by <unknown>
"Cut the crap. Go now. Don't stop me from finding my wife!"
Gao Huan grinned at the captain and Flea.
Flea glared at him, and his face suddenly collapsed.
"That's right. All of you, get the hell out of here!"
Before Flea said anything, the captain suddenly shut the door from the outside and stood next to Gao Huan.
"Boss!"
Gao Huan looked at his captain at a loss.
"Why are you looking at me? You think you can shoot down the enemy's starship when you can barely walk straight?"
The captain said casually, "Besides, I don't want to go to the capital either. I'm from the four families, and I'm among the few survivors who weren't killed in the Thick Soil Sector. I would only be executed as a deserter or a traitor if I go to the capital, wouldn't I?"
"But—"
Gao Huan stammered, "You'll be a hero. You're not among the leaders of the four families anyway, and you've done something wrong to the Imperium. Maybe you'll become an awesome war hero after some simple vetting. Like you said just now, we're not deserters but deliverers of important intelligence!"
"Some simple vetting?"
The captain laughed and spat a mouthful of bloodstained saliva before he opened his fingers and said, "Do you see my hands? They're born to kill people, not to write confessions and fill out forms! When the dogs of the military department interrogated me, I swore that I would never be vetted by anyone ever again. Neither the emperor nor Lei Chenghu or the f*cking Black Wind King will ever make me write a single word of confession for them!"
"Boss!"
Gao Huan did not know what to say. "If so, you can escape back to the Song family's territory. Didn't you say that General Yun stacked multiple shuttles? You could separate with them and go home!"
"Forget it! The way I see it, the four families are even more worthless than the reformists. Emperor Chengwu won't survive for long."
The captain waved his hand and said, "Besides, you know how I always piss people off. I wouldn't have been kicked to the frontline to defend the Thick Soil Sector with you if I had friends in my hometown in the first place, would I? Hahahaha!
"All in all, forget it. The world in the rear is not suitable for me. This place is good."
"Boss!"
"Captain!"
"Gorilla king!"
Hearing his laugh, all the soldiers couldn't hold on anymore. Their eyes turned red.
"Stop! Please don't be so emotional. I'm having goosebumps all over my body!"
The captain cursed and smashed the soldiers' heads back into the tank with his gun. "Do you know what you look like right now? Those a*s-kicking Cultivators!
"All in all, get the hell out of here in three seconds, go to the Long Wind Canyon, escape from this goddamn planet, report what happened here to the capital, and ask the emperor for rewards. If I'm rewarded too, you'll split up my share and help me f*ck a couple of bi*ches. Are we clear?
"Now, carry out my order!"
The captain smashed the last head back into the tank.
The noises of the starship came again from the mountains not far away.
The soldiers cried from the two tanks before they left unwillingly.
The captain was finally relieved when both of the tanks disappeared. He turned around and adjusted the turret on the last tank with Gao Huan.
They dismantled the protection devices of the turret and focused all the spiritual energy in the tank on it so that it could fire astoundingly for once.
The two of them worked in silence without saying anything.
When the noises were louder and louder and the crazy wind from the enemy's starship was about to blow away their disguise, Gao Huan suddenly asked, "Boss, do you think I really saw Jiang Xue just now?"
The captain looked at him thoughtfully, as if he were going to say something. But he paused for a moment before he continued, "Well, I think I saw her too."
"Really?"
Gao Huan almost burst into tears of joy. "You saw her too? Is it really her?"
"I… think so?"
The captain said, "How could I be certain when the whole battlefield was on fire? But I think it was her?"
"Then, did you see her movement?"
Gao Huan asked excitedly, "She hesitated when she attacked me, right? It means that she still has some feelings that aren't washed off, right?"
"Huh…"
The captain said, "Now that you pointed it out, I think that's exactly what happened."
"You're not lying to me? You're really not lying to me?"
Gao Huan finally shed tears. "You're my boss. You can't lie to me!"
"Of course I'm not. Have I ever lied to you?"
The captain narrowed his eyes and looked at the sky. "I will definitely go to hell and be broiled there after I die if I lie to you!"
"Well…"
Gao Huan was more or less embarrassed after the captain swore to him. After a long time, he said while blushing, "Boss, do you think I can get Jiang Xue back? Can I bring back her feelings and memories?"
The captain stared at Gao Huan for a long time… until he laughed in the end.
He patted Gao Huan's shoulder and said in an unprecedentedly gentle voice, "Don't be silly. Even god will have goosebumps seeing how much you love your wife. You won't die. Like you said, you'll find your wife in the Covenant Alliance, wake up her feelings and memories, and escape from the s*ithole. Really. I promise you that it will happen!"
Gao Huan looked at his captain's uneven and hideous face and smiled like a fool.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
The cannon on the tank beeped when the starship had entered their best shooting range.
"Boss!"
Gao Huan licked his lips and said, "Should we say something heroic now? Like what we're fighting for?"
"Forget it!"
The captain couldn't help but laugh. "There's no chance for us to upload our battle videos. What are we fighting for? We're Immortal Cultivators. Do Immortal Cultivators need a reason to fight?
