by Tinalynge
“We will stay in this village for another hour!” Hui Yue’s voice boomed throughout the entire village, and there was not a beast who could not hear him. They all roared in reply before they started looking through the houses with increasing speed. When Hui Yue said they would leave in an hour, he meant that all the beasts had to be ready to leave by then. If they were not, he would assign them the harsh task of pulling the heavy machinery together with the buffalos, something none of the soldiers would do if they could avoid it.
Although Hui Yue knew that their movement was incredibly slow due to the many breaks he took, he was still in no rush. The longer it took for him to arrive at the capital, the more people would have heard about his army, and due to this, his four hundred thousand experts could easily grow into a million beasts in the minds of their enemy. Another plus was that it allowed for more and more people to exit the empire, something which was of utmost importance to Hui Yue. He did not wish to see humans treated like the livestock, killed in numerous amounts and later eaten by the magical beasts.
Seeing the frown on Hui Yue’s face, Wan Qiao knew exactly what he was thinking, and a sad smile appeared on her face. She was a magical beast and when she was in her original form, eating a human was something she would gladly do. On the battlefield it would be impossible to tell the beasts not to eat their opponents, they would fight with teeth and claws, and sometimes they would take a bite of their opponent. That was exactly what beasts would do while fighting. She was a beast herself, and she understood what beasts were like.
Hui Yue was now half a beast himself, and he could feel the bloodlust boiling inside his inner being, struggling to come out and rip apart the animals they came across. Keeping it in control took quite a bit of willpower, and this beastly instinct was one all the beasts shared. None of the magical beasts were herbivores, all of them enjoyed meat and the more raw it was, the happier the beasts became.
The hour went by, and Hui Yue started the march once more. Everyone was ready, and no one was punished. A couple of hours was all it had taken before they reached another small village, however this village was so small that there was no reason to stop the entire army. Instead, one of the forty armies was left behind to butchering the meat and taking all the items of use. They would then later catch up to the main army who kept moving forward.
The closer they came to the capital, the more excited everyone became. Looking at their surroundings, Hui Yue was taken aback that no one destroyed the bridges that they were crossing the rivers on. No one put down traps or in any way made it difficult for them to advance; if anything, it was incredibly easy to inch closer and closer to the capital.
Soon the entire army was gathered again, and the sun was about to set. Hui Yue called everyone to rest, and Wan Qiao looked into the distance, “We are almost there,” She said, her voice hoarse and filled with mixed emotions. Feathers kept appearing on her body as she was visibly shaken about the thoughts of finally starting a war.
“We are that close, huh?” Hui Yue said as he too looked into the distance. It was still not possible for him to see any signs of the capital apart from the roads getting larger and larger.
Neither human nor beast said anything as they both looked to the horizon. Somewhere out there their opponents were awaiting them, and the coming war to start. A day of walking and they would arrive. Only one more day and they would have to brace for the fighting. It was almost time, and Hui Yue felt his heart beating rapidly.
After some time, Hui Yue sighed deeply and felt his rational mind take over. He calmed his beating heart and somehow managed to distance him from the war. No matter what happened, he would follow the beast horde. If they lost, then he would die with them, if they won, then he would celebrate with them. Getting nervous was not going to help anyone, and Hui Yue decided to take the chance to meditate. The chance to refine more essence of the heavens and the earth while calming his mind, and not allow his doubts to grow and occupy his mind.
The entire camp was filled with noise; all the beasts were filled with energy and excitement as they knew that the following day was the time to meet the enemy. Even the Saints were walking around with sly grins on their faces. Some of them were seated together, eating their dinner while others were training in isolation, and still others were sparring against each other. Seeing the Saints react the way they were caused bloodlust to spread across all their forces, and all the lower ranked experts soon understood that they were very close to the other kingdom’s army. They were close to starting the war which they had wanted for a very long time now.
This night was not as calm as the previous ones; tension hung over all the beasts. As the hours grew long, no sound was heard from the campsite. Everyone was sitting still, counting the minutes as they waited the sun to rise into the sky. No one was sparing, not many were cultivating; the majority were just seated there waiting for the first rays of sunlight so that they could pack up camp. Pack up camp and get ready for the war they had been traveling almost a month for.
Hui Yue had quickly given up on the notion to cultivate; instead, he was sitting still like the others waiting for the light of a new day to appear so that they could start walking once again. Unlike the beasts, Hui Yue knew that it was highly unlikely that they would start fighting the following day when they reached the capital.
Hui Yue knew that although his army had trained together for some time, and although they knew the bare necessity of warfare they were far from seasoned soldiers who had been taught the art of war from youth. Due to this, the battlefield was certain to be messy. A sinister smile appeared on Hui Yue’s face as he too felt excited about the war. Although his soldiers were not the most well trained men, they had strength and determination. They would definitely wreak havoc and bring chaos.
