Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 244: Retreat Without a Fight (Part 1)
The 30,000 elite soldiers of Anyang include 10,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators—fully armed experts at this level. The remaining 20,000 troops are all at least at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage, forming a mechanized and semi-mechanized army.
In military warfare and large-scale battles, individual combat prowess is not the deciding factor. If it were a matter of one-on-one fights, mechanization would be of little use, and personal cultivation and magical treasures would be more reliable. However, in military conflicts, mechanized combat does not require precise targeting of individuals—simply aiming in a general direction is sufficient.
The 30,000 elite troops used talismans liberally as they marched. To conserve the soldiers’ stamina, they had no choice but to burn through large amounts of talismans. But this was not a problem—Anyang had already developed “printing array” technology. In the past, a single talisman cost several taels or even over ten taels of gold. Now, Anyang’s talismans cost less than ten copper coins to produce. They could be used freely without a second thought.
After disembarking from the train station, there were still over a hundred miles to travel before reaching the border between Anyang and Songzhou Prefecture. This section of the road had yet to be constructed.
Fortunately, a hundred miles was not too far. Everyone was a cultivator and had plenty of talismans on hand. A wave of talismans was thrown down, instantly forming a wide temporary road. The mechanized units, including locomotives and artillery, quickly followed. High in the sky, aircraft equipped with invisibility techniques hovered overhead.
Due to their loud noise, airplanes were not suitable for stealth operations. Instead, slower aircraft that did not require propellers became the primary scouting tools.
Golden Core cultivators continuously flew back and forth, relaying information so that Yan Zhengqing, the commander of this battle, could stay informed about the situation ahead.
When the army had advanced 10 miles, the Songzhou Prefecture troops had just woken up.
At 30 miles, the Songzhou army had yet to eat breakfast.
At 50 miles, the Songzhou army had only just begun clearing their leftover meals and preparing for their daily drills.
At 80 miles, the Songzhou army finally started deploying scouts!
Standing atop a small hill, Yan Zhengqing read the latest intelligence report and sneered, “No wonder Xu Ren suggested launching a surprise attack on the Songzhou Prefecture army first. They are completely unprepared for a decisive battle—they only came to take advantage of the situation. With an army like this, how could they possibly win?”
Only 20 miles remained. The main force would arrive within an hour at most. The vanguard of 10,000 elite Foundation Establishment cultivators could reach the battlefield in just 20 minutes. The enemy had already sent out scouts—there was no time to wait.
“Send orders! Rear aircraft are to take off immediately and commence bombing!”
“Send orders! The 10,000 elite Foundation Establishment cultivators at the front must charge at full speed—disregard talisman consumption!”
“Send orders! The entire army is to accelerate and break through the Songzhou Prefecture troops’ formation with overwhelming force. Aim for total rout—avoid prolonged positional warfare as much as possible!”
“Faster! Faster! Use acceleration talismans! Don’t give the enemy time to react!”
At that moment, a Golden Core cultivator flew in on his sword. “Commander, young master has sent a message. The master has formally ascended to the throne in the north and declared himself emperor. The new dynasty is named ‘Tang.'”
Yan Zhengqing clutched the latest report, his emotions surging. Though he had received word before leaving, seeing the official confirmation still stirred his heart. The enthronement and founding of a new dynasty meant that Li Yulong was no longer a part of the Xia family’s bloodline. This signaled the complete fragmentation of the Great Xia Kingdom. From this day forward, Great Xia was officially dead.
With this, many agreements and treaties previously signed between Great Xia and the Cai Kingdom would naturally become void.
“The master is truly decisive!” After his initial excitement, Yan Zhengqing evaluated the situation. “A forceful ascension—what a bold move! This also draws the First Prince’s attention, reducing pressure on Anyang. At the same time, it marks the definitive end of Great Xia, allowing the Cai Kingdom to attack the north without hesitation.”
“Currently, the north is mainly controlled by the First Prince’s faction. But how can the master be certain that the Cai Kingdom will attack the First Prince and not him?”
Unable to answer that question, Yan Zhengqing put it aside. It was unrelated to the battle at hand.
With a single command, the army’s speed instantly doubled.
They soon encountered the scouts sent by Songzhou Prefecture. But before these scouts could even sound the alarm, they were swallowed by the overwhelming tide of Foundation Establishment cultivators—vanishing without so much as a scream. Hundreds of flying swords shot forward, instantly reducing the hapless scouts to blood mist.
