126. On the Edge of Death
Cloaked, Youhelai slowly walked into the tent. He lifted his cross-shaped pupils, scanning the Tianhuan soldiers still in discussion, and said:
"Li Aozi has escaped."
His words immediately caught everyone's attention. Several majors sneered, turned their heads, and whispered to each other:
"Is this the killer that the Hojo family hired at a high price?"
"Before the fight, he bragged, 'He won't survive today, get the Black Whale ready'—but in the end, Li Aozi still got away, didn't he?"
"Li Aozi was chased all the way by our Tianhuan soldiers, yet these so-called individual powerhouses seem to be doing nothing. A dignified Gamma-level, fighting five, and he still managed to kill two of them. Don't the clans feel ashamed?"
"Don't say that, Ishimura-san... he's from the Hojo family, we should tone it down. Earlier, even Major Kim was scolded by a retainer and didn't dare to say a word."
"The whole mess is because the Hojo family provoked Li Aozi, leading to this disaster. Li Aozi even stole our nuclear bomb in the chaos—how will the world view us because of the Hojo family's failure? Kuroda-kun, why are you still defending these clans?"
Youhelai, the 'White Shark,' paid no mind to their ridicule. He simply turned and looked at the bald, narrow-eyed man with an unfriendly face, Colonel Chun Hyeon-jung from the Army Department. Youhelai spread his hands, making his intent clear:
"The commission is complete. Hand over the Black Whale."
"White Shark-san, your definition of completion seems quite different from our understanding here in Tianhuan."
Chun Hyeon-jung squinted his eyes, criticizing:
"Our request was for you to intercept Li Aozi. Now you're telling us he's already escaped, yet you're asking for your reward? Pardon me, but isn't your behavior rather shameless?"
The military and the clans had a long-standing rivalry, but Youhelai had no interest in this conflict. He served the noble Hidden Society. If not for Horst, he wouldn't bother taking orders from a bunch of primitive monkeys stuck on their homeworld.
Their vision was narrow, their words crude and arrogant, forever conservative and recklessly bold.
To Youhelai, if it weren't for [Bell Ringer] orchestrating things for him, helping him find the [Black Knight] and defeat him to fulfill his destiny as [White Knight], he wouldn't waste time haggling with these boorish Tianhuan people.
"My task was to intercept, and I've already engaged. Failing to stop him is a separate matter."
Youhelai said, adding a mocking remark:
"You sent five Gamma-levels against Li Aozi and still couldn't deal with him. I managed to hold him off long enough for you to capture his bio-signal. No matter what, I'm more useful than those who lost two out of five in a one-on-one."
"If that's your attitude, then we cannot meet your demands."
Swish!
Youhelai suddenly raised his sword, but it was pointed at his own neck. Facing Chun Hyeon-jung's response, he calmly said:
"Is that so? Then you better think carefully. Tonight, with a level six north wind, my poison blood can spread across the entire camp in ten minutes, and you won't have time to kill me before it does."
The officers erupted in anger, one slamming the table and shouting, "How dare you threaten us?"
"The weak deserve to be threatened—that's a saying of you Tianhuan people."
Youhelai grinned, revealing a mouth full of shark-like teeth:
"You're all big shots, who've made quite a profit from the war. You wouldn't want to die so senselessly, right? All those spoils taken from the Outer World and Frost-Plated, you haven't even gotten to enjoy, nor would you want to hand them over. You've always been at odds with the clans; once you're dead, the clans will seize your families. What then?"
"You bastard..."
"No, no, no. Sharks are cartilaginous fish, and you hard-boned fish descendants don't deserve to be compared to me."
Facing this threat, the Tianhuan officers were helpless, silently cursing the Hojo family for inviting a wolf into their home.
How could they bring such a powerful, toxic monster into the core of Tianhuan?
There's an old saying: never let others sleep beside your bed. Who would willingly invite trouble?
