Chapter 927

Before the manor was besieged, inside the Yinghe Prince Consort's mansion, the Yinghe Prince Consort was in the study.

A fist-sized ink monkey, specially kept by the leisurely elegant nobles who were vassals of Suichao, on the writing desk and in the pen holder to add charm to ink, was curled up on a paperweight, lazily swinging its little tail.

Another, also fist-sized, with all-white fur, one eye gold and the other tile-blue, this adorable little kitten moved its weak little legs, wanting to pounce on the ink monkey.

Although the ink monkey's body was small, it was already adult; seeing the cat pounce, he immediately grabbed a scoop of ink from the inkstone nearby and, with a 'pa', splashed it onto the kitten's body.

The kitten jumped in fright, and with an 'ao' turned and ran.

Yinghe Prince Consort Xia Rumeng laughed 'hehe', pointed a finger, and the ink stains on the kitten's white fur flew up drop by drop, returning to the inkstone. He reached out and poked the ink monkey, whispering scoldingly: 'Mischievous!'

With a 'dong' sound, the study's heavy door was slammed shut; before Xia Rumeng could open the door to look, he heard hurried footsteps rapidly fading away: 'Come on, come on, catch me!'

Xia Rumeng then laughed.

It must be that mischievous Old Nine, again provoking Old Ten and Old Eleven, who had just learned to walk.

Ah!

Xia Rumeng involuntarily stood up, walked to the study's window, opened it, and shouted at the dog Old Nine running wildly in the garden outside: 'Be careful, the moss is slippery; don't fall and go crying to your mother.'

As soon as the words left his mouth, Xia Rumeng himself froze for a moment.

He raised his head, recalling how, when he was in the tribe, he could never have said such a thing.

The Man-Shen tribe values martial strength.

The children of the Man-Shen tribe, like the character 'Man', are almost able to run all over the ground as soon as they are born, as tough-skinned and thick-fleshed as wild boar piglets. All members of the Man-Shen tribe absolutely will not show any care or pity toward their own children.

From childhood they train their strength, from childhood they wield spears and staffs, from childhood they fight each other.

When they grow a little, they are sent into the wild to fight beasts to the death; after such a wild upbringing for a time, once their bodies have grown, they are recalled into the tribe to undergo a period of formal military drill, etc., and then sent to various battlefields to fight bloodily.

Wrestling?

Injured?

Crying?

If you go to your mother crying because you fell wrestling, you will receive no comfort or solace; all that awaits you is a blow to the head, even a hundred blows to the head. Sometimes when you encounter an elder of the tribe, you may even be additionally rewarded with a whipping.

Only the weak will cry.

In the Man-Shen tribe, everyone is a hero; even if their hands and feet are broken, even if their intestines are torn out by wild beasts, they can only endure and continue fighting, absolutely cannot cry.

Xia Rumeng's voice became somewhat gentler: "You two, Old Ten, Old Eleven, run slower…… you must catch up quickly, quickly!"

Several maidservant-dressed girls hurriedly followed the two stumbling, running children, fearing they would fall.

Xia Rumeng watched several maidservants go around the artificial hill with a complex feeling, until he could no longer see their figures, and involuntarily sighed.

Sui Chao just fell like that.

The Feng clan royalty were all exiled to the northwestern fief.

Princess Yinghe and he have long been known for their benevolence and kindness; that Lady Pei Feng of Wuguo, who has not yet held her wedding ceremony, is estimated to have felt mutual sympathy between women, and actually bestowed a favor upon Princess Yinghe, allowing her to continue residing in Wudu together with her family.

Although, the fields and mines etc. under the Prince Consort's manor have all been confiscated.

However, the various shops, taverns, pawnshops, grain stores etc. under the Prince Consort's manor remain his; thus the Prince Consort's manor still enjoys fine clothes and jade food, and its quality of life has not changed much compared to before.

The maidservants, eunuchs, and guards have all switched to 'employment' contracts.

From then on they are no longer the Prince Consort's manor's 'private slaves', but rather 'equal hired workers' protected by contract.

Of course, for the Prince Consort's manor this has little impact. Although they have switched to 'employment' contracts, these maidservants, eunuchs, and guards remain wholeheartedly loyal, after all they have received favors from Princess Yinghe and Xia Rumeng.

Affairs within the Prince Consort's manor need not be worried about.

Safe and untroubled, life without worries, days pass.

