Chapter 810
Chapter 810
Shen Lang did not try to persuade Hila to accompany him to the capital of the Witch Empire. In truth, the position of the Veda people on this western continent was exceedingly complex. The Seirun Dynasty had ruled this land for over several hundred years—far too long. Moreover, before the Seirun Dynasty’s arrival, the continent had been plagued by incessant warfare, with countless battles fought among the various tribes.
Over the last few hundred years, many Veda people had come to pledge their loyalty to the Seirun Dynasty, considering themselves part of it. However, Duchess Diphas’s province, being in the southern part of the dynasty and a later addition, suffered from severe racial conflict and class division.
In contrast, the northern part of the new continent saw significant intermingling between the Veda people and the white people of the Seirun Dynasty. It was similar to the Qing Dynasty, an ethnic minority that entered the Central Plains. The Qing Dynasty's rule was far more stable in the north than in the south, and most of the later revolutions and uprisings occurred in the south. The Seirun Dynasty was much the same. Its core territory was in the central and northern regions, while the southern coastal areas had a weaker sense of allegiance. After the fall of the Second Seirun Empire, the various factions of the Seirun royal family fought chaotically for the throne, causing the entire dynasty to fracture. This was how Queen Medusa was able to seize the opportunity, sweep across the entire south, and establish the Witch Empire.
Many Veda people in the southern regions of the Seirun Dynasty considered it the legitimate dynasty and the Witch Empire an invader. Yet, some Veda people viewed both the Seirun Dynasty and the Witch Empire as invaders, maintaining a neutral distance from both. The sea merchants and many pirates, represented by Hila, held such an attitude. Only those with an extreme hatred for the Seirun Dynasty pledged their loyalty to the Witch Empire.
The Black Widow, Hila, gazed at Shen Lang’s face. She was deeply in love with this man, a love born from his masculine charm and the pull of hormones. She even knew she would never meet another man she could love so fiercely in her lifetime. But to give up everything for him, to go with him to the Witch Empire and pledge her loyalty? The feelings between her and Shen Lang could be described as: ‘a fleeting encounter, like the glistening dew in the autumn wind, can be more precious than countless meetings in the mortal world.’ The love between a man and a woman might burn fiercely at first, a love to die for, but only after a very long time could it transform into a state of ‘you are in me, and I am in you.’ The Black Widow Hila could not abandon everything to follow Shen Lang, but she could not bear to send him to the capital of the Witch Empire alone.
“I will see you off! We may have to say goodbye, but not now!”
***
Hila then found an officer of the Seirun Empire’s allied forces, bribed him, and obtained two military tags. Dressed in the uniforms of the Seirun Empire, she and Shen Lang transformed into scouts. The two left the docks and rode on horseback across Xiwa City. This city was far larger than Bijing City; as Shen Lang passed through, he truly felt he was traversing a massive region.
“The Xiwa family was also nobility of the Seirun Empire, but they were exiled to the southeastern sea for their part in a rebellion. That’s why they are now called the exiled Xiwa family.”
Along the way, Hila recounted the city’s history.
“Like the Russo family, the Xiwa family prospered greatly through maritime trade, becoming the wealthiest city-state. They were always ostracized by the Seirun Dynasty, and during the Second Seirun Empire, the Xiwa family had to bear enormous taxes every year. Later, the third Duke Xiwa was killed by the Empire, which is why when Queen Medusa swept through the south, Duke Xiwa chose to pledge his allegiance to her. Thus, the Xiwa city-state became the largest in the Witch Empire, and Xiwa City became the second-largest city in the Witch Empire.”
“Has the current Duke Xiwa not betrayed the Witch Empire again?”
Shen Lang asked, having seen the flags of the Third Seirun Empire and the Xiwa family flying together on the city walls.
“This war actually began several months ago. Duchess Diphas was one of the main forces of the allied army, but she mobilized her troops very late because her army consists mostly of a slave legion. Duke Xiwa was loyal to the Witch Empire. He held off the Seirun Empire’s allied forces for over two months, constantly pleading with Queen Medusa for reinforcements, but he received no response and was ultimately forced to surrender.”
But that was strange. Xiwa City was the Witch Empire’s second-largest city and served as the gateway to the southeast. It was only natural for Queen Medusa to send reinforcements, no matter what. Why had she allowed Xiwa City to fall? As Shen Lang crossed Xiwa City, he saw countless troops of the Seirun Empire’s allied forces. There were all sorts of armies: the Empire’s regular forces, the private armies of various families, mercenaries, slave armies, and so on. Yet, Shen Lang did not see Duchess Diphas’s banner.
“Duchess Diphas’s army is not here. She is in Duolong City, hundreds of li away, which is the southern gateway to the Witch Empire. She is the commander of the allied Southern Route Army. The force attacking Xiwa City is the Eastern Route Army, commanded by Duke Russell.”
“Russo, Russell?”
“Yes. They were once one family. During the Second Seirun Empire, the two sides supported different monarchs, causing the family to split in two. One of them changed their name to Russell.”
“What kind of person is Duke Russell?”
“A very powerful man. When the Second Seirun Empire was established, his ancestor backed the wrong side and was exiled to the southeastern region. He was merely an insignificant count, and for a very long time, the Russell family served as vassals to Duke Xiwa. But the current Duke Russell, in less than fifteen years of his reign, has expanded his family’s territory tenfold and now possesses two provinces. He has become one of the major powers in the eastern part of the Seirun Dynasty, and he, too, was promoted from count to duke.”
