People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

In order to make "living space" for humanity, the ancient civilization sacrificed itself to the point of war, and even taught humanity "the methods of hunting giant beasts." This made Great Yan the first nation on Terra to establish a "giant beast discipline."

Who will swallow this karma?

A burly woman named Ya has made it very clear: "The hatred of our compatriots will forever haunt me."

Ernst's gaze was sharp, and his eyes held a hint of apprehension and hostility as he looked at the Grand Tutor.

Although he did not know the specific purpose of the Grand Tutor's meeting with Jeragand, he was well aware that in negotiations, the more something seemed veiled or secretive, the more important it often was.

"Your Excellency Grand Tutor, what would you like to say to the great god Jeragand?"

"Prime Minister Ernst, as I just mentioned, would like to inquire about some matters concerning the behemoths."

"A method to control a behemoth?" Ernst was clearly skeptical. "Sherrag doesn't have such a thing. Our relationship with Yeragand isn't one of subordination or superior-subordinate; it's more like family. Since you're curious, I can reveal it to you. I made a promise to Yeragand back then: if I came to power, Yeragand would become the first citizen of Sherrag and become a part of Sherrag."

The Grand Tutor opened his mouth in astonishment, and after a long while, he said, "Making the behemoth a part of the nation? Prime Minister Ernst, what a clever move! But the behemoth doesn't follow universal moral values. Are you really sure such a promise can bind Jeragand?"

Ernst waved his hand: "Your Excellency, you used the word 'tethered' very well. Don't use it next time. If you insist on seeking an answer and ask me what made Jeragand stay in Sherag, then I can only tell you the truth, but an answer you won't want to hear."

Ernst paused, then said earnestly, "It's love."

"The love of the people of Shelag for Yelagand, and the love of Yelagand for the people of Shelag."

The Grand Tutor was slightly taken aback. He wanted to refute Ernst or change his previous assessment of Ernst.

It's rather ridiculous to talk about love in the political arena.

But he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Because Ernst, who uttered these words in front of him and Ning Ciqiu, was surrounded by a light pink glow effect.

You know, it's those trendy old-fashioned emoji packs with special effects like "Spring is in full bloom," "Flowers bring wealth and prosperity," "May everything go smoothly," and "Happy New Year."

I must say, it actually suits the Grand Tutor's taste quite well.

But everyone knows that this kind of light effect cannot be formed naturally in nature, let alone now that it is nighttime and there is no sunlight!

There's only one answer left!

It was Jeragand, Jeragand added special effects to Ernst!

With a "Duang!" sound, it was all special effects!

For the first time in his life, the Grand Tutor felt he understood the mind of a complete behemoth so well.

Jeragand agreed with Ernst's words and was pleased, so he used his newly learned optics to give Ernst some pretty "chat bubbles".

A certain genius has finally broken free from the old three things that could only be writing in the sky, creating rainbows, and splitting clouds, and has moved towards modern, refined, and customized miracles!

Before the Grand Tutor and Ning Ciqiu could recover from their surprise, and before Ernst, who was surrounded by pink heart-shaped bubbles and colorful glow, could even notice the pink heart-shaped bubbles and colorful glow emanating from behind him, asked again in a serious tone:

"Your Excellency, Grand Tutor, has the Great Yan ever loved those behemoths who were appointed based on merit and who devoted themselves to serving the country?"

Chapter 279 The Jade Capital in the Heavens, Twelve Towers and Five Cities (Part 1)

Did the Great Yan Dynasty ever love those giant beasts that served the country?

As the tutor returned to the Grand Hotel Scherraga from Ernst's office, the question kept replaying in his mind.

To answer this question, the first thing to do is to determine the current relationship between Da Yan and the giant beast, or more precisely, the relationship between Da Yan and the agents of the fragments of "Sui".

No one understood better than him that the Great Yan Dynasty was actually a complex and contradictory entity. The more than 80 million people living in the mobile cities and the more than 220 million people scattered throughout the Great Yan Dynasty were a contradiction; the imperial court and the local governments were a contradiction; the factional struggles within the imperial court were a contradiction; the invasion of evil spirits in the north and the encirclement of the sea monsters in the south were yet another contradiction.

Not to mention the fundamental contradictions such as unequal wealth distribution, scarcity of arable land, and the depletion of national finances and high-end combat capabilities in one defensive war after another against the northern and southern defense lines.

Only after all these contradictions comes the contradiction of the "Year Beast".

The conflict between the Sui Beasts is not actually that urgent. Of the twelve agents of the Sui Beasts, apart from the third-ranked Jie, who has clearly died and whose consciousness has returned to the origin of "Sui", the remaining eleven agents still have complete self-awareness and material existence.

Even the sinner—the second-ranked [Wang]—miraculously survived after being split into 182 pieces. Moreover, he clearly and without concealment began to rebel against Sui's original consciousness. Si Suitai even suspected that he had already colluded with the seventh-ranked [Ji] and, through [Ji], scattered his 182 chess pieces throughout the Great Yan.

