“Child, have you gone mad?”
Facing Lanling’s words, Suomo spoke the most intense words he had ever uttered since they had known each other.
The moment he said these words, Lanling immediately judged that this uncle before him and his father Suolong possessed nearly identical personality traits.
Loyalty, and absolute uprightness, with incomparably high moral standards.
Even though he was in the Savage Wilderness world, this standard was deeply engraved in his mind and bloodline.
This was their limitation, and also their greatness.
Over the past twenty-something years, Count Suolong could almost be considered the jade pillar supporting heaven of the Raging Wave Kingdom, a generation’s military god.
Whether in terms of merits established or prestige within the army, Count Suolong had surpassed Duke Turingto.
But throughout his entire life, Count Suolong had devoted himself to King Zhiyan and the Raging Wave Kingdom. He had not increased his own noble rank by a single degree, nor added an inch of territory to his family.
Even after he was paralysed, even after his king was hollowed out, his Suo clan had nearly fallen into catastrophic disaster.
One could say that if the new Suolon had not risen like a shooting star, the Suo clan would have perished long ago, and Tianshui City would have been annexed by Zhiyou long ago.
And after Lanling came to this world, he had not heard too much of Count Suolong’s reputation, far from being as thunderously famous as Duke Turingto.
Later, he still heard of Count Suolong’s deeds from King Zhiyan, the eunuch Gao Yin, and Princess Zhiyan, knowing that he was such an extraordinary person.
The Suomo before him was the same. They were both bound by their own moral standards, even though the character for demon was in his name.
Lanling earnestly looked at Suomo and said, “Uncle, I have not gone mad. On the contrary, I am very clear-headed. You owe Constantine nothing. You have already repaid his grace of taking you in. You saved his life.”
Suomo said, “Our Foreign Race Army is a part of the Chimera Tribe. Constantine is our liege lord. Are you asking me to betray my liege lord? Rebellion has always been the most shameful thing.”
“Haha…” Lanling sneered coldly and said, “Uncle, have you ever heard a saying?”
“Please instruct me.” Suomo said.
Lanling said, “If my lord treats me as a national scholar, I shall repay him as a national scholar! If my lord treats me as a passerby, I shall repay him as a passerby! If my lord treats me as grass and weeds, I shall repay him as an enemy!”
Truth is truth at any time, capable of convincing people.
After hearing these words, Suomo’s face trembled slightly.
In many places of the Savage Wilderness world, things were primitive and backward, but the Dragon Emperor had established the Flame Demon Empire in the Savage Wilderness world over three thousand years ago, bringing the spark of civilisation to this land.
So, many Near Humans had read books. Suomo naturally understood the shocking power of these words.
“Constantine treats you, treats the entire Foreign Race Army, worse than grass and weeds, completely like pigs and dogs, like slaves.” Lanling said.
Suomo said, “But, after all, he took us in, let us no longer wander, no longer be homeless. Even the worst stability far surpasses the best exile.”
Lanling said, “The Foreign Race Army risks their lives for him, is born and dies for him. Over these dozen or so years, how many lives has the Foreign Race Army paid for Constantine? Several thousand, ten thousand? Every year, how much food and how many minerals does the Foreign Race Army provide for Constantine? The Chimera Tribe no longer has Chimera flying beasts, so why can it still dominate several hundred li? It is because he has the Foreign Race Army, which he can madly exploit.”
Suomo said, “Yes, although our Foreign Race Army’s life is not satisfactory, at least we are still alive, with a place to live every day, with food to eat.”
“Then what about dignity?” Lanling said, “There is a saying: give me liberty, or give me death. And dignity is a need lower than freedom. A person without dignity is like a walking corpse.”
“It is I who has no dignity.” Suomo said loudly, “I will let my brothers live with as much dignity as possible.”
Hearing these words, Lanling only felt incomparably heartbroken.
Indeed it was so. When someone humiliated Suomo, he would simply let the saliva dry on his face. But when someone humiliated Dina or Lanling, he would stand up and stand before them, protecting Lanling and Dina’s dignity.
