"Pfft! Kid, I won't dare to spar with you verbally anymore," said the One-Eyed Owl, laughing so hard she could barely stand.
She hooked her arm around Lin Tian's neck to steady herself.
Gobu Kuang and the others let out sinister laughs, nearly shattering Joan of Arc's final mental defenses.
Lin Tian, in a slightly irritated tone, said, "Big Sis, I wasn't just talking nonsense. I am the embodiment of justice, after all."
Upon hearing the words "embodiment of justice," Joan of Arc felt even more frustrated.
There was no way to argue back, so she decided not to retort.
"Goblin, remember this: don't let me catch you committing any crimes, or I won't let you off!" Joan of Arc threatened as she turned to leave.
Lin Tian nodded repeatedly, mockingly saying, "Alright, alright, goodbye, Your Majesty Joan of Arc~"
"Don't call me 'Your Majesty'; I'm not a king. I'll be watching you—every day!"
After finishing her words, Joan of Arc rode off on her white horse at full speed.
The others quickly followed, not wanting to be associated with Lin Tian, fearing they'd be seen as criminals.
Who would they turn to for help then?
"Wow, kid, you're amazing. I thought we were in for a deadly fight today.
But watch out; being targeted by that woman is no joke," the One-Eyed Owl said with a laugh.
Lin Tian shrugged. "I always act upright and fair.
No one can catch me doing anything wrong, unless… well, if it's a woman, hmm, it's hard to say if she'll catch me doing something."
"Boss, I'm sure she won't catch you, but she might just catch your handle," Gobu Kuang added with a sly grin. (Couldn't translate over the joke.)
The One-Eyed Owl looked completely puzzled. "What do you mean? Goblins have a higher level of culture than me?
This is bad, bad! Osius! Go get me some books to read when we get back."
"Oh, Big Sis, you can't understand this stuff by reading books.
You have to do certain things to get it," Osius said helplessly, unsure how to explain.
The One-Eyed Owl looked confused. "What things? Try to catch someone doing something wrong?"
Everyone exchanged glances, struggling to keep their expressions from becoming too lewd.
Lin Tian coughed and said, "Theoretically, yes."
"Pfft! I'm not the type to hide in the shadows like a thief.
If I do something, I do it openly," the One-Eyed Owl said, waving her hand dismissively, full of disdain.
Lin Tian could only sigh in response.
Soon after, they all returned to the War Empire's palace, finally able to relax after the nerve-wracking encounter.
Joan of Arc was a well-known name, and her strength, being at the demigod level, was beyond doubt.
She could crush everyone present.
Without the large army and dragons, she probably would have taken things seriously long ago.
A feast of fine wine and delicious food was prepared.
Alice, Adele, the Flame Dragon Mother, and the others from the Dragon Slayer Guild helped distribute the food to the goblin army and the dwarves.
Even the dragons needed to eat.
Lin Tian and his companions gathered in the grand hall, eating and preparing to discuss their next steps.
The One-Eyed Owl was devouring a chicken leg, washing down the food stuck in her throat with strong liquor, leaving everyone else stunned.
"Ah! That was refreshing! This wine isn't bad—pretty strong…"
But before she could finish her sentence, Bill, standing nearby, disdainfully tossed aside bottle after bottle.
"Tasteless, tasteless. Human wine—is it made of water?"
"What the—! Old Dwarf, are you serious?" Osius and Grugia were dumbfounded.
Bill glanced at the two of them with a scoff.
"Hmph! I could drink a whole table of people under the table while you two were still drinking milk!
This stuff is just water to quench your thirst."
"Big Sis! Did you hear that? Can you let this slide? Aren't you going to compete?" Osius asked eagerly.
The One-Eyed Owl threw a bottle at him in irritation.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? I can't even outdrink Lin Tian, and you expect me to take on this dwarf?
Since I first saw him, he hasn't stopped drinking, and he's not even drunk yet!"
Hearing this, Osius and the others were almost dumbfounded.
"Old Dwarf, how many days have you been drinking without getting drunk?"
"I told you, human wine is just like water to me," Bill said smugly.
Immediately, Grugia sidled up to him with a sly smile.
"Old Dwarf, I'll take you to a great place to drink later.
But remember, you've got to teach me the secret to not getting drunk."
"A great place? Sure, I like a smart guy like you," Bill chuckled.
At this moment, Lin Tian interrupted the lively chatter.
"Alright, Adele and the Dragon Mother are back. It's time to talk business."
The One-Eyed Owl asked, "What business? Isn't eating and drinking serious business?
I want to get a good night's sleep later. It's been almost a week since I've slept."
"As for this 'serious business,' it concerns where each of you plans to go next," Lin Tian said in a solemn tone, his expression indifferent.
