Chapter 621: Chapter 377: Helpless_2
The more Yan Xiaobao spoke, the brighter the Lord’s face became, and soon a radiant smile appeared on his face. His eyes were no longer filled with dissatisfaction but rather with excitement.
"So you’re saying we might be attacked? This is something I never considered. Sounds like I should stay here and protect our land!" he declared loudly, a boisterous laugh escaping the lips of the now very satisfied Lord. "As long as I’m here to defend it, no one can do anything to my Divine Domain!" he proudly said, standing up. "In that case, I will make sure all the brothers living here with me know that we need to defend our land!" he said before leaving the library, exiting past Wan Qiao and Yan Xiaobao.
Yan Xiaobao remained calm and resumed drinking his tea. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warm liquid slowly coursing through his whole body, bringing him the relaxation only a short break with a cup of tea could provide.
"Well done," Wan Qiao finally said after some time. She looked at Yan Xiaobao with eyes full of amazement at how easily he stopped Lord Chen.
"I tried to persuade him before," she said, "I told him you’ve assigned everyone their tasks, and we can’t change that. I told him refusing to listen is what gets people killed, but he wouldn’t listen. He became so serious that he started hitting me. How could I leave him? Anyone who tries to hit me asks for a beating," Wan Qiao continued, trying her best to let Yan Xiaobao understand their previous situation. After all, she was quite embarrassed about the performance she had put on earlier when she destroyed her door, splitting it into thousands of pieces. Each piece either grazed Yan Xiaobao’s body or pierced that dashing young man, severely injuring him.
"What’s done is done," Yan Xiaobao said with a smile, understanding that Wan Qiao was doing her best to explain what had happened. "I actually came to find you to tell you that we’ll soon be ready to set out," Yan Xiaobao said, a smile brightening his expression.
"We have enough gold and supplies. We will start the war in two days," he said. As he spoke, his eyes lit up, and a smile curled up on his lips. Hearing his words, Wan Qiao felt the same. Her eyes brightened with excitement, and the smile on her lips responded to Yan Xiaobao. The two, beast and human, sat side by side, each with a cup of tea, saying nothing. The smiles played on their lips as both reflected on what had just been said. In two more days, they would begin their advancement toward the Siban Empire. The two days passed quickly. After leaving the library, Yan Xiaobao personally visited each Lord, telling them what he had told Wan Qiao. They now had the capital and provisions needed to start the war, and the army had been ready for about a week. With the Saints busy packing their belongings, the army had no reason to wait any longer. The troops began dismantling the encampment outside the city.
Some groups began returning to their homelands since they were not participating in the war, and when their Lords left the castle, the guards followed behind them. After two days had passed, the only ones remaining were the four hundred thousand experts Yan Xiaobao had previously trained. These four hundred thousand beasts made up the army of the Divine Domain.
The tents had been loaded into storage stones, and everything that made up the encampment was nowhere to be seen. The only thing left was soldiers lined up in rows, ready to depart. The group was set to travel on the largest highway within the Divine Origin, and as Yan Xiaobao saw the army, pride swelled within his heart.
"Lords!" he shouted in a voice full of authority. The forty Saints Team members stood in front of him, lined up. Some of them had smiles on their faces, while others held serious expressions. Some were excited, and others looked timid. As he looked at the many faces, Yan Xiaobao nodded at them, and slowly, the forty turned their backs to the army. When they saw Yan Xiaobao’s approval, the smile grew slightly, and the serious expert became a little less severe. The experts remained in line, bearing some resemblance to the soldiers behind them.
Yan Xiaobao looked at the army before him, and as he gazed at them, a smile appeared on his lips.
"Everyone, listen up!" he shouted, his voice resonating through the early morning air, spreading from the first soldier to the experts at the back. "We are now going to venture into the borders of the Siban Empire. This Empire has repeatedly sent a delegation into our borders, and their humans have continuously abused us, but no more!
"The Divine Domain has hidden enough within our own borders. We’ve endured thousands of years hiding as if we were afraid, but we are not afraid! We will show the world that beasts are still here! We will let them know we once controlled the entire continent, and although we will not go all out, we will stand strong once again! We will leave the forests of the Divine Domain and allow our children and future generations to live free lives again! Our war is a war against oppression!"
Every word Yan Xiaobao spoke stirred incredible excitement among the beasts. Some felt goosebumps as they listened, while others were moved to tears. Each beast was touched, making them puff out their chests and feel significant. They were beasts fighting for freedom!
"Not all of us will survive, but we will fight to the end. We are proud beasts! Beasts that fight with claws, teeth, and weapons. We don’t know whether we will encounter an army superior to ours, but whatever we face, we will fight! There is no such thing as retreat in our army!"
"I can’t promise you victory, but I can guarantee that if you all fight as I have taught you, then we have a chance! Fight within your teams; support each other and watch your teammates! Fight for survival, fight for freedom!"
Yan Xiaobao quieted down, his eyes scanning over the army, before resting on the Saints. His eyes met four pairs of eyes, all staring at him in a daze. Some were roused, just like the soldiers, tears welling up in their eyes. Others were smiling, displaying their sharp teeth, as the speech caused a rolling of battle intent within them; no matter what, everyone was eager to begin the fight as soon as possible.
Next to Yan Xiaobao was the guide of all maps. This guide was a Ghost Claw Owl, a creature usually only awake at night. Its sight and memory were so keen that it could remember every part of the forest. Having traveled everywhere, it was the one leading the army to the Divine Origin Border.
With a final glance at the Saints and soldiers, Yan Xiaobao raised his hands, clenching them into fists. His voice cut through the air once more, "Follow me! We’re going to war!"
Every beast could hear the roaring noise. Each beast roaring and shouting. The commotion made everyone in the city curious about what was happening. The tall city walls quaked with the shockwave of the beasts’ simultaneous cries.
Seeing this, Yan Xiaobao nodded. As he placed one foot in front of the other, he turned his back on the soldiers, slowly walking toward the road beside the city wall. The Ghost Claw Owl was by his side, Saints Team members were behind him. The soldiers began moving as well, and suddenly, the morning air was filled with sounds of action. Four hundred thousand beasts began moving slowly and orderly toward the path Yan Xiaobao had decided upon.
This army was far quicker than any other army Hui Yu had heard of. Each one was a magical beast, all knowing how to quickly traverse the landscape. The Ghost Claw Owl’s movements were very swift, its eyes already knowing the direction they were headed. As they started moving, it transformed into an owl and flew forward like a dart. Everyone followed without any trouble.
The army was composed of experts king-level and above. All of them had speed as one of their advantages, and although the army did not move at top speed, the pace at which they traveled the landscape was impressive. During the day, they had already covered one-seventh of the way to the Siban Empire.
As day turned to night, Yan Xiaobao halted the guide, and the army stopped for the night. Tents were being erected, and before long, the roadside became a military camp. While some beasts took their leisure time to prepare food, others decided to train, and others yet cultivated.
...