Drums of War

by Tinalynge

  Shadow Wolf was created from the corruption in the souls Hui Yue had absorbed. Every soul contained both good and bad, and while the good was absorbed into Hui Yue’s own soul, the bad was stored in his body. These bad emotions corrupted one’s soul unless it was removed and one of such skills to remove it was the Shadow Wolf which allowed for all the vile, hate, and anger to be released from the depth of his soul. He allowed for all the evil thoughts of the souls to manifest, and as they did, they created a ferocious animal in his shadow. He created something that corrupted everything it touched. It was a creature created from pure malice, and as it looked at the tall Saint, a soundless sneer could be seen on its face. Pouncing at the Saint, the Shadow Wolf showed no fear of the hammer which came to meet it, and unexpectedly, as soon as the hammer touched the wolf its surface started to bubble and ooze. The metal started to melt from corruption while the beast seemed completely unharmed.

  Whistling, Hui Yue had to admit that the Shadow Wolf was truly a wolf made from a shadow. The moment the hammer descended upon it, the hammer went right through the Shadow Wolf because the body was created from Hui Yue’s shadow. Physical attacks had no way of harming it. Seeing this, Hui Yue could not help but send a prayer of thanks towards the red wolf and the abilities he created which Hui Yue could now use.

  The Saint looked as his hammer with astonishment on his face, and his expression turned grim quite quickly. The man stored the hammer in his storage stone as the Shadow Wolf pounced at him one time after another only to be narrowly dodged by the tall Saint time and time again.

  The more the Shadow Wolf moved, the less the ground underneath it oozed and bubbled. It was obvious that the malice within the souls could only fuel the Shadow Wolf for so long, and Hui Yue had no other option than to withdraw Black Blood once more. Looking at the tall Saint in front of him, Hui Yue felt his entire body turned cold. To kill him, Hui Yue needed to try something incredibly dangerous, and he was uncertain if he would be able to keep his life even with the green pearl healing him as much as it could.

  “Well, I won’t win otherwise,” He mumbled to himself as his muscles became taut. His eyes sharpened, and his entire being got ready to pounce together with the Shadow Wolf. While Hui Yue forced the tall Saint to dodge the Shadow Wolf, he launched himself in the direction where the Saint moved while dodging.

  The tall Saint realized his mistake too late, and although he managed to swing his hammer, the damage it did was far smaller than what it had done every other time. Unfortunately, this time, it hit his much more delicate place. Hit slammed into his face causing the whole side of his face to show both the white bony skull and the muscles attached to the skull along with his flesh. Even his teeth were visible as it all shattered under the hammer of the tall Saint. Half of his face had been thoroughly destroyed, and the Saint could not help but feel smug, satisfied with finally killing Hui Yue. Until he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. The ‘dying’ Hui Yue looked at him with his one good eye. A smile appeared on his face as the gaping wound slowly but surely healed. The tall Saint looked down only to see blood running out of the wound in his chest. Blood welled up into his mouth and with a few gagging sounds, the blood forced its way through his closed lips.

  The Saint was clearly unwilling to accept his fate. Although he was many times stronger than Hui Yue, he had still succumbed to the younger man’s strange strength. Turning around, Hui Yue found that none of the two armies were fighting. Everyone was observing the battle between him and the tall Saint. The faces of the enemy were filled with disbelief, and the faces of his brothers in arms were even more astonished. No one expected the young man to win, but here he was, the victor of the battle. Seeing this, the enemy soldiers slowly retreated while Hui Yue gestured for his men to withdraw. The battles for today ended with their overwhelming victory, but Hui Yue was anything but happy.

  He had won the fight this day due to the green pearl lending him its powers. Looking at the green pearl it had shrunk to one-tenth the size it had before, clearly incapable of assisting him again, should he meet another Saint. Hui Yue all too well remembered the Saint Wan Qiao fought. Sighing deeply, he decided to return to camp and head straight to the infirmary to visit the One-Horned Jasmine Eagle and see how she was doing. While checking on her, he would also take the time to restore his energy for the fierce battle coming tomorrow. They had to keep pressuring their opponents. They had to fight their best to win the beasts their freedom.

  Chapter 86 – It Is Time

  Retreating from the battlefield, Hui Yue heard complaints from the beasts atop the wall. They wished to jump down. They wanted to overrun the city, and they wanted to finish this war once and for all. Hui Yue, on the other hand, was not as eager to rush the city as the rest of the beasts. He had seen how the opponent easily withdrew. The Crusaders had only appeared once yet they had not done anything spectacular. Thinking about the Crusaders, Hui Yue was cautious. He had met them before, and he knew that they were in no way simple. Seeing that they had not done much so far, Hui Yue knew that they, and maybe even some extra Saints, were lying in wait for them to become overconfident. Instead, Hui Yue spoke in a voice no one would dare go against with one simple but forceful order, “Retreat!”

