Chapter 122: Snow Domain Forces
On the vast ancient road, iron hooves thundered.
At this moment, two Crimson Blood warhorses lagged behind the group of riders, their speed gradually slowing.
Lin Feng looked at the roadside, where wisps of cooking smoke rose and white mist swirled continuously in the air. Around this ancient road, there were actually villages, none of them small. Over the past few days, every stretch of the journey had been like this.
Although the Nine Heavens Continent revered martial arts as supreme, there were still many commoners without martial souls or martial talent.
"Lin Feng, over there, that's Broken Blade City."
Liu Canglan called Lin Feng by name directly, pointing at a city in the distance.
Broken Blade City — where blades break and hearts shatter.
"Finally here."
Lin Feng gazed at the city growing closer, thinking to himself. Even with the Crimson Blood Divine Steeds' incredible speed and traveling through the night, they had still taken six days to reach Broken Blade City, north of the Snow Moon Kingdom.
"This road is so open, with no other natural barriers along the way. If the enemy breaks through Broken Blade City, wouldn't they charge straight in and cause rivers of blood?"
Lin Feng looked at Liu Canglan and spoke. If Broken Blade City fell, the countless villages along this vast ancient road would likely be trampled in an instant.
"They don't care."
Liu Canglan said indifferently, but his words sent a chill through Lin Feng.
They don't care?
Indeed, these were all commoners. Even if the city was breached and a massacre ensued, it would only be commoners who died. On the Nine Heavens Continent, only martial prowess mattered.
"Lin Feng, do you know the broader environment our Snow Moon Kingdom is in?"
"No, I don't." Lin Feng shook his head slightly.
"The Nine Heavens Continent is vast and boundless, with great empires and domains. Our Snow Moon Kingdom is located in the Snow Domain." Liu Canglan explained slowly to Lin Feng. "The Snow Domain has thirteen nations, including four lower-grade empires and nine kingdoms, with countless sect forces. Our Snow Moon Kingdom is one of the nine kingdoms — it can't even be called a lower-grade empire."
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. This was the first time he had heard of the Snow Domain and its thirteen nations, and that the Snow Moon Kingdom didn't amount to much even within the Snow Domain. What about the vast continent as a whole?
"The nine kingdoms of the Snow Domain are all vassals of the four lower-grade empires. Our Snow Moon Kingdom is the same, subordinate along with the Tian Feng Kingdom to the lower-grade empire Dragon Mountain Empire. There are constant conflicts with other kingdoms, like the Moyue Kingdom on the other side of Broken Blade City. The four empires never interfere in our conflicts and struggles — they might not even care at critical moments of life and death. The weak are prey to the strong; that's the law of the martial continent."
"However, every ten years, the four empires select talented younger disciples from their vassal states to participate in a major Snow Domain competition, gathering outstanding young geniuses from all thirteen nations of the Snow Domain. It's said that the victors can obtain countless benefits, even entering a secret realm to enhance their strength and cultivation. Moreover, if the talents selected by the four empires from their vassal states achieve good results, those vassal states also gain many benefits, strengthening their national power and becoming more powerful."
"The Snow Domain competition... a secret realm!"
Lin Feng's brow rose. He wondered if Falling Snow Gongzi and Dapeng Gongzi joining the Snow Moon Holy Academy was related to this.
"It's precisely because of this competition that the nine kingdoms are constantly at war. They all hope to deplete each other's strength, even break through each other's nations and annex them. That way, not only do their territories expand, but they also have more outstanding young disciples, achieving better results. Perhaps the monarchs of the nine kingdoms all hope that one day, their nations can become one of the empires."
"I see."
Lin Feng hadn't expected that the wars between nations were actually driven by a single competition.
"You should understand now why they wanted to destroy the Cloud Sea Sect and tried to annex other sects, gathering all the outstanding talents into the Snow Moon Holy Academy."
Liu Canglan glanced at Lin Feng, who nodded slightly. Creating the Snow Moon Holy Academy — because they needed more outstanding talents.
