56: Chapter 56 Counterattack, Creating a New System

The five hundredth year.

Lan's Grey Scale Clan had already grown to twenty-three thousand people.

They were well-trained, well-equipped, and high-spirited.

Meanwhile, Yuan's Deep Blue Clan, though still numbering over thirty thousand, was demoralized and lacked the will to fight.

Lan knew the time was ripe.

He gathered all his clansmen, stood atop that black rock, and looked at the twenty-three thousand faces before him.

There were Grey Scale Clan members and Deep Blue Clan members, old and young, men and women.

But at this moment, they were all the same kind of people.

Rebels.

"Five hundred years ago, we were driven from our homes and fled here like stray dogs."

"For five hundred years, we have lost loved ones, lost friends, and lost far too much."

"But we survived."

"Because we were unwilling to give in."

"Unwilling to be slaves."

"Unwilling to live on our knees."

His voice was not loud, yet it reached the ears of every clansman clearly.

"Now, we are going back."

"Not for revenge."

"But to let all Nagas live standing up."

He raised his hand and pointed toward the looming undersea city in the distance.

"Kill!"

Twenty-three thousand voices rang out simultaneously:

"Kill!!!"

The decisive battle broke out.

Lan's clansmen swarmed toward the city from all directions. They didn't rush in a chaotic mass but divided into dozens of small teams, following pre-rehearsed routes to strike various vital points of the city simultaneously.

Yuan's army was caught completely off guard.

The commoners of the Deep Blue Clan, who had been oppressed for five hundred years, defected without hesitation upon seeing Lan's banner. They took up arms, joined the rebels, and charged at the descendants of the nobles who had once looked down on them.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, those noble descendants knelt one after another, begging for mercy.

Only Yuan continued to put up a desperate struggle.

He led his two thousand most elite personal guards to defend the royal palace to the death.

Lan was in no hurry to attack.

He stood outside the royal palace, looking at the tightly closed gates.

Beside him, a clansman suggested:

"Leader, let's charge in! We have the numbers; we can definitely take it!"

Lan shook his head.

"Let those inside open the gates themselves."

He swam to the main gate of the palace and spoke loudly to those inside:

"Soldiers of Yuan, listen up."

"I am Lan."

"I do not kill those who surrender."

"As long as you lay down your weapons and open the palace gates, I guarantee your safety."

"You have a choice."

"Be buried with Yuan."

"Or, live."

Inside the gates, there was a deathly silence.

Then, the sound of arguing broke out.

Someone shouted: "Don't listen to him! He'll kill us!"

Another retorted: "If he wanted to kill us, he would have charged in long ago! Why wait?"

Some were silent.

Some wept.

Finally, the gates opened.

Of the two thousand personal guards, eighteen hundred laid down their weapons and knelt on the ground.

The remaining two hundred had already died by Yuan's blade.

Yuan stood in the deepest part of the palace, Trident in hand, covered in blood.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Lan, who was walking in.

"You lowly bastard!"

"You think you're fit to be King?!"

Lan looked at him and said nothing.

Yuan charged forward.

The Trident thrust toward Lan's chest.

Lan dodged to the side while swinging his right hand; a flash of silver-grey light swept past.

Yuan's body froze.

He looked down at the deep wound on his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You... when did you..."

Lan withdrew his hand and said flatly:

"Five hundred years ago."

Yuan's body slowly collapsed.

His eyes were wide open, staring even in death.

Lan stood before his corpse and remained silent for a long time.

He turned around, looking at the soldiers kneeling on the ground, the clansmen pouring into the palace, and the commoners of the Deep Blue Clan whose eyes shimmered with hope.

He spoke.

"The war is over."

"From today onward, there is no Grey Scale Clan and no Deep Blue Clan."

"There is only the Naga Race."

"We are all Nagas."

"Equal Nagas."

Inside the palace, there was a moment of silence.

Then, cheers erupted, shaking the heavens.

After the war, Lan did not crown himself the new King as Yuan had done.

He did something that no one expected.

He led his clansmen to receive the old Naga King, who had been imprisoned for two hundred years.

The old Naga King was locked in a cage at the deepest part of the seabed, covered in wounds and on the verge of death. Having been imprisoned for two hundred years with only scraps to eat, he was tortured beyond recognition.

When he saw Lan, a spark of light flickered in his eyes.

"You... you are..."

Lan knelt before him and lowered his head.

"King, I have come to take you back."

The old Naga King looked at him and let out a laugh.

The laugh was hoarse and aged, yet it carried an indescribable sense of relief.

"Good child..."

"You are the King."

Lan looked up, stunned.

"King?"

The old Naga King shook his head.

"I am not the King."

"I am but a slave."

"But you..."

He looked into Lan's eyes—those pale gold eyes.

"You are the true King."

"Because you have made everyone follow you of their own free will."

"Not because of the Brand."

"But because you gave them hope."

He took Lan's hand and placed a small Token into his palm.

It was the Token of the Naga King.

"Take it."

"Under your leadership, let the Naga Race truly live with dignity."

Having said that, he closed his eyes.

His breathing stopped.

Lan knelt before his body and did not move for a long time.

Behind him, twenty-three thousand clansmen knelt in silence.

No one spoke.

Only the seawater flowed gently.

Finally, Lan stood up.

Clutching the Token, he turned around and looked at the clansmen before him.

He spoke.

His voice was soft, but every word seemed carved into everyone's heart.

"I, Lan."

"From this day forth, I will use everything I have to protect the Naga Race."

"So that everyone can live standing up."

"So that no one has to worry about being enslaved."

"So that everyone can see hope."

"This is my promise to you."

"And it is my promise to that old man."

He raised the Token.

"Are you willing to follow me?"

Twenty-three thousand voices rang out at once:

"We are!!!"

Lan did not establish a new monarchy.

What he established was a Brand-new system.

The Naga Council.

The council was composed of representatives from each clan. The Grey Scale Clan had representatives, the Deep Blue Clan had representatives, the commoners who joined later had representatives, and even the descendants of the former nobility had representatives.

As long as they truly repented and were willing to abide by the new rules.

The council was responsible for enacting laws, allocating resources, and adjudicating disputes. Any major decision had to be passed by a council vote.

Lan was the head of the council, but he did not have veto power.

"A King should not have too much power," he said. "With too much power, one becomes like Yuan."

"I have simply lived a few hundred years longer than you and know a bit more. On major matters, we will deliberate together."

"On minor matters, you shall decide for yourselves."

"This is true equality."

At first, many did not understand.

"Leader, you saved everyone; you should be the King!"

"We are willing to listen to you!"

"Whatever you say goes!"

Lan shook his head.

"I don't need you to listen to me."

"I need you to learn to make decisions for yourselves."

"That way, if one day I am no longer here, you will be able to carry on by yourselves."

The clansmen fell silent.

Someone said softly:

"You won't be gone."

"You will always be here."

Lan smiled but did not answer.

He knew he would die.

All life must end.

But as long as this system remains, as long as this spirit persists, the Naga Race will continue to move forward.