As Lin Qian spoke, his soul power surged, and he took the broken token from Zhang Zide's hand, showing it to Mu Houde as he said, "This item's original owner is extremely important to me."
The imperial aura of Lin Qian's Emperor's Will radiated from his body, pressing down heavily on the vast fleet before him.
In an instant, every member of the Wood Spirit Clan felt as if they were being crushed beneath a mountain, unable to straighten their backs.
Seeing the faint flicker of menace in Lin Qian's eyes, Mu Houde quickly bowed low in fear. "Please, calm your anger. This token was given to me by a human named Zhou Yian."
"Along with two other humans, Fang Shuiwen and Yang Guixiang, they were once hunted down and severely injured. Our Wood Spirit Clan is skilled in cultivating spiritual herbs, and we treated their wounds with these herbs, hiding them within our clan."
"Later, their situation was exposed, and they became targets across the entire Western Continent. With no way to escape, they were forced to hide in a ruin."
"Though we, the Wood Spirit Clan, were not directly accused of harboring humans, we were ostracized by other races and eventually driven out."
"Zhou Yian had foreseen this and told us that if we had nowhere to go, we could seek refuge in the Huaxia Empire in the Eastern Continent."
"Our clan is weak in battle and only a small tribe, but we occupied fertile land that others coveted for a long time. If we hadn't decided to migrate, we would have faced extinction."
"Young Emperor, we have journeyed across the sea and cannot endure more hardships. I beg you to grant us refuge. The Wood Spirit Clan is willing to serve as slaves, with no complaints."
As Mu Houde finished speaking, he knelt at the bow of the ship, awaiting Lin Qian's response with bated breath.
Lin Qian said nothing. He silently returned the Golden Dragon Messaging Token to the Fantasy Star, where it would undergo an automatic review.
The token was embedded with a dual-layer formation. If damaged, the second formation would activate, recording everything that happened in its vicinity.
Not long after, Zhuge Ming sent over several visual records that the token had captured.
From these images, Lin Qian could clearly see the three elders—Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yian, and Yang Guixiang—being hunted by foreign races, grievously injured, and then rescued by the Wood Spirit Clan.
When their location was about to be exposed, the three chose to leave the Wood Spirit Clan of their own accord, leaving the token behind with instructions for Mu Houde.
It was evident that Mu Houde had spoken the truth.
"Everything you've said is true. These three elders are owed a great debt by me. Since they entrusted you with their message, I will honor their request," Lin Qian said as he withdrew the overwhelming Emperor's Will, allowing the members of the Wood Spirit Clan to finally breathe and collapse onto the decks in relief.
Sensing something, Mu Houde looked up, only to find that Lin Qian had silently appeared before him.
Lin Qian extended a hand and helped the elder to his feet. "Patriarch Mu, I ask you: are you willing to become a citizen of the Huaxia Empire?"
"A citizen of the Huaxia Empire?" Mu Houde looked at Lin Qian in bewilderment. "But we are not human. We are a foreign race. Isn't it our fate to be slaves? Can we truly become citizens of the Huaxia Empire?"
"While the Huaxia Empire is predominantly human, as long as you swear a Heart Demon Oath to be loyal to the empire and never betray it, no matter what race you belong to, you can become a citizen, provided your origins are honorable."
"Currently, the Huaxia Empire includes not only humans but also the Red Horn Clan, Black Horn Clan, Dwarf Clan, Spirit Hoof Clan, as well as the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, Shell Clan, Giant Claw Clan, and Water Spirit Clan. They are all citizens of the Huaxia Empire. They are all Huaxians."
Lin Qian's words were a tremendous shock to Mu Houde. He had wondered why so many sea clans called themselves part of the Huaxia Empire's Treading Waves Army.
He had assumed they were vassals or slaves of the empire.
But now it seemed that wasn't the case. A human empire that accepted foreign races as citizens? It was beyond belief. Didn't humans harbor racial prejudices?
What Mu Houde didn't know was that once people grew accustomed to living alongside other races within a shared empire, the distinctions between races became less important.
In fact, within the Huaxia Empire, instances of intermarriage between races were beginning to emerge.
"Next, the Treading Waves Army will escort you into Huaxia Empire territory. However, until you officially become citizens, you will be under supervision," Lin Qian said, raising his voice slightly to snap Mu Houde out of his daze.
Zhang Zide, standing by, wasn't surprised. Every new race that joined the Huaxia Empire reacted the same way.
He recalled how, when the Water Spirit Clan first joined, many of its members vehemently opposed the decision.
Yet, within a month, those same members couldn't imagine leaving the Huaxia Empire.
After joining, the Water Spirit Clan quickly benefited from new infrastructure like underwater train tunnels and turned their scenic underwater regions into tourist attractions.
The newly established Ministry of Transportation ensured that Huaxia Empire's vast lands were well-connected, allowing people from all over the Southern Domain to visit the Water Spirit Clan's territories, making many Water Spirits rich overnight.
Moreover, once they became citizens, the Water Spirit Clan was protected by powerful forces like the Aquatic Beast Army, which drove away their old enemies, the Black Blade Fish Clan.
Where once many Water Spirits lived in fear of the Black Blade Fish Clan, they now slept peacefully, unafraid of attack.
The introduction of underwater soul vision machines also allowed the Water Spirit Clan to view the beautiful landscapes of the Southern Domain and learn about the various races that made up the Huaxia Empire.
The charm of the Huaxia Empire was such that no race that joined ever wanted to leave.
The empire provided strength, safety, and a multitude of conveniences that showed them life was not just about survival, but about thriving.
Watching the massive fleet sail into Huaxia territory, Lin Qian smiled. He knew that once the Wood Spirit Clan experienced life in the empire, they'd never want to leave.
In fact, after learning about the Wood Spirit Clan's natural talents, Lin Qian was overjoyed. They would be perfect stewards of the Agricultural Valleys.
"Those three old men... I never expected that after losing them, I'd be given such a grand gift."