War and Blood

Imperial Palace side hall.

Cough, cough, cough!

An elderly man in dragon robes leaned against the dragon throne, coughing violently. Only after he finally calmed down did he look at the fifteen princes kneeling below.

The old man was the An Tong Emperor of the Great Pang Dynasty in the Golden Cloud World. Kneeling below were his fifteen sons.

The An Tong Emperor lifted his tea and took a sip before slowly saying, "The Arctic Trolls have emerged in full force. They have consecutively breached several cities and crossed the Black Pine River. Our Great Pang Dynasty is in an extremely perilous situation. The garrisons everywhere are alarmed and unsettled, and they may very well be unable to stop the trolls' southward advance. Therefore, I intend to mobilize two hundred thousand soldiers and send them north to eliminate the trolls. However, we lack a commander capable of coordinating all sides. As princes, as descendants of the Xiang Family, you must bear the responsibility and resolve to exterminate these trolls. So, who is willing to shoulder this burden?"

All the princes knew that if they could take on the task of leading the army north, they would surely have a chance to distinguish themselves before the Emperor and move one step closer to the imperial throne.

But commanding an army against the trolls' southward invasion was not something that could be done with mere words.

Marching, deployment, intelligence, decision-making, logistics—none of these were easy. It could even be called hellish in difficulty. If they failed or made a mistake, not only would they gain no favor, they might face punishment under military law. If things went badly, they could ruin humanity's realm and become sinners of mankind...

Moreover, every member of the troll race was a warrior, and each was far stronger than an ordinary human soldier.

Even ten soldiers against a single troll might not hold the advantage. Winning a glorious battle was practically impossible.

Most crucially, it was said that Ge Mu, the troll chief, had broken through to become a Heaven Treasury Warrior. His strength was unfathomable. If Ge Mu acted as a spearhead and led the trolls in raids and plundering attacks, he would be extremely difficult to stop. The commander's camp might even be assaulted and its leader beheaded, resulting in instant death.

Back when humanity had defeated the trolls and become the masters of this continent, it was because a Heaven Treasury Warrior had emerged. Only under that Heaven Treasury Warrior's leadership had they turned the tide. This showed the deterrent power of a Heaven Treasury Warrior; one person alone could very possibly reverse the entire situation.

Thus, after the Emperor finished speaking, most of the princes hesitated. At a time like this, doing less meant making fewer mistakes.

Only the First Prince, the Crown Prince, stepped forward. "Father Emperor, your son is willing to don armor and lead the army into battle, keeping the Arctic Trolls beyond our borders."

The An Tong Emperor shook his head. "No. At a critical time like this, the Crown Prince must remain in the palace and must not leave lightly."

The Crown Prince withdrew dejectedly. Though the Emperor had said that, the Crown Prince knew the Emperor simply did not think highly of his abilities and did not believe he could lead an army well.

After a while, seeing that no one else rose, the Second Prince took a deep breath. "Father Emperor, your son is willing to go."

The An Tong Emperor's expression did not change. "Ji Feng, tell me your strategy for annihilating the enemy."

The Second Prince immediately laid out, point by point, the strategy he had pondered for a long time.

After the Second Prince finished, the An Tong Emperor nodded in satisfaction. He waited a little longer, and when he saw that no one else had any differing opinions, he announced that the Second Prince would accompany the army and assist the commanding general in heading north.

Only then did all the princes suddenly realize that a prince was merely there to "assist in commanding the army," not to serve as the "supreme commander"...

Xiang Dongping suddenly stood. "Father Emperor, I am willing to accompany my Second Brother north. I can also help him share some of the miscellaneous duties."

After leaving the Imperial Palace, the Second Prince frowned and asked Xiang Dongping, "What are you going along for? This is different from before. One careless mistake could cost you your life."

Xiang Dongping grinned. "Because I can help Second Brother. Isn't that troll chief very formidable? I have a way to deal with him."

"What way?"

"Send invitations to heroes throughout the land. Announce to all warriors that Ge Mu, the troll chief, has broken through to become a Heaven Treasury Warrior. In the name of the royal family, we will invite warriors from across the land to join us in executing Ge Mu. Whoever can take Ge Mu's head, the royal family will personally award him a plaque proclaiming him the 'Number One Expert Under Heaven.' At that time, countless warriors will surely head north of their own accord for fame and profit to fight the trolls, easing the pressure on our defenses."

