Sikong Yufu was well aware that to Si Zhongqi, she was merely an energy source, providing him with life energy, nothing more. But—
"General Qinghe is dead. What can I do? I have no reason to betray my father. He is the current president of the Federation."
Ouyang Haoze chuckled. "Who told you that Luo Qinghe is dead? Can I take that to mean you want to pledge allegiance to her?"
If so, then I will grant your wish.
Sikong Yufu released her grip in disbelief and instead grabbed his shoulders: "What did you say?"
*
News from Si Zhongqi's side had been slow to arrive. Chaoge stroked his chin and pondered for a while before decisively ordering all members of the Yin Yang Group to board the combat airship and head towards the direction closest to the P4 Nebula in the desolate area, while also dealing with the small group of interstellar pirates sent by the Federation to eliminate their inconvenience.
After the airship departed from the port, Chaoge discovered that the iconic ship of the boss of Nevernight Sky had also taken off.
A short while later, the leader of Nevernight requested a video connection with the other side. Chaoge looked at the woman, who was dressed as always in classic European-style clothing, with half of her face visible behind a gold-leaf fan, and greeted her with a smile.
"May I ask what brings the Lord of the City of Never Sleeps here?"
The woman chuckled lightly, her eyes slightly upturned. "Of course, I'll do whatever you say. With the future head of the Yan family, one of the three great families of the empire, graced us with his presence, how could the City of Never Sleeps not cooperate?"
Chaoge simply smiled and did not respond to her words.
Even with Yao Chen's exchange system on Chaoge's side, the firepower of Yin Yang Collection was only a third of that of Nevernight. Guessing that the other side was currently in Qing He's camp, an ally, Chaoge didn't concern itself with it. As it turned out, Nevernight was also quite adept at resisting the Federation army.
As for Blue Cross, they have always avoided matters related to the military, especially now that they are facing a contest between two superpowers in the galaxy, they would stay as far away as possible.
After witnessing the performances of Nevernight and Yin-Yang Gathering, the leader of Blue Cross spat and threw his cup to the ground.
"Hmph, when did our pirate kingdom fall to this level? It's actually been completely controlled by two powerful forces."
The people around him remained silent, letting him sulk alone.
*
Half an hour later.
Sitting in the airship's command center, Chaoge witnessed the complete annihilation of a small contingent of Federation troops sent to the desolate region.
If there is still no news from Qinghe in another half hour, she will have to consider having the airship land there.
Looking towards the screen in the far corner, which was broadcasting the engagement ceremony live from within the Empire, Chaoge instinctively sat up straight when she saw the woman's face flash across the screen.
"Wait, Yaochen. Where did Qin Muge go?"
The black-haired boy beside her, who was responsible for giving instructions to the members and controlling the airship, looked up in confusion at the woman on the screen who had changed into a formal dress and appeared in front of the camera. He asked, somewhat puzzled, "Isn't she still attending the engagement ceremony?"
Chaoge stood up with a somewhat uneasy expression, staring at the screen for a while. Although the camera shifted to show the current heads of the three major families several times, it mostly focused on 'Qin Muge'.
She quickly considered the current situation in her mind, then shook her head and told Yaochen, "No, I guess she found Kaiyang to replace her again."
But where will Qin Muge go? Moreover, from Su Yaoguang's words earlier, Chaoge has already realized that the shrewd woman may have known all along that he was going to slip away.
The images of her repeated warnings almost flashed before her eyes. Chaoge closed her eyes and took a deep breath for a while—calm down, let's deal with the immediate problem first.
Just as she was deciding whether to land, the scene from Si Zhongqi's side came through again.
Of course, after seeing the image, Chaoge understood that it made no difference whether the signal was restored or not, because it was impossible to see anything clearly.
"Should we go over there?" Yao Chen asked her.
Chaoge considered the strength of his side and shook his head: "No, Qinghe's strength is still far behind. Qinghe is already struggling to deal with him and the Snake Mother. If I go, I won't be able to help at all. It's better to stay on the perimeter."
"Even among ten-star combat power, there are differences. Have I not told you that?" the black-haired boy asked her, blinking his grape-like eyes.
Chaoge shook her head, somewhat bewildered, a bad feeling creeping into her mind.