Chapter 69 – Let the War Begin
The sun peaked over the horizon, and the campsite which was filled with silent beasts woke up much quicker than it had done any other morning. Everyone was eager to start marching; everyone was aware that today was the day that they would stand in front of their opponents for the first time. They would see the human army for the first time, and they would finally understand how the war would play out.
The landscape in front of them was flat. Plants were growing on either side of the massive road, a road which normally would be bustling with life, yet now it laid empty as everyone fled before the beast horde arrived.
Now the four hundred thousand beasts all moved slowly on the large road. The landscape was no longer filled with sparse vegetation, instead it was filled with fields that were bursting with crops. Corn and rice were left behind as the farmers fled, but the army did not stop to harvest anything. Hui Yue made a mental note to remember to give these fields to some of the beasts as a reward for their hard work, should they win the war. Some of the beasts were, after all, living life very similar to that of a human. Eating grain was something they did not mind, but it required that they had fertile soil to use. Within Shenyuan, there was some agriculture, but it was limited because the overpowering jungle was everywhere.
Although some of the beasts were still looking around curiously, tension was hanging heavily over the whole army. The beasts were vigilant as they scouted the horizon for movement or signs of the imperial capital or even better sight of the army they were to fight.
The sun was high in the sky when they finally saw a pagoda rising to the sky in the distance, and as they moved closer and closer tall buildings joined the pagoda. Soon one could see the city wall, and as they moved even closer, they started to see a sea of humans stationed outside this astonishingly tall city wall.
Looking at the towers Hui Yue had created, the young man heaved a heavy sigh of relief. He was gratified in building the towers large enough to reach the top of these walls. At first, he wondered if he truly needed to make them as large as he had; however, after considering, everything in this world seemed much larger and more astonishing than his old world. As such the young man ended up
increasing the size of all the machines, a decision he was now grateful for making.
The sea of people was in constant movement. It looked as though fierce ripples were breaking through the sea before they eventually became quiet. The army no longer moved; the horizon was instead was now filled with stern and worried looking soldiers. All of whom were fearing the beasts in front of them, yet as the beasts came closer relief could be seen in the eyes of the soldiers. Although the beasts were still frightening, they were not as numerous as they had heard, and they should know nothing about war. They were simple beasts after all.
This was the thought that the Grand Marshall of the human army had. He was certain that these beasts knew nothing about warfare, but he was slightly worried the moment he had heard that a human named Hui Yue was leading them. A human might know something about warfare, yet he was a mere King something that, although astonishing at his age, was far below the rank of a Saint. Which only made the whole situation odd, if indeed, this young man had really convinced these bloodthirsty beasts to allow him to lead their army.
Though in his thinking the Grand Marshall forgot that he too was below the Saint rank, yet he was the one controlling the Saints of the Siban Empire.
Having a pair of binoculars in front of his eyes the Grand Marshall observed as the many beasts advanced, and he soon paused on the white-haired young man who was at the front. There were many Saints by his side or just behind him, something which put a sour taste in his mouth.
This young man was without a doubt the young man Li Meilin had told them about before. The man who allowed for Li Meilin to return and warn them all about the beast horde which was coming. Looking at this good-looking young man, a frown appeared on the face of the Grand Marshall as he did not know what to do. It had indeed been a great help to them. Had they not been warned, the country would be littered with corpses, blood would flow in a steady stream, and they would most definitely have lost.
“What are you up to little man?” The Grand Marshall grumbled as he observed the young man through the binoculars. With a final snort, the Grand Marshall left the binoculars on the table by his side and pinched the back of his nose with two hands. He hated anything new that he did not understand, and this half human half beast was definitely someone he did not understand.
Standing up, the Grand Marshall went to a tall stand where he could observe every soldier in the army, and his face was stern as he fortified his voice with Qi.
“The beast horde is upon us, but fear not!” As soon as his voice sounded out, everyone quieted down and listened to what he had to say, “They might be ferocious beasts, they might be higher ranked than you, but they are nothing more than beasts! Even beasts of a higher rank can be killed by a swarm of humans. Aim for their vital points and constantly flood them with people. We may take heavy casualties, but this is the price to pay to keep our kingdom. Imagine what will happen if the beast horde wins; imagine what will happen to your families behind the city walls, should they be breached.” Every word the Grand Marshall said caused the soldiers who were previously terrified and dejected to become filled with vigor and killing intent. They no longer cared for their own health, all that mattered to them was to kill as many beasts as possible. How could they know about the deal Hui Yue had with the Saints and thereby also the entire beast horde?
“Stop!” Hui Yue raised his arm and the entire four hundred thousand beasts instantly came to a stand still. They were now one kilometer away from the opposing side, close enough for all beasts and humans to see each other. Slight nervousness appeared on the human side while the beasts were filled with killing intent and bloodlust. The main difference in attitude between the two armies was not only from their ranks but also the fact that the beast’s side was comprised of experts who had lived hundreds of years already. These experts had not spent their time on team work nor war strategies, what they spent all their time on was perfecting their own personal attacks.