The Tianhuan officers were silent, while Colonel Chun Hyeon-jung remained calm and composed, quickly analyzing the situation.
The White Shark hailed from the Outer World, and while it was unclear how he gained his abilities or why his body was full of poison blood, he was ultimately a member of a clan.
Given the current circumstances, the military couldn't afford to clash with the clans.
"White Shark-sama, your words are too harsh. Tianhuan is a hospitable and contract-abiding nation. What we agreed upon, as long as it doesn't violate procedures, won't be reneged."
"Oh really? I remember you initially saying you'd never go to war with the Red Arrow people, right? And what else? Former Prime Minister Kim Jong-sin repeatedly stated that Frost-Plated were important partners, and the Outer World was just a barren wasteland with nothing worth taking—"
Youhelai, from the ruthless Outer World, had no interest in Chun Hyeon-jung's bureaucratic tone, spouting off thick policy books.
"Oh, what are you even joking about?"
But Chun Hyeon-jung remained unfazed, responding calmly:
"Those were mistakes made by past generations, what does that have to do with us today?"
This statement nearly made [White Knight] Youhelai from the [Hidden Society] lose his composure.
He stared at Chun Hyeon-jung for a long time before saying:
"There's a reason you monkeys are stuck on this earth. Always expecting those who shouldn't reflect to reflect constantly, while those who should reflect never do."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you Azure Star people are pathetic, forever trapped in the vicious cycle of history. No wonder you're not qualified, because of this, you lack qualification, you lack it."
Youhelai was too lazy to keep explaining to these barbarians:
"Connect me to Qiongjing. If I don't get the Black Whale, I'll go to the center of Qiongjing and slit my wrists. Don't be ungrateful, natives."
"…Wait."
At this point, Chun Hyeon-jung had realized that Youhelai had no intention of reasoning with them, so he ordered his men to contact the command center in Kyoto.
During the call, Youhelai would occasionally make gestures as if he was about to break his skin or slowly grind his sharp teeth against his tongue, as if, at any moment, he might pierce his tongue, letting poison blood spill out and kill everyone.
"Yes, that's the situation. He's demanding that we fulfill our promise and transfer the prisoner to him..."
The liaison officer chose his words carefully, carrying the burden of the entire military's safety on his shoulders, trying not to provoke Youhelai.
"Eh, how could that be?"
The next moment, hearing the response from the other end of the line, the liaison officer's face turned pale, horrified:
"Hello! Are you joking?"
Youhelai raised his head slightly, noticing the shocked and angry expression of the liaison officer.
"What do you mean… Shiranui Town Prison has been broken into?"
His cross-shaped pupils rotated, glowing with a strange light.
"And what about Gretorvo Nightsong?"
The liaison officer, feeling the eyes of everyone around him, felt his scalp tingle, his voice trembling:
"…He was rescued by the Akaban Squad."
Bang!
The startled commotion of the officers jolted everyone. They looked up, seeing a white shark fin speeding across the distant horizon, leaving only a lightning-like silhouette.
"Everyone, we may have driven away the troublesome figure, but our mission isn't over yet." Colonel Chun Hyeon-jung steadied his emotions and said, "Li Aozi is still on the run; we should also take action."
"Repeatedly humiliated by these individual powerhouses, it's time we show them what's real!"
One commander gritted his teeth:
"These self-important bloodsuckers, without the state's resources, they're nothing but rotting flesh hanging on."
"Tianhuan lost two Gamma-levels this time, but it's not a big deal," Colonel Chun Hyeon-jung nodded. "This is also an opportunity; the dead were clan strongmen, and now it's time for our people to take their place."
"Great idea, I'll suggest to the command to unfreeze two of the military's Gamma-level powerhouses."
"What about the White Shark?"
"He's going after the Akaban Squad, and he's with the clans," Chun Hyeon-jung said thoughtfully. "No matter what, it doesn't harm us. If we can take down Li Aozi, preferably capture him alive, the military's reputation will soar above the clans."
