Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 627 - 626 - 100 Years after the Fall

A small girl was running in the streets of smooth stone and a well lit day with a smile on her face as her older brother chased after her.  They laughed and giggled as adults looked on with warm smiles.

The well made street was clean and well maintained as guards with vibrantly emerald shirts showing through their chainmail and armor.  They carried halberds with bright tassels of black, gold, azure, and emerald.

The tassels were not only on the weapons but adorned to the many doorways and stalls throughout the currently vibrant market.

The anniversary was coming up and the buzz of the merchants was palpable so seeing children playing was nothing unexpected.

A man in a tan cloak with a deep hood sat at a cafe sipping a steaming cup of bitter coffee but he seemed to soak in the environment around him.

The waist high wood fence cut off the cafe area from the foot traffic as a carriage or 2 passed by with the drivers taking care not to endanger the public.

It was a scene of tranquility and peace.

Lind savored the strong coffee.  Requera Empire had held the secret and fields for having coffee that was very effective to cultivators.  After the fall of Orwellia, Lind had spent a decade slowly wearing down the last empire on that side of the Hinterlands.

The aether beasts' help had been invaluable.  The nobles had revolted as the siege wore on but they were not forgiven for doing such.  The Soulmancers in black robes had caused mass death at that time where the red robes actually tried to stop them.

It was that act that did get Lind's and others attention as the red robed Soulmancers had tried to protect the public from the fallout between nobility and Soulmancers.

Still, they had faced harsh trials but even the demon slaves under oaths confirmed red robes did not abuse their powers.  They did not arbitrarily take souls.  They were also a small order for that very reason.

Lili had wept as her friends had been spared from death but they were sealed like her concerning weaving.  Lind found no argument for them to be free after 50 years of penance for them to live like that.

A few had paled to learn the truth as the corpses of Fiends were stacked like cordwood after the 2 empires were integrated.  Lind had been far too busy working with alchemists and elixir healers on the victims of Orwellia to realize he had been tricked once more.

Gravis and Sheena, despite their fervor for his rule, at least made sure to not back him into a corner.  The demons that had gone to war with Lind worshiped him as a god of war.  Their views had spread like wildfire and the supreme commander of the demon army had left her empire for Lind's service!

Haim had actually found being emperor to be a hassle, something Lind wholeheartedly agreed with, but the bastard beat him to the punch!

Lind found an amassed council of advisors smiling at him at a meeting set to decide the fates of the Orwellia and Requera lands.  The mass executions, of those that survived, had cycled down as well, but Lind felt like he had gone back in time.

The Two Rivers Alliance was born.  It was a compromise.  Lind would be the leader, still Emperor, but 3 representatives would command the other areas.  It was similar to the powers he knew in the lower realms.

Darkmor was a Kingdom but it also held sway over the Lotus Empire and their ilk.

The Two Rivers Empire stayed as it was while the 3 Wards were born.  The Ward of Hope, the Ward of Peace, and the Ward of War.  The names were not accidents.  The demons, oddly, kept the Ward of Hope where Dar once stood.  The Ward of Peace was actually where he was right then, the former Orwellia Empire.

It had been fundamentally torn apart and remade into a paradise.  The floating lands were slowly moving away but they had been stripped of anything dangerous.  It had taken nearly 20 years but a young man rose up to lead the Ward of Peace that wanted to give the people the real dream that had been promised.

Orwellia was a land of prosperity hidden in the deep shadows of illusions and puppets but now in the light.

The few floating lands at the far back of it were being slowly transformed as well as they were bounced off the Law Binding to slowly come back west.  They did not move fast at all and Lind had found a way to keep the Qi current inside the mountainous valleys there were in.

The larger masses were moving to a plan but with natural Qi as the guide.  They would never be anchored again but Lind taught others how to resonate the natural floating ability to the flow of Qi in the air to guide them a bit.

It would take centuries to settle into a pattern but it was far better than using soul tethers.  Lind sipped at the coffee and saw flashy banners rise as the festive mood took the new capital of the Ward of Peace.

