Chapter 882
Hela looked at Shen Lang. She realized this younger brother of hers was a much stronger person than she had anticipated. For a long time, he had protected himself very well, even managing to accomplish incredibly great things.
“Brother, you saved the Amazon Nation?”
Queen Eda nodded.
“If not for him, the Amazon Nation would have completely melted, and everyone would have died.”
Hela fell into deep thought. She was momentarily thinking of something else.
“Shen Lang, is your mother from the White Jade Capital?”
To Queen Eda’s question, Shen Lang replied.
“She probably is.”
“Does she hold a very high position in the White Jade Capital?”
“She probably held a very high position, but now the White Jade Capital must consider her a traitor. Because my father lured my mother away and they eloped, she became my father’s wife and officially left the White Jade Capital.”
“Brother, then isn’t your mother your father’s last love?”
If her guess was not wrong, it must be so. In the Eastern world, Lord Jiang Li was considered the very model of a devoted husband. He and his wife were like a match made in heaven—one was the world's greatest master, the other, the second greatest. Otherwise, given Jiang Li's status, he would have taken numerous concubines long ago and would not have reached a state of having no heir to succeed the throne.
For many years after ascending to the throne of the Great Qian Empire, Jiang Li had no heir. Only after his death was a posthumous son, Shen Lang, born. But who would have thought that in his youth, he had wandered the Western world and fathered several illegitimate daughters? So, Hela’s words must be correct. Shen Lang's mother had completely tamed Jiang Li emotionally, turning him into the most devoted man in the world. Everyone knew that Shen Lang's noble status came from his father, but the maternal bloodline flowing through Shen Lang's veins was also exceptionally mysterious.
“Do you think that kind of love from our father is great?”
To Hela’s question, Shen Lang answered bluntly.
“Not great. I still prefer the Jiang Li of the Western world. Because he has the familiar scent of a scoundrel on him. After returning to the Eastern world, he became like a saint, a sun. Like someone too great.”
Hela smiled and said.
“I also like that scent of a scoundrel on you.”
Then, Hela fell silent again, as if about to make a difficult choice. She picked up a piece of reef rock, squeezed it until it crumbled, then picked up another and crushed it. Shen Lang felt his hair stand on end watching this. The hard reef rock was being crushed in her hand like clay. After a long while, Hela spoke.
“My dear brother, do you really need the Golgotha Legion’s fleet?”
“Yes. There hasn’t been a day I haven’t thought of striking back. The Golgotha Legion’s fleet is an indispensable part of my return to the East for revenge.”
“But you heard it just now. Adolf doesn't have the authority to kill you, so he kept trying to lure you into the Lost Country. He knows that once you enter the Lost Country, you’ll never come out, you’ll be trapped there until you die. You might even be killed by the maddened Golgotha Legion. Adolf resents you, so he tried to kill you indirectly.”
“I know that too.”
“Then are you familiar with the Lost Country?”
“I can’t say I am.”
“There were many very intelligent people in our Golgotha Legion. I’m not smart, but my mother was very smart. Yet, even after trying for over a decade, she couldn’t escape the Lost Country, couldn’t leave that cursed sea. How confident are you that you can go there and save the Golgotha Legion’s fleet?”
Shen Lang thought for a moment, then answered.
“Perhaps, about seventy percent.”
Hela was startled by his words. Such high confidence? She was once again faced with a difficult choice. She actually resented everyone in the Golgotha Legion. She felt they had harmed her mother. But the Golgotha Legion was where she had grown up since childhood, her only world. Within it were many of her brothers and sisters. Saying she would sever ties with the Golgotha Legion until death was just something said in a fit of anger; why wouldn't she also think of saving them?
Until now, she hadn't fully understood the predicament Shen Lang was in, but now she understood his entire strategy. Conquer the Amazons to gain the strongest land army, and conquer the Golgotha Legion to gain the strongest naval army. Then, equip all the fleets with cannons of outstanding power and invade the Eastern world.
Now, Shen Lang's plan was more than half successful. He had the Amazon army, and the cannons were in production. Especially after conquering Bismuth Gold City, Shen Lang had obtained a large amount of steel and many blacksmiths, greatly increasing the efficiency of cannon production. All that was missing from Shen Lang's plan was the Golgotha Legion, this world's strongest naval force.
Hela stood up, dusted off her rear, and said.
“Alright, then I’ll take you. I’ll wait for you on the ship, so move quickly. No, it’s better to move slowly. A man who finishes too quickly becomes a laughingstock, after all.”
***
After Hela left, only Shen Lang and Queen Eda remained on the reef island. After the confrontation with Adolf, Queen Eda was somewhat disheartened, feeling a bit doubtful of her own strength. Shen Lang said to her.
“You are very strong. The strength Adolf displayed was like a magic show. When you don’t know the reason, he seems unfathomably mysterious. But once you discover the truth, that’s all there is to it. He is inferior to you in both strength and speed. It might seem like you couldn't harm him at all, but that’s entirely due to the equipment from the White Jade Capital's ancient civilization. In the entire Western world, very few people can be your match, only a handful. Queen Medusa, Princess Helene, Solon the Great, that’s all.”
Everything Shen Lang said was true. Queen Eda was genuinely strong, and Adolf had used some tricks in his fight with her.
“Do you want me?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Because you are the strongest and most beautiful woman in the Western world. Your figure is among the best in the entire Western world, and you are the woman every man in the West dreams of.”
