Alibuda Era Festival 15

When I returned to the inn, I saw someone standing at the gate waiting for me in the distance. The dim light and simple clothes made it difficult to tell who was waiting there. If it was an assassin, it would be too obvious—it was practically a one-on-one duel. But if it was just someone guarding the gate, this person didn't look like Ah Xue… Suddenly, my eyes widened in disbelief. The person, seeing me return, raised their head and lifted the hood of their cloak, revealing themselves to be Li Huamei.
"Did you finish talking with Narcissus? Did she give you any trouble?"
I hadn't intended to keep my private conversation with Narcissus a secret from Li Huamei, but seeing her smilingly greet me, as if she were on my side, still surprised me.
"You're overthinking it. Why would I object? I actually think it's a good thing. My cooperation with the Ishtar royal family is purely based on mutual benefit. I don't have much moral responsibility towards them. It's just that it's inconvenient for me to contact Narcissa right now. You can handle this for me. The two of us complement each other's weaknesses, which is the best way to cooperate."
Li Huamei said with a smile, seemingly in a very good mood. Although what she said made sense, I knew that she thought this way because I was the one who contacted Narcissa. If it were any other subordinate or partner, and they went to have a secret meeting behind her back without informing her beforehand, even if they didn't suffer severe retaliation, they would turn against her and ruin the deal.
"Huamei, you're not angry at all? This... doesn't seem quite right. I just refused your invitation not long ago. Aren't you angry at all?"
"A correct thing may not convince everyone at first. I've long understood this principle and tasted too many similar feelings... I believe I'm right. It's just that you can't accept it right now. But in the end, you will definitely come back. I'm very confident of that."
Li Huamei smiled and took my hand. The confidence in her eyes was so firm that I dared not look directly at her. At that moment, even I wavered a little. Perhaps Li Huamei was right. My thinking was wrong. In the end, I would definitely have to compromise and admit my mistake to her.
However, I quickly came to my senses. The biggest difference between me and Li Huamei is that I don't choose to do the right thing, but rather choose what suits me. Now, my desire for power is very low, and I actually enjoy this free and unrestrained life as a pursuer. Li Huamei's approach makes me suspicious and prevents me from letting go of my concerns and cooperating with her.
(Well, there's no point in saying more about these things. Let time prove everything...)
Li Huamei and I walked hand in hand into the inn. Looking at the smile on her face, I felt that she seemed to have changed. Compared to before, she had less of the demeanor of a commander and had become more cheerful, occasionally showing a girlish and cheerful expression. These were things I could never have imagined before.
"...After the Black Dragon King's sudden death and the collapse of the Black Dragon Society, I felt like my life had been liberated. I originally thought I would spend my whole life fighting the war of resistance, but now... the road ahead seems to have suddenly become wider. I feel that there are countless possibilities in the future, and I can do whatever I want..."
Li Huamei said with a smile, her voice sounding very soft, as if she were a young girl looking forward to a bright future. Thinking about it, it makes sense. Unfortunately, after becoming the commander-in-chief of the resistance army, her original life was unexpectedly ended. She began to force herself to become a ruthless and wise commander of the resistance army. Although she had such talent and ability, she still sacrificed a lot in order to become competent in a short period of time.
Now that the Black Dragon Society has collapsed, the heavy burden that had been weighing on her heart has suddenly vanished. Her suppressed feminine instincts have returned, and Li Huamei's personality has begun to slowly change, or rather, revert to its original state.
"Hey, Huamei, aren't you afraid someone will see you holding my hand like that? If people know you have a man, won't your prestige and dignity as commander be affected?"
"I'm a commander, but I'm also a woman. What's so strange about a woman having a man by her side? Before, I was too busy fighting the Black Dragon Society to do anything, but now… if I don't have a man by my side, being seen as a psychopathic spinster would be a real negative image,"
Li Huamei laughed. "A good woman should still have a man; otherwise, even the best things will spoil if left too long. Haha, actually, you should be careful, now…" "From now on, the whole world will know you are Li Huamei's man. From now on, the pressure on your shoulders will be heavy. You'd better be careful, haha."
These words are absolutely true. Whether it's Yueying or Axue, I secretly got my hands on them. Even among the beauties I got my hands on, except for Yu Ni, my relationship with the others has not been made public. After all, they are the focus of all the men's attention. If I get my hands on one, I will be envied by many people. If I get my hands on several, I might be chased every time I go out.
"However, there's something you should be careful about. That distant relative of yours... what Johnny Farrell? He seems to be doing something very troublesome. If you let him cause trouble like this, you'll end up getting burned yourself, especially... While the artifact that conceals one's appearance is useful, it's not foolproof. Ishtar is a land of wolves and tigers. Narcissas and Arus are so shrewd. You might be able to get away with causing trouble under their noses for a day or two, but not for long, especially after we get to Baghdad..."
Even with my thick skin, I could only nod awkwardly after hearing Li Huamei's implication. This was Li Huamei's warning to Bai Lan Xiong. Everything had to be settled before we arrived in the capital of Ishtar, otherwise she would take action.
The journey to Baghdad is about three days away. Resolving this matter within three days won't be easy, especially considering Bai Lanxiong's personality. Persuading him to give up is impossible, but I'm unwilling to break ties with him over this. I'm truly in a dilemma.
Putting the troubling problem aside for now, I planned to take advantage of the current situation and have some fun with Li Huamei, or perhaps test this strong woman's limits. It would have been better if I hadn't gone to the room, but as soon as I stepped inside, a female warrior from the Feather Clan, who was on good terms with me, rushed over to report the news.
"John, something terrible has happened! Your woman has been kidnapped!"
These words were like a thousand arrows piercing my heart. Even if the sky were falling, I might not have reacted this strongly. I hurriedly grabbed the person and demanded an explanation.
Neon is with White Peony, so the chances of something going wrong are slim. Even if something does go wrong, it'll be all three of them together. So the only one who might cause a problem is Ah Xue. The problem is, the inn is now entirely populated by the Feather Clan, with almost no men, and hardly any male creatures left. The only potential rival I can think of... "Bai Lan Xiong? That lecherous bear! I haven't even touched him yet, and he's already started seducing my second sister-in-law, touching my woman! It's outrageous, beyond redemption!"
I slammed my fist on the table in a rage. Just as I was about to go inside, I saw Bai Lan Xiong running out of the inn's main gate in a panic, his clothes disheveled. As soon as he saw me, he shouted, "John, something terrible has happened! Your woman has been touched!"
"Shut up! You shameless adulterer, how dare you show your face in front of me!"
"Adulterer? Me? You've got it wrong. I'm always fully booked these days. How could I have time to seduce your woman? If you don't believe me, I can provide an alibi."
"No need, good brother, I believe you."
It wasn't so much that I believed him, but rather that I couldn't help but believe him. After Bai Lan Xiong ran out in disheveled clothes, he was followed by a dozen or so half-naked girls, some even covered only by sheets. It wasn't just the Feather Clan female warriors; the last one, a pretty girl of about fourteen or fifteen with dark brown skin, who seemed to be the innkeeper's cook's daughter, also chased after him, clinging to Bai Lan Xiong like a koala. The sight almost made my eyes pop out.
Sigh… A wise man once said that the world is like a book. I completely agree. And if my world is a book, it must be an adult book!
"Stop talking nonsense, where is the adulterer who seduced my woman?"
When I followed the crowd's directions and secretly went to the infamous secret rendezvous spot, the back garden of the inn, I only saw Ah Xue with Violet, chatting with a boy... a boy.
The boy sitting next to Ah Xue was my enemy, Wei Lai, whom I had tried to harm several times but failed to succeed in doing so. Due to his special status, this semi-member who had been traveling with us as an "uninvited guest" was in a very awkward position. The proud and arrogant Yu Hong sympathized with this boy, but was stubborn about the distinction between good and evil and couldn't bring herself to approach him; Yu Ni was completely a puppet and could not possibly have any relationship with Wei Lai, so in the end, the only one left who would take care of this boy was Ah Xue.
The two of them were now sitting on a stone bench, surrounded by dense flowering trees. They were talking, their right hand resting on Future's chest, motionless for a long time – it really did look like flirting. The scene was infuriating, but then I noticed something strange and illogical. Among
our team members, Xue was exceptionally skilled at conversation; we all suspected she understood animal language. She could often talk for ages to Violet when she had nothing else to do. Talking to Future was naturally much easier than talking to Violet, but it was still unbelievable, since Future was mute (her tongue had been cut in half), and Xue didn't know sign language. How could they possibly communicate silently for so long?