"Forget those a*sholes and scumbags. For once, we're completely fighting for ourselves. Are you ready? On the count of three. Three, two, one!"
Boom!
The cannon was fired, and Gao Huan was blown away by the blast that almost tore the tank apart. He was dizzy again.
In his trance, he saw a hideous fireball rising in the front of the shark-like starship, which consumed the front part of the starship and destroyed its anti-gravity system, making the starship fall as if it had been bitten by an invisible beast.
He saw that his captain laughed and grabbed another two portable cannons that were thicker than his thighs. Opening fire at the people of the Covenant Alliance and pressing forward, the captain truly looked like an unbroken gorilla, until he ran out of ammunitions and was swallowed by fire.
Hearing the familiar cries of his brothers from his back, Gao Huan turned around, only to see Flea and the other soldiers marching back in the second tank.
Flea was dancing up and down on the top of the tank with crystal bombs all over his body. He was truly like a vigorous flea at this moment.
"Drunk Cat! Drunk Cat!"
Flea shouted delightedly, "Don't forget that your wife was the goddess of everybody in this team! How can we watch her be taken by those b*stards of the Covenant Alliance? Come on. We'll help you get her out together!"
Together with Flea, Leech, Black Leopard, and their brothers, Gao Huan charged at the enemy's formation following their captain's footprints.
When he was hit by that scorching bullet, he was still wearing a casual and confident smile.
"Wait for me, honey!"
Gao Huan thought, Boss promised me, and my brothers are so loyal. So, I can't die. I will find you, think of you, and take you back… home…
Chapter 2696: Heavy Burden |
One day later, in the capital…
The news that the Thick Soil Sector had fallen again had been spread to the capital.
The devastating outcome that the garrison of the Thick Soil Sector was entirely wiped out enshrouded the capital with blood and gloom. It was like a bad joke when the new emperor was faced with attacks from the rebels of the four families and the Covenant Alliance after he just ascended to the throne and made bold declarations.
Before the party was over, an emergence and confidential meeting began. The participants of the meeting included the new emperor, as well as Li Yao, Lei Chenghu, Li Linghai, Boss Bai, Jin Yuyan, Long Yangjun, the Fist King, and some other people.
Those were not necessarily the most powerful people in the Imperium. Many big shots in the expedition army had high titles and forces comparable to theirs.
However, they were the only people that the new emperor could really trust and rely on.
"The Covenant Alliance's attack began two to three days ago. They made thorough preparations for the attack. Before the battle, they blocked all the signals that the Thick Soil Sector sent out and simulated peacefulness with fake signals, buying them a crucial day."
Gloomily, Lei Chenghu introduced to Li Yao and the rest of them with an enormous light beam on his back. "The expedition army had been scattered on the hundreds of planets in the hundred Sectors that we occupied in the first place. Many of them were recalled to take part in the battle against the four families. So, there were not enough soldiers in the Thick Soil Sector, and the invaders were dozens of times more than them. They tried to resist, but it was impossible for them to win.
"Supposedly, we couldn't have learned the loss of the Thick Soil Sector yet, in which case the few Sectors near it might've fallen too, but thankfully, some of the soldiers who belonged to a special reconnaissance team miraculously stole a high-speed shuttle and escaped from the Covenant Alliance's siege.
"Not only have they brought us the message that the Covenant Alliance has returned, but they also presented first-hand files on how the Covenant Alliance jumped to the main planet of the Thick Soil Sector so precisely. Please take a look."
Battle videos appeared on the light beam behind Lei Chenghu, displaying the Covenant Alliance's secret base as well as the super teleportation array that the soldiers of the reconnaissance team captured.
"This is…"
Everybody was attracted to the magic equipment that looked like a spire. They were also disgusted by the hibernation capsules of the Covenant Alliance.
As the best refiner here, Li Yao was obliged to speak first. He narrowed his eyes and studied for a long time before he said, "It seems like some sort of super teleportation array or a powerful signal launcher. It's in the vintage style of the primeval age.
"Judging from the runes and the dazzling electric arcs, it was trying to tear apart the three-dimension, create mini wormholes, and send special signals to somewhere else.
"In other words, it can partly replace the space gate. It's even an advanced and secret space gate itself that can summon the main forces of the Covenant Alliance from thousands of lightyears away!"
"How's it possible?"
Li Jialing—Li Yao still preferred his old name—found it hard to believe. "How can a space gate be constructed within the atmosphere? Its signals will be warped when they pass the atmosphere!"
"About that, the Covenant Alliance might have improved their space gate with the new technologies that they excavated. Or maybe they hid a space gate in the Thick Soil Sector, and this facility on the ground was only meant to activate it."
Li Yao opened his hands and said, "There are many ways to do that. The only problem is that the garrison should've discovered the intense space ripples and spiritual energy when the space gate was opened. Why was the garrison of the Thick Soil Sector so sluggish?"
"Because…"
Lei Chenghu paused for a moment, and he couldn't have looked more awful. "A while back, the garrison of the Thick Soil Sector initiated an operation codenamed 'Absolute Loyalty'. Many traitors from the four families who opposed the reform were found. Unfortunately, the commanders of the orbit troops were from the four families and were arrested, which resulted in the flaws in the defense."
