As we cleared the battlefield, we met other knights who were doing the same. Since everyone was an ally, there were few conflicts over the spoils. Plus, most of the players that were killed were all second rate, so most of their equipment was fairly common. There was no point in getting into an argument over some trash equipment. Of course, there were still a few disagreements, but they were all resolved by Ye Lai, Wan Er and the others.
I received several messages all at once. Simple, Mu Xuan, and Tang Qi were all coming to me with news from the War God River. Our battle situation had completely rocked the entire Chinese Server. Once they found out that there was a battle for them to fight, [Vanguard], [Appearance Alliance], and [Heroâs Mound] all began to gather their armies. Not long from now, these plains would undergo another battle, one on a completely higher scale!
â¦â¦
I gripped my Dragon Reservoir Sword as I wandered around the battlefield. I continued to organize teams and formations, preparing us for battle. Li Mu, Wang Jian, and the others all lead their own thousand man troops. In terms of military rankings, all of them were at least considered Majors, while I lead nine thousand Steel Blade Horsemen on my own, similar to a Colonel. That wasnât a bad title at all.
Right then, I couldnât help but think of the twenty thousand men in the Royal Army. If they were here, maybe they would be able to help us teach those Japanese players a lesson. But thinking about it carefully, I decided against it. Even though their training had been effective, it still wasnât enough to pit them against top level players. Especially when facing against a cavalry. Situations such as those would easily turn against our favor. Once an NPC dies, they canât revive. I didnât want them to die so easily, so soon. We should keep them on reserve for future battles and wait until each of the soldiers have the same level of strength as a Hybrid Demon. At that point, the twenty thousand soldiers would truly be considered a strong army.
âHowâs the news from over there?â Misty Cloud asked as he walked over.
Ye Lai shook his head, âAs before, theyâre all hiding behind the border. Should we charge after them?â
I smiled, âNah, weâll wait for them here. We should nurture our strength while tiring out the army. Just have everyone remain cautious and keep their attention focused on the south. If the Japanese come, then theyâll most likely appear from that forest.â
âGot it!â
Each of the guildmasters sent out orders to their respective guilds. And so [Zhan Long], [Judgement], [Prague], [Enemies at the Gate], and [Blood Contract] all constructed their defense lines. The front lines were made up of a large number of knights, all carrying heavy shields, while the further rows were made up of archers, musketeers, mages and other classes. All of the assassins spread out in the forest, preparing their ambush. Qing Qian, Wolf, and Wei Liang all had the [Unrivaled Spirit] skill, so they had nothing to fear, and were able to fight on the frontlines. Now that they had experienced one battle with the skill, they were much more familiar with the skills techniques and were almost on par with the knights.
â¦â¦
The thick scent of blood still lingered in the air. Quite a few of us were standing on the corpses of our enemies. No one knew when they would revive, so we had to remain alert. Thankfully, we had retreated north a couple hundred meters, so most of the bodies were in front of us. Even if they came to life, we wouldnât have to worry. Besides, we had the armies of five great guilds behind us, making our manpower fifteen thousand elite soldiers. Of them, there were the Frost Battle Ram Cavalry, the Steel Blade Horsemen, the Dragon Knights, and the Dragon Sword Cavalry making up thirty thousand of the troops. These high level knights were like a holy shield, enough to hold the enemy back for a long time.
âSha shaâ¦â
Qing Qian soundlessly arrived before my horse and leaned against it. Her sharp ears twitched as she looked to the distance, âIt looks like theyâve already arrivedâ¦â
Ye Lai nodded, âAgreed, they arenât very far from us!â
I looked at the map. I could feel a strange pressure on my heart as I saw the enormous mob of red dots on the border. Those red dots were all players from the Japanese Server. Soon, they were only eight hundred yards away from us. The countless Japanese players charged through the forest and the sound of hooves thundered on the plains. Our enemies were all between the levels of 125-135. Just in terms of level, they had already surpassed the hundred thousand second rate players who lay dead before us.
On top of that, most of the players had a familiar insignia on their shoulder!
