Chapter 50: Returning in Victory
Chapter 50: Returning in Victory
Although my power had advanced greatly, I did not feel the slightest bit of joy. The matter of Mo Yue weighed on my heart like a massive stone.
When Gu Feng Lucifer and Gu Yun Lucifer saw me, neither of them appeared too surprised. They looked at me with questioning eyes. I could only return a helpless look. They stood behind Gu Chuan without saying anything, but I could tell from their expressions that they were somewhat angry and somewhat disappointed in me. I actually had a good impression of these two brothers who valued loyalty and affection so deeply. If I had the chance in the future, I would definitely explain everything to them clearly.
Gu Chuan looked at me with some confusion, then turned his head to look at his two sons. Gu Feng Lucifer and Gu Yun Lucifer immediately lowered their heads as if they were frightened quails, clearly very afraid of their father.
Gu Chuan said to my father, “What is the relationship between this human youth and your Beastmen?”
My father froze for a moment and said, “Did Su Cha not tell you? He is not human. His name is Lei Xiang, my third son. Because his mother was human, he possesses human blood and appearance, but he also carries the excellent bloodline of my Behemoth clan.”
Gu Chuan looked me up and down in surprise. It was not difficult to see the doubt in his eyes. “So he is your son. I heard from the remnants of Su Cha’s troops that the defeat of our two hundred thousand army earlier had a great deal to do with him.”
My father nodded. “Of course. My Behemoth clan are the bravest warriors. I will not hide it from you. This surprise attack was all commanded by Lei Xiang. I am old now. In the future, he will inherit my position and become the supreme commander of the Beastmen race.”
As he said the final sentence, a trace of weariness and age appeared on my father’s face.
Not only was Gu Chuan shocked, even I was greatly startled. I stepped forward and urgently said, “Father, you—”
My father raised his hand to stop my question and said to Gu Chuan, “Brother Gu, let us begin.”
As he spoke, he took out two contracts that had already been prepared.
Gu Chuan accepted the contracts, glanced over them briefly, and nodded. “Very well. Under the witness of heaven, earth, and all things, I, Gu Chuan, represent the Demon Race.”
“I, Lei Ao, represent the Beastmen Race.”
The two of them shouted in unison, “We hereby sign this peace treaty between the two races. If either side violates it, heaven and earth shall despise them.”
They each bit their fingers and drew a blood sigil in the air. The two blood sigils merged together and shone with white light. Father and Gu Chuan simultaneously raised the contracts in their hands. The white light imprinted a complicated mark onto each contract.
The light gradually faded. Gu Chuan extended his right hand toward my father. Father bent slightly and extended his own right hand as well. Their hands struck each other three times.
“Good. My troops are already prepared. After we return, we will immediately withdraw fifty li.”
Father nodded. “We Beastmen will definitely keep our promise. As for that governor, I will leave him in his own residence. You may deal with him yourselves.”
Gu Chuan smiled in satisfaction. “The green mountains remain unchanged and the flowing waters continue on. Brother Lei, we will meet again someday.”
After speaking, Gu Chuan turned and walked toward his camp with his two sons. As Gu Feng Lucifer and Gu Yun Lucifer left, they kept glancing back at me. I transmitted my voice to Gu Feng Lucifer, saying, “Brother Gu, I will explain everything to you later if we have the chance.”
While speaking, I noticed Gu Chuan’s ears twitch slightly. Could it be that he was able to overhear even my voice transmission technique?
Father said, “Let us return as well.”
Panzong sighed. “It’s finally over. From the day I was born until now, I’ve never been as exhausted as I have been during these past two months.”
Jin said, “I think it ended too quickly. We didn’t even have enough fun.”
Father glanced at Jin and said, “There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Wars on the continent will never stop.”
After saying that, he took the lead and walked toward Stanla City.
