As we arrived at the great hall's entrance, two people were already waiting: Wu Dao and He Lian.
He Lian, upon seeing me, looked as if her tear-filled eyes were about to overflow, her gaze fixed on my face with anxious intensity.
My heart, filled with shame and unease, compelled me to turn away, unable to meet his eyes.
"You've arrived as well," the Elder Wan Gu asked kindly.
Wu Dao replied, "The messenger said we would be leaving today, so Qiu Yu and I tidied up and hurried over."
Yan Ni walked forward and affectionately embraced Qiu Yu, saying, "Although Black Mountain isn't as large as West Zi Kingdom, it is blessed with eternal spring and is as beautiful as a painted scroll. You will surely love it once you get there."
"I've heard many people speak of Black Mountain, all saying it's more beautiful than other places. Since I'm going there this time, I'll consider it my home."
He Lian, pleased with her words, then turned to Hei Yun.
"Brother Yun, you've always wanted a son, haven't you? Since the Demon King and the elders are all here, why not adopt Xiao Yuan as your godson?"
Hei Yun smiled slightly, not objecting, and asked Wu Dao, "Wu Dao, although we haven't met many times, I feel a certain resemblance between us. Would you be willing to recognize me as your adoptive father?"
Joy immediately bloomed on Wu Dao's face. He stepped forward excitedly and said, "I've been an orphan since childhood, drifting with my tribe. Now that I have a good father willing to acknowledge me, I am naturally immensely grateful."
With that, he knelt down and kowtowed, "Father, above all, please accept your son's bow."
Hei Yun was overjoyed and quickly pulled him up. "Good, good, good. You are now my adopted son. However, as an adopted son, you should bear my surname. Demon King, I wish to add Dao'er to our family registry, which requires a change of surname. Dao'er is originally from the Ghostly Tribe, so I believe this matter should be decided by the Demon King."
I shook my head. "I am not of the Ghostly Tribe either. I think this matter should be decided by the elders."
Elder Hei Yi said, "Since the Black Mountain Lord intends to adopt Wu Dao as his godson and add him to the clan registry, it is indeed a good thing. He was an orphaned child who wandered without care. Now that he has someone to dote on him, he is naturally overjoyed. Let him be given a new name to bid farewell to the past and begin a new life."
Hei Yun pondered for a moment and then said, "Since the elders agree with my proposal, I will change Wu Dao's name to Hei Yuan. From now on, Xiao Yuan will be a member of my clan."
Upon hearing his new name, Wu Dao gratefully knelt and kowtowed. "Your son, Hei Yuan, greets his adoptive father." He then turned to Yan Ni and said, "Your son, Hei Yuan, greets his adoptive mother."
"Good son, get up quickly."
After the kowtow, it was decreed that Wu Dao had become the adopted son of Hei Yun and Yan Ni, and his name was officially changed from Wu Dao to Hei Yuan.
He Lian, following her husband's lead, curtsied and paid her respects. "He Lian greets her father-in-law and mother-in-law."
"Good, good, good."
Thus, everyone was pleased.
At this moment, someone ran up to report, "Reporting to the Demon King, the carriage is ready."
I said to everyone, "Alright, let's go."
"Good, let's go."
The group then leisurely walked to the palace gates. Hei Yun, having just finished his work and knowing they were leaving, hurried over.
"Uncle, Aunt," he called out as he ran.
Hei Yun responded, "Feng'er."
Hei Feng reached them, panting, and said, "Uncle, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"
"We only just made the decision."
"It's fortunate I arrived in time, or I would have missed you."
Hei Yun instructed him, "For this decisive battle, you must practice your swordsmanship well and be alert on the battlefield. Coordinate with your teammates to attack strong enemies."
"Okay."
Thinking of this, Hei Yun couldn't help but feel sad. He patted Hei Feng's shoulder, his eyes filled with tears. "Your father only has you as his son, and I only have you as my nephew. You must come back alive."
"Don't worry, Uncle. When I return, we'll have more drinks together."
"You rascal."
At this moment, Yan Ni, holding Hei Yuan's hand, walked over and said to Hei Feng, "Feng'er, this is your uncle's newly adopted son. You are brothers from now on."
"Brother," Hei Yuan said respectfully.
Hei Feng laughed heartily and patted Hei Yuan's shoulder with satisfaction. "Not bad! We are good brothers now. While I'm away, you must take good care of Uncle and Aunt."
"Yes, I will take good care of them."
Hei Yun told him, "Xiao Yuan no longer goes by Wu Dao. I've renamed him Hei Yuan, and he will be entered into the family registry."
"Hei Yuan, a good name. Uncle really knows how to name people."