(Impossible! How could this kid do something like that? Is this some kind of ninjutsu? Is he using ninjutsu to pick up girls?)
I was stunned. After observing for a while, I realized the problem lay with Xue. Skilled magicians possess the ability of telepathy, allowing them to communicate with others through "thoughts" without speaking. Xue used this technique to create a small barrier. Within the barrier, "thoughts" would directly transform into sound, becoming audible. The
principle behind this magic isn't difficult; the difficulty lies in the energy consumption. It's like expending a huge amount of magic power to do something trivial. Even the most powerful magicians wouldn't use their magic power for something like this. It's clear only she could do something like this.
However, now that I understand the principles of magic, it's easy to handle. I just need to put a simple eavesdropping device into the barrier to hear their conversation. But how to put this magic badge in is difficult. My martial arts skills are not good enough to throw things silently. And since I'll be a ninja in the future, it will be even more difficult to hide things from this kid when he throws them nearby... "Easy, I'll help. I'll throw it."
The righteous Bai Lan Xiong was about to help, but I still had some doubts. At this moment, another fair and delicate hand reached out.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it. I'm sure no one will notice."
Li Huamei's help surprised me. I stared at her wide-eyed, but she smiled in response. "There's nothing strange about that, is there?
I've been an enemy of the Black Dragon Guild for years, and I've killed quite a few Black Dragon Ninjas, but I haven't had the chance to understand them deeply. I'm very interested to know what they're thinking. Knowing your enemy is crucial intelligence for dealing with them in the future."
That was indeed true. So, Li Huamei made her move, throwing the magical badge with the ability to transmit sound over. The strongest person in the world personally took action, and the speed and accuracy were both excellent. The entire process was completely silent, and the two people in the middle of their conversation didn't notice at all, yet their voices were transmitted.
"...So, Future, you just said that you joined the Black Dragon Ninja Army when you were very, very young?" "
I don't remember. From as far back as I can remember, I've been a trainee in the Black Dragon Ninja Army."
This was the first time I heard Future's voice. It was a delicate, tender voice that hadn't yet begun to change, like a very innocent little baby. Usually, when using telepathy, the voice you hear is the real person's voice, even if they are mute, so this was definitely Future's voice.
It was truly amazing. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe that a boy could have such a delicate, baby-like voice. Perhaps it was because he wasn't old enough and his voice hadn't changed yet. However, if I hadn't seen his face and had only heard the voice, I would definitely have thought it was a girl's voice.
Seeing the bewildered expression on Bai Lan Xiong's face beside me, I had to think seriously. In the past, seeing the future's handsome face would occasionally give me the same impulse as seeing a beautiful woman, but more than half of those were misunderstandings. However, now I have serious doubts. If ninjas like the future aren't accidental, then when Black Dragon was training these beautiful boys, he must have also molded them into perfect bastards to lure people with special interests into special missions.
(Considering that he should be at the age where his voice changes, how come he still has this kind of voice? Damn it, could he have been castrated at birth?)
This thought sent a chill down my spine, and then I heard the future continue talking to Xue.
"I had many training partners. Our coach made us compete against each other every day; the winner lives, the loser dies. Most of my partners are dead now, and I took care of many of them. The coach said their sacrifice wasn't in vain, because their deaths allowed more outstanding talents to emerge, which is very valuable..."
"Nonsense! Life is precious. No one has the right to sacrifice one life for another. Do you really believe what your coach said?"
"...I don't know, and I didn't think that much about it. The coach seemed to want us to believe in something, but I was too tired to think about it. The only thing I thought about every day was to live until tomorrow. I didn't have the energy to think about anything else. I just lived like that, day after day, until one day, they said I had passed the test and was a member of the Black Dragon Ninja Army. They gave me the qualification of a genin. When I looked back at my group, I was the only one left alive..."
It was unclear how long ago that was, but the childlike voice of the future still revealed extreme fatigue and numbness. It was clear that the life-and-death test that kept her nerves on edge all day was still affecting her mental state to this day.
In fact, this cruel practice of having a group of children kill each other to select the final winner is not uncommon. Many evil forces use this method to train young assassins. I believe Ishtar must have done the same thing, and even the intelligence organizations of Alibuda and Solancia have done so. If the Black Dragon Society didn't use this method, it wouldn't seem like an evil organization.
Li Huamei should have known this long ago, but judging from Bai Lanxiong's surprised expression, it seems he still lacks experience in this area.
What he said later, including training, human modification, and assassination missions, all went against "humanity" and entered the world of "ghostly ways." Ah Xue was indeed a very good listener. Throughout the entire story, she cried almost non-stop, sobbing from beginning to end. I think she was the one most moved by Wei Lai's story.
Bai Lan Xiong was no less so. This chivalrous and compassionate beast, though not shedding tears, clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with fury. If you threw him a knife, he would surely rush to slaughter those inhuman Black Dragon Society members. However, he seemed oblivious to a crucial point: Wei Lai, who was speaking these words, was not a victim, but a perpetrator with countless lives on his hands. If Wei Lai's plight deserves sympathy, then who will pity the fate of those innocent victims?
Compared to Bai Lanxiong and A Xue, Li Huamei and I were listening to the future from a completely different perspective.
"John, what do you think..."
"Excellent. The Black Dragon Society's training was very successful. After all that talk, I couldn't hear any remorse in him. The Black Dragon Society has undoubtedly succeeded in washing away their guilt and making the Ninja Army 100% loyal to the organization. Hehe, that's not easy. At least Alibuda's military couldn't do that..."
To avoid being overheard by Future's keen eyes, I deliberately lowered my voice. Li Huamei nodded approvingly, agreeing with my opinion and indicating that we were thinking the same thing. As for Bai Lanxiong, who was surprised, he looked at us with astonishment, questioning why we could hear such things but remained unmoved.
The answer is actually quite simple: because we've heard it too much... There's only one thing that interests Li Huamei and me: if the Black Dragon Society's education is so thorough, they should be incredibly loyal to the Black Dragon Society in the future. Why does this kid seem to have completely lost his faith now, and why does he sound so lost in his words?
"Future, why were you captured by those bandits? Shouldn't the Black Dragon Ninja Army be very powerful?
With your abilities, how could you..." "
...After His Majesty the Dragon King died...the instructions from above were suddenly cut off, and all the ninjas seemed to fall into a strange dream, resulting in fierce infighting. Overnight, some died and some were injured, and everyone seemed to have gone mad..."
What Future said was very important. As I expected, the Black Dragon Society definitely used some degree of subconscious implantation when cultivating its subordinates and ninjas. As long as a certain signal was activated, it could drive those who had been implanted with subconscious commands to act. The scenario described in the future is clearly a "self-destruction" order, discarding these ninja troops like trash and eliminating them all at once.
Many of the Black Dragon Society's spies within the Golden Flower Federation were likely destroyed by such an order. No wonder that although the Cihang Jingdian conducted an immediate investigation after the incident, all leads were completely severed, leaving no trace. It turns out the Black Dragon Society had such a drastic measure in store. If we hadn't been lucky enough to find this survivor, all these secrets would have been lost forever, and we don't know how long it would have taken before we found out.
"The organization has collapsed, and I don't know where to go... I really don't understand why His Majesty the Dragon King abandoned us?"
Perhaps it was due to his ninja instincts, but Future's vigilance was the highest among us, always maintaining a high level of alertness. I had never seen this kid show a blank expression. However, Future, speaking these words now, had a vacant look in his eyes, seemingly a soulless shell.
I truly admire the Black Dragon Society's education. From any perspective, Future regarded the Black Dragon Society as his life goal, his idol, and even... his home. So, with the Black Dragon King's death, Future felt like he'd lost his father; his emotions collapsed, and his entire life lost its meaning, turning him into the empty shell of a puppet he is now—seemingly strong on the outside, but actually shattering at the slightest touch.
Hmm, actually, this Future kid is agile and his ninjutsu is unpredictable; he'd be a very useful assistant. Perhaps I should consider taking advantage of his weakness, using gentle persuasion to recruit him into our team, making him work for me. That would be a very profitable deal… Wait, if I have such thoughts, what about this cunning businesswoman next to me…? "Hey, Huamei, don't get any funny ideas. I had my eye on this kid first."
"Ah! Sorry, you caught me. But, this Future is a boy! Your team is full of beauties; aren't you afraid of raising a tiger to threaten you?"
