Book 4: Chapter 147: Nurturing a Spirit with One’s Officials
Book 4: Chapter 147: Nurturing a Spirit with One’s Officials
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s study, Major Metropolitan City:
Only two people stood in the study: Mo Yike and Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
“Your Reverence, this official had previously heard of the matter regarding the five factions attacking the Qian Heavenly Dynasty together but got involved only recently. During this time, this official read through various reports. However, that only left me scared witless,” Mo Yike said with a frown.
“Oh? Scared witless? Is this why you sought an audience with me?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu sipped on tea as he looked at Mo Yike.
“Yes, Your Reverence. This official asks that Your Reverence withdraw,” Mo Yike said seriously.
“Withdraw?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu narrowed his eyes.
“Yes. Attacking the Qian Heavenly Dynasty at this moment is simply unwise. The five factions are not strong enough yet. Furthermore, we joined forces and marched north all of a sudden. This is not an alliance of forces but a mob,” Mo Yike said resolutely.
“How audacious!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu glared.
“Your Reverence, this official knows that my words sound harsh. However, how did this alliance happen so quickly? We just stopped fighting with the Qian Nation and have yet to recover. We only just stopped fighting, and we are starting again? What will the citizens think? Your Reverence, the will of the citizenry is the will of heaven,” Mo Yike pleaded sincerely.
“Mo Yike, you made great contributions in Ying Province. Indeed, we have not had enough time to recuperate yet. However, our Yuan Nation is already stronger. With five million zombies, we are the leader of the five factions. How could there be any problems with sweeping through the many cities of the Qian Nation?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu asked.
“The problem lies in it happening too quickly,” Mo Yike replied, his voice sinking.
“Oh?”
“It is too rushed, way too rushed. Your Reverence, why are the other four factions in such a rush?” Mo Yike shook his head.
“It is not rushed. We have been preparing for one thousand years already,” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said indifferently.
“It’s rushed, too rushed. We still do not know enough about the Qian Nation. We still do not know enough about ourselves. Despite so many deficiencies, we sent out our soldiers? Continuous wars conflict with the citizens’ wish for peace—with the citizens’ will. That is a sign of defeat!” Mo Yike said anxiously.
“Conflict with the citizens’ will? Mo Yike, you are too alarmist. War does not involve the citizens,” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said gravely.
“No. To fight a war, you need the will of the citizenry. You need proper justification. The excuse we used for our expedition to the north is too shallow.” Mo Yike shook his head.
“You are overthinking. How do you know we do not know enough about the Qian Nation? Do you really think we lack knowledge of the Qian Nation? Do you know how much we have prepared over one thousand years? Do you know how many of our people are in the Qian Nation?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu countered with a faint smile.
“Spies? Your Reverence, have all five factions sent spies into the Qian Nation, and they now hold high positions?” Mo Yike looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu smiled faintly.
However, Mo Yike did not feel any relief. Instead, he felt even more worried. “Are these spies still loyal to us? Or rather, how could the Qian Nation be unaware of so many spies? Furthermore, since we thought of spies, would the Qian Nation not think of sending spies here?”
“Hence, we leave the command of the troops to only the people we most trust,” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said indifferently.
Mo Yike showed a faint, bitter smile as he said, “A war cannot be decided with just pure military might. There are various factors. Hah… This official still thinks that it is not the right time yet. Furthermore, this official worries that…”
“Worries about what?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu prompted indifferently.
“We don’t know ourselves well enough,” Mo Yike said resentfully with a lowered head.
“Oh?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at Mo Yike coldly.
“The other four factions sent their imperial emperors and Dao lords. Yet, Your Reverence feels so confident that you sent only the Bat Ancestor. Can he show the might of the Yuan Nation? Can he boost the morale of the soldiers?” Mo Yike asked worriedly.
However, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu did not get angry at this. He smiled faintly and said, “The Bat Ancestor? Do you think that he is only a peak Middle Heavenly Palace Realm cultivator?”
“Oh? Is that not so?” Mo Yike said in surprise.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu shook his head and said, “Indeed, he failed at everything he did recently. However, why would we make him the national beast’s prime if that were all he was capable of?”
“Oh?” Mo Yike felt slightly startled.
“The Bat Ancestor is the ancestor of the vampires. Do you know why he wanted to create the vampires?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu asked.
“This official does not know.” Mo Yike shook his head.
“One needs to use a drop of one’s essence blood to create one vampire, a drain on oneself. However, this drop of essence blood can grow stronger independently. When one collects it back…” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu smiled faintly.
Suddenly, Mo Yike’s expression changed dramatically. “Collect it back? Collect the essence blood back? The Chang Clan?”
“That’s right.” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu nodded.
“Then…then… Oh no! Your Reverence, the Chang Clan and Chang Sheng? Your Reverence, this time, you…this time…hah…” Mo Yike’s expression again changed dramatically.
“What’s wrong?”
“Continuous wars will result in the loss of the citizens’ support. Using officials to nurture an animal spirit will…will result in losing the officials’ support. Although Chang Sheng’s clan is loyal to the Yuan Nation, they must reject this in their hearts, especially Chang Sheng. I know that he is a prideful person who thinks far into the future. Using Chang Sheng to nurture an animal spirit would not give him proper recognition of his talents,” Mo Yike said bitterly.
Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at Mo Yike. “We know. However, Chang Sheng volunteered back then.”
“Ah?” Mo Yike said in confusion.
——
At Nine-Five Island’s old location:
The instant the Bat Ancestor consumed Chang Ming’s fourth uncle, surging black energy spewed out around him. An aura severalfold stronger than before burst out.
