Sun Fei's first battle against Young Supremes- level opponent has finally come to an end.
This was an unexpected and sudden battle, but for Sun Fei, it was also an extremely important one. It is believed that before long, the news of [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ] Alexander defeating Dortmund's Young Supremes Reus will spread and create a new shockwave across the entire continent. Therefore, powerful forces and important figures will re-evaluate their assessment of Sun Fei.
Of course, none of these things mattered to Sun Fei.
The most important thing is that the battle with Reus made Sun Fei's sense of crisis even stronger, and his desire to increase his strength became more and more obvious. Now, in addition to continuing to strive for the Great Perfection of the other four major professions in the Diablo World, Sun Fei must focus some of his cultivation on improving the strength of the max-level profession. Fortunately, he now knows that killing those mutated monsters and zombies in the wild can obtain pure and mysterious free energy, which can increase his strength.
Due to the delay in the past period, the [ Undead Frenzy ] south of Didikaka City has become increasingly rampant. The remaining three southern provinces of Alania can be described as a vast expanse of scorched earth. The newly established Alania Empire once organized an army to enter the south to rescue the survivors, but unfortunately, it suffered heavy losses in the end.
According to some information provided by the [ Letters and Visits Office ], Sun Fei's worst fears have come true in the past period of time—the dark creatures of the Hell system seem to have undergone some kind of evolution, with more terrifying and advanced dark creatures appearing. These creatures are not only incredibly strong, but have even developed some primitive intelligence, possessing the strength of human Star-Rank Warrior. They have clear classes, strict hierarchies, and a sense of cooperation.
"If this trend continues, and a monster at the level of Hell King Class evolves, then things will really get interesting. The most terrifying aspect of Hell dark creatures isn't their strength, but their terrifying speed of spread. Once this evil truly spreads across the Azeroth Continent, even the gods won't be able to stop it!"
After reviewing the various information compiled by the [ Letters and Visits Office ], Sun Fei was filled with worry.
"Looks like we have to set off as soon as possible... Damn it, the ' Undead Frenzy ' has been going on for so long, spreading throughout the entire continent, why haven't those hypocrites from the Holy Church, who always claim it's their duty to eradicate evil, taken any action? But that's fine too, no one's 'stealing monsters' from me. Hmm, whatever, I can't wait any longer, I have to leave tomorrow!"
Sun Fei ordered the army to prepare, and they set off at dawn the next day for Southern Frontier Alania.
Busy activity began in the Chambord Army.
In the evening, Sun Fei was invited by the young emperor to attend a celebratory banquet held in the palace. Before the banquet began, he naturally had a private conversation with his disciple to give him some pointers. Considering that the Alania Palace lacked experts, Sun Fei selected ten Chambord Saint to serve as the emperor's guards and stay in the palace to be responsible for the emperor's safety and the training of the royal guards.
After the banquet officially began, the entire palace was filled with an extremely lively and noisy atmosphere.
This was Sun Fei's first public appearance at such a gathering since arriving in Didikaka City. It was also the first time that the newly emerging nobles and important figures of the new Alania Empire had been so close to the founder of the new empire. When Sun Fei, enthusiastic applause rang out in the palace hall. The people's excitement far exceeded their reaction when His Majesty the Emperor appeared.
The subsequent speeches were mostly given by the emperor and nobles of the empire, and since Sun Fei disliked such occasions, he naturally glossed over them.
For a full hour, Sun Fei was undoubtedly the star of the banquet, constantly surrounded by noblewomen, ladies, and young girls who came up to chat him up.
The men hoped they could exchange even a single word with the "Father of the Nation," so they could have something to be proud of for the rest of their lives. The women, on the other hand, flirted with him, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sun Fei. If something wonderful could happen, that would be perfect.
In the lavishly decorated hall, the atmosphere was lively and bustling. Wherever Sun Fei went, a large crowd followed him, making him extremely popular, like a star surrounded by the moon.
This was undoubtedly the grandest banquet since the founding of the Alania Empire.
Meanwhile, in addition to the main venue in the palace hall, the steps and squares outside the hall were also filled with banquets. Anyone in the city with status and position tried every means to attend the banquets, and even just watching from afar was enough to make them feel proud.
Outside the main hall, at the back of the banquet hall, were seats for people of little status. Several brightly dressed young women, wearing flamboyant dresses and heavy makeup, were seated there, displaying their most beautiful side in hopes of attracting someone's attention.