"As for wanting to kill me, it's because my influence in the military was too great. They couldn't tolerate a military force that exceeded their limits; they wanted absolute control. And destroying sects was to unify the forces of Snow Moon. Not to mention the Cloud Sea Sect — if other sects didn't compromise and make concessions, they would face the same calamity. The Cloud Sea Sect became a sacrifice to warn the other sects."
Liu Canglan let out a long sigh. Lin Feng's heart grew colder and colder. They said one arrow could kill two eagles, but the arrow they shot had killed far more than two.
"General, dismount and have some water."
At that moment, as they passed a village, a village woman called out to Liu Canglan.
"General, your hair..."
"It's nothing. I have matters to attend to, so I won't stop." Liu Canglan smiled slightly at the village woman and urged his horse forward. At this time, many villagers came out of their houses, silently standing on both sides of the road, watching Liu Canglan pass by with genuine respect in their eyes.
Lin Feng felt a surge of solemn respect.
Since ancient times, the people feared the military. If the military could avoid harassing the people, it was already a good military. That Liu Canglan could achieve this showed how deeply he had won the people's hearts.
Unfortunately, this was a world of martial artists. If it were the ancient times of his previous life, Lin Feng had no doubt that if Liu Canglan raised his arm in a call to action, he could shake the entire nation.
Before long, a towering small city appeared before Lin Feng.
"General! The general is back!"
"Hurry, open the city gates!"
Many people saw Liu Canglan and showed excited expressions. Moments later, the soldiers guarding the city walls all rushed up, filling the entire corridor along the walls.
"General!"
The crowd shouted, their eyes filled with excitement. News of the Cloud Sea Sect's destruction had already spread throughout the three armies. Later, when they learned that the general had gone to the imperial city, they were terrified, fearing something might happen this time. Fortunately, their general had returned.
Looking at the figures on the city wall, Liu Canglan let out a long breath, his eyes carrying an indescribable emotion. These people were all his men, who had entrusted their lives to him.
"I'm back." Liu Canglan uttered a few words, then spurred his horse forward, galloping through the open city gates with a whistling wind.
Lin Feng clamped his legs tightly against the horse's flanks, and the Crimson Blood warhorse charged, closely following Liu Canglan.
This city on the border of the Snow Moon Kingdom was not large. Liu Canglan's residence was at the innermost part of the city, next to another city gate — the one closest to the battlefield.
Before Liu Canglan even arrived, a fiery red figure came galloping toward him, leaving trails of fire-colored afterimages in the air.
"Father."
Liu Fei's eyes were slightly red, with traces of tears. The soldiers didn't know what Liu Canglan had gone to do, but how could she not understand? Yet over the past few days, she had been placed under house arrest, unable to leave her residence even half a step.
Hearing that Liu Canglan had returned, she immediately rushed over. Now, seeing her father alive and well, how could Liu Fei not be excited?
"Feifei."
Liu Canglan's eyes showed a hint of affection, mixed with some guilt.
Liu Fei looked at Liu Canglan, silent for a moment, then suddenly shouted, "Liu Canglan, you bastard."
"Uh!"
Lin Feng was stunned beside her. This woman really wasn't gentle at all!!
But the smile on Liu Canglan's lips grew even warmer. He just smiled bitterly — he really was a bastard.
"Alright, Feifei. I'm fine, aren't I?"
"You're fine, but I'm not fine at all." Liu Fei glared fiercely at Liu Canglan, then rode up beside him and suddenly said softly, "Father, you won't do something like this again, will you?"
"I won't in the future." Liu Canglan shook his head, then pointed at Lin Feng beside him and said, "Feifei, you should thank him properly. He saved your father."
"Hmm?" Liu Fei's gaze fell on Lin Feng. His long robe was covered in dust, travel-worn, and the bronze mask on his face gave him a fierce, mysterious air.
"Father, who is he?" Liu Fei asked with a hint of confusion. Liu Canglan chuckled lightly and said, "Feifei, can't you tell?"
Liu Fei was stunned again. Couldn't she tell? Did she know this person wearing the bronze mask?
Lin Feng smiled, placed his hand on the bronze mask, and a teasing tone came from his mouth.
"What, you don't even recognize your own man?"
As his voice fell, the bronze mask was removed, and Liu Fei saw that clean, handsome face wearing a faint smile!