"That's right. If he were a girl, I wouldn't even need to consider it; I would have drugged and raped him long ago. But it's not a big deal. As long as I find an opportunity to secretly castrate him, I'll be safe from now on."
I spoke calmly with Li Huamei, as if we were having a casual chat, without even turning to look at each other. Bai Lanxiong, on the other hand, was looking at us with a look that said, "You've seen a ghost." Meanwhile, A Xue was doing her best to cheer for the future.
"Future, don't think like that. That Kurosawa Kazuo was a big bad guy. He's dead, and your life is finally free. You're still so young, everything is just beginning. Don't be so downcast."
As Xue spoke, she seemed to suddenly remember something and patted Future's shoulder hard, saying, "By the way, you don't have parents, but do you have any other family? The Black Dragon Society has disbanded. You can go to the East Sea to find your family and reunite with them."
"Family...family?"
"Yes, everyone has their own family. Xue has her master and Violet, and Future has her own family too."
"I...I don't have parents. They should have died a long time ago. I don't have any family either. If I had to say I did, I only have an older sister. She's in the East Sea, all alone and helpless. I'm so worried about her..."
Future said dejectedly, startling me who was eavesdropping. These past few days, the more I've looked at him, the more I've noticed his delicate features, slender figure, and fair skin. If he were a woman, he would undoubtedly be a stunning beauty. If this kid had an older sister who looked just like him, it would be a lifelong regret if I couldn't be with such a beauty.
Like a hunting dog that has smelled prey, I really wanted to hear more about his sister. Unfortunately, the moment his sister was mentioned, his eyes would suddenly change, becoming sharp in an instant. Although his tone remained the same, still so soft and weak, I knew that he had snapped out of his daze and regained his guard. It would be difficult to get anything out of him from there.
Sure enough, he cleverly steered the conversation away from anything related to himself, instead bringing the topic back to Xue.
Ah Xue's origins are now a semi-public secret. When Future asked about Ah Xue's parents, Ah Xue immediately looked confused, which backfired spectacularly.
"I... I don't know who my parents are. I originally thought I was just separated from them, but now it seems they might just be a pair of orcs in the Ishtarnu camp. So much time has passed, they're probably gone, and I'll never see them again... In that sense, my situation is quite similar to yours, Future."
Completely unintentional, Ah Xue had no idea that her words would generate such a powerful backlash. Future was speechless, staring blankly at Ah Xue.
"However, unlike in the future, I don't have an older sister. I don't know what it feels like to have family. Maybe it's like having a master?
Don't let his appearance fool you, he's actually a good person.
"Probably not many people would agree with this, so not only Future, but even Li Huamei and Bai Lanxiong shook their heads—they were really quite unsympathetic.
"Future, lately I've been thinking a lot. If my birth was meant to be a tool, is there any way I can change that fate?"
"What can you do about this? A tool is a tool. If you're turned into a hammer, are you going to use it as a spatula?"
Future's reply was sharp. After all, as a ninja, this kid was also destined to be a killing tool from birth, just like Yuki. Hearing Yuki speak so naively, I would have retorted as well.
However, Ah Xue seemed completely oblivious to the sarcasm in Wei Lai's tone, still smiling brightly and speaking happily, "That's right, a hammer can't become a shovel. But hammers can be good or bad. Any tool is made to bring happiness to people; it depends on how people use it. Even a bad tool can have good results, just like me. These past few days I've been thinking, if I can use my power to make people happy, then even with my background..." "There must be many people who like me... Hehe, am I being too naive?"
It was indeed a naive thought, but no one could refute Ah Xue at this moment. Not only was the future silent, but even we who were eavesdropping were moved. We really couldn't understand why a woman born with a cursed bloodline could not be defeated by her heavy fate, and walk confidently in the darkness with such a cheerful and optimistic attitude, without being swallowed up by the darkness.
A naive and ignorant thought, if combined with determination and perseverance, can become a great thing.
Ah Xue didn't say anything particularly profound, but every smile and every earnest whisper of hers transformed into the spring sunshine, slowly and gently seeping into our hearts, bringing an inexplicable warmth.
"...Why...why can you live so cheerfully? People say you're a cursed woman, haven't you heard them?"
The boy's voice, though sweet and childlike, sounded like a sick man's groans at this moment. Yet, he had undeniably voiced what we all felt. Ah Xue tilted her head, thought for a moment, and answered decisively,
"Well, that's because I have a good master!"
◆ Chapter Seven: No Longer Strange, Trouble Rises from the Walls
When Ah Xue mentioned me, Li Huamei looked at me with a mocking gaze, seemingly amused and questioning how I could possibly cultivate such a cheerful and optimistic outlook on life. However, even I found it strange; how could a master like me possibly produce such a good disciple? Not to mention my plan to defile the Holy Maiden… Sigh, this whole thing has become the biggest irony of my life. This Holy Maiden was a fake, just a demoness from Cihang Jingdian pretending to be the Holy Maiden, and her master is an absolute lecher. All my hard work has been for nothing. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just sent Tianhe Xueqiong back. Judging by the time, Xinjian Shenni should have already “reaped the fruits” by now. Tianhe Xueqiong, with her mental breakdown, must have fallen to an unbearably wicked state… Just as I was filled with regret and remorse, I heard Ah Xue's voice, “…Master often said that if you care about what others think of you, you can’t live. So whatever you do, as long as you are true to yourself, you don’t need to care what others say about you, because… what am I really?” "Only I know who it is, and that's enough for me to know."
I'm truly ashamed; I have indeed said these words before, and often have, but I used them to be domineering, never intending to use them to uphold good. Ah Xue, this unworthy disciple, twisting my meaning like this makes me feel very ashamed. This disciple is terrible… "Really, Master is truly a good person, although he usually has a bit of a personality…" "He's weird, and very lecherous. He likes to mess with people behind their backs for no reason, but he's very good to us. We're all very happy when he's around... Oh dear, why am I telling you this? It's so embarrassing."
Ah Xue, who had been speaking seriously, suddenly blushed and unexpectedly shoved Wei Lai on the shoulder. Wei Lai, who was listening intently, was caught off guard and was sent flying, landing in the nearby bushes.
"Ah, Wei Lai, what's wrong? I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was so strong. Actually, I haven't been that strong lately. Are you alright?"
Ah Xue hurriedly pulled Wei Lai up from the bushes, while I took advantage of the chaos to grab Li Huamei and Bai Lanxiong and try to leave, not wanting to hear Ah Xue spouting any more nonsense.
"But John, you're smiling..."
Li Huamei accurately sensed my thoughts and pointed them out. We didn't listen any further, because we came here to hear gossip and gather information, not to be subjected to mental attacks. The future was fine, but what Ah Xue said often felt like a blow to the head. It was best to stay away from such a dangerous situation.
However, despite my thoughts, the smile on my face seemed hard to stop. For quite a while, my face was filled with a smile. If I had to name this feeling, I think... perhaps it's called happiness.
Happiness is a wonderful feeling, but unfortunately, good dreams are the easiest to end. Happiness often comes quickly and goes quickly.
"Marshal! Marshal! Something terrible has happened!"
A female warrior from the Feather Clan rushed to Li Huamei in a panic. Seeing this, we knew something was wrong and quickly calmed the female warriors down, then they explained the situation in a structured manner.
It was indeed bad news. The Beastmaster, who had infiltrated Ishtar, was clearly not here to relax. Just recently, he led his forces in a surprise attack on a military base in Ishtar.
Since it was a military base, it was naturally heavily guarded and equipped with a large amount of weaponry. However, given the Beastmaster's strength as the strongest, he treated this small-scale operation like a stroll in the park. He led his orc troops in a swift and decisive victory, killing ninety percent of the Ishtar soldiers and seizing all the base's weaponry.
The Beastmaster's martial arts skills meant he wouldn't need to steal weapons from such places, even if he required them. His orc troops were all masters of the Beast King Fist; ordinary weapons would be useless to them. Therefore, his primary purpose in seizing these weapons was to use them on ordinary weaklings—in other words, ordinary orcs…orc slaves within the territory of Ishtar.
There were many orc slaves within Ishtar. Once freed and armed, their strength and power—even ordinary women and children—would surpass that of ordinary human strongmen in hand-to-hand combat, instantly transforming them into an army. Although the Beastmaster was alone and isolated, using this method of local conscription, creating an army of hundreds of thousands within Ishtar was not a pipe dream.
