Chapter 1038: Chapter 981: The Conquest History of Eastern Black Snake Bay (Part 2)

The crimson Dragon Blood Pepper vines wound around the massive rock dam of Jade Ruyi City.

As the sun set in the west, the scales of the Snake-man guards shimmered with a rusty dark red, glistening alongside the lake’s surface.

They gazed at the swathes of golden-yellow sweet bean fields by the lake, with the distant roar of the Guara Falls in their ears, yet their eyes were sombre.

At a place unseen and unheard, enemies from the north are drawing near.

Not only the Snake-man guards but even the city’s residents clearly realized this.

Occasionally, they would look back at the enormous pyramid behind them, their thoughts inevitably scattered.

As the capital of the Snake-man Empire, Jade Ruyi City is located at the very center of Koko Lake, guarding the most fertile lakeside plains of the Musang River Basin.

Lake Heart Island of Koko Lake, after three hundred years of cultivation, has transformed into a grand city with a population of twenty thousand and six thousand buildings.

The entire city, based on Lake Heart Island and paddy fields, forms a shape of five petals, which is the origin of the name Jade Ruyi City.

The city is surrounded by a five-kilometer long protective dam, with neat stone-paved streets and square plazas within.

Where the Snake-man guards look up, is the city center, a 12-meter-high pyramid great temple.

This is also where the Snake-man Emperor resides.

Scarlet sunlight pierced through the temple dome, illuminating the Indra flower totem above, as if in full bloom.

Twelve Snake-man lords occupied the obsidian ring seats, beside the Snake-man Emperor sat six priests clad in feather robes.

They crouched on tortoiseshell bone thrones, snake tongues hissing from their mouths.

And directly opposite, seven Beastman lords sat on cushions made of herbs.

Golden-embellished pottery cups were lifted by hands covered in green scales, with boiling cocoa paste swirling with fragments of Dragon Blood Pepper.

The Snake-man Emperor Lalaka raised this thick concoction, drank it all at once, his throat scales flipped reverse as he swallowed, revealing the pale flesh underneath.

Those were the marks left by Beastman Empire assassins from the inland of the Forest Sea last year.

Due to the characteristic of dwelling in water, Snake-men often reside in river marshes, while Beastmen inhabit inland hills.

Lalaka V is considered by many Snake-men as a potential supreme emperor.

Not only did he recover the fifty-year decline of the Snake-man Empire, but he also pushed back the Beastman Empire, winning allegiance from ten Beastman city-states.

Yet, among these ten Beastman lords, three were absent.

Two had fallen into enemy hands, and one had simply not come.

Taking a deep breath, Lalaka slammed the pottery cup down abruptly, and golden particles and shards splashed immediately, cocoa spilled, winding like a snake.

"The humans from the north have swept through dozens of various city-states (some viewed as villages by the Holy Alliance)."

Lalaka sits on the obsidian lotus throne, his voice like a bone knife scraping stone.

"The more they plunder, the greedier they grow, never ending; Jade Ruyi City is the most prosperous area, and it’s exactly what they’re targeting.

Do you think humans will be friendly to us? When they expelled us from our homeland, they were not like that!

We must defeat these enemies and prevent history from repeating—within thirty days and nights, I want to see fifty thousand warriors emerge from the Green Dragon Forest Sea."

The air was stagnant like marsh deadwater.

The lords all lowered their heads, eyes fixed on their noses, noses on their hearts.

Thirty-seven city-states swept clean in three months, equivalent to capturing one state every three days, including travel time.

This is not some insignificant affair!

If humans were weak, how could they be here?

The bone chains of the six Snake-man priests clattered noisily amid whispered exchanges.

"The human envoy was disrespectful to me; I have already cut off his ear and sent him back," Lalaka spoke again, "I asked them, they’re humans without horses, and they number only five thousand.

My city-state can mobilize ten thousand troops, how about it, you each take on the remaining forty thousand, I will personally lead the army!"

Upon hearing this, a few Snake-man lords looked up in surprise: "Your injury..."