Although the awakening of the Sui Beast was irreversible after the death of the first Sui Beast, strictly speaking, there was no need for the Great Yan to be so anxious. In fact, if the Great Yan were willing to cooperate with the actions of some of its agents, it could delay the awakening of the Sui Beast at minimal cost until the Great Yan had made more thorough preparations.

However, none of the high-ranking officials in the court proposed such a solution.

"Why? Are they not as smart as a foreigner?"

Ning Ciqiu was puzzled. Others might not know, but in her opinion, her father, the Minister of Rites, must have been able to discover this possibility.

At the very least, the Grand Tutor should...

Ning Ciqiu turned his gaze to the Grand Tutor. The thin old man had a solemn expression. The streetlights cast a line of light and shadow on his slightly drooping face. Ning Ciqiu could only see his cloudy eyes and his slightly pursed lips, which seemed to be filled with unspeakable bitterness.

"They are too smart."

The Grand Tutor sighed.

"Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly; those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly!"

Ning Ciqiu frowned: "What does Grand Tutor mean?"

Grand Tutor took a long breath, strolled along the orderly streets of Tukarim, and slowly exhaled the breath in the cold wind, which turned into a light white mist in the air.

"Ciqiu, let me tell you a story."

The Grand Tutor's voice suddenly softened, and Ning Ciqiu straightened his expression and said respectfully:

"Master, please speak."

"This is the story of a general."

.............

There was once a general in a certain country.

He was born with an ancient bloodline, extremely high talent, a long lifespan, and considerable strength, which can be described as winning at the starting line from birth.

However, a special birth did not guarantee a good life. For some special reason, he and his brothers and sisters temporarily lost their home and could only wander on the vast but barren land, enduring the wind, sun, thunder, and rain.

Their lives were incredibly difficult, and the siblings were far from harmonious, often questioning each other, leading to frequent instances of them running away from home or even fighting. Lacking elders to guide them, they could only rely on the memories, or rather, instincts, flowing in their blood to try and survive on the earth.

For this reason, they also committed bad deeds, such as robbing food, attacking villages, destroying property, and even injuring and killing people. They were not entirely without such acts at that time.

No one can truly remain untainted on this filthy land.

This continued for many years until one day, the ruler of the land he stood on appeared before him.

This great king had a broad mind and a tolerant heart. He did not pursue the birth, past, mistakes and crimes of him and his brothers and sisters. Instead, he gave him two choices.

"Either leave my land, just like your former compatriots."

"Either become my warrior and shatter everything in my way."

Looking back at his brothers and sisters, he chose the latter: to have a more stable life, to experience the lives of those seemingly insignificant ants, and to answer the question in his heart: "Who else can I be besides myself?"

He truly became the emperor's most valiant warrior, leading troops in battle, strategizing, dueling, and conquering territories—he was virtually omnipotent. His powerful bloodline and near-immortal lifespan granted him unimaginable advantages. Knowledge that seemed obscure to ordinary people was utterly insignificant in the face of his innate talent and the vastness of time. His wondrous spells and powers came directly from his bloodline, learned without a teacher, making him the envy of all.

The emperor was very satisfied with him and, as promised, arranged positions for his brothers and sisters. Those who were willing to fight alongside him on the battlefield could join the army, while those who were not could perform their duties in the country and live a peaceful, ordinary life.

He even became the emperor's vanguard, leading his brothers and sisters to the north of the border to fight against those demons and monsters that fed on fear and were fear itself.

He won battle after battle, as if there were no defeats before him. As long as he guarded the place, it would be the strongest defense.

Thus, a beautiful story of harmonious coexistence between ruler and subject seemed about to be written.

However, this period of good fortune was short-lived. After another year had passed, the magnanimous emperor died.

Only then did he suddenly realize that, without his noticing, his military rank had become increasingly difficult to advance, and the very bloodline that had given him power had become his greatest obstacle. The newly enthroned emperor distrusted him, high-ranking officers in the army did not approve of him, and even his former comrades-in-arms began to question him.

Why do you seem to have never changed?

"what are you?"

"monster?"

He fell silent. It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that, in the eyes of these people, he and his brothers and sisters had never changed.

No matter how he tries to get close, imitate, or be loyal or ingratiating, in their eyes, he has never changed.

"He has always been an outsider."

...........

"I called him a general, but that's actually a misstatement. He's not a general; he doesn't even have a military rank anymore. If we could call him that, perhaps 'hero' would be more fitting. Although he certainly wouldn't accept that title."

A hint of self-deprecation appeared on the Grand Tutor's face.

Ning Ciqiu, however, asked thoughtfully, "Is what the Grand Tutor is referring to... [Shuo]?"