Ever since Father helped Jin and Yin recover their strength last time, the two of them no longer held such hostility toward him. Hearing his words, Jin shrugged and draped an arm over my shoulder.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
I looked toward the Demon Race camp. It felt as if Mo Yue was staring at me from within that black encampment with eyes full of resentment.
Sigh…
A strong sense of guilt spread through my chest. Would I treat Mo Yue the way my father treated my mother? No—absolutely not. Even though she was my enemy, I could never hurt Mo Yue like that.
But what should I do?
“Let’s go.”
…
The four major races—Tiger Men, Bear Men, Leopard Men, and Centaurs—had been ordered to retreat before even joining the battle. Naturally, they were somewhat dissatisfied. However, with Father suppressing them, none of them dared say anything.
Thus, our four great legions, along with the other four races, began withdrawing from Stanla City in an orderly manner.
Father called me to his side and said, “Lei Xiang, your complexion doesn’t look very good today. What were you doing last night?”
I lowered my head and said, “I went out of the city for a walk. I didn’t sleep all night, so I’m a bit tired.”
“Lift your head when you speak to me.” Father’s voice was powerful and imposing.
I raised my head. Father stared at me sharply and said, “Do you have some kind of connection with Gu Chuan’s two sons? When the treaty was signed today, you kept exchanging glances with them. When they left, you even transmitted your voice.”
“Ah!” Father’s perception startled me. “I don’t have any real connection with them. I met them before at the Dragon God Empire. Speaking of which, I even saved them once. At that time I lied to them about my identity, so we came to know each other.”
“I can pretend not to know about this matter,” Father said, “but in the future you must not have too many dealings with the Demon Race. Our two races have already become enemies. His Majesty is very sensitive. Although he treats you well now, if you do anything that harms him, he will eliminate you without mercy. For the time being, because of my relationship with you, he will not act against you. But the Beastmen race is growing stronger day by day, and the power in His Majesty’s hands is also increasing. Once I die, there will be no one left to restrain him. He will rule the entire Beastmen race just like the king of the Dragon God Empire rules the humans. So you must be careful. Do you understand?”
“Father, please tell me what is really on your mind. If there is something troubling you, perhaps I can help.”
Father shook his head. “You will understand in the future. Alright. It is time for us to return to our own home.”
…
Demon Race Camp.
“Report! The Beastmen have begun withdrawing!”
Gu Chuan waved his hand for the scout to withdraw. “That old Behemoth is a man who keeps his promises. There is no need for us to worry about that. At last we have completed the task His Majesty assigned to us. Gu Feng, Gu Yun—do you two know that young man called Lei Xiang?”
“Ah! N-no, we don’t know him.”
Two sharp rays of light shot from Gu Chuan’s eyes. He frowned and said, “Is that so? Do not think I did not notice. When I was negotiating with the Behemoth King, the two of you were exchanging glances with that boy. Speak. What is going on? Even though you are my sons, if you endanger the interests of the Demon Race or threaten His Majesty, I will not hesitate to sacrifice my own family for the greater cause.”
The authority he had accumulated since their childhood made the Gu Feng brothers extremely afraid of him. Under his interrogation, Gu Feng Lucifer said tremblingly, “It’s like this. We met him before. Do you remember when we said that a mysterious person helped us kill the four Fallen Angels sent by Su Cha? That was him. After we returned, because he asked us not to reveal his identity, we did not tell you. But we truly did not know he was a Beastman. So when we saw him just now, we were very surprised and wanted to ask him what was going on. But since you were discussing serious matters with the Behemoth King, we did not dare interrupt…”
Gu Chuan’s expression relaxed slightly. “I hope you are telling the truth. That boy gives me a very frightening feeling. I carefully observed him just now, but I could not see the depth of his strength. If we fight the Beastmen again in the future, he will definitely become our greatest threat. To be able to kill four Fallen Angels—his strength must be…”
He paused and then waved his hand.
“Enough. Go make preparations. We will move to take control of Dunder Province.”
“Yes, Father.”
