Chapter 44 Occupy Dunder
Chapter 44 Occupy Dunder
Father suddenly asked, “Where is your mother?”
I was shocked. Did my father actually care whether my mother lived or died? At the same time, I felt something was odd. Father didn’t even know that we had moved into the palace. It seemed the Beast Emperor wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, so he hadn’t told him.
Recalling my father’s usual temperament, I replied coldly, “Mother is staying in a very safe place that I arranged. I’ve taken good care of her, so you don’t need to worry.”
Coldness flashed across Father’s eyes. “She is my concubine. Does she need your care?”
I snorted and glared at him without the slightest hint of weakness. “She is also my mother. Of course I have the right and the obligation to take care of her.”
Father sprang to his feet, and a strong murderous intent burst out from him.
I tensed immediately, preparing for his attack, even though I knew how futile that would be.
Suddenly, Father withdrew his murderous intent and sat down again. He seemed somewhat dejected and also looked as though he had aged considerably in that instant. Waving his hand, he said, “Leave.”
For a moment I didn’t know how to react. Then I answered plainly, “I will take good care of Mother.”
After saying that, I turned and left.
The next morning, I brought Panzong and the Wolf God with me and went straight to the Imperial Study.
Before that, my mother’s residence had nearly caught fire.
Yin thought she had perfected her cooking skills yesterday, so she woke up early to test them again. The final result was that she and Jin somehow used a method unknown to anyone to set the kitchen on fire. They had nearly turned themselves into roasted wolves, and even now the smell of burning still clung to their bodies.
When we reached the door, I called out brightly, “Lei Xiang requests an audience with His Majesty.”
The Beast Emperor’s voice came from inside.
“Enter.”
From his tone, I could tell he was in a terrible mood. I glanced at my two elder brothers and then took the lead in walking inside.
When the Beast Emperor saw Panzong and the Wolf God, he forced out a slight smile and rose from his seat to greet us.
“Ah! You must be Lei Xiang’s sworn brothers. Please, come in and sit.”
The Beast Emperor’s courtesy immediately earned the goodwill of Panzong and the Wolf God. The two of them took their seats without hesitation. Before sitting down, they greeted respectfully.
“Panzong greets Your Majesty.”
“Wolf God greets Your Majesty.”
I asked, “Father Emperor, what happened? You seem very unhappy.”
The Beast Emperor glanced at me and burst out angrily. “The Demon Race is going too far! After you left yesterday, several emissaries from the Demon Race arrived and demanded war reparations. It’s ridiculous! We were obviously allies, yet they…”
He was so furious that he couldn’t finish his sentence.
Anger surged inside me.
“Father Emperor, it’s time for you to make a decision.”
Jin spoke next.
“Your Majesty, the werewolf tribe and the naga tribe will fully support this campaign. All necessary resources will be provided by Yuna Territory. There will be no need to spend a single coin from the state treasury.”
Panzong added, “We all trust that Lei Xiang can lead us to victory. Your Majesty, you should give the young man a chance. It’s also time to teach the Demon Race a lesson and let them know we are not weak.”
The Beast Emperor took a deep breath and sighed.
“It seems this war cannot be avoided.”
At that moment, a voice reported from outside.
“Behemoth King Leo requests an audience with Your Majesty.”
Father had arrived.
Did he come because of the attack?
We had only just persuaded the Beast Emperor. If Father opposed the plan like he did yesterday, things would become very difficult. After all, Father was the warrior who symbolized the strength of the Beastmen race. His opinion carried enormous influence.
The Beast Emperor said, “Let him enter.”
Father’s tall and imposing figure appeared before us.
“I, Leo, greet Your Majesty.”
“My worthy brother,” the Beast Emperor said warmly, “you came at just the right time. There is a matter I cannot decide on. I would like to hear your advice.”
Father glanced at Panzong and the Wolf God.
Jin and Yin raised their heads arrogantly, wearing expressions of disdain. Panzong, however, gave Father a friendly smile.
“Your Majesty, is this about the Demon Race? Lei Xiang came to see me yesterday and told me everything.”
The Beast Emperor nodded.
“Yes. The Demon Race has sent emissaries demanding war reparations. They also sent Fallen Angels to assassinate members of the Beast God Religion that we just established. What do you think we should do? Lei Xiang wants to send troops. What about you?”