Shuo, or as he is now known by his name Chongyue, is a prominent figure in both the Si Sui Tai and the Ministry of Rites, and the eldest of the twelve agents representing the fragments of the Year Beasts. He is a calm and composed person who pursues martial arts. According to historical records, he had served in the military in his early years and even brought his third brother, Ling, to guard the border with him.

He has now retired from the military and lives in seclusion in Yumen City, where he is known as the "Martial Arts Grandmaster" and can be considered the ancestor of all martial arts sects in the world. If he himself did not dislike it, every martial arts school and martial arts organization in the Great Yan territory would now have to enshrine a golden statue of him.

Ning Ciqiu asked this question because she had also read the information about Chongyue, which almost perfectly matched the "general" mentioned by the Grand Tutor.

But unexpectedly, when Ning Ciqiu voiced her question, the Grand Tutor smiled and shook his head:

"No, Ciqiu, you guessed wrong."

"The general I'm referring to is Captain Bozokasti, the famous 'Patriot' of the Ursus Empire and the leader of the Armed Wendigo Legion."

"He is a Sarkaz. If you are interested, you can look up his story."

“Bozhuokast…” Ning Ciqiu silently memorized the name, but was still somewhat puzzled. What did the Grand Tutor’s story have to do with the people in the court?

The Grand Tutor simply shook his head with a wry smile:

"As you've thought of, there are actually quite a few people like Bozokasti in Terra."

"Bozokasti devoted himself to the Ursus Empire. As a pure-blooded Wendigo among the Sarkaz, after accepting the offer of amnesty from the former Ursus emperor, he became his most valiant general, defeating the armies and soldiers of Victoria, Letania, Lateran, and other countries. He even participated in the defense against the northern demons. But his fate was perhaps no different from that of [Shuo]."

"Or rather, [Shuo] is perhaps the second Bozokasti."

He said, “The Ursus Emperor cannot tolerate Bochokasti, not because of his loyalty, but because of his Sarkaz race. And the officials of the court cannot tolerate Shuo, not because they despise the behemoths.”

The Great Yan Kingdom, while chanting the slogan "Man will conquer nature," is actually the nation closest to the giant beasts. However, its rulers, much like the Ursus Emperor's treatment of the Sarkaz Bodrakaste, regard the beast agents merely as useful tools and perfect hunters.

When the hunt is complete, it is rewarded, given a new hive, a badge, and a bone.

But a prey is always a prey; it's impossible for it to turn the tables and become the master. Therefore, a captain can only be a captain, never a general. A grandmaster can only be a grandmaster, never the garrison commander of Yumen Pass.

However, the Great Yan Emperor, who was like the former emperor of Ursus, did not foresee this.

The Sarkaz Wendigo Legion was merely a remnant of the defeated Sarkaz; at best, they were a high-speed warship, no match for Ursus.

But the agents of the Year Beast are the key to its resurrection, and the Year Beast is a real nuclear bomb, a nuclear bomb that has a grudge against the Great Yan.

"And you gentlemen are too clever, including myself," the Grand Tutor said with a self-deprecating tone, as if praising himself.

"We are clearly in the middle of the game, yet we are dreaming of fighting a beast from afar. We realize that Sui is a threat, and that this threat is growing day by day, but we have overlooked the fact that the agent is the key to unlocking the bomb that is Sui. Instead, we are pushing the agent further and further towards a dead end."

Looking at a nuclear bomb and a button in front of him, even though he could do nothing and the bomb wouldn't detonate, he couldn't help but feel that if the bomb exploded, the threat would be gone. He arrogantly believed that the bomb would definitely not hit him, so he started to unlock the safety of the button, layer after layer, until he finally couldn't stop.

The countdown has begun, and the sword of Damocles hangs overhead. The good news is that the leaders are indeed wise; they realize things are going badly and have prioritized the behemoth problem. The bad news is that no one realizes they brought this upon themselves, and they can't stop.

"So what should we do now?"

The Grand Tutor pondered for a moment, then slowly said:

"I need to discuss this matter with the Grand Commandant after I return to Baizhao."

“If feasible, we need insurance to separate the agent, the key and the button, from this hot bomb until we are ready.”

Ning Ciqiu was startled: "Isolation? What can isolate those agents?"

The Grand Tutor's eyes flickered: "The only thing that can isolate a giant beast is, of course, a giant beast itself."

He had half a sentence left unsaid.

"I fear this matter will face enormous resistance, and we will need a huge amount of leverage and a foolproof plan to be effective in the court debate."

.................

Tukarim, the Shelag government office building. Ernst welcomed his first visitor of the day.

"You want to build a floating city in the sky?"

Looking at Nastie, whose expression was firm and whose eyes shone with light, Ernst took a deep breath.

No, sis, isn't this progress a little too fast?

We've only just entered the town era, and you're already planning to build a sky city?

“I believe this is feasible, or rather, only in the special environment created by Yeragand above Sherag could the construction of the Sky City be completed.”