The road to Xin'an is not far away, but for some, it is extremely long.

Five hundred and fifty-five years of the imperial calendar, the month of summer, the twenty-first day. Bo Yan's 'term' had just passed halfway, and the fall of the Great Qi was already thirty-four years ago.

It is not a famous festival and there have been no major events in history. But in Shui Yun's view, this day is her history-

Located on the easternmost border of the Empire, where she once lived, she joined the Yanwu people who had made their way through the treacherous wasteland.

It was a very difficult journey, but no one flinched. For the remnants of these "Great Qi", it was the only hope that decades of waiting and persistence were exchanged.

According to historical records, although they have not seen it in person, the number of Yanwu people who refused to join the empire was far more than 100,000. However, time has passed in a hurry, and only these thousands of Yanwu compatriots are still alive in the wasteland and believe in her.

The clouds of water lifted the mist that enveloped them, staring at their faces, trying to make a note of what each one looked like.

The tribesmen were wrapped in shabby cloaks, their rough clothes and trousers were covered with dust and sweat, some wore cloth shoes, and many more were barefoot. The harsh living conditions have left them weak and emaciated, with deep-set eye sockets, thinning hair, and skin that is close to the bones, dry and rough like tree bark. The furious magic of the wasteland had taken a toll on their health—the Yanwu people usually lived to be one hundred and fifty years old, but the people in front of her were no more than thirty or forty years old, but they were already showing signs of old age.

She barely knew anyone, but the eyes that met her were full of unreserved trust. They don't know what difficulties lie ahead, and they only believe that Shuiyun, the former princess and now the "King of Mist", can bring them the promised home.

Except for the water cloud itself.

With thousands of clansmen, even counting the Yanwu people in the empire, how to recreate the Great Qi of the past - Shui Yun didn't think about the answer, it would destroy her only remaining faith.

There is always a road before the car reaches the mountain...... Now that she's worked hard, she's no longer qualified to give up, she thought.

A long shadow appeared beside her, and Shui Yun didn't need to turn his face to know who was coming. The Earth King was a completely different goal than her, but at this point, it was her only source of courage.

"It's right in front of you. My Wishes, Father and Mother...... And everyone's. She hung her head and stared at the sand beneath her feet, avoiding the weakness in her eyes, "We're going to win, right?" ”

"That's right." Wei Feng's voice was deep but firm, "We are not fighting alone. Do your job well and I'll take care of the rest. ”

And the leader and the rest of the 'allies,' Shui Yun added in his mind. In the whole plan, she needs to complete only a small part, and even failure is harmless. However, it was not only the success or failure of the plan that made her nervous.

"You have to take your responsibility and be a good leader—"

She sighed, a faint feeling of guilt in her heart. If it weren't for the fact that Sora brought her to Pale Hand, she would have turned into a dry skeleton in the wasteland thirty years ago. To be sure, the current Innis Empire, including the city of Ze that she governs, can still allow the vast majority of humanity to live in peace and contentment—a dream that was almost unimaginable before the empire was founded.

She never thought she could destroy the empire, only hoping to weaken its power and allow Yanwu's people to take back their homeland. But in doing so, has she deviated from the expectations of the previous "Lord of the Mist", Sora, her own people, and even more people......?

Shui Yun shook his head and buried his weak thoughts. If it is destined to disappoint some, it should not be in the treacherous wasteland where her clansmen and relatives have waited for her for decades.

She re-stared at the crowd in front of her, and in a spell-amplified voice, uttered the original command.

"Let's go. Go get it back...... A life that should be ours. ”

……

The tribesmen followed her to Shizhu Castle on the eastern border, where they rested for half a day and a night in the base of the earth. On the morning of the second day, they set off again along the spacious official road and set off on their journey to the imperial capital.

As time goes on, the team continues to grow.

By the evening of the 24th, she had welcomed more than 2,000 'allies', most of whom were border sergeants of the Empire. They have the most frequent encounters with youkai, including both radical fighters and staunch pacifists, who naturally join her. When she asked why they had joined, one of the soldiers replied—

"The monsters have bullied us, and the coward emperor still doesn't dare to fight back, I can't bear this breath!" He gritted his teeth and shook his fist, his face flushed, "I'd rather fight them to the death than shrink my head and pray that the next person to be blown up has nothing to do with me!" ”

Some time ago, several attacks within the empire have not been completely forgotten. People don't care where the murderer really belongs, and in their opinion, no matter where they live, the youkai and the attacker are the same. And if you want to retaliate with a tooth for a tooth, the alliance is obviously a more suitable target for revenge than the wild demon clan whose whereabouts are difficult to find.

Shui Yun doesn't think war is a good thing, neither for the empire nor for the Yanwu clan. But there is no better option at the moment, and if peace is not possible with the survival of the clan, there is no need to ask which one to abandon.

She looked at the clear sky and comforted herself silently. She's just a pawn and doesn't care about the big picture. Even if nothing is done, what is supposed to happen will still happen. If she wants to live up to the expectations of her people and the responsibilities left by her parents, she must take advantage of the situation.

In the days that followed, members of the Cloud Group and the Lu Group returned to her. They had begun their operations more than twenty days earlier, spreading a sensational rumor to all corners of the empire.

- The emperor of Inis, who has long been bewitched by the monsters. He sold his soul, and the people of the Empire are now being ruled by monsters without knowing it.

This information came from Gipney's 'allies'. They called one of the emperor's important ministers a "traitor", meaning that the other party was a monster.

If this is true, it is quite ironic, Shui Yun thought to himself. The 'king' of the alliance is a human being in the truest sense of the word, and a courtier of the empire...... But it's a demon clan. It is all the more regrettable that this has not been an opportunity for understanding between the two communities, but has been exploited by people with ulterior motives, including her.

The return of each member is accompanied by a varying number of people who are willing to walk with Shui Yun. They are either dissatisfied with their current situation, or they have a natural contempt for youkai. The Fog Department is good at guiding people's hearts, and they portray youkai as cowards who are powerless to confront the Empire head-on, and can only use their means in secret. The emperor became the source of evil, convincing those who could achieve their ideal future by changing rulers.

Authenticity never matters. A rumor of unknown origin, with a few hints of magic, was enough to stir up a group of dissenting people. When the number of people who believe the rumors increases, they will also spontaneously recruit more companions, even without the help of magic.