Forty millenniums of cul.., p.682
Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 682
Jin Tuyi crossed his hands in front of his chest while he stared at the unattractive, middle-aged member of the Feather Clan before him.
The member was the cook that he had kept in his company since he was in his hometown. Every night, when he was enjoying the Red Fire Star Spotted Oysters, the two of them would spend five minutes alone.
The cook who was particularly good at making seafood was also the head of the 'Dark Clothes Society', a special force responsible for espionage, assassination, sabotage, and intelligence under Jin Tuyi's command.
One might also say that he was the head of Jin Tuyi's personal agents.
"I didn't know that the Spore Stratagem was real and that Elder Nether Spring had planted so many spores in the coalition army of demons. Even the chief's ride was infected. It was a serious mistake on our side," the head of the Dark Clothes Society said nervously. "Thankfully, we've got the situation under control. We are definitely going to search for Elder Nether Spring's spies and eliminate every single one of them!"
"A thorough search is indeed necessary," Jin Tuyi said emotionlessly. "Even my mount was compromised by them. I do wonder, how many people around me, or rather, in the entire Feather Clan, can I trust?"
"Rest assured, chief!" The head of the Dark Clothes Society wiped off his cold sweat and gnashed his teeth. "The Dark Clothes Society will take action immediately. We will try to filter all the best soldiers of the Feather Clan and locate the spies in three days!"
"Filter, we must," Jin Tuyi said. "However, the Dark Clothes Society will be relieved of the trouble for the mission."
The head of the Dark Clothes Society was dazed. He stammered, "Chief—chief, who else do you want to complete the task if not the Dark Clothes Society?"
Right then, door knocks that were neither too heavy nor too light echoed.
Jin Tuyi smiled. He drew a pattern in midair, and the cabin door was opened slowly.
Three muscular soldiers wearing the uniform of middle-level officers walked in in a row.
Their enormous body size, the vague scent of the wilderness, and their scorching eyes instantly filled the not-at-all-small office. The head of the Dark Clothes Society was squeezed at the center.
There was a pair of thick horns above all the three officers, either straight or as curved as a saber.
"Shen Tubo, captain of 101 Snow Yak Transportation Team, reporting for duty!"
"Lu Feidu, captain of 337 Reindeer Logistics Legion, reporting for duty!
"Yang Rui, captain of 'Black Antelope' Mountain Special Force, reporting for duty!"
"This is—"
The head of the Dark Clothes Society was shuddering in confusing and fright.
Although the three young officers were from different troops and their appearances were vastly different, they had one thing in common.
There were five main clans in the Blood Demon Sector, namely the Feather Clan, the Claw Clan, the Sea Clan, the Insect Clan, and the Horn Clan.
The three officers were all from the Horn Clan, the only one of the five clans that did not have their own kingdom!
Chapter 1034: Reborn in Fire! |
Of the three main clans, three lived on the continent. Among them, the Insect Clan had obvious differences from the other two clans.
As for the Claw Clan and the Horn Clan, not all demons who had sharp claws belonged to the Claw Clan, and not all those who had thick horns were part of the Horn Clan; they were classified according to their eating habit.
The carnivorous demons, like wolves, tigers, and leopards, belonged to the Claw Clan.
The herbivorous and omnivorous demons, on the other hand, belonged to the Horn Clan, such as bull demons, goat demons, deer demons, horse demons, and even pig demons.
Perhaps because of their genes, the Horn Clan was the mildest one of the five main clans. They were not fond of aggression or fighting.
However, it did not mean that the Horn Clan was weak.
Compared to the Claw Clan, the Horn Clan was mostly larger in size and boasted more physical strength. They were mostly natural-born Herculeses.
In regard of valiance, bull demons, the largest branch in the Horn Clan, had the largest number of tough warriors. The boar warriors were the opposite of weak, too. Some other branches, such as rhino demons and mammoth demons, were as high and mighty as pillars supporting the sky. Even the most brutal tiger demons and wolf demons did not dare underestimate them.