The Gu Feng brothers both let out a sigh of relief. They would rather face thousands of troops than confront their strict father.
…
When we returned to the Beastmen Imperial City, the entire capital erupted into celebration. The streets and alleys were packed with crowds welcoming our victorious return.
Father and I walked at the very front. Behind us were more than nine hundred Behemoth giant warriors. We were the first troops to enter the imperial capital.
Following us were the Berserk Lion Legion led by Meng Ke, the Viper Legion led by Panzong, and the Swift Wolf Legion led by Jin and Yin.
Although the four great legions had all suffered some losses during this campaign, the soldiers returning in victory all walked with their heads held high, full of overwhelming pride.
Cheers erupted continuously from both sides of the streets as we passed.
A resident asked the person beside him, “Hey, who is the person beside Lord Behemoth King? Why does he look like a human?”
“You don’t know? That is Lord Lei Xiang, the third son of the Behemoth King. Because he has human blood, he looks human, but he is a genuine Behemoth. I heard from a friend of mine in the wolf clan that this victory was largely due to his effective command. He has even surpassed the Behemoth King in some respects! He beat those Fallen Angels of the Demon Race until they cried for their fathers and mothers. It was incredibly satisfying.”
“Really? But I heard that this battle was commanded by the Behemoth King.”
“In name, yes. But Lord Lei Xiang was the chief strategist. I heard that many decisions were actually made by him. His Majesty has already adopted Lord Lei Xiang as his godson and granted him the title of Prince Rui. With Lord Behemoth King and Lord Lei Xiang, our Beastmen Kingdom will definitely grow more prosperous. Long live the Behemoth King! Long live Lord Lei Xiang!”
“Long live the Behemoth King! Long live Lord Lei Xiang!”
…
“Ah! Who is that person leading the snake men behind them? Why does he have nine snake heads? That’s terrifying!”
“You really don’t know anything. That is the snake tribe’s Lord Nine-Headed Saint. I heard he alone repelled a hundred thousand Demon Race troops.”
“That powerful?”
“Of course. And the two-headed wolf behind him is the wolf tribe’s Lord Wolf God, also an extremely powerful expert. This time, the assault on Dunder Province succeeded so quickly mainly because the Viper Legion and Swift Wolf Legion they led supported the Behemoth and Berserk Lion legions under the Behemoth King. Now our Beastmen finally have powerful experts too. We no longer need to fear the human Dragon Knights or the Demon Race’s Fallen Angels.”
“That’s wonderful! I’m going to enlist in the army too…”
…………
Father said to me with emotion, “The last time I received this kind of cheering was when I inherited the position of Behemoth King. Victory is extremely important for us Beastmen.”
I nodded and said, “Yes. Only through constant victories can our Beastmen develop rapidly. From now on, we will no longer need to worry about being oppressed by the Demon Race.”
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve made a decision.”
“Ah? What decision?”
Father said solemnly, “I’ve decided to follow your suggestion and pass the position of Behemoth King to your elder brother Lei Long. Of course, not right now. But I will request His Majesty that after I die, Lei Long will inherit my title.”
Joy rose in my heart. I said, “What made you decide so quickly?”
Father looked at me deeply and said, “You.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Because I believe in your judgment. In the past, I never imagined that my most outstanding son would actually be you—the boy who doesn’t even have the appearance of a Behemoth. But after returning from the front lines this time, I realized that courage alone cannot make the Beastmen strong. After your elder brother takes my position in the future, you must help him well.”
I nodded. “I will, Father. But what about Lei Hu?”
A cold glint flashed through Father’s eyes. “If he can correct his faults, I will naturally be pleased. He can still remain the deputy commander of the Behemoth Legion. Otherwise… you don’t need to worry about him. I will deal with him myself. He has disappointed me too much.”
“After killing his mother before, I now feel some regret. At that time, I was too impulsive.”
Father glanced at me but said nothing.
