Kays Translations

Chapter 265: Retaliatory Attack

Chang Lin, as the admiral of the navy, has three deputy commanders under him: Hao Youcai, Gao Shirong, and He Xinsong. Among them, He Xinsong is temporarily in charge of the Marine Corps.

Five ironclad ships slowly adjusted their positions. On the dark, moonless sea in the middle of the night, they appeared as five dark little mountains slowly turning. The dark gun barrels began to rise; the cannons, two to three times the length of land-based artillery, looked especially menacing. Particularly on the two new ironclads, the 305mm gun barrels seemed like a “convenient passage” to the eighteen hells.

The crashing waves could not shake the ironclads in the slightest.

However, the five ironclads were too close to the shore, and while adjusting their angles, they were noticed by a vigilant soldier on the shore.

Han Xiaowei yawned. As a newly enlisted soldier, he naturally had to endure some bullying. For example, right now, while everyone else was resting, he was on guard duty.

Fortunately, Han Xiaowei was not alone. There were several other new soldiers around him. The group was discussing the “international situation,” talking about battles between the north and Anyang, discussing “how much military merit that would be,” and fantasizing about the excitement of conquering cities and the beautiful future of getting promoted and becoming wealthy.

As the discussion grew more heated, Han Xiaowei, facing the sea, suddenly pointed in shock and exclaimed, “Look… look… what… what is that?!”

Someone laughed loudly, “Han Xiaowei, you brat must be trying to kick us while we’re not looking! Hmph, don’t fall for it, everyone!”

But someone still turned around. A burly man suddenly stood up, “Not good, that’s… an ironclad ship! It’s from Anyang! Trouble, enemy attack! Enemy attack…”

The man shouted loudly, his voice echoing far into the quiet night. Instantly, countless lights lit up, and several experts in the Foundation Establishment stage, along with a few in the Golden Core stage, flew out from their houses, searching the skies.

“East, it’s in the east!” Seeing some senior officers flying over, the burly man pointed to the sea, his expression filled with fear.

All the experts, officers, and others turned to look, and they collectively gasped. Under the dark night, five massive ships were anchored on the sea. The waves surged, but the ships were perfectly still, as steady as mountains.

“Anyang’s ironclads!”

“Anyang is attacking from the sea!”

“Damn it, quickly inform the major general!”

Panic ensued…

For a moment, the coast was in chaos. Who would have thought that Anyang would be so bold, daring to attack the Jin Kingdom? Especially the Jin troops on the coast, most of whom were new recruits with little combat experience, often bullied by others. The new recruits only had the power to bully the defenseless poor civilians who were sun-drying salt.

Now, facing the legendary ironclads, these soldiers were terrified! In fact, Anyang had not kept the ironclads a secret but had instead publicized them everywhere, turning them into a symbol of Anyang’s military deterrence. However, once information spreads, it can easily become distorted. Anyang’s ironclads were described as “huge war machines transporting destructive power.”

But they discovered the ironclads too late. Just as they were panicking, the Jin soldiers suddenly saw orange and yellow lights shooting out from the ironclads.

“Not good, they’ve attacked!”

As soon as the words were spoken, some experts vaguely saw dark shadows flashing by. Then, they felt the ground shake, flames erupted into the sky, and soon the sounds of cannons, whistling shells, explosions, crashing, and screams followed.

Fierce explosions ravaged the area, with fire rising to the heavens. Broken houses were blasted into the air, dozens of meters high. The first salvo of 305mm shells was especially impressive. Many Foundation Establishment experts flying in midair were directly blown away, their fates unknown. The walls of Baize Town were destroyed, and unlucky soldiers were turned to dust without even having a chance to scream.

Puffs of smoke rose into the sky, and some areas even started to burn. The acrid smell spread…

Han Xiaowei stood in shock, his heart frozen, his thoughts numb. All he could see was the rising smoke. Under the black night, the chaotic smoke seemed like a demonic flame, filled with the fear of death.

“Clatter…” An object fell at Han Xiaowei’s feet. He numbly looked down and then screamed in terror. It was half of a shattered skull!