  At first, the eager beasts were not certain that they wanted to follow orders, but with one glance at their Grand Marshall, they all started moving back. Seeing an expert who had just killed a Saint while he, himself, was a mere King was simply so awe-inspiring that they dared not go against him. If he could manage one Saint, who was to say that they would come unscathed from an argument with him.

  “That f*cking bastard!” The Grand Marshall of the Siban Royal Army cursed as he saw how the beasts slowly retreated from the city wall. “Since when are beasts this cautious? If it weren’t for that half breed, they would have lost time and time again,” He continued as he observed what happened on the wall beneath him. No matter what he had done, everything ended in a devastating loss one time after another as the beasts did not fall for his traps. Instead, they battled the way an experienced army would. They had not managed to lower their numbers enough to be worth the heavy losses they had sustained. The Saints had fought well, but now his strongest Saint was injured and his second in command had fallen at the hands of the enemy’s Grand Marshall. If even the second in command was defeated, how would they stand up to this young troublesome white-haired kid?

  “Well, be as cautious as you wish,” The Grand Marshall finally said as he stared at the retreating beast army, “At one point you will need to enter the city and then you will learn how hard we can fight.” He swore as his hateful eyes watched the departing beasts.

  Returning to camp, the first thing Hui Yue did was visit Wan Qiao to see how she was doing. The One-Horned Jasmine Eagle was now awake, and she was getting stronger and stronger by the day. Hui Yue wished that her rapid recovery kept up. He was not willing to enter the city without her because he knew his skills were lacking. After the match against the tall Saint, Hui Yue understood that although he used everything he had, he was not strong enough to defeat Saints just yet. At least not without the support of the green pearl.

  Taking a step back and calming himself, he allowed his consciousness to slip into his lower dantian where he looked at the green pearl. The pearl was much smaller than it had ever been before. All the healing energy within it had been completely used up. Even though the green pearl said that it would not help him at all for the next month, Hui Yue quickly knew that this was not because of unwillingness, it was just as much caused by inability. The energy within her had all been used.

  Looking at this one tiny green pearl, Hui Yue felt gratitude warm his soul. He knew that the green pearl had truly saved his life when he fought the Saint. Although she sounded hesitant and very annoyed, she still allowed for her energy to be used to ensure that he did not die. “This pearl is the biggest mystery,” Hui Yue mumbled to himself as he wondered exactly what motivated the life behind the green pearl within h
im.

  Sighing deeply, Hui Yue was aware that it was not possible for him to fight another Saint the way he fought the tall Saint by completely ignoring his well being to desperately attack. Jumping in front of a massive warhammer had been daunting. Taking one hit after another filled him with excruciating pain, yet the young man kept going. He had complete and utter faith in the pearl’s ability to heal him. In her capacity to keep him just one step away from death’s door and, fortunately, she didn’t let him down. At first, his wounds healed almost instantly, but as the battle carried on, he felt the speed slow down. The potency of her healing decrease, and the pain he felt increase. He knew his final attack had been a great risk. To take a warhammer to the face, he could have easily died. But the green pearl forced her final drops of healing energy through his body and slowly reformed his face. His flesh returned to its original shape; the destroyed skin once more become beautiful and unmarked.

  Deciding no longer to think about how wrong it could have gone, Hui Yue left the infirmary only to find the lords outside the tent. Their faces were filled with questions, yet none of them seemed to know where to start.

  “Hui Yue,” Lord Pan cleared his throat as he took a step forward. His action causing the other Saints to look pleased and nod their heads, and more than a few of them went as far as stepping backwards a bit. “We were wondering… what your rank is?” He asked carefully. He was not willing to offend someone who had an unknown amount strength. The tall Saint whom he fought was in no way a simple foe. Even these Saints would have a hard time fighting him. To see their Grand Marshall, whom they assumed to be a King ranked expert, kill a Saint ranked expert caused these Saints to be greatly shocked, not to mention the astonishing healing ability he showed. His attacks were different from anything they had ever seen before, and none of them truly understood them.

  They knew his elemental affinities were Fire, Earth, and Metal. Hui Yue himself informed them about this back in Shenyuan, yet the healing he had shown was definitely of the Wood attribute, something he should not possess. And even if he did possess the Wood affinity, for him to be capable of instantly healing himself, this was something all of the Saints were incapable of doing.

  “I am a King ranked expert,” Hui Yue said with a sigh. “However, I know a few abilities which allow me to boost my strength. This ability comes at a heavy cost, but you need not worry,” He continued with a smile, “I will not take any fame from the rest of you tomorrow. I will not be able to battle a Saint for quite some time.” Although Hui Yue was not telling the actual truth, he was not far away either, and his honesty caused the Saints to nod their heads in approval. He was their Grand Marshall after all. It was only natural that he had secrets which allowed for him to boost his strength. The Saints which felt intimidated at first were now bursting with pride for their Grand Marshall. He faced off against an overwhelming enemy and still emerged victorious. Even though they were incapable of understanding what kind of strength was hiding within the body of the white-haired young man, the entire army celebrated the defeat of the tall Saint.

