HPDBC Chapter 2372 - 2371: Battle Blood Boiling
Chapter 2372 - 2371: Battle Blood Boiling
On top of the city wall, a commanding general passed by with his guards on inspection.
Soldiers on both sides scrambled to their feet and saluted him in respect.
The general pressed his hand down, signaling them to continue resting.
He entered the great hall on a gate tower, where quite a few people in officers’ uniforms were currently pushing pieces around on a sand table, simulating the battlefield.
Long Fei had brought technology to this world, but because of the constraints of production relations, the underlying theory had not advanced much, so the level of technology had not made any qualitative leap.
Only some specific technologies had emerged and gone to the forefront.
For example, electricity and the appearance of a military industry sector, which drove the rise of a series of factories.
All it amounted to was being able to produce more guns and cannons than before, to smelt a bit more steel, to build a few more machines.
As for the development of electronic tech, they couldn’t even compare to the neighboring Earth.
This sand table was still an honest pile-of-dirt structure.
It was stuck full of little white flags and black pieces; the white flags represented Great Xia Country, and the black pieces represented the Demon Race.
As the general came in, a man holding a feather fan immediately asked, "General Wang, is there any news from Jade Island?"
The newcomer took off his military cap and shook his head with a look of dejection. "No."
He was precisely Wang Xun, the general of the Army at the Rear, currently in overall command of the latest mechanized forces in the army.
The entire Southern Capital City Mech Armored Troops, fire-control systems, Ironclad War Chariots, Artillery Corps—all were under his command.
He had just gone out on a circuit, and while at it, had stopped by the intelligence department; he hadn’t found any information related to Jade Island.
The man holding the feather fan was none other than Military Advisor Fang Qian.
He now served as an operations staff officer, and as before, when facing a formidable enemy, he still seemed a bit lacking in steadiness.
The Vanguard Army’s general Ji Xiaolian, the veteran General Lei Shicheng, the Navy’s commander Lei Baiyuan; Guo Cunyi, who was responsible for civil administration and had once served as prime minister of Great Xia Country; and Liuu Jiangnan, in charge of logistics supply and currently responsible for distributing grain for the entire city—all were present.
The Demon Army had encircled the city; every other region had fallen.
The South Yangtze Spring region’s population of over a billion meant that the mere problem of daily meals was giving Guo Cunyi and Liuu Jiangnan a massive headache.
Fortunately, they had stockpiled some supplies in advance, but to have held out until now, almost nothing remained.
Ji Xiaolian stayed silent for a long while before suddenly speaking. "With Jade Island unreachable, we have lost a powerful ally. When the Demon Soldiers attack tomorrow, we’ll have no choice but to meet them head‑on."
Wang Xun said, "Meeting them head‑on is no problem. What I worry about is the Demon Lord descending. Our city’s Defense System can at best deal with a Demon King; against the Demon Lord, it’s completely useless."
Liuu Jiangnan said, "It’s already certain the Demon Lord has emerged. The Southern Ridge Demons were wiped out, all enslaved by the Demon Race—rumor has it it was the Demon Lord who personally handled it."
The old general Lei Shicheng stubbed out the cigarette butt in his hand and said, "Then doesn’t that mean this time our chances are slim to none?"
Ji Xiaolian sat down, face full of exhaustion. "Such is Heaven’s will. For us to have held on to this point is no easy feat. If Southern Capital City is breached, then from here on out the Human Race will be entirely under Demon Race rule."
"Looks like the Flame Emperor Palace foresaw this outcome long ago, which is why they went to such lengths to plunder and hoard resources, to build the Human Race’s final resistance base in the Kunlun Mountains. If we had known back then it would come to this, we wouldn’t have needed to struggle so many years—wouldn’t it have been better to just find a place to turtle up from the start?"
Someone suddenly spoke up in a defeated tone.
He was Ji Wanrong’s father, the Crown Prince of that year, Ji Mingli.
His words resonated with many in the hall, drawing sighs all around.
