Chapter 541: Is It a Bit Too Little?
Chapter 541: Is It a Bit Too Little?
The three-dynasty land wager was set at the intersection of the three dynasties, in the Yinmi Mountains.
Before the Yinmi Mountains was a vast square, the Yinmi Square.
The first to arrive was the Great Ying Dynasty.
The Great Ying Dynasty was a ghost cultivation dynasty, with its emperor being a thousand-year-old ghost.
Heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang. When people die, only one percent have the chance to become ghosts, and ghosts likewise only have a one percent chance to reincarnate as humans. Therefore, most ghosts in the underworld choose not to reincarnate, much like how most people in the yang realm do not wish to die.
The ghost dynasty was ruled by Emperor Yan Chongzhi of the Great Ying Dynasty.
Yan Chongzhi sat on a pitch-black dragon throne, adorned with black dragons, giving it an extremely dark appearance. He wore a black dragon robe, his face fair as jade, and a black jade flat crown on his head. His eyes shone brightly.
Behind him was an army of about 800,000, all dressed in black armor and hats, completely covering themselves, making it impossible to see any features. Strangely, this entire ghost army floated, their feet not touching the ground.
800,000 ghost soldiers—a ghost cultivation army.
On Yan Chongzhi's dragon platform, behind the dragon chair, stood several trusted aides. There were a few humans, but most were high-level ghost cultivators who had assumed human forms. Their faces were extremely pale, devoid of any blood, looking somewhat frightening.
These people did not dare to overstep their bounds, standing respectfully behind Yan Chongzhi's throne. Behind the throne, however, was a peculiar sight that made the imposing ghost army appear somewhat incongruous.
Why incongruous? Because behind the dragon chair, in an abrupt spot, was a reclining chair made of white jade. On this chair lay a scruffy old man, his nose red from drinking, his eyes half-closed. He wore a tattered gray robe and lazily reclined on the chair, clutching a large wine gourd. While he slept, he occasionally scratched himself, even reaching down to his buttocks.
This unkempt drunkard, with his indecorous actions, undermined the solemnity of the ghost army. Yet, Yan Chongzhi seemed unconcerned, allowing the old man to do as he pleased.
The imposing ghost army settled in the southwestern part of Yinmi Square. Yan Chongzhi flicked his sleeves, placing his hands on the armrests of the dragon chair, and closed his eyes to wait.
While Yan Chongzhi waited, the second dynasty arrived.
The Great Xun Dynasty.
Emperor Guo Feng of the Great Xun Dynasty was human, leading an army of humans.
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Guo Feng wore a blood-red dragon robe and a red flat crown. His face was slightly fierce, his eyes constantly revealing a hint of ferocity, making him appear very intimidating.
On the dragon platform stood a group of trusted aides, all positioned behind Guo Feng, except for one man with a blood-red face, who stood slightly forward. Though his status was not equal to Guo Feng's, he was evidently second only to the emperor, extremely revered.
Below the dragon platform was the Great Xun Dynasty's army.
The Great Xun army consisted of two types: infantry and wolf cavalry.
The infantry numbered 300,000, while the wolf cavalry numbered 200,000.
Each of the 200,000 wolf cavalry rode a giant wolf. These wolves were bizarre, glowing blood-red, with red eyes, looking like fierce demons from hell, appearing extremely ferocious. Blood wolves!
Those who rode the blood wolves were also top-tier warriors.
The powerful Great Xun Dynasty and its formidable wolf cavalry.
The army, stirring up endless dust, finally stopped in the northwestern part of the Yinmi Mountains at Guo Feng's command.
The army was impeccably disciplined, even the blood wolves maintaining perfect formation.
With a flick of his sleeve, Guo Feng placed his hands on the armrests of his dragon chair, looking toward Yan Chongzhi in the distance.
The two emperors of the major dynasties met once again.
"Yan Chongzhi, it's been a long time!" Guo Feng said with a smile, a mysterious expression in his eyes.
"Indeed, it's been a while," Yan Chongzhi nodded.
When the two emperors spoke, no one else dared to interrupt. All listened quietly—this was the authority they commanded.
"What do you think about this land wager?" Guo Feng asked directly.
"What do you think?" Yan Chongzhi countered, avoiding a direct answer.
The two exchanged veiled comments, revealing nothing of their true thoughts.
"The Great Xian Dynasty has fallen. In a short time, a new Great Zheng Dynasty has risen. Do you know much about it?" Guo Feng inquired.
"The Great Zheng Dynasty has held the emperor hostage to command the vassals. Their emperor is no ordinary person," Yan Chongzhi remarked.
"And you think you're any better?" Guo Feng teased.
Yan Chongzhi's eyes flashed with coldness, but he suppressed his anger, saying, "Just be careful not to fall into his hands."
"Him? Zhong Shan? Just a nobody. Give him decades to organize his dynasty, and maybe I'll take him seriously. But now? He's just a flash in the pan," Guo Feng scoffed.
Guo Feng's arrogance was palpable. In front of over a million soldiers from both dynasties, he belittled Zhong Shan, essentially insulting him before the entire forbidden land. Such arrogance would surely come at a price.
Yan Chongzhi looked at Guo Feng and smirked coldly.
