binnovel Chapter 94 Allied Forces
Chapter 94 Allied Forces
On August 14th, the 14th day since Li Chenglong and his group entered the trial grounds, they set off early in the morning with a large regiment, seeing off the Jin sisters and Jin Hai. Their target was Qianzhou, the largest state in the Sanggu Kingdom, covering 500,000 square kilometers—one-ninth of the total 4.5 million square kilometers of the kingdom. Qianzhou was about 160 kilometers from Jinlanzhou, but due to the hottest time of year in the Sanggu Kingdom and the limited number of vehicles (except for about twenty supply wagons), their march was slow, covering only about 50 kilometers per day.
Zhao Rui said, "Captain Li, I don't think it's necessary to lead a whole regiment. With our strength, two people are enough." Li Chenglong smiled and said, "Not at all. I'm not leading a regiment to attack them, but to better take over their forces. Otherwise, with just two people, it'll be too much trouble to reorganize them. Once we arrive, we'll launch a blitzkrieg, directly attacking their core area and taking control of their leadership. If any of their subordinates are still dissatisfied, we'll deal with them one by one. People are selfish, and besides, they've been struggling in the apocalypse for over two years; they can't be unaware of reality. Moreover, I'll destroy their cities—the kind that can't be rebuilt in a short time. That way, they won't be able to withstand the next wave of zombies, and they'll have no choice but to form an alliance with us."
Zhao Rui laughed heartily, "That's not bad either. I think we need to be absolutely determined to attack the ruins as part of our alliance." Li Chenglong said seriously, "This time we need to fight hard. We need to show those hesitant or even hostile forces our strength, and make them understand that only by joining us can they find a way out, otherwise they'll end up like Qianzhou. The reason I chose to attack Qianzhou is because it's the largest in area, has the most people, and the strongest military. If we can easily take it down, the other states will all submit." Zhao Rui clenched his fist, "Captain Li, just you wait and see. I may not be good at anything else, but I'm a master at sabotage."
After three days of marching, Li Chenglong and his entourage finally arrived at the border of Qianzhou. However, it was still some distance from Qianzhou city. Upon entering Qianzhou territory, he did not act discreetly but instead ordered his men to walk openly, intending to alert the enemy and put them on guard. Meanwhile, reporters and several people carrying cameras began recording. This footage would be broadcast live via a broadcast van, and with the assistance of Jinlanzhou, Lanzhou, and Dezhou, the broadcast would reach virtually the entire country.
As expected, before they even entered Qianzhou territory, the guards at the Qianzhou outposts spotted them and quickly reported to their superiors. Qianzhou City Lord Zuo Zhenyue was initially shocked to hear that Jinlanzhou had actually attacked, but when he learned that the force was at most a regiment, he scoffed, "I didn't expect Jinlanzhou to actually dare to attack Qianzhou. Do those two little girls think they can be the masters of this country? Even I, the strongest city lord of Qianzhou, haven't claimed to be the ruler of the world. They've sent over 2000 men this time. Who among you will go and teach them a lesson?"
Qian Fuhai, commander of the First Army in Qianzhou City, said, "I'm willing to lead my First Army in a blitzkrieg under the cover of night. One army against one regiment, the battle should be over in twenty minutes." Zuo Zhenyue slammed his fist on the table, "Alright, then you go. Make sure they're beaten to a pulp, begging for mercy on their knees." Qian Fuhai accepted the order and left. He immediately returned to his camp under cover of night, mustered his more than ten thousand men, and marched in a grand procession towards Li Chenglong's location. However, they had barely left Qianzhou City when they were spotted by scouts sent out by Li Chenglong, who reported back to him. Li Chenglong told them not to panic and that the entire army could eat dinner as usual.
Half an hour later, Qian Fuhai's army arrived at Li Chenglong's encampment, only to find it deserted. He immediately contacted the reconnaissance units, but received no response. Just as he was hesitating about what to do, Zuo Zhenyue's angry voice came through the radio: "What are you doing? Their army is already at our east gate, and you're still loitering around. Forget it, come back first. The Second Army at the east gate has 15,000 men; wiping them out will be a piece of cake." Qian Fuhai said, "Why don't I lead the First Army to attack them from the rear? That way, coordinating with the Second Army, we can end the battle more quickly." Zuo Zhenyue nonchalantly replied, "No need. Using two armies to fight a mere regiment? People will laugh their heads off. Just come back now." With that, Zuo Zhenyue cut off the communication. Qian Fuhai's adjutant said, "This guy is stubborn and will suffer a great loss sooner or later. Jin Lanzhou dared to attack us with just a regiment; there must be something fishy going on. Commander, do you think that video they sent a few days ago might be real?"
