I couldn't help but recite a poem.
"The road ahead is vast and dim, the night is dark and deep,
How many lives and deaths have shaped my journey long.
Looking back at last night, he came with sword and blade, I with my gun,
Victory and defeat, neither could be boasted.
Four cavalry squadrons, a single stroke of strategy,
Shattered mountains and rivers, forcing defeat,
The city’s guards scattered, a sorry sight,
Like withered flowers overnight, the throne changed hands."
As I spoke, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, a voice from behind praised me.
"A good poem! A good poem!"
Turning around, I saw a young general, it was Hua Jian, who had participated in the operation from the lower reaches.
He suddenly bowed and knelt, cupping his hands in salute.
"Reporting to the Demon King, there is no one in the South Sea Royal Palace. It seems they left in a hurry, taking nothing with them, except for the King's Seal of South Sea City."
I said calmly.
"That thing is of no use to us, it's good they took it. What about the others?"
"The elders are organizing them to inventory items and arrange accommodations."
"Good, you go and help them too."
"Yes."
As Hua Jian retreated, Lin Er walked in and told me about some matters.
"Demon King, I have dispatched people to occupy the four city gates. Most of the people in South Sea City have fled, but less than half remain within the city."
"They are all ordinary citizens. Please order our people not to harm them. If possible, try to persuade those who have fled to return."
Lin Er had a different idea.
"Let's leave this matter to Lady Thirteen when she returns. She is an expert in this area."
"Alright, but there are some things I still don't quite understand."
"What is it that the Demon King does not understand?"
"Where do you think the Lord of South Sea City has gone?"
Lin Er blurted out without hesitation.
"North Divine Capital."
I was a little puzzled, so he explained to me.
"North Divine Capital is the only safe place among the four cities. They can only go there."
I suddenly understood.
"So that's how it is. It doesn't matter, no matter where they go, we will meet eventually."
"Also..."
He hesitated to speak.
"What is it?"
I asked.
"Demon King, so far we have captured over thirty thousand soldiers and generals from South Sea City. I don't know how many people Lady Thirteen has. If we can recruit them into our ranks, it would be an immeasurable force."
I nodded slightly and agreed.
"Alright, let's find a way to bring them under our command."
"Yes."
"Elder, you have worked hard today. Go and rest."
"Yes, Demon King. I will take my leave."
"Go."
At night, after waiting for a long time, I saw Lady Thirteen leading the merfolk to the royal palace.
As soon as she entered the main hall, she excitedly told me about her achievements.
"Reporting to the Ghost King, as per your orders, we successfully intercepted several groups of people, including some from the West Purple Kingdom."
"That's excellent. I knew you could do it."
"We intercepted a total of eighteen thousand people. We have already imprisoned them before coming here."
"Well done!"
"However, we owe a great deal to these merfolk brothers this time."
Lady Thirteen then introduced them. Upon hearing her words, they knelt and said in unison.
"Merfolk soldiers pay their respects to the Demon King."
I smiled with satisfaction and raised my hand.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Ghost King."
I noticed they were different from Yue Yao and Tian Long.
Dressed in blue, with blue eyes, each holding a trident, they stood tall and imposing. Indeed, the merfolk were extraordinary.
The capture of South Sea City today was a great contribution from the merfolk, and I said.
"You are all heroes today. You have worked hard. Please go and rest, brothers. We will celebrate our victory together tomorrow."
"Yes!"
After dismissing the merfolk, I said to Lady Thirteen.
"Lady Thirteen, you should go and rest too."
"Yes."
After Lady Thirteen left, I waited in the main hall for Hei Feng's arrival. According to the plan, he should not have failed.
But strangely, he had not returned. Had something happened?
Thinking of this, a sense of unease gradually arose in my heart.
...
Meanwhile, Hei Feng was unable to set off due to the large number of wounded. After burying Gan Ye, he sat quietly by the grave, speechless.
Behind him, three people stood silently.
Mu Han watched him, his heart filled with sorrow and worry. He reached out and patted Hei Feng's shoulder, comforting him.
"Everyone dies eventually. Whether death is as light as a feather or as heavy as a mountain, his passing is a release."
Hei Feng sighed deeply and murmured sadly.
"If only I had arranged a place for him back then, he wouldn't have come to South Sea City, nor would he have died blocking a knife for me."
Mu Han heard his words clearly and squatted down, looking at the words carved in blood on the tombstone.
"Tomb of Gan Ye."
He mused and said to Hei Feng gently.
"There are still many heavily wounded brothers here. I believe the Ten Thousand Demon King has likely occupied South Sea City by now. Tomorrow, we must send them back to South Sea City to meet the Ten Thousand Demon King."
Hei Feng then remembered his mission and turned his head slightly.
