Chapter 672: Chapter 400 Incredibly High Price_2
"Afterward, we may blame ourselves for many things," she whispered as she walked toward Lan Feng and Yan Xiaobao, placing a hand on their shoulders. "Although we made a mistake, these beasts fought knowing they might die in this war. Losing them is a misfortune, but they fought bravely. Never see them as beasts we killed, but as beasts who defeated the enemy." Her eyes glistened as she spoke. Yan Xiaobao understood that her words were as much for herself as they were for him, yet they comforted him greatly. Lan Feng nodded as well. He, too, knew this was not the time to question anyone’s decisions.
"Search the entire room!" Yan Xiaobao shouted, and all the beasts began looking high and low to see if any Crusaders had been left behind. After the search, it was clear there were none. They had once managed to capture the Emperor by following his scent, but now it was impossible since the Crusaders hadn’t left a single trace or footprint on the ground.
"Bring all the beasts to the garden and lay them down so we can say our farewells," Yan Xiaobao commanded. Before allowing anyone to take action, he dispatched half the army to check from the room to the garden, inspecting every corner and crevice of the garden itself before granting them freedom to move. Fortunately, it seemed the Crusaders had left the castle before Yan Xiaobao and his beast tribe entered.
....
"Sir, why are we hiding here instead of defending our Emperor?" Li Xiaopeng asked calmly, glancing around the small cavern where they had gathered. Inside, the Great Marshall and about thirty Saints from the Siban Empire sat. No Crusaders were present, nor were there any Saints or members of the Great Marshall’s family.
"We are waiting," he said patiently. "The Crusaders have been ordered to destroy the beast tribe, and they will do the hard work without our interference," he smirked. "Once the beast tribe is weakened, we will intervene and wipe them out. When they are gone, we will emerge as the heroes who saved the Siban Empire." His smile widened, revealing pearly teeth that gleamed with a devilish aura in the dim cave light.
"We don’t need the Emperor," he continued. "We’ve followed his orders for far too long, and he is unfit to be ruler. Just remember how many soldiers were sent into the Divine Domain, losing their lives, including my son’s life, wasted in that forsaken jungle."
"All we must do is defeat the Beast Army, and when the beasts within the Divine Domain are completely exterminated, we shall claim the Divine Domain for ourselves! We will become the greatest empire on the African Continent, proving that we deserve it! We will destroy the beast tribe!"
"One could almost believe you’ve had this plan all along," Li Xiaopeng remarked with a faint, sarcastic smile as he leaned against a wall. His upper body remained wrapped in bandages, and though not all his wounds had healed, he seemed unbothered. The Saints exchanged glances. Some displayed skepticism in their eyes, while others wore smiles of approval. When nods began spreading, it was clear they agreed with the plan. Smirks grew into chuckles and finally laughter as excitement for their future grew among them.
....
While the Great Marshall and his Saints remained hidden inside the mountainous cave, Yan Xiaobao and the beasts carried their fallen brothers into a beautiful garden filled with lilies. From across the city, the corpses of beasts had been brought to the garden and stacked into a massive funeral pyre. Not all beasts could fit inside the garden, so those who could fly perched on rooftops or hovered in the sky, gazing at the ceremonial fire below. Some climbed into tall trees, where they had a clear view. Yan Xiaobao allowed beasts to establish small camps within several gardens of the Imperial Castle and even inside the castle itself, but he ordered no less than four beasts at a time to keep watch over every group, ensuring no Crusaders would sneak in on them.
Yan Xiaobao and Miss Sun finally reunited with Wan Qiao’s troops. They both felt as though this had been the longest day of their lives. Exhausted and drained, anxiety over a possible nighttime attack by the Crusaders weighed heavily on them.
"Don’t worry," Wan Qiao said reassuringly. "Tonight, I will stand watch with some of my most trusted warriors to guard against any surprise moves." She laid down mats for them to sleep. "I’ve already recovered today, so my energy has returned entirely. Staying awake through the night won’t affect me. After all, I am a Saint," she said with a smile. Yan Xiaobao and Miss Sun were grateful, and as they collapsed onto their mats, their heads barely touched the soft fabric before they drifted off into dreams.
Smiling, Wan Qiao leaned against a tree and sat down, observing the many soldiers around her. She had to admit, despite spending the majority of her life in endless war, there was something enchanting about the constant movement surrounding her. Being part of something larger made her feel good, yet she feared the end of war. She wished she could travel across the land protecting its citizens—such would be her dream: to journey with her army, ensuring no one dared invade her Kingdom and harm her people.