Qian Fuhai frowned but remained silent, only saying, "We'll camp here for today and return after midnight. Anyone who dares to move troops without authorization will be punished according to military law." Meanwhile, Li Chenglong had already led his troops to the East Gate. He led the way, eliminating any enemy reconnaissance he encountered. Therefore, they were only discovered by the Qianzhou city garrison two kilometers from the East Gate. Li Chenglong ordered his troops to rest on the spot, while he and Zhao Rui focused on capturing the city first. The accompanying soldiers were also very excited, as some of them had never seen Li Chenglong in battle before, only heard about it from others, and today they were finally getting a real treat.
Li Chenglong and Zhao Rui slowly walked towards the east gate, ignoring the shouts of the soldiers on the city wall. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop them, the soldiers opened fire, but the bullets ricocheted off the two men without leaving a mark. The soldiers were shocked: "Are they human or ghosts? Guns don't work, but cannons will!" They then pulled out several 125mm cannons and fired at the two. Before the shells reached them, Zhao Rui shouted, and the impact of his supernatural power altered the trajectory of the shells, causing them to land elsewhere. Seeing this, many soldiers were terrified and dropped their weapons, fleeing. Despite the officers firing warning shots and even killing one fleeing soldier, many more chose to escape.
The two drew closer, and Zhao Rui asked, "Captain Li, this city gate looks pretty sturdy. Should I smash it open with one punch?" Li Chenglong laughed and said, "We can have a contest. No matter how thick the city gate is, it's not as sturdy as the city wall. I'll break the wall, you break the gate. Let's see who's faster. If you win, I'll approve your marriage application." Zhao Rui was overjoyed and said, "Really? You're the lord of this city; you can't go back on your word." Li Chenglong had already drawn his Dragon Emperor Sword: "A promise is a promise." As Dawn City gradually got back on track, the Civil Affairs Bureau was established, and all eligible young people could register for marriage. After registration, their identity cards would show brief marriage information. Before going to Lei Bao's place, Zhao Rui had met a girl, whom Li Chenglong had also met. She was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a pretty face, and worked in the same department as Yun Qian. Both of them met the age requirements, and Zhao Rui didn't abandon the girl just because his rank had increased or he had been promoted. On the contrary, their relationship grew even stronger. Li Chenglong naturally wholeheartedly agreed to this.
As they spoke, the two began to run, slowly approaching Qianzhou City. Zhao Rui's body gradually grew larger, transforming into a giant over three meters tall, his entire body glowing red. However, his clothes did not become damaged due to his increased size. High-level power-type awakened individuals could obtain a set of clothes woven from the silk spun by mutated silkworms from Shen Menghua. These clothes would absorb a portion of the ability user's power, changing with the user's body shape, and also had advantages such as being warm in winter and cool in summer, breathable, and stain-resistant. On Li Chenglong's side, the blade of the Dragon Emperor Sword gradually emitted a dazzling golden light, and then he swung the sword: "Heaven-Splitting Dragon and Phoenix Slash!" A golden dragon roared out, accompanied by a fire phoenix, directly charging towards the thick city wall. Zhao Rui was not to be outdone, his fists enveloped in red power, continuously pounding the city gate. After five punches, the city gate collapsed with a crash, killing many enemies blocking the gate from behind.
Then, one was a giant radiating red light, and the other a youth exuding golden light, resembling a sword immortal. They strode towards the city center, followed closely by the regiment behind them, heading straight for Zuo Zhenyue's city lord's mansion. Several enemy officers and soldiers tried to intercept them, but were easily defeated. Reporters and cameramen were also very excited, broadcasting the entire event live. Many hostile and neutral forces watching the broadcast hurriedly contacted Jin Lanzhou, hoping to reconcile and form an alliance. The Jin sisters stated that they would have to wait for Li Chenglong's return before making a decision.