Chapter 216: Pragmatic Ally Relations
After Xuan Chong took Griffon City, the city was adorned with flags decorated with colorful feathers. The Wu Family Army lifted the restrictions, allowing the Feather Tribe to come out onto the streets.
Mu Yun Kuohai gathered his compatriots in the plaza. Mu Yun Kuohai said to the numerous Feather Tribe members: “Everyone, look at me. I have an announcement!”
In front of these Feathered People, Mu Yun Kuohai knelt to Xuan Chong according to noble etiquette.
Xuan Chong placed his hand on Mu Yun Kuohai’s head, then led him into a nearby sealed religious building, which now bore the emblem of the Moon Empress.
In the secret chamber that Mu Yun Hai Kuo entered was a gene modification facility brought from Sky City. This device showed no mechanical style on the outside, but rather resembled a hexagonal coffin, purely in the style of a magic treasure.
Xuan Chong saw the Feather Tribe staring curiously at Mu Yun Kuohai as he entered the prayer chamber, thinking to himself: Religious rituals require a sense of mystery.
Of course, he could transform Mu Yun Kuohai into a royal family member in full view of everyone—but that would lack story and packaging.
These Feather Tribe commoners, under an understandable “enlightenment” process, would subconsciously think that the ritual’s result was inferior to the traditional royal trial.
Just like many health supplements in later generations, whose effects were really just like a few cents’ worth of vitamin tablets from the pharmacy; but people subconsciously thought vitamin tablets were cheap and not comparable to those expensive health supplements.
If he now explained the trial to the Feather Tribe with a “scientific verification” attitude, revealing it was just flying up for genetic enhancement.
Even if after a long time, the Feather Tribe understood the truth of the “trial” that Xuan Chong spoke of; after learning the truth, the accounts they owed would be delayed for a hundred years, or even not paid at all.
Xuan Chong’s memo: When dealing with external groups and encountering superstition, do not try to dispel their superstition. Best to say “Ah, yes, yes, yes.” For Yao People as an external force to dispel the Feather Tribe’s superstition would cost too much. If not prepared to trample their superstition, best to counter superstition with superstition.
For example now, Xuan Chong was a pacifist and did not intend to humiliate the Feather Tribe on the battlefield with wooden mechanism aircraft, trampling their traditional royal trial culture. He had come all this way to do business, not to play at annexation.
As Mu Yun Kuohai unfurled his massive kingly wings and began a flamboyant kingly procession, constantly displaying his strong, powerful muscles; the numerous Feather Tribe members blinked their big eyes, clasped their hands together, crossed their wings with effort, and sang praises to the sky.
And the numerous Feather Tribe members’ gazes toward Xuan Chong now carried reverence, beginning to see him as the envoy of a deity.
On the altar, after Xuan Chong put away Sky City’s magic treasure, facing the devoutly kneeling Mu Yun Kuohai, he gave him a city defense roster and regulations, telling him to guard the city well and also to set up the Griffon City government.
Mu Yun Kuohai: “My lord, this is!”
Xuan Chong: “Griffon City’s princess Xi Yuan is with me. Prepare for your marriage proposal.”
Confusion flickered in Mu Yun Kuohai’s eyes. He had always looked up to that royal princess and asked: “Really, really, really?”
Xuan Chong smiled: “Do kings and generals beget nobility? You have it now, so why not think about it?”
Xuan Chong gave him an encouraging look hinting that he could go ahead, and ambition leaped into Mu Yun Kuohai’s eyes.
Xuan Chong gazed at this city recaptured by his own officers and soldiers, knowing he would eventually have to withdraw the army. But before withdrawing, he needed to make postwar arrangements that suited his group’s interests.
As for Lu Er Ge’s side? What ally obligations? Ally obligations mean I help you, and you give substantial goodwill. Not “I unilaterally fulfill my helping obligations, then you accept the help and act like you’re giving me face, maintaining a nominal alliance.”
Xuan Chong was very annoyed at this petty city-state prince’s immaturity.
