Chapter 446

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Chapter 446: The Exiled State (1)

The mercenaries didn’t have any objections. If they split up, they would have an extra way out.

Protecting the Demon Kingdom princess was obviously more dangerous, but there was an additional requirement: taking the panda with them.

The panda was too noticeable and didn’t know how to transform. Dundun, being a martial officer, had the ability of a battlefield leader. Going back to Bai Ze Kingdom would allow him to be more effective on the battlefield.

At first, the panda completely disagreed, but then it looked at Bai Wei and seemed to think of something, easily agreeing.

Chao Lu didn’t want to part with the silly panda. They had been relying on each other for months. She had to coax and give all sorts of orders, just like a mother raising a kitten.

Before dawn the next day, the group dispersed. The mercenaries rode away, intentionally leaving obvious traces for the black fox scouts to follow.

Bai Wei and Chao Lu waited until noon the next day, after three groups of scouts had passed, before leaving the forest and taking a detour to Liu State.

Chao Lu asked, "Why do we need to go to the Yaozu Imperial Court?"

Bai Wei said, "If anyone can save your Bai Ze Kingdom, it can only be the current legitimate heir of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, the Third Princess."

The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is now like the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Lord Qiongqi and the Xiangliu family are very powerful, but the other vassal states were not immediately destroyed.

Just like the Qin and Zhao states in the past, they were once strong.

However, all the formerly powerful overlords of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period gradually decayed and had many underlying problems.

In history, the Great Qin swept through the six states… What does "swept" mean? It means that no one could fight against them. The Great Qin unified the world during the Warring States Period in just ten years.

Before this, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period lasted for more than two hundred years. Before the Great Qin swept the six states, the Zhou Dynasty had not officially perished. The Son of Heaven of the Zhou Dynasty was still the emperor, and this legitimacy was very important.

The Demon Emperor of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom left behind the Third Princess and a young child, but it is almost impossible for this young child to inherit the throne. Everyone’s attention is focused on the Third Princess. Among the current vassals, whoever can obtain the Third Princess can easily integrate into the bloodline of the Demon Emperor, effortlessly gain legitimacy, and easily seize the country.

The reason why this was not possible during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was because women didn’t hold much status. Princesses themselves were not highly regarded. A daughter who was married off was like water being splashed away… But the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is different in that it places great importance on bloodline. Bloodline is mysterious and the fundamental source of power. The Third Princess, who remains in the Demon Kingdom’s palace, still holds a revered status. Unless a vassal truly unifies the world, no one dares to easily emulate Dong Zhuo.

Chao Lu, a citizen of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, understood what Bai Wei said very well.

She is officially the princess of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, but her status cannot be compared to the Third Princess.

She knows the Third Princess. The Bai Ze Kingdom is located on the border, but they have always been loyal to the royal family of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. That’s why she is confused by Bai Wei’s statement.

"The Third Princess is in the Demon Kingdom court, which is located in the heartland of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. It is undoubtedly the capital. To reach the imperial palace in the capital, one needs to cross the Liu State and pass through the territory of Lord Ba Xia… Ba Xia and Lord Qiongqi have formed an alliance based on their interests. Even if there are nine thousand armored soldiers in the imperial court, it is impossible for them to come to the aid of the Bai Ze Kingdom."

"If you’re talking about the military, that’s true," Bai Wei admitted to her considerations. "Currently, the entire Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, unless Xiangliu Clan deploys its army, Lord Qiongqi is determined to fight till the end. However, internal conflicts within Xiangliu Clan are quite severe now. The development of Liu State, which has found a safe haven, satisfies their interests for a long time… Apart from that, no one can save the Bai Ze Kingdom."

"Then, is there any need to go to the imperial court?"

Bai Wei said, "War is a continuation of politics. From the military perspective, the imperial court cannot help you, but in terms of politics, it might be different."

Chao Lu said bitterly, "The war has already started. What’s the use of politics now? We have to finish the fight first."

Bai Wei said, "Yes, we have to finish the fight first… But after fighting for so long, have we achieved anything?"

Chao Lu was taken aback.

Bai Wei continued, "Bai Ze is a small and weak country. It’s been a long time, but we still haven’t conquered it. We all know that it won’t survive this winter. Despite that, it has managed to last five more years. Lord Qiongqi has spent so much military power here, yet he still can’t defeat the small Bai Ze Kingdom. It’s quite funny… Everyone believes that he is determined to conquer Bai Ze Kingdom, but I believe that the internal military and political pressure on him is also overwhelming."

From this point on, Bai Wei was actually reciting word for word the entire conversation he had with Wang Yu at the consulate.

"Even if we conquer Bai Ze Kingdom, what’s next? We need to gather the displaced people, rebuild the cities, and attract investments. These things require upfront investment and careful management. Bai Ze Kingdom took more than a hundred years to develop. How many years will Lord Qiongqi need?"

"How does he attract merchants from the Ming Country? He must know how much profit to give these merchants and how to negotiate specific tariff issues with the Ming Country. Once the order is disrupted, it cannot be restored simply by conquering it."

"It’s very easy to kill someone. Just one swift strike and it’s done. But conquering and ruling a territory is much harder… That’s why the Great Qin Empire unified the country but ultimately perished in the second generation. The empire was too eager and took too much at once, causing its foundation to become unstable."

"If we take a step back, even if Lord Qiongqi manages to solve all these problems in the end, how much time will it take? How much manpower and resources need to be invested before that? Once the trade routes are established, how long will it take to recover the costs? Ten years? Twenty years?"

