Chapter 367: Chapter 84: The Hope of the Azure Dragon Clan: Long Long
Today’s Eastern Emperor Realm, the Five Great States are precisely divided by the Five Great Demon Clans.
Representing the Horned Clan, the Qilin occupy the vast plains of Central State, and they also hold the legitimate title of “Lord of All Demons.”
This title was created by Emperor Ying Long in the ancient times and was inherited by the Qilin Clan.
Representing the Kun Race, Xuanwu occupy the icy fissures of North State.
In ancient times, the Qilin and Xuanwu Clans of North State suffered discrimination and oppression from Emperor Ying Long, which led them to secretly establish an unshakable alliance.
After the decline of the Jiaolong Clan, the rise of the Qilin Clan to take over Central State was aided by the strength of the Xuanwu Clan.
Today, due to the lack of a common enemy, the two clans have long been estranged, and the friendship of the past is hardly ten percent of what it once was.
But due to strong political inertia, the Xuanwu Clan is still willing to obey the Qilin’s commands and treat them as their spokesman for interests… at least that is how it appears on the surface.
Representing the Scaled Clan, Azure Dragon occupy the swamps and valleys of Eastern State.
Compared to their “old friend” Xuanwu, the relationship between Qilin and Azure Dragon is relatively more pragmatic, almost like that of a lord and vassal.
Azure Dragon supports the Qilin as the “Lord of All Demons,” and the Qilin recognizes the Azure Dragon as the “Sovereign of the Dragon Clan,” with mutual non-aggression – nothing more.
Representing the Mao Clan, White Tiger occupy the high mountains of West State.
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The relationship between White Tiger and Qilin is even worse, considering that the Mao Clan are mostly carnivorous, while the Horned Clan are mostly herbivorous… This opposition driven by animal instinct leads the Mao Clan to generally harbor a discriminatory attitude towards the Horned Clan.
Moreover, the Autumn Ridge, where the White Tiger Clan resides, is the largest Moon Crystal Stone production area in the Eastern Emperor Realm, making West State richer than the other four states and giving the Mao Clan the confidence to heed advice but not orders.
The current chieftain of the Qilin Clan, King of All Demons Qi Weihuan, only secured the support of West State by marrying the daughter of the White Tiger Clan leader.
However, rumors suggest this marriage is not harmonious, with the White Tiger Queen referring to her husband as “Big Horned Fatty Deer,” a subject of jest among the Mao Clan in West State.
Representing the Feathered Clan, Vermilion Bird occupy the scorching rainforests of South State.
If White Tiger is haughty and difficult to control, then Vermilion Bird is defiant and untamed, engaging in war with the Horned Clan for three out of five years… and spending the remaining two in conflict with either the Mao Clan or the Scaled Clan, making them the “Shushan Sword Immortal” of the Eastern Emperor Realm.
As such, the relationship between South State and Central State is the most sour, filled with an urge to eliminate the other as swiftly as possible.
“So, Long Long, what do you think should be our stance towards the other four clans?” asked the old tutor of the Azure Dragon Clan slowly.
Long Long considered for a moment and replied,
“Towards the Qilin, respect them from a distance; towards Xuanwu, maintain friendly ties, but do not establish any political relations.”
“Towards White Tiger, keep open dealings at bay, yet secretly form alliances in the dark, and sow discord between them and the Qilin.”
“Towards Vermilion Bird, denounce hostility openly, but provide aid in secret, so they continue to stand on the front lines to attract the enmity of the Qilin.”
“Very well,” the old tutor surveyed the others and asked, “Do you all understand?”
The young Azure Dragons looked at each other, none of them speaking.
Demons who have not undergone Transformation are not as intelligent as humans, roughly comparable to children of eight or nine years old.
Even someone like Qin Zhou or Qin Ye, high in Bloodline Rank and well-educated, is at best a child of above-average intelligence.
The only one in attendance who might understand was Long Hu, with one-quarter Human Race blood. The old tutor then called her to answer.
“For the Azure Dragon Clan, the most dangerous diplomatic posture is to be targeted by a coalition between the Qilin and Xuanwu Clans,” Long Hu said crisply.