Then, Yan Ni pulled He Lian over and said to Hei Feng, "From now on, He Lian is your sister-in-law."
"Brother," He Lian called out sweetly.
Hei Feng replied with satisfaction, "He Lian, since you are my sister-in-law, you must keep Hei Yuan in line from now on."
"He doesn't need my supervision, and he wouldn't dare disobey."
"That's good. If he disobeys, hit him."
As the conversation wound down, Yan Ni took off her prayer beads and gave them to Hei Feng. "These prayer beads were a gift from my master. Though they appear ordinary, they can save your life in a critical moment. Keep them; they might be useful to you."
Hei Feng accepted the beads and put them on, thanking her. "Thank you, Aunt."
Hei Yun glanced at the sky. It was noon. He felt it was time for them to leave and said to Hei Feng, "Alright, it's time for us to go."
"Uncle, Aunt, brother, sister-in-law, go with peace of mind. Take care of yourselves."
"Yes, you too. Be sure to come back alive."
"Yes, I will come back alive."
With that, Hei Yun turned and said to everyone, "Demon King, four elders, we are leaving."
Elder Mo Xuefu said, "Go, have a safe journey."
Then, they began to board the carriages one by one. He Lian was the last, her eyes full of reluctance.
Before leaving, she looked at me again, her eyes brimming with tears. I understood her reluctance but could only pretend not to see, watching them depart.
He Lian finally succumbed to helplessness. Her unspoken words were no match for an unmoved heart. She could only leave with regret and farewell.
She eventually boarded the carriage and, amidst repeated goodbyes, slowly drove away.
I took two steps forward, watching the carriage descend the mountain. The heavy stone in my heart finally lifted.
Hei Feng walked up, placed a hand on my shoulder, and smiled. "Stop looking, they're already far away."
I turned back to him with a smile and chided, "What are you thinking? Really."
Hei Feng said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I wasn't thinking anything."
At this moment, a guard rode up from the foot of the mountain to report. "Reporting to the Demon King, several elders, the Elder has finished distributing the clothes and is now assembling the army to take a headcount. The Elder asked me to inform the Demon King and the elders that if there are no other preparations, they should proceed to the military camp to prepare for departure."
"Alright, I understand." I turned to the elders and said, "Four elders, let's go."
Elder Zhu Liuyun, however, said, "Demon King, there's no rush. We have something to give to the Demon King."
"What is it?"
"You'll know when you see it."
He then clapped his hands, and someone emerged from the palace carrying a stack of clothes. I saw what appeared to be red armor.
Elder Zhu Liuyun explained, "Demon King, this set of red armor was originally the blood-colored armor of the wife of our tribe's first valiant general, Gui Wang. Unfortunately, Lan Yue'er passed away young, and this armor was preserved."
"The elder said her name was Lan Yue'er?" I was shocked, finally learning the true name of Wan Gui Wang's wife.
"Yes, Demon King, what's wrong?"
I said, somewhat touched, "Wan Gui Wang told me about his beloved wife, but I never knew her name. I didn't expect to hear it here."
"I see. We only learned the name Lan Yue'er from hearsay."
I exclaimed, "This is wonderful, truly wonderful!" Then I said to Wan Gui Wang, "Wan Gui Wang, did you hear that? Cai Tou's name is Lan Yue'er. She is Lan Yue'er."
Wan Gui Wang flew out of my body and hovered over the pile of red armor, sniffing it with deep emotion. "I never imagined you kept it so well hidden. I only now know your name."
Although he was now just a wisp of black mist, with nothing visible but a white backside, it did not prevent us from sensing the sadness and longing conveyed in his tone.
At this moment, Zhu Liuyun stepped forward to apologize to Wan Gui Wang. "Gui Wang, I'm sorry. We gave this blood-colored armor to the Demon King without your consent."
Wan Gui Wang, however, did not mind. "Mu Ye, like Cai Tou, is a warrior of the Ghostly Tribe, one who dedicated herself to the people and the greater good. Therefore, this blood-colored armor should go to someone equally brave and fearless. Your choice is correct."
With that, he blew a breath towards the armor, and the entire red armor flew up and landed on Mu Ye, who was soon fully clad.
Hei Feng looked at the person before him, unable to hide his astonishment. "This is too beautiful!"
Everyone else couldn't help but praise it. Even after more than a thousand years, the armor remained as radiant and brilliant as when it first appeared, as if Lan Yue'er, wearing this red armor, stood before them.
Wan Gui Wang gazed at it entranced. If he had a physical form, he would surely be moved to tears. He then flew forward, circled me a few times, and returned to my body.
