Chapter 38: The Imperial Journey, Section 7

The luxurious room wasn’t large, but every detail reflected its owner’s wealth. The walls were inlaid with gold, adorned with intricate and mysterious ancient patterns that resembled abstract paintings, exuding a mysterious aura under the dim light. A huge ivory bed stood quietly in the center of the room, enveloped by a hazy curtain, like a cocoon. What place could be safer or more comforting than within one’s own womb? This room was undoubtedly designed with that concept in mind. Anyone who saw that massive ivory bed would surely desire a sweet sleep.

Yet the figure lying on the bed was clearly not asleep. Instead, his eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the hazy ceiling. His black hair had remained in that state for over half an hour. Though he claimed he needed rest, what he truly needed was to reflect on the battle just fought. As a warrior, it was a good habit to conduct a thorough analysis after each fight, and assessing one’s own performance was an essential step while in enemy territory. It was better to remain vigilant than to be discovered as a spy.

The analysis of the battle was simple. For Black Hair, someone like Siget might be considered a brave warrior, but as an opponent, he was clearly inadequate. His straightforward axe attacks were sharp, and his sudden crescent-shaped strikes were unstoppable. Yet they were too direct and simple—like a straight line. From the very beginning, Black Hair could predict its trajectory. All that remained was to act accordingly.

So, though the fight in the arena might have seemed thrilling to the spectators, for Black Hair, the challenge lay in finding the right balance—avoiding excessive harm while still securing victory. Clearly, he hadn’t done well enough. Siget had been badly injured: a broken neck and a shattered left arm. In fact, Black Hair hadn’t mentioned one more thing—Siget’s spine. Under the devastating impact of that spinning strike, the bald man’s spine must also have suffered fatal damage, though not to the point of breaking or shattering. Still, several fractures were inevitable. He might be able to move around normally, but if forced into another intense battle, who knew what could happen?

Perhaps Siget, the fearsome warrior known throughout the private fleet, would soon become a pitiful man forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

But those have nothing to do with black hair. He won’t feel guilty about it either. In fact, with the technology of the Moor Empire, it’s not impossible to treat such injuries. All that’s needed is time and money. And the Empire’s largest private fleet just happens to have no shortage of those two things. So what truly troubles black hair is his own mistake in this performance.

“Head, you’ve been a bit too aggressive. A setback like this against Xiget might not bring you any benefits. Instead, it could attract even higher-level attention, right?” Monkey sat quietly in the corner of the bed. Dressed in black, he looked exactly like black hair had in the arena just now. In the dim room, he resembled a ghost.

Of course, the Pol tribe’s appearance made Monkey’s build exceptionally bulky; even as a ghost, he was a bloated one.

“Ah, I know. I know…” Black hair sat up and rubbed his furrowed brows. “I’ve tried my best not to use too violent methods. But you know, people like Xiget are extremely stubborn. They won’t give up until the end. And I really need an opportunity to prove my strength to the Empire.”

“I understand what you mean. Scaring the monkeys to frighten the chickens.” Monkey grinned, showing an ugly smile. “But I’m afraid instead of scaring the monkeys, you might attract a pack of wolves.”

“You mean the person behind Xiget? From what the Grand Duke Taro said, it seems that person is also a high-ranking duke?” Black hair frowned and looked up at Monkey. “What have you discovered?”

“Nothing much.” Monkey shrugged. “I just chatted with the servants in the castle and gathered some information. You were right. Behind those three young men are all very powerful figures. Behind Xiget is the commander-in-chief of the Empire’s First Expeditionary Force, Marshal Ziyuan, known as the ‘Kind King.’ Compared to the Grand Duke Taro’s former nickname ‘King of Killing,’ they seem like opposites. This marshal is said to never kill, making him another oddity in the Empire.”

“Never kill?” Black hair smiled. “As an Empire marshal, does he really never kill?”

“Of course.” Monkey replied seriously. “It’s his subordinates who kill. What does it have to do with him? In fact, this Marshal Ziyuan—uh, also known as the Grand Duke Ziyuan—probably has no weaker killing intent than anyone else. His greatest hobby is to strip a race of their weapons, exile them to a barren planet under the guise of keeping them in captivity, and then, when the war ends, let his meritorious subordinates participate in hunting them. The one who kills the most gets his special reward, and he takes pleasure in it.”

