The imperial palace of Yan Nation was always filled with a faint scent of ambergris. The five-clawed golden dragons coiled on the gilded beams gleamed coldly in the morning light. As soon as Tenkō stepped into the palace, he heard a deep voice ask from behind the desk, "Did the airship fleet from the Eastern Territory stop at the Mist City Strait yesterday as I instructed?"
The speaker was dressed in a black robe with dragon patterns, his dark hair tied up with a jade crown, and his profile was as cold and hard as the white marble railing outside the palace—he was none other than Tenbutsu, who had just taken over as the ruler of Yan Nation Kingdom three months ago. He held a rolled-up animal skin map between his fingertips, repeatedly rubbing the yellowish area marked " Western Continent " with his fingertips until his knuckles turned white.
Tenkō tucked in the hem of his court robe, which was damp with morning dew, took two steps forward, and said in a steady, unwavering voice, "It's over. The patrol frequency of the Mist Ocean has also been reduced by half, to avoid making the scouts on the Western Continent panic."
"Panic?" Tenbutsu suddenly slammed the map onto the table, making the fur on the edges of the animal hide stand up. "They have reason to be afraid! When Mother was in power, those barbarians with swords from the Western Continent dared to plunder the resources of the Water Clan, yet Father wouldn't let us cross that line. And now, you've just taken over the military power of Yan Nation from Grandfather and you've already withdrawn all the troops from the border—have you forgotten that twenty years ago, the magicians from the Western Continent threatened our Seven Shadows in the Water Clan Secret Realm?"
Tenkō lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the still steaming glass cup on the corner of the table. It was an object his mother often used when she was empress; the azure cup was engraved with lotus blossoms, and its presence here now seemed like a silent reminder. He paused before speaking, "Your Majesty, I haven't forgotten. But we won the conflict twenty years ago. Now, we're using airborne trading ships to collect various materials from the Western Continent; the warriors and mages who offended us back then were annihilated by the King of the Western Continent sixteen years ago. Fo Ge, times have changed. The focus now is on the cosmos."
"The era?" Tenbutsu suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with a somber light. "I think you've softened your heart! What did Mother tell us before she went into seclusion? Yan Nation is going to unify the Shinobi Planet, and that piece of fat meat from the Western Continent will be swallowed up sooner or later! We grow by cultivating National Fortune; the larger our territory and the more people we have, the more fortune it provides. The faster our strength will grow. But you, all you do is cling to those lousy blueprints from the Ninja Villages, talking about 'space capsules' and 'interstellar routes.' As members of the Yan Nation's royal family, all we should be thinking about is the growth of National Fortune. Tian Yu and Tenchu are already Golden Core Immortal Venerable; we're so far behind!"
These words were like a needle, gently pricking Tenkō's heart. He recalled three years ago in the Ministry of War's warehouse, when he was holding a model of a space carrier made of sheet metal and asked his father, "Father, when will we be able to ride in a space carrier and conquer the Xingchen and the sea in the sky?" At that time, his father stroked his head and said, "Soon." But now, his own brother was here talking to him about annexing a Western Continent.
" Fo Ge," Tenkō looked up, his tone tinged with urgency, "developing outer space isn't just empty talk. Last month, the Scientific Research Institute calculated that the spiritual mineral veins on Shinobi Planet will only last another fifty years at most. If we don't expand beyond space, in fifty years, the cultivation of Yan Nation will slow down, and even the space carriers will be grounded and unable to move. As for the Western Continent— " He pointed to the animal hide map, "They're still arguing about whose castle has the thickest stone. Warriors fight with their armor, and mages rely on their bloodlines. Our electromagnetic cannons can easily penetrate ten of their castles, but if we win like that, what's the difference between us and the people of Ōtsutsuki Planet plundering other planets?"
" Ōtsutsuki Hoshito?" Tenbutsu sneered, moving the glass lamp aside as if it had touched something unclean. "You compare Yan Nation to those scum who survive by plundering? If Mother were here, she'd give you a good beating! She's been Empress for over twenty years, and she's been watching the Western Continent every single day. She always said that Yan Nation's initial goal was to plant its flag on every inch of Shinobi Planet! The Western Continent is backward, their people are suffering! They live a feudal slave life, and we're going to save them."
Tsubasa fell silent. He knew his mother's ambition; she had never hidden it since the day she married his father. Back then, his mother secretly forced the nobles to unite in a rebellion and form an alliance, destroying more than a dozen countries and turning them into the territory of Yan Nation. Her methods were so ruthless that they frightened everyone in the court and the country. But it was precisely because of that war that Yan Nation almost lost its existence. If it weren't for his father's return and the turning point, the Shinobi World would probably have had to be reshuffled.
" Fo Ge, I understand the Queen Mother's thoughts." Tenkō softened his tone, took half a step forward, and lowered his voice, "But understanding doesn't mean we have to do it. The Western Continent is a feudal era. Warriors rely on physical strength, and mages rely on talent. They haven't even built a steam engine yet. If we send troops, how is that any different from adults fighting children? An advanced civilization bullying a backward civilization—if word gets out, what will the common people on Shinobi Planet think of us? Not to mention, war means death— the World Will has cultivated countless gods in the Eastern Continent, Western Continent certainly won't be any less. Can you bear to let our warriors fight those gods again?"