Xuan Chong: “This guy is so arrogant, thinking he’s collecting a vassal state? I don’t have time to destroy a nation, so you think my power is insufficient?”
Correct, precisely because Xuan Chong had not destroyed a nation, the local city-states did not feel that Da Yao could project power to affect them; and in the city-states, it had always been a zero-sum game, meaning the strong eat all. In other words, this petty Griffon City city-state also thought it could eat Xuan Chong whole, taking all the benefits without fulfilling any obligations!
…Friendly, pragmatic…
After arranging for Mu Yun Kuohai, Xuan Chong called Ang Ri over, having him take Ka Wu to find Prince Lu Er Ge to discuss the city handover and resale process.
That is, Xuan Chong wanted to show an attitude to these traditional Feather Tribe nobles: Mu Yun Kuohai is now “friendly” to me, so you can be “friendly” to me too.
And Xuan Chong did not completely rely on Mu Yun Kuohai. From previous life experience: His country in southern diplomacy proved that without a “abandonment” plan for those small nations, the “friendship” tribute from those small nations could become increasingly insincere.
Before departing, Ang Ri said: “My lord, that prince is guarded against us. Demanding gold and silver might suddenly increase their hostility.”
Xuan Chong: “What I want has never been gold and silver. If they lack money, we can loan it, and the loan can be deducted from bilateral trade.”
At this, Xuan Chong looked toward the southern sea and slowly said: “What we want is a more pragmatic attitude of cooperation.”
Note it is “pragmatic” not “equal.” “Equal” is a term used when one’s own strength is insufficient.
While “pragmatic” is when one’s own strength is sufficient, reminding certain nations to know their place and not make unreasonable demands. Xuan Chong, gradually understanding the local situation, had ended the “first courtesy” phase and was preparing for “then force.”
…Chaos corrosion…
During the siege of Lu Er Ge’s fortress, Gold Horn saw the Horned People released back. One of its eyes and one ear had been stabbed blind and deaf. And the news this comrade brought back was that all the kin waiting in the city for the next blood moon evolution had been slaughtered.
Gold Horn was furious. He cast the evil moon’s blessing on the released one, trying to heal their blinded eye and deafened ear.
But as the blessing began, these unfortunates’ eyes suddenly burst, their ears bled. Finally, they succumbed to poison.
Xuan Chong had calculated that the evil moon’s power would repair the ears and eyes, deliberately leaving a wax-wrapped poison pill in their flesh during the stabbing. As the flesh forcibly regrew, the poison pill was squeezed open, poisoning them on the spot.
Gold Horn roared to the sky, his already scant reason shattered by rage.
…Endure…
In the fortress, Lu Er Ge sensed killing intent and roars drifting from the Horned People’s group.
There were still 342 surviving Feathered People in Lu Er Ge’s fortress, and all in very poor condition. Upon hearing that the Wu Family Army had retaken Griffon City, Lu Er Ge did not rejoice at his citizens’ crisis being lifted, but grew even more guarded against this foreign race ally from the north.
So when Ang Ri and Ka Wu arrived at the fortress, Lu Er Ge was highly guarded against the two ally representatives inside the fortress, his guards always pointing swords at them.
Ang Ri had no interest in talking to Lu Er Ge; Ka Wu handled the entire conversation.
However, after Ka Wu spoke, Lu Er Ge ordered him to seek aid from the “watchtower” side.
Lu Er Ge: “I’m friends with Mi Ke and Xun Feier (princes of two large Feather Tribe city-states). I can get them to mediate and help us.”
Ka Wu frowned: “Prince, do we need to flap our wings so much? Da Yao People, as our allies, have offered to hand over the city to us.”
Lu Er Ge stared at his subordinate and calmly said: “Yes, they said they would return it to us, but at what cost?”
Ka Wu opened his mouth but could not reply. (He couldn’t help thinking, does seeking other forces come without cost?)