This is it.
Just as I expected, the Beast Emperor truly wanted Father’s opinion. If Father opposed the plan again like yesterday, my proposal would surely be rejected.
Father glanced at me before speaking in a deep voice.
“During the war, they hid safely in the rear and let our ‘sons’ fight on the front lines. Now that the war is over, they come here demanding money after losing. They are treating us like fools. Your Majesty, I agree with Lei Xiang’s position. He told me the entire plan yesterday, and I believe it is feasible.”
The moment the Beast Emperor heard Father support sending troops, his spirits lifted immediately.
Father held extremely high prestige among the Beastmen. With his support, it would become far easier to deal with anyone who opposed the campaign.
The Beast Emperor clenched his teeth and made his decision.
“Very well. Since all of you agree to send troops, we will follow Lei Xiang’s plan. Behemoth King Leo, receive your orders.”
Father bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“In the name of the Beast Emperor, I order you to lead one thousand soldiers of the Behemoth Legion and ten thousand soldiers of the Wild Lion Corps. Since Sir Panzong and the Wolf God have also agreed to send troops, their forces will be named as follows: Sir Panzong’s troops will be the Meadow Viper Corps, and the Wolf God’s troops will be the Speed Wolf Corps. Do you agree?”
Panzong and the Wolf God exchanged glances. Satisfaction shone in their eyes as they both stood.
“We agree,” Panzong replied.
“Good. Leo, my worthy brother, you will command one thousand soldiers of the Behemoth Legion, ten thousand soldiers of the Wild Lion Corps, five thousand soldiers of the Meadow Viper Corps, and three thousand soldiers of the Speed Wolf Corps. That makes a total of nineteen thousand troops. Your objective will be a surprise attack on the Demon Race’s Dunder Province. Lei Xiang will serve as Chief Staff Officer and assist in commanding the army.”
Father replied respectfully, “Your servant obeys Your Majesty’s command.”
I immediately knelt as well.
“Your servant son obeys Your Majesty’s command.”
The Beast Emperor walked over and helped me up first before speaking to Father.
“My worthy brother, everything will depend on you this time. Although we do not have a large army, every soldier is an elite of the Beastmen race. Lei Xiang is very intelligent. Listen to his advice during this operation.”
Father nodded.
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. We will occupy the entire Dunder Province in no time.”
The Beast Emperor continued, “As for logistical supplies…”
As he spoke, his gaze turned toward the Wolf God.
Jin answered confidently.
“Do not worry, Your Majesty. We will take full responsibility for the logistics. I will dispatch troops to prepare the supply lines. Boss, when the time comes, you can assign some men to protect my supply convoys.”
Panzong laughed.
“So you still need me at crucial moments, Second Brother. Very well. When the time comes, I will inform the naga elders to send you escorts.”
I smiled slightly.
“Second Brother and Second Sister, you must instruct your subordinates to prepare additional supplies. The Demon Race also uses carriages. If we can seize their horses, we won’t need to push the supply carts ourselves, and transport will become much faster. Once we breach the first city wall, the first thing I will do is secure more horses for you.”
Yin replied calmly, “Don’t worry. I will have the men begin preparations shortly. We will certainly be ready in time. Whether we have horses or not does not matter much. I will personally supervise the transport teams. They are excellent runners with great stamina—certainly no worse than ordinary horses.”
The Beast Emperor asked, “When do you plan to depart?”
I answered, “The Meadow Viper Corps and the Speed Wolf Corps are already on their way here. Once they arrive in two days, we will rest and reorganize for one day, then depart immediately. During these two days we will finalize our plans and preparations. As for the Demon emissaries, Father Emperor, you must not show any dissatisfaction. Keep them delayed in the Imperial City. It will not be too late to fall out with them once we begin our attack on Dunder Province.”
Now that the decision had finally been made, the Beast Emperor seemed far more relaxed.
“I understand. Then the fate of the Beastmen Kingdom will depend on the success of your campaign. My worthy brother, I hope that you and your son will cooperate well and accomplish this mission.”
Father clearly understood the deeper meaning behind the Emperor’s final words.