…
A red carpet more than a li long had been laid in front of the gates of the Beast Emperor’s palace. Lanterns and decorations lined both sides, and drums and music thundered loudly. Soldiers of the Berserk Lion Legion stood in orderly ranks along both sides, raising their long sabers in salute to us.
“Heroes of the Beastmen, welcome back from your victorious return!”
The Beast Emperor personally brought the civil and military officials to welcome us at the palace gate.
Father and I quickly stepped forward. Just as we were about to kneel, the Beast Emperor hurriedly supported both of us.
“No need for such formality. I cannot bear to have heroes kneeling before me. Hahaha. Come, let us talk inside.”
Our victory had made the Beast Emperor extremely excited. He was finally about to obtain what he had always desired most.
The Beast Emperor personally escorted us meritorious officers into the great hall. A magnificent banquet had already been prepared there, and the entire hall was filled with a festive atmosphere.
The Beast Emperor seated me, Father, Panzong, Jin, Yin, Meng Ke, and the chiefs of the four major tribes who had supported us on the front lines at the same table with him. The remaining lower-ranking generals were accompanied by the civil and military officials.
The Beast Emperor raised his wine cup and stood up, shouting loudly, “Come! Let us toast the heroes who have returned in victory!”
We quickly stood and drank the wine in our cups.
The Beast Emperor repeatedly served dishes personally. His appearance resembled that of a newly married groom, his excitement completely undisguised.
Halfway through the banquet, Father spoke quietly to the Beast Emperor. “Your Majesty, I am somewhat tired and would like to return to rest first. Let Lei Xiang and the others accompany you here.”
The Beast Emperor set down his wine cup in surprise. “Worthy brother, today is such a joyous occasion. Why not drink a few more cups?”
Father sighed. “Years of constant warfare have left me feeling very weary. Please spare me.”
The Beast Emperor nodded in understanding. “Worthy brother, you have truly worked hard all these years. You have sacrificed too much for the Beastmen race. Very well, you may return and rest early. I will have someone send you some nourishing tonics later.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Father turned to me and instructed, “Drink a few more cups with His Majesty. I will return to the mansion.”
“Father?”
Father waved his hand and stood up. The Beast Emperor also stood and said loudly, “For the victory of our Beastmen, Brother Lei Ao has made tremendous contributions. Without him, there would be no Beastmen today. Years of warfare have left our hero somewhat fatigued. Let us all send off our Behemoth King as he returns to his residence.”
“Respectfully sending off His Highness the Behemoth King!”
…
The banquet continued for a long time and did not end until late at night.
The slightly intoxicated Beast Emperor grabbed my arm and said, “Lei Xiang, don’t leave yet. Father has something to say to you.”
“Yes, Father. Elder brother, you may return first.”
Panzong glanced at me and gave me a look. Then he grabbed the already completely drunk Jin and Yin and left first.
I supported the Beast Emperor back to his bedchamber.
He sat down in a chair and grabbed my hand.
“Child, this time you have rendered tremendous service for the Beastmen. Tell Father—what do you want? Father will definitely grant your request.”
“Father, you’ve had a bit too much to drink. You should rest early. We can discuss anything tomorrow.”
The Beast Emperor said with blurry drunken eyes, “Who said I’m drunk? That little bit of wine cannot make me drunk. Originally I wanted to invite your mother today as well, but she said that since your father would be here, she didn’t want to come. I didn’t force her. Child, thank you. I’ve already ordered people to build the Prince Rui Residence for you north of the palace. Soon you’ll have your own place to live. It will take a little more time before it’s completed.”
“Thank you, Father. But I’m already living very comfortably here. There’s no need to spend—”
“Ah—this is something you deserve. I really am a little drunk. Let’s talk about the rest tomorrow. Come see me in the imperial study tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, Father. Then please rest early. I will take my leave.”
“Mm.”
I turned and left the Beast Emperor’s bedchamber. It had already been two months since I last saw Mother. I wondered how she had been.