"Ah, I really envy those noble ladies. How wonderful it would be if we could enter the main hall and catch a glimpse of His Human Emperor! With my youthful beauty, perhaps I could even Human Emperor Majesty fall for me!"
A slightly plump girl with freckles on her face and bright, large eyes, wearing only a touch of makeup, stood out somewhat among the heavily made-up women. She tilted her chin, her eyes sparkling, and gazed at the bustling hall from afar, filled with envy.
This is nothing more than the dream of an innocent young girl.
However, this attracted vicious ridicule from some of the glamorous women around him.
"Haha, you? Forget it, Jenny, the daughter of a mere grain merchant. To be able to sit in the outer hall of the palace is already a tremendous honor. You dare to dream of entering the main hall? You're like a toad lusting after a swan! Haha!"
"Exactly! A lowly peasant like you wants to be a nobleman? You're so shameless!"
"Some lowly commoners thought that their chance had come after the empire was newly established, and tried to turn their lives around. Little did they know that a nobody is a nobody, and trying to become a noble through cunning and trickery is simply a pipe dream!"
These vicious-tongued women were some former nobles from the previous dynasty.
After the new emperor ascended the throne, in order to stabilize the domestic situation, in addition to promoting a large number of his confidants, some old officials without obvious misdeeds were temporarily given relatively good treatment. Although their titles could not be inherited, these people still had an inexplicable pride in their bloodline, looked down on the new nobles and commoners, were full of complaints, and had a high opinion of themselves.
This chubby girl named Jenny, who was considered innocent-looking, was actually a representative of the emerging forces. Her father was a grain merchant who was less affected by the Undead Frenzy and preserved a certain amount of power. Moreover, he was quite shrewd. After the northern border of Alania was liberated, he spent a lot of effort cooperating with the Soros Chamber of Commerce to stockpile a lot of grain. Due to the impact of the Undead Frenzy, the grain in Alania was contaminated and there was basically no harvest. Grain prices soared, and he became the object of courtship by all parties, and his status rose accordingly.
However, at a banquet like tonight's, although he, being of commoner origin, received an invitation to enter the palace, he was not qualified to enter the main hall. He could only sit on the sidelines, gazing at the bustling and prosperous circle of power from afar, filled with envy.
This world places an extremely strict emphasis on bloodline levels.
At that moment, Jenny's father Lewis, was also sitting next to his daughter.
This was a middle-aged man, also slightly overweight, with a fair complexion and no beard. He wore a humble smile typical of businessmen, ignoring the malicious taunts that drifted to his ears. He sat as still as a mountain, but his slightly narrowed eyes occasionally flashed with a shrewd glint, revealing the cunning of this middle-aged fat man.
As a seasoned, shrewd businessman who had risen through the ranks from the bottom of society, Lewis paid no heed to the mockery of the ignorant women around him. In his view, these ignorant fellows were destined to be eliminated by the times and had nothing to offer but self-pity.
Lewis's goal is to enter the power center of the new empire. He doesn't want to be an official, but he must at least be a businessman-official. Only in this way can he survive on this cold, lawless continent governed by the law of the jungle.
Unfortunately, due to his humble origins, he has encountered many setbacks and suffered a lot of ridicule these days.
He had hoped to gain something from tonight's banquet and use it as an opportunity to break into the aristocratic circle. So he prepared a lot, spent a lot of money, and pulled many strings to get an invitation. But things didn't go as planned. Those important figures who had been all smiles and promised to introduce him to the main hall and meet the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ] when he received the favors were now nowhere to be seen, even though the banquet was almost over. It seemed like there was no hope left.
With a disappointed sigh, Lewis glanced at his daughter and wife, who looked embarrassed and angry amidst the mockery of the old women, and finally lost interest in staying any longer. Just as he was about to get up and leave, an unusual commotion arose from the direction of the main hall in the distance.
Immediately following, cheers erupted from the seats near the main hall, followed by thunderous applause, and everyone stood up.
"Ah, it's His Majesty the Human Emperor and His Majesty Leo! They're coming out!" Someone with sharp eyes spotted something and immediately screamed in surprise.
Lewis looked up and, sure enough, saw a group of imperial figures, usually arrogant and unapproachable, emerging from the hall with humble and obsequious smiles, surrounding two figures like stars around the moon.