In regard to production and construction, the bull demons, goat demons, and horse demons in the Horn Clan were the role models of hard work. They were dutiful workers who could provide steady labor.
With the joint efforts of so many branches, the Horn Clan once established a magnificent country named the Horn Flame Kingdom, which enjoyed its heyday hundreds of years ago.
However, the dominance of the Horn Flame Kingdom harmed the interests of the Kingdom of Lion Butchers and the Nether Spring Kingdom.
The Horn Clan, too straightforward to play dirty tricks, did not notice the conspiracy of the Insect Clan and the Claw Clan. Finally, two hundred years ago, it was collectively attacked by the other four superpowers and eventually perished.
But naturally, the Feather Clan and the Sea Clan did not get many benefits. Most of the territory of the Horn Flame Kingdom was divided by the Kingdom of Lion Butchers and the Nether Spring Kingdom.
After losing their country, all the branches of the Horn Clan ended up being the vassals of the other four clans. They did not have any voice in the Pantheon of Demons and lived under someone else's rule. In the coalition army of demons, they were either cannon fodder leading the charge or mediocre troops in charge of logistics or farming.
Two hundred years had passed. Demons of the Blood Demon Sector had gradually forgotten the formidable Horn Flame Kingdom. Nobody paid any attention to the Horn Clan, who had been enduring the suffering in silence.
The arrival of the three officers of the Horn Clan and their spirit, which was vastly different from the demeanor of ordinary members of the Horn Clan, made the head of the Dark Clothes Society realize what was going on.
The head of the Dark Clothes Society knew that the troops under the officers' lead did not belong to the combat troops that were supposed to invade the Heaven's Origin Sector. They were merely mediocre troops responsible for the shipment of assets.
Among them, the Black Antelope Mountain Special Force was not even a shipping troop. It was not involved in battle at all!
How did they end up here?
Jin Tuyi's face was even sunnier than before. He nodded at the three officers. "You are finally here. Everything good?"
"Reporting to the commander, our troops have been successfully deployed."
Yang Rui, captain of the Black Antelope Mountain Special Force, replied resolutely, "Besides the three of us, another twelve legions of the Horn Clan are reinforcing. It is estimated that the area around the Eye of Blood Demon will be occupied within two hours!"
"Excellent." Jin Tuyi glanced at the head of the Dark Clothes Society and said casually, "Is there anything else you want to say?"
Jin Tuyi's eyes, which were as dazzling as a shining blade, made the head of the Dark Clothes Society understand everything. Sweating, he almost fell to the ground. He panted hard and said, "Chief—chief, can you give me a chance?"
Jin Tuyi sighed, as if he were surprised that his trusted subordinate who had worked for him for decades was so ignorant of his personality as to pose such a naïve question. "Do you not know the answer?
"You don't have any chance now. But your entire family, 138 individuals in total taking everyone related to you into account, still has a chance, however slim it is.
"I know that people of your trade are all cold-hearted and do not care about the lives of one or two family members. But I wonder, do the lives of 138 family members mean anything to you?
"You've led the Dark Clothes Society for so many years. So, you must know that some of the punishments in the Dark Clothes Society are more miserable than death. In fact, some of the punishments were invented by yourself. Do you wish for your own family to be tortured by the punishments you invented?"
The head of the Dark Clothes Society shuddered, sweat and tears pouring out nonstop.
"You've followed me for so many years, and I appreciate your loyalty so far. If you want a chance, I'll give you one. This is how we are going to settle this," Jin Tuyi said calmly. "Of your 138 family members, I will spare one after you reveal one of Elder Nether Spring's spies. If you give me 138 names, I will spare your entire family, and you will even be granted a clean and quick death. The Feather Clan will pay for your grand funeral. Your family will not be involved. The prospect of your offspring will not be affected. How does that sound?"
The head of the Dark Clothes Society collapsed. He kneeled before Jin Tuyi and shrieked, "Hear my words, chief! My communication with Elder Nether Spring has always been one-way. I know three to four suspects at best. How can I possibly know 138 of the conspirators? Please give me another chance, chief!"