“I know what I must do. I will consult everyone’s opinions more often. If there are no other matters, I will take my leave now. Lei Xiang, the ten thousand soldiers of the Wild Lion Corps will be placed under your command. Begin preparations for the campaign immediately. Do not disappoint His Majesty or me. Do you understand?”
“Yes, King Leo. However, I hope not to see a certain person during this campaign.”
Father frowned.
“You are all brothers. How did your relationship deteriorate to such a deadlock?”
“Deadlock? Am I the one to blame?” I said coldly. “If you had controlled Lei Hu earlier, would things have reached this point?”
I forcibly suppressed the fury rising within me and continued plainly, “We can repair the relationship later. This operation is extremely important. I don’t want any mistakes, and I certainly won’t allow anyone to ruin my work.”
Father let out a low grunt and turned away before leaving.
The Beast Emperor smiled at me helplessly. “Your father’s temperament has always been like this. Don’t blame him. But he is a man who understands the bigger picture, so you don’t need to worry. Child, since I have already approved your campaign, proceed with peace of mind. Even if you truly fail, I will not blame you.”
The Beast Emperor’s trust made my earlier support of him feel worthwhile. I felt a little moved.
“Father Emperor, thank you. I will not disappoint you. Also, please prepare the letters to the elders as soon as possible. Let them begin from the Imperial City, Yuna Territory, and Sasi, and gradually develop from the outer regions. Sasi is still lacking manpower right now. Please send more people there quickly to help develop agriculture.”
The Beast Emperor nodded with a smile. “I am your greatest supporter, so I will carry out these tasks properly. Your duty is to defeat the enemy and seize their resources. Sir Panzong, Wolf God, do you have any other requests?”
The two of them shook their heads at the same time.
I quickly said, “Father Emperor, we will take our leave now.”
The Beast Emperor nodded with a smile.
After we left, a black figure appeared beside him.
“Your Majesty, the two people Lei Xiang brought possess extremely powerful auras. They are indeed slightly stronger than a Fallen Angel.”
The Beast Emperor looked toward the doorway and said quietly, “I hope my decision was the right one. You also heard the report from our men yesterday. Lei Xiang is still loyal to me for now.”
The black figure let out a sinister chuckle. “I’m afraid that is the real reason you allowed them to go to war today.”
A cold light flashed across the Beast Emperor’s eyes.
“Of course. If I were not certain that he truly pledged loyalty to me, how could I grant them such formidable power? Go immediately and inform our men. They are to monitor Lei Xiang closely and report to me the moment anything unusual happens.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
When we returned to Mother’s residence, Panzong spoke first.
“This Beast Emperor is quite remarkable. We were rather rude earlier, yet he pretended not to notice at all.”
Jin nodded. “Yes. As the ruler of a kingdom, he still treated us so politely. I have quite a good impression of him.”
Mother placed a plate of fruit on the table and sighed.
“You two should not trust him so easily. Did you not notice that the Beast Emperor is extremely calculating? I have only met him twice, but although he gives people a warm impression on the surface, it is impossible to tell what he is really thinking.”
I smiled.
“Mother, it’s fine. For now, we are important to him, and we will stay cautious. Oh right, where did Mink go? I haven’t seen him.”
Mother replied, “While all of you were gone, he said he felt uncomfortable staying here alone, so he went out for a walk. He is a very honest young man. You must treat him well.”
“I will.”
Jin said thoughtfully, “Boss, shouldn’t we arrange things in advance? We spoke so confidently earlier. We cannot start strong and then end weak.”
Panzong looked displeased. “What do you mean ‘end weak’? Why not say we will start like a tiger and finish like a wolf?”
Yin muttered while eating fruit, “Wait until I finish eating first.”
Three days later, the Behemoth Legion, the Wild Lion Corps, the Meadow Viper Corps, and the Speed Wolf Corps—nineteen thousand soldiers in total—departed from the Beastmen Imperial City.
Although Father never explicitly promised that he would not bring Lei Hu, his actions made his decision clear. He brought only one thousand Behemoth warriors and did not even bring my eldest brother, Lei Long.
Five days later, we approached the Demon Race’s Dunder Province.
We stationed ourselves in the forest within Beastmen territory, about nine miles away from Taer City, the closest city to the province.