One of them, clad in Human Emperor robes and a golden crown, possessed a youthful face and a touch of majesty—none other than the young Emperor Leo of Alania. The other, tall and straight, wore a pristine white robe, his black hair cascading down his back. A kind smile graced his handsome face. Standing among the crowd, he exuded an aura of extraordinary distinction, like a crane among chickens, as if a deity descended to earth, radiating an innate nobility. Who else could he be but the renowned [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ] Alexander?
Even though Lewis was extremely shrewd and never showed his emotions, at this moment, seeing that god-like legendary man, he couldn't help but feel his blood boil, his heart pound, and a look of fanatical worship involuntarily appeared on his face.
"I never imagined I'd get to witness the splendor of the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ] tonight! Even just a glimpse from afar is enough to make me ecstatic. Haha, how exciting!"
At that moment, the cunning grain merchant Lewis suddenly lost his previous resentment. Just that distant glance made him feel that all the money and gifts he had given away were well spent.
What the Emperor said next was amplified by a magical megaphone, but Lewis, caught up in his excitement, didn't hear a single word. Just when he thought this dreamlike moment was about to end, someone gently nudged him.
Lewis turned his head slightly angrily and saw his daughter Jenny gesturing for him to look to the side. Following Jenny's direction, he saw a smiling young man looking at him.
"You are..." Lewis realized he didn't recognize the other person.
"Excuse me, but His Majesty invites your family to come over." The young man's expression was neither humble nor arrogant.
Lewis frowned, realizing he didn't seem to recognize any of the important figures, and Earth Inquiry, "Your Majesty? Which one?"
"His Majesty King of Chambord Alexander." The young man's answer was astonishing.
"What? How is this possible?"
This sudden turn of events shocked not only Lewis, but also Jenny and her daughter, and everyone around them who witnessed the scene. They gasped in disbelief, utterly astonished. They simply couldn't believe such a thing could happen. The revered, god-like Human Emperor of the Northern Region would actually invite a lowly grain merchant? This... must be a joke!
Lewis was the first to recover from the shock.
While frantically trying to recall when he had ever met this most distinguished person in Alania, he cautiously confirmed with the young man, "Um... are you sure His Majesty the Father is summoning my family? Could there be a mistake?"
Almost everyone around Lewis shared the same thought: they firmly believed that there was some kind of misunderstanding.
Those old nobles couldn't wait to start shouting, "There must be a mistake," "He's just a lowly grain merchant," "Young man, there must be a mistake, His Majesty the Father is looking for me," "Damn it, what right does this despicable grain merchant have to meet His Majesty the Father?" "Oh, oh, oh, what happened? His Majesty the Father actually received that fat pig Lewis, this can't be true," and so on, and a clamor immediately arose.
The usually mild-mannered young man turned and scanned the noisy crowd around him. A chilling aura instantly silenced all the clamorous old nobles. At that moment, he was no longer the humble and polite boy he had been before, but rather a ruthless killer, coldly and mercilessly looking down upon all living beings. No one dared to meet his gaze.
Now, no one dared to doubt the young man's words.
Clearly, this guy, who is only about twenty years old, is an absolute martial arts master.
Turning his head, the young man's expression softened again as he looked at Lewis, and he smiled, "Sir, please!"
With trepidation, the Lewis family parted the crowd amidst the puzzled and envious gazes of those around them, and led by the young man, walked towards the circle in the distance that represented the core power of the empire.
Wherever he went, the crowd made noise and voluntarily made way for him.
In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the bottom of the steps of the main hall.
Lewis, a man who had seen his share of storms, dared not go any further. He and his wife and daughters prostrated themselves on the ground, heads bowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" "Greetings to the noble and benevolent Emperor! Greetings to the noble and benevolent Father of the Nation!"
"Rise." The young emperor's gentle voice reached his ears.
Lewis then dared to slowly stand up, feeling dizzy. Before him were all high-ranking figures, people he could only dream of meeting, yet now they were all smiling at him... Was he dreaming? Jenny and her daughter beside him were even more miserable, feeling suffocated and their legs were so weak they couldn't even stand up.
"You three don't need to come so far. It was the Father of the Nation who invited you. Come up and stand beside me." The young Leo, wearing a golden crown, already possessed the majesty of an emperor. His every move exuded a noble and superior air. He beckoned Lewis and the other two to come up the steps and stand beside him and Sun Fei.