"Okay."
The next morning, they found flat carts. Three or four people per cart, pushed by the merfolk brothers, along with the wounded soldiers of South Sea City.
Due to their severe injuries, they could not withstand the bumps and traveled slowly for a day before reaching the south gate of South Sea City.
Those standing on the city wall saw the convoys approaching in the distance, and the pushers were surprisingly merfolk.
Leading this convoy were Hei Feng and three merfolk protectors.
"It's the Young Master, open the gate quickly."
The former residents of Hei Shan recognized Hei Feng and shouted first.
The city gate opened in response. The guards looked at the dejected Hei Feng with confusion. Looking further back, they saw the orderly rows of flat carts, unsure if they carried the living or the dead.
"Young Master, are you alright?"
Hei Feng's subordinate, You Yuan, asked.
Hei Feng forced a smile and patted his shoulder.
"I'm fine. You did well."
"The Demon King waited for you all night yesterday and didn't see you. I'll send someone to inform her now."
"Good."
"Guards, go and inform the Demon King that our Young Master has returned."
"Yes."
Then, a swift horse galloped towards the royal palace, and without pause, the messenger ran into the main hall of the royal palace.
From afar, he saw the Demon King leaning against her throne, her forehead resting on her hand, asleep. Without further ado, he cupped his hands and shouted.
"Demon King! Our Young Master has returned!"
"Ah!"
I was startled and almost hit the chair. After calming down, I asked him.
"I didn't hear clearly, please say it again."
"Our Young Master has returned, he's on the main street."
"Then why isn't he coming in?"
"The Young Master is also bringing a group of wounded."
"Wounded?"
"Indeed, they are being brought back on flat carts."
It seemed Hei Feng and his men had indeed encountered danger. I said anxiously.
"Take me to see them."
"Yes."
The soldier led the way, and I followed behind him. After walking for a while, we exited the palace gate and headed towards South Street.
Not far away, I saw a crowd gathered at the intersection of the four streets, making a lot of noise.
As I approached, I saw Lin Er, Liu Shi Nian, the Four Great Evils, and others had all arrived. Their grapevine was more efficient than mine.
Entering the crowd, I saw a shocking scene.
Row after row, cart after cart, lying still on the flat carts were motionless corpses, with mottled bloodstains still on their clothes.
It was a ghastly and deeply moving sight.
Seeing me arrive, Hei Feng knelt down with a thud, his face filled with grief. He cupped his hands in apology.
"Demon King, I was incompetent and caused the deaths of my brothers. They still had a breath left, but because of my delay, they died. My... my entire squad... all perished, leaving only my own life. Demon King, I am sorry to you, sorry to my brothers. I deserve to die, a thousand deaths."
As he spoke, tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes, silently hitting the ground.
Looking down at him, it felt as if countless stones were hitting my heart, causing immense pain.
The three great protectors of the merfolk also knelt on the ground, cupping their hands in unison.
"Three of the Four Great Protectors of the Merfolk, Mu Han, Wang Yuan, and Qing Yu, pay their respects to the Demon King."
I suppressed my grief and looked at them.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Demon King."
Hei Feng, however, remained stubbornly kneeling, unwilling to get up for a long time.
I sighed and told him to calm down for a moment.
Lin Er, who had witnessed everything, was different from us. He looked carefully at the soldiers. Then, he slowly came to my side and told me his findings.
"Demon King, I noticed some sword wounds on their bodies, but they were not fatal. I secretly felt their bodies just now and found their bones were shattered and their blood was surging. It can be imagined that they died from sword energy, not from sword wounds."
Mu Han, who was nearby, heard clearly and said.
"Elder's words are not wrong. When Hei Feng and his men were fighting the elite soldiers of South Sea City, an extremely powerful man appeared from nowhere and attacked them. Hei Feng was also nearly killed by that man's flying sword. Fortunately, someone bravely took the sword for him, and he survived. Otherwise, it would have been a complete annihilation today."
Hearing this, Lin Er also analyzed seriously.
"I saw that this sword wound is the same as the one Liu Shi Nian and the others suffered last time. It can be concluded that it was the same person."
"Li Xingye!"
Liu Shi Nian, Xue Gu Cheng, Yan Wu Shuang, and others listened carefully and spoke the name in unison. It seemed they also knew that this sword energy was extraordinarily powerful.
I looked at Hei Feng, who was still kneeling on the ground, and bent down to pull him up, wiping away his tears and comforting him.
"This is not your fault. If you hadn't encountered that person, you would have returned victorious. Even I was defeated by him, let alone you."
He finally seemed to relax a little and said slowly.
"Yes, it was Gan Ye who saved me."
I frowned but then understood him.