Lu Er Ge earnestly described the malicious intentions of the northern foreigners: “The silk and porcelain they sell us all demand equivalent gold and pearls, even our citizens.”
Standing over the map, Lu Er Ge looked toward Yang Zhao City in the east: “For our interests, we now need the support of our compatriots.” He said this while completely ignoring Ang Ri nearby, as if sulking.
After Ka Wu and Ang Ri took off from the castle again, Ka Wu faced Ang Ri’s gaze, wanting to say something.
Ang Ri shook his head and said to him: “Between sovereign and vassal or allies, judge for yourself.”
Ka Wu gave a wry smile. He still rode a griffin and left toward the southeast. Little did he know, as he left, Ang Ri shook his head, because Xuan Chong had originally reserved a spot for him—however, this Feathered Person still obeyed the old thought imprint. Since he could not act independently, there was no need to continue investing in him.
…Everyone has a price tag…
Four hours later, the Horned People breached the fortress. After the fortress fell, Lu Er Ge and numerous Feather Tribe members faced mad Horned People surging from all sides, receiving a prompt from Ang Ri in the sky.
Ang Ri: “Head east.”
The many Feather Tribe members paused and looked to Lu Er Ge, who remained silent. He seemed to want Ang Ri to “beg.”
But Ang Ri just coldly watched him. Finally, when a Horned People’s broadsword hacked his personal guard to pieces before him, he could not hold back and took the lead in turning east to fly.
His many Feather Tribe subordinates saw this and were stunned, then all scattered eastward. —Next time, no one in their hearts would wait for his decision again.
In the east, scorching storm flames fell, forming a flame barrier.
This was Tai Yue Luan’s nirvana skill. As the flames ended, the Horned People hurriedly surged up, while Lu Er Ge and the Feather Tribe escaped.
Lu Er Ge had no army after this.
…Eliminate…
Ten hours later, Gold Horn’s pursuing troops, after failing to catch the fleeing Lu Er Ge, roared in fury. Their muscles emitted blood-red light.
Though the Feather Tribe were not skilled at ground spear formations, their movement techniques were agile, and they fled quickly after discarding armor. Thus, in Storm City and Griffon City, even after the Horned People breached the cities, they could not complete a thorough slaughter; all noble Feathered People left on wind-riding flying ships, and sturdy commoner Feather Tribe members also sailed out to sea on ships.
As Gold Horn led his over thousand-strong force preparing to continue north, Yao tribe cavalry appeared behind them.
Gold Horn quickly sent his giant monsters to engage, but this Yao Person cavalry dismounted, formed ranks, fired a volley, then immediately fled.
And when he ignored them, the Yao Person cavalry would come again, dismount and shoot once more, while displaying horns cut from Horned People heads.
Note: The reason for dismounting to shoot was that these cavalry wielded heavy firearms with massive recoil, ineffective from horseback, but with a range of over two hundred paces.
Thus, Gold Horn abandoned pushing north, lured by the cavalry to the decisive battle site preordained by Xuan Chong.
This was terrain favorable to the Yao Army. Four hundred Yao Army stood on a high slope, facing over a thousand Horned People including large mutated individuals, issuing a challenge.
Naturalized Horned People soldiers in the Yao Army shouted: “Come at us!”
After one incense stick’s time, facing the Horned People’s charge, Xuan Chong threw out a flag. From the outer jungle, fifty cavalry charged from the flank, like a coin from above rushing at grains of rice on an anvil.
Leading the cavalry was Wu Ling, a new Wu Family member who had come from the north just three months ago. He raised his lance, letting its flag flutter, skillfully marking his group’s charge direction. Inserting from the Horned People’s sparse flank, he scattered a group of loose small Horned People.
Peripheral Horned People were smashed flying on the spot, but of course this was not worth Gold Horn’s attention.
Gold Horn now focused all attention on the frontal battlefield on the slope, and his group’s eight gigantic individuals and seventy large individuals.
