by Tinalynge
‘That was a good decision,’ Lan Feng said from his datian cave. He had been quiet from the start not wishing to sway Hui Yue to one side or the other. He had long since decided that this life belonged to Hui Yue, and as long as he was on the path of cultivation. Lan Feng would let the young man make his own decisions. Well, that is, as long as they were not outright stupid.
Hearing the praise from Lan Feng, a wry smile appeared on Hui Yue’s face. It was obvious that the phoenix was also interested in this war. That Lan Feng was interested in the beasts taking over more territory was natural. He had lived here back when magical beasts were living everywhere and had societies with the humans. Returning to this world, and seeing how no humanoid magical beasts were able to live openly in these lands was something which shocked Lan Feng greatly. Finding Sha Yun and her sisters was one of the few things which brought hope back to the phoenix who had feared that all the beasts he knew, all the humanoid beasts, had been completely exterminated from this world.
Seeing them in Shenyuan, Lan Feng was both relieved and excited, although this excitement dimmed drastically as he feared the reunion with Wan Qiao. This had however turned out not too bad, and now Lan Feng was as eager as the One-Horned Jasmine Eagle to reclaim the lands which had once been theirs.
“We don’t know how many of the lords will agree with our plan,” Lord Pan continued, “However having you on our side is definitely going to improve our chances. We have read through this amazing work the Art of War, and I have to say that sharing this with the others should make them eager to join us. We have everything needed to take down a kingdom. Your suggestion of going after the Siban Empire sounds like the best choice to us. The Siban Empire is right next to us, and they have been sending one delegation after another to our lands. Attacking them should be something everyone can agree on when they have been given time to read through the Art of War. Having this young star Hui Yue training the cultivators into soldiers from Master Sun’s theories should enable us to start the war in half a year.”
“Giving this woman half a year to prepare the Siban Empire for war should be plenty of time. Fighting them in half a year we will decimate their army and take back our kingdom.” Lord Pan’s eyes were turning red and killing intent was radiating outwards as Hui Yue was pushed backwards slightly, His breathing became labored, and his entire body was tingling from the killing intent. He suddenly understood that although Wan Qiao was the Queen of Shenyuan, many of the Lords of the Forest were far stronger than he and Lan Feng combined.
“Lord Pan, no need to be this eager,” Wan Qiao laughed as she saw the labored breathing from Hui Yue, and her aura gently wrapped around the young man. This helped him once more breath without any trouble, and the tingling sensations slowly vanished.
“Well, milady, milord,” Hui Yue nodded to the two experts in front of him. “If there is nothing else then I would like to return to my chambers. I am still far from reaching the level of strength which I wish for.”
Having said this, Hui Yue turned around and was about to leave the room when a hand landed on his shoulder, a gentle pat that surprised him.
“We will pick you up when it is time for the conclave,” Wan Qiao said before she removed her arm. A smile was evident on her face, a smile of satisfaction. She felt that as long as she had Hui Yue by her side, it would be impossible for her to lose this war, and also to not convince the lords that she was right.
Hui Yue left the room and went back to his room where he once more heaved a heavy sigh. He felt how more and more responsibility was being pushed down upon him, but although he felt that he was not completely ready for all this responsibility, he still wanted to live up to the expectations that Wan Qiao was placing on him. He wished to prove that he was worth it, and he knew he could gain something from the experience.
Seated in the room, Hui Yue did not exit to get food, nor did leave to do physical training, the only thing he did was stay within his room and refine the essence of the heavens and the earth. Two days later there was a knock on his door calling him to the Conclave of the Lords.
As Hui Yue stood up, his eyes opened, and his lips curved into a smile. This was the final hurdle he had to get through; this was the time he needed to prove his worth. It was finally time for the Conclave of the Lords. The time for Hui Yue to stand in front of the many Saints and show his worth, to gamble to see how many of them were willing to bet on a Duke who was unlike them; someone who was as human as he was beast.
Opening the door, Hui Yue was surprised to see two guards dressed in ceremonial outfits as they nodded politely towards Hui Yue. Neither of these guards were guards for Wan Qiao, and he could tell that they were definitely Emperor experts. Seeing the two of them, Hui Yue could not help but feel slightly nervous. To be picked up by such experts, it was clear that the conclave was truly important, something which he could not fully grasp before he was there on his own.
Following behind the beast guards, Hui Yue looked around, and all he saw was guards dressed in their finest clothes standing guard in front of every door in the castle. Every door they passed by was being watched, and Hui Yue’s walk through the castle did not go unnoticed. Some guards showed curiosity while others showed jealousy and hate. From the looks and serious atmosphere Hui Yue, a mere Duke ranked expert, finally understood just how strange it was for him to be able to participate in the Conclave of the Lords. But even knowing this the young man did not back down; instead, he straightened his back and looked straight ahead. In his mind, he went through the entire Art of War and after recalling it all, his heart slowed down; he suddenly felt much more comfortable. He was ready for the conclave, willing to give it his all and to step up to the stage Wan Qiao had prepared for him.