The Speed Wolf Corps dispatched five hundred scouts to patrol the surrounding area. If they encountered anyone from the Demon Race, they were to capture them immediately.
“Second Brother, Second Sister, have your supply troops and reinforcements arrived yet?” I asked the Wolf God quietly.
Jin answered, “They should arrive tomorrow. Boss and I put in considerable effort this time. From each territory we mobilized fifty thousand soldiers. Some are logistics troops, while the rest are reinforcement forces that will help us occupy the cities afterward. The elite warriors of our two tribes are here. For a small city like this, it will be easy.”
I smiled. “If you two are handling it, I have nothing to worry about. Still, even if the city is small, we must capture it quietly without revealing our movements. Dunder Province contains eleven cities in total. We must seize them one by one in secret. Therefore, we will begin our attack once the reinforcements arrive tomorrow. It will be safer that way.”
Panzong nodded. “What Fourth Brother says makes sense. Let’s proceed like that.”
Father was not with us. He had taken one thousand Behemoth warriors and stationed them a short distance away.
When we first set out, Father and the Wolf God nearly fought. However, Father was still a man who prioritized the overall situation. After Panzong and I persuaded him, he stopped responding to the Wolf God’s provocations and handed full command to me.
Being trusted by him made me feel deeply honored.
In truth, even if Father had refused, the real command still rested with me. Although he was the Behemoth King, the naga tribe and the werewolf tribe would not obey his orders, and with the reinforcement forces included, Father would not even command a tenth of the total troops.
If the command of the army were divided, the effectiveness of the entire surprise attack would be greatly reduced.
For the first time, Father’s decision made me admire him from the bottom of my heart. At crucial moments, a commander must be decisive. His actions proved that he truly was an experienced and capable leader.
The Wolf God and I led one hundred soldiers of the Meadow Viper Corps and silently approached Taer City’s walls.
These naga warriors were renowned within their tribe. They belonged to the water-snake lineage, and the suction pads on their legs allowed them to climb the not-so-high walls with ease.
I gave Jin a signal with my eyes before lightly leaping to the middle of the wall. Channeling strength into my palms, I thrust them into the stone. The solid wall felt as soft as tofu under my hands.
Suspending myself there, I waved to those below.
The Wolf God jumped up beside me and hung in the same posture. Yin whispered softly, “We will rush in and eliminate the enemies.”
The hundred naga warriors began climbing silently. Their gleaming scales were hidden beneath black clothing, making them nearly invisible in the darkness of night.
I nodded. “Remember. Kill as few as possible. It is enough to make them lose their ability to fight.”
After speaking, I pushed off the wall and leaped up. The Wolf God followed closely behind.
On top of the wall, groups of demon soldiers were gathered lazily in threes and fives, chatting. Some were even dozing.
After I knocked out six demon soldiers with a series of swift strikes, someone finally noticed me.
“Who’s there?”
Jin laughed. “The one who will take your life.”
He flashed forward, and the soldier was instantly thrown off the wall.
Soon the wall erupted into chaos.
By then, the naga warriors had already climbed up.
“Move!” I shouted. “Head for the city gate!”
Although we were all skilled fighters, we numbered only a hundred. We absolutely could not allow ourselves to be surrounded.
We gathered together and charged toward the gate.
The Wolf God and I acted like the blade of a dagger, cutting down everything in our path.
At that moment, we gradually lost control of our strength. Demon soldiers’ flesh and blood flew through the air as we fought our way forward.
We quickly reached the city gate, catching them completely unprepared.
I leaped forward and punched the gate’s latch apart. The Wolf God followed with two powerful kicks, and the massive gates slowly began to open.
I turned and shouted, “Second Brother, release the signal!”
Jin laughed and raised his hand, casting a fireball into the sky.
The fireball rose overhead before exploding into a burst of sparks.
Yin clapped excitedly. “The fireworks are beautiful.”
Upon receiving the signal, Father and Mink led the four great corps in a swift assault.
Taer City had fewer than five thousand defenders. They were no match for these elite troops.
Within less than two hours, we had captured the entire city.
I issued orders immediately.
“Quickly! Send men to guard the gates. Do not allow a single member of the Demon Race to escape. First Brother, count the casualties.”
Father strode toward me, his eyes filled with praise.
