This battle held no suspense. In terms of both strength and firepower, Dark Flame held an overwhelming advantage.
The town’s garrison consisted of merely a few hundred men. The town mayor and the guard captain were only at the level of fourth or fifth-rank soldiers, along with a handful of outsiders above the fifth rank. But Dark Flame seemed completely uninterested in these strangers, and showed no intention of negotiating with Hardrock Ridge. Upon arrival, the forces immediately launched a heavy artillery assault.
The battle ended within less than an hour. The town gate and most of the walls were destroyed, the mayor’s mansion flattened, and all resistors were killed on the spot without any captives taken. Duàn Hào then initiated a large-scale search throughout the town, capturing all relatives of the mayor and the guard captain, and selling them directly to the accompanying slave traders.
These ruthless, swift actions sent a shiver down the spines of all the still-undecided towns, who quickly dispatched envoys, declaring their submission to Qián Yè. Thus, the entire Blackflow Defense Zone, at least in name, was pacified by Dark Flame.
Of course, such submission was like that of reeds on a wall—should a new power take over, they would just as swiftly bow to the newcomer. This was simply the way of survival in the Evernight Continent. Qián Yè did not need their loyalty; he only needed them to be pragmatic and obedient while he controlled the region.
On the third day after the battle, Qián Yè had essentially secured control over the Blackflow Defense Zone, with no more open dissent from anywhere. The surviving officers of the Seventh Division were all gathered at Dark Flame’s base, while the soldiers were kept in three separate camps.
With the situation under initial control, Qián Yès summoned all the officers of the former Seventh Division to formally reorganize.
The gathering took place in a mechanical warehouse spanning several hundred square meters, which originally housed two heavy rotary cannons.
From the ceiling hung long steel rails with thick lifting chains, while one side of the warehouse was raised half a meter, equipped with brand-new steam-driven rails. These were maintenance facilities for heavy machinery, though it was rare for expeditionary army divisions garrisoning cities to build such expensive equipment.
Now, this considerable space was packed with over two hundred people. When Qián Yè walked through the door and jumped up onto a platform, the crowd instantly fell silent.
Aside from a dozen or so officers who remained defiant in prison, all the officers of the Seventh Division from the rank of ensign upward were present. There were four colonels, including Zhù Wúyá, fourteen majors, and over thirty captains, with the rest being ensigns. This meant there were roughly two hundred second-rank soldiers and above, including three eighth-rankers and one ninth-rank soldier.
The three eighth-rank colonels were not particularly exceptional. They were all in their forties, with slightly deeper origin power than standard, but had likely reached the peak of their cultivation with no further advancement possible.
Zhù Wúyá, however, was different. A ninth-rank sharpshooter already held a unique position in the army, and he had awakened two rare abilities perfectly suited for a sniper: danger perception and basic origin vision. Therefore, no matter who was in charge of the Seventh Division, Zhù Wúyá always maintained his status and served as a crucial tactical core. Unfortunately, when he met Qián Yè, it was like encountering a natural enemy, leaving him with no room to perform.
Overall, the strength of the assembled officers alone surpassed Dark Flame. However, the Seventh Division’s equipment was inferior, especially in heavy weaponry. Additionally, they were caught off guard by Wèi Bónián’s strategy, unable to fully exert even half of their combat power before being easily overtaken by Qián Yè and Dark Flame.
At this moment, all the Seventh Division officers were free to move, neither injected with origin inhibitors nor shackled with origin handcuffs. Apart from some officers who were injured in the previous battles, the rest were unharmed. Dark Flame only had three groups of warriors guarding the entrance and sides, yet the officers made no moves.
They had witnessed the might of the Dark Flame special team two days ago. At that time, Sòng Hǔ was counting the Seventh Division officers using their roster. When he came across a sixth-rank soldier in a major’s uniform who was not listed, the man, along with another officer, suddenly attacked.
Sòng Hǔ was only a sixth-rank, and the two Dark Flame soldiers with him were around fifth or sixth-rank. But they didn’t even call upon the snipers outside, directly subduing the attackers on the spot.
The whole incident lasted only a few minutes, and the other officers didn’t even have time to think about whether to join in. This outcome wasn’t just due to the superior individual equipment of Dark Flame; their teamwork and coordination clearly demonstrated a combat capability far beyond that of ordinary mercenary groups.
When the officers from the Four Waters Base regiment also shared that they were single-handedly subdued by the Dark Flame commander, most of the officers lost any desire to resist.
Qián Yè’s gaze swept over the crowd before he finally spoke, “I believe you all know what caused this war.”
Many officers’ expressions turned awkward, especially those who had dealings with Dǒng Qífēng’s agent. Sòng Hǔ had already informed the Seventh Division officers about the event during the prisoner count.
