Chapter 327: The Icy Sea Clans

Wu Qingsong gazed down from the airship at the chaotic scene of beastfolk below. What he truly hoped for was that they would have the sense to choose wisely.

Killing these beastfolks might be easy, but to Wu Qingsong, it was meaningless. His goal wasn’t to spread fear across this land, turning Nagrand into a place where no one dared to tread. Instead, he sought to achieve success in Nagrand, drawing in countless devout believers, discovering more talented beastgirls, and obtaining more soul stones—ultimately gaining the power to confront the elves.

Farming and fighting were only means to an end, never the end itself.

“Wu?” Ram called.

Below, the beastfolks barely managed to reform their spear-wielding ranks. But after hours of confrontation, most of them had already realized the outcome of standing in front of the charging bison and moose.

To die a heroic death for their ancestors was, of course, honorable—but to die here, like this…

“Wait a little longer,” Wu Qingsong replied.

If these beastfolks remained stubborn to the end, he would have no other choice. He would harass them relentlessly, preventing their advance toward Nagrand, then strike again at night. The shaman elder had already fallen in battle. Wu Qingsong doubted they had the courage to endure several nights without breaking.

“Someone’s coming,” Nina said.

A short foxkin, accompanied by several bearkin, emerged from the spear formation and approached them. 

Wu Qingsong finally allowed himself a sigh of relief, giving a slight nod to Nina and Xeila. 

“Let’s go meet them.”

The two sides met several hundred meters ahead of the beastfolks formation. Wu Qingsong observed the opposing party—the bearkin, despite their fierce appearance, carried a hollow bravado. By contrast, the foxkin seemed calm and composed.

“I am Sidre Wu, Lord of Nagrand,” he addressed the beastkin. “State your intentions.”

The bearkin seemed eager to assert their strength. One young bearkin had barely begun to roar when, in a sudden blur, Xeila, clearly in a foul mood, delivered a swift kick that sent him flying. The bearkin crashed to the ground, struggling to rise for a long while.

The foxkin and the remaining bearkin froze in shock.

“Spare us the nonsense,” Xeila said coldly. “You want to live or die? Say it plainly.”

“We come for peace, of course!” the foxkin hurriedly responded. “I am from the Bloodmoss Clan—”

“Nagrand will be your overlord,” Xeila interrupted sharply. “You will answer Nagrand’s call to arms, hand over the chief’s and elders’ eldest sons as hostages, and open your lands to our priests for preaching. Believe it or not, it’s your choice. But two things are non-negotiable. First, you must not obstruct the priests. Second, you may not hinder the beastkin from embracing the faith by any means.

“You can keep your territories and trade regularly with Nagrand. Should you be attacked, Nagrand will protect you. If you obey and behave, you may even receive rewards. Accept these terms, and you live. Refuse, and you die. Simple as that.”

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.

These weren’t conditions that Xeila had made up on the spot. They were the terms they had discussed on their journey here.

Xeila had stayed silent the entire trip, but she remembered everything.

However, these terms represented Wu Qingsong’s ideal maximum, not his baseline. For him, as long as they gained the right to preach, everything else could be negotiated. Yet, Xeila had presented them so rigidly, leaving no room for bargaining. 

Wasn’t this pushing the beastkin into rebellion?

The foxkin turned his eyes to Wu Qingsong.

Wu Qingsong had no choice but to nod. “Those are our terms.”

“I understand.” The foxkin nodded as well. “Please give us some time…”

“Answer before sunset,” Xeila replied coldly. “When the last ray of sunlight fades, we will attack.”

The foxkin drew a deep breath, bowed slightly, then turned and left. The bearkin, still seething with anger, lifted their wounded companion and followed behind.

“Xeila” Wu Qingsong spoke helplessly once they were out of earshot.

“This place is like the Batiz Desert, a land ruled by the strong,” Xeila replied. “Your way might work elsewhere, but not here. Here, only strength and mercilessness earn respect. Show even a hint of softness, dare to consider their position even a little, and they’ll assume you’re hiding weakness and grow restless.”

“But our goal…” Wu Qingsong began.

“The soft, compassionate part is the priests’ job,” Xeila cut in. “Your job is to make these beastkin afraid. The stronger your stance, the safer the priests will be later. Only then will the beastkin respect them.”

“Fine.” Wu Qingsong sighed. “Maybe you’re right. But in the future, don’t make such decisions on my behalf without my consent. Can you promise me that?”

Xeila glanced at him, then at Nina, before giving a slight nod.

“Well then,” Wu Qingsong said, “let’s see what they decide.”

He sent a signal to the airship for descent. The group settled on a hill nearly two miles from the beastkin camp—a distance even the swiftest leopardkin would take a good while to cover, giving them ample time to react.

Neither Wu Qingsong nor Nina mentioned Xeila’s unilateral declaration to the others.

Ram, unaware of the tension, felt optimistic. “I think our terms are solid. They’re likely to accept.”

Wu Qingsong could only offer a bitter smile.

“That foxkin should be Grove of the Bloodmoss Clan,” Nina commented. “Strange. His group was still a day’s march from here. How did he get here so quickly?”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Wu Qingsong replied with a strained smile. “Saves us the trouble of seeking them out. We can settle everything at once.”

Yet he held little hope. He couldn’t imagine the beastkin accepting terms that amounted to surrender.

But, to his surprise—

Before the sun had fully set, the foxkin returned, accompanied by a group of orcs. They carried no weapons. Their demeanor spoke clearly: they were not here for battle.

“They’ve accepted the terms!” Liuli sprang up from her seat with a shout.

Ram hugged Wu Qingsong excitedly, but Wu Qingsong could only gape in disbelief, his eyes drifting toward Xeila, uncertain what to say.

“Go and seal the alliance,” Nina urged.

The three clan chiefs, representing their tribes, formally expressed their submission to Nagrand and introduced their eldest sons and the elders’ eldest sons.

“May the lord accept them as guards by your side,” they requested.

Grove’s son wasn’t present, but he had already sent word—the boy would arrive by midnight at the latest.

“Good,” Wu Qingsong nodded. He wanted to emulate Xeila’s cold detachment but couldn’t manage it. “Soon, you’ll understand this will be the best decision of your lives.”

The beastkin’s faces showed little agreement. Resentment, anger, and unease simmered beneath their compliance.

But on this day, the Icy Sea Clans were officially established.