Clearly, it was not only towards Dina and Lanling. He was like this towards every single person in the Foreign Race Army.
Anyone could humiliate him, but they could not humiliate his Foreign Race Army.
“That is because you are still alive.” Lanling said, “What if one day, you are no longer here? Or what if Constantine dies, and that idiot-like Constantine the Second ascends to power?”
Suomo’s face trembled.
At his age, with his experience, he no longer cared about life or death.
Even, from the moment his wife and daughter died, he had already died.
He was completely living for others now, for Dina, for the Foreign Race Army, and now there was one more, Lanling.
Lanling’s words pierced straight to his heart. Yes, if he died, who would protect the Foreign Race Army?
Constantine, although cunning, was clever. While he was in power, he would not make a move against the Foreign Race Army. And if he died, and Constantine the Second ascended to power, would he still tolerate the Foreign Race Army? Basically impossible.
Suomo said, “Lanling, do you know that a considerable portion of the energy in our bloodlines comes from the food we eat? The demon beast meat we eat contains the power of demons. And look at what our Foreign Race Army eats? Just enough to barely not starve to death! So our Foreign Race Army, apart from not fearing death, has nothing. We wield the worst weapons, and our martial power is far inferior to the Chimera Tribe’s army. We only have a bit over a thousand people, while the Chimera Tribe has a full ten thousand warriors. Rebellion is nothing but a dead end.”
Speaking until his anger rose, Suomo took a pot of water and drank it all in one go, and said, “And you speak of leaving to become independent, establishing our own tribe. Do you know how dangerous the outside world is? There are countless ferocious beasts, many tribes eyeing us covetously. I dare say, the day after our tribe is established, over a dozen tribes will besiege us, killing every single one of us. This is not like your Tianshui City, where you only needed to peacefully inherit the position of city lord, without any fighting, without any war, reaping the benefits without effort. You are still young, you still do not understand anything. Things are not as easy as you say. Do not reach for what is beyond your grasp.”
Lanling took a deep breath, and said calmly, “Uncle, four years ago my father died. I lost the Tianshui City territory, and fled with my sister like stray dogs, homeless, with nothing. Yet merely half a year later, I led thousands of troops and horses to reclaim my Tianshui City. Then the Raging Wave Kingdom’s young lord Zhiyou raised the power of the entire nation to campaign against me. I used merely five hundred li of Tianshui City to oppose the Raging Wave Kingdom with its ten thousand li of territory. Over three years, I fought three large-scale wars. I led the Tianshui City army to kill over six hundred thousand enemy troops. In three years, I defeated the Raging Wave Kingdom’s young lord, defeated all the feudal lords, all the warlords, all the nobles. I relied on the power of a single city to push my fiancee Princess Zhiyan onto the throne of queen of the Raging Wave Kingdom. I used a mere five hundred li city to seize a ten thousand li kingdom.”
Hearing Lanling’s words, Suomo and Dina were completely stunned.
He did not know what Lanling had experienced, thinking that he had wandered into the Savage Wilderness nation merely because of a small conflict, or perhaps personal grievances.
Because Lanling’s martial arts were very low, Suomo thought that before he wandered into the Savage Wilderness world, he was merely a boastful, high-reaching noble young master.
“Then… then why did you come here?” Suomo asked.
Lanling said, “Because of the bloodline in my body, I was hunted by the entire human world. My wife… personally killed me!”
The moment these words were spoken, Dina’s tears suddenly gushed out.
Suomo said, “Then, what about your family, your Tianshui City?”
Lanling shook his head and said, “I do not know, but in my dreams, my Tianshui City has already been slaughtered clean.”
Suomo’s face trembled continuously, then he suddenly pulled Lanling into his embrace, and said in a trembling voice, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
He once again felt a piercing pain in his heart, sharing Lanling’s pain as if it were his own.
And Dina beside him only felt incomparable heartache, incomparable shock!
Lanling said, “Uncle, if you do not wish to rebel, then we will leave and become independent. There is nothing impossible in this world. As long as you agree, I will definitely find a path for the Foreign Race Army.”