But, upon reflection of the changes in Sui Chao over these years—from the eldest and second princes contending for the divine emperor's throne, to the two princes' overseas expedition to the Three Nations continent, then to Feng Zhen's sudden abdication, and the ascent of the eldest prince Feng Rong……

Then came a dazzling counteroffensive by Wuguo; Sui Chao was defeated, Feng Rong, who had just ascended, was again driven from power and even publicly executed by slow slicing in the Blood Prison; Sui Chao ceded territory to Wuguo, the Wu King unexpectedly became the regent prince, and what followed was the rebellion of the Nine Kings, with monsters and demons from all directions joining forces to attack.

These events came one after another, wave after wave, leaving people dazzled and anxious.

It was they who took action.

They intend to exterminate Sui Chao, treating all its people as leeks to be harvested in one sweep.

Sui Chao will inevitably fall into a great disaster; even though the Wu King now appears to have temporarily stabilized the situation, Xia Rumeng knows that greater calamity and greater turmoil will surely come.

Xia Rumeng understands clearly that he is an insignificant ordinary god 'soldier' reincarnation of the Man-Shen tribe, his status comparable to a slave; it is also his fortune that he and Princess Yinghe happened to lock eyes for no reason, and given the Xia family's decent background, that is why he married the princess and became a prince consort.

He does not know how many divine spirits like him have reincarnated and infiltrated humanity.

But the number is certainly not small.

They lurk within humanity, and many have already become high-ranking humans.

At least twenty years ago, when Xia Rumeng sent his eldest and second sons to become disciples of the Qinglian Observatory, the Elder who recorded his two sons' transmission of skill must have been a reincarnated divine spirit.

Among the Elders of the Qinglian Observatory, there are infiltrating divine spirits.

Then what about higher levels?

Then what about the Honglian Temple?

Then what about the Bailian Palace?

Then what about the interior of Sui Chao's imperial clan? What about the gates and aristocratic families of Sui Chao? What about Sui Chao's various crucial strongholds?

Even what about Wuguo, which has taken over Sui Chao?

Upon such fearful reflection, Xia Rumeng felt a surge of Cold Qi rush from the soles of his feet straight to his forehead, and he could not help but tremble all over.

"No…… their goal is almost to exterminate humanity." Xia Rumeng muttered to himself: "Out of a million people, only one can survive as a human race, continuing to reproduce on Mu Dalu…… a survival rate of one in a million!"

"Yinghe, and my children……" Xia Rumeng difficultly swallowed a mouthful of saliva, then heavily sat down in the grand chair before the desk, dazed.

Disaster will inevitably descend.

Destruction is right before our eyes.

As a lowliest ordinary soldier of the Man-Shen tribe, Xia Rumeng simply dares not guarantee whether he can protect the safety of his wife and children.

Besides Princess Yinghe and his own children, in this life he still has parents, brothers, sisters, and those nephews and nieces.

If the Xia clan were a cold-hearted, emotionally draining family, then Xia Rumeng would not have developed much affection or attachment toward them.

But the Xia clan's family tradition is wholesome, and every clan member values familial bonds above all.

Xia Rumeng grew up almost like a child in a honey pot from infancy—his father kind, mother loving, brothers and sisters all friendly and affectionate…

The familial affection Xia Rumeng had never experienced before—here, he obtained it.

Someone would care whether he was hungry, someone whether he was cold, someone whether he was in a bad mood, someone how his recent studies were…

How could such things possibly be felt within the Barbarian God tribe?

Xia Rumeng still remembers dragging his severely wounded body back to his mountain city while carrying a fierce beast, only to receive the cold remark: "Oh, you're still alive? Not bad—remember, you have to hunt a big one tomorrow… the tax day is coming up soon."

Perhaps his parents in his previous life, the Barbarian God tribe's parents, had a trace of affection for him—but that affection had faded so thinly it was imperceptible; in Xia Rumeng's heart, he was merely one of the family's humanoid production tools, nothing more.

Facing the impending, inevitable destruction, can Xia Rumeng protect his wife and children?

Can he protect the vast Xia clan?

His parents in this life, his brothers, his sisters, his many relatives…

Waves of cold surged forth, and Xia Rumeng made a "ke-ke" sound in his throat, inexplicably feeling like vomiting.

The Barbarian God tribe, the mighty kings of strength, can arbitrarily strip those beneath them of everything—their wealth, their wives and daughters, even their honor and their lives.

In Xia Rumeng's heart, Princess Yinghe is undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world.

Besides Princess Yinghe, in Xia Rumeng's heart, his several daughters are the world's beauties second only to her.

