Chapter 72 – Dragon City (1/2)
Many thanks to Kyle for sponsoring this chapter :)
Chapter 72 – Dragon City
Dragon City, located in the center of the Mars Prefecture, was said to have existed since the ancient times. Originally, the three races co-inhabited the continent, without being divided into three prefectures. At that time, small conflicts were commonplace, but no large-scale war ever occurred.
Later, there emerged the first Emperor – Long, who united the whole continent and established the Flame Dragon Empire, by leading the three races to a great number of battlefields. Dragon City was set up as the Capital of the empire, and the continent was segmented into three prefectures, with each prefecture being led by a General.
Although there wasn’t adequate evidence to support the authenticity of this legend, the prosperity of Dragon City was beyond question. The city wall, which was more than twenty meters in height, and ten meters in depth, surrounded the city in a dumpling shape. Moreover, the city moat, that was also dozens of meters wide, flowed along the city in tempestuous torrents, the depth of which was unfathomable.
“What a magnificent city wall!”
It was Qinghan’s first time to come to Dragon City. He was marveled by the grandiose of the city wall, when he pushed the curtain and peeked at the nearby scenery.
The family names printed on the flag of each carriage, allowed them to march into the city without being scrutinized. At least, the authority of the five prominent families wasn’t challenged at the city gates. The soldiers stood along both sides of the streets, saluting the array of carriage, with eyes full of envy and respect.
On a crossroad, the group of carriages diverged into five different teams. Each family went to their respective manor, and planned to assemble tomorrow morning at the city major mansion.
The manor, that belonged to the Ye family, was located in the eastern part of the city. It was a half hour ride from the entrance of the city to the manor. When they arrived at their destination, they saw lines of people standing in front of the bronze gate, greeting them with big smiles.
“Your highness, young lord Qinghan!”
The moment Qinghan stepped out of his carriage, the crowd immediately kneeled down on one leg, as only the middle-aged man in the middle remained unmoved.
“Welcome, I’m Ye Ping. Dear nephew, I hope that you had a pleasant journey!” The middle-aged man, roughly in his forties, broke the silence. He looked like an educated gentleman.
“Nice to meet you, Elder Ye Ping!” Qinghan had been informed about Ye Ping beforehand, and had learned that this guy was from his father’s generation, and had had a good relationship with Ye Dao. As a collateral descendant of the Ye family, as well as a cultivator in the second level of the Realm of the Emperor, Ye Ping was appointed to be in charge of this manor many years ago. Given his capacity, Ye Ping was one of the elders that had real influence within the family. Unlike Ye Gun, who was also a collateral descendant, Ye Ping was one of the family’s top management personnel.
It might be Ye Ping’s sincerity, or his influential status, but Qinghan replied to him with equal kindness.
At first, Ye Ping was surprised by Qinghan’s courteous bow, and sweet smile, for he had been told that Qinghan was a teenager with an unbridled personality, who even dared to curse at his elders.
“Look at him, he isn’t as impolite as the rumor says.” Ye Ping thought to himself, and in a hurry, he grabbed Qinghan’s hand, “Come with me. I have prepared a banquet for you. This is the reception we arranged in honor of your coming.”
“Oh, Elder Ye Ping, you’re so kind!” Qinghan followed Ye Ping, and nodded to Shisan and Dongfang over his shoulder, before he entered the house.
After having dined and wined, together with Ye Ping, Qinghan was now satisfactorily enjoying a cup of tea. He sat there quietly, waiting for Ye Ping to tell him something. Previously, the elders of the Ye family had told Qinghan very little about the upcoming war, so he predicted that this task might fall onto Ye Ping’s shoulders.
“Tomorrow, you have to go to the city major mansion to collect your badge. The day after tomorrow, you’ll be transferred to the island of the Prefecture War through a place in the city major mansion. But before that, let me explain the Elite Prefecture War to you in detail. Also I’ll remind you of the do’s and don’ts of this war.”
Without much formality, Ye Ping cut straight to the point. Although he had participated in the Prefecture War only once, he had drawn experience from the various Elite Prefecture Wars the family had taken part in. Plus, he had deliberately gone to the city major mansion, the moment he had received this task, and he had thumbed through several books on the subject of the Elite Prefecture War. It was fair to say, that Ye Ping was well prepared to finish this job that was assigned to him by the Ye family. Right now, Qinghan was all ears, craving for more knowledge on the war. The rapt expression on Qinghan’s face encouraged Ye Ping to pump out as much information as he possibly could.
“First of all, let me introduce you to the island of the Prefecture War: it is comprised of four small islands. The relatively larger one is in the center, which is surrounded by the three smaller ones. The battlefield of the Elite Prefecture War is on the central island… The central island, which is one-tenth of the size of the Mars Prefecture, is also known as Ghost Island. Later, I’ll show you a map. Oh, remember, the Prefecture War is held on Ghost Island, and except for the descendants from the Ye family, you can kill anyone as you like. You have to make sure to trust no one. It happens that people from the Mars Prefecture will sometimes betray their own fellowmen, and kill someone from the same prefecture by assassination or a secretly schemed plot. As long as no evidence is left, no one will be held responsible for the death.”