Bai Lanxiong said, "The Venerable One's plan is the same as mine, and... this is a plan that can only succeed now. The Venerable One must have seen this as well."
If it were a year ago, when the orc slaves of Ishtar were to acquire weapons and rebel, Ishtar's regular army could have gained an advantage by virtue of the terrain and magic. But now, at this critical juncture, Ishtar's top magic talents are almost all gone, which has greatly affected the combat strength of the troops. Some of the large-scale battle barriers deployed in the country are not even manned enough to operate. If the Venerable One of the Beasts can make full use of his high mobility and fight in the east and west of the country, setting off fires everywhere, then Ishtar will be burned to a crisp by this wildfire.
I said, "To wage guerrilla warfare as the strongest sounds a bit beneath one's dignity, but..."
Li Huamei smiled and said, "But it's effective. This proves that although the Beast Master is old, his wisdom and sharpness still remain. I think Ishtar will soon face a choice..."
I thought for a moment and said, "Is it the question of where Ishtar wants you to go? This is indeed a tricky problem. If it were me, I would also have a headache."
It's really enjoyable to talk to a smart person. You only need to mention something, and the other person will understand completely and continue the conversation, saving us a lot of time. Ishtar invited Li Huamei to eliminate a powerful enemy within the country, but now two formidable figures, the Headless Knight and the Beastmaster, have emerged. Li Huamei cannot handle everything alone, making it difficult for Ishtar to decide which side she should deal with.
We were speaking calmly when another piece of information disrupted our plans.
"Marshal, actually, we have two things to report. This is the first..."
"Why are you hesitating? Just say what you have to say, hurry up!"
I urged the female warriors to speak, but judging from their stammering expressions, I knew what they were about to say was definitely not good.
"...Just received intelligence that last night...King Ishtar was assassinated. Although he didn't die on the spot, his injuries are extremely serious. It's said...he's just hanging on for the time being..."
This news was truly extraordinary, and the three of us were shocked. King Hussein of Ishtar was no ordinary person. Although he hadn't reached the level of the five strongest, he was still one of the top archmages of the era. His signature Dragon Slayer could annihilate a flying dragon in one strike. He was a powerful monarch who held the throne firmly based on his personal strength. It was truly unbelievable that he had been assassinated and was on the verge of death.
"The murderer... Sigh, that's a stupid question. The dead and wounded last night shouldn't just be King Hussein, right?
What about the Royal Guard who was with him? Don't tell me they were all wiped out." "
Admiral Farrell, you were right. The report said that the Royal Guard risked their lives to cover the King's retreat, and the entire army
was wiped out, not a single survivor." I wasn't surprised by this result at all. There are fewer than four people in Ishtar who are capable of assassinating King Hussein. Li Huamei is with me, and the Beastmaster attacked the military base. Who else but the Headless Knight could have done such a thing? And if the Headless Knight himself went, it wouldn't be called an assassination, it would be a terrifying attack with a large legion of Netherworld troops storming the palace and killing any living creature they saw.
If it were any of the five strongest warriors, Ishtar would be an enemy territory. A prolonged battle would allow large armies to assemble, ultimately resulting in one person fighting against an army of millions, even the strongest would be exhausted to death. But the Headless Knight has no such concerns. It can use its evil power to create countless dark creatures, growing stronger by absorbing resentment. Each enemy it kills has their corpse rapidly transformed into a demonic entity, becoming part of its own forces, growing stronger with each battle. For it, Ishtar Palace is not an enemy territory at all; it's practically its own home.
The rules of duels in the dark world are extremely harsh. Because dark magic and martial arts contain many devouring and absorbing techniques, once defeated, one will be devoured alive by the victor, having all their life's cultivation drained. Even worse, their flesh and blood essence, soul and spirit will be taken away, turning them into an undead monster, forever becoming the victor's slave. It was because I knew this that I guessed the Royal Guard would most likely be wiped out.
Thinking about it, the situation was indeed complicated. I blurted out, "Huamei, if you had to choose between the two, which one would you want to face?"
"This..." Seemingly stumped by my question, Li Huamei tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled wryly, "I'd rather go fight the Old Beast. At least it's still a living person. I don't want to fight an undead creature one-on-one in the devil's lair."
We all deeply agreed with Li Huamei's sentiment, but seeing that the few winged female warriors had no intention of leaving, I felt a little strange and asked, "Isn't the matter finished? Is there anything else we should know?
" "Well... the intelligence also pointed out that when the Headless Knights attacked the Baghdad Royal Palace last night, there was a person in the group whose appearance and attire were very similar to the Black Witch of the Black Dragon Society."
"What? Is that true?"
I was taken aback. I didn't expect the Black Witch to emerge from the shadows so quickly and openly confront Ishtar. This wasn't a smart move. Was there some special meaning behind it? Did the Black Witch have a deep-seated hatred for the Ishtar royal family? Or was the Headless Knight becoming too difficult to control, requiring close-range manipulation, which was why she had to reveal herself? Or perhaps... the situation was too complicated. Without further information, these questions were impossible to answer. Before we could even start discussing countermeasures, the Second Prince, Arus, arrived for an emergency meeting with Li Huamei.
We, the bystanders, had neither the right nor the desire to participate in the meeting, but we could all guess its outcome: Li Huamei would be asked to accompany Arus to Baghdad. This was partly to guard against a resurgence of the Black Witch and the Headless Knights, and partly to prevent other princes from seizing the throne after King Hussein's death.
Given the circumstances, Li Huamei had no choice but to go to Baghdad. The chances of encountering the Headless Knights were high; their strength was unknown, a fierce battle was inevitable, and it might even be a fight to the death. We were all reluctant to part with her, deeply worried for her.
"Don't worry too much about me. No matter how strong the Headless Knight was, that was five hundred years ago. He might not withstand the test of today's strong warriors. Besides, I still have the Dragon Slayer Blade in my hand. It's a sacred artifact passed down through my clan. With it, I don't care about any demons or monsters."
Before setting off, Li Huamei was full of confidence, her words filled with heroic spirit, encouraging all of us. Her words sounded good, but the level of technology in the Warring States period five hundred years ago was higher than today. Her words should actually be reversed. Moreover, although the Dragon Slayer Blade ignores all physical defenses, that refers to cutting people and objects, not necessarily using it to cut ghosts. Li Huamei has no inherent advantage against the Headless Knight; at best, it can only be considered a draw.
Because of these concerns, Li Huamei showed me a slight worry before setting off.

"...Unfortunately, what I have is the Dragon Slayer Blade, which has no attribute advantage against undead creatures and demons. If I had the Staff of the Saint, one of the Seven Sacred Artifacts, its demon-slaying attribute would be a huge advantage, and I would be guaranteed to defeat the Headless Rider.
"The Staff of the Saint, this was my first mission as a Tracker, but I have never been able to complete it. Its powerful divine attribute is said to sweep away all unclean things with holy light and white flames when activated, and even the most powerful evil creatures must retreat. It can be called the highest-level demon-slaying sacred artifact in the world. If I had it, it would indeed be a great help in dealing with the Headless Rider."
"Our Dragon God Clan and Phoenix Clan have been on friendly terms for generations. Although we are separated by thousands of miles, we often exchange letters. Each clan keeps a sacred artifact. We possess the Dragon Slayer Blade, while the Staff of the Saint was kept by the Phoenix Clan. Its final whereabouts were in the hands of the Phoenix Celestial Maiden, and it disappeared with the loss of Phoenix Island. When I supported the Feather Clan, it was partly to win over the hearts of the Feather Clan members, and partly to obtain the Staff of the Saint. Unfortunately, Katrina did not inherit it and knew nothing about it... Huh? John, why do you look so strange
?" "You... do you really not know or are you pretending not to know?"
"Don't know what? Did I say something strange?"
"The Phoenix Celestial Maiden... is my mother."
"Huh?"
Li Huamei's surprised expression showed she knew nothing about this. I had originally thought Katrina would pass on the message, but it seemed Katrina was even more discreet than I expected; this secret hadn't leaked out of the Feather Clan.
"So... Katrina and the Feather Clan have been bothering you these past few days because of this? They want you to help create the next Phoenix Celestial Maiden?"
"Of course! Otherwise, why would they bother me?"
"I thought... they like how handsome you are."
"Uh... thank you."
Actually, I'm not handsome at all; receiving such high praise is truly a great honor for me. Li Huamei seemed to want to say something more, but because she was in a hurry to leave, she quickly agreed on a way to contact me and set off.
