Chapter 1179: Awakening

His face darkened: "Full speed through the ruins, don't linger for a moment!"

The Yinging people, who had just sat down, had to get up again upon hearing the command, with some moving particularly slowly. The Chief's sharp gaze swept over them, and just as he was about to speak, the rapid sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out from behind.

A single rider galloped towards them at great speed.

"It's Ah Xun."

"Ah Xun is here!"

Although the Yinging people didn't know where Ah Xun had gone after leaving Red Valley recently, he was, after all, the Chief's own son. If he tried to dissuade his father with kind words, surely the Chief wouldn't strike him down with a blade, would he?

Ah Xun hurried tirelessly, his precious steed pushed to exhaustion. He finally arrived before the Yinging people passed the ruins of Geshan, letting out a long sigh of relief himself. He had finally seized that glimmer of opportunity. This time, fate had not played a cruel joke on him.

The Chief watched his son gallop over, his face grim and devoid of joy. Even after Ah Xun dismounted, he slapped him across the face: "So you *do* know how to come back?"

His father's gaze was cold, his tone unfamiliar, and the slap was not held back. Ah Xun stumbled from the blow, and his cheek was already swollen as soon as he stood up.

Even though he knew his father was completely controlled by the Rashomon Armor, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He already knew that while individuals wearing the Rashomon Armor exhibited different behaviors, their inner obsessions were invariably magnified. His father's current frenzy indicated he had already been afflicted by a demonic miasma, which the Rashomon Armor then amplified, causing him to instantly descend into madness.

But after the sorrow came an even greater determination.

"Father, I was wrong, I shouldn't have left!" he said, covering his face. "From now on, I will steadfastly follow in your footsteps!"

The Chief's gaze turned suspicious: "What were you doing before?"

As Ah Xun spoke to him now, he felt as though he was talking to a cold piece of armor: "I went to survey the Purple Mud people's territory to gather intelligence for you! Since this war is inevitable, we must be thoroughly prepared!"

The Chief was somewhat surprised: "Oh? What intelligence did you gather?"

Ah Xun, covered in sweat and still gasping for breath, grabbed a branch and drew circles on the muddy ground: "The timing you've chosen for the attack is excellent. The Purple Mud people's harvest season is almost over, their granaries are full, farmers are still working in the fields, and their army's numbers are greatly reduced."

Manpower is particularly valuable in small territories. Most Purple Mud people farm normally, only joining the army during the off-season or when they lack food. Maintaining a large army in peacetime is too costly; small nations simply cannot afford it. The Purple Mud people's standing army is only six thousand. They only temporarily conscript more soldiers for major wars.

"Even better," he continued, moving the branch on the makeshift map, "they built new public granaries in Liusong Town this year, and all the grain from the surrounding areas has been stored there. We can descend the mountain and head straight for Liusong Town. As soon as we capture those granaries, we'll have provisions, allowing us to establish a foothold in Purple Mud and press forward step by step. Liusong Town isn't far from several major towns, so we can then split our forces, launch a surprise attack, and easily conquer them. With grain and towns under our control, taking the Purple Mud people's stronghold won't be difficult."

His reasoning was sound and well-supported, and the Chief's expression softened considerably, a slight smile even touching his lips.

"Now this is my good son!"

The other Yinging people, however, were deeply disappointed. They had hoped Ah Xun would persuade his father to change his mind, but instead, he seemed to have joined him in his depravity. Hmph, like father, like son.

Ah Xun pretended not to notice their gazes, and with a thud, knelt before the Chief: "In the past, I was willful and let down Father's earnest efforts."

Hearing the sound, others worried about his knees. Normally, when he did something like this, the Chief would instinctively help him up. However, not this time. Not only did the Chief not offer a hand, he subconsciously took a step back: "Alright, get up. In a few more hours, the Purple Mud people will witness the might of us, father and son!"

Except for that initial spontaneous slap, his father clearly didn't want to touch him. Why? Was he wary of him? Ah Xun already had a suspicion.

With father and son reunited, the Yinging people continued their advance towards Purple Mud.

The vegetation of Geshan was dense and deep, with stone carvings draped in vines and inscribed cliff faces commonly seen, all buried in desolation. Ah Xun also wondered how glorious the Glimmering Gold Empire must have been to build such lavish palaces. But why did it ultimately fall? Was it truly just because of one Rashomon Armor?

Father and son walked side by side. From Ah Xun's perspective, his father had lost a great deal of weight in just over a month, his cheekbones protruding, his eyes bloodshot, and an unnatural flush on his cheeks.

How exactly was that evil armor eroding his father, making him so agitated? Ah Xun had been to the ruins of Geshan twice before and knew the group was nearing the treasure vault, so he softly called out: "Father."

The Chief, focused on the journey, grunted in acknowledgment.

"Your grandson will be born in a few months. Have you thought of a name for him?"

He suddenly introduced a topic completely unrelated to the war, causing the Chief to pause. The fervent battle-lust in his mind abruptly ceased, and a brand new name sprang into his thoughts.

Grandson?

That's right, his daughter-in-law was five months pregnant and would give birth in a few months. This would be his eldest grandson, who might even become the Yinging people's new leader decades from now. This was a new life, a continuation of his bloodline.

"Ah..." The Chief hesitated, shaking his head. "Not yet, isn't it too early?"

His hesitation brought a surge of joy to Ah Xun's heart. His father's wavering was a sign of his humanity, indicating that this aspect hadn't yet been completely dominated by the evil armor.

"You could give him a nickname first. You are the person both Xiaoluo and I respect and feel closest to," Ah Xun said, hoping to awaken the humanity within his father. Regardless, a grandfather's affection for his grandson was a natural instinct.

He added fuel to the fire: "I heard the elders say that you had already thought of names for my brother and me long before we were born?"

A faint smile finally broke through the Chief's stern face, like the first hairline crack appearing on ice: "It wasn't easy. I thought of dozens of names and wasn't satisfied until your brother was born and picked his own name from a slip of paper."

Walking through the ruins of the former empire, listening to the cawing of crows and looking at the overgrown weeds, father and son chatted about old times. Although their conversation rambled, his father's gaze gradually softened.

Seeing that the atmosphere was favorable, Ah Xun couldn't help but ask: "Father, have you ever considered leading our people away from the Glimmering Gold Plain?"

"What do you mean?"

"The world outside the Glimmering Gold Plain is vast and expansive, more fertile, more prosperous, and there's no Yao Nation there either." Ah Xun had always hoped to resolve the current trouble without bloodshed. "We aren't a large group; wouldn't it be a viable option to leave by ship from Great Deer Port and start anew in the west?"

"Naïve! Do you know what you're saying?" The Chief's brows furrowed. "We are descendants of Glimmering Gold, the true royal bloodline! This land rightfully belongs to us!"