“Not bad,” Hui Yue said smilingly as he looked at the many humans in front of him. Every expert awaiting them outside the city walls were of the rank below King. They had Dukes and Grand Masters, but the majority of the soldiers were all around the ranks of Practitioners and Masters; a full realm below Hui Yue’s army.
Hui Yue, having stopped his army, looked to the skies as a smile crept onto his face. He too felt the excitement that had slowly increased as they drew closer and closer to the front lines. Hui Yue felt bloodlust rising inside of him. Hui Yue had merged with both the monk and the wolf, and although the monk’s personality traits were the more domineering one, one should not forget that deep down inside the temper of a wolf still lurked. A wolf which had reached the ranks of a God, and in a situation like this, its personality slowly appeared.
Hui Yue’s teeth turned sharp, and the sinister smile on his face grew increasingly large. The atmosphere around him started to become dense, filled with killing intent. The surroundings chilled and his blue eyes turned red. The wolf deep within was about to come to life, but just before it could, Hui Yue gained control of himself. He took a few deep breaths and started to remember all the tactics from the Art of War, something which calmed himself down enough for his killing intent to settle.
The Saints were all stunned speechless. No one said a thing, but the killing intent they felt was far more murderous than the one any of them possessed. It was a killing intent one could only gain after having slaughtered millions of creatures. I could only be gained after one killed so many that they would have long forgotten who they were. This killing intent was so forceful that even the Saints felt a shiver run down their spine, and a cold sweat appear on their foreheads. This was a cold-bloodedness which showed a complete lack of compassion, the being which possessed this killing intent would not care about anyone and would kill without a second glance.
Turning around, Hui Yue smiled gently to the many Saints reacting as though nothing just happened. He chuckled amusedly as he saw the many dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
“Beasts!” Hui Yue called out, his voice so loud that even the human soldiers who stood more than a kilometer away could hear him loud and clear. His voice was steady and calm. It was as comfortable as a fresh breeze sweeping past on a warm summer day. “Beasts, we have arrived! In front of us is a the Siban Army, yet they are merely weak humans! If you want freedom, then we will have to slaughter our way through their army; if we want a place to live and allow our offspring to grow up, then fight as though there is no tomorrow!”
“This is your one and only chance! Prove to the world that beasts are nothing to joke at. Prove to the world that you have not been covering in fear behind the borders of Shenyuan. Prove to the world that we are serious about fighting for our freedom!”
Every word he spoke caused the beasts to shiver with excitement. Their eyes burned with the desire to battle. Their muscles tensed under the different skins and hides. Everyone was impatient to start the war, and even the Saints by his side were showing signs of eagerness to join the battle.
Sighing, Hui Yue could not help but smile at the many beasts who were roaring into the sky, showing their eagerness to fight, and even Hui Yue was caught by this sudden urge to start the war prematurely.
Looking at the sun in the sky, Hui Yue summoned his wings from the dantian cave and flew into the air. With the setting sun shining around him, it made him seem like an angel with a golden halo around him. Hui Yue smiled as he looked down at his soldiers.
Originally the young man planned to have the opponent make the first move. If his army was to rush into them, there was a possibility of surrounding his entire army putting them in a bad position. But right now he knew that his soldiers were far more pumped for war than they had ever been before, and, while flying in the sky, he sighed deeply and after closing his eyes for a moment opened them as a red light shone from within.
“Get into position!” He barked out an order, and all the beasts did exactly as they were told. They stood like a proper
army, line after line. All of them sprouting smiles, and some trembling with excitement while others howled uncontrollably.
Seeing that everyone was in their positions below him, Hui Yue turned away from the army and looked towards their opponents.
“Let the war begin!” He yelled loudly. With a few flaps of his golden wings, he rushed towards the enemy at his maximum speed. Below him, beasts were rushing forward. Some had transformed into their original shape while others stayed human shaped with weapons in their hands. In the sky rose one birdkind beast after another, even some dragons and winged horses appeared, and within moments, the sky was dark, filled with dangerous beasts who wished to battle the humans.
Chapter 70 – Battlefield
As Hui Yue’s yell was heard, howls, screeches, and roars filled the air making everything tremble in response. As the ground shook, the beasts did not wait any longer as some transformed back to their original shape while others kept their human form while they rushed forward. Some took to the skies, others dug underground, but the majority stayed on the ground and followed straight behind Hui Yue.
Hui Yue at the front was still relying on his wings to move forward and with a gesture to Lord Pan and Wan Qiao he pointed towards the ballista looking weapons that the opponents had placed at the back of their army. One arrow was ready to be launched into the air to impale one of the many bodies that were taking over the sky, and ensure that they would never again rise to do battle. Seeing the gesture of Hui Yue, both Saints instantly understood their job and they sped up as they headed towards the weapons.