This is an immense honor.
Those around him looked puzzled upon hearing this, wondering what was going on. Why was His Majesty the Emperor suddenly showing such favor to this lowly grain merchant, allowing him to stand on the steps—a position that even some of the empire's new elites wouldn't even get a chance to occupy.
Lewis himself was nearly scared to death, not knowing what was going to happen. Trembling, he was helped up the steps by his wife and children and stood next to the emperor. He forced a smile, but it looked worse than crying. It wasn't that he wasn't excited, but all of this had happened so suddenly, and he had no idea why it was happening. So, intense anxiety replaced his excitement.
"During a casual conversation earlier, the Father mentioned that in the Didikaka City, there is a grain merchant named Moro Lewis, of noble character, benevolent and kind, loyal to the monarch and the country, and deeply concerned about the nation's crisis. These days, he has been regularly distributing rice porridge to those homeless and destitute refugees, saving countless of my subjects. The Father praised him highly, and I was also very pleased to hear this. It is rare to find someone with such a heart; isn't he a role model for merchants from Alania!"
The young emperor's words made everyone suddenly realize the truth.
Lewis himself gradually came to understand; so that's how it was.
Actually, it wasn't something he wanted to do voluntarily. His kind and pure-hearted youngest daughter, Jenny, couldn't bear to see refugees starving to death every day. So, she secretly took a small amount of food from the granary each day and set up a few soup kitchens in the slums, cooking thin porridge to give away. Lewis later found out but didn't stop her, even though he was naturally distressed by the amount of food. You see, in the Didikaka City and even the entire Alania Empire, a small bag of food was worth a piece of gold. However, this middle-aged merchant still had some conscience, and he loved his youngest daughter Jenny. He tried to stop her a few times but couldn't, so he just let it go. Who would have thought that this unintentional act of kindness would fall into the ears of Alexander Great, the father of the nation, and that's how he received this honor.
Having figured out the reason, Lewis felt both excited and ashamed.
Seeing Lewis's expression, Sun Fei found it amusing and said, "Indeed, I witnessed this with my own eyes. The plague of the dead is ravaging the land, crops have failed for years, famine is rampant, and there are starving corpses on the roads. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to chaos in the empire. If a few conscientious merchants like you could emerge, Leo Majesty would have nothing to worry about!"
This single sentence defines Lewis's behavior.
In recent days, countless people have tried every means to get a good evaluation from Alexander, the "Father of the Nation." Even the newly rich generals who hold military power have been eager to curry favor with the Father of the Nation, but have failed to get the chance. Lewis never expected that his momentary pity would be noticed by Sun Fei, who then made such a comment.
Without a doubt, with the title of "Father of the Nation," the grain merchant Lewis's fate took off. From then on, Lewis had a place in the Alania Empire, and not only in the Alania Empire, but also in the rising Zenit Empire, this lucky man named Lewis could now do whatever he wanted.
The newly rich and powerful figures of the empire, who were ascending and descending the steps, all wore expressions of bewilderment, neither laughing nor crying, after learning the whole story.
Think about it, all these people, big and small, in Didikaka City, have spent countless efforts, resources, and time trying to earn a single word of praise from the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ], yet they haven't succeeded. Who would have thought that this small grain merchant would so easily gain everything simply by giving a little bit of rice porridge to those lowly refugees?
This is truly a marvel of fate; destiny is fickle, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Lewis gradually came to his senses and quickly adopted a humble posture for a while. His anxiety dissipated in an instant, and he barely managed to suppress his elation to avoid arousing the jealousy of the other nobles.
Meanwhile, little Jenny, standing behind her father Fu Pang, was also extremely excited. Only now did the girl dare to raise her head and secretly look at the great Emperor of the Empire and the even greater 'Father of the Nation'. In that fleeting glance, she saw Sun Fei 'Jenny face and was immediately stunned.
The girl recognized the exceptionally handsome young man; wasn't he the same strange boy she had met four days earlier when she was distributing rice porridge in the slums?
"So... he was actually the Human Emperor! He actually went to the slums and talked to me for so long... No wonder he asked so many questions about the city's poor and refugees that day, and even about my parents and family. It turns out the Human Emperor is always by our side, always caring about the common people of Alania!"