The Tenbutsu tapped his fingers on the table, making a "tap-tap" sound, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze. After a long while, he picked up the glass cup, took a sip of the now-cold tea, and said in a deeper voice, "Are you afraid of the dead? Back when the army was fighting the Oni Clan in the northern border, how many ninjas and samurai died? I was only eight years old when I led troops into battle. Now you're leading troops, and you say you're afraid of the dead?"
"That was a war to protect our homeland," Tenkō immediately replied, his tone resolute. "Back then, the Oni Clan wanted to wipe out all the ninjas in the human world. Now, the Western Continent hasn't provoked us. Fo Ge, we can't abandon our father's principles of the Will of Fire —to yearn for peace and never kill lightly. This isn't weakness; it's the way the Yan Nation should be. If we abandon this spirit of the Will of Fire for a piece of the Western Continent, we'll be no different from those bandits who seize territory. Father said that only justice will prevail."
Tenbutsu slammed the glass cup down on the table, spilling tea that dampened the edges of the animal-hide map. He stared at the Western Continent on the map, remaining silent for a long time. Morning light streamed in through the latticed windows outside the hall, casting flickering shadows on his face. Tenkō stood beside him, his heart also pounding with anxiety—he knew that Tenbutsu had just ascended the throne and wanted to stabilize the court and the country through his achievements, and annexing the Western Continent was undoubtedly the fastest way. But he couldn't let it happen, not only for the people of the Western Continent, but also for the spirit of fire in the Yan Nation.
"Then tell me, what should we do?" After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Tenbutsu suddenly spoke, his anger subsiding somewhat. "Are we just going to watch those people from the Western Continent fight amongst themselves? If Mother comes out of seclusion and asks about the Western Continent, how am I supposed to tell her?"
Tenkō breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "It's not about just watching. We can send envoys to the Western Continent to exchange information with them. We can also send a few scouts to closely monitor their movements, instigate internal strife among them, or have them attack us first. In any case, our military action must be righteous. Mother's military actions back then were all justified, which is why she quickly gained the support of all the people." He paused and added, "As for Mother, once she comes out of seclusion, we'll show her the exploration report on outer space—then she'll know that the world beyond Shinobi Planet is much larger than the Western Continent."
Tenbutsu raised an eyebrow and pushed the wet map aside. "Exchange resources? Do you think those mages will talk to us properly?"
"That would be best," Tenkō said with a smile. "If we can't let them make the first move, just give me a reason to send troops, and I'll make them lower their noble heads."
Tenbutsu didn't speak, his fingertips began to caress the jade paperweight on the corner of the table again. Tenkō looked at him and suddenly remembered when they were children, climbing trees in the Imperial Garden. Tenbutsu always protected him and prevented him from falling. Back then, his brother didn't have so many melancholy things in his eyes, nor would he frown while staring at a map.
"And then there's Father," Tsubasa said softly, a hint of admiration in his voice, "The other day he showed me the blueprints for the space carrier, wanting me to lead an army to conquer new territories in space. Fo Ge, our generation can't just focus on Shinobi Planet. If we put our energy into that, Father's generation might never see outer space in their lifetime. I want Grandpa and Grandma to be able to see the universe before they die, don't I?"
The Tenbutsu paused. He looked up at the outside of the hall; a few pigeons flew by in the morning light, their wings beating softly in the air. He remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking, "Keep a close eye on the Western Continent, exchange information while having spies sow discord among them—you said it yourself. If the Western Continent sends troops, or if their envoys are detained, you must send troops."
Tenkō immediately straightened his back. "Your Majesty, I will take responsibility! If the Western Continent dares to invade us, I will immediately lead the army there without hesitation! But before that, we must first take care of things in outer space—the Academy of Sciences' space carrier will be able to conduct its trial voyage next month. Will you be attending, Fo Ge?"
Tenbutsu looked at him, his lips seeming to twitch as if he wanted to laugh, but he held back. He picked up the vermilion brush on the table, lightly drew a circle next to the Western Continent on the animal hide map, and then tossed the brush back into the brush washer. "Alright, do as you say. You've learned all of Father's Will of Fire."
"Thank you Fo Ge!" Tenkō felt a weight lifted from his heart, and his voice became lighter.
Tenbutsu waved his hand, signaling him to step back. Tenkō had just reached the entrance of the hall when he heard a low sigh behind him. He turned around and saw Tenbutsu holding the map, his gaze fixed on the direction marked " Immortal Venerable Hall," his expression complex.
Stepping out of the Purple Imperial Hall, the morning light fell on his face, warm and comforting. Tenkō looked up at the sky; a few clouds drifted across the azure expanse. He thought to himself that the starry sky beyond Shinobi Planet was so vast, and the path of Yan Nation was a sea of Xingchen.
Tenkō knew in his heart that this was just the beginning. The affairs of the Western Continent, outer space, and the prosperity of the National Fortune all needed to be addressed step by step. But as long as the principle of "not killing lightly" was upheld and the path towards the stars was taken, the Yan Nation's path would always become wider and wider. He recalled Tenbutsu's appearance just now and suddenly felt that perhaps his brother also harbored a longing for the stars—it was just temporarily overshadowed by his mother's ambition and the pressure from the court and the public.
When the space carriers in outer space actually take to the skies, perhaps Fo Ge will understand that, rather than annexing a Western Continent, planting the flag of Yan Nation on countless Xingchen is something to be truly proud of.