Wan Er stood beside me and looked to the distance. She pursed her lips, as though feeling some nervousness. She still smiled and said, âThe number one, two, three, fourth and fifth guilds of the Japanese Players have all appeared. All of the top players have come out of the hiveâ¦â
Yan Zhao Warrior raised his sword, his eyes dark, âI think it's better to say⦠the top twenty guilds of the Japanese server, except the seventeenth have all appeared. These two million people could most definitely be considered their most elite forces!â
Han Bei Song wryly smiled, âUncle, you wouldnât be feeling fear now, right?â
Yan Zhao Warrior scoffed back, âWhat are you joking about? If an immature kid like you isnât scared, why would I be? Iâve roamed these games for many years, and seen many situations far more dangerous than this one. [Prague]âs seventeen year long reputation and prestige is not just hot air.â
I nodded, âOf course we know that. Letâs prepare for battle now. Theyâll try and make the first attack, perhaps theyâll even try to surround us!â
Yan Zhaoâs eyes lit up, âSun Tzu once said, ten times the enemyâs size, surround. Five times the enemyâs size, attack. This is a principle that even the Japanese must understand. Of them, there must be quite a few who have read the Art of War. Thereâs no need for us to worry, they will definitely try and use their advantage in numbers to try and surround us.â
Qing Qian was stunned and looked over at me, âBrother Xiao Yao, then what should we do?â
I smiled, âThe sentence after that, is âIf the enemy is twice as great, divide and conquer. If the enemy is on par, fight. If you are outnumbered, escape. If you are weaker, avoid.â Based on our current numbers, weâre under two million. Logically speaking, we should leave some people behind to take the rear while we retreat into the Victory Passage towards Fan Shu City. But thereâs no need. Five million of Tian Ling Cityâs armies will arrive within two hours. During that time, weâll use our hundred and fifty thousand men to keep them here. This time, the Japanese must pay for trying to kill our people!â
Yan Zhao Warrior gave me a stunned look. His gaze carried a tint of awe as he said, âI never would have imagined that Xiao Yao had also studied military strategy. Haha, that is truly a rare trait among youngsters.â
I replied, âThose are only theories written on paper. Fighting in games requires the skill and equipment of our brothers in arms~â
Yan Zhao smiled, âIf we sacrifice ourselves to become a wedge that will stop the advance of these two million people and drag out this fight, then in two hours, when [Legend], [Heroâs Mound] and [Vanguard] arrive, theyâll basically get to reap all of the benefits. Xiao Yao, this means that our sacrifice will be for Fang Ge Que, Q-Sword and Jian Feng Han. Are you really willing to do that?â
I looked over at the wilderness in the south, and the horizon beyond it. There must be some kind of city over there that belongs to either Flame Cloud City or Port City. I then thought of the words that Lin Tian Nan had said to me. As a young man, living in this chaotic world, why not lead a life of achievement and unify the world? Once I thought of that, I smiled and said, âMy goal is for the prosperity of our country, and not the reputation of victory in a single battle.â
Yan Zhao took a deep breath ands aid, âLooks like choosing to ally myself with [Zhan Long] was the right decision. Mu Rong Junâs words ring true, Li Xiao Yao is a godly general, one who will not bow before another man. Speaking of which, if Jian Feng Han hadnât taken your Tian Ze Sword in the first place, would you have joined [Vanguard] and fought for Jian Feng Han and Mu Rong Jun?â
I was caught off guard by the question. I thought about if for a moment and smiled, âIn the beginning, you, [Wrath of Heroes] and the [General Family] were all after me. Only Qing Qian and Wei Liang were willing to help. If I were truly at the end of the road, maybe I would join them? Who knowsâ¦â
Yan Zhao asked, âOnly maybe?â
I nodded, âYes.â
As I said that, I looked over at the girl in front of my battle horse. Qing Qian was smiling at me and said, âFrom the first time we met, I knew that Brother Xiao Yao was a good man, a reliable one. Thatâs why Iâve always treated you like a brother. Afterwards, when you fought so fiercely with Unce for me, thatâs when I made the final decision to join [Zhan Long]⦠Cang Tong, please donât be jealous. I really only think of Brother Xiao Yao as a brother, Iâve never thought otherwiseâ¦â
Wan Er smiled knowingly, âMelon, donât think of me as so petty⦠Look at Dong Cheng, sheâs always joking about stealing my boyfriend. And yet, weâre still inseparable. I understand.â
Yan Zhao stroked his horseâs mane and said, âIf I was twenty years younger, who knows if there was a pretty girl who would be willing to fight so hard for me. Sigh, now that Iâm old, I canât help but accept my ageâ¦â
Li Mu patted his shoulder and said, âAlright already, donât grumble so much. Even though youâre old now, youâve still got a very manly look. I believe that there are quite a few beautiful young wives looking to jump in your arms. Besides, youâre rich, what are you envious of? Oh thatâs right, Yan Zhao Warrior, do you have any lovers outside of the game?â
Yan Zhaoâs face practically turned green, âCan we not talk about this, Iâm begging you guys!â
Li Mu laughed, âUnderstood!â
Right then, the beautiful vice guildmaster of [Prague], Six Ya walked over and said, âStop teasing our honest guildmaster, if you have the energy, go and organize your formations. Theyâre almost here. Look, even those bastards who tried to steal the Zhen Yue Blade have appearedâ¦â
â¦â¦n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Just as she had said, right at the front of the Japanese serverâs armies was the guildmaster of the number one guild, a level 136 Swordsman ââFrost Forest. He steered his dragon in the sky and coldly looked down at us. He then shouted, âYou Chinese, did you think that you were something impressive after killing some second rate guilds? The real war has yet to begin. Just you wait and see the real might of Port City!â
Six Ya raised her sword and walked forward with a smile, âJapâ¦â
â¦â¦
Instantly, Frost Forestâs face turned green. He raised his sword and shouted, âWarriors of Port City, Charge! Kill our enemies!â