The Second Prince looked at Xiang Dongping thoughtfully.

Xiang Dongping continued, "And I have met Phantom Hand You Baojiang before. If I find him and ask him to help manage the warriors voluntarily heading north, I believe he will not refuse. Second Brother, do not underestimate the masters and extraordinary people of the martial world. If we gain their aid, we will often achieve unexpected results."

The Second Prince immediately nodded. "Good. I'll leave this matter to you."

Before long, news that Ge Mu, the troll chief, had broken through to become a Heaven Treasury Warrior and was about to lead an army south spread across the entire continent. The authorities also formally sent invitations to heroes throughout the martial world, inviting warriors from all sides to join them in taking the head of a Heaven Treasury Warrior.

The moment this news emerged, it ignited the passion of martial artists throughout the entire martial world. Countless warriors enthusiastically discussed heading north to take Ge Mu's head.

Even a pork vendor was eager to try. As he chopped off a pig's head with one stroke, he said helplessly, "If I didn't still have work to do, I'd definitely head north and chop down that Heaven Treasury Warrior or whatever he is."

His words drew laughter from everyone around him. "You? A pork seller? Hahaha, just settle down and slaughter pigs!"

"Though I am only a Secret Sea Warrior, when the nation is in peril, I cannot shrink from my duty. I also want to head north and see these so-called trolls. Do not laugh at me, but since I was young, I have dreamed of killing a troll with my own hands."

"I'm going too, I'm going too. I simply want to see how strong this so-called Heaven Treasury Warrior truly is."

Within a Waterside Pavilion on Lake Heart Island, a woman in red finished reading the letter and examining the royal token in her hand. A smile appeared on her lips. "Inviting me north to kill Ge Mu, a Heaven Treasury Warrior? How interesting. What harm is there in representing the Eternal Prosperity Gate and joining the excitement?"

Upon hearing the news while drinking in a tavern, Spring Light Sword Zhu Tianming smiled faintly, hugged his longsword, and quietly departed northward.

Inside an estate, Phantom Hand You Baojiang said in surprise, "I never imagined Young Master Xiang was actually a noble prince. Please forgive my earlier disrespect."

Xiang Dongping waved a hand and said, "Phantom Hand You Baojiang, your reputation and standing in the martial world are both exceedingly high. You are recognized and respected by all. Though you bear no title as leader of the martial world, you surpass one in every way. I have come this time to invite you to serve as the representative of the warriors heading north, organizing them to take Ge Mu's head together. What do you think?"

A glint flashed through You Baojiang's eyes. He immediately smiled. "Since the prince has invited me, I will naturally do my utmost."

After Liu Yueling, who had been traveling and sightseeing, arrived in a small town, she heard the news about the trolls and was greatly surprised. "The trolls are heading south again? And Ge Mu, their chief, has actually broken through to become a Heaven Treasury Warrior."

For no reason, she thought of Zhuang Hong. Could Zhuang Hong also be one of those legendary Heaven Treasury Warriors... But if he learned this news, he would surely head north, wouldn't he?

Xitang Town. The old man caught Er Niu, who had been sneaking out, and directly lifted him one-handed as he demanded, "Er Niu, where are you going?"

Er Niu said, "I'm going north to kill Ge Mu."

The old man casually pulled out a wooden switch and lashed Er Niu with it. "North, my ass! Stay the hell at home! Everyone else is running south, and you brat want to head north and offer up your head."

For a time, people across the entire continent passionately discussed the trolls.

To the people of this world, killing trolls was an instinct carved into their flesh and blood, an instinctive hatred formed through countless years of struggle against the troll race.

Although humanity had now utterly defeated the trolls and driven them into the Land of the Far North, they had not wiped the trolls out completely. Deep down, everyone feared that one day in the future, the trolls would rise again and sweep across Great Earth with unstoppable force.

Only by exterminating every troll in this world could everyone truly rest easy.

However, as an outsider, Zhuang Hong could not deeply understand this instinctive hatred.

For that reason, after learning the news, he merely sighed. "War is coming. The history of humanity's growth has always been accompanied by war and blood, whether on Earth or in other worlds..."

Then he put the matter out of his mind and continued north, following his own instincts.