"Gan Ye was a good person. It's just that we were too impulsive. If only we could have kept him that day. I truly envy you; your subordinates are so loyal to you. Since he saved you, live well for him."
He nodded slightly, his red-rimmed eyes looking at the soldiers lined up behind him.
"I have also sent back the soldiers of South Sea City. After all, this is their home."
I patted his shoulder.
"Well done. If they have spirits in heaven, they can rest in peace."
Dao Lang suddenly suggested.
"Let's bury them on Shuixiu Mountain near South Sea City. From there, one can see the entire South Sea City at a glance."
I nodded.
"Good, let's do as Brother Dao Lang said."
Then, Dao Lang and Fei Xiong went to bring some people to push the flat carts away.
After returning to the South Sea Royal Palace, I had Lin Er arrange accommodations for them and then ordered preparations for the victory banquet that evening.
Suddenly, South Sea City was adorned with lanterns and decorations, filled with joy.
At night, it was even more vibrant and festive. In the square outside the grand hall, tables were set up, creating pathways. Red lanterns hung on the walls and in front of the palace gates, their crimson glow as exciting as the victory of capturing South Sea City.
When the fine wine and delicacies were served, everyone entered the venue in an orderly fashion and found their seats. To ensure everyone could see me, I decided to place our seats in the center.
After everyone had entered, I, along with the merfolk protectors, Lin Er, Liu Shi Nian, and others, walked to the center seats. Looking at the crowded surroundings, I felt an indescribable excitement. Who would have thought that Hei Shan, which was on the verge of collapse yesterday, could conquer South Sea City? I suppose if the four cities hadn't been so arrogant, we wouldn't have succeeded so easily.
I stood up, raised my wine cup, and said to everyone present.
"Today is a day worth celebrating, because from now on, we are no longer the driven and pitiable, but free people who occupy a territory. However, the arrival of this day was bought with the lives of countless brothers in heaven. And for us to be able to sit here and drink and feast, their contributions are indispensable. For these great heroes, let us offer this cup of wine!"
With that, I was the first to pour wine onto the ground, and everyone immediately stood up and followed my example, pouring wine onto the ground. Perhaps none of them knew the significance of this act, but they believed in the existence of souls.
"This second cup, please toast yourselves, for you are all heroes of this battle. Without your valiant charge, there would be no victory. Let's drink!"
After that, I tilted my head and drank it all, and everyone followed suit, drinking it all in one gulp. Then I said.
"I declare the banquet officially open. Everyone, eat and drink to your heart's content!"
"Good!!!"
The deafening shouts were as joyous as the expressions on their faces. The three merfolk protectors, witnessing this scene for the first time, were slightly impressed. They stood up and toasted me.
"Demon King, you are truly an unparalleled hero. Today, we have witnessed your spirit, and it is indeed extraordinary. Our clan leader could not come this time, as there are many matters, big and small, within the merfolk that require his attention. Therefore, the clan leader has sent us to join the Demon King in pursuing great endeavors."
I also poured wine and raised my cup.
"Then, I wish us a successful cooperation."
"Good, successful cooperation."
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
After finishing a bowl of wine, we all began to eat heartily. As I was eating, I suddenly noticed the sachet at my waist, which reminded me of something. So, I put down my chopsticks and said to them.
"You all continue eating. I've forgotten something, I'll be back in a moment."
"What is it?"
Ye Changfeng asked curiously.
"Nothing, I'll be right back."
With that, I got up and left the banquet, calmly walking out of the royal palace and onto the street, then leisurely heading towards Qian Ji Hall. After walking for a long time, I arrived outside the red gate. The towering walls seemed to speak of past glory. I guessed that perhaps after Xue Ji's death, this place had fallen into decline. Otherwise, why would the sky-high Qian Ji Tower be completely dark, and the entire Qian Ji Hall be so lifeless? I took out the sachet containing Xue Ji's grave soil and placed it in front of the main gate. I squatted down and spoke to it as if speaking to Xue Ji.
"Did you see? You have returned home. You see how Qian Ji Hall prospered because of your presence, and how it declined after your departure. If you can hear me, please let go of everything and find peace in the afterlife."
After saying this, I sighed deeply, slowly stood up, and turned around. Suddenly, I saw Liu Shi Nian standing not far away, watching me silently.
"Why are you here?"
I asked him curiously.
He smiled slightly and replied.
"Leaving during such an important banquet must be for a very important reason. I've guessed many possibilities, but I never expected it to be this."
He slowly walked over and came to the front of the gate. As if he had also come to terms with something, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it under the sachet. Then, he finally found release, stood up, and smiled at me.
"It seems the Ten Thousand Ghost King chose the right person. You are indeed a... remarkable person."
Seeing that he had finally found peace, I was also happy for him.