After seeing Li Huamei off, my job was very simple: go to bed. Li Huamei headed to Baghdad, and the Feathered Clan female warriors were going to the same destination, though they would depart later. However, Narcissus and Arus made an agreement: the royal faction would be responsible for dealing with the Headless Knight, while the Society faction would handle the Beastmaster. The two factions joined forces to face the national crisis. Since I could communicate better with Narcissus, and I really didn't want to encounter the Headless Knight, our team would travel with Narcissus to confront the Beastmaster. If
I didn't eliminate the Headless Knight, he wouldn't come after me, but if I didn't deal with the Beastmaster, I would definitely be hunted to the ends of the earth for the rest of my life. So, I had no choice but to bravely face the problem and solve it. This was my reason for going to sleep, because I didn't have much time left to rest properly. If I didn't sleep now, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep well in the future. Of course, the chances of someone not waking up from my sleep tomorrow night... were also quite high.
But I never expected that when I was woken up by Yu Ni next to me the next morning and told that a guest had come to visit, it wasn't Narcissus who brought me trouble.
"Someone is looking for me? Who is it? It's still so early, I'll sleep a little longer."
I lay down, still sleepy, and hugged Yu Ni, who was wearing a white silk nightgown. Yu Ni's pajamas were smooth and light, the pearl-colored silk satin sexy and elegant, very feminine. Her long, slender, fair legs stretched out in a captivating curve on the bed. Even though I'd seen it countless times, I was still mesmerized by the sight, ready to abandon my precious sleep and spend my time on this beautiful young woman's body.
"No, Ah Hong just told me that your distant relative wants to see you. You can't refuse to see him, can you?"
Bai Lan Xiong wasn't the kind of reckless man who would disturb someone's sleep for no reason; he must have something to discuss with me. No matter how unwilling I was, I had no choice but to get up and deal with the problem. I kissed Yu Ni's fragrant lips, patted her firm, snowy buttocks, and told her to go and invite Bai Lan Xiong in.
"Bro, brother, help me!"
The door opened, and Bai Lanxiong stormed in like a whirlwind, not even glancing at the sexy Yu Ni, lunging straight at me on the bed.
"Wow! Don't do that! I'm not in that circle!"
"Brother, you have to save me, or I'm dead!"
Bai Lan Bear grabbed me and gave me a huge hug that left me breathless and nearly broke both of my ribs. But more importantly, there were many female warriors from the Feather Clan outside the door looking at us with strange eyes, as if they regarded us as some kind of perverted monsters.
"Hey, don't hug me like that, or I'll get angry!"
"Brother, if you don't save me, I'm doomed! These winged women are too amazing! They want me morning and night, and they keep wanting more after they've finished with each one. I'm having sex with young, beautiful, lustful, and long-legged beauties 24/7. If this keeps up, I'm really going to die!"
"Young, beautiful, lustful, and long-legged beauties? Are you really asking me for help?"
"Who's asking you for help? I'm here to show off!"
Bai Lan Xiong said smugly, only to be kicked in the waist by me. Beneath his disguised human appearance, Bai Lan Xiong's bear body weighs at least 100 pounds. Of course, my kick didn't move him, but he still obediently dodged to the side, his expression becoming serious.
Clearly, it was time to get down to business. Bai Lanxiong asked Yu Ni to leave, and then closed the door tightly to prevent anyone outside from hearing what was happening inside.
"Let's get this straight, whatever you want to talk about, Lao Bai, there's no room for negotiation if it doesn't benefit me." With
that, I cut off any further words Bai Lanxiong might have, because at this moment, there was only one thing he would ask me for help with, and it was precisely that one thing I couldn't agree to.
"John, that's so disloyal of you!"
"What a joke! Who's loyal to you when it comes to saving your own life? If we were in the Southern Barbarians, I'd have no problem discussing with you how to save your people. But we're in Ishtar now. If what we're talking about gets exposed, thousands upon thousands of troops could come and slaughter us at any moment. If I agree to help you, I'd be a complete idiot."
After I flatly refused, Bai Lan Xiong changed his gaze and tried to persuade me from a different angle.
"Don't think like that. High risk, high reward. Once you accomplish this great task, the Venerable One will definitely look favorably upon you, and all grudges will be wiped clean. You can rest easy from now on. Isn't that great?"
"Nonsense! Rather than being killed immediately by the Ishtar people, I'd rather be hunted down by the Beast Venerable One for the rest of my life. Anyway, that old bastard is old; I might even have a better chance of outliving him."
"If you help liberate our people, you'll be a great hero to us beastmen. All the beautiful beastman girls will fall in love with you and want to sleep with you."
"Then I'll run even further away! If the girls of your four great beast races are even presentable, why would you need to be here sleeping with winged women? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!"
"Then...we also have plenty of gold and silver treasures..."
"Come on, you Southern Barbarians have abundant natural resources, but you don't know how to utilize and develop them. The economic situation of the four major beast clans has always been bad. You are just a poor young master. What do you have to offer to bribe me?"
Bai Lan Xiong knew very well that I could not be coerced, so he tried to bribe me with benefits, but no matter what conditions he proposed, I waved them off in the end. In my opinion, Bai Lan Xiong really didn't have any conditions to bribe me, but he probably knew these things, so he probably still had other cards to play when he came to negotiate with me this time, otherwise... "Alright, enough nonsense, reveal your cards, don't waste each other's time here."
"This... fine, I don't want to treat my brother like this, but for the sake of my beastmen, I have to do it this once."
After Bai Lan Xiong finished speaking with a sigh, he suddenly roared loudly, like a lion's roar, which not only shattered the window glass, but also seemed to deafen me.
"Are you crazy!"
I cursed angrily, but I was a little confused. Bai Lan Xiong roared for no reason, this should be some kind of signal, calling his companions to act, but the question is, what companions does Bai Lan Xiong have? He's hiding orcs in ambush, trying to coerce me into agreeing by force? That's impossible. If he had that kind of strength, he would have already taken on Ishtar by force. Why would he need my help? Besides, where did he get...? Thinking of this, I suddenly had a very bad feeling. The only reinforcements that Bai Lan Xiong could summon that could pose a threat to me seemed to be one person... "Old Bai! You despicable, shameless, insidious, and vile orc!"
I not only cursed, but also tried to find a window to jump out of and escape before the door was opened. However, Bai Lan Xiong's helpers had been waiting outside the door for a long time. As soon as they heard the whoosh, they pushed the door open and came in. I had one foot on the windowsill when I heard the call from behind.
"Master..."
Hearing this, a cold sweat broke out on my back. I had planned everything meticulously, yet I had overlooked this crucial point. I forgot that Xue was also a half-orc, and a very soft-hearted one at that. Bai Lan Xiong's slogan of liberating the orc slaves within Ishtar had no impact on others, but it did on Xue. Last night, Bai Lan Xiong overheard Xue's conversation with Wei Lai, grasped her personality, and even tested her influence over me. This white bear is incredibly shrewd; I was just momentarily distracted, and in half a night, he had already persuaded Xue and made her an ally.
Worse still, while Xue is gentle, she also has a stubborn side. When that stubbornness comes out, I have no idea how to persuade her; basically… that's impossible.
"Sigh, Xue, why did you choose such a troublesome job for me?"
I sighed and turned around, only to see a pair of beautiful, tearful eyes looking at me with pleading eyes. Just that look was enough to soften my heart before I even spoke. The problem was... this wasn't a small matter like buying jewelry or donating money to help one or two poor orphans. Even if we, a small group, agreed to Bai Lan Xiong's request, what right did we have to go head-to-head with Ishtar?
"It's not that your master wants to refuse you, but this matter is just too difficult. Even if your master agrees, what ability do we have to deal with Ishtar?"
I said, and Bai Lanxiong suddenly interjected, "That's not necessarily true. The Venerable One has already taken action. If we can cooperate with him, with your wisdom and our strength, things are very promising." "
Bullshit! Would that old lecher cooperate with us? The price for his cooperation is to kill Xue and Ni Hong together. You love playing the good guy so much, why don't you pat your chest and guarantee that the old lecher will let the three of them go?"
"This..."
Bai Lanxiong couldn't answer. It seemed that the situation was worse than I expected. Even with the noble cause of liberating the beastman slaves involved, the Venerable One of Ten Thousand Beasts refused to compromise on this. He really was a shameless old lecher.