"You mean Qinghe might lose? The only one whose fighting strength is unclear is Ouyang Haoze, but he would never set foot on the battlefield..." Chaoge stared at the screen, her brows furrowed, then suddenly looked down at Yaochen:
"You don't mean you want me to do it, do you?" Yao Chen stared at her incredulously, his eyes wide.
Wait, is she making it that obvious?
"Well, you see, Kaiyang, as the commander of the Sixth Legion, certainly needs to possess a certain level of combat capability, so I think—"
"Who told you that Min Kaiyang has the ability to fight directly with people? He participates in the war by controlling the Legion's drone mech combat group, okay?" Yao Chen rolled his eyes at Chao Ge, interrupting her.
Oh, you guys are so amazing.
Chaoge pursed her lips, racking her brain for a long time but unable to find a single person on the list to support Qinghe.
Just then, Yao Chen suddenly asked, "Have you ever wondered why the signal that was disrupted by the Snake Mother suddenly returned to normal?"
Chaoge shook her head, completely bewildered. She had thought that Qinghe had prevented Si Zhongqi from interfering with the Empire's transmission signals, but after thinking about it, she realized that was unlikely.
As I stared at the screen trying to get a closer look, a striking white figure suddenly appeared amidst the swirling sand.
"Wait! No way?" Chaoge thought of a terrible possibility and exclaimed in surprise, staring at the screen without blinking, afraid that she had just hallucinated.
Before she could even see the screen clearly, news of legion movements from the Empire kept pouring in—
"Warships from the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Legions are being moved to the front lines." On the energy detection map at the bottom right, several green dots are rapidly approaching this direction.
"I knew it..." Chaoge couldn't tell whether she should breathe a sigh of relief or be angry. Qin Muge's previous arrangements were indeed to deal with Si Zhongqi's actions today.
*
On a planet close to the Empire's front lines, the Federation is located.
This asteroid has no atmosphere, and if someone were to sit in an airship and look closely, they would see several huge explosions appearing on the surface from time to time. The craters on the surface are terrifyingly large, leaving no doubt that if it were to suffer a few more similar impacts, one-third of this planet would surely break off into space and become one of countless floating pebbles.
Amidst the swirling dust, a woman in a snow-white military uniform removed her cap. The little finger of her dark blue glove gleamed with a faint blue light, outlining a small imperial military insignia.
The two fighters happened to separate, and one of them, a woman with strange blue patterns on her face, landed nearby. When she turned around and saw her, her expression was somewhat complicated.
"Why is it you?"
The woman was leisurely tying her hair with a white ribbon on this perilous battlefield.
Upon hearing this, she slowly revealed a smile. Her red eyes, brimming with laughter, appeared somewhat eerie in this setting, especially considering her already breathtakingly beautiful face.
"Because it can only be me. Who else do you think can deal with the old man across from you?"
Luo Qinghe was speechless for a moment.
Indeed, it is well known that Qin Muge has the highest combat power in the Red Cloud Galaxy. Her cooperation with him to deal with Si Zhongqi is the most appropriate option.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not helping out for free. For example, there's the issue of the armistice agreement and the division of spoils, which I think should be discussed beforehand."
What does it mean to falter at a crucial moment? Luo Qinghe now has a correct understanding of this, and at the same time, she has seen through the true nature of Qin Muge, this despicable businessman.
Upon seeing Qin Muge, Si Zhongqi's previously composed expression froze slightly.
The snake mother behind them continued to grow larger, almost like a towering mountain about to crush them.
He looked at Luo Qinghe with a calm expression, "I thought this was an internal conflict between us?"
Luo Qinghe looked at Si Zhongqi, whose words clearly implied that she was incapable of seeking outside help. Although she never cared about the enemy's tactics on the battlefield, to so readily admit her inadequacy to Qin Muge, whom she considered a rival in love…
She remained silent, unsure of what to say.
"Internal conflict? How come I found that the Federation's legions have advanced into the Empire first?" Qin Muge raised his head and looked at the snake mother behind Si Zhongqi, which was as big as a mountain. Its blue scales were almost the size of a person. From a distance, it really looked like a green mountain.
After a long silence, Luo Qinghe looked up at him, as if she had made up her mind:
"I don't care what methods or means I use, I just want you dead, Si Zhongqi."
Upon hearing this, Qin Muge slowly revealed a smile.
Author's Note: Ahhh, it's almost finished!
My head is throbbing with pain today because I chatted too late last night. I didn't want to update, but the thought of another round of the "black room" episode made me shudder. So I persevered and updated for a day, and I'm even moved by my own efforts!!