"It doesn't matter." Jin Tuyi smiled. "It's very simple. If you confess a suspect, the suspect will be your 'referral'. If your 'referral' confesses a suspect, that is equivalent to half a confession for you. So, as long as your referral confesses more referrals, half, half plus another half, perhaps you will be able to make 138.
"If you can't, nothing can be helped. You might as well take the time to think about who in your family should be executed and who should be kept alive.
"Right. Don't bite randomly because you want to save more of your family members. If the investigation proves that you have accused an innocent individual, the deal we made just now will lose effect, and I will let all your family members die in front of your eyes.
"I promise that they will not be dead until three days and three nights later, and during the three days and three nights, you won't even be able to close your eyes.
"I promise."
The head of the Dark Clothes Society screamed at the top of his voice. "Chief, chief, I am suspicious about some of them, but I am not certain that they are Elder Nether Spring's spies!"
"If you are suspicious, just tell me dutifully that you are suspicious. Confess all the anomalies and the reasons for suspecting them. I will make a judgement myself."
"Understood." The head of the Dark Clothes Society breathed hard in pain below everyone's feet like a fish whose bones had been removed.
Jin Tuyi waved his hands. "Take him away. Act immediately when he gives a name!"
The three officers all acknowledged the command, but Shen Tubo, captain of the 101 Snow Yak Transportation Team, was absolutely still like an iron tower.
Jin Tuyi seemed to have foreseen their reactions. He sat down in the chair and asked, "Anything else?"
"Yes, commander!" Shen Tubo, who had white, long fur all over his body and was as magnificent as a large yak, replied loudly. "Commander, you once told us that you would help the Horn Clan take back the glory that belongs to us, that the five clans would be completely equal, that we would have a more important place in the coalition army of demons!
"At that time, we thought that it was impossible!
"But today, we have really seen a glimmer of hope that the Horn Clan will rise again. That is why we are willing to obey and work for the commander!
"However, it never occurred to us that the glimmer of hope would be exchanged for the overall interests of the Blood Demon Sector!
"It is true that the Horn Clan has lived under someone else's roof for more than two hundred years. We've suffered the enslavement of the Kingdom of Lion Butchers and the Nether Spring Kingdom. We crave for a new world where all clans are equal!
"But we do not want the rise of the Horn Clan to jeopardize the interests of the Blood Demon Sector.
"After all, for the bull demons, goat demons, and deer demons, we have the same identity—the Horn Clan. But beyond the Horn Clan, we have a higher identity. We all belong to the demon race!
"First and foremost, we are members of the demon race. Then, we are members of the Horn Clan. In the end, we are bull demons, goat demons, and deer demons!
"Therefore, we all need an answer here. Is the destruction of the Eye of Blood Demon really a coincidence?"
"You seem to believe that I have done something that seriously jeopardized the interests of the Blood Demon Sector?" Jin Tuyi replied without giving an answer.
Shen Tubo frowned and said, "The destruction of the Eye of Blood Demon caused the death of more than ten demon emperors and tremendous elite soldiers. Our strategy has been grasped by the Heaven's Origin Sector!
"The Red Tide Plan has failed. We have lost. It's impossible for us to conquer the Heaven's Origin Sector!
"Isn't that jeopardizing the Blood Demon Sector?"
Jin Tuyi slowly rose up. Holding the desk, he looked down upon the three young officers and demanded, one word after another, "Who told you that the Red Tide Plan failed? Who told you that we cannot conquer the Heaven's Origin Sector anymore?"
The three young officers were dumbfounded. Shen Tubo stammered, "But the Eye of Blood Demon has been destroyed. So many demon emperors and soldiers were killed, too. What can we resort to if we wish to conquer the Heaven's Origin Sector?"