After I left, the Beast Emperor stood up.
His eyes suddenly became clear. The drunkenness from earlier seemed to vanish instantly.
He stared in the direction I had left and called softly, “Shadow.”
A dark figure appeared in a flash.
“Your Majesty.”
“How did the investigation go? Has Lei Xiang shown any unusual movements?”
“I have investigated. He has not made any unusual moves. However, he seems extremely popular now. When he returned to the imperial capital, the entire street was shouting his name along with that of the Behemoth King. Furthermore, our people reported that during the negotiations with the Demon Race, the Behemoth King stated that Lei Xiang would succeed him as the future commander of the Beastmen.”
The Beast Emperor snorted.
“Is that something he can decide? However, I do think this child Lei Xiang is quite good. He truly is a pillar of the Beastmen. Sooner or later, the position of supreme commander will belong to him. With him around, perhaps I might even unify the entire continent.”
“I also believe Lei Xiang is a talent. With sixty thousand troops, he dragged down Prince Su Cha’s two hundred thousand Demon Race army. He must have extraordinary ability. He is also very loyal. However, it would be best not to grant him too much power right now, nor allow his influence among the Beastmen to grow too large. Otherwise, he may become difficult to control in the future.”
“Mm. I have already considered that. I know what to do. I trust Lei Xiang. I will do my best to keep him serving the Beastmen. Even in the Dragon God Empire, there are probably not many talents like him. True talent is rare. For now, he is still under my control. I will make good use of him. What I like most about him is that he has no great ambition. However, he plays too much. He once even told me that after the Beastmen Kingdom unifies the continent, he intends to leave.”
“Leave?”
“Yes. I will not let him leave so easily. Otherwise, if he were used by another country, it would become troublesome.”
…
When I returned to the courtyard where Mother lived, everything was quiet.
The familiar fragrance of flowers and plants gave me the feeling of being home again.
Mother was sitting in the courtyard waiting for me.
I quickly walked up to her.
“Mom, I’m back.”
“Mm.”
Standing on her toes, Mother helped smooth my slightly messy hair.
“I heard the news long ago—my heroic son. You must be tired. You look thinner than when you left.”
Her warm, motherly words made my eyes grow moist.
“Mom, I’m not tired. How have you been while I was away? How is your health?”
Mother smiled slightly. “I’m very well. Look.”
As she spoke, she waved her left hand. A faint, gentle pink glow appeared on her palm. The fluctuations of energy were weak but clearly visible. Mother’s cultivation of battle energy had already achieved results.
I said in surprise, “Mom, you’re truly a genius in martial training. In less than a year you’ve already improved so much.”
Mother smiled proudly.
“Now I know that cultivation isn’t difficult at all. As long as you understand the essence of the technique and follow the method step by step, progress will come naturally.”
“Congratulations. Oh, right—where are my elder brothers?”
“They all drank too much and are already asleep. It’s very late. You should rest early too.”
“Mom, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“Mm. Go ahead.”
“During this surprise attack on the Demon Race, I noticed Father seemed a little strange…”
Mother suddenly raised her head and glared at me angrily. Her voice rose sharply.
“Don’t mention him in front of me. I don’t want to know anything about him.”
“Mom, I—”
“That’s enough. Don’t say anything more. Go rest.”
With that, Mother flicked her sleeve and returned to her room.
It seemed her hatred toward Father had not diminished in the slightest.
Sighing, I returned to my room to rest.
Early the next morning, I went to see the Beast Emperor in his imperial study.
“Your son greets Father.”
The Beast Emperor said kindly, “You’re here. Sit.”
“How could I sit in your presence? Yesterday you said you had something to discuss with me. Please give your instructions.”
The Beast Emperor appeared very satisfied with my attitude and nodded.