With the war now concluded, the next matters to address were those concerning the dwarves, dragons, and the Dragon Slayer Guild.
Although the dwarves and dragons had places to live, returning to the surface had been a long-cherished dream.
The Dragon Slayer Guild, however, was now in shambles and beyond reformation.
Hearing this, the One-Eyed Owl, Adele, and the Flame Dragon Mother all fell into deep thought.
"What about you all? Where do you plan to go?
The Dragon Slayer Guild can't be rebuilt, I'm out of money, and there's no place left to take on tasks to earn any," the One-Eyed Owl asked everyone.
The Dragon Slayer Guild was now like a floating leaf in the vast ocean.
After much consideration, Osius and Grugia sought everyone's opinions and concluded,
"If you ask me, we should follow Lin Tian.
He's got a big empire now, and if we stick with him, we won't have to worry about food and drink!"
"Have you made up your mind?
I don't mind Lin Tian's background, but you all should be prepared.
After all, after hunting monsters for so long, it seems humans might be just as fun to hunt," the One-Eyed Owl said, her eyes filled with fighting spirit.
Choosing to side with the monsters would undoubtedly mean becoming enemies of humanity.
Lin Tian added, "It's not just humans—there will be opportunities to fight monsters too.
If you want to join, I'd be very welcoming, but no freeloading."
"You're so stingy!
With such a huge empire, and having annexed the War Empire, how much could we possibly eat?" Osius grumbled.
After consulting with the others, Grugia finally decided,
"Alright then! Let's join the Goblin Empire.
After all, in the eyes of the world, we're no different from monsters."
The One-Eyed Owl smiled with satisfaction.
"Things are going to get more and more interesting!
I wonder if it will be enough to satisfy my restless heart?"
"It'll definitely satisfy you. So, why don't you all come with me!" Lin Tian said with a smile.
He then turned his attention to the dwarves.
It was true that dwarves preferred a peaceful life.
Joining the Goblin Empire would likely mean facing dangers and constant warfare, which ran contrary to their nature.
But without joining, returning to the surface would be nearly impossible.
The current dwarf race was not as powerful as it had been hundreds or thousands of years ago and couldn't form a strong empire on its own.
Going out alone would only lead to being captured by various forces.
Adele made the decision,
"Dennis—no, Lin Tian—you hold a high place in the hearts of the dwarves, and many of the new generation are your descendants.
We choose to join the Goblin Empire.
However, could we be given a separate city or territory to live in?"
They didn't want to mix with a large number of monster races every day and still preferred to have their own city.
Lin Tian smiled and nodded.
"Sure! Not just one city, but ten if you need them.
With your addition, the Goblin Empire will secure its place as a top empire on this continent!"
The dwarves weren't just skilled in creating magical tools; they were also experts in crafting siege weapons, defense mechanisms, and much more.
With their support, the future would be unimaginably brilliant.
"Hahaha, good!
Since humanity has labeled us dwarves as monsters, let them witness the fury of our darkened hearts!" Bill laughed heartily, his decades of suppressed anger growing more intense.
Lin Tian respectfully replied, "Then, Master Bill, I look forward to your future contributions!"
He then turned his gaze to the aloof Flame Dragon Mother.
She had remained silent and reserved throughout, unlike Little Black, who had transformed into a demihuman form and was now a clingy daughter constantly by Lin Tian's side.
"The ancient dragon race, in the eyes of humans and nearly every creature on this continent, is a symbol of disaster.
We're certainly the first target they'd seek to eradicate, so…" The Flame Dragon Mother paused, clearly torn.
Lin Tian felt a pang of disappointment.
He had hoped to bring the dragons into the Goblin Empire, which would ensure that even if several large empires formed an alliance, there would be no need to worry.
But it seemed she only wanted her people to live in peace.
However, the Flame Dragon Mother continued,
"I recall that the Great Tomb is a vast enchanted forest with abundant resources.
Why don't we live there?
If you're ever in danger, I can bring my people to aid you.
Even if we can't win, we can retreat into the Abyss of Nothingness, where the old and weak of our race will be safe from pursuit.
That place is even safer than the World Tree."
As the Dragon King, the Flame Dragon Mother had to consider the well-being of her tribe rather than act recklessly.
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian finally felt relieved.
"That's certainly not a problem.
The Demon King of the Great Tomb is already my prisoner.
There's even an underground palace there where you can reside!"
"That will do," the Flame Dragon Mother said with a sense of ease.
Looking around at the table filled with people chatting and laughing, Lin Tian felt deeply gratified.
The power of the goblins alone might not be enough to contend with all of humanity, or even the gods themselves.
But now, Lin Tian saw a clear path to reaching the pinnacle!
For now, handling the War Empire's affairs would be the final task before returning to focus on finding ways to evolve.