Note: Before attacking Lu Er Ge, Gold Horn had a hundred large individuals and five gigantic ones under him; the change in numbers was—on the slope, two gigantic individuals were injured, casually tearing apart downed large individuals mid-air, spilling entrails everywhere, then eating the remains to recover strength and wounds, continuing the uphill charge. Those large individuals who got entrails grew a size larger after devouring kin, developing toward giant monster form, their irregular heel horns scraping the ground like plowing, kicking up massive dust.
At this point, the mutated Horned People’s horns resembled the evolutionary frenzy of horned stone mad demons before the Permian.
Gold Horn: “Charge up, just charge up!”
However, the Horned People charging upslope began staggering, for there were caltrops on the slope! More fatally, a clanging sound rang out on the slope, preventing the Horned People from concentrating.
On the slope, Wu Family Army raised spears, these spears uniquely configured: besides red tassels on the spear shafts, bells were hung, and lacking enough bells, iron pieces were simply tied to spearheads to clank.
After touring the “Sky Goddess” biological base, Xuan Chong gained an overall understanding of various races’ weaknesses.
Horned People trait: Due to cranial ossification, hearing certain frequencies of metal strikes causes cochlear resonance, i.e., extreme tinnitus, severely disrupting attention if gongs and drums are beaten in battle.
This flaw was inherent in the primitive design after growing horns, unfixable by later patches.
Now these Horned People, after evil moon development, gained massive power and burst strength, but body coordination not only was not improved—flaws were amplified.
Xuan Chong specialized in coordination, fully aware of the importance of synchronized movement beyond power and agility.
Just as when tripped, arms instinctively brace the ground; facing a sweeping stick, head instinctively ducks to protect throat. Before pain perception from limbs arrives, a glance from eyes or ears triggers the brain’s top-priority preparation.
Human perception, feedback, and movement form an integrated information system.
While these Horned People, under evil moon pollution, catalytically developed in just one or two months, grew stronger but became duller and stupider.
Xuan Chong could clearly see visual blind spots on these mutated Horned People’s massive bodies.
Mutated Horned People could not keenly cover their whole bodies, relying on hearing to compensate. Once hearing disrupted, failing to prioritize vital areas led to extreme anxiety.
As they grew anxious, rows of glaring lights on the frontal position blinded the group, so as these one-to-three-zhang-tall Horned People shielded eyes with hands, chests exposed, accurately pierced by spears.
Sizzle sizzle, the sound of spears thrusting in and pulling out; corpses fell, blood flowed down the slope, then second wave Horned People charged into spears and fell below.
Wu Family Army soldiers constantly yanked damp red tassels to fling blood off, preventing it from flowing down shafts to hands and causing slips.
The brutal slaughter on the slope lasted fully three rounds of tea. These Horned People demon army that slaughtered two Feather Tribe cities, without proper equipment, just blindly charged, suffering heavy casualties.
Horned People, facing the clattering spearhead noise and the eye-stinging flashing thing on the slope, grew violent, randomly banging weapons on spearheads.
But melee fans know spear shafts are flexible; blindly smashing them just wastes stamina.
When one Horned Person like flicking chopsticks bashed a spearhead aside with a club, three other spearheads suddenly thrust, adding three bloody holes to its body.
Piercing continued, and when Horned People piled up thick before a certain array segment. Xuan Chong felt the corpse pile hindering stabbing efficiency.
Thus he ordered a volley of noisy bombs; spear soldiers retreated ten paces upslope, reforming ranks; Horned People excited, charged again, only for a gong to be thrown downslope from above, kicked around by Horned People.
Massive noise caused frontline Horned People to keep halting, rear ones anxious from the sound, starting to shove each other.
Another round of tea time, Horned People fatigued; Yao Army killing intent enhanced, began counter-charge.
Spear soldiers’ synchronized fast step downhill charge had piercing power comparable to cavalry trot thrust. Instantly these inattentive Horned People’s necks spurted blood fountains, irregularly tumbling down the slope like dewdrops scattering on trembling lotus leaves.
The Horned People were beaten to utter rout.