“Is it because of my halo?”
“Yes. Because of your beauty, your halo, and your strength. A man tends to feel a desire to conquer those things.”
“I feel the same way about you. The halo of wisdom you possess fascinates me. And today, you did not break that halo; you still used your wisdom to repel Adolf. You have consistently been a dazzlingly brilliant person, becoming even more charming and captivating me further.”
Shen Lang shrugged and said.
“I can’t help it. I’m just that outstanding.”
“However, today my halo has been slightly damaged and dimmed.”
Shen Lang said nothing. He completely understood Eda's words.
“My strength is my halo. I originally possessed invincible power, but today, I couldn't even harm Adolf in the slightest. Of course, you said he used a device from the White Jade Capital’s ancient civilization to move as if teleporting, but to us Amazons, a defeat is a defeat, and a victory is a victory. I cannot let this go easily.”
“The Rite of Procreation was long over, but I still waited for you here. In fact, even if we made love, we wouldn’t be able to procreate. It’s not the right cycle now. But I stayed here to enjoy pleasure with you, and I wanted to prove to you that we Amazon women have feelings too. I wanted to let you know that our coming to the Land of Parting is not just for procreation, but also for a brief but deeply memorable love.”
“But today, my halo has been slightly tarnished, so in your heart, I am no longer that perfect and strong Queen Eda. If you were to sleep with me in this state, the sense of conquest and accomplishment you might have expected would be a little less than anticipated. I cannot accept that. I will procreate with you in my strongest, most charming form in your heart. So, I will return now and enter seclusion to train.”
“I will not use any ancient techniques or secret manuals, much less any ancient equipment. I will defeat Adolf with my own strength, my own speed. Then I will castrate him. By doing so, I will reclaim my lost face, and my halo will return. How about we perform the Rite of Procreation and have a child then? Today, I was defeated, so I am not perfect. I cannot allow an imperfect version of myself to be with you.”
Shen Lang inwardly praised her. Yes, this was Queen Eda. Strong yet proud, solitary yet noble. Adolf was Jiang Li's disciple, a disciple of the White Jade Capital, and a top genius, so he naturally possessed astonishing martial arts. Moreover, he used tricks with equipment from an ancient civilization. But none of these reasons mattered to Queen Eda; she believed a defeat was a defeat and no excuses should be made.
“When I go back, you do what you have to do. After I finish my seclusion, defeat and castrate Adolf, I will come find you to have a child. As long as I am not dead, and you are not dead, you will forever be the father of my future child.”
What could Shen Lang say to her? He could only pay his respects, applaud wildly, and express his agreement.
“Then I’ll see you again!”
“See you again! But before we part, may I have one last kiss and embrace?”
“You may. But do not go too far.”
“Are you afraid I won’t be able to control myself?”
“No. I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself. I hope you haven't forgotten my age. Once the thought arises, it feels like flames soaring to the sky, impossible to extinguish. I will save those flames to make myself stronger and to castrate that bastard.”
Eventually, Queen Eda held Shen Lang’s face and kissed his incomparably beautiful red lips. The two embraced and shared a deep kiss before parting.
***
Hela sailed the ship, taking Shen Lang back to Mulan City. On the way back, she saw numerous pirate fleets blockading Mulan Island. Shen Lang saw the wreckage of three ships; two were Shen Lang's, and one was Diphas's. The fleets of Adolf, the Bloody Baron, and Dodge Rousseau had officially made their move, sinking all of Shen Lang's and Bismuth Gold City's ships in that sea.
Six ships. A total of six of Shen Lang's ships were sunk, with immense losses of supplies and personnel. This was all the doing of the Bloody Baron. As the pirate king of this region, he had once chatted amiably with Shen Lang and even made a big deal. But in the blink of an eye, he changed his attitude and slaughtered Shen Lang's fleet. Moreover, he switched allegiances with the tide very quickly. Not long ago, he had pledged loyalty to Diphas, but now he was pledging loyalty to Adolf, and indirectly to Solon the Great.
Hela's ship flew the flag of the Golgotha Legion, and they faced no obstruction on their way back. Of course, it wasn't because of the Golgotha Legion's flag, but because Shen Lang was on board. The White Jade Capital had not taken a stance on Shen Lang, so Adolf could not kill him.
On a massive flagship, Adolf and the Bloody Baron, Shaw Monroe, came into Shen Lang’s view. Adolf sat on the deck, still maintaining the air of a transcendent master. The Bloody Baron took off his hat and performed a flawless noble's etiquette towards Shen Lang, revealing eight white teeth in an elegant smile. This man had already become Shen Lang’s sworn enemy, and a great grudge had been formed without him even realizing it.
Hela was utterly humiliated. When the Golgotha Legion's fleet existed, these people had been fawning sycophants, as docile as dogs. But now they were acting high and mighty, behaving outrageously. It seemed the saying, "even a tiger that comes down from the mountain is bullied by dogs on the plains," was true.
“Brother, if you can rescue the Golgotha Legion’s fleet from the Lost Country, we can easily kill everyone in this sea.”
Hela said, grinding her teeth, and Shen Lang replied.
“Not only will I kill all of the Bloody Baron's pirates, I will kill every single pirate within five thousand li of this sea. Furthermore, I will drag out every member of the Bloody Baron's family and kill them cleanly. Empress Helene was not ruthless enough back then. She should have exterminated that Monroe Clan.”