At this moment, Dina could no longer hold back and said, “Foster father, I would rather die than live such a humiliating and painful life. I would rather die magnificently than live like this.”
Suomo painfully closed his eyes!
The exile over a dozen years ago, the constant deaths of the people around him, this was his incomparably painful memory.
So, he incomparably pursued stability, wanting to protect every member of the Foreign Race Army as much as possible.
But Lanling proposed leaving to become independent. This was another exile, another terrifying adventure, and he did not know how many people would die.
The moment he thought of the Foreign Race Army losing their place of shelter once again, wandering once again, an incomparable fear and pain surged in his heart.
“Alright, we will not speak of this topic today.” Suomo suddenly waved his hand and said, “Dina, your second brother Du Yan will return today. Tomorrow morning I will leave the tribe to go capture a griffin beast in exchange for the little girl.”
“Foster father.” Dina called out, “I will go with you to capture the griffin.”
“No!” Suomo said, “Griffins live at the summit of mountains five to six thousand metres high. It is too dangerous there. You cannot go.”
“It is precisely because it is dangerous that I must go with you.” Dina said.
“Say no more.” Suomo said resolutely, “For these ten days, your sole task is to take Lanling to practise martial arts, and help him raise his martial power. In this world, everything is empty. Only the martial power in one’s hands is real.”
At this moment, Suomo displayed the dictatorship of a family patriarch. Once he made a decision on any matter, no one was allowed to defy it.
Then, Suomo turned to Lanling and said, “Little Ling, you go out first. I have a few words to say to Dina.”
“Yes.” Lanling said.
Although he could not persuade Suomo, Lanling’s heart was still filled with respect and love for him.
…
After Lanling left, Suomo sighed, and sat back in his own seat.
Dina said, “Foster father, I think what Lanling said makes sense.”
“Do not speak of this matter.” Suomo said resolutely.
Dina sadly lowered her head.
Then, Suomo sighed and said, “Dina, do you like Lanling? Although you two have known each other for less than two days, the love and desire impulse of us demon race people appears the very first moment we meet.”
Dina lowered her head and said, “I am not worthy of him.”
“Then that means you like him.” Suomo said.
Dina said, “I do not know.”
“Haha.” Suomo laughed heartily, no longer teasing his thin-skinned adopted daughter.
Then, Suomo closed his eyes and said, “Little Na, Lanling is right. One day, I will die. Do you think that after I die, should I hand the Foreign Race Army over to Lanling, or to your second brother Du Yan?”
Du Yan, Suomo’s adopted son, was his most outstanding disciple.
“Hmph!” Dina sneered coldly and said, “Second brother spends all day fawning on Constantine, only wanting to marry his daughter to rise to the top in one step. Perhaps he is another ungrateful white-eyed wolf like Guru.”
“No.” Suomo said, “Although your second brother’s speculative heart is somewhat large, he is still full of emotion towards me, towards you, and towards the Foreign Race Army.”
“I think it should be handed over to Lanling.” Dina said, “After all, he is your nephew.”
“Yes, he is my biological nephew. From the first moment I saw Lanling, I liked him very much.” Suomo said, “But there is a mad temperament about him, like raging flames. Following him, one might perhaps step onto the peak, or might also be burned to ashes, dying without a burial place.”
Dina said, “I have said, I would rather die magnificently.”
Suomo nodded and said, “I understand. The moment I return, I will immediately betroth you to him.”
Dina’s face instantly heated up and she said, “Foster father, he looks down on me.”
Suomo said, “That is not up to him. If I tell him to marry you, he must marry. How many women he marries in the future is your matter. But you are getting on in years, and your lifelong affair must be settled. Moreover, only if you marry Lanling do I have reason to refuse the young chieftain. This matter cannot be delayed any longer.”
Dina’s heart beat accelerated, and she said in a trembling voice, “Everything follows foster father’s arrangements.”
Suomo sighed again!
Actually, looking at it, Dina and his adopted son Du Yan were the most well-matched.
