Chapter 2118: Heading to the Battlefield

The last few sentences, he was almost talking to himself.

He Lingchuan unified the Flash Gold Plains, establishing an unparalleled feat, and who knows how many jaws he dropped. But he launched an external campaign so quickly, and his chosen opponent was still Ya State—huh, Fu Shanyue estimated that not only was he himself surprised, but other big and small countries were also completely baffled.

Does this guy have any assured guarantee of victory?

Taozi asked: "Then why fight?"

Does Bailie's life or death have anything to do with the Flash Gold Plains?

"I can only guess at one point for why he suddenly intervened in this war: revenge and establishing prestige." Fu Shanyue rubbed his brow, "But the more I think about it, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. Even Mu State doesn't want to get involved, so why does he insist on picking this moment?"

"Even my old father said before he left that after Cangyan established the state, the most important thing was to rest and recuperate, accumulate national strength, to cope with future turmoil."

From childhood to adulthood, the sentence he understood most deeply was: "If one is not ruthless, one cannot stand firm."

Although He Lingchuan ended a thousand years of strife and re-established a vast, sprawling nation, "Flash Gold Plains has no strong state" is also a well-known fact—the strongest Yao State, even when the Dragon God Army intervened, was already fragmented and could not exert its full combat power.

Although He Lingchuan claimed to be the reincarnation of the Dragon God, the war of annexing Flash Gold, in the eyes of great powers like Between Between Between Beijia and Mu State, was nothing more than chickens pecking at each other.

Chickens are chickens; if you want to prove you're a phoenix, you first need to beat the hawks and falcons, right?

Because Mu State's sneak attack on the Yangshan Archipelago failed, Mu State and Cangyan already had some ill will, and Ya State kept boasting everywhere that fighting the Dragon God Army was like beating their own son.

In summary, Cangyan State indeed needs a few major victories in foreign wars to silence external criticism and establish its authority.

Status and dignity are all won by fists.

But all these cruxes circle back to that key point:

Can we win?

If we win, everything can be discussed.

If we lose, Cangyan State's image of standing tall and straight, the Nine Abysses Great Emperor's record of invincibility, will suffer a fatal blow, and even the confidence of the nation's military and civilians will waver—that is the most fatal—

Don't forget, this time Cangyan is the one initiating the war; this fight is you insisting on fighting.

Fu Shanyue believes the surrounding forces are also staring wide-eyed, observing the battle, assessing both sides' strength while waiting for the outcome of Cangyan's first foreign war after founding the state.

Is it to raise one's brows and breathe freely, announcing to the world "I have come," or to welcome a blow to the head, from then on enduring humiliation and burdens, silently toiling?

Fu Shanyue rubbed his hands, inexplicably feeling some tension.

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Three days later.

After two straight days of nonstop rain, the entire mountain forest swallowed clouds and spat mist, everywhere damp and soggy, filled with the wild fragrance of grass and soil. He Yue's shoes and legs were covered in leaves and dirt, and his cuff still had a spiderweb.

The so-called "fugitives'" path truly wasn't prepared for ordinary pedestrians—after crossing Ya State's border, one had to climb cliffs and precipices directly, then came the heavenly pits and wild caves.

Of the four-day journey, three days were spent circling the mountainous areas nearest the sea.

But his mood was elated, because Taozi said that after crossing this low mountain, they would enter the plains, and the road would be easy to travel.

Then, after one more day of travel, someone would come to meet them.

He Yue finally understood why the Chi Yan Crown Prince sent this petite girl as guide and guard. She looked sweet and adorable, her skin tender as if water could be pinched from it, but in fact, crossing mountains and ridges was like walking on level ground for her—she didn't even gasp, her stamina so good that not one person in his seven- or eight-person party could match her.

Along the way, they also encountered a band of bandits.

This fugitives' path is not only known to them; bandits also ambush here to rob those sneaking across the border.

Over forty bandits were beaten by them into clutching their heads and fleeing in disarray.

Afterwards, He Yue discovered Taozi was missing, and he worried for a moment.

But within two quarters of an hour, she returned, safe and sound.

When talking with He Yue, she couldn't help but let out two full belches.

Ah, the Yangshan Archipelago is good everywhere, except sucking blood and eating people is not very convenient.

Coincidentally, He Yue has a sensitive sense of smell, as if he had caught a whiff of bloodiness.

He vaguely guessed what was going on—the father and son rulers of Chi Yan State are both Ba, who like to eat human blood. This little girl is probably the same?

No wonder it's a demon state—all kinds of strange and wondrous demon creatures exist.

Moreover, she is also proficient in the earth-escape technique!

He Yue knows humans almost never have this talent, so either she wears an earth-escape magic device, or she herself is truly not human.

He really gossiped with Taozi a bit, and the answer he got was unexpected—she is the little orphan girl picked up by Fu Shanyue and He Lingchuan…

Never mind, no need to investigate further.

Back then, when the elder brother burned down the Plucking Stars Tower, how exactly did he escape from the northern demon state?

During these days of travel, he also asked Taozi about the stories that happened in the Flash Gold Plains.

Taozi's knowledge is incomplete; she only knows the most critical few major events. But even so, it was enough to shock He Yue over and over again.

Organizing a chamber of commerce that spans the Flash Gold Plains;

In the name of the Nine Abysses Great Emperor, leading the Black Armor Army to roam the Flash Gold Plains, upholding justice and aiding the weak;

Shaking the rule of Yao State;

Seizing the great opportunity of Miao Zhantian's divine fall and Yao State's division to establish the Dragon God Army, initiating the grand plan to unify and dominate the Flash Gold Plains!

Defeating Between Between Between Beijia's former State Preceptor, exterminating Yao State, and pouring his all into the final piece of the vast territory.

These many great feats—if anyone else accomplished even one, it would be enough to leave their name in history.

He Lingchuan, however, accomplished them all one by one within a mere three and a half years!

The Flash Gold Plains, divided for nearly a thousand years, was completed in grand unification under his hand!

He Yue listened more and more, feeling a sense of unreality:

The mighty figure who descended from heaven to accomplish this feat unseen in a thousand years—turns out to be his own elder brother!

From childhood to adulthood, what his elder brother was like, he knows better than anyone.

That is absolutely not the elder brother he is familiar with.

Before this departure, father and son had a rare knee-to-knee long talk, and He Chunhua mentioned that he had once suspected the eldest son's inner soul had been replaced. At that time, He Yue's heart was full of contempt, thinking he was just making excuses for selling his son for glory.

But after visiting the Yangshan Archipelago and hearing about his elder brother's deeds, he also understood why his father was worried.

His elder brother's transformation was too drastic, too strange, far beyond the realm of common sense.

The further they went, the more cautious Taozi became, often stopping to wait, because from this point on, there were patrols of the Ya Kingdom.

At least three times, the Ya Kingdom patrols passed right in front of the bushes where everyone was hiding.

Fortunately, Taozi was reliable, and the whole journey was fraught with danger but ultimately safe.

At the end of the mountains and forests lay a great lake, and the water flowing out from it would continue all the way to the sacred land of the Ya Kingdom.

Taozi walked to this spot, looked left and right, finally settled on a birch tree, crushed a few small, round things, and smeared the juice inside onto the trunk.

He Yue watched from the side, thinking it might be some kind of animal's egg sac.