“To put it simply, he’s a psychopath,” Black Hair concluded.
“That’s one way to put it. But one thing’s for sure: this Renwang is extremely successful. In the violent Moor Empire, his First Expeditionary Force is renowned for its unmatched combat strength and ferocious fighting style. It’s said that when their armies clash, their charges can crush the enemy in one strike, deciding many battles in an instant,” Monkey added after some thought.
“A general who favors beastly tactics naturally has beastly soldiers. There’s nothing strange about that. Such a fleet might be brave at first, but once faced with a protracted war, they’ll lack the strength to continue,” Black Hair said, pointing out their weakness.
“In theory, that’s true. But no one knows what actually happens. Because to this day, no race has been able to withstand the initial onslaught of the First Expeditionary Force. Xiget, whom you defeated, was once part of that army. You’ve witnessed his bravery and determination firsthand,” Monkey replied with a bitter smile, his gaze toward Black Hair tinged with pity.
Bravery isn’t scary; it’s unyieldingness that’s truly dangerous. Black Hair had run into such a person as soon as he arrived in the Moor Empire. Whether that was luck or misfortune was unclear. Whether those seemingly decisive battles had achieved Black Hair’s goals or only attracted an even greater beast was impossible to say.
“What a boring mindset. Beasts, haha. I never thought I’d actually encounter someone like this. Should I yield a little first? At the beginning of entering the empire, opposing such a powerful marshal is undoubtedly unwise.”
“In that case, Head, you’ll likely face reproaches from Grand Duke Taro. Given the current situation, they undoubtedly want you and the Light and Dark Stones you might be carrying. So even a small concession could trigger unforeseen consequences. After all, with the Light and Dark Stones involved, it’s best not to even consider neutrality.”
“Even so, necessary concessions can buy some room for maneuver,” Black Hair shook his head, dismissing Monkey’s judgment. “But I’m worried it might ruin the strong image I’ve just managed to establish.”
“For now, it seems they’re focused on the value of the Light and Dark Stones. But I hope to draw their attention more to me. After all, the Light and Dark Stones are just stones, while I’m a person with potential for growth.”

“It sounds nice, but it’s just trying to take advantage of the situation,” the monkey laughed. He didn’t spare Black Hair any face at all. “But I think no matter how outstanding you are, you’re probably still not as good as that stone. From what I heard from the servants just now, it seems there are a few important people in the empire who are also interested in this matter. You’d better be careful—otherwise, you might be blamed for something you didn’t do.”
“Blamed for something I didn’t do? Like at tonight’s family banquet?” Black Hair lay back lazily, his gaze drifting across the dim ceiling. “What do you think? What excuse should I give them? Should I clearly say I don’t know about the Stone of Light and Darkness, or imply it’s on me?”
“Absolutely not imply it’s on you. If you do, they can just take it by force without any hesitation. With your current status, you probably don’t even have the chance to resist,” the monkey replied firmly. After thinking for a moment, he added anxiously, “But if I say I don’t know, it seems too fake. Wouldn’t that mean putting myself against all those nobles?”
“That’s exactly it. I seem to be in a good position, but I’m actually standing on a powder keg,” Black Hair said with a bitter smile and shrugged.
“What about tonight’s banquet?” the monkey scratched his head and gave him a questioning look.
“I won’t go. Tell them I’m sick, seriously ill.” After some thought, Black Hair finally gritted his teeth and showed a determined expression.
“Since you’ve gone too far, use this opportunity to make amends. Say it’s because of the fights that my old injuries flared up, and I can’t even get out of bed. It’s about the same severity as Siget’s injuries. A warrior’s greatest fear is losing the glory on their head. Since his opponent is also badly injured, Siget won’t think he’s completely defeated. That will undoubtedly reduce his hostility.”
“And at the same time, you can avoid those guys’ tests?” the monkey laughed, like a little fox.
“More or less. It’s better than being forced to deal with them right from the start. Being led around by others isn’t my style,” Black Hair replied indifferently. He raised his left hand, snapped his fingers, and his complexion instantly changed—paleness spread throughout his body.
“Seeing you like this, even I thought you were really seriously injured,” the monkey laughed heartily and jumped up. “I’ll go tell them now, but if they want to check, as a servant, I don’t have the authority to refuse.”

“Don’t worry, all they’ll get is a patient suffering from internal bleeding,” replied the dark-haired man with a cold laugh. His pale face appeared especially icy under the light, like a demon crawling out of the abyss.