  “As long as they are busy celebrating rather than questioning me then it’s all good,” Hui Yue mumbled to himself as he glanced at the Siban capital city in front of them. He knew that he needed to enter the city soon. The battles on the city walls had shown over and over again that the beasts were the stronger army, but the young man could not shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong should he chose to enter the city. As for why he felt like this, the young man had absolutely no idea.

  ….

  The following day came, but the entire army was surprised when they heard that Hui Yue wanted them to stay in the camp all day. They were given orders to fully replenish their energy. To train so that they were at their peak tomorrow, and finally to get as many wounded beasts back in the game as possible. Hui Yue was especially looking forward to Wan Qiao’s return.

  The day went by as Hui Yue ordered. Although the soldiers and the Saints were curious why he came up with such an order, no one questioned what he said; they all did what was expected of them. Hui Yue spent the entire day in the infirmary. He saw how one beast after another was returned to active duty, and he felt that their strength was soaring to the heavens. Even if they were to run into the Crusaders, Hui Yue’s forces should be able to overpower them. Should be able to defeat them with numbers, a tactic which the Siban Empire also tried yet failed miserably. “We are not the same as them,” Hui Yue promised himself as he shook his head. “They were far weaker than we are. They were not strong at all while my soldiers are all highly skilled.” He assured himself time and time again.

  While Hui Yue was stressed and feeling the pressure of the war weighing down upon him, the rest of the beast army was the most relaxed they had been since they left the Shenyuan forest. They spent their time training, cultivating, and conversing about the war. Talking about why they had still not rushed into the city and what exactly their Grand Marshall was wasting time doing.

  The Saints were as curious about what went on within Hui Yue’s mind as all the other soldiers, yet none of them asked him. They all seemed to trust him unconditionally, and they decided to take the day to relax much like the soldiers chatting the time away as they enjoyed the break. They felt that if they were truly needed for something, then Hui Yue would no doubt impose on them.

  Only Hui Yue knew what he was waiting for. One of these things was Wan Qiao and as the day went by she got better and better until she finally was able to leave the infirmary. Seeing this, Hui Yue had a great smile on his face. He knew that what he did was not only a benefit to him but also an advantage for the Siban Empire. Much like he had time to train and heal, the wounded soldiers of the Siban Empire also had enough time to heal and recuperate. Although this was true, Hui Yue felt like he needed to make his decision as he was worried about how the final battle against the Siban Empire would turn out.

  Sighing deeply, he looked at the many Saints around him saying, “Gather up,” With a low voice. Every Saint instantly left their peaceful surroundings to stand right in front of him, awaiting the orders he was to give.

  “I am sorry that it took this long,” Hui Yue said with an apologetic smile on his face. Although the Saints shook their heads in disagreement, or to say that it was no problem, Hui Yue still felt that he had taken too long. Sighing he continued, “Tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow we will get ready for the final battle.”

  The words were spoken calmly with a low voice, yet the words seemed to travel through the entire camp. Every beast heard them. Every beast stood up in surprise. The many faces turned to astonishment; happiness and eagerness quickly shone forth. This was what they had waited for. This was the final stretch. Their freedom was within their grasp.

  Chapter 87 – The Final Clash

  The night passed by quickly and every beast was restless in the camp. Some tried to train, yet they were incapable of focusing on refining the essence of the heavens and the earth. Others tried sparring, but they were all too cautious. No one wished to be wounded just in time for the final clash.

  Hui Yue was seated within his tent. Next to him was a table and the small space was covered with chairs as all the Saints decided to wait in Hui Yue’s tent. Some were drinking wine from crystal glasses, others were deep in discussion about the outcome of the war, while yet others were busy eating snacks as if nothing major was going to happen soon.

  Although it was Hui Yue’s tent, the Grand Marshall seemed to be the only one who was left alone this is what he preferred. He was standing in a corner with part of the table next to him full of maps made by his soldiers, maps that showed the layout of the city. They were made by flying beasts who purposely flew above the city while memorizing the layout of streets, houses, and the castle’s location within the city.

  Looking at the map, Hui Yue knew that his troops had to be split up when they rushed the city. Getting rid of all the enemies within the city would be no easy task, and even more so because he n
eeded to reach the Imperial Palace and take the emperor prisoner. Only then would they win this war.

  Unfortunately, Hui Yue was not certain if it would be easy for them to storm the city. The Crusaders awaited them as well as their Saints. If one of his armies ran into the Saints without Saints in their own group, then they would be wiped out easily.

  Thinking about this, Hui Yue positioned a lord to travel with each group of soldiers. This way no one would be without Saintly protection. He would move with Wan Qiao’s group. Their job would be to rush towards the emperor’s quarters while the rest would wreak havoc in the city. Their orders were simple if anyone tried to escape then let them escape. If anyone tried to fight back, then they were to kill them. Hui Yue wanted to be fair to the humans, but he was not willing to sacrifice his beasts to do so. The Siban Empire had already proven that although they were humans, their view on human life was far inferior to the one the beasts had.