Gregory Clark smiled softly and said, “As the Xi people, a divine-blooded clan, our numbers have never exceeded a thousand. If we truly gathered the strength of the entire Yan Yun nation, conquering Benlei Plain would not be impossible. But what would conquering Benlei Plain achieve? The ice dam that was built holds hundreds of millions of tons of water, already a lake in the sky. At that time, the capital of Yan Yun was located in the midstream valley of the Chubu River. If the ice dam were suddenly broken, Yan Yun would be destroyed instantly. Then, the Qīnglán Kingdom to the north of Yan Yun would rise with the opportunity and annex the people of Yan Yun into its own territory.”

“You once said that the founder of Qīnglán established the nation and was on good terms with the Xi people. After Yan Yun was destroyed, why didn’t they break the ice dam?”

“To the south of Yan Yun lies the ancient kingdom of Canaan. If Yan Yun’s waters were cut off, the northwest of Canaan would also become a wasteland. At that time, Canaan was far stronger than Qīnglán, and successive rulers of Qīnglán were happy to see a desolate no-man’s land separating them from Canaan. Qīnglán could then expand downstream along the Yiyun River... Qīnglán pushed its borders to the Star Coast, and its ruler, Tánnàliú, proclaimed himself emperor. In his later years, Tánnàliú repented for his past killings, converted to the Mahā Orthodox Faith, and established it as the state religion. The status of the Star Temple on the continent plummeted, and the relationship between the Xi people and the Qīnglán royal family deteriorated. After that, the Qīnglán Empire’s power expanded across the continent—Canaan, Yaji, Yamo, Sàiliú, and Sinai all became vassal states of the empire. Yet the ice dam still stood atop the Yan Yun mountains.”

“I see. At this point, Canaan and the other countries instead needed the Yan Yun wasteland to block the empire’s southern expansion...”

Gregory Clark was no longer surprised by Eric’s intelligence. He smiled faintly and said, “Times change. Now Canaan is the leader of the southern nations, but who knows if Yan Yun’s fate will...”

A “beep beep” sounded at the door.

Gregory Clark opened the door. Brian Sutton and William Harper stood outside.

“Mr. Gregory is here lecturing on the wild history of Yan Yun. Brian Sutton is fortunate to listen...”

Gregory Clark was startled, his face in the lamplight changing slightly as he lowered his head and said, “This is the lower courtyard where the servants live. It is unworthy of your presence, sir.”

Brian Sutton laughed heartily and said, “I am a man awaiting punishment. As long as you don’t avoid me, that’s enough.” He stepped over the threshold, and when he first saw Eric in the lamplight, it was as if struck by lightning—he froze there, his aura tightening. But it was only a momentary lapse; years of self-restraint allowed him to regain composure, though his gaze remained intense, sharp, almost aggressive as he stared at Eric in the light.

Brian Sutton’s unusual reaction made Gregory Clark’s heart sink, thinking he had seen the anger and hatred in the young Eric’s eyes. The scars on Eric’s back did not escape Gregory Clark’s notice, and he admonished him with concern, telling him not to leave the lower courtyard where the servants lived, and never to climb to the crown of the Kunlun bramble tree at night to gaze at the sky.

“Thought I saw an old acquaintance.” Brian Sutton entered the room, his gaze moving away from Eric’s face. Only then did Gregory Clark relax, though he still wondered which acquaintance of Brian Sutton resembled Eric so much as to provoke such a reaction.

William Harper entered the room after, puzzled: what kind of person could make the lord so astonished?

The boy before her, though of lowly birth, had a wild, untamed look in his eyes. His slightly curled brown hair clung to his forehead, his cheeks were handsome, though his jaw was a bit stiff.

Such a familiar feeling, as if she had seen him somewhere before; why couldn’t she remember?

Brian Sutton noticed the doubt in William Harper’s eyes and smiled, saying, “This acquaintance, Little William has seen a few times as well, but always from a distance, never clearly. Let’s not talk about that—just now, I was truly startled.” At this, he nodded to Gregory Clark and said, “Unable to sleep, I went with Little William to look for Mr. Gregory. Qin Shi, in his diligent practice, told us you were here. Brian Sutton apologizes for the intrusion.”

If Gregory Clark hadn’t already known about Eric’s ordeal in the canyon, Brian Sutton’s display of camaraderie would surely have won his favor. Gregory Clark restrained himself from letting his inner coldness show: “If you have any questions, sir, you can send someone to summon me.”

William Harper brought out a bench for Brian Sutton to sit on.

Only then did Brian Sutton turn his gaze back to Eric’s face and say, “Is this the child who came to the academy with Mr. Gregory fifteen years ago?”

“Gregory Clark was cultivating in the wilds and found this child lying under the porch, so he brought him to the academy.”

“When I arrived, I happened to hear Mr. Gregory talking to this child about Yan Yun. Mr. Gregory’s words were incisive, needless to say, but even this child’s words were astonishing. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop outside for a while. Please, Mr. Gregory, don’t mind.”

“Such shallow opinions are unworthy of your ears, sir.”

Brian Sutton laughed and said, “Words of the court are far less brilliant than yours, sir. The empire is not what it once was. Canaan grows stronger by the day, and now Yan Yun is the empire’s southwestern shield.” Though he spoke to Gregory Clark, his gaze remained on Eric’s face.

Seeing Brian Sutton looking at him, Eric was stirred and, mustering his courage, said, “Does that mean Yan Yun is destined to remain a desolate land forever?”

“Not necessarily. Yan Yun’s terrain is higher than the northwestern counties of Canaan. The Chubu River brings water south into Canaan, flowing from above. As long as the empire manages Yan Yun well, it could actually reduce the defensive burden on other regions.”