Chapter 717

If the affair fails, then blades and axes shall be inflicted upon me, my body shattered to pieces!

Da You issued a military order.

If he fails at this, he will be unworthy before Nüwa and unworthy before Yandi, who has sacrificed himself to this point.

Da You issued a military order.

If he fails at this, he will be unworthy before Nüwa and unworthy before Yandi, who has sacrificed himself to this point.

Thus, if the source includes he/she/it, that is a gender cue. But the instruction says we should not guess gender based on pronoun? It says Chinese often omits pronouns, and he/she/it sound identical. NEVER guess a character's gender. This seems to say that even if you see he, you cannot assume it's male because the pronunciation is same as she/it? Actually in spoken Chinese they sound same, but in written they differentiate. The instruction likely aims to avoid assuming gender from omitted pronouns; but when pronoun is present, we can use it? However they say NEVER guess a character's gender. The presence of he is explicit gender marking, not a guess. So we can use "he". I think it's safe to translate he as "he". Similarly for she as "she". We'll do that.

Thus line 【3】 translation: "If this fails, then I will be punished with blades and axes, my body shattered to pieces!" Wait that's line 【1】. Let's translate each.

We'll need to produce translation for each line.

Let's go line by line.

What face does he have left to meet others?

Only death remains!

Da You's will is steadfast, his voice ringing and strong, filled with the resolve to die faithfully.

Very good.

Yandi fell silent briefly, then nodded, his expression subtle: 'Just do your best.'

Don't burden yourself with too much pressure...

Conscience seemed a little uneasy; he added, 'Do your best, leave the rest to heaven; the situation is turbulent, no one can say what will happen in the end, there will be all kinds of variables.'

Victory and defeat are ordinary in war; there's no need to always rely on rigid thinking to solve problems... Even if the war situation turns unfavorable and we temporarily fall behind, we shouldn't decide everything solely by military force; we can consider using diplomacy to form alliances and overcome together.

Problems that war cannot fully solve may still be achieved indirectly through diplomatic union... Know that the orthodox righteousness ultimately lies with our Fire Sect.

「」 -> This line is just empty quotes? Actually line 【13】 is 「」 (just empty quotes). Probably indicates silence. We'll translate as an empty string? But we must output something. Could be just ""? The line contains two Chinese quotation marks with nothing inside. We'll translate as an empty pair of quotes? Probably just ""? We'll output: "" (i. e., two double quotes with nothing). But we need to keep the brackets. So output: 【13】 "".

Yandi gave some instructions; Da You scratched his head, not knowing how much he had absorbed or how well he could fulfill them.

By the end, Yandi also found it hard to add more... Caught in the middle, he too felt awkward.

Then he waved his hand, sending Da You off, and sat alone in the hall, working diligently as before, putting in unpaid overtime.

Military and governmental authority of the Fire Sect rested solely on him; he had to face the main force of the Demon Race army and stand off against Donghuang Taiyi, while also managing human domestic affairs, using reason and law to control the countless tribes rising from the wilderness, gathering their strength under the banner of human righteousness.

Not the slightest mistake can occur, otherwise it will sow the seeds of future defeat at the hands of the Demon Race.

Seeing Yandi exhaust himself handling affairs, time flowed like water, unknown how many times it had sped up, just barely able to process the mountain‑high, sea‑vast documents pouring in every moment from half of Honghuang and countless clans; respect appeared on his face as he slipped away quietly.

Yandi was faultless in his public duties.

Such awareness, a selfless leader devoted to humanity and the human race—searching all of Honghuang, how many could there be!

Da You witnessed this, feeling genuine admiration in his heart, while also sensing that the burden on his shoulders had grown heavier.

'Those who enter the Heavenly Palace first become sovereign!'

'The Empress's great expectations, Your Majesty's sacrifice... I will surely guard the fruits of victory for the Fire Sect!'

Thinking thus, Da You's steps grew more resolute.

Leaving the hall where the Human Emperor resided, he walked to the 'parking lot'—the place where mounts are kept.

Da You wandered around and finally saw his mount... it was crafted by Empress Nüwa in ancient times and gifted by Emperor Xihuang.

It resembled a bear, with a small head, numb feet, and a black‑white mottled coat.

The two Demon Emperors designated it to be given to the two great ancestral witches of the Wu Clan who had visited Phoenix Nest Mountain at that time—Di Jiang and Houtu—as their luxurious carriage.

But.

Because of its appearance, it really hurts one's cool factor; lacking any 'social swagger', it's truly awkward to ride it out for a few steps.

After several rounds of passing the buck.

Finally, Houtu appointed his own guard captain, letting Da You bear everything alone.

Da You had struggled and resisted deep down... because it was too embarrassing.

But later he realized the ultimate truth of life... life is like that thing, since you can't resist, you might as well work hard to find the shining points and enjoy them.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others!

Da You thought so.