Jin Tuyi smiled casually. "It's true that the Eye of Blood Demon has been destroyed, and our warriors suffered heavy losses, but it doesn't mean the failure of the Red Tide Plan. On the contrary, the Red Tide Plan has just kicked off to a very successful start, and the secret weapon of our race is nothing but ready."
The three young officers were stunned. Even the head of the Dark Clothes Society, who was writhing on the ground, was bulging his eyes in astonishment!
[Secret weapon? Could there be a secret weapon more powerful than the Eye of Blood Demon?
[How is that possible?
Jin Tuyi opened his eyes. Two invisible flames seemed to be burning in his palms. His eyes were deep, passionate, and pure. There was inviolable solemnity as well as enticing charisma in his voice as he said, "I do not think that I have harmed the interests of the Blood Demon Sector. On the contrary, everything I did was for our race to be reborn in fire after falling for ten thousand years and to achieve the sacred and glorious goal of conquering the Heaven's Origin Sector, the Flying Star Sector, and even more worlds until we are dominators of the sea of stars again!
"Obliteration! Rebirth! Immortality! This is the creed for our race!
"Now that 'obliteration' has come, will 'rebirth' and 'immortality' be far away?"
"I don't understand, commander," Shen Tubo said, "We don't understand!"
"You don't need to." Jin Tuyi narrowed his eyes and gnashed his teeth. "You only need to completely trust me, obey me, and follow me, for the future of the Blood Demon Sector and our race!"
The three officers of the Horn Clan looked at each other in bewilderment. Suppressed by Jin Tuyi's overwhelming aura, they eventually bent.
Falling onto one knee, they bashed their chests hard and simultaneously announced, "Yes, commander. As the representatives of the thirty-three legions of the Claw Clan, we will absolutely trust you, obey you, and follow you!"
"I will not disappoint you. The ultimate version of the Red Tide Plan will not be sabotaged so easily."
Jin Tuyi flapped his wings and unleashed gentle strength that supported the three young officers.
"Alright. Take action now. I want Elder Nether Spring's every maggot to be unearthed and burnt by the sun before dawn!"
Chapter 1035: Great Reshuffle! |
The night was still dark. As the three satellites separated again, the tides within the bloody lake finally died down.
However, the tides around the Eye of Blood Demon had only just started surging and sweeping the entire land.
The well-trained legions were scattered apart by the savaging tidal force. Soldiers of the Insect Clan, the Claw Clan, the Sea Clan, and the Feather Clan were mixed up. They did not know each other and could not find their captains. They had also lost valuable gear and assets, and there was no one to command them.
Right at that moment, they were informed that terrible spores and Elder Nether Spring's spies were probably lurking among them. They had to set up camp on the spot, waiting to receive the virus test. Also, they were eyeing the strange soldiers around them vigilantly, fearing that they might be spores.
Under such circumstances, the air was tense, and everybody was panicking. A cough was enough to draw almost twenty sabers.
The best warriors of the Blood Demon Sector became an ununified force who were monitoring each other warily. They had lost the combat ability as an army.
Jin Tuyi took the opportunity to mobilize a large number of logistics legions made of the Horn Clan and ask them to occupy the strategical locations outside of the Eye of Blood Demon.
At any other time, the logistics legions were certainly no match for the elite soldiers.
However, right now, the elite soldiers had been scattered and lost their commanders and supplies, but the mediocre logistics legions were still in neat battle formations.
They were responsible for delivering food, crystals, and ammunition for the frontline in the first place. All the assets prepared for the war were almost entirely under the logistics legions' control!
As a result, the logistics troops became the only steady forces at the night of havoc.
With the help of the forces, Jin Tuyi had the situation under control, too.
With the Spore Stratagem confirmed, all the soldiers of the coalition army of demons had to receive the most rigorous test.
To perform a virus test on the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, one medical warship was far from enough. When dawn was near, another three medical warships arrived, and a lot of medics established a temporary quarantine facility on the ground.
But what they were testing for was much more than a simple virus.
Many middle-level and high-level demons of various clans, after entering Bloodborne, were invited to the secret chamber deep inside the warship after taking various turns.
