Chapter 311: Massive Outburst of Military Power
The sudden outburst of cannon fire made Xiao Liming frown. The distance Beichen Yuqing chose for the bombardment was quite awkward—currently about seven li (roughly 3.5 kilometers). This range was within the effective coverage of Anyang’s artillery, yet it was beyond the firing range of Xiao Liming’s own cannons.
“How hateful and infuriating!” Xiao Liming slammed his palm down in frustration. The firearms and other military goods Li Xian sold externally were all reduced versions—severely downgraded, in fact. For instance, the cannons sold by Anyang had a firing range of only two to three li, at most three to four; but the ones Anyang used themselves had several times that range.
“I’ve heard the cannons mounted on the ironclad warships can reach nearly 20 li!” Xiao Liming stared ahead at the rising clouds of smoke, his brows tightly furrowed.
But compared to an army of 200,000, the number of cannons was ultimately too few. Moreover, because there were ways to defend against them, Xiao Liming’s massive force hadn’t suffered major losses. After losing about three to four thousand men, the vanguard of the army finally charged to within about two li of Anyang’s defensive line.
Spells descended to begin constructing a defensive system, and Xiao Liming’s side began deploying their cannons.
But at that very moment, atop the walls of Anyang, more than a hundred machine guns suddenly appeared. These frenzied weapons were just within range of Xiao Liming’s army’s defenses. The insane firepower tore through everything—defenses, soldiers—everything was shredded into pieces. The horrific sight made the soldiers in the rear hesitate to move forward.
“Now is the time!” Beichen Yuqing gave the order again. “Aircraft, take off! Open the way with machine gun fire and initiate a concentrated carpet bombing!”
Amid the roaring sound of gunfire, five hundred planes that had been long prepared surged forth, darkening the sky. The instant the five hundred planes launched, Xiao Liming gasped.
But Xiao Liming was not unprepared. Over a hundred Golden Core stage cultivators suddenly flew into the sky.
Five hundred planes meant five hundred killing machines. With machine guns and bombs working together, the destruction was terrifying. But planes were also fragile!
The over one hundred Golden Core cultivators on Xiao Liming’s side were enough to easily bring down all five hundred planes.
But how could Anyang not have prepared for this?
The moment they saw over a hundred Golden Core stage cultivators rise on Xiao Liming’s side, five hundred figures instantly appeared from the planes—five hundred Golden Core stage cultivators, fully armed and equipped. As if afraid others wouldn’t notice, these cultivators from Anyang glowed with radiant magical light, their bodies covered in gleaming magical treasures.
“A trap!” Xiao Liming’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Flying swords were launched, but Xiao Liming’s hundred Jindan cultivators only managed a few screams before being cut down and cast to the ground. The difference between having magical treasures and not having them wasn’t obvious at the Qi Refining stage—but from the Golden Core stage onwards, the gap was glaring. The clash between treasures and ordinary magical tools was like that between steel blades and wooden knives.
Watching the two hundred dismembered bodies fall like withered wood, Xiao Liming froze momentarily. Those were over a hundred Golden Core cultivators! Golden Core cultivators! One of the most critical forces at Xiao Liming’s disposal!
This delay gave the five hundred planes free rein to unleash their slaughter. Without the threat of Golden Core stage cultivators, the planes became pure killing machines. Industry had “standardized” the art of war. Machine gun fire, bombings—Xiao Liming’s defensive countermeasures were rendered completely useless.
“Retreat!” Xiao Liming finally made the decision. After another round of fierce confrontation, he managed to retreat. But after regrouping and counting heads, Xiao Liming sucked in a sharp breath—just in that brief encounter, his 200,000-strong army had been reduced to 180,000.
More than 20,000 troops lost in just over an hour of combat!
Even though Xiao Liming already understood that new weaponry had brought changes to warfare, experiencing it firsthand still shook him. More than 20,000 men in just over an hour—if the battle lasted a full day, would the entire 200,000-strong army be wiped out?
The army slowly retreated. Having gone through such a brutal first battle, they were understandably shaken. The drastic shift in warfare had even the battle-hardened veterans under Xiao Liming’s command at a loss.
At the Anyang frontier, Beichen Yuqing had not moved a single step from beginning to end. He just silently watched as Xiao Liming’s army approached—and just as silently watched as they retreated.
“Commander.” The personal guard beside Beichen Yuqing cautiously reminded him—it was time to pursue.
Beichen Yuqing did not pursue. He merely watched quietly as Xiao Liming’s forces withdrew. After a long while, he slowly turned to look northward. The war in the north was about to erupt too, wasn’t it? Then he glanced again at the eager soldiers and sighed slightly: “These troubled times… No need to worry about lacking merit. Just wait. More intense battles are coming—one after another.”
There was a heaviness to Beichen Yuqing’s tone. The chaotic situation was growing worse by the day. The Jin Kingdom had been dragged into the war by Nanyang County. The Cai State had already entered the fray. Now Anyang was about to form a blood pact alliance with the Dragon Palace, becoming entangled in their grudge.
Could this tiny Anyang truly secure a prosperous future amid the Dragon Palace’s vendetta?
Beichen Yuqing took one more look around, then once again surveyed the war-torn battlefield. Suddenly, he let out a sigh, “Bury the bodies. Let them rest in peace. Dying on the battlefield—tragic or glorious?”