"Master, there's something I haven't told you. Over the past year, I've learned that many of my compatriots are imprisoned in Ishtar, living miserable lives. I've always wanted to rescue them; this thought has been with me for a long time. So, when I said I wanted to come to Ishtar, it was because I wanted to find an opportunity to see if I could save my compatriots… That thought was foolish, wasn't it?"
Ah Xue spoke softly, but I inwardly cursed myself for being so stupid. Given Ah Xue's personality, how could she possibly have thought of coming to Ishtar for a sightseeing tour?
Her initiative to come to Ishtar was so unusual; there must be something wrong. I didn't think deeply about it, only that I had achieved my goal and was glad I'd succeeded. Now, I'm reaping the bitter fruit of my actions.
Magicians are very wary of anything unusual happening around them. I was blind to the danger around me; this time, I've truly learned a painful lesson. If it were just Bai Lan Xiong's instigation, I could still find a way to resolve this. But this matter stemmed from Xue's own will, and she even came to Ishtar specifically for this purpose. Now I truly don't know how to turn the tide.
"Xue, listen to your master this once. These orc slaves absolutely cannot be saved. How can you save them? There are so many of them, and frankly, you have no relation to them. Even if you save them, do you think they'll be grateful to you...?"
For the next few tens of minutes, I repeatedly tried to persuade Ah Xue. Ah Xue, gentle and compliant by nature, didn't utter a single word in rebuttal. She just looked at me with those pitiful, large eyes, hesitant to speak, letting me know that my persuasion was futile.
I didn't know what to say, but Ah Xue's expression held a quality similar to that of Bai Lan Xiong—a quality that suggested she might become a martyr at any moment. If I let it go, these two people might very well sacrifice themselves, becoming my lifelong regret; but if I couldn't resist helping, the result would be that I would be dragged down with them.
Damn it, I really hate this feeling!
Hasn't my motto always been self-preservation? Why did I have to get involved in this mess?
And what will I say to Li Huamei if she finds out I've run into this?
"…Give me some time, let me think it over."
◆ Chapter Eight: The Beginning of the Great Path. The Source of Life
Walking the streets of Ishtar, all sorts of orc slaves are everywhere; it's certainly not a strange sight. I've heard that, fearing an orc uprising that would be difficult to resist, male orcs are mostly collectively imprisoned in remote suburban mines or workshops, forced to labor all day. The orcs we see on the streets are mostly female, with only a very small number of male orcs.
Slaves have their legally mandated clothing, which is the same in any human world. The orc female slaves we saw were mostly barely clothed, with a collar around their necks and a tattered cloth wrapped around their chests, their full breasts swaying under the cloth as if half of one breast might spill out at any moment; their lower bodies were covered by a small piece of cloth that barely covered their buttocks, thinner than a thong, almost sinking into their flesh. They swayed their buttocks with each step, their tails wagging incessantly behind them.
This kind of revealing attire, while lacking in human dignity, was actually still relatively dignified. Even more extreme was the practice of simply wrapping a tattered cloth around the lower body, leaving the upper body completely naked, the female slaves' breasts exposed, swaying as they walked. The strangest thing was that these female slaves often held their heads high, as if they were proud of this attire, showing off and bringing glory to their masters, completely devoid of any sense of shame—truly incomprehensible.
Of course, not every female slave walked like this; compared to those "female slaves" who held their heads high, some "beasts" couldn't even walk properly. Animals should act like animals. Those strong, muscular, and less attractive female slaves, treated like livestock, had iron chains or ropes around their necks, and even copper rings through their noses. They were naked, on all fours, their buttocks raised high, crawling on the ground, carrying goods on their backs... At this point, they could no longer be called human.
"Hmm, so many beautiful female dogs... My friend who's so handsome he makes people swoon must really like this place."
"What are you talking about? What kind of friend do you have?"
"No, nothing, that's beside the point."
I shook my head with a smile, not giving Yu Hong a direct answer. My eyes darted left and right, and I found a place to squat down, taking in the captivating spring scenery on the street.
There were vendors lining both sides of the street, selling vegetables or porcelain. The goods were laid out on pieces of cloth on the ground, and customers squatted down to choose what they wanted.
The Istar people maintained the customs of a desert people, their clothing numerous and heavy, covering them completely and offering little visual appeal. However, the sexy orc female slaves made up for this.
Many female slaves came out to buy vegetables at this time, and each time they bent down to select their produce, I could clearly see the shape of their breasts and the style of their underwear. Some breasts were truly firm and full, while others were sagging, like bags of dough. Quite a few female slaves had small, flat breasts, which they deliberately concealed by wearing oversized bras. When they bent over, their nipples were easily visible, but most of them had thick, dark nipples, as did their areolas, suggesting they had likely given birth. Overall, pink nipples were rarely seen. Several of them also had obvious hickeys on their breasts, presumably from a lustful master who had allowed them to have sex before leaving.
Besides the women's breasts, another eye-catching feature was that when these female slaves squatted down to pick things out, I could easily see their underwear under their skirts—a truly colorful display. Black, red, yellow, white, leopard print, and camouflage are all available. Most of the panties are made of transparent material, so you can see the pubic hair underneath. Some are even transparent at the bottom, clearly showing the labia. Many female slaves have panties that are too small or have too much pubic hair, so the edges of their panties are completely exposed.
I've also seen several female slaves wearing thongs, which have a small ribbon in the middle. These often don't even cover the pubic hair, making it all clearly visible. Most of the time, that ribbon "gets stuck in the gutter," so what you see is the woman's pubic hair, and even the color of her labia.
This is truly remarkable. Ishtar is not only a land of evil, but also appears to be a land of rampant lust and debauchery. Coming here was definitely the right decision; this is an unexpected gain. If I had known this, I would have come to Ishtar long ago.
(Sigh, if only it were just a simple sightseeing trip, but unfortunately, someone is always causing trouble for me.)
If it weren't for Xue's intrusion, which added such a burden to my life, what would I care about the lives of these orcs?
Even if they were all human, let alone not being of my kind, I would still be left standing by. They certainly live a miserable life and are not treated as human beings at all, but how many living beings are there on this yellow earth? How many tribes? We must save them all, even if we save them for ten lifetimes, we still couldn't save them all.
There's another point that I believe Bai Lan Xiong already understands, but Xue certainly hasn't thought of this issue. Just one walk along the road confirmed this to me. Centuries of domestication and taming had rendered these orc slaves and the southern barbarians identical in appearance, but their minds were completely different. For one thing, the female orcs, dressed in such shameful attire, wore smug satisfaction, as if this revealing clothing best proved their beauty and brought glory to their masters… They were simply incapable of thinking, incapable of being considered human.
To ask Ishtar to liberate the slaves was a simple slogan, but how could it be implemented? Was Ishtar supposed to treat these brainwashed slaves kindly, as equals? How could such a thing be possible? Therefore, Bai Lanxiong had only one choice left: to lead these slaves away from Ishtar and return to the Southern Barbarian lands.
But then what? It had already been said that these slaves could not be treated as human beings, because even they did not consider themselves human. Forcing others to promote equality and fraternal love among them would not only result in tragedy but also a great catastrophe. The impact of this event on the Southern Barbarian culture, society, politics, and economy would be unimaginable and could not be resolved by mere passion or love.
(Damn it, these idiots don't even do the most basic assessment before they do anything. The forced fusion of two different races will be no less impactful than a comet hitting the earth, at least setting back the political and economic development of the Southern Barbarians by a hundred years. Do these beastmen think that since they can't possibly be any more backward than they are now, they might as well not care?)
Perhaps most beastmen are mentally challenged, but Bai Lan Xiong is not. I can probably guess what he's thinking. This guy is probably planning to spend decades, or even centuries, spanning generations, to slowly erase this damage, because in his mind, rescuing his fellow humans is the right thing to do, and the right thing should be done, no matter how difficult or how much it costs.
(Who does this guy think he is? The elected leader of the Southern Barbarians? No one entrusted him to decide the fate of the Southern Barbarians. Sigh... I made a bad choice in friends, and now my friend has betrayed me again.)
In some ways, I don't like to befriend chivalrous heroes or national heroes. Logically speaking, neither of these types of people should be bad, but they both harbor overly grand ideals. To realize these "correct" ideals, they are willing to sacrifice themselves, whether it be their lives, reputation... or even their conscience. So, befriending these two types of people often means being dragged into their trap and betrayed with tears in your eyes, which is what I hate most.