Chapter 236 - Conclave of the Lords
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Chapter 236: Conclave of the Lords
Moving through the castle, Hui Yue was taken aback by the sheer amount of guards standing in the hallways. Just near the library where the conclave was to take place, Hui Yue went past at least a thousand guards, and all of them were either Emperors or late stage Kings.
Seeing this many guards in the castle, and all the guards wearing various uniforms, Hui Yue understood just how important this conclave was. For so many guards to be protecting the castle, not even Zhong Fai would personally enter the castle as it was now. Sixty-four Saints and countless Emperors and Kings were walking these halls making it the safest place on the entire continent right now.
Astonished by the vast number of guards, Hui Yue quietly followed behind the two experts picked him up, and they slowly made their way to the library. Standing outside, Hui Yue felt how his palms were moist from sweat and his heart was beating erratically as the door in front of him opened incredibly slowly.
The library no longer looked the way it had before. There were not just a few chairs in the middle, instead a long table was placed there with sixty-five chairs, sixty-four of which were filled with beasts.
As soon as the door opened, everyone around the table turned their gaze towards him. At that moment, his heart almost stood still as he saw the various eyes staring at him. There were snake eyes, cat eyes, human eyes, eyes which seemed to belong to bears, horses, and some lions. Some eyes were red, others green. The only thing all of them possessed was curiosity and some held slight admiration.
In the hands of all the Saints was sheet after sheet of paper, on which the Art of War had been written. During the last few days, Wan Qiao ensured that there was a copy of the Art of War for each and every one of the experts. By the time Hui Yue arrived, they had already received a copy and had read through it.
To see that the writer was such a young man, a young man who was clearly only a Duke was something which astonished all these Saints.
“Come closer,” Wan Qiao finally said and with automatic steps, Hui Yue moved towards the One-Horned Jasmine Eagle. His reaction showed no hesitation, but his eyes slowly roamed past each and every beast in front of him. Out of all thes
e beasts, Hui Yue had only seen two of them before, Wan Qiao and Lord Pan.
Lord Pan was seated right next to Wan Qiao, and as Hui Yue’s eyes roamed across the man, he gave a slight nod of greeting. Looking at the rest, Hui Yue was astonished to see that some of the lords were more beastly while others looked completely human. Everyone within the library was staring at Hui Yue as he slowly sat down at the table in the empty chair by Wan Qiao’s side. Not a sound could be heard. Everything was completely quiet, so quiet that the sound of a needle hitting the floor would be clearly heard.
Hui Yue, feeling slightly odd having all these eyes focused upon him, sat down. His calm eyes answering all the stares, and everyone saw that he had a peaceful demeanor and that there was nothing arrogant about him. Silence prevailed within the room as no one spoke a word, and while everyone was looking at one another a smile was growing on Wan Qiao’s face. Seeing that none of the lords instantly started saying that Hui Yue had no place amongst them, she felt a great sense of relief. If she had to fight for everything, including his right to sit down, then it would be much harder to get her thoughts shared with the others.
Clearing her throat, Wan Qiao stood up. In her hands were the papers on which the Art of War was written down. The paper everyone within the room had a copy of and had read through.
“My fellow lords!” Her voice boomed, disrupting the silence in the room, and cutting to the bone. Every lord changed their gaze from Hui Yue to the woman who stood up and made her introduction. “We have lived within Shenyuan for years on end. Thousands of years have passed since the time where we could roam the outside world without fear for our safety, without having to masquerade as humans. Thousands of years have passed while our species has been locked inside Shenyuan, forced to feed off other magical beasts, daring not to venture outside our borders.”
“Year after year I have been sitting within this castle, waiting for the sign, waiting for the thing which would make it possible for us to seize back what belonged to us in the first place. The key that would let us leave these wretched forests and see flat land amongst other beasts.”
“This happened earlier this year when this young man appeared! Hui Yue is one of my friends. He is both human and beast; a person caught between two worlds. He saw how we beasts have suffered within Shenyuan’s borders, and he provided me with the Art of War.”
“This Art of War was created by Master Sun, a deity which appeared in our plane some years back. He took a liking to this young man and passed on some of his knowledge. This book is a masterpiece when it comes to warfare; it includes the strategies which is a subject we beasts are weak in!”
“This Master Sun also left tactics and other things with Hui Yue. This young man is well-versed in the art of warfare; he is someone who can lead our troops of Shenyuan into another kingdom. We do not need to return to the world as it was before, we will be satisfied with one more kingdom where our descendants can spread their legs. Where they can see a different view and eat something other than magical beasts!”