But the shelling did not stop. The shells kept falling relentlessly. Unlike land-based artillery, the guns used on the warships were mostly 150mm, 240mm, and 305mm caliber cannons, with even the 105mm caliber being rare.

Each time a shell landed, the ground shook violently. The waves boiled, the beach churned, and the earth trembled. The walls, houses, soldiers, and everything else seemed to crumble like sand sculptures.

Nothing could stop these powerful explosions. Even a few Golden Core experts who didn’t dodge in time were torn apart by the shells—305mm cannons were specially designed to deal with Golden Core experts! Such powerful shells were not something even Nascent Soul experts dared to confront head-on.

Suddenly, Han Xiaowei felt someone pull him. Before he could react, he was thrown inside a ruined city wall. Han Xiaowei was dizzy from the fall. He turned to look, and it was the burly man, the captain of his squad.

Seeing Han Xiaowei looking at him, the captain trembled and said, “I feel a special kind of danger…”

Before he finished speaking, a series of “pffft” sounds suddenly rang out. Many of the Foundation Establishment experts still flying in the air were showered in blood, and some were directly torn apart. Their bodies scattered like rotting logs. The few Golden Core experts were caught off guard and also suffered injuries.

Soldiers on the city walls who were stunned were blown apart, their blood and dismembered bodies flying everywhere.

After a moment, a “tut tut” sound began.

Han Xiaowei’s eyes widened in disbelief. “This… this… this…”

“Machine guns! This is a machine gun!” The squad leader trembled all over, tightly curled up in the corner, not daring to move. Han Xiaowei followed suit, curling up in the corner with a stone slab pressed against his head.

The war broke out so suddenly that Baize Town had not prepared at all.

Baize Town was a “military town,” not a typical rural town, but a military base, a stationed garrison unit. In the past, Baize Town defended the Great Xia Kingdom to the north, preventing the kingdom from launching attacks from the sea. However, in recent decades, the Great Xia Kingdom no longer had the capability to attack others, so this military town had gradually become lax.

No one expected such a brutal battle today—or rather, a one-sided massacre.

Shells and machine gun fire created a double-layered slaughter. It didn’t matter if they were ordinary soldiers, elite warriors in the seventh, eighth, or ninth stages of Qi Refining, or even small masters in the Foundation Building stage—under this ferocious attack, they had no ability to fight back. Only those in the Golden Core stage had the ability to escape, but none dared to charge forward.

The artillery fire rumbled for a long time, as though there was no possibility of it stopping! Han Xiaowei cautiously hid, never imagining that life could be so fragile. Just within his line of sight, Han Xiaowei saw a Golden Core early-stage master struggling in pain, his legs already blown off, blood gushing out.

Han Xiaowei recognized the man—he was a very vicious general, known for beating and scolding his subordinates. So, Han Xiaowei never thought of going out to rescue him. He just quietly watched as the man’s life slowly slipped away.

Suddenly, a series of organized footsteps approached. Han Xiaowei’s heart leaped with joy—could it be reinforcements? The orderly footsteps meant it was a structured unit, not a disorganized mob fleeing for their lives.

Han Xiaowei was about to stand up…

Suddenly, Han Xiaowei’s gaze sharpened. A dark iron rod was pressed against the head of the Golden Core general who was about to die…

“Bang!”

The head exploded, and a gush of murky blood sprayed out! Han Xiaowei was frozen in shock!

A voice with a strange accent came from the side: “Alright, all the defenders must be silenced. Those who aren’t dead, shoot them in the head. Search for Cheng Liqiu, and if possible, capture him alive; if not, it’s fine if they’re dead.”

“General, should we capture a few prisoners? Question them about the situation here? Let them identify each other?”

“Mm, good idea. There are two here. You two, raise your hands and slowly step forward!”

“Ah…” Han Xiaowei’s heart turned cold. Could it be me…? Is it me…?

Bang! A bullet hit the ground next to Han Xiaowei’s feet. “Come out! I’ll count to three, or I’ll shoot you on the spot!”