This was a form of psychological warfare. Whether Dark Flame was resisting tyranny or staging a rebellion, the two carried entirely different meanings.
Those veterans forged in the fires of war certainly weren’t short of bravery, but it depended on what they were fighting for. For most mid-to-lower-ranking officers without closely tied interests, it seemed pointless to reorganize a mercenary group and get reorganized in return—an act of incompetence.
No soldier wanted to serve under a foolish and incapable superior.
Seeing the reactions, Qián Yè continued, “Since Dark Flame has won this battle, I now have the right to reorganize the Seventh Division. This is the rule of the Evernight. If you are willing to join Dark Flame, your benefits will remain the same and will increase based on future military achievements.”
This promise surprised most officers. Even on the Evernight Continent, where the resources of the few mercenary groups of ten thousand were incomparable to those of the expeditionary army, the strength of Dark Flame’s equipment had already exceeded their expectations. Offering the same pay implied that Dark Flame’s strength was comparable to a division of the expeditionary army.
“Some of you may still hope to rejoin the expeditionary army and are awaiting General Dǒng’s counterattack. But joining the expeditionary army is not solely through following Dǒng Qífēng; Dark Flame can provide that path as well.”
Qián Yè’s words caused a stir among the officers. Even Zhù Wúyá, who had fought with Dark Flame, was somewhat dumbfounded.
The expeditionary army designations were not set in stone. In fact, a designation’s rise and fall was much faster than that of the imperial regular army. During the recent Evernight War, several divisions were disbanded due to the deaths of their commanders and the loss of over half their troops.
However, each designation had its own defensive zone. Qián Yè’s intent was to establish his own designation, meaning Dǒng Qífēng would be completely ousted. Achieving this required both influence and strength.
Observing everyone’s reactions, Qián Yè said, “Regardless of your personal thoughts, I don’t mind. But for now, you must help me reorganize the Seventh Division. During this process, if anyone makes any suspicious moves, they will be executed. Dismissed.”
The officers dispersed, burdened with their thoughts.
In the coming days, the Seventh Division would be entirely disbanded and recombined with Dark Flame. These surrendered officers would be appointed in phases, mostly in subordinate roles. According to Sòng Hǔ, it would take at least one fierce battle with the incoming expeditionary army to fully trust and employ them.
Fortunately, many local units of the expeditionary army were more like private armies, especially the mid-to-lower-ranking officers, who viewed it as a job. Essentially, they were no different from hunters and mercenaries, trading their lives for pay. The difference, perhaps, was that the expeditionary army offered greater power, stability, and assured income.
As long as Dark Flame stood firm, it would gradually gain the soldiers’ sense of belonging. Loyalties on the Evernight Continent were fickle, and aside from the common enemy, the dark races, even the Great Qin Empire was merely a distant symbol of power.
Qián Yè watched the officers leave, once again reviewing his plan. He intended to use Dark Flame as the framework, dispersing and integrating the former Seventh Division soldiers to form a combat-effective force in a short time.
The immediate priority was to repel any potential intervention from the expeditionary army. Although Sòng Zǐníng claimed he could handle the upper echelons, it was always wise to prepare for the worst.
Once the expeditionary army’s interference was repelled, Qián Yè could officially expand westward, conquering new territories.
Blackflow City, a strategic battleground, was neither ideally located nor resource-rich. Its main income had come from gray transactions. It could accommodate the Seventh Division of the expeditionary army but was too small for Qián Yè’s plans and ambitions.
Only by moving west, to the vast lands and boundless resources, could the foundation for the future be established.
At the expeditionary army headquarters, the airship field buzzed with activity.
Several military SUVs sped into the field. The guards, seeing the gold star on the expeditionary army emblem, snapped to attention and saluted, shouting, “General, sir!”
The window of the lead SUV lowered, revealing a face framed by noticeable jowls and bulging eyes. Pleased with the guard’s demeanor, he raised his hand to his forehead in a brief salute. Then, leaning back, he closed his eyes, a smile curling his lips as he thought.
The convoy bypassed the waiting line and drove directly to a landing pad.
This blatant queue-jumping was met with no objections, as the sight of the general’s emblem on the vehicles intimidated the waiting crowds. Privilege was omnipresent, especially in the chaotic Evernight.
The convoy halted beside the airship. A stunning female adjutant with strikingly long legs leaped out from the front seat. She opened the rear door and, with a cool voice, said, “General, we have arrived.”
The general, with a broad, flat face and large ears, glanced outside before heaved his hefty frame out of the vehicle, surprisingly agile. Passing the female adjutant, he casually squeezed her buttocks. The adjutant, her face as cold as ice, jabbed him hard in response.
Despite the force, the general betrayed no emotion, as if the hand wasn’t his. The body of a warrior was far stronger than that of an ordinary person, and here, it served its purpose perfectly.
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