“Was it Duke Russell who captured Xiwa City?”
“Not just Xiwa City. Duke Russell also captured four provinces in the southeast of the Witch Empire. You’ve seen how fortified this city is, haven’t you? Yet Duke Russell, with an army of less than a hundred thousand, defeated Duke Xiwa and forced him to surrender.”
“How large is Duke Russell’s Eastern Route Army?”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand.”
Shen Lang was taken aback by the number. It seemed he was indeed a formidable man. At his peak, Su Nan had commanded no more than a hundred thousand troops, and the State of Yue’s foremost warlord, Zhong Yue, had never commanded more than one hundred and twenty thousand. Currently, the allied forces of the Third Seirun Empire were divided into four routes—east, west, south, and north—attacking the Witch Empire from four directions, capturing cities with unstoppable momentum. Duke Russell was making the fastest progress, having already conquered a fifth of the Witch Empire’s territory, and was now preparing to march on its capital.
However, Hila’s fleet clearly belonged to Duchess Diphas, so why had they landed at Xiwa City to deliver provisions and supplies to Duke Russell? Of course, this contained a political signal from Duchess Diphas. The Russo and Russell families were once one. Now that the Third Seirun Empire was on the verge of being established, the two families needed to unite to secure greater power in the new empire. Just as Shen Lang had judged, Duchess Diphas was indeed a shrewd noble.
***
After a full two hours, Shen Lang and Hila finally crossed the vast Xiwa City and proceeded along a wide, well-ordered road toward the capital of the Witch Empire. The capital was approximately four hundred li from Xiwa City, and its original name was Queen’s City. Indeed, the city was not named after Queen Medusa; it had borne that name for over a hundred years.
During the era of the Second Seirun Empire, amidst disputes among the royals, an Empress had emerged. Facing immense opposition in the Imperial Capital, she had moved the capital in a fit of rage and established Queen’s City in the south. After decades of development, Queen’s City became the largest city in the southern part of the Seirun Dynasty. Of course, after this Empress died, her son moved the capital back to the old Imperial City, and Queen’s City became a central city in the southern Seirun Dynasty. When Queen Medusa swept across the south and established the Witch Empire, she designated this Queen’s City as her capital.
“My love, you are an Easterner. Do you wish to establish an empire on this continent?”
Hila asked. Shen Lang thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“No.”
Shen Lang truly had no interest in this new continent. What he wanted most right now was to possess a troop of soldiers and a team of alchemists, occupy that cornerstone island, and develop it into a powerful cannon fleet. Then, he would return to the Great Yan Empire in grand style to seek revenge, settle his scores, and leave no enemies in the world. This continent was foreign land to him; he had no interest whatsoever in ruling it. The Third Seirun Empire, or whatever it was called, he couldn't care less. He was the son of Jiang Li and held the honor of being the universally acknowledged lord in the Eastern world, but he still had not the slightest interest in ruling the world.
Shen Lang suddenly asked Hila.
“Beautiful Hila, why did the Great Seirun Emperor lead his people south all those years ago? Why did they leave the northernmost continent?”
“The northernmost continent is too far from here. Over ten thousand li of sea separate it from the new continent, so we receive no news from there. Besides, the northern seas are always frozen, making it impossible to cross. But rumor has it…”
“Darling, tell me.”
“It’s a very absurd rumor. Just something pirates made up on their own.”
“Could it be more absurd than the rumors about you? You are clearly the purest woman in the world, yet did they not call you the wicked Black Widow?”
“My love, do not provoke me at a time like this. This armor we are wearing is far too difficult to take off. They say the Great Seirun Emperor predicted that the northernmost continent would be plunged into eternal darkness, so they needed to find a new home. But at the time, many dismissed what he said. Only a few hundred thousand followed him south across the sea. The ten-thousand-li sea they crossed was extremely perilous, and by the time they arrived on the new continent, only thirty thousand remained.”
“Then what became of the northernmost continent? Was it plunged into eternal darkness?”
“I don’t know. The sea there is completely frozen, so no ship can cross it. And the further north one goes, the colder it gets, so no one could travel there. Thus, no one knows what became of the northernmost continent.”
Shen Lang narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Darling, have you ever heard of the White Jade Capital?”
Even as he asked, Shen Lang thought his question was absurd. The White Jade Capital was a transcendent power in the Eastern world, tens of thousands of li away from here. How could Hila possibly have heard of them?
“White… Jade… Capital…”
Hila repeated the words in a unique, slightly clumsy tone, then asked in a surprised voice.
“Isn’t that a white ship, and wherever it goes, it snows, even in the sweltering summer?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Lang was utterly stunned.
‘Hila knows of it, from tens of thousands of li away?’
“Have you seen that white ship?”
“No. But my father said he saw it when he was a pirate. He kept saying it was the White Jade Capital, but I always thought he was drunk and hallucinating. He told many people about it, but everyone thought he was bluffing, and to be honest, I thought he was bluffing too. How can it snow in the summer? Pirates all love to boast. That’s why I was so startled when you said those three words to me just now, darling.”
“Darling, your father may not have been bluffing; he might have truly seen them. When was this?”
“Probably… about twenty years ago.”