“It’s like this. You’ve worked very hard recently. The Beast God Religion has gradually gotten on track, and most regions within our country have begun promoting farming and production. I have already discussed it with the four races—the Tiger Men, Leopard Men, Bear Men, and Centaurs. They have decided to support my promotion of the Beast God Religion. I have decided that later today I will announce the Beast God Religion as the state religion and establish Beast God temples in every province. What do you think?”
I thought for a moment and said, “I don’t think there’s any problem. This time we successfully defeated the Demon Race, and Your Majesty’s prestige has already reached an unprecedented height. Taking advantage of this opportunity to accelerate the development of the Beast God Religion is an excellent choice. With the support of the four major tribes, along with the wolf clan and the snake clan, you can now completely control most of the power within the Beastmen Kingdom.”
“Yes,” the Beast Emperor said, “it’s all thanks to the good idea you proposed at the beginning. Never before have I felt that the entire Beastmen Kingdom was so completely under my control. I believe it is only a matter of time before the Beastmen Kingdom becomes powerful. Among all the achievements that brought us to this situation, your contribution is the greatest. You must be tired as well. Take some time to rest recently. As for the matter of suppressing bandits, I will have other subordinates handle it.”
My heart jumped. Could it be that the Beast Emperor had some suspicion toward me? Otherwise, why would he stop my mission?
Then a thought struck me, and I immediately understood that it was because my reputation was rising too quickly.
Maintaining a calm expression, I said, “Thank you, Father, for your concern for your son. I would also like to spend more time with my mother. If there is anything you need from me, please give the order.”
The Beast Emperor smiled. “You are the most outstanding talent in the Beastmen Kingdom. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to display your abilities. Do not doubt Father’s intentions. I simply think that continuing to have you suppress bandits is a waste of talent. I asked the people responsible for building your residence, and they said it will be completed in another two months. When the time comes, you can move in with your mother. By the way, what do you think of that subordinate of yours, Meng Ke?”
“Meng Ke? He’s very good. He’s honest and straightforward, and his martial ability is also quite good. He’s not exactly my subordinate—we have sworn brotherhood. He is my third brother. Why, does Father want to promote him?”
The Beast Emperor pondered for a moment. “Previously, during secret training, he performed very well. Now that he also has your recommendation, I intend to have him replace you in the task of suppressing bandits. What do you think?”
If the Beast Emperor wanted to promote Meng Ke, that was certainly a good thing. I knew that if I returned to the Dragon God Empire with Mother in the future, I would not be able to take Meng Ke with me. Taking this opportunity to let him demonstrate his abilities would surely allow him to rise rapidly in the future.
“As long as he doesn’t encounter opponents like my eldest or second brother, I believe Meng Ke is fully capable of handling the task of suppressing bandits.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.”
“Father, since I don’t have any duties at the moment, would you allow me to leave here with my mother? To be honest, if it weren’t for the goal of strengthening the Beastmen Kingdom, I truly wouldn’t want to enter the court. I’ve always been a free-spirited person.”
The Beast Emperor frowned. “Lei Xiang, you’re still angry with Father, aren’t you? Are you dissatisfied with Father’s decision? At such a critical moment, how can you leave? Didn’t I say before that there are still many things that require you?”
I quickly shook my head. “Father, I absolutely am not angry with you. I’m speaking from the heart. Being an official truly doesn’t suit me.”
The Beast Emperor said, “Even if you don’t wish to hold office, wouldn’t living in your Prince Rui Residence be just fine? Why must you insist on leaving? Let us not mention this matter for now. I will not approve it. Everything can wait until the Beastmen Kingdom stabilizes.”
The Beastmen Kingdom was indeed still somewhat unstable, and the agreement between my mother and me was three years. It was still too early.
So I did not insist further and bowed. “Yes, Father.”
Seeing that I had agreed, the Beast Emperor immediately smiled again.
“Come, accompany Father to court. I have several announcements to make.”
…
“Long live Your Majesty! Long live! Long live!”