“It really is me!” Han Xiaowei stood frozen, dully raising his hands, slowly standing up and walking out. At this moment, Han Xiaowei felt numb, from his body to his soul.

His mind kept repeating these words: I’m going to die… I’m really going to die…

Suddenly, Han Xiaowei felt something cold pressing against his temple. It was the same black iron rod! His heart raced uncontrollably, and he felt warmth spreading in his pants…

A stern voice came from his ear: “Come on, if you don’t want to die, swear an oath first. Be obedient, or this bullet doesn’t have eyes.”

“Swear… swear… swear what… oath…” Han Xiaowei trembled all over.

At that moment, a slightly authoritative voice came from the side: “Alright, stop playing. We don’t even know their names. A temporary oath is unreliable.”

“Capture more people. Have them lead the team and confess. If their statements don’t match, shoot them on the spot. This method is simple and effective.”

From then on, Han Xiaowei remained immersed in fear. The dark iron rod never left his head. He was dazed and led the team, soon arriving at the ruins of Major General Cheng Liqiu’s residence.

What Han Xiaowei found next was that these Anyang soldiers had captured three “Cheng Liqiu”s in the ruins of the residence.

Han Xiaowei’s heart was filled with inexplicable hope—could they figure out which one is real?

However, the next events made Han Xiaowei’s bones turn cold! The leading Anyang officer directly gave the order: kill them all, leave the bodies for identification later.

Creeeak… Han Xiaowei realized his teeth were chattering.

Once the order was given, the three “Cheng Liqiu”s were stunned. Each of them cried out, “I’m fake! We’re all fake! There’s a hidden chamber in the back yard. The real Cheng Liqiu is there.”

Under the lead of the three fake “Cheng Liqiu”s, the team quickly reached a fake mountain. Near the water, there was a winding entrance to a cave. Clearly, entering this cave directly would be dangerous.

“What will they do?” Han Xiaowei couldn’t help but be curious. But soon, he would learn what barbarity meant.

The leading Anyang officer called out three times without a response. He then sneered, “Signal, retreat!”

Han Xiaowei then saw three Anyang soldiers busying themselves with something, and soon, seven signal flares shot up into the sky, blooming in brilliant colors.

After the signals were launched, a bright flare rose from the distant sea. The Anyang officer immediately led the group to retreat, moving back from Cheng Liqiu’s residence and continuing to retreat another dozen paces.

Han Xiaowei was still puzzled when a sharp whistle suddenly sounded behind him. Almost at the same time, an explosion erupted ahead, and violent flames soared into the sky, smoke billowing up to dozens of meters high, as if demons were roaring. The already ruined ruins were completely flattened, and the shockwave, sand, and flying debris surged toward them.

In his terror, Han Xiaowei noticed that Anyang soldiers around him casually tossed a few cards that seemed metallic. Then, a layer of magical light shielded them—were these metal cards talismans? Were such talismans real? They were so small!

But the explosion wasn’t over. Three more shells fell, turning the rubble into dust. The once prosperous residence was now a ghostly ruin.

Once again arriving behind the artificial mountain, Han Xiaowei was stunned; the mountain had been completely blasted open, revealing a vast underground complex. However, now this underground structure had become an open-air ruin, buried under countless layers of mud and sand. Thanks to the light from fire magic, it was clear that many bodies lay dead here.

This was Cheng Liqiu’s life-saving refuge, but now it had turned into a disaster zone. Soon, prisoners were found inside, and the real Cheng Liqiu was discovered—miraculously, he was still alive, hanging onto a single breath.

When the soldiers from Anyang came and went, the survivors emerged one by one to surrender—what a barbaric act by Anyang.

The entire war, from beginning to end, lasted no more than forty minutes. Of the approximately ten thousand soldiers stationed in Baize Town, fewer than a hundred survived. As a result, these survivors were forced to swear an oath of blood—”I will not resist, I will obey, even if the soldiers of Anyang beat me, I will not fight back…” and similar vows.