While the two emperors conversed, a distant shadow could be seen approaching from the east.
The Great Zheng Dynasty had arrived.
Zhong Shan brought an army of 800,000 from Changjing. Over the years of training, they moved in perfect unison, causing both Yan Chongzhi and Guo Feng to raise their eyebrows involuntarily.
Such precision?
Although Zhong Shan had only brought 800,000 soldiers, their marching was synchronized to the point where each step they took sounded like the beat of a war drum, reverberating through the air.
Amidst the rhythmic marching, the army steadily approached Yinmi Square. The enormous imperial flag rose high, and at the front, Zhong Shan sat on his dragon platform, wearing a golden nine-clawed dragon robe, making him stand out. His golden flat crown enhanced his imperial aura.
The nine dragons pulling the dragon chair further emphasized his imperial might. Behind Zhong Shan stood his trusted aides, respectfully standing. Their solemn expressions added to the emperor's commanding presence, felt even from a distance.
This was a true emperor. Just the grand display exuded a much stronger presence.
The Great Zheng Dynasty.
Yan Chongzhi and Guo Feng watched with cold eyes.
The army advanced slowly until they reached the front of Yinmi Square. Without Zhong Shan needing to speak, Lin Xiao intuitively waved his hand, and the army abruptly halted, standing as still as statues.
The strict discipline impressed both opposing dynasties. They hadn't expected such a well-trained army in such a short time. The Great Zheng Dynasty had developed rapidly, turning its soldiers into a highly disciplined force in just a few years.
Yan Chongzhi and Guo Feng both began to take Zhong Shan more seriously.
Behind Zhong Shan's dragon chair stood Mr. Corpse, Lin Xiao, Xianxian, Sha Po, and several newly promoted ministers.
Upon reaching Yinmi Square, Xianxian's eyes darted around, first focusing on the countless blood wolves in the distance before quickly shifting her gaze to the 800,000 ghost soldiers.
Wolves? What's so interesting about them? Xianxian herself was a wolf, so she found the ghosts more fascinating. Especially with 800,000 ghost soldiers—their imposing presence was captivating.
Like Xianxian, Mr. Corpse also focused on the 800,000 ghost soldiers, his smile faint but present. Sha Po, however, was fixated on the distant blood wolves. His gaze eventually settled on the blood-faced man behind Guo Feng on the dragon platform.
Noticing this man, Sha Po's eyes lit up, and a wicked smile curled on his lips. As Sha Po stared at him, the blood-faced man also glanced at Sha Po and Xianxian, his brow furrowing slightly. Though he couldn't discern their exact cultivation levels, the blood-faced man had a strange instinctual feeling—they were wolves. This intuition was a natural sense of kinship, for the blood-faced man himself was a blood wolf.
When Guo Feng's army had arrived earlier, the ragged drunkard behind Yan Chongzhi had remained his disheveled self, sleeping and scratching. However, upon the arrival of Zhong Shan's Great Zheng Dynasty, he had opened his eyes briefly, a gleam of sharpness flashing before they clouded over again and he went back to sleep, as if nothing had happened.
Zhong Shan sat on his dragon chair, his large sleeves fluttering as he placed his hands on the armrests, looking at the two emperors opposite him.
"Great Zheng Dynasty, Zhong Shan, greets you both!" Zhong Shan smiled.
"Great Ying Dynasty, Yan Chongzhi, greets Zhong Shan!" Yan Chongzhi said, looking at Zhong Shan in the distance.
"Great Xun Dynasty, Guo Feng, long time no see!" Guo Feng said with a twisted smile as he looked at Zhong Shan.
With this, the two dynasties officially acknowledged Zhong Shan's status as the emperor of the Great Zheng Dynasty.
"Zhong Shan! You know the rules of the land wager, don't you?" Guo Feng asked.
"I've heard a little. Do you have any new tricks up your sleeve?" Zhong Shan asked, smiling at Guo Feng.
"New tricks? Ha, I just want to ask, how many cities is your Great Zheng Dynasty willing to wager?" Guo Feng smirked.
"The Great Zheng Dynasty is new, so I'd like to hear your opinions first," Zhong Shan deflected.
"How about ten cities?" Guo Feng asked with a sinister smile.
Ten cities? In previous three-dynasty land wagers, each dynasty usually wagered five cities, with the highest being eight. Guo Feng's proposal of ten cities was bold, nearly one-third of their territory. It was as if he was certain he could take advantage of Zhong Shan, the newcomer.
"Yan Chongzhi, what do you think?" Zhong Shan turned to the southwest, addressing Yan Chongzhi.
"Ten cities? The Great Ying Dynasty can manage that," Yan Chongzhi responded, seemingly testing Zhong Shan's reaction.
"Heh," Zhong Shan let out a soft, thoughtful chuckle.
"What's wrong? Is the emperor of the Great Zheng Dynasty scared?" Guo Feng taunted with a sneer.
Guo Feng's confidants all wore looks of schadenfreude, while behind Zhong Shan, Xianxian's eyes flashed with anger. The others, however, remained as steady as mountains.
This was a conversation among emperors. Regardless of their emotions, no one else dared to voice their opinions. That was the rule.
Zhong Shan's smile turned enigmatic as he said, "Ten cities—isn't that a bit too little?"