither was the group small. Yet things were very quiet. Everyone had injuries of some sort. Some people sat tending their wounds. Others were meditating. Yet others sat there with blank looks on their faces. A short distance away was a pile of corpses that had not yet been buried.

Xu Qing’s arrival caught the attention of a few people who looked at him. Some were swordsages, some were sect disciples. He even saw some cultivators from the old Secretariat Division.

Off to the side, in front of one particular tent, was the Captain. He was bedraggled, and his armor was heavily damaged. But he seemed to be in good spirits. His body had long since grown back to normal. He squatted in front of the tent, gnawing on a black horn as if to test its toughness. In front of him was an army wok heated by a flame stone. There was some meat stewing inside, bubbling and popping. It smelled wonderful.

“Eldest Brother. I’m back.” Xu Qing walked past him into the tent.

That tent was their joint residence. Although Seventh Prince was a strict commander on the field of battle, he had eventually succumbed to the repeated requests by the deputy palace lord and Swordsage Court grand elder to allow swordsages to return to their various sects, all of which were dangerously low on cultivators.

That said, he didn’t allow all of them to return. Only some.

Sir Bloodsmelter, who had been seriously hurt, as well as some of the other Seven Blood Eyes disciples, had been able to return. They were in the fourth wave of county locals to be able to return.

As a swordsage, the Captain hadn’t been able to join them. He had previously been assigned to a different location, but had somehow manipulated matters to eventually be transferred to the same legion as Xu Qing.

The Captain turned to look at Xu Qing and grinned. “You came back just when I calculated you would, little Junior Brother. Come on, let’s eat!” Laughing, he beckoned for Xu Qing to join him at the wok. “Earlier this morning I went over to the imperial garrison and found that they have some delicious food there. I just so happened to get some for me and you. Did you know they have Holytide battle beasts over there?” He pointed at the wok. “Want to have a try?”

Xu Qing glanced at the Captain, inwardly marveling at how skilled he was at making friends. Ever since the imperial army arrived, the Captain had been visiting the imperial garrisons on a daily basis. He had made a lot of friends, and had also acquired a lot of information. And occasionally, he brought back some very nutritious supplies.

Xu Qing took a piece of meat and put it into his mouth. It tasted good. What was more, after swallowing, it sent warmth throughout his body, along with bits of spirit energy that benefited his cultivation base.

“Not bad, huh?” the Captain said, grinning again. Leaning back, he started eating his own piece of meat. “I heard Ol’ Kong say that we’re going back to the capital in three days. Feels like we haven’t been there in forever. Once we’re back, you and I need to start trading off some of those dao fruits we got.

“I asked around and found out that those things are even prized in the imperial capital.” The Captain glanced around, then lowered his voice and continued, “According to the rumors I’ve heard, the war in the Imperial Region is still ongoing. The Nightshades are attacking full force. And other species are getting antsy. Sea-Sealing County is the only place where humans have come out victorious.

“I heard that the big victory here has caused some of the major species near the Imperial Region to quell their thoughts of making a move. Instead, they’re waiting to see what happens…. Everybody in the world is talking about Seventh Prince and his big win.

“I also learned that the emperor has twelve sons and three daughters, yet there’s not even a hint of any succession struggle. The emperor is in the prime of his life, and he acts with strength and decisiveness. What’s more, he’s a grim and callous person. He doesn’t care much about family, and is only interested in what benefits humankind as a whole.

“You can tell Seventh Prince is cut from the same stock. Apparently, the prince doesn’t even plan to go back to the imperial capital. Think about everything he’s done since he got here; it all seems to be in preparation for making Sea-Sealing County his personal territory.”

The Captain looked very thoughtful.

“It’s all a huge game of Go. Who knows what move he’ll play next? One thing’s for certain: Sea-Sealing County has a new leader…. And thus, little Junior Brother, don’t be too attached to how things were in the past. There’s only one certainty in this world, and that’s death. Therefore, staying alive is the most important thing.

“It’s like the meat in this wok. Although it takes a while for it to stew, if you give it enough time, it’ll be very tender. There are no negative emotions that won’t abate with time. If you have them, it just means that not enough time has passed.

“Back before the patriarch left, he told me to work hard on my cultivation, and not worry about girls. He said that there will still be plenty of girls around after I get my cultivation base to a very high level. I put a lot of thought into that, and I realized it makes sense.