"No problem! Since humans dare to come, they must pay the price in blood!"

Lalaka’s seemingly boastful words, however, are quite convincing to many lords.

This is a war god-like emperor rarely seen in the Snake-man Empire for a century, even the thriving Beastman Empire must avoid his edge.

Though Lalaka is named emperor, his core ruling area is only the regions around the capital.

This is the unique Indra system of the Green Dragon Forest Sea.

Beyond the capital circle, Lalaka cannot administratively govern the city-states, only exert military deterrence.

Compared to the more rigid feudal attitude of the empire, city-states often do not need to pay taxes and can even pledge loyalty to two masters.

Even receiving the emperor’s summons, they can equally excuse themselves not to respond.

Therefore, when Lalaka sets out to campaign, he often has to send troops to subdue rebellious city-states before departing for the expedition.

The reason for forming this Indra system is straightforward.

The Green Dragon Forest Sea region distinguishes between dry and rainy seasons; once the rainy season arrives, rivers swell, even flooding.

Not only Beastmen but even Snake-men cannot march normally.

Thus, although Snake-men can adapt well to the local climate, they cannot form a larger, more autocratic country, but can only exist in scattered city-state forms.

After hearing the emperor’s stance, instead of the Snake-man lords, Beastman lord Duke Will spoke: "I have dealt with humans, their Knights are indeed formidable, but this is the Green Dragon Forest Sea, their Knights are ineffective here."

"Of course, furry brethren surely aren’t afraid... after all, they can still be watchdogs when they surrender."

"Eddie, what are you saying?!"

Eddie hissed out his fiery red tongue: "I know, those humans have very few Beastman guards, but they select Beastmen from the guard to serve as lords over newly conquered city-states.

But if so, the number of Beastman guards should dwindle, why are there more Beastmen in the human troops than before?"

"Are you accusing us Beastmen of colluding with the enemy?" Duke Will propped himself up on the table.

"I didn’t say that." Eddie hissed a laughing sound, "I am merely stating facts, like how two of our Beastman city-states have surrendered, and one hasn’t even come to participate."

"By that logic, even three Snake-man lords failed to attend!"

"Think what you will, my warriors will not march with you, we’ll keep our boundaries clear."

"Do you think I enjoy marching with you? Sticky as you are, and likewise, there are seven or eight Snake-man city-states surrendering, sending troops together with humans!"

The table flipped, nectar and mealworms rolled everywhere, crawling chaotically.

The waves of arguments rose higher and higher, making Lalaka’s eye corners twitch.

He slapped the table and roared: "..."

Clearly, his vocal cords were vibrating, why can’t his voice be heard?

In an instant, Lalaka was puzzled.

Then he realized, a piercing whistle overshadowed all his annoyed shouts.

Immediately, everyone could feel the entire palace bounce upwards, dust falling from the beams.

The chaos of flying stones and crashing sounds overlapped, prompting several priests to respond instantly.

"The Earth and Fire gods are enraged, quickly leave the palace to avoid collapse."

Propped by several attendants, Lalaka charged at the forefront, while Snake-man lords and Beastman lords fled the palace looking dusty and disheveled.

Upon reaching the broad plaza outside, these Noble Lords finally halted.

Still grimly shaken, Lalaka could hardly catch his breath before he began to yell again: "See, the invaders have provoked the earth into wrath, to prevent the wrath of the sky gods, we should expel them early."

If we don’t do so, with confusion rising, everyone would believe that deploying troops is wrong.

However, Lalaka’s words did not attract attention, as the lords kept their dazed gaze focused on the rear.

Lalaka looked towards the direction of everyone’s gaze, finding a hole had appeared on the tip of the original pyramid.

Sharp-eyed observers could see, a massive iron ball stuck between the bricks.

Where did it come from? Lalaka suddenly recalled reports brought back by fleeing Snake-men.

"The meteor... summoned by humans..."

Lalaka gazed towards where the sunset fell outside the city.

He saw no enemies.