kingnovel Chapter 546: The Black Sea
Chapter 546: The Black Sea
"The Great Xia is coming on strong, and the grassland royal court is about to perish. Aren't you worried about the fate of the eight tribes?" Wen Ruyu asked the young couple strangely.
Mu Deqiang smiled bitterly and said, "We are just ordinary people and can't control the overall situation. When the clan chief was alive, he predicted that if things continued like this, Chen Futu would one day sweep away the grasslands. Now it has come true. Fortunately, when A Cai and I were fleeing, we saw the Great Xia army. They gathered many tribes but did not kill indiscriminately. If we can let the grassland people leave the bitter cold land and live a good life, why not?"
Ha Zhenzhen nodded and said, "Because of the relationship between the Northern Wu Empress and the Central Plains, her people were able to move south to live. Unfortunately, the grasslands and the Central Plains have a long-standing feud that cannot be resolved peacefully. If this battle can improve everyone's living environment, what's wrong with that?"
The two men's answers were both unexpected and reasonable to Chen Futu.
At this time of year, the Central Plains are filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, while the grasslands are still weathered by wind and frost. If the grasslands were to return to the Great Xia Dynasty and be enveloped by the nation's fortunes, they might be able to ward off the severe cold.
For the rest of the journey, Ha Zhenzhen and Mu Deqiang fell silent.
They verbally expressed their desire to improve the environment, but they were still deeply troubled by the fact that many grassland people who refused to surrender had been killed.
A day later, the group arrived at the Mazha tribe. The once prosperous tribe was gone. Flames had engulfed the land where the tribe had lived. The battlefield was littered with corpses, all of them from the Mazha tribe. The Xiliang army did not suffer heavy losses. Even if some people died in battle, their bodies would be collected.
Chen Futu glanced around and saw that there were about five thousand corpses. One part of the Xiliang army was cleaning up the battlefield, while another part was escorting the surrendered soldiers and surrendered Mazha tribesmen to an open area. The Longcheng Legion would then come to take over everything and collect the war resources.
Ha Zhenzhen kept her head down, not daring to look at this chaotic scene.
Chen Futu asked Mu Deqiang, "Do you know why this is so?"
Mudeqiang nodded. "I know, the grasslands are not strong enough, and our weapons are outdated."
"The grasslands are not a country, and it is generally difficult for them to establish a country. The current strength of the Great Xia is far beyond what the grassland people can offend. The Holy Martial Empress is benevolent and has not committed any wanton killings. You should feel fortunate."
"I understand."
Mu Deqiang understood perfectly well that the behavior of the Grassland Royal Court was like that of a child who kept poking Great Xia with a stick. Great Xia hadn't paid attention to it before, but now that it had turned around and slapped the Grassland, it couldn't withstand it. This was courting death.
Ultimately, the resources and environment were not suitable for long-term survival. Empress Shengwu did not kill so many people. This war was a catastrophe on the grasslands, but it was also an opportunity. After eliminating all those who were dissatisfied, the rest could be controlled by the empire.
"Young master, the person has been brought to you."
Dian Wei brought over a thin man with a goatee, who fell to the ground with a thud and looked at Chen Futu with trepidation.
Ha Zhenzhen and Mu Deqiang glared at each other angrily, "You scoundrel, do you still remember us?!"
"You're not dead? Didn't I send people to hunt you down?!" Amuda said in disbelief.
Ha Zhenzhen grabbed a knife and charged forward, shouting, "You bastard! I trusted you so much, Abu! Today I'll avenge Abu and Eji!"
After saying that, Ha Zhenzhen pressed Amuda to the ground and began to hack at him with knives.
It's hard to believe she's so fierce; she chopped Amuda to pieces, covered in blood, then threw down the knife and sobbed inconsolably.
Mu Deqiang hugged her and comforted her until she stopped crying. "Thank you so much, Young Master Qin. We are willing to serve you like cattle and horses!"
"There's no need to work like a beast of burden. Get a good night's rest and continue your journey tomorrow."
Chen Futu ordered them to set up camp on the spot.
That evening, Ma Chao reported on the course of the war. The Mazha tribe, one of the eight tribes, did indeed send a Grand Venerable of the Cloud-Piercing Realm, but he was cleaved in two by Dian Wei's halberd. With such a powerful deterrent, most of the tribesmen, except for those who died at the start of the war, surrendered. The battle yielded 150,000 to 160,000 cattle, sheep, and horses, as well as a large amount of gold and silver.
Chen Futu instructed Ma Chao to station himself here first, hand over the prisoners and resources, and then advance his troops. His main concern was that Ma Chao might run into the Martial Saint.
"My lord, wouldn't it be better to kill them all and solve everything?" Dian Wei asked, scratching his head.
“Slaughter alone cannot solve the problem. If we kill one group, others will take over the nests of humans. We also need the grassland people to graze their livestock and mine. We can make proper plans after the war ends.”
As the saying goes, "To get rich, build roads first."
Chen Futu planned to transport resources from Longcheng to the grasslands and lay railway tracks.
Huang Yueying is using the steam templates rewarded by the system to develop a steam locomotive. Even if it consumes some resources, she will connect the grasslands and the Central Plains so that she will not have to worry about being unable to manage them due to their distance.
The next day, Chen Futu and his party continued northward.
Perhaps because she had avenged her blood feud, Ha Zhenzhen became much more talkative.
In about half a month, the group crossed the territories of various tribes. These tribes appeared panicked. Some tribes simply surrendered to the south, while others were still putting up a stubborn resistance. Chen Futu didn't bother with them.
Further ahead lies the icy tundra, also known as the Onon Sea.
When Chen Futu first saw the ocean in this frigid land, he was honestly a little horrified. Standing on the snowfield and looking north, all he could see was frost and snow, black fog swirled over the ocean, and the sky was filled with dead gray clouds, the sun was nowhere to be seen. The scene was extremely oppressive, and there were no animals to be seen, let alone people.
"System, what's going on with this ocean? I have a feeling that something terrifying is lurking inside."
The Onon Sea is a special sea, hidden in sea fog year-round, unknown to outsiders. According to grassland legends, there are secrets hidden in the Onon Sea, but whether they are true or not, the host may explore them.
"I'm just being silly and looking for the reason."
Chen Futu pursed his lips, and suddenly Xiaoqing in his arms let out a low growl at the black ocean, as if warning something.
Dian Wei said alertly, "Young Master, I feel a little uneasy. It seems like someone is watching us."
"Let's go first."
Chen Futu also sensed something was wrong. The feeling was similar to when he faced the indescribable thing before. It was an extremely ominous sign, so this sea area probably held a great secret.
The land area of the original world was far smaller than that of the ocean, and this world is probably about the same. Moreover, as a martial arts world, the dangers lurking in the ocean are probably beyond imagination. For now, we just need to search for the Ice Soul Frost Branch and avoid any unforeseen complications.
As the group gradually moved away from the Onon Sea, the premonition of danger disappeared, and the restless Xiaoqing calmed down a lot in their arms.
Guided by Ha Zhenzhen and the other person, the group, like blind men feeling an elephant, finally arrived at the location of a tribe. This tribe was not the Onon, but the Bing tribe. The inscription on the boundary marker was simple and straightforward.
The Ice Tribe has only a few houses, with no tribesmen in sight. Around them stand many totems and flags, engraved with strange images.
These images seem to correspond to the Onon Sea, and the Ice Clan are like special beings such as tomb guardians, not easily tainted by external causes and effects.
"Outsiders, do not overstep your bounds!"
Suddenly, a middle-aged man dressed in heavy winter clothes, leading a group of young, powerful men, blocked their way.