“What do we have to fear? I know, there is a chance that An He could appear, but he vanished more than a thousand years ago. Why would he care about the rise or fall of a kingdom! He has anything he could want. Zhong Fai? No need to fear him, he already sent a messenger to announce that as long as our friend Hui Yue visits him eventually, then he will stay out of this war. With Zhong Fai gone and a promise that his Frozen Brigade will not make a move, should we really fear An He’s wrath?!”
“Yes, our troops are no soldiers, but we have Hui Yue! Let him train these cultivators until they become soldiers. Let them follow his tactics! We have both the Art of War and strength on our side. We will be undefeatable!”
“However, for this to occur we need to concede to something. Hui Yue is a half human, and his wish is for us to meet the troops of the Siban Empire. For us to fight their army and their army alone. He does not want us to massacre the human villages we come across. Humans and beasts are to live side by side! That some humans will be eaten, this cannot be helped. But to exterminate all humans in the empire? Hui Yue is against this. Let humans and beasts live side by side, or let the humans migrate should they choose. Should they run into wild magical beasts on the way, then Hui Yue understands that he cannot save them.”
“Wait!” One of the lords finally interrupted Wan Qiao, and he stood up. This man was at least three meters tall. His entire body looked awkward as it was pressed into one of the small chairs but now when he stood up, his full size was displayed. His body was strong, and a tail was visible behind him. His eyes were cat-like and red, fierce and powerful.
“You say we are not to hunt the humans, how are we to take over a kingdom if we do not hunt humans? Young one, I understand your ideals, but this is warfare; we cannot be kind!”
Looking at Hui Yue, Wan Qiao made no gesture to answer on the white-haired young man’s behalf. With a sigh, Hui Yue stood up ready to answer the man in front of him.
“I am aware that we cannot take over the country without spilling the blood of humans. I just wish that after we have taken over the kingdom, there will not be mass hunts on humans. Should humans try to enslave the beasts, should they try to kill them, or should they not be willing to concede their land to the beasts, to live with them side by side, then, at least, I gave them a chance. Should they do any of those things then so be it. I will not stand against you while you take revenge. But slaughtering of innocents I will not condone.”
Hearing this, a murmur could be heard within the room as the lords were speaking with one another, considering if this one condition was one they could accept.
“Why do we need you now that we already have the Art of War?” One of the lords asked. A woman who was fairly short with eyes like a snake. Her demeanor was arrogant, and she looked at Hui Yue with eyes of curiosity, but also disdain. For her, Hui Yue had already given his worth. He was no longer of any use in the eyes of this snake-woman.
“That may not be the case,” Hui Yue said, his voice clear and his eyes bright. Although he was talking to a Saint, he never flinched nor did he show any sign of discomfort or fear, “I have gifted you all the Art of War, that is true; however, this is only one part of leading an army, of fighting the war. Currently, you have an amazing amount of guards however they are just that guards, not soldiers. I am the one who can change them into soldiers, ready for war. I am the one who has the tactics needed for warfare. You may consider my potential limited, but I am the one you are going to want, should you wish to win this war with the least amount of casualties.”
Hearing the self-confidence within Hui Yue’s voice, all of the lords were taken aback, especially the one who first questioned him. She never expected that a mere Duke, and even more a half human half beast would be capable of standing against her like this. A smile appeared on her face, and she nodded her head as a sign of having accepted the answer he gave to her.
“Let us take a short break to discuss the information and its consequences,” Wan Qiao’s voice once more sounded throughout the room. She waved her arms, showing that within the library many small places had been placed with chairs, tables, and refreshments. This allowed for the lords to mingle and move from one corner to another, discussing what they wished to discuss with whom they needed to.
Seeing this, all the lords stood up and slowly arranged themselves in the small cozy places set up for them to chat at. Some places had two or three lords seated while other places had ten or more lords sitting together, conversing about the news.
Everyone knew that Wan Qiao wished to talk about the subject of war, but none of them had known that she had this many things prepared. However, although they had known that Wan Qiao was planning on speaking about a war, none of them expected that she had the Art of War or a deal with the Frozen General.
However, the Frozen General and their plans and tactics were not their biggest worry. What the lords truly worried about was An He. No one knew if he planned on participating in the
war. If he was to fight against them, then it was likely that he alone could remove their entire army of Saint ranked experts.
Chapter 237 - To Wage War or Not
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Chapter 237: To Wage War or Not
As time went by, the lords roamed through the room. Some of them stayed in specific chairs, letting other lords come to them while some roamed through the entire library speaking with virtually every lord as they assembled information and opinions from the various lords.
During this time, Hui Yue stayed at the long table where the conversation started. He knew none of the lords and felt that he was not suited to talk amongst them. He was not here as a Lord of the Forest; instead he was here to be the bargaining chip for Wan Qiao. As he sat at the table, he started cultivating his inner energies because trying to listen to what the experts were talking about was impossible. Each and every one of the lords were doing everything they could to lower their voices and only allowing for those who should know to know about what was being said.