It was well named after a century of recovery but the Ward of War would also be celebrating.  It was a place of warriors to rise up after Lind took Lili under his wing.  Both demons and humans now trained in the various Arts he knew of.

Wyndam was a genius.  His research notes covered extensive aspects of the many Arts he studied to create true 6 elemental Arts.  Lind now used those notes to build a solid foundation for the Ward of War.

The former Requera Empire had so many facilities to help train the red robes that he adapted them.  He was also pleased that they were not tainted.  It seemed the technique of the red robes was based on an interesting idea of weaving to enhance the user more than create effects in the world.

Without using external souls, it was actually a very good technique.  Lili was instrumental in teaching Lind all about it before he adapted it.  As with so many things dealing with Soulmancers, they relied too much on absorbing other living beings to supplement their power.

It effectively trained the body far better than any other technique and it could be applied to those who could not weave also.

The warm breeze brought the scent of roasting sweets to his nose.  Lind left a few Sky Stones to pay for the coffee and headed after the smell.  He found stalls with food, games, and even resources hawking it all to those passing by.

Each year, the celebration had grown but the current year was special for Lind.  After a century of work they were ready to begin the next phase.

At some point, Xing had regained control of the Law Binding as she had tried to attack them but it failed.

The bar of light was still powerful but Lind felt like something had changed.

He was also told that the few Soulmancers that had been captured found their brands to not be working correctly.  Lind also found them much easier to remove than ever before.  It was possible he had comprehended more but he had no time to fully delve into it.

He smiled as more children ran by as harried parents tried to keep up.

Still, with freedom came the darker aspects as well.  His sharp eyes noticed an older man had his pouch lifted with none the wiser.  Before the thief, a small boy, got even half a meter, Lind snatched the bag back to the old man with wind Qi.

"Ah, there it is!"  The old man was none the wiser but the small thief was now panicking.

Lind moved smoothly over before staring down at the boy with his draconic eyes.

"It is a busy day but surely there are better targets than a commoner from the Ward of War?"  The boy blanched as he realized he had just been saved.  The Ward of War not only specialized in training the body, but also in protecting their citizens.

A personal pouch would have an array with a nasty surprise for anyone that opened it incorrectly.  It made the Ward of War relatively crime free but very bloody.

The boy then tried to use puppy eyes but Lind simply grabbed him by the shoulder before handing him off to one of the guards.  Unlike many powers that Lind knew of, young children would be treated well.

They would then be entered into some compulsory education to be able to stand on their own 2 feet.  Since all children were supposed to go, it cost nothing extra.

Further, it started them on the path to cultivation!

Lind wove back through the crowd before he slowed and made a very tired sigh.

"If you are going to be so anxious when I meet a child, what is the point in hiding from me?"  A young girl seemed to step out of his shadow as a demon faded into view.  Both were quite young, not even 40 years old, but already in the tier 8 of the Sky Realm!

"We had no way of knowing if he was a secretly hidden threat!"  Allie spoke up.  A daughter of Gravis and Gail, she had quickly decided to join the Emerald Souls.  The group had only grown but getting in was not easy.

"I merely was prepared for the 3 presences looking on."  Veren was a son of Haim.  He had inherited the larger frame from his father but his clever mind was all his mother!

Lind just felt tired at how seriously they guarded him when he could flatten either one with a sneeze.

Despite a full century, Lind remained only partway through the peak Moon Tier.

"I only have limited time so go back for now.  Let me enjoy the moment a little longer."  They both bowed and disappeared in their own way.  Lind slowly looked out at the bustling crowd that seemed not to notice the exchange.

Lind wished he could keep living peacefully but the war resumed after the current day set.

He only hoped they could find a way to get to the Core Hall as Shi had no luck thus far.  He returned to perusing the stalls and enjoying the festival with the commoners.

If any of them had  known he was there, it would have been a riot!  As it was, the massive party had many small incidents but it saw a marked decrease in issues as well lately.

None knew that their Emperor was among them helping keep the peace!