"From Lord Qiongqi’s perspective, he may not suffer any losses… But his subordinates might not be able to wait that long. A hard bone that couldn’t be conquered in five years, and even if it is conquered, it will still take time to rebuild. This has already deviated from the initial plan."

At this point, Bai Wei couldn’t help but think of another battle. "There have been similar lessons in history. Once a blitzkrieg turns into a stalemate… the attacking side will surely suffer heavy losses."

Unfortunately, Bai Ze Kingdom lacks strategic depth, a large population, and industrial potential like the Sukarno Empire.

Chao Lu understood and said, "So maybe we can force Lord Qiongqi to retreat through political manipulation?"

Bai Wei calmly replied, "Of course it’s not that simple. At least with just you and me, it’s definitely not possible."

Chao Lu sighed, "I think so too. It will definitely be difficult. The spirits are actually very patient, because they have lived for a long time. In this war, I always feel that even if we fight for another ten years or twenty years, it will continue."

"The spirits have a long lifespan, unlike humans. This is annoying. To him, ten or twenty years may not make much difference compared to a few months. Damn it, living for a long time is so tiring." Bai Wei envied and cursed for a moment, then turned to look at Chao Lu and asked, "By the way, how long can you live?"

"Bai Ze is a rare and mystical creature. There are only five Bai Ze in the world, including me, my father, and my second uncle…"

"That’s not the answer to the question."

"Work hard, maybe for ten thousand years." Chao Lu blinked, "It might have been a while, but I haven’t seen any old Bai Zes."

"What happened to the past Bai Zes?"

"They died in battle or disappeared in the Great Wilderness," Chao Lu said. "The Bai Ze who followed Ji Xuanyuan is one of my ancestors."

"I remember this. Ji Xuanyuan’s pendant on his leg, and compiling various strange creatures from the Great Wilderness and the dark history of gods." Bai Wei still vividly remembers this, "I found it strange that he wasn’t cooked."

"Hmm, he must be living well, probably in West Kunlun…"

"Tsk…" Bai Wei had no response.

"Because living for too long can be lonely. The body won’t age, but the soul will grow old." Chao Lu whispered softly, "So, many times when we encounter the right person, we want a child, no matter when or where. At least, we long for comfort in the future."

Her eyes were somewhat dim. She probably didn’t have the option to spend her life with someone she liked, and she might not even leave any descendants in the world. Bai Ze is a divine beast, and reproduction also requires a cycle. It’s definitely not possible in just a few days.

She had previously hoped to leave something behind for this world, but unfortunately, it’s simply too late.

Bai Wei looked at her curiously, "Oh? So, are your parents the result of a lucky draw after a battle?"

Chao Lu sighed softly, "Young Master Bai, please stop talking nonsense. That’s not what I meant… Hmph!"

The two of them rode forward and caught a glimpse of a pass between the mountain paths. There were guards and a sergeant conducting inspections. This place wasn’t strategically important, as it was built beside the mountains and was a detour. Not a single traveler could be seen in half a day. These demon soldiers were quick and decisive.

From afar, Bai Wei saw a procession of merchants passing by. The demonic soldier captain used the excuse of inspecting the goods to actually demand benefits.

The currency in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is based on gold, but the currency of the Ming Country and the Dragon Coins are also accepted here. Except for the local currency, everything else is accepted.

It’s not easy for merchants to operate in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom. Most businesses are run by gangs. However, in this chaotic era where feudal lords rise, gangs also need to have some support.

He thought he could just pay and move on, but a servant boy with mud on his face who was following the merchant procession had his headscarf torn off by a sharp-eyed soldier. Under the headscarf, there were three thousand dark strands of hair. The soldier opened his water pouch and splashed water on it, washing off the mud, and revealing a delicate and young face.

At first glance, Bai Wei thought it was a human, but quickly realized it wasn’t. There was a different aura, and something was off about the waist. Under her dress, there was a scaly snake tail. She was a red-scaled snake demon.

"She belongs to the snake girl clan," Chao Lu said.

"Do you know her?"

"My father mentioned them. Snake girls are enchanting and alluring, greatly sought after by influential figures from various countries. The Bai Ze Kingdom doesn’t engage in human trafficking, but such activities are not uncommon. It is said that the Camia tribe in Europa and the snake girl clan have similar bloodline, but the status and treatment differ greatly between different countries."

Chao Lu continued, "Most snake girls come from the Jiuyin family, which consists of hundreds of snake tribes. They were once a dominant force among the feudal lords. However, they angered the West Kunlun after injuring a celestial maiden, and were subsequently killed by Luwu. After their death, they transformed into the icy abyss and volcanic lands. The snake tribe declined and was forced to scatter. Snake people either became laborers or objects of human trafficking. Over time, the number of snake girls became scarce, and the demand exceeded the supply."

Bai Wei sighed and sarcastically said, "They really made use of all the resources."

He fully understood because in the imperial era, the Kamya tribe was treated as slaves, and they were indeed exceptionally talented in this area. They could even squeeze the life out of fully grown strong minotaur, second only to the terrifying dream demons.

The red phosphorus snake girl revealed her identity, but only a few people from the caravan came to help. Some were secretly pleased, others looked confused. Only the guards and the sergeant turned red-faced and breathed heavily. They realized they were about to make a fortune.

Bai Wei said, "Let’s go."

Chao Lu asked, "Is it over now?"

Bai Wei said, "I dislike slavery."

How dare something that I personally got rid of revive in front of me?

Am I not someone who doesn’t care about reputation?