Thank you for the free ticket:
Thank you, Liumu, for throwing a landmine! Mwah, my little angel! Seeing new faces even though it's almost over makes me so happy, hehe!
Thank you so much, Little Round Face Sama, for throwing a landmine! Aww, the second new angel! Hugging your face and giving you kisses!
Thanks, Awoo, for throwing a landmine! Hehe, I'm so happy you guys are so enthusiastic! Mwah!
Thanks to the chatterbox for throwing a landmine!
Thanks to the chatterbox for throwing a landmine!
Thank you so much for throwing a landmine! Although judging from the comments it seems like it was due to shaky hands or a buffer, I'm still so happy, muah! Love you!!! Hahahaha, but I know you really love me that much! =3=
☆, Chapter 108: Countdown to the End (Part Two)
Is Si Zhongqi really that easy to deal with? And will Qin Muge's joining the battlefield speed up the process of this battle?
Nobody knows.
Because everyone, including the Empire and the Federation, is paying attention to this great war, it is no exaggeration to say that it is a major battle between the Red Cloud System and the P4 Nebula, and it may even be the last major battle between the two sides for a considerable period of time.
Luo Qinghe personally promised that if Si Zhongqi died, she would have the Federation and the Empire sign a two-hundred-year peace treaty. Everyone knew that Qin Muge had just celebrated his 100th birthday, and the average lifespan of the people in the Empire was around 300 years. Luo Qinghe's promise was essentially valid for Qin Muge's lifetime.
But all of this is based on the premise that they win.
The battle had been raging for a day and a night, with neither side showing any signs of fatigue. The Federation's closest planet to the Red Cloud Star System had been destroyed by their power, and now the three were fighting in the silent expanse of space. Qin Muge had no choice but to pilot her golden mecha to continue the fight.
One day is certainly not enough to determine the outcome of the entire battlefield, but it is sufficient to discern the trends. Leaving aside their part, the Federation's loss of two commanding generals still has a significant impact on the entire battlefield, especially after the Imperial Guard gradually sent reinforcements from the rear, and the seven legions mobilized together, leaving only the forces of the three major families to guard the Empire's homeland.
This is a significant loss for the Ling family, as all four of their outstanding members are members of their personal guard. Furthermore, the battle seems unlikely to end anytime soon. If the other two families were to sabotage their efforts at this time, it would be extremely detrimental to the Ling family.
Looking at the situation in the empire, Chaoge couldn't help but click his tongue. Even on the battlefield, this guy's control over the rear was still superb. If anyone dared to cause trouble for the empire at this time, they would be courting death.
Because Yan Chen, the head of the Yan family, is already consolidating the family's power and preparing to pass the position to Chaoge after this battle, only a madman would provoke the other two families while the internal affairs are unclear. The Ling family is in the same boat; none of those in charge are present, and no one would be foolish enough to cause trouble at this time. As for the Yan family, it goes without saying that Yan Zihe is the sole decision-maker, but given her loyalty to the empire, if anyone offends her at this time, she may not be much more lenient than Qin Muge; in fact, on the surface, her methods are even more ruthless.
Chaoge looked at the Imperial Army's intelligence system; the number of spies under his control had surged to nearly ten times the usual amount. While keeping his eyes fixed on the battlefield, he muttered two words: "Seeking death."
Especially among nations within the same galaxy, internal strife is most severe at times like these. Chaoge didn't know whether to lament their blind faith in Qin Muge's inevitable victory or to be speechless at their meddling in the chaos at this crucial moment.
This kind of clever yet foolish approach, which seemed to rely on luck, also amazed her.
She could almost foresee how badly these countries would be slaughtered when she signed the agreement with Luo Qinghe.
Even though it wasn't time to think about those things yet, Chaoge had an inexplicable trust in the two of them, because the two people fighting there were arguably the most important to her since she came to this world.
"Fire support?" Watching the blue snake continuously expand until it became the size of a satellite, its destructive power was evident. A single flick of its tail could destroy a planet of equal size.
Chaoge thought for a moment, "The Planetary Destruction Cannon has enough range, but its destructive range is hard to control. Have you noticed that although it's big, it's extremely agile?" It's easy for it to fail to provide support and end up hurting its teammates instead.
Therefore, in terms of lethality, they can only settle for a lower-powered weapon, but one with higher flexibility.