And when he changed his mindset and viewed the problem from a fresh angle, he discovered... it's actually quite nice.

In short, this black‑white strange beast is the pinnacle of Nüwa's creative way; looking across the mountains and rivers of Honghuang and all peoples of heaven and earth, its tremendous growth potential and attributes make it truly an ultra‑rare group worthy of protection.

Its potential is enormous; at full strength, its destructive power against peers is astonishing, its strength and speed terrifying... many advantages.

If we say that before the previous version update, it wasn't much, unable to match the mount owner's own combat power.

But now it can at least provide some help.

Da You pondered, finding it satisfactory enough to get by.

Easy to keep, high potential, strong combat power... as a mount for someone of his standing, it's not too shameful.

The only downside is...

Sigh.

Da You patted his own forehead, the corners of his eyes twitching as he looked ahead at his mount, which was politely begging and had obtained a spirit bamboo shoot from someone... no, from a dragon's hand.

The dragon handed over the shoot, still grinning, 'Do you like it? I knew you would... this is something I specially sourced from Phoenix Nest Mountain.'

All things considered, we still have some karmic ties.

I vaguely recall that back then I went to Phoenix Nest Mountain, following my leader on a visit to the worthies, and had a good relationship with the Crown Prince of the Phoenix lineage, being brought along to see much of the world.

The Phoenix lineage, ah... each lives quite comfortably, only dwelling in parasol trees, only eating bamboo seeds, only drinking sweet springs.

There, the most abundant are parasol trees, divine bamboo, and spiritual springs.

And you, you were created by Empress Nüwa in Phoenix Nest Mountain... I reckon your eating habits are somewhat influenced by that, so I specially allocated funds to procure some goods from there.

The Divine General Yinglong shook his head, 'Looks like I didn't misjudge... although you don't like bamboo seeds, you do like spirit bamboo shoots.'

That's fine too; it's easy to keep... spirit bamboo shoots are much easier to handle than bamboo seeds.

Goo-goo!

The black‑white strange beast, while slashing wildly with its mouth, kept nodding in agreement, its focused little manner utterly unaware that its master had approached.

Da You stood to the side with a dark face, silent, hands in his pockets, giving a cold sideways glance.

'Heartless little one!'

"Just a bit of food, and you forget yourself completely?!"

Still need to strengthen training!

Dayou had a hundred and eighty thousand thoughts racing through his mind, some sighs, some lamentations.

Finally.

But it was Yinglong the divine general who first reacted, spotting Dayou's arrival and greeting him.

Dayou returned the salute.

Next, they discussed quite a bit about the feeding and care of the black-and-white odd beast.

"This little guy is a bit hungry, he's been grumbling at me." Yinglong laughed.

"It's still hungry? It's just being spoiled." Dayou said weakly, "I'm sure, the rations I give are the most suitable feeding plan—food, drink, and training should all be just right."

"Eating too much serves no purpose beyond satisfying appetite; it actually hinders training… Now that the military situation is dire, an extra drill could mean an additional chance of survival."

"I'm doing this for its own good." Dayou muttered, "You know, for his fine rations I specially picked out good spiritual feed for it—though the taste isn't great, the nutrition is indeed rich."

"Before, I applied to the Empress for special funds to raise it, and it was relatively easy and comfortable."

"But lately the Empress has met with misfortune, her situation is difficult, and I feel awkward asking her for aid again… It's all coming out of my own salary to feed it…"

"It's still being picky? Ungrateful little thing!"

Dayou muttered, causing the black-and-white odd beast to shrink its neck.

"Hahaha!" Yinglong burst out laughing, shaking his head, "You, Dayou, aren't having it easy either!"

"Besides, this was originally a gift from Emperor Xihuang to the Wu Clan back then, so it's official business—how could I let you bear the cost personally?"

"I'll go ask Emperor Yandi for its proper allowance later—can't let it starve thin!"

"Otherwise people might think our human race lacks magnanimity, can't handle the Demon Race, and just take it out on a lowly soldier."

Yinglong patted the black-and-white odd beast's head, then idly rubbed it… the feel was really nice.

"Um, later I'll chip in a little extra money to improve the taste of its main meals!"

Saying that made the black-and-white odd beast's eyes light up instantly.

"How could I let you spend money, Yinglong?" Dayou shook his head.

"No problem." Yinglong smiled, "When I followed His Majesty back then, I formed deep ties with the Phoenix lineage, and I also ran a little side business, holding some shares."

"Spending a bit of this personal income is fine, as long as it keeps the mood pleasant."

"What do we seek in this one life? Not material satisfaction, but spiritual joy."

"How many people are truly pure, able to sacrifice everything for an ideal?"

"Just being happy… is enough."

Yinglong is an optimist.

Dayou was speechless, pointing at the Yan Emperor's palace, "His Majesty Yandi is still working overtime there—don't go opposing him."