After all this was done, Han Xiaowei saw the soldiers of Anyang directly summon seawater with magic, destroying all the salt fields, stockpiles, and everything else. The salt, accumulated over several years, was now returned to the sea.

That wasn’t all—everything burnable in Baize Town was set ablaze, including ledgers, grain, and so on. The only thing the soldiers of Anyang did not do was rob the civilians or commit acts of violence; they simply destroyed everything they could. War, after all, is about destruction.

An hour later, Han Xiaowei saw about five thousand soldiers from Anyang marching south, and wherever they passed, all salt fields, stockpiles, and production materials were destroyed without leaving a trace. As such, it would take at least two to three years for the Jin Kingdom to restore its previous production capacity.

And during these two to three years, they would have to “pray” that Anyang wouldn’t come to destroy them again. If they managed to rebuild and Anyang came over to “celebrate,” Jin would never be able to salt their goods again.

The ironclad ships raced south, with continuous shellfire. Additionally, twenty large four-engine planes stationed on the ironclad ships took off. These planes had only one mission: to deliver bombs to the state capitals near the coast—”You angered Anyang, and now your reward is the bombs.”

The twenty planes were flamboyant, making sure everyone could see them; even though they had stealth formations, they didn’t activate them. They wanted to make it clear to the people of Jin—”We are openly taking our revenge!”

At first, many in the Jin Kingdom capitals looked up, wondering what these things were. But what happened next was something that would stay in their memories forever.

The twenty large planes dropped over eight hundred bombs in one go, all of them aimed at the city lord’s mansion. After that came a massive explosion that shook the ground—without any preparation, the city lord’s mansion was blown into the air, with guards, officials, and others flying everywhere.

In reality, this was no longer a pure war, as there was no real military objective; put simply, it was revenge—”You dared attack me? Then I will retaliate!”

One city lord’s mansion… two city lord’s mansions… The twenty planes could strike one target in half an hour, dropping bombs and quickly returning to the ironclad ships to reload.

Occasionally, a few cultivators tried to intercept them, but the unprepared cultivators immediately tasted the firepower of the machine guns.

This rampage continued until that evening, with over forty city lord’s mansions, military towns, granaries, and so on, in eastern Jin being bombed, with losses that were impossible to calculate. Jin hadn’t even had time to react.

Meanwhile, progress along the coast was equally smooth. In one day, five ironclad ships and five thousand marines “cleaned” 500 kilometers of coastline, removing all key military towns and killing tens of thousands of Jin soldiers.

Jin’s coastline stretched about four thousand miles, or a little over two thousand kilometers. In one day, they had cleared 500 kilometers, and within five days, they could plow through the entire coastline of Jin Kingdom.

However, by evening, before the Jin Kingdom army arrived, the five ironclad ships had already retreated into the sea and headed north. It had been an exhilarating day, with the five ironclad ships consuming over 8,000 tons of ammunition in just one day.

Two planes also flew directly to the northern bank of Xian Daihe, reporting the situation to Yan Zhengqing.

…

Far out at sea, Princess Long quietly observed, having spent the entire day watching. Beside her stood Wei Zhe, the person directly responsible for Anyang’s dealings.

Princess Long Ao Qingxue was always so noble, beautiful, and a little aloof. “Wei Zhe, how do you view the potential of Anyang?”

Wei Zhe thought for a moment and slowly said, “For now, they have some potential. But ultimately, they have deviated from the path of cultivation, and I’m afraid they won’t last long on the road of cultivation.”

Princess Long Ao Qingxue smiled slightly, “Have you noticed that Anyang has a lot of experts? Especially those in the navy; nearly all of them are in the Foundation Establishment stage. What do you think that means?”

Wei Zhe was taken aback!

Princess Long’s figure slowly disappeared into the room, which was carved from coral and jade, leaving behind only one sentence: “Once this war is over, I will try to form an alliance with Anyang.”

The Dragon Palace of the East Sea of Yingzhou is going to ally with a small county of Anyang? Wei Zhe blinked—did I just, perhaps, maybe not hear that wrong?

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