Wei Po Tian emerged from the barracks, heading towards the command center. His battle armor was tattered and stained, his face unshaven for days, just like everyone else in the base, completely neglecting their appearance.
Two soldiers, busy moving supply crates, didn’t notice Wei Po Tian approaching and were engrossed in a quiet conversation.
“When will this war ever end?!”
The older, more seasoned soldier looked blankly ahead, “Keep fighting, until we both die. Then we won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
The younger soldier replied, “Looks like it’ll be our turn soon, doesn’t it?”
“At least we’re alive today.”
Frustration crept into the young soldier’s voice, “How many defeats have we suffered? What kind of War God gets us into this mess and still calls himself a War God?”
The veteran hurriedly hushed him, “Be careful! You could be punished for speaking ill of the Marshal!”
The young soldier’s temper flared, “So what if I die? How much longer do those enforcers think they’ll live anyway?”
The veteran sighed, “At least we’re still alive now. As long as we are, there might be a miracle.”
“To hell with miracles! From what I see, that person on the other side should be called a War God. Their troops are the real miracle!”
The veteran glanced at him, “That’s not something you’d know.”
The new recruit paused, then said carelessly, “I know a lot of noble family kids. That’s what they say.”
The veteran sighed again, “Alright, after all, you’re all from noble families.”
The young soldier, still indignant, “What good is that? We still end up as cannon fodder, don’t we?”
Wei Po Tian, unable to bear it any longer, coughed.
The two soldiers, startled, saluted immediately, pale-faced. Wei Po Tian, originally intending to scold them, saw the blood-soaked bandages and sighed, shaking his head and walking away.
Moments later, he entered Song Zining’s office. Song Zining was buried in a mountain of documents, rapidly processing them. As Wei Po Tian entered, without looking up, Song Zining pushed a stack of papers towards him, “Help me with these.”
Wei Po Tian grumbled, “It’s such a critical time, and you’re still doing paperwork!”
Song Zining stopped writing, “How many times have I told you? A war isn’t just fought on the front lines. Logistics are equally, if not more, important. If we can’t supply our troops for even a day, the entire situation will collapse. Can you imagine a battle without airborne transport? These documents ensure the logistics run smoothly. Without them, the whole system would stall…”
Wei Po Tian took the files, “Alright, alright, no need for your big theories. I’ll help, but do you know what people are saying about you?”
“Can guess.”
“Hmph, they call you a fake War God, saying your past victories were due to luck. Now, they claim, you’ve shown your true colors.”
“As expected.”
Song Zining remained unperturbed, but Wei Po Tian was incensed, “How can they say that! It’s those guys, greedy for glory, who delayed the retreat, leading to our defeat by the Dark Races. Now they’re blaming you!”
Song Zining raised his head, calmly, “It’s fine. The military council will clear my name.”
“These guys, they take it for granted that you can predict enemy movements! Is divination free? Why do they speak so arrogantly!”
Song Zining sighed, “I got this position partly because my divination skills outmatched the Dark Races. So, this criticism isn’t entirely unfounded.”
Wei Po Tian was struck by the harsh reality, his expression changing. Song Zining, unlike himself or Zhao Jun Du, rose to power alone, with an unprecedented rise due to his indispensable abilities.
After a moment, he sighed, “You can’t predict her actions?”
“She can match the Duke of Xuan, what do you think? Even if she had only one of the Storm or Dream, I’d find it hard to calculate her moves.”
“So, what do we do?”
“Fight as per normal war strategies.”
“How?”
Before Wei Po Tian finished, he waved his hand, “Forget it, how we fight is your problem. I’ll handle these papers first.”
The office fell silent, save for the sound of pen scratching on paper.
A moment later, Wei Po Tian sighed, almost to himself, “Why has she suddenly become so ruthless?”
Song Zining’s hand paused, then continued writing.
Not far from the forward base, atop a hill, stood another smaller, yet more fortified, base. Built purely for defense, it overlooked open ground on three sides, commanding a wide area. From here, the range of heavy artillery nearly connected with the main base, turning the open ground before it into a death zone.
On the fortress walls, Zhao Jun Du stood, eyes narrowed, gazing into the distance. At the horizon, a large encampment of the Dark Races loomed, ten times the size of his own fort.
A general beside him, concerned, said, “My lord, the Dark Races have changed tactics. They’re boxing us in, step by step.”
Zhao Jun Du nodded, “Yes, their commander has changed.”
“The Dark Races never coordinate, always fighting independently. But look, they’re advancing steadily, their camp already close. The coordination is tight!”
“If you knew the new commander, you wouldn’t be surprised.”
“Fine, I’m no match for them, but I’m not afraid either!”
Zhao Jun Du patted his shoulder, “Thanks for holding the rear while I charge ahead.”
The general, blushing, “If not for your handling of their strong ones, we wouldn’t stand a chance! What’s that?”
Sudden commotion erupted in the Dark Races’ camp, with fire streams shooting into the sky, forming a net. Several airships appeared, flying at full speed, breaking through the fire net.
Caught off guard, the Dark Races’ defenses were too sparse, allowing the airships to pass. One, half-burning, stubbornly flew on, refusing to crash.
“It’s our men! Prepare to receive them!” Zhao Jun Du ordered.
Turrets in the fort readied, firing to create a buffer, halting the pursuers.
The airships finally reached the fort, landing one by one, except for the burning one, which glided and crashed outside.
Hundreds of soldiers rushed to rescue the survivors. Fortunately, most aboard were elite, surviving despite injuries, and were brought back to the fort.
In moments, the fort’s grounds were filled with wounded, many needing initial treatment, with the severely injured to be transferred to the main base.
Zhao Jun Du walked among the wounded, inspecting.
He noticed a group of undamaged soldiers, distinct from the others. Their equipment was superior, and their leader, a young man, was a formidable warrior.
Zhao Jun Du approached, “Who are you?”
Recognizing Zhao Jun Du, the young man, Zhang Tian He, quickly stood, respectful, “I am from the Zhang clan, a branch family. These are my private troops, loyal to me for years.”
Zhao Jun Du observed, “Plenty of ammo left, must’ve been smooth on the front.”
Zhang Tian He hesitated, “We guarded a non-primary target area. Plus, I invest in my troops’ equipment, so we always have extra ammo.”
Zhao Jun Du nodded, “Good. I need men, stay here. I’ll put you on the front line, where you won’t lack enemies or run out of ammo.”
Zhang Tian He, alarmed, “My lord, we received orders to return to the empire. Staying here would be disobeying orders.”
“Orders have changed.”
“How can orders change so easily? I’ll get the secret order from General He Yong’s body.”
Zhao Jun Du repeated, “Orders have changed.”
Zhang Tian He, feeling cold, halted.
Taking a step further would anger Zhao Jun Du, leading to a dire fate. But staying here meant certain death, having seen the vast enemy camp below, with tens of thousands.
Zhang Tian He, determined, said, “My lord, I can’t disobey orders. I’ll confirm with the military council. If the orders are indeed changed, I’ll return and apologize.”
“You’re disobeying orders?”
Zhang Tian He, loudly, “Sir, I don’t know why you’re targeting me, but if you insist, I won’t be polite. I heard the Dark Races’ commander is a former woman of your Zhao family. Are you conspiring with them?”
“Finished?” Zhao Jun Du asked calmly.
“Isn’t that enough?”
“Finished, then.” Zhao Jun Du shot him between the eyes.
Zhang Tian He, shocked, fell back.
“For the sake of the Zhang clan, I won’t punish him for insubordination. Put him on the casualty list.”
With Zhang Tian He executed, his troops, dejected, quietly took their positions.
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