…………
In Anyang, the “Adventurers and Mercenaries Guild” was buzzing with activity. In just a few days, the number of registered adventurers had already reached 100,000, and more than 800 mercenary groups of various sizes had emerged. Among them were large groups with massive numbers and some with formidable strength.
But today, the Adventurers and Mercenaries Guild released new tasks and announcements.
The first was an announcement: the portable “Lingtong Mirror” was now officially for sale—but with conditions.
First, only residents of Anyang were eligible.
Second, you had to be the head of a mercenary group, caravan leader, or similar.
Third, each person could only purchase once in their lifetime; upgrades required trade-in of the old device.
Fourth, any distress signals sent via the Lingtong Mirror would automatically be transmitted to all other mirrors within a hundred li. All purchasers must swear an oath: if they receive a distress signal, they must do everything in their power to respond.
Finally, a note: the Lingtong Mirror is the only item the Guild currently allows to be purchased with either points or pure gold.
“Only those four rules? Too easy! I’ll take one!” declared a newly established mercenary group leader who had formed his group just three minutes prior, standing at the front of the counter.
The charming receptionist smiled sweetly: “The Lingtong Mirror comes in three levels—communication range of 10 kilometers, 50 kilometers, and 100 kilometers. Which would you prefer?”
“Of course, the 100-kilometer one,” the newly appointed regiment commander shouted.
“Thank you for your patronage. Please make a vow first.”
“That’s no problem. I’ll make the vow right now.” The newly appointed commander pointed to the sky and swore.
The attendant immediately smiled and took out a wooden box about a foot in size. “Hello, the specific usage instructions are inside the box. Also, the Lingtong Mirror with a 100-kilometer communication range is a low-grade magical treasure worth one million taels of gold. Thank you for your patronage.”
“What?!” The new commander was stunned. A million? In gold? He wiped his cold sweat and whispered, “Then… what about the 10-kilometer one?”
The attendant still smiled warmly. “The 10-kilometer one is a regular magical instrument, valued at ten thousand taels of gold. Installment payment is available, with a minimum monthly payment of 10 taels of gold and an annual interest rate of 5%. Just a 10-tael down payment is required.”
“Then… then… I’ll take this one. A 10-kilometer communication range is good enough.”
After this commander left, someone else in line immediately grew impatient. “How much for the 50-kilometer communication version?”
“Hello, that would be 500,000 taels of gold.”
“Can it be bought on installment?”
The attendant still smiled. “Yes, but only for merchants currently registered in Anyang and possessing assets appraised at over one million taels of gold.”
The person frowned. “What if I’m not one of them?”
The attendant suddenly stopped smiling, face turning serious. “Then you must pay the full amount at once. No credit. The low-grade Lingtong Mirrors are a benefit for general adventurers and mercenary groups, but the medium- and high-grade ones must be strictly regulated.”
The person didn’t give up. “But a ten-li communication range is completely insufficient. A hundred-li range is just barely usable.”
The attendant sneered. “There was no communication in the past — did people not survive? Fellow cultivator, please remember you’re in Anyang. I remind you to observe the law. So far, not a single violator of Anyang’s laws has escaped punishment.”
The man frowned and finally made a decision. “Then I’ll pay in full. I want a high-grade Lingtong Mirror.”
The attendant immediately smiled again, beautifully. “Please make a vow, provide your name and identity information, and vow that the information is complete and accurate. If confidentiality is needed, we can go to a private room to make the vow. Anyang guarantees absolute confidentiality.”
“I have to provide my identity information too?” The person frowned again.
“Yes, we can’t possibly sell such a treasure to the enemy, can we?”
The man frowned again, then snorted coldly and turned to leave. But the attendant moved both hands over the table, quickly recording the person’s figure and details, and then sent the data to the information database for storage. Anyone qualified to be an attendant here was part of Anyang’s true core personnel and had to be proficient in operating the newly standardized computer systems.
This small incident did not affect the Adventurers and Mercenaries Association. Events like this happened nearly every day, merely giving surrounding adventurers — and even some bystanding Anyang locals — a good laugh.
While people were still lining up, another commotion came from the back. “A new mission has appeared! A new mission issued by the Anyang government! Come and look!”
Everyone turned their heads and saw that new text had appeared on the wall (display screen):
First: Permanent mission — Expose spies within Anyang, with generous rewards.
Second: Temporary regular mission — Decapitate enemies, specifically soldiers of the State of Cai who have invaded Anyang territory. The reward is also generous.
However, some people ignored the official information and instead focused on a nearby task board — where private missions were posted. Compared to the official missions, these private ones were a mixed bag, with all kinds of bizarre rewards. In just a few days, Anyang had already embraced the existence of the “Adventurers and Mercenaries Association.”
A mercenary commander stood in front of the private missions, browsing through the tasks:
Find a missing pet dog with demi-beast bloodline. Reward: 10 taels of gold. One-star mission. Specific details as follows…
Seeking a fire-element demon core, at the Golden Core cultivation level. Reward: 360,000 taels of gold. Three-star mission. Specific details as follows…
“Seeking a fire-element demon core, this mission looks great—wait, what the hell! So fast?!”
In that instant, the mission changed color, and the word “Completed” appeared.