Duke Henry stared into space in silence for a while, and no one disturbed the old man's peace.
"After our last failed attack on the Seventh Domain, it took us three years to make Sima Ji fully accept the First Domain as the Upper Ruler. This time, our attack on the Eighth Domain failed, and even Pushpa died there. Who knows how long it will take to resolve this thorny problem?"
Duke Henry raised his chin slightly as he recalled the past. "I still remember when Pushpa was a young girl, kneeling at my feet and praising my name. For a time, she served as my attendant, exploring ways to solve the Large Gods' [Succession Trial] alongside me."
"Now I'm an old relic lying in a coffin, and I was still hoping she'd say a few more words in my praise at my funeral. I never imagined she would leave before me."
At this point, Duke Henry gently stroked the pocket watch hanging from his neck, looking a little sorrowful. "They killed Pushpa and over a hundred thousand of our troops. The Eighth Domain has truly risen to its feet, and there's nothing we can do about it."
"William said the Eighth Domain's Domain Master is very young. He looks only twenty or so. At a conservative estimate, he has at least another fifty years to live. Even if he's a reckless young man and dies in some [Succession Trial], the several hundred million people left in the Eighth Domain can still maintain a prolonged standoff with us."
"From the looks of it, neither this old relic nor Madison will live to see the day we become Star Lords. No wonder Madison looked as gloomy as a rainy day back in our homeland during the meeting."
Duke Henry murmured, "It