The Beast Emperor sat upright upon the throne, while I stood beside him. Normally I should have been below with the others offering my respects, but the Beast Emperor insisted that I stand at his side, so I had no choice but to comply.
“All ministers, rise. Yesterday, the heroes of our Beastmen race returned in triumph, and I am extremely pleased. From this moment on, our Beastmen Kingdom will no longer need to submit beneath the feet of the Demon Race. Today I will announce several matters.”
“First: starting today, the Beast God Religion will become the state religion of the Beastmen Kingdom, and Beast God temples will be established in every province so that commoners may worship there. I will serve as the first leader of the Beast God Religion. Lei Xiang and Meng Ke will serve as deputy leaders, with Meng Ke responsible for managing daily religious affairs. Does anyone have any objections?”
My heart jolted. I had never expected the Beast Emperor to elevate Meng Ke to such a high position.
Almost everyone present was a trusted supporter of the Beast Emperor, along with the recently allied four major tribes. Naturally, no one voiced any opposition. It seemed that the Beast Emperor must have offered the four tribes considerable benefits; otherwise, how could they so easily agree to such a transfer of authority?
The Beast Emperor looked down at his ministers with satisfaction.
“Good. Second: from this moment onward, all Beastmen tribes will fully develop farming and production. I will order the Beast God Religion to send various technical personnel to assist you. This effort will begin with the four tribes—the Tiger Men, Leopard Men, Bear Men, and Centaurs. Chiefs of the four tribes, you have already seen the situation around the imperial capital. If you wish your tribes to grow stronger, you must first make your people prosperous.”
The four tribal chiefs stepped forward simultaneously and bowed.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, I suddenly understood the Beast Emperor’s intentions. He wanted to win over the four largest tribes among the Beastmen. With the additional power of the snake clan and the wolf clan, he could control most of the military strength within the Beastmen Kingdom. Then he could use these newly allied four tribes to eliminate those who refused to obey him, while subduing those willing to submit.
In this way, the entire Beastmen Kingdom would be unified in the shortest possible time.
Although this method could achieve the final objective quickly, I still felt that gradual influence and integration would be more stable. What this approach would produce was merely a powerful authority, not true unity of the people’s hearts.
However, since the Beast Emperor had already decided on this course, my opposition would accomplish nothing.
Forget it. No matter what, the unification of the Beastmen Kingdom was still a good thing. The Beast Emperor was also a capable ruler. In the future, I could simply advise him more often to implement benevolent governance.
Overall, everything depended on the Beast Emperor first helping the four tribes develop. That would still take some time. I only hoped that during this period, the other tribes would recognize the situation clearly.
“Yesterday, our respected Behemoth King expressed to me his wish that after he passes away, his eldest son Lei Long will inherit his title. I have already agreed. At the same time, he has decided to formally relinquish his current position, and the Behemoth King’s third son—who is also my godson—Lei Xiang will become the supreme commander of the Beastmen Kingdom’s army. From now on, all military campaigns will be directed by him.”
The Beast Emperor’s words struck me like a bolt of thunder.
For a moment I stood there stunned. When I came back to my senses, I hurried forward, knelt on the ground, and said, “Father, this absolutely cannot be done.”
When had Father communicated this to the Beast Emperor? I knew nothing about it. How could such an important position fall to me?
The Beast Emperor frowned. “Why not?”
I explained, “First, your son is young and lacks virtue; I am not capable of convincing the people. Second, I—”
The Beast Emperor suddenly stood up angrily.
“Enough. I have already decided this matter.”
He raised his head and looked around at the high ministers of the Beastmen Kingdom below.
“I believe everyone here knows that the surprise attack against the Demon Race was proposed by Lei Xiang and executed entirely under his command. I believe he has the ability to support this position. Therefore, I hope all of you will support my decision.”
“At the same time, Lei Xiang will no longer concurrently serve as deputy commander of the Royal Guard. That position will be temporarily held by Meng Ke.”