Galaxy Domination Guide-Chapter 507 - 495 Good Generals

Dust billowed, and battle flags fluttered fiercely.

Armored soldiers lined up in formation, their end not visible at a glance. This was the largest military operation in the history of Northeast Land, even including the entire Yimoduoya Star. The operation exceeded the predictions by tens of thousands according to Bai Zhongqi. With the prestige of Ghostwatch Mountain's Lord Gecimi Jiang and the rumors spread by Rapids Dragon Yi Angde, almost every lord on this land joined the campaign.

Starting from the coastal territories of Ghostwatch Mountain in Northeast Land, Lord Gecimi Jiang personally led the troops. Along the way to Mount Ranji, new forces continuously joined, which greatly troubled Gecimi Jiang as the troops' provisions were insufficient.

When the army was still five hundred li from Mount Ranji, this poorly organized force had already grown to a hundred thousand soldiers. The Lord of Ghostwatch Mountain, Gecimi Jiang, served as the commander of this allied force, with several other lords who had significant military strength serving as section commanders. However, although the lords nominally obeyed the commander's orders, they essentially did as they pleased.

Bai Zhongqi always kept a vigilant watch over the situation of the alliance of lords and heroes from Northeast Land. The pigeon enslaved beasts sent out attracted the least attention and were numerous, serving as excellent aerial reconnaissance units when not employed for "advertising" tasks.

Lined up under the command of the third section commander, a lord from Yujing Mountain, 13,000 soldiers marched forward. Yujing Mountain was not far from Ghostwatch Mountain, and its lord was quite talented. The two had waged war for more than a decade, and it was only in recent years, as the strength of Yujing Mountain waned, that the battles ceased. However, Yujing Mountain was famous for its training and had always produced outstanding generals. Despite Ghostwatch Mountain's numerical superiority and financial strength, they had been defeated by Yujing Mountain several times.

Two generals from Yujing Mountain were leading their troops when one, a tall figure nearly two meters high, said, "Alas, how unpredictable life is. I always thought I would die on the battlefield, training every day while preparing to take down an Evil Dragon at the time of my death. To not have lived a wasted life. Yet, unexpectedly, it's the Giant Dragons that provided us a chance to survive, leading troops on an expedition to Mount Ranji to slay dragons under the leadership of the dragon-slayer Lord."

The other, a robust general with a particularly heroic long beard, shook his head, "Maybe the two of us could take the head of that dragon-slayer named Bai Zhongqi and present it to the Giant Dragons to ensure the safety of the people of Yujing Mountain."

The tall general chuckled and said, "A cat will not negotiate with a mouse. The greatest tragedy for a mouse is to believe in the cat that's going to eat it, thinking that if it agrees to kill other mice, it will be spared. No one can guarantee that the Dragon Clan will keep their word after we've destroyed Mount Ranji. If the dragon-slayer Bai Zhongqi truly causes the Dragon Clan to dread him, we shouldn't destroy him, but rather fight alongside him. Moreover, if this Bai is as formidable as they say, our great army is likely to face more peril than triumph at Mount Ranji."

The bearded general sighed, "Huo Huocha, brother, your insight is sharp; why not express this view to our lord?"

Huo Huocha shook his head continuously, "When Ghostwatch Mountain's messenger came to Yujing Mountain with the news, both of you and I were present, and the lord and the other vassals were overjoyed. How could I speak such words? I fear if I barely finished speaking, our lord would take out his anger on me, accusing me of disturbing the troops' morale and being disloyal to him. Isn't that right, Lie Wu, old brother?"

Lie Wu, the general, also sighed deeply, "Ultimately, the Lord is the Lord, his concerns differ from those of us rough military men."

Huo Huocha said annoyed, "I think, the views of us rough men actually make more sense. Even if I have to sacrifice my life and be devoured by an Evil Dragon after dying in battle, it's better than handing over my own kinsfolk to the Evil Dragon, watching them get devoured alive right before my eyes. If a person loses that courage, not even having the bravery to defend one's own, then what is the point in living?"

Lie Wu held the reins of his horse and gazed at the rows of soldiers, each wearing an expression of numbness, clearly devoid of any vitality.

"Do you know why our brothers have no motivation?"

Huo Huocha replied, "Marching far from home on a possibly fatal mission, how can they be motivated?"

Lie Wu shook his head and said, "In the past, the warriors of Mount Ji fought bravely, vying to be the first in battle. But now, for the first time, I see no life in their faces, as if they were walking corpses. Ultimately, they no longer fight to defend Mount Ji, to protect their wives, children, and neighbors. The lord sent them to fight at Mount Ranji, to kill in defense of humanity's dragon-slaying heroes. Even if we ultimately win, Mount Ji won't claim the head of the dragon-slayer; it will be claimed by another. The lord will still surrender thirty, fifty, or even seventy percent of the population. Their wives, children, brothers, parents, even they themselves, are destined to be fed to the dragons. How can they be expected to have the will to fight?"

Huo Huocha exclaimed in surprise, "Why can't the lords see this simple truth?"

Lie Wu said sarcastically, "Because they are immersed in the lifeline granted by the dragons. Even as the Era of the Dragon dawns, they can continue to live. Seventy percent of the people may die, but it's never the nobility who perish."

Huo Huocha chuckled helplessly, "You speak as if we are not among the nobility."

A surge of indignation welled up in Lie Wu as he spoke, "Without the commoners, what is the point of being a lord? The lords never consider themselves ordinary people; they sit high above, enjoying luxurious lives, and naturally disdain the common folk. They don't see anything wrong with their choices. The sacrifice of the people secures their own lives, which they believe to be a worthy trade. Ultimately, what the commoners think hardly matters to them."

Huo Huocha whispered, "This damned world."

Lie Wu glanced around and then whispered to Huo Huocha, "General Huo Huocha, the outcome of this expedition to Mount Ranji remains uncertain. But considering that the Dragon Clan has seriously summoned the lords of the Northeast Land to campaign against this Bai Zhongqi, he must be a significant figure, enough to give the dragons pause. Though I don't know if he has extraordinary powers, if the allied forces of the Northeast Land suffer a setback on the battlefield, we should not continue to follow the deluded. We must uphold our integrity and fight for the people."

Huo Huocha gasped and whispered, "Lie Wu, my old friend, are you suggesting we rebel...?"

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Lie Wu countered, "Don't you wish to?"

Huo Huocha was silent for a moment, then snorted, "At this point, not rebelling might burden us with a lifetime of guilt and unrest. We are already marginal figures in Mount Ji, disliked by the lord and his vassals. It's quite possible that with the arrival of the Era of the Dragon, we might be sent to feed the dragons. If we indeed gain an advantage on Mount Ranji, let's turn our weapons in the heat of the battle and join Bai Zhongqi!"