I then said to the person who brought the armor, "Please be so kind as to go to my sleeping quarters and bring the large brocade box containing the twin swords. Meet me in the main military camp."
"Yes," the person replied and hurried off to the sleeping quarters.
I then said to everyone, "Shall we head to the military camp now?"
At this moment, a carriage approached from a distance. The driver said, "Elder requests the Demon King, the elders, and Lord Hei Feng to proceed to the military camp."
"Good, let's board the carriage."
The group then boarded the carriage one by one. The driver urged the horses, and they headed down the mountain, soon arriving at the heart of the main military camp.
I lifted the curtain and saw a large gathering of troops on the open ground, all wearing various types of clothing and holding spears. The carriage passed by the side and stopped at the front. I saw that the first few rows were occupied by soldiers in black armor, holding iron spears, exuding solemnity. Behind them were rows of archers wearing brown leather clothing and carrying quivers. Further on, I saw my twenty-four Mountain Lords and twelve Star Generals gradually arriving from elsewhere to take their positions at the front of the formation. At this point, Lin Er seemed to have been waiting for a long time on the raised platform with steps.
The carriage stopped at the side, and we slowly disembarked. Hei Feng moved to his designated spot, and I, accompanied by the elders, ascended the platform. All the soldiers were filled with awe, finding the red armor too dazzling. Lin Er also looked on in surprise, then a smile spread across his face as he walked forward to greet us.
Lin Er praised, "Demon King, this crimson attire suits you perfectly."
I smiled and asked him, "What should I speak about today?"
Lin Er reminded me, "Demon King, we must depart for Zhuolu, so this is a pre-departure rally for encouragement."
"Good, I understand."
Once everyone was in position, I walked to the very front and addressed the assembled army with fervor. "The fact that all of us can gather here today, and stand firm in the former pride of West Zi Kingdom, is enough to demonstrate our strength. Since the Northern Divine Capital has agreed to a decisive battle at Zhuolu, we will surely show them our true strength. Therefore, we will be victorious in this decisive battle!"
The army responded with shouts of "Victory! Victory!"
I gestured for everyone to quiet down and continued, "From this moment on, no one can defeat us except ourselves. Therefore, victory will surely belong to all of us. Let's go get them!"
"Go! Go! Go!" The army, excited, shouted in unison.
"Alright, march! Head for Zhuolu."
"Yes!" With loud and resounding shouts, the army slowly began to move outwards.
At this moment, the guard who had delivered the swords finally arrived. Dismounting, he rushed onto the platform, holding the brocade box. "Demon King, your swords have arrived."
I took the brocade box and slung it over my back, thanking him. "Thank you. Guard West Zi Kingdom well."
"Yes, we will await your return."
"Good, I will return."
I turned to the elders and said, "Elders, you should remain in West Zi Kingdom."
Elder Hei Yi shook his head. "We have waited too long for this day. We must advance and retreat together with the Ghostly Tribe and the Demon King."
"That is also good, but you must protect yourselves."
Elder Wan Gu said, "Demon King, this time we have ordered the construction of some trebuchets, and we also discovered some gunpowder barrels in the West Zi Kingdom treasury. These should also be of assistance to us."
"Good, I believe that with our preparations complete, we will be able to defeat them."
"Then let us depart."
"Good."
I then mounted my swift horse and rode to the front of the formation. The elders and the elders followed in carriages within the ranks.
Soon, a formation of over a hundred thousand people moved majestically towards the East City Gate. The people of West Zi Kingdom who had not yet fled curiously peered out from the upper floors. At the very front, riding a tall horse and clad in red armor, was the Ten Thousand Demon King. Following behind her on horseback were the Twelve Star Generals and the Twenty-Four Mountain Lords. Following the Twenty-Four Mountain Lords were four trebuchets, pulled by horses. Some people watched as eight carts loaded with wooden barrels followed, and behind them were black iron cavalry and brown archers. At the very rear were soldiers holding various weapons, and a carriage in the middle of the formation.
People on the upper floors began to discuss, "This is the army of the Ten Thousand Demon King."
"I heard she was once just a commoner, and in just a few years, she has grown from one person to tens of thousands."
"One must admit, heroes emerge from youth. If it weren't for the difference in our allegiances, I might have joined her ranks."
"They say this is a decisive battle with the Northern Divine Capital, and the Northern Divine Capital has never lost. It seems they are in danger."
"I don't know, but if she were to become the ruler of this world, I think it would be good. At least she is a benevolent ruler."
The army of over a hundred thousand, under the watchful eyes of the city's inhabitants, departed West Zi Kingdom in a grand procession, heading for Zhuolu.