Inside the Songzhou Prefecture military camp, Gao Bin was conversing with Wang Ping, the eldest son of the Wang family. Their discussion, unsurprisingly, revolved around how to reap the spoils and divide Anyang’s wealth. Though nothing was set in stone, they spoke cheerfully, as if Anyang was already within their grasp, a feast ready to be devoured.
Beside them, Murong Feilong, the general of Songzhou Prefecture, chimed in, “Anyang is indeed powerful, with its industrial and commercial backing. However, it has not had enough time to develop, and its foundation remains weak. Perhaps we wouldn’t stand a chance against them in a one-on-one fight, but if any two factions join forces, wiping out Anyang would be a sure thing. Now that four sides are attacking at once, Anyang is doomed!”
“Yes, yes!” Wang Ping smiled “sincerely.” “No matter how arrogant Anyang is, they won’t be able to withstand attacks from all sides. We have a million regular troops, while Anyang only has a hundred thousand regular troops and three hundred thousand reservists. Trying to resist us is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Although their artillery is powerful, how much do they actually have? Their ironclad warships are also formidable, and it’s said they have cannons with a caliber of up to 305mm, but warships can only stay in the sea. As for their planes, just a few Golden Core stage experts could easily take them down.
Not to mention, that idiot Li Xian sold artillery and planes to us, and we can produce gunpowder ourselves. Heh, heh, by now, Li Xian must be regretting it so much that his intestines are turning green!”
“Absolutely!” Gao Bin laughed heartily. “When we capture Li Xian, I’ll make him dance for us. Hahaha…”
Wang Ping’s expression turned vicious. “After he finishes dancing, I will personally kill Li Xian. I’ll use a fire-water club to beat him to death, breaking his spine, his ribs, and crushing his skull!”
“Don’t worry, dear nephew, that day isn’t far off!” Gao Bin also sank into endless fantasies.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from the sky, accompanied by the chaotic shouts of soldiers outside.
“What’s going on?” General Murong Feilong of Songzhou County stood up and said to the guard beside him, “Go check it out.”
But Gao Bin, upon hearing the sound, instantly turned pale. “Planes! A lot of planes!”
No longer caring about boasting and fantasizing, Gao Bin rushed out of the military tent. When he looked up, his face turned ashen.
In the northeastern sky, a dense mass of black dots appeared, growing rapidly larger—they were diving, accelerating. And all these planes were four-engine bombers.
“How can there be so many planes?! There must be at least two hundred!” Gao Bin’s face was no longer just pale; it was completely dark with shock.
The battle between Anyang and the Second Prince, Xia Shu, had already spread widely. But back then, Anyang had only deployed eighty planes, and they were only twin-engine aircraft. Yet, in such a short time, over two hundred brand-new four-engine planes had appeared!
This was because Gao Bin didn’t understand the replicability of industrial production. After accumulating enough technology, Anyang’s aircraft production had become increasingly fast. Producing twenty planes a day was easy; producing fifty a day wasn’t impossible either. Right now, there were two hundred, but in a little while, there could be two thousand.
During Gao Bin’s brief moment of hesitation, the planes opened fire. Thirty-millimeter cannons ruthlessly strafed the ground, and bombs rained down in waves. The completely unprepared soldiers of Songzhou County were caught off guard—No! This isn’t how war is supposed to start! We weren’t ready yet!
Some Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stage experts attempted to take to the sky to intercept the planes, but most of them were immediately shredded by the aircraft cannons. A few managed to break through the barrage and took down one or two planes, but then they encountered Anyang’s own experts, leading to intense battles in the sky.
The heavens roared, the earth trembled and burned. Only those above the Foundation Establishment stage had the qualifications to participate in this battle. Those below that level could only be bombed, strafed, and slaughtered.
War has never been about mercy.
After a long while, Gao Bin finally snapped out of his shock. “Damn it, Anyang actually dared to launch the first strike!
Murong Feilong, quickly gather an elite force and advance northeast! Anyang’s main forces must be there. Hold them back! You must hold them back to buy time for the rest of our troops!”
“Understood!” Murong Feilong had no time to mobilize the main army. He could only take a small elite force—about two thousand men—and charge straight ahead.