Suomo had also once said that he would betroth Dina to Du Yan. At that time, Dina had frowned, a complex expression flashing in her eyes, but she still agreed to marry Du Yan.
Because in Dina’s eyes, foster father Suomo was heaven, was earth. Any arrangement he made, she would obey.
However, although Du Yan liked Dina in his heart, he wanted to marry the chieftain’s daughter to rise to the top in one step. So, this marriage affair came to nothing.
Suomo opened his eyes, and took out the longevity lock from his embrace, handing it to Dina.
This longevity lock was hung on him by Suomo’s biological parents. It had his name on it, and was almost his only possession outside of his body.
“Foster father, why?” Dina asked.
Suomo said lightly, “This is my only token. I will leave it with you. In the future, whether because of war or because of other reasons, if anything happens to me, you will be the one to announce that I have handed the Foreign Race Army over to Lanling.”
The moment these words were spoken, Dina immediately threw herself into Suomo’s embrace, and said loudly, “No, foster father, you will definitely live a long life.”
“Hehe…” Suomo rarely smiled and said, “Lanling is very mad. The things he said, I cannot do, I do not dare to think, and even more do not approve. But… I also greatly admire him. So many things, while I am alive, I do not wish for any change. But after I die, I yet hope to see change!”
“No, you will definitely live a long life, definitely.” Dina said.
“I also firmly believe this.” Suomo said, “Do you not wish for Lanling to take control of our Foreign Race Army? Then you must work hard, and try your best to make him become strong. In the Savage Wilderness world, martial power is supreme. Without powerful martial power, one cannot sit steadily in this position. And his talent is so astonishing, far beyond our understanding.”
“I will definitely supervise him.” Dina gritted her teeth and said, “Even if he comes to hate me, I will also supervise his martial arts training very strictly.”
“That is good. Go now, there are still a few hours until dark.” Suomo said.
“Yes.” Dina said.
…
After eating an extremely coarse lunch.
Dina came before Lanling, and threw a set of clothes at him, saying, “Change into this set of clothes.”
This was a set of rough leather clothes with many holes in it.
Lanling said nothing, and changed into this set of clothes.
Then, Dina stuffed his clothes and trousers full of heavy lead blocks. Instantly, Lanling’s load exceeded three hundred jin.
“From today onwards, I will conduct hell training on you.” Dina said, “You cannot cry out about hardship or tears. And if you cannot do it, I will punish you, whip you. Even if you come to hate me, there is nothing I can do.”
Her face was very stern, different from before.
“Alright.” Lanling said.
Then, Dina handed Lanling a three hundred jin deadwood sword. Instantly, the load on Lanling’s body exceeded six hundred jin.
Although Lanling’s arm strength exceeded five hundred jin, a full body load of six hundred jin still gave him a heavy feeling.
“Today’s task is to bear a load of six hundred jin, run twenty thousand metres, and swing the sword three thousand times.” Dina said, “You sleep when you finish. Moreover, you are not allowed to use bloodline power, only the power of your body’s instincts.”
“Alright.” Lanling said.
Then, Dina took out a whip and said, “Remember, if you lie on the ground and refuse to walk, I really will hit you. Even if you come to hate me, there is nothing I can do.”
“Alright.” Lanling said.
“Alright, then depart now.” Dina said.
Then, Lanling bore a load of over six hundred jin, and walked with difficulty on the rugged road, beginning the hell training plan Dina had devised.
And Dina, holding a leather whip, followed behind Lanling, walking out of the tribe’s gates.
Today, the gate guards were not from the Foreign Race Army, but from the Chimera Tribe’s warriors.
“Ptooey!” The saliva of one of the tribe warriors directly landed on Lanling’s back.
“Foreign lowly dog, going outside to mate with wild dogs?” After spitting, this tribe warrior laughed heartily.
Another tribe warrior took out the thing below in front of Dina and urinated, saying, “Foreign little bitch, look at how big my bird is? It can completely satisfy you. You don’t need to go find wild beasts outside, haha…”
“Ignore them.” Dina said, but she herself was so angry she was almost biting blood from her teeth.
