Chapter 366

Zhao Huai 【How bad is the damage? Still manageable?】

Zhao Chi 【Manageable, nothing major】

Zhao Huai advised:

【That's good. This demonic beast diversion—who knows how long it'll last, but usually it only ends once those rebels are caught】

【If it's short, a few days; if it's long, a few months. So we need to pace ourselves, don't take too big a hit all at once, it's not worth it】

【And it was already mentioned at the meeting before—now the uncles and elders are under even more pressure, it'll be hard for them to come rescue us in time】

【So let's be careful, understand?】

Zhao Chi laughed:

【Understood. From your tone, you sound like some old veteran lord yourself. How's it going on your end? Finished?】

Zhao Huai 【Yeah, finished. Just now I actually snatched up 100 zombies in an instant, heh. Whoever ends up with the orcs last will be the unlucky one】

Zhao Chi 【With your strength, how'd you only grab 100?】

Zhao Huai 【I don't have that kind of strength. I play it safe, so I just took no damage this time. For your reference】

Zhao Chi 【Do you have a regular quota mission every day now?】

Zhao Huai 【Not yet, but I expect I'll get one soon. Once that happens, the pressure really ramps up】

Zhao Chi 【They haven't assigned you one yet?】

Zhao Huai 【What kind of thing is that to say? Before you became a lord, I was the youngest lord. How could the clan possibly assign me a quota mission?】

Zhao Chi 【Don't talk nonsense. Twelfth Sister Zhao Jiao is the youngest lord】

Zhao Huai 【I meant among the men】

At this point, Gu Qing let out a hum.

Seemed to have been woken up.

Zhao Chi 【Alright, Eleventh Brother, let's stop chatting. We'll talk later】

Zhao Huai 【Fine. I'll go report your situation to Second Uncle. But be careful—I'm worried those Xiao family bastards will come up with some dirty scheme, get you to enter some rookie tournament or something, then Xiao Rui takes the chance to beat you down. Even if there's no real loss, it'd still feel suffocating inside】

Zhao Chi was about to hang up.

But hearing this, he perked up.

He covered Gu Qing's ears.

Zhao Chi 【Huh? What rookie? What do you mean?】

Zhao Huai 【It's the one our village holds, isn't it held every year? Oh right, you've been holed up in the academy library these past two years, haven't really taken part】

Zhao Chi 【Tell me the details】

Zhao Huai chuckled:

【Weren't you the one in a rush to hang up? Now you don't want to hang up anymore?】

【The rookie tournament is when the five nearby villages gather all the new lords who became lords that year and have them compete】

【The prizes are put up by the families of each village—of course they can't be too shabby—and based on the final rankings, you get the prizes】

【The champion naturally gets quite a few prizes, the top 10 all get prizes too, but anyone past 10th gets nothing】

【Our family actually doesn't really want to take part. After all, we rarely win prizes—basically when we go, we're just there to hand out prizes】

【This year you just got promoted to lord, and before the tournament could even be organized this whole thing happened, so nobody's brought it up for now】

Zhao Chi understood.

All this fuss, and it was just a tournament the five villages put on themselves.

Only new lords were eligible to enter.

Every family in these five villages had to donate something as a prize.

A tournament, of course, meant fighting.

And fighting, of course, meant beating the other guy.

Zhao Chi asked 【Eleventh Brother, what format does the fighting in this tournament use?】

Zhao Huai 【Actual combat. The two sides' territories connect, and killing the other side counts as the win】

Killing the other side?

Zhao Chi 【Huh? That extreme? It ends with one side dying?】

Zhao Huai 【Yeah, otherwise how would you judge? People would argue about it】

Is this about judging?

This is about people's lives!

Zhao Chi 【No… wait a minute! How can you say it so matter-of-factly? A tournament our few villages put on ourselves, and you can actually set the rules this brutally?? Why? People must die every year, right?】

Zhao Huai 【…Don't call me brother anymore. From now on, you're my brother】

Zhao Chi 【Sure】

Zhao Huai 【Sure your head. This is a competition inside an illusionary realm, understand? An illusionary realm!】

Zhao Chi 【Oh… which of our villages can set up an illusionary realm?】

Zhao Huai 【The tournament really is put on by our five villages, but who says it has to be held in our five villages? We go to town and rent a venue. Isn't there an illusionary realm arena in town? Zhao Chi, I think your brain still hasn't healed】

Zhao Chi 【Your uncle. I just didn't react in time】

Zhao Huai 【My uncle is your uncle too. Both of our uncles are Big Uncle】

Zhao Chi 【Alright, I get it. This tournament sounds pretty good. I'll definitely sign up when the time comes. Who knows who'll be beating who—I'm sure the one feeling suffocated won't be me】

Zhao Huai 【What? You still want to enter? What kind of strength do you have?】

Zhao Chi 【Alright, Eleventh Brother, let's chat next time】

Zhao Huai 【Fine, that's fine too. I'll go report then. Good luck】

GLOSSARY:

【Zhao Chi, Zhao Huai, Zhao Jiao, Gu Qing, Daoshihou Society, illusionary realm】

Zhao Chi: 【Keep it up】

After hanging up, he saw Gu Qing watching him with a smile.

"My lord, who was that? You seemed to be having quite a pleasant chat."

"A cousin from the clan, eleventh in line."

"And you?"

"Me? Thirteenth."

"Oh~ so there's a twelfth too?"

"Mm, the twelfth is a cousin sister. After that there are five more younger siblings, but none of them have become lords yet."

Gu Qing turned her face sideways, pressed it against his chest, and listened to his heartbeat.

"Looks like you come from quite a large clan. I wonder how many children you'll have in the future?"

At this, Gu Qing propped herself up and stared at Zhao Chi with a smile.

"Let it happen naturally." Zhao Chi didn't know either.

"My lord, you know our lifespan is a thousand years, right?"

"…Mm, I know."

"So my suitable conception window is from now until three hundred years from now — any time in that span works."

Zhao Chi actually found it hard to imagine.

But the data really did say so.

"Mm, right."

"So, theoretically, if I never stopped, I could bear you at least three hundred children."

"……"

Zhao Chi had no idea what to say.

Gu Qing burst out laughing: "But it's a pity — your current lifespan needs to be extended, and the number of genetic traits also needs to be increased. Remember to bring me some books next time, there should be a way."

Zhao Chi recalled that Gu Qing had wanted to read books before.

She wanted to read books on medicine, pharmacology, and cooking.

Although many of her behaviors were a bit wanton, she was indeed still very clever.

And also very eager to learn.

"Alright, we've got money now. Next time I'll find a chance to take you straight to a bookshop to buy some, or we can borrow from a library."

"Good, thank you, my lord."

"No need. Let's get up and go see those new captives."

"Okay."