"After all, Emperor Yandi is of noble character, a pure idealist."

"Uh…" Yinglong blinked, momentarily unsure what to reply.

She felt… what Dayou said seemed right, yet not entirely so.

"Alright."

At a loss for words, Yinglong could only nod and say, "I won't let my personal views interfere with my duties and affect others."

"That was my mistake just now."

"I'll go apologize and reflect before Emperor Yandi right away…"

"Do we really need to do that?" Dayou was lost for words.

"Ha… this is actually just a side note; I mainly have official business." Yinglong laughed, "I'll go, and later I'll treat you to a meal—please do honor me with your presence!"

"Sure thing! Sure thing!" Dayou couldn't refuse such social courtesy, so he just nodded.

Watching Yinglong go away, Dayou sighed and shook his head.

But then he heard another sigh nearby.

He followed the sound and looked over, his face turning black.

All he saw was the black-and-white odd beast there, waving its arms left and right at Yinglong's retreating back, looking reluctant to part.

This nearly made Dayou break down.

"Ungrateful glutton!"

Dayou harshly patted his mount's head, "What are you looking at? Everyone's gone!"

"Go back!"

"Your training duration, starting today, will continue to increase!"

"Goo-goo!"

The odd beast wailed, its sound evoking pity and sympathy.

…

"Taiyi is arrayed there, its sharpness fully exposed; I suggest we temporarily halt the offensive, focus on defense, wear down its edge, and wait for it to tire."

"The Shangyang Yao Marshal's movements are unclear; it seems likely to detach forces from the Heavenly Court's main army to sweep and ravage the northern mountains and rivers, destroying all human bases…"

""

Yinglong and Emperor Yandi talked face to face.

She hadn't lied to Dayou; she indeed had official business—participating in military planning and serving as the supervisor of the Fire Corps' main force.

In the realm of warfare and military strategy, Yinglong is exceptionally talented, comparable to a top-tier general and commander, having inherited partial talents from two individuals!

One is Fengxi, the other is the Dragon Ancestor!

Each taking their respective strengths in military strategy, combining them, and looking across Honghuang, they are also somewhat competent.

Now she can also rely on her own abilities to sit at the core of this Fire Corps, rather than relying solely on background… although her background is formidable.

First was the companion spirit beast of the Human Realm Special Envoy, then went to serve as Nüwa's exclusive driver for several years—these connections are heavenly!

Her background is solid, her own abilities are there, and the burden on Yinglong Divine General's shoulders grows heavier each day, yet she can bear it—her potential is not small.

"Mm… not bad insight." Yandi gave a slight praise, taking a moment from his paperwork: "Basically it's been honed; next you should advance further, take command of a main force, lead from the front, and engage in a bloody battle."

"Right."

"I've heard lately you've been throwing money around? In your free time, you're either treating people to meals or on your way to do so… this needs to be managed."

Yandi asked with interest.

"Who's been snitching on you? How despicable!" Yinglong bared her teeth, "Gossiping behind backs—they should be strung up and whipped!"

"Oh… this came from the Cloud Sect's system." The Fire Sect's emperor said lightly, "They hope you'll really temper yourself; after completing your studies in the Fire Sect, they'll later have you lead troops in the Cloud Sect."

"That's fine." In that instant, Yinglong grasped the true meaning of following her heart, and stopped complaining.

"As for treating people to meals… I just feel that war shouldn't be only about fighting; there should also be human relations and worldly wisdom."

"These days, going solo… it's tough!"

"Once effort reaches a certain level, further improvement becomes difficult… I reckon, instead of wasting that low-efficiency time on training, it'd be better to build relationships, treat teammates to food and drink, and network."

"By then, a single piercing arrow, tens of thousands of troops will meet; we'll stand shoulder to shoulder, go crush the enemy, embodying the essence of warfare—outnumber the weak, rely on strength to bully the weak; perhaps I could still be hailed as an invincible war god."

Yinglong spoke confidently.

Fighting isn't just about killing; there's also human relations and worldly wisdom… she's merely using the time she'd spend training to treat people to meals.

Yandi was speechless.

What nonsense is this!

"Nonsense." Yandi muttered, "You'd better keep practicing."

"Don't end up calling three or four helpers to fight one opponent, only to be beaten to a sorry state, losing all the way and collapsing without forming an army."

"That really loses all face!"

"Aren't you still here?" Yinglong whispered softly, "If you also take the field then, surely you won't suffer a major loss either?"

Yandi's mouth twitched as he covered his face and let out a long sigh.

"This… who could know?"

"Who can claim invincibility? Who can speak of being undefeated?"

"You've talked about human relations and worldly wisdom… who knows, maybe one day I'll be worn down by those very things, and even if undefeated I'll still lose?"

"Some battles, if I go in… I'm bound to lose!"

Yinglong froze, realized something, and clicked her tongue without speaking.

(End of chapter)