"What do you think, Ah Hong?"
Frustrated, I unconsciously asked Yu Hong beside me, wanting to know her opinion. For Yu Hong, this was obviously a difficult question to answer. Although from the human perspective, the Feathered Clan was also a branch of half-beastmen, the Feathered Clan and the major beastmen races had a deep-seated hatred for each other, and years of war had accumulated countless blood debts. Yu Hong could not possibly regard these beastmen as her compatriots like Ah Xue did.
"I think... putting aside your inexplicable brother, I agree with Sister Xue's idea."
"Are you crazy too? Trying to start a liberation revolution in Ishtar? Be careful you don't die and become a corpse prostitute, even in death you'll be gang-raped day and night." "
My identity is that of a law enforcer, it's my duty to uphold justice. Although Ishtar is a lawless place, international conventions still contain relevant human rights laws. These beastmen shouldn't be born slaves. Just for that reason alone, liberating them is not wrong."
Yu Hong spoke with righteous indignation, her expression like that of a revolutionary fighter, full of passion. It seems that if we were to vote on this matter in our team, I definitely wouldn't have a chance of winning. I might have to buy a dozen kilograms of good lean meat to bribe Violet to have any hope of victory.
"...They're not my compatriots, and they have nothing to do with me, but as a law enforcement officer, I won't let personal feelings interfere with my duties. If I had to choose, I would absolutely support Sister Xue, uh..."
Yu Hong said, suddenly swaying as if she was about to collapse. I was startled and helped her to the roadside. Yu Hong only said she was dizzy. I found a teahouse nearby and took her inside to sit and rest.
Ishtar is a desert country. Although the cities are built around oases, agriculture in the major cities has never been developed. Most agricultural products are imported from abroad. For example, the tea leaves mainly come from the Goldenrod Federation. Although the taste is good, the price made me change my expression and call it a rip-off.
"Sir, if only a small shop like this charges such prices, then it would indeed be a rip-off. But every teahouse in this city has the same price. Surely not every one of them is a rip-off?"
The teahouse owner, with a round, chubby face, kept apologizing to us. He was certainly good at business.
I looked around and saw that there weren't many customers in the teahouse; business was slow. I asked the owner and learned that the city had recently been ravaged by a plague. Many residents had died suddenly overnight, and many more were left half-dead in bed, waiting to die. This had caused widespread economic hardship and a desolate scene.
"Sigh, we don't even know what that headless rider is. Not only is he killing and setting fires everywhere, but he's also brought a plague, turning our Ishtar upside down. Barriers and mages are useless."
The shopkeeper shook his head and said, "We're already in a bad situation here. I heard the slave camps outside the city are even worse. All the doctors and medicines are barely enough to supply the city. Where would we find the extra resources to treat those orcs?" "So many orcs died over there. It seems there was a riot just the day before yesterday. The orcs almost broke through the blockade line..." From these descriptions, I could vaguely imagine the intensity of the conflict and the accompanying horrific casualties. The damage the headless knight inflicted on Ishtar was undoubtedly comprehensive. Not only was the initial damage heavy, but the aftereffects were like pebbles thrown into water, constantly creating more ripples.
(Damn it, at this rate, the country could really be destroyed by a ghost. But... was it the Headless Knight who killed Ishtar? If this place wasn't filled with such resentment, the Headless Knight couldn't possibly be so powerful, right? So... sigh, retribution, or rather, the backlash of resentment accumulated over hundreds of years, that's what led to this outcome.)
I thought for a moment, then turned to speak to Yu Hong, only to find her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavy, as if she had just had a dramatic fight. This situation was extremely strange, and my first thought was that Yu Hong had been ambushed.
"Ah Hong, what's wrong with you..."
I was taken aback, but knowing Yu Hong well, I quickly realized that Yu Hong wasn't feeling unwell. On the contrary, she must be feeling incredibly comfortable to be reacting like this.
"I almost forgot about Ah Hong's true nature as a little slut. Did seeing so many female slaves half-naked on the street excite you? If you like this kind of thing, you should have said so earlier. Going half-naked on the street is easy enough. I can put a collar around your neck and let you walk around half-naked on the street with your bare buttocks."
Influenced and stimulated by the surrounding environment, the exhibitionist blood flowing in Yu Hong's veins was awakened again. Her lust was so intense that she couldn't control herself, which is why she was in such an embarrassing state. Hearing what I said, Yu Hong didn't react much. She just lowered her head and lay on the table, breathing heavily. It wasn't hot, but sweat had already soaked Yu Hong's back.
These past two days had been windy, and we were sitting in the windy spot of the teahouse. Yu Hong's martial arts robe was fluttering slightly, and the strong wind kept blowing the hem of her robe up. In addition, the tables and chairs were antique-style low stools, which forced her to bend her beautiful legs. As a result, her almost bare lower body was exposed from time to time.
"Hey, Ah Hong, trying to bury your head in the sand like an ostrich won't work. Your head is down, but your butt is already sticking out."
This description is a bit exaggerated, but Yu Hong was in a state of high tension. Upon hearing my warning, she immediately reacted and quickly adjusted her position, sitting on the back of her skirt. However, her fair thighs still couldn't be covered and became the focus of attention.
The scene was so sizzling and stimulating that several pairs of eyes at the next table noticed Yu Hong's predicament and began to whisper among themselves. However, the economic downturn caused by the plague meant that there weren't many people in the teahouse. With only two or three tables of customers, I had no qualms about letting these lucky strangers feast their eyes on the beautiful girl's thighs, something they would never have the chance to see in their lives. Especially the three old orcs at the next table, whose eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets.
For Yu Hong, whose perverted lust was raging, the gazes of these people were more potent than any aphrodisiac. When I reached out to explore, I slipped my hand under the hem of Yu Hong's robe, ignoring the girl's weak resistance, and forcibly inserted my hand between her legs along her buttocks. I was shocked to find a stream of honeyed fluid seeping out, wetting her thin thong and flowing into my palm, making my hand a complete mess.
"Heh, Ah Hong's really aroused? You've got my hands all wet."
Yu Hong lowered her head, not saying a word, but her juices flowed freely between her legs, making my hand slippery, as if it were stuck in mud. On a whim, I decided to slip my fingers inside, pull aside her thong, part her labia, and invade her tender flower garden, stirring up trouble within.
This bold move didn't elicit a reaction from Yu Hong, and even the nearby tables echoed with heavy breathing. I could almost hear the cheers and encouragement from the males nearby. So, I complied with the audience's demands, placing my palm on the girl's fair buttocks, while my index and middle fingers continued to probe and spiral inside Yu Hong's flower garden.
"Mmm!"
A short, quick moan escaped her lips. If Yu Hong hadn't bitten her lip so hard, it would have turned into a beautiful, pleasurable groan. At the same time, I felt a heat on my hand, as if I'd been doused with a bucket of water. Looking down, from my angle, I saw her fair, tender buttocks, as if they'd been slapped a dozen times, now a bright red. Yu Hong was aroused and had already reached orgasm.
The woman had enjoyed herself, but I hadn't had a chance to savor it. Of course, I wouldn't do something so unprofitable. Just as I was about to pull Yu Hong up and move to another secluded spot for some real pleasure, Yu Hong, who had been lying on the table, suddenly raised her head.
The girl's bright eyes seemed to be ablaze, so dazzling that it was almost unbearable to look directly at her. The emotion conveyed in those eyes was singular: an intense and urgent thirst for sex. Before I could even utter a word, she lunged at me, chair and all, knocking me to the ground.
(W-No way? Is it going to be that exciting? A public tryst? Oh, no, it's not exactly a public tryst, but in front of everyone… damn, that sounds pretty exciting.)
Yu Hong was kissing me passionately, her fiery kisses raining down on my face, while simultaneously tugging at my clothes. It seemed she had been consumed by lust and lost her mind, solely seeking physical comfort, oblivious to where she was.
Faced with this sudden change, I was somewhat at a loss. While I found it incredibly stimulating, my reason was also sending out signals of dissuasion. Torn between these conflicting emotions, I didn't know which option to choose. For a moment, I even forgot my position as the trainer, and my only worry was whether any troublesome people might appear nearby.
"Hey! You two, don't you even know where you are? Aren't you going too far?"
"You only care about your own pleasure. Do you think we're all dead? If there's something fun, let's all share it!"
Sure enough, doing this kind of thing in public always attracts troublemakers. Judging from the tone of the person behind me, it seems like they really want to cooperate with me and have sex with the woman on top of me. What a blind fool.
