Chapter 410: The Green Sea Ruins (Part 3)

“I don’t know.” Wu Qingsong shook his head.

The original purpose behind founding the Xuanyuan Church had simply been to obtain soul stones. Not long after, it expanded to include recruiting beastgirls with talent and faith. Up until the war on the Stampede Plateau, that had been the extent of his vision.

But the church’s development on Gale Island and its progress in the Icy Sea and the Plateau seemed to be hinting at something far greater.

To build a theocratic nation? Or perhaps—like the histories he once knew—a world where “what is God’s belongs to God, and what is Caesar’s belongs to Caesar”? Where kings and lords handle secular affairs, and the church guides the spirit of the people to influence and reshape the world?

Both models had achieved tremendous success in his former world’s history, serving as the foundation of powerful civilizations.

Of course, by the time of his own era—indeed, even centuries before—those same systems had become shackles on social development, often portrayed as villains in scientific narratives. But in their time, both had represented progress, fulfilling the deepest desires of the common people.

To be half a step ahead made one a visionary; a full step, a madman. 

Wu Qingsong wasn’t foolish enough to force an unfit system onto this world. The only thing that troubled him was this: in his old world, there had been no superhumans. Commoners and rulers were not so fundamentally different. But in this world, the weak were nothing more than insects before the strong.

What would those previously successful systems bring to such a place? And how should he choose?

He hadn’t made up his mind. But he was sure of one thing—either model would be better than the elder council republic that Charlotte envisioned, and far better than the fractured, chaotic state in which beastkin currently lived.

The wolfman at the front came to a halt, and they fell silent at once. But after that, Wu Qingsong and Charlotte often began discussing politics, economics, systems of governance, and beyond.

Charlotte’s knowledge far surpassed that of Nina and Ram. Perhaps it was because the environment she lived in was far more complex—the enemies she faced and the methods she used were far more intricate than anything in the Tecks Mountains. The information she had access to, and the affairs she managed, were far beyond theirs in scale.

She might not be more talented than Nina or Ram, but one had graduated from an elite imperial academy, while the others were self-taught in mountain villages. Naturally, their breadth of vision would differ.

Wu Qingsong still didn’t fully trust Charlotte. But he had to admit: when they put aside the interests of their respective factions and simply talked about things that fascinated them both, the experience was genuinely pleasant.

In this information-starved world, having a beautiful woman to talk to—one who not only possessed a wealth of knowledge, but could also fully comprehend what he said—was a rare and enjoyable thing, even if she had ulterior motives.

It even made him feel a little guilty for leaving her behind on Gale Island for nearly a year.

These conversations made the dull and arduous journey much easier to bear. 

A few days later, one of the dogfolk climbed a tree and called out excitedly, “Signal smoke! Two columns of wolf smoke!”

They quickly advanced toward the source of the smoke. Two days later, they reunited with the lucky search team. Not far from their camp, across the valley, they saw the cliff and cave the wolfman had described—exactly as he had said.

“I knew it was real!” The wolfman could barely contain his excitement.

“Where’s the ruin located?” Charlotte asked.

“Follow the gorge to the right of that cliff, take the widest stream branch, and in two or three days, we should reach the valley where the ruins are!”

Charlotte nodded. They had already spent nearly ten days in the area, but it seemed it had all been worth it.

The group rested briefly, discarded excess luggage, and carefully wrapped some of their rations, hiding them in a dry cave nearby and weighing them down with rocks. Then they set off light and fast, heading into the gorge.

Winter was drawing near, but the forest cradled by these mountains seemed untouched by the northern cold. The trees remained lush and green. Because rainfall was scarce in this season, the rivers in the gorge had run low, revealing broad riverbeds, making travel surprisingly easy.

The dogfolk scouted for hunting opportunities along the way. Although they didn’t spot many wild beasts, they did catch a good number of fish in eddying pools—enough to satisfy their appetites and preserve rations.

Wu Qingsong and Charlotte, as usual, lit a separate campfire to talk. 

At first, Wu Qingsong felt a little uneasy, but the dogfolk didn’t think anything of it, and Charlotte was perfectly nonchalant. That made his own self-consciousness seem a bit ridiculous, so he let it go.

After all, this was a world where strength meant status, and compared to the others, they clearly had the right to some preferential treatment.

“What do you think caused their illness last time?” Charlotte asked as she grilled fish. Their fish was seasoned with a variety of spices, while the others had only salt.

“Hard to say right now,” Wu Qingsong replied. He told her about the curse he’d encountered in the Temple of Death. “It might be something similar. But until I see it for myself, I can’t be sure. Just to be safe, once we reach the place, it’s best if you all stay outside until I confirm it’s safe.”

“No problem.” Charlotte nodded.

“If we find magical artifacts of value, they’re all yours. All I want are the remains of the dead,” Wu Qingsong added.

They agreed on a number of rules and protocols for the expedition. Charlotte relayed them to her subordinates. Wu Qingsong noticed that the wolfman seemed distracted.

“I think he’s hiding something from us,” Wu Qingsong said. “What terms did you offer him?”

“The best medical care for his grandfather. Five hundred renals up front, and two thousand more once the ruins are found.”

That was already a generous offer for a typical mercenary. Considering the werewolf’s age and experience, it was an astronomical sum.

“You’d better have two people keep an eye on him,” Wu Qingsong said. “I don’t think his motives are that simple.”