Chapter 362: Acting Custodian of the Seal

"Please, speak; I am all ears." Sinuoli, who had been daydreaming, was slightly startled when suddenly addressed.

"The three armies cannot go a day without a commander. This is the military tally and command arrow; I ask that you take charge on my behalf!" Bi Hai Nuzhu lifted a set of symbols representing her status as Admiral of the Dragon Fleet from the dragon-carved desk and prepared to hand them to Sinuoli.

"Ah? This, how can this be?" The Dwarf King waved his hands repeatedly to decline. He certainly agreed with the first half of Yin Yin's statement; fighting a war without a powerful leader was definitely impossible. But with a crowd of Cathayan civil and military officials kneeling below, why hand it over to an outsider like him?

"Hu Daozhang possesses great magical power, Jiuniang and Xubo are both highly respected elders, and Lieutenant Liu is also a capable and battle-hardened officer."

Sinuoli was interrupted by Longnü before he could finish his praise.

"Alchemists and palace officials cannot be called knowledgeable in warfare, and mortal officers lack the seniority to command respect. You, Great King, hold a lofty status and have consecutively destroyed a detachment of Dark Elves and the Dreadfleet; all the armies praise you as a brave maritime general. If not you, then who should hold the military tally and command arrow?"

"I am honored by the Princess's trust, but I am, after all, an outsider!" Time was tight, and with things having reached this point, Sinuoli found it difficult to decline further. He narrowed his eyes and employed a strategy of advancing by retreating.

"Holding the military tally and command arrow is the same as my personal presence; those who disobey may be executed on the spot!"

The Ming Dragon had lived for thousands of years and had seen every type of person; she understood the implication behind his words and turned to roar at her subordinates. Having received the promise, Sinuoli took the seal with both hands, and Yin Yin nodded, transformed into her dragon form, and soared into the sky.

"Ahem!" Sitting at the desk on the dais with the military tally and command arrow, Sinuoli issued several orders that were effectively executed; it seemed these Cathayans accepted his temporary command quite easily.

Only then did Sinuoli realize that the evaluation systems between short-lived and long-lived races were quite different. In Dwarf society, his age was still in the "Little Beard" category, and he had risen to prominence for less than twenty years; in the eyes of the kings of the Old World, the Southlands still lacked sufficient accumulation.

But for Humans, whose lives lasted at most a hundred years—a few tens of thousands of days—an alien powerhouse over a hundred years old with a prosperous territory and a history of long-term cooperation was entirely worthy of respect and obedience.

Returning to his own warship, Sinuoli conducted a final pre-battle mobilization for his subordinates. Calming down from the submissive display of the Cathayans in the Jinluandian, he suddenly realized he had been played.

"If you live long enough, even a turtle becomes a spirit, let alone a True Dragon!"

Yin Yin handing over command to him was a way to cut off the Dwarfs' option of slacking off in battle! If the combat objectives were not met, his reputation would naturally suffer a serious blow, and the development of affairs once they went ashore would be hindered.

"But even if she hadn't pulled this move, I couldn't just fire cannons from afar and put in no effort. Thinking about it this way, getting the military tally and command arrow is still a good thing."

Sinuoli grumbled and cheered himself up. He hadn't come to Zhendan in such a rush just for tourism; he had layers of plans in his mind. If he wasn't willing to put in effort to save his own captured kin now, how could the other side dare to join forces with him to counterattack the Chaos Wastes in the future?

"Report! The fleet has arrived at the mouth of the Yu River!"

After his thoughts cleared and he was fully armored, the latest news was delivered to the Dreadnought.

"Pass the order to gather the generals!" the Dwarf King shouted.

Without looking at the map on the wall, Sinuoli knew the goal of this battle: to set up defenses on the Yu River and prevent the Black Ark of Luoxiya-Fellheart from returning to the sea. If they let the tiger return to the mountains, it would be difficult to find them and rescue his captured people on the vast ocean.

"First step, head upriver at maximum speed!"

Sinuoli pointed at the map as he spoke. Rivers usually form deltas at their mouths, where sediment deposits and increased water volume make the channels wider. Defending at such a location was more difficult; they needed to reach a relatively narrow point within the time Yin Yin had bought for them.

"Here!" Sinuoli pointed his staff at a bend in the Yu River. "We must block those guys who are governed by slaughter and tyranny right here."

"What are you two still standing there for? Why not hurry and cast spells to accelerate the ships? We are sailing against the current!"

Seeing the two Astromancers motionless, Sinuoli shouted. They didn't think his four ships could tow such a massive fleet, did they?

"Uh, you are unaware. In my humble opinion, you could borrow the power of the Five Elements Compass; this Artifact is enough to make the Yu River flow backward!" Hu Daozhang bowed and quickly introduced it to the acting commander.

"Isn't the Five Elements Compass in Weijing? Can it be used for this?" Sinuoli asked in succession. He had heard of this thing; it was a giant magical device built by the Haotian Longdi, capable of manipulating the Winds of Magic within the Cathayan Celestial Empire.

Its widely known use was to channel magic to the Changyuan and assist in defense when it encountered threats. But in fact, the descendants of the Dragon Emperor could also guide it to achieve their own ends.

"The Princess's seal can contact His Highness the Bi Dragon. He sits in the capital, manages the court and the state, and also holds that national Artifact," Hu Daozhang continued. The Ming Dragon had left in a hurry and hadn't explained all the functions to Sinuoli clearly.

"Snap!"

Sinuoli slapped the jade seal on the desk. The dragon-shaped knob flashed with a glimmer of light, and then a phantom appeared out of thin air.

"Fifth sister, why do you seek me? No, wait, who are you!"

This phantom had a face like polished jade and looked like a gentle, refined gentleman. The jade crown on his head and the green dragon robe he wore all indicated his identity: Governor of the Central Province and the Celestial Court, Prime Minister Yuanbo.

"Greetings, Your Highness. The situation is urgent; enemy forces have invaded the Yu River, and the Ming Dragon has gone ahead to block them. The fleet here is struggling to sail against the current and needs the power of the Five Elements Compass." Sinuoli explained the situation in a few sentences.

"Thank you for your assistance, may this battle be a success!" The Bi Dragon was worthy of being the eldest brother; he didn't dwell on minor details and cut the transmission directly.

"How impressive! Truly worthy of a great being who existed before the arrival of the Old Ones."

Although he couldn't see how the compass thousands of miles away was operating, Sinuoli felt the concentration of the Winds of Magic around him rise sharply. The range of the Five Elements Compass's regulation was vast, at least beyond Sinuoli's ability to sense.

The Dwarf stood at the bow of the ship, carefully experiencing it all. According to his understanding, the Five Elements Compass was also tapping into the power of the planet itself, though its method of application differed from the Geomantic Web used by the Slann.

"Perhaps this trip will yield extra gains, but it all depends on the outcome of this battle!"

Under the influence of the massive energy, the waters of the Yu River began to flow backward. The fleet's speed did not decrease as it moved rapidly upstream. Listening to the reports from the naval commanders, Sinuoli knew he was about to reach the designated interception position.