Yehua’s expression changed.
The expressions of all the vampires suddenly changed as well.
Chang Ming’s second uncle and third uncle appeared horrified. Eaten? The primogenitor ate Fourth Brother?
Primogenitor became even stronger after eating Fourth Brother. What happened to Fourth Brother?
Chang Ming’s second uncle and third uncle gazed at the Bat Ancestor in horror. Then, they looked at Chang Sheng.
Chang Sheng seemed to have known about this long ago. He only watched indifferently, not expressing anything.
Chang Sheng understood that there was no way to resist. From the moment the Bat Ancestor spirit-assimilated them, he controlled all the vampires. If he let a vampire live, the vampire lived. If he wanted a vampire dead, that vampire died.
At the side, Chang Ming suddenly felt a chill.
Now, Chang Ming finally understood what his father’s many lessons in the past meant.
The vampires would receive retribution for their wanton killing sooner or later. Even if this retribution did not come from outside, it would eventually come from the Bat Ancestor. There was no avoiding it.
Previously, he had been thrilled to become a vampire and grasp the power to turn into bats. The Bat Ancestor gave us strength. He deserves our respect and reverence. I do not understand why Father resents the Bat Ancestor.
Now, Chang Ming understood. Spirit-assimilated humans? The vampires are just a power that the Bat Ancestor is nurturing. The stronger the vampires become, the more strength the Bat Ancestor will obtain when he consumes the vampires.
We are just food for the Bat Ancestor. It is just a matter of time before we are eaten.
Chang Ming suddenly shivered and showed an expression of despair.
“Hehehehehehe… Not bad. Yehua, again! Try again!” the Bat Ancestor roared with a ferocious expression.
Vast, black energy erupted from his body as he glared at Yehua. This time, his aura seemed no weaker than Yehua’s.
Boom!
The two exchanged palm strikes, producing an intense shock wave that blasted the seawater below away.
“That’s impossible! Why is your strength equal to mine?!” Yehua exclaimed.
After consuming Chang Ming’s fourth uncle, the Bat Ancestor had grown this strong. Moreover, there were other vampires here. Yehua’s expression changed; he wanted to retreat.
——
Above the vast sea:
After Gu Hai left the Bat Ancestor, Yehua, and the others, he quickly flew away on his flying ship, following the route that he had arranged with Gu Qin.
Whoosh!
When the flying ship entered the clouds, it vanished before everyone.
After ensuring that the Bat Ancestor and Yehua did not give chase, he adjusted the flying ship’s course and set it on auto-pilot before entering the large hall.
The coffin was still inside.
That incomplete Go soul managed to control the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body to give off a surging aura, deterring everyone from acting recklessly.
However, it would not be easy to fully control this body.
“Again!” Gu Hai said.
Gu Hai’s incomplete Go soul controlled the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body, slowly making it sit up.
However, its movements were extremely uncoordinated.
“Hah! Controlling it is not that easy. I’ll take my time,” Gu Hai said.
After flying for a day or so, the flying ship stopped.
Gu Hai had caught up with Nine-Five Island. After all, Nine-Five Island was too large and could only fly slowly. He managed to cover the distance that Nine-Five Island had taken over ten-odd days to cover in just a day.
“Your Majesty!” Bing Ji immediately rushed over joyously.
“Imperial Father!” Gu Qin called out in excitement.
Now that Gu Hai had returned safely, everyone felt at ease.
“Continue flying. We need to enter closed-door cultivation for some time. Don’t disturb us unless there is something extremely important,” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
Gu Hai had a feeling that nothing was more important than familiarizing himself with controlling the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body.
After making some arrangements, Gu Hai entered closed-door cultivation.
Nine-Five Island continued slowly towards the Divine Continent.
——
Nine-Five Island’s previous location:
“Let’s go!” Yehua shouted in dismay.
Whoosh!
The flying ships quickly carried the angels and Solar Divine Palace experts away.
The Bat Ancestor stood on the sea, staring coldly into the distance.
The vampires were extremely quiet at the moment, not daring to say anything. They still had not recovered from the shock of seeing Chang Ming’s fourth uncle eaten.
After they became vampires, the Bat Ancestor controlled everything about them, even their life and death. Were they doomed to be eaten?
Only Chang Sheng remained the same.
“Primogenitor, it’s good that you let Yehua go. Right now, war is imminent. If we involved the Solar Divine Palace, it would not be good for us,” Chang Sheng said.
“Right,” the Bat Ancestor answered coldly.
“Primogenitor, where should we go now?” Chang Sheng asked seriously.
“Gu Hai? I will not let him go so easily. Since Nine-Five Island is gone, there is still Chaoge City,” the Bat Ancestor said ferociously.
“However, His Reverence promised not to touch the Han Royal Dynasty for a decade. If we go there, wouldn’t we be defying the will of the Yuan Nation, earning the Yuan Nation infamy for perfidy?” Chang Sheng said respectfully.
“Huh?” The Bat Ancestor’s expression turned cold as he looked at Chang Sheng.
“Furthermore, we promised His Reverence before we left that no matter how this ended, we would head to the army immediately and meet with the other four factions. We need Primogenitor to oversee everything. That is the nation’s military matter; we cannot tarry any longer,” Chang Sheng forced himself to advise.
The Bat Ancestor stared at Chang Sheng for a while before eventually nodding reluctantly.
“Let’s go. We will meet up with Qin Zibai!” the Bat Ancestor ordered in a cold voice.
“Yes!” all the bat spirits and vampires answered.