Wang Xun looked at him and said, "Old Emperor, we’ve run into a bit of a setback, that’s all—but at least we tried. Even if in the end we’re utterly defeated, we’ve at least fought to win the Human Race a bit of qi luck, a bit of the flame of resistance. As long as this spark still survives, even if Southern Capital City falls tomorrow, our Human Race can still hold on, and one day we will win."
The atmosphere in the hall froze for a moment, then at once regained a bit of vitality. "Right, as long as the flame of resistance does not go out, the Human Race will not perish!"
"Yes, we will not be defeated; victory will ultimately be ours."
"..."
One after another, the generals stood, faces flushed, fists clenched tight.
Ji Mingli looked at them, shook his head with a sigh, then left, hands clasped behind his back, walking with a hunched gait.
Wang Xun and Ji Xiaolian and the others exchanged a look, then each drew the Longsword at his waist and shouted in a low voice, "If the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we die!"
The next day, before dawn, the sound of war drums outside the city began to boom.
On the city wall, soldiers who had been sleeping jerked with a shiver and hurriedly leapt to their feet.
The roll of war drums shook the air, soon pounding all along the walls.
One by one, the soldiers hugged their laser guns, rose to form up in ranks, and fixed their eyes on the world outside the city.
In the morning mist, the surroundings of the wall seemed wrapped in a black tide, which within moments had surged out to tens of thousands of meters away.
One black figure after another, along with gigantic Demonic Beasts, appeared in sheets before everyone’s eyes.
The killing aura coming off their bodies scattered the mist entirely.
The drums thundered on; the army kept massing without pause.
They packed the area around Southern Capital City so tight that not even a falcon could fly out.
The Demon Soldier host was vast beyond measure, numbering at least in the tens of millions.
The soldiers on the wall, seeing this scene, felt their hearts pounding wildly in their chests.
A soldier who had only joined the army not long ago whispered softly to the comrade beside him, "Monkey, if I die, take the private savings I’ve stashed away and bring them back to my wife. It’s not easy for her to raise the child alone; this bit of money can at least let the two of them live a little better."
Monkey was a bit skinny, but his face was resolute. He looked at him sternly and said, "Zhang Fang, show the battle‑blood of us Military Strategists’ descendants. Don’t overthink it. Once Southern Capital City falls, none of the civilians inside will live either. Today it’s either the Demon Race dies, or we die. There’s no way back."
Among the Eight Sects of Military Strategists, most of the youths went into the army.
Zhang Fang and Monkey were both Military Strategist scions, and had originally studied at Southern Capital Academy.
They had both been in civil tracks, but once they enlisted, they were all thrown straight to the front line.
Zhang Fang, a bit fragile by nature, actually began to sob. "My son is only one month old; he’s never even seen my face! Tell me, how unlucky is he, to be born at a time like this?"
Monkey’s expression shifted slightly; he patted Zhang Fang’s shoulder. "Look at it this way: as long as our Human Race refuses to yield, there’ll come a day we win. When later generations mention us, they’ll definitely give us a thumbs‑up. If your son is lucky enough to survive, he and his descendants will certainly be proud of you."
"You’re right. Life is like a shooting star. For us to give off even a bit of light at a time like this—this life will be without regret."
Zhang Fang wiped away his tears, and his grip on the steel gun in his hand unconsciously tightened.
Logistics soldiers hauled up crate after crate of ammunition for them.
A commanding officer raised his sword and shouted from the rear, passing the order along: "You little bastards, all of you snap to attention for me! The Demon Soldiers may be many, but they’re all useless second‑gen mongrel blood. When the fighting starts, don’t you dare try to save ammo—empty every last round behind you for me. Today’s battle is about life and death. Either we die, or the Demon Race is annihilated. Whoever dares take one step back—don’t blame me for turning my face and not recognizing him. You all hear me?"
"We hear you!"
"We hear you!"
"We hear you!"
"..."
On the city wall, the roar was like thunder.
Battle‑blood boiled, surging up to the heavens.