Besides those daughters, his mother and his sisters are the world's finest women.

Those delicate blossoms are the people he must maintain and protect; he absolutely cannot tolerate any harm befalling his wife, his daughters, his mother, or his sisters.

But the Barbarian God tribe…

Hehe, hehe, hehe…

After successfully reincarnating into the Sui dynasty, Xia Rumeng also read many books and gained much knowledge.

He understands that, according to the civilization types summarized by those Sui scholars, the Barbarian God tribe is roughly a "slave‑tribe" and "primitive chieftain" kind of civilization.

They possess formidable individual strength, yet in their tribal social structure they are extremely primitive, savage, backward, and brutal.

The Barbarian God tribe even retains the "first‑night right", allowing superiors to arbitrarily seize everything from subordinate women and treat them rudely.

Xia Rumeng whistled, and the ink‑monkey darted up nimbly, ran to a corner of the desk, picked up a small teapot, poured him a cup of warm fragrant tea, then waddled over holding the cup and handed it to him.

The little milk‑cat cried "ow‑ow", wanting to chase the ink‑monkey, but was flung far away by his swift movements.

Xia Rumeng took a sip of the fragrant tea.

Rich and fresh, a waft of pure harmonious qi went straight to his viscera, then fragrance flowed over his lips and teeth, making his whole body feel light and wonderfully comfortable.

Such fragrant tea does not exist among the Barbarian God tribe.

Perhaps it exists, but given his status, it is unknown to him.

The food, drink, and provisions of those lofty god‑kings, god‑generals, and great chieftains are unimaginable to these low‑rank foot soldiers.

As for…

Xia Rumeng glanced at the splendid silk damask on his body and the soft silk shoes adorned with several bright, shining silver pearls… Such attire, such adornment—in his previous life he could not even have dreamed of it.

Not to mention, such a vast prince‑consort mansion.

Not to mention, thousands, even tens of thousands of people surround him to serve him wholeheartedly.

In the Barbarian God tribe, as the lowest‑rank foot soldier, what could he obtain? Just a barracks reeking of foot odor.

Provided food and drink, with no wages, a long lifespan merely to serve those lofty god‑kings and chieftains—fighting, warring, seizing more land and greater profit for them.

When the lord‑masters are in a good mood, they might grant him a servant girl—or some other woman—already tired of by the masters; he would then take that woman, bearing hidden wounds, return to the place where his ancestors lived, build a small house, and have a few children.

The sons continue to fight and war for the god‑kings and lords.

The daughters continue to be wantonly played with by the god‑kings and lords.

Generation after generation, lifetime after lifetime, bloodline decides that he and his descendants can never become those lofty grandees.

Base as mire.

Forever unable to transcend rebirth.

A "hahaha" laugh came, and Old Nine Dog ran over again, followed by several dark‑haired small dogs, excitedly bounding after the little master as he ran about.

Xia Rumeng laughed.

He wishes to continue living this kind of life.

"Who wouldn't want a better life? I also want to eat well and drink spicy, wear gold and silver silk damask, and have my children walk proudly before everyone."

Xia Rumeng tilted his head, recalling many years ago when he first followed a prominent figure of the Barbarian God tribe as they descended upon a vassal tribe.

The lofty grandees, splendid and radiant, welcomed the cheers and worship of millions of vassal tribes, freely picking handsome men and beautiful women from their populace to enjoy at will.

At that time, Xia Rumeng, as the lowliest foot soldier, was tasked with holding a great banner, standing far off to the side as mere background.

Because his waist wasn't straight enough, he also received a whip from the commander's squad leader.

Others were like sizzling oil in a fierce fire, flowers embroidered in brocade, while he was merely a banner, a backdrop.

"I don't want to spend my life as a backdrop… my wife and children also cannot… cannot."

Then Xia Rumeng heard the tremendous crash of his own gate being kicked in, and the mad laughter of the Crimson Lotus Demon Lord.

His body shuddered violently; he leapt up, snatched a hanging treasure sword from the study wall, and strode forward into the front courtyard.

All along, Xia Rumeng has concealed his cultivation.

But this time, he ran with all his might.

Thus, in the snap of a finger, he appeared amidst the chaotic front courtyard.

At a glance he saw Wu Tie with his hands behind his back, and the fearsome experts standing beside him.

Xia Rumeng's body shuddered violently; he threw down the sword in his hand, solemnly knelt on the ground, and said: "Barbarian God tribe, low‑rank soldier Wu 395771, I am willing to die for the Martial King!"