Fighting against experts is not my forte, but bullying ordinary people is my specialty. When that hairy hand grabbed at the back of my neck, preparing to pull me away, and several other large hands reached for Yu Hong, I prepared to use a clever plan to summon a lustful spirit to deal with these ignorant fools.
"Swoosh! Swoosh!"
Two soft sounds reached my ears, and I, who was immersed in excited lust, was suddenly startled. That was the phenomenon of a master using internal energy to exert force, usually in conjunction with acupoint striking techniques. Anyone who can do this is definitely not an ordinary person. In other words, these guys who approached were not ordinary passersby!
This alertness came a little too late, and the strength of the enemy was even more than I expected. The sixth-level acupoint striking force was launched in succession, attacking Yu Hong from three directions. Lost in her passion, Yu Hong reacted slower than usual, only realizing what was happening at the last moment. She snapped back to reality, dodging two finger strikes, but was still struck on a vital point on her back, immobilizing her. The enemy's attacks continued, naturally striking seven of Yu Hong's vital points, paralyzing her and, consequently, me.
"It's like finding a needle in a haystack; this adulterous couple fell into our hands so easily."
Two black cloths blindfolded Yu Hong and me, blinding us. Before the cloths were put on, I could finally see the enemy's face.
They were three very old orcs, belonging to the tiger, leopard, and bear clans respectively. Dressed in slave-like clothing, their appearances were not particularly striking, so at first we treated them as ordinary people and didn't pay them much attention. But now… I knew, of course, they were not ordinary people.
A martial artist possessing sixth-level strength would be considered a top-tier expert in any country. During my time roaming the Southern Barbarian lands, apart from the White Lan Bear, I hadn't seen anyone with sixth-level strength. But that didn't mean the Southern Barbarian lands lacked experts, because I hadn't yet had the chance to meet the leaders, elders, and senior figures of the three major orc clans. I'd heard that several of them resided on Beast God Peak year-round, serving the Venerable One of Ten Thousand Beasts.
I never expected that the Beastmaster would send his men to ambush us, waiting for one of us to be alone so he could assassinate or capture us. I was caught off guard and fell into their hands. Otherwise, even though there were three level-six martial artists among them, Yu Hong and I, even if outnumbered, should have been able to escape. We wouldn't have been taken down in a single move.
(Sigh, having sex in public, this is truly a high-level training. This training has backfired; I can't do this again… uh, do I even have a future?)
The more I thought about it, the worse it seemed. Yu Hong and I were blindfolded and carried on the shoulders of the beastmen like two pieces of merchandise. The wind howled past our ears, and we couldn't see anything. We had no idea where we were being taken. As soon as the enemy captured us, they put metal handcuffs on our hands, seemingly some kind of sealing artifact, preventing us from using magic to save ourselves or summon help. I was at a loss for what to do. I
don't know how much time passed, at least an hour or two, when I suddenly realized the enemy had stopped moving. Yu Hong and I were released, and the blindfolds were removed.
"Two juniors, the Venerable One wishes to see you,"
came a cold voice. Before us stood three elderly orcs and a magnificent mansion. Although these three elderly orcs were still dressed as servants, they didn't look like slaves at all. They were true martial arts masters, honed through countless trials. Just standing there casually, they exuded the aura of sect leaders, commanding respect.
These three orcs didn't even glance at us, simply leading us into the mansion. Opening the main gate revealed a huge fountain. In a desert country like Ishtar, the owner of this mansion must be either a high-ranking official or a wealthy merchant to have a fountain. However, a faint smell of blood permeated the air. If I wasn't mistaken, the owner of this mansion, along with his family and servants, had all been slaughtered by these orcs, who had taken over their nest.
After passing through several archways, the sound of string and wind instruments suddenly drifted from ahead. As we emerged from a flowerbed, the view opened up to reveal a vast rose garden. Beautiful roses bloomed throughout the white wooden fence, and in the center of the garden stood a wooden platform where twelve beautiful young women dressed in sheer veils were performing, some playing instruments, others singing and dancing with great enthusiasm.
Over a hundred orcs sat in the flowerbeds below the platform, gazing at the beautiful dance. Most were familiar faces from previous battles. These uncouth men knew nothing of the beauty of dance; they were simply staring intently at the beautiful breasts and buttocks beneath the white veils, drooling—whether from hunger or lust was unclear. However, when they saw me appear, their faces contorted with anger—whether from lust or hunger was also unclear.
On the right side of the wooden platform lay a large velvet rug, composed of dozens of exquisitely embroidered snow-white blankets, both magnificent and imposing. The Beast Lord lay on his side on it, seemingly listening to the girls' singing and dancing.
Because his back was to us, we couldn't see the Beast Lord's expression, but compared to our last encounter on the battlefield, the Beast Lord seemed to have changed. He no longer carried a trace of murderous intent; his entire aura was peaceful and natural, as if he had merged with heaven and earth, transforming into a majestic and towering mountain range, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
The music played by the girls was unique, a rare and exotic sound I'd never heard before. Their dance was graceful and elegant, exuding the unique charm of an ancient culture—it was beautiful to watch. I was reminded of Narcissus, the "Purple Narcissus," a renowned singer and dancer of her time. I wondered if I would ever have the chance to see her perform again and witness that legendary, enchanting dance.
As the music ended, the girls stretched their limbs, forming a beautiful, blooming lotus flower. The beauty of that moment left me speechless. However, the girls immediately prostrated themselves on the ground, paying homage to the Beastmaster. From their trembling body language, I realized that they were most likely songstresses kept by the original owner of this mansion, temporarily spared by the beastmen, but their lives could end at any moment. Thinking of
this, I simply shouted loudly to attract the enemy's attention and allow them to leave.
"John Farrell and Yu Hong request an audience with the Beastmaster!"
Even though I had been captured, I shamelessly shouted my request for an audience. This action probably frightened the nearby beastmen, who all stared at me as if they had seen a madman. But this action did have an effect. The gray-robed servant behind the Beastmaster waved his hand, and the young girls, as if granted a pardon, hurriedly fled... For a considerable period afterward, I heard no reply from the Beastmaster. This elderly and great beastman warrior seemed to be asleep, lying on his side on the giant white carpet. None of the hundred or so beastmen around dared to make a sound to disturb him, not even daring to breathe, for fear of breaking the silence.
After a long while, the Beastmaster remained motionless, then suddenly asked, "What is life? Who can answer me?" His
deep voice traveled several feet through the distance to reach our ears, bringing great astonishment. We couldn't understand why this old man had suddenly become a philosopher, asking such a seemingly unrelated question.
Just as we were still bewildered, Yu Hong and I were pushed by the beastmen behind us, stumbling several steps into the flower bushes. We almost fell, and when we finally regained our footing, a large group of beastmen had already surrounded us, looking at us with ill intent.
The situation was dire. Suddenly, an idea struck me, and I answered loudly,
"I am male, she is female. When I have sex with her, I create life; this is the beginning of life, and the essence of life itself."
I said, "I am a member of the Farrell family. Having sex with all sorts of women is life to me. My life is composed of countless women. I wonder if the Venerable One agrees with this answer?"
This was a very Farrell-esque answer. The beastmen exchanged glances, wondering what the Venerable Beastman's answer would be. After a long while, the Venerable Beastman's voice drifted back from afar.
"As expected of the absurd and lustful Farrell clan. I am of the same generation as your grandfather, and I have no intention of bullying the weak. Since you say that having sex with women is equivalent to life itself, then I will give you a test. If you pass this life-or-death test, your crimes will be wiped clean."
After the Beastmaster finished speaking, ten burly beastmen on tall horses stepped forward, rubbing their fists and glaring at me with extreme malice.
"...These ten guys are warriors of my clan, just like you, they eat sex every day, and they can even fuck cows and mares to death, not only female slaves. If you can make them collapse from exhaustion within half an hour, I will spare your life!"
Uh! No way? That old devil is so insidious! One moment he's playing the philosopher, all high and mighty, and the next he's showing his hideous face, using such a vicious scheme to get revenge on me?
Those ten orcs chuckled menacingly, approaching me step by step. I don't know if they were stuffing guava or durian into their crotches, but they were bulging high, exuding a menacing aura that made my legs weak.
(Could it be… that I, John Farrell, am doomed today? Ancestors, your unfilial descendants, tonight I'll be coming out of the closet!)

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