Silently, Li Yao stared at Lei Chenghu with his eyes bulging.
Lei Chenghu could hardly confront his burning eyes. Out of his usual behavior, he turned his head aside.
"Seriously?"
Li Yao, however, did not let him go. He gnashed his teeth and asked, "You're doing a purge at the frontline at such a critical moment when the Covenant Alliance may attack anytime?"
"What choices do I have?"
Veins jutted out on Lei Chenghu's neck as he bashed the table and roared, "Since their failure in the Seven Seas Sector and the capital, the four families have been trying to win the expedition army over. They know that they're losing, so they're investing tremendous money to attract the soldiers in the expedition army who belong to the four families and instigate them to rebel!
"Nobody wants to treat their comrades so cruelly. I do not want the soldiers to be killed by their own men either. However, vetting and loyal education are necessary, or the whole expedition army might pledge loyalty to Emperor Chengwu overnight!
"Yes, the garrisons of different Sectors have different ways of investigation, and some of them are radical, but what can I do? Can I split myself into thousands of parts and supervise the investigation in every Sector like a kindergarten teacher?
"Don't say that it's cruel! How can we ensure the expedition army's loyalty to the new emperor, to the reform, and to the new Imperium? By asking a Cultivator to make a speech to them or to play porn videos for them again?"
"You!"
Li Yao was so angry that he did not know what to say. "How can you do that?"
"Alright, you two…"
Li Jialing was new to being an emperor. His performance during the coronation ceremony was good enough, but he lost the manners of an emperor under the emergency. He could only say, "What happened has happened. We better figure out a solution instead of fighting among ourselves! Lei Chenghu, how are things going on in other Sectors? Has the Covenant Alliance attacked them?"
"Not for now."
Taking a deep breath, Lei Chenghu managed to calm himself down. He displayed the map of the newly-recovered area on the light beam behind him before he said hoarsely, "However, the loss of the Thick Soil Sector is already very severe, if not critical! Please take a look. The Thick Soil Sector is an intersection of many sailing routes in the newly-recovered area. It's a transportation hub for different battle areas, so a lot of resources have been stacked there.
"The fall of the Thick Soil Sector has not only made us lose a lot of precious resources but also disrupted the supply to the frontline. Earlier, the troops from dozens of worlds rested and replenished in the Thick Soil Sector when they marched, and if they have to choose a different route, they will have to consume 20% more fuel and resources.
"More importantly, after occupying the Thick Soil Sector, it's like the Covenant Alliance has smashed a nail into the heart of our newly-recovered area. They can attack all the nearby Sectors with the Sector as their base."
Lei Chenghu clenched his fists as he talked.
"I tried to explain to the Council of Elders a year ago that our battle up until then had been going on too well. Our expedition army was projected to more planets and more sailing routes when the main forces of the Covenant Alliance were not destroyed yet, and we lost our mobility!"
Lei Chenghu said coldly, "Now, the main forces of the Covenant Alliance have been gathered into a fist that can punch anywhere they want, but we have to divide our army to defend a hundred Sectors simultaneously. It's possible that none of them can be secured in the end!"
"Then…"
Naturally, Li Yao asked, "Can you abandon part of the newly-recovered area and gather our forces to fight the main forces of the Covenant Alliance, or at least to defend the most critical locations?"
"It's very difficult. It was the best strategy a year ago, but it's not an option right now. It's not a military pr
oblem; it's a political one."
Lei Chenghu shook his head and said, "We're different from the Covenant Alliance. The people of the Covenant Alliance are a bunch of lunatics and machines who do not care about consequences. They can abandon dozens of Sectors without any hesitation and bury themselves for years if not decades for the best opportunity of a comeback, but we can't do the same. We're the army of the Imperium. We're the guardians of mankind that represent the glory of our civilization!
"Now, the new emperor has just been coronated, and the Imperium is about to be ushered into the most splendid age, but we're retreating from dozens of Sectors and making those worlds fall into darkness again?
"If so, the new emperor and the Imperium will be in too much of a disgrace. We can't explain to the people, and the rebels of the four families will definitely attack us with that excuse or even instigate the expedition army to take their side!"
Chapter 2697: The Covenant Alliance's Cutthroat Attack! |
Li Yao was very angry, but there was nothing he could say as he realized that the newly-recovered area was indeed a headache for whoever controlled it.
The two emperors supported by the reformists and the four Kurfursten families respectively were fighting for the legitimacy of their right to the throne. For the people of the Imperium of True Human Beings who believed in survival of the fittest, strength was the best justification. If Li Jialing lost tremendous territory just after he claimed the crown, it was true that many people would be disappointed and many experts might change their sides.
The four Kurfursten families certainly wouldn't hesitate to mock either. Why was the newly-covered area impenetrable when it was under the control of the four families, yet it was immediately conquered when the reformists got it?
If resistance failed and the enemy claimed a few Sectors, it would be easier to explain. But if the reformists retreated from dozens of Sectors without fighting at all, wouldn't it be treason? The political consequences that it would cause might even collapse the regime of the reformists.