“Well done, Lei Xiang. So the Demon Race amounts to nothing after all.”
I turned to the Wolf God.
“Second Brother, Second Sister, take some men and escort the logistics unit into the city. Then begin collecting all valuables and food supplies. Remember this carefully: you must not kill anyone, and you must leave each household enough food to survive. Once they feel safe, they will not risk their lives resisting us. Everything except food should be sent back to our kingdom before nightfall.”
I grinned slightly.
“We will play the role of bandits just this once.”
Yin’s eyes lit up excitedly.
“Looting? That sounds wonderful! We’ll start immediately.”
Yin glared at Father for a moment, her eyes filled with hostility.
I smiled inwardly. Luckily I sent them away earlier. I really didn’t want to see Father beating them up.
Because we had successfully captured the city, Father was in high spirits and did not argue with the Wolf God.
I turned to Mink. “Third Brother, bring some men and issue orders to the troops. Tell the brothers that no one is allowed to leave the city. Also, when the reinforcements arrive, select two thousand werewolf soldiers and three thousand naga soldiers to remain here and garrison the city.”
“I will.”
I then asked, “Father, I assume the Behemoth Legion did not suffer many casualties?”
Father replied proudly, “If such a small town could injure Behemoth warriors, then we would not deserve to be called the continent’s most powerful troops.”
I smiled slightly. “That’s good. Please command the elite units and have them rest well tonight. We will depart tomorrow morning. The follow-up troops can handle the city’s affairs. I hope we can capture another city by tomorrow night.”
Father nodded. His eyes were full of approval as he turned and left.
Chaos gradually spread throughout the dark city. The ordinary citizens of the Demon Race naturally did not dare to resist our regular army. The naga tribe and the werewolf tribe went from house to house taking everything of value.
Interestingly, many people tried to stop us by invoking our alliance with them, but our soldiers paid them no attention.
The Wolf God’s subordinates moved the fastest. The Speed Wolf Corps, commanded by Yin Jian, had already gone to rest.
The reinforcement forces were personally led by the werewolf tribe’s chief, Yin Mao. Under his command, all the horses in Taer City were gathered together, and batches of goods were continuously transported away.
According to the plan we had discussed earlier, everything we seized was sent directly to Yuna Territory. That region was relatively peaceful, so accidents were less likely to occur there. A small portion of Yuna Territory bordered Dunder Province, and Taer City, which we had captured today, was only about ten miles from that border.
All the routes used by our troops had been carefully calculated in advance. The Demon Race’s provinces were usually composed of cities surrounded by villages. At the beginning of our campaign, we deliberately avoided attacking villages. Every route we chose passed through remote wilderness trails, so none of the villages knew that an attack had taken place.
From the werewolf tribe of Yuna Territory, nearly everyone participated in this war except the necessary farmers. On the front lines alone there were fifty thousand warriors and transport troops. In addition, a large number of people remained in the territory to support the transportation teams. The enormous responsibility of storing the seized goods was entrusted to the first elder of the werewolf tribe, Yin Sun.
In just one night, the once prosperous Taer City was completely emptied by us.
The next morning, I was still dreaming in the city lord’s bed when Panzong suddenly rushed in. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me.
“Fourth Brother, wake up! It’s time to depart. Didn’t you say we would leave early this morning?”
I opened my eyes groggily. “First Brother, why are you up so early?”
A sly expression flashed across several of Panzong’s heads. The blue snake head trembled slightly, and a small sphere of water suddenly splashed onto my face.
“Whoa! That’s cold!” I shouted, jumping out of bed. I rubbed my face and complained, “First Brother, what are you doing?”
Panzong laughed gently. “Who told you to keep sleeping? Don’t you know we’re fighting a war? And you still want to lie in bed.”
“You don’t understand. I’m responsible for the overall command, so I must keep a clear mind. Otherwise it will be troublesome if I make mistakes.”
Panzong waved his hand and tapped my head lightly. “You always have an excuse. The rest of us didn’t sleep at all, yet you slept the best of anyone. Enough talking. Let’s go. The brothers are ready. Our next target is Kunte City.”
I was surprised. “You didn’t sleep at all?”