The events of that day kept replaying in her mind, deeply etched in the heart of this chubby girl with freckles on her face.
When Jenny peeked up for the second time, she was startled to see the esteemed 'Father of the Nation' looking at her. She quickly lowered her head, but in that instant, she saw the esteemed 'Father of the Nation' smiling at her.
"What, don't you recognize your old friend? I even had a bowl of your porridge the other day!" Sun Fei, wanting to help this kind-hearted girl, took the initiative to speak, waving and smiling.
That day, taking a break from his busy schedule, he took his large, simple-minded bodyguard Heskey, to the city's slums. Seeing that the poor at the bottom of society had not changed their miserable fate despite the establishment of the empire, suffering from hunger and cold, he felt a pang of sympathy. On the way back, he encountered this little girl giving out rice porridge to people, and he was deeply moved. He went over and chatted with her for a while. Later, he sent people to investigate and learned the whole story. He developed a great liking for this kind little girl. Coincidentally, Sun Fei was also thinking about how to solve the food shortage problem in Alania at that time, which led to everything that happened today.
Sun Fei's words shocked everyone around him, and they looked at Jenny with extreme envy.
Jenny's mind went blank; she had no idea how she got to Sun Fei's side until someone asked her several times before she came to her senses. She had no recollection of what Sun Fei had just said.
Seeing that his new friend was too nervous, Sun Fei didn't say much. After thinking for a moment, he took out a small ornament from his storage ring and handed it to the girl, saying, "Alright, little one, don't just stand there. We're destined to meet. This bow hair clip is for you; consider it a token. If you encounter any difficulties you can't solve in the future, just bring this bow to me, and I'll definitely help you out."
The girl, facing such a grand occasion for the first time, had lost her ability to think. She blankly accepted the bow hair clip, put it away, and even forgot to say thank you.
This scene filled the eyes of the surrounding nobles, large and small, with envy, jealousy, and hatred. They wished they could devour this poor little girl. Heavens, what incredible luck she had to receive the protection and promise of the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ]! From now on, this little fellow with no martial arts cultivation could walk around the Northern Region with impunity without anyone daring to say a word.
Even the young Emperor Leo, the 'disciple' on the side, was somewhat envious of this ordinary little girl; he had never received such a promise from Sun Fei.
Jenny's parents were overjoyed. Lewis knew that the status and business opportunities he had been striving for these past few days had been completely resolved with just one sentence. It was unbelievable that his silly little daughter had such a good opportunity to gain the favor of the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ]. This little girl was truly his lucky star!
Then he heard the Emperor's voice in his ear. Lewis had gotten everything he had ever dreamed of. He became a partner of the Imperial Family, the largest grain merchant in the Empire, and more importantly, he received a noble title, becoming a third-class hereditary noble. Even little Jenny received a noble title.
The sudden arrival of Jenny's family that night undoubtedly led the banquet to an unpredictable ending, and even had a profound impact on the fate of the entire Alania Empire.
The story of that night, passed down by word of mouth among those who attended the banquet, eventually became a timeless legend among the bards, a tale known and admired by countless people.
Years later, Lewis, who became the largest grain merchant and philanthropist in the Northern Region, ended the famine in the Alania Empire, and was the only partner of the Soros Chamber of Commerce, would always feel a surge of emotion whenever he recalled that night. It was precisely this business Giant's strong support that allowed the Alania royal family to remain standing despite numerous setbacks.
Of course, the other protagonist in this legendary story, Jenny, a little girl with an ordinary appearance, a plump figure, and freckles on her face, also has her own new legend—she eventually married Emperor Leo, the restorer of the Alania Empire. As the only woman in Emperor Leo's life, she became the most popular queen in the history of the empire. With her kindness and nobility, she truly interpreted the meaning of nobility and was kindly called the ' Freckled Empress with a Heart Like Crystal ' by countless people.
Those are other stories.
The day after the banquet, the Chambord Army set off and continued its southward march.
Also setting off was the New Alania Empire's legion of approximately 120,000 men, comprised of the forces of Vengeance, Sharp Sword, and Blood Fang.
Facing them is the evolved [ Undead Frenzy ], and the mysterious force behind it all, as well as the Dortmund prince known as the [ Divine Prophet ], who possesses the ability to calculate the supernatural, another young and proud Götze.
I'll be updating all three at once, please vote, click, and add to your favorites!