“The same principle applies to Sea-Sealing County. If they don’t want us, we’ll leave. Later, when we get stronger, we can come back and throw our weight around. Other species will line up to work for us.”

Looking very proud of himself, the Captain took another piece of meat out of the wok and handed it to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing slowly chewed the meat, one mouthful at a time.

***

Around the time that the Holytide invasion of Sea-Sealing County was ended by the earthflame conflagration in four prefectures, the four Holytide emperors gathered in the holy land of white sand. There in the temple of the ancestral emperor, they kowtowed in front of a special throne made from blood crystals.

Seated upon the throne was a figure cloaked in blurred darkness, making it impossible to see him clearly. The only things visible were the streams of black energy that seeped off of the figure and merged into the blood crystals. It seemed as if the figure’s blood vessels were being purified in that way.

Emperor Redspirit had regrown his fleshly body. However, he looked pale, as though his energy and blood were unstable. “Your Ancestral Highness,” he said, “everything is going according to plan. However, the Nightshades seem to be getting suspicious.”

Next to Emperor Redspirit were the other three emperors, Heavengale, Moonmist, and Earthsoil. All had their heads bowed.

When they got no response to Redspirit’s explanation, Emperor Heavengale said, “Your Ancestral Highness, we lost 30,000,000 troops in this conflict. Seventh Prince is both ruthless and decisive. He’s no ordinary individual. If the person we’re cooperating with… is deceiving us, or if Seventh Prince breaks his promise—”

“Heavengale,” interrupted Emperor Moonmist, “this has all been arranged by the ancestral emperor. All we have to do is get things done. Stop worrying so much.”

The other two emperors didn’t reveal what they were thinking, and just remained in place silently.

A short time later, an ancient voice echoed out from the figure on the throne.

“There’s no need for the four of you to probe for information. I know you’re curious about what’s going on. Some of you want independence. Some of you still think of yourselves as human. Some of you are concerned about my position. And some of you want a stronger leader. In the past I might have ignored all of that, but this time, I can tell you that whoever causes problems for our species will be killed immediately. I’ll replace them with a new emperor.”

The four emperors bowed their heads low.

“Redspirit.”

Emperor Redspirit’s expression turned even more serious.

“You made a big sacrifice, and you’ll be compensated. Though your dao was severed, I can replenish your loss!”

Trembling, Emperor Redspirit knocked his forehead onto the ground as he kowtowed.

“Regarding the suspicions of the Nightshades that you mentioned, it’s because of something I told them. After all, the truth can only be kept hidden if another truth is revealed.” When the four emperors heard that, various unusual expressions appeared on their faces.

“Heavengale.”

Emperor Heavengale took a deep breath.

“I’m aware of your misgivings. That said, the human Seventh Prince clearly wants to be some sort of hero. After all, it’s plain for everyone to see that, though he did kill 30,000,000 of our Holytide soldiers, it came at the price of countless humans dying. Yet who cares? Nobody. The humans want a hero, so they pay attention to the glorious accomplishments. As for what is wrong or right, other than the family members of the dead, who will pay attention? Few people know how many bones are buried in the shadows. 𝑙𝘳𝘦𝘢.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“He’ll still go through with his plans to expand his territory and establish a millennium of glory. If he succeeds, who will take note of how many people died along the way? Who will dare to defy him?

“As the saying goes, a general’s reputation is made out of ten thousand corpses. Considering he wants to be the hero of humanity, he definitely won’t go back on his word before he reaches his goal. And he will send us that which we have requested.

“As for you four, you need to have the same attitude when it comes to the future of our species. It will be impossible to avoid making sacrifices. Now that the first step of the plan is complete, let’s wait to see what move will be made by the mediator linking us to the Seventh Prince. Most importantly, we need to see if the method they suggested is effective.”

“Your orders shall be followed!” the four emperors said, sounding both excited and respectful.

1. The Dark War calendar was previously mentioned in chapter 401, in case you want to go back and check how much time has officially passed since then…. ?

2. Eastglory was previously mentioned in the same chapter linked to in footnote 1. ?

3. The word for imperial carriage here is the same word used as an alternative for the golden crow’s chariot. In fact, chapter 110 is entitled The Sun’s Imperial Carriage. ?

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