“After we looted the city, everything was chaotic. If we hadn’t maintained order, things would have gotten worse. Oh right, the casualty report you asked for is finished. The Behemoth Legion is in perfect condition. The Wild Lion Corps suffered sixteen deaths, twenty-four serious injuries, and one hundred three minor injuries. The Meadow Viper Corps had no deaths, ten serious injuries, and two hundred seven minor injuries. Our scales give us some protection. The Speed Wolf Corps is also in perfect condition.”
He snorted.
“Those wolves were extremely cunning. While everyone else was risking their lives at the front, they stayed behind. But to be fair, their sneak attacks were effective. Half of the enemy casualties were caused by them. As for your father’s Behemoth Legion, the battle ended before they even reached the battlefield.”
I frowned. “Why is that?”
“The Behemoths move slowly. The Wild Lion Corps and the Speed Wolf Corps can run extremely fast. Even my Meadow Viper Corps is not that slow. Behemoth warriors are powerful in frontal combat, but their speed is terrible.”
I nodded thoughtfully.
So that was the reason. It seemed I needed to pay closer attention to the strengths of each corps in order to minimize casualties.
The losses from capturing Taer City were almost negligible, and the results were excellent.
After getting dressed, I went with Panzong to the western gate.
Outside the walls, the four armies stood in orderly formations of different sizes. Their eyes burned with excitement and bloodlust after their first victory, and their morale was extremely high.
Standing on the city wall, I shouted loudly.
“Brothers, you have worked hard! But your efforts were not wasted. We won an easy victory, didn’t we? The Demon Race has oppressed us Beastmen for many years. Now we will repay them twice over! We will conquer the entire Dunder Province. For us, this will be very easy. All I ask is that you follow orders and fight bravely. Can you do it?”
“We can!”
The thunderous roar nearly made me jump.
Satisfied, I nodded and returned to Father’s side.
“Father, please lead the four armies outside Kunte City and prepare an ambush. I still need to arrange something before nightfall. I must prepare a retreat route. If the front line turns unfavorable, we must be able to withdraw safely.”
Father nodded. “Do whatever you wish. The future will belong to you.”
Because my mind was occupied with many matters, I did not notice Father’s expression when he spoke. I simply nodded and left with Mink to make arrangements.
My method was very simple. After capturing each city, we immediately sent reinforcements to surround the nearby villages. They were only to plunder goods; no killing or arson was allowed.
I dispatched two hundred soldiers to each village to maintain order and prevent anyone from spreading news or causing disturbances. That was sufficient.
With my strategy and the overwhelming strength of the four corps, we conquered the entire Dunder Province in less than a month.
Including the capital, Stanla City, we captured ten cities in total.
The governor-general of Dunder Province, Wharton Lucifer, who was also the lord of Stanla City, was captured personally by Father. Even after transforming into a Fallen Angel, he was no match for Father. Against Father’s strength, his power was like the faint glow of a firefly.
However, our battlefront had stretched too far. As a result, we abandoned much of the territory we had conquered and retained only a few key cities that could maintain supply lines from the rear.
We stationed the elite forces of the four corps in Stanla City.
I knew that this was only the first stage of my plan. If we truly wanted victory, we would have to wait and see how the Demon Race responded.
Ten days after we launched the surprise attack, every tribe in the Beastmen Kingdom received a notice from the Beast Emperor.
The reactions varied. Some tribes supported the campaign, while others opposed it. In the end, most adopted a cautious attitude, waiting to see how the Beast Emperor would resolve the situation.
Since they were not required to send any troops to war, the tribes focused instead on protecting themselves. To maintain peace, many tribes strengthened their defenses, especially along the border with the Demon Race.
Everything was proceeding according to my plan.
During this campaign, we plundered nearly all the wealth of Dunder Province. The amount was so enormous that it could not even be counted immediately.
I had already sent Silivn to inform Elder Yin Sun to deliver half of the spoils to the Beastmen Imperial City and divide the remaining half with Sasi Province.
Those who contributed nothing would receive nothing.
After the Beast Emperor received the report about our victory and the enormous spoils of war, he was overjoyed.
Each of us received additional titles.
I was granted the title Astute Prince.
First Brother Panzong was granted the title King of Loyalty and Bravery.
The Wolf God was granted the title King of Wisdom and Virtue.
Since Father already possessed numerous titles, no new titles were granted to him.