“Therefore, towards the Qilin, we must respect them from a distance. Respect is to avoid making enemies, and distance is because there’s no need for closeness.”
“Although the Xuanwu Clan is not beyond persuasion, the cost would surely be too steep. So, we need only befriend them and maintain normal relations.”
“The relationship between White Tiger and Qilin isn’t good and is also strained with Vermilion Bird, with West State bordering Central, North, and South States, making it an enemy on all fronts. Such geopolitical circumstances make them a natural ally for the Azure Dragon Clan.”
“Of course, this relationship must be kept secret because the Qilin Clan also wouldn’t want to see Eastern State and West State form an alliance,”
“The Vermilion Bird Clan, although hostile towards our clan, mainly opposes the Qilin,”
“As long as the Vermilion Bird maintains its rule over South State, the Qilin will view the Vermilion Bird as a significant threat, thereby having no time to focus on dealing with other major clans,”
“Therefore, for the Azure Dragon Clan, the best global situation is undoubtedly one where the Vermilion Bird and the Qilin are at odds but not broken, the Xuanwu and the Qilin appear united but are divided in spirit, and the Azure Dragon need only maintain a good relationship with the White Tiger to avoid becoming enemies with any other clan as much as possible,”
“Did you all understand?” the old schoolmaster nodded approvingly and looked around at everyone again to ask.
“Understood!” the little Azure Dragons hurriedly said, even those who didn’t understand pretended to, in order not to be looked down upon by the other young dragons.
The old schoolmaster then announced the end of the class and hurriedly left the classroom.
On the stands near the corridor, Qin Beiwang, the patriarch of the Azure Dragon Clan, was standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the boundless East Sea in the distance.
“How did the children perform?” he asked indifferently.
“They did quite well,” the old schoolmaster gave a standard evaluation.
“What about Qin Zhou and Qin Ye?” Qin Beiwang asked again.
“The young mistress is very promising, and the young master possesses excellent comprehension,” the old schoolmaster replied.
Very promising means she isn’t much yet. Excellent comprehension means he’s teachable if he studies seriously.
Qin Beiwang sighed, having little expectation for his children’s political acumen, but continued to ask:
“What about Long Hu?”
“Extremely intelligent,” the old schoolmaster said in a low voice.
After all, having Human Race blood, it’s understandable. Qin Beiwang nodded and finally asked:
“And Long Long?”
“A rare prodigy,” the old schoolmaster said after a moment of silence.
Qin Beiwang was momentarily speechless.
For the Demon Race, which believes in the survival of the fittest, strength is ultimately what matters.
But if you are already from a powerful clan, not worried about survival, then rather than having a few more fighters in the clan, it’s better to have someone with a good head on their shoulders.
That’s why the clan elders tended to favor Long Long and Long Hu even more.
What’s more, these two have the blood of the Jiaolong, which means they could become Dragon Clan elders at most, but they couldn’t threaten his lineage’s patriarchal position…
Thinking of this, Qin Beiwang’s expression also softened.
Long Long, Long Hu, you must shoulder the future of the Azure Dragon Clan.
After class, Long Long chatted with Qin Zhou and Qin Ye for a moment, then took Long Hu out of Jianmu to hunt wild chickens outside.
After leaving South State, ruled by the Feathered Clan, the little fox could finally eat chicken openly and above board, so she requested that Long Long roast one for her every day.
“Long Long, Long Long!” Seeing him absent-mindedly turning the spit and staring at the roast chicken, Long Hu could hardly hold back her drool and eagerly asked, “Why isn’t it ready yet? Hurry up.”
“It will be ready soon,” Long Long replied as he took out a small brush to coat the roast chicken with hot oil, but inside he continued to ponder silently.
Given his current display of abilities, his status within the Azure Dragon Clan would only get higher.
On one hand, it would allow him to better utilize the Azure Dragon Clan’s resources for his growth; but on the other hand, it would make him too valued by the clan, making it even more difficult to leave Eastern State and take the little fox to North State.
Hmm, I need to prepare a contingency plan for running away.