…
After leaving the tribe, Lanling bore a load of six hundred jin and climbed the steep and rugged mountain.
When he climbed to the mountaintop, it was exactly ten thousand metres!
The entire process, he absolutely could not use bloodline power, and had to rely completely on his own strength.
At first, the flat ground was still fine. Later, when climbing the steep mountain path, it was completely painful torture.
Lanling felt the burden on his body growing heavier and heavier. Every step seemed to become difficult. Not only was it somewhat hard to breathe, but even his vision went black again and again.
But every time he felt he could not persist, a surge of energy would gush out from the depths of his bloodline into his four limbs and hundred bones.
This was a process of tempering the meridians, tendons, and bones, continuously squeezing the body’s limits, transforming bloodline power into body power.
So, every time the body’s painful limit arrived, it became extremely precious.
Every time the painful limit arrived, Lanling almost bit blood from his teeth, using his final will.
After the painful limit arrived, the energy gushing out from the depths of the bloodline alleviated the body’s pain, completely like heaven, truly making one addicted.
Throughout the entire ascent, the bloodline power tempered a full three times.
A full two hours later, Lanling finally climbed to the mountain summit.
Then, he immediately wanted to collapse onto the ground to rest.
“No resting.” Dina said sternly, fiercely whipping the ground with the whip in her hand, “Get up. Attack me with your ebony sword, one thousand five hundred times!”
Then, Dina stood there like a wooden post!
Lanling gritted his teeth and got up, gripping the three hundred jin ebony sword, and according to the Gale Sword Technique, launched attacks at Dina.
Originally, he thought Dina would defend.
He had not expected that she would completely not dodge, allowing Lanling to hack at her body.
Although Lanling’s martial arts were very low, this wooden sword was a full three hundred jin. Being struck by it also hurt very much.
“Are you mad.” Lanling said angrily.
Dina said in a trembling voice, “I, I am training you so strictly, you must be unhappy in your heart. You can just use the sword to attack me to vent your displeasure. I do not want you to hate me, to detest me.”
“Stupid woman.” Lanling cursed, “Pick up the sword, parry!”
“Oh.” Dina’s heart trembled and she said.
Just like this, Lanling gripped the three hundred jin deadwood sword, and desperately hacked at Dina.
And Dina, every sword was accurately parried!
For Lanling, normally wielding a three hundred jin wooden sword was already somewhat strenuous. After all, this was not a static lift, but rapid hacking, and there was still a three hundred jin load of lead blocks on his body.
In a short moment, Lanling was completely drenched in sweat.
After three hundred swords, he reached his bottom line, his vision going black again and again.
Then, the bloodline once again surged with a powerful force into his four limbs and hundred bones, conducting a tempering.
Just like this, nearly madly squeezing the body’s limits, Lanling completed the practice of one thousand five hundred swords.
Today’s hell trial was half complete!
Lanling’s body had never been this tired, never been this painful.
After all, previously with the Demon Star, he directly hunted demon beasts, devoured bloodline power, and then the Demon Star automatically tempered his body.
But this kind of hell trial clearly had effects. Lanling had already clearly felt that his strength had improved.
“Alright, rest for one hour.” Dina said.
Then, Dina removed the lead blocks from Lanling’s body, and helped him massage his entire body.
Suddenly, Lanling sat up and said, “Resting for one hour, I can freely allocate this time, correct?”
Dina nodded and said, “Of course!”
“You said that Goufu’s wife often goes to the nearby lake to watch the sunset, correct?” Lanling said.
Goufu, the younger brother of Chieftain Constantine’s wife, had twice spat saliva onto Suomo’s face today.
Dina said, “Yes.”
Lanling said, “Take me there.”
Dina said, “To do what?”
“Seduce her, sleep with her, and cuckold Goufu.” Lanling said.
Dina said, “You, you are really going? I thought you were joking.”
“Of course, I mean what I say.” Lanling said, “Rest assured, I will definitely complete it within one hour, without delaying training.”
Having spoken, Lanling directly sprinted down the mountain.