"Gentlemen, this is a perfect opportunity."
Seeing the commanders' eyes blaze with determination, Chun Hyeon-jung didn't forget to pour fuel on the fire:
"Overthrow these family tycoons who monopolize national resources and are favored by the Ring King. Let's make us soldiers the true confidants of the Ring King."
"The families are in decline, their commercial dominance should end, and His Majesty will surely favor the army loyal to him. Eventually, he'll see that we are the real patriots and subjects."
"Gentlemen, don't you want to be enshrined in the shrine after death, enjoying the incense offerings forever? How can a bunch of useless rich tycoons compare to us, the true iron-blooded soldiers who fought with real knives and guns? Don't you want to earn as much as the tycoons, own vast lands, countless servants, and have your properties, mines, businesses, and estates?"
Seeing that everyone was eager, Chun Hyeon-jung knew he was on the right path.
These officers had just faced the threat of the clan's assassins, and anti-clan sentiment was at its peak.
Just a little push, and it would ignite a fire.
"As long as we capture Li Aozi, everything will fall into place. We could genuinely overturn the group's position!"
"Then what are we waiting for!" One commander rubbed his hands eagerly, "I have a great plan."
——————————
In the distance, a natural disaster was brewing, but for the soldiers of Tianhuan's 12th Division, 4th Mobile Regiment, this was nothing to fear.
Five thousand Tianhuan warriors, fully equipped, knelt on both knees, rifles and long swords placed on their thighs. Each warrior lowered their head, tactical visors and breathing masks glowing orange, as the torrential rain mixed with snow and sand turned into suffocating sludge, pouring over them.
"Today, Tianhuan has suffered great humiliation. His Majesty the Ring King and our people are in fear and anxiety. With external enemies at our gates, we must act and show the determination of Tianhuan's warriors!"
The warriors bowed their heads and shouted in unison:
"Haii, banzai!"
As the most elite field unit of Tianhuan, the first-class Alpha Division, Tianhuan highly valued the spirit of this force. A white-armored Onmyoji stepped into their midst, hands behind his back, striding forward with pride, loudly reprimanding:
"Do not ask where your supplies are. You are the warriors of the Ring King, he is king, he is god! You are the children of god. Do not question who your enemies are! Think of His Majesty's expectations. Anything opposing His Majesty is evil that must not exist."
"Haii, banzai!"
The Onmyoji fastened his fox-like mask and raised his arm, shouting:
"Let those irreverent scoundrels witness Tianhuan's resolve! Drench our land with their filthy blood! You have no other choice—wash away the humiliation with blood or die in glory! Tianhuan has no weaklings. The Red Arrow dog from Frost-Plated will see you and be terrified! Long live the Ring King, may he reign eternally!"
"Haii, banzai!"
One by one, the warriors picked up their rifles and swords, their exoskeleton armor swiftly locking into place, helmets snapping open to reveal six green electronic eyes, cold and precise like machines.
Boom, boom—
The synchronized warriors marched in step, boarding their vehicles swiftly. Mecha armor units lit up with warning lights, and fighter jets sped down the runway, plunging into the torrential rain, flying along the edge of the natural disaster.
Our emperor, granted by divine right, shows his power over the vast seas;
To die in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, guarding the nation and emperor, is no regret!
Kill all the disrespectful in the world, and cultivate our land for eternity;
The hidden dragon has never been useless, wielding this jade dragon to challenge the heavens.
......
Spurred on by fervent chants, the warriors' blood surged, and they shouted loudly:
"Long! Live!"
The veil between heaven and earth was torn apart. Tianhuan warriors, among the most feared units on Azure Star, left an indelible scar on both Frost-Plated and Red Arrow nations with their wild ferocity and fearless spirit.
Few armies, like Tianhuan's, maintained cold weapon training and the widespread use of cybernetics, making their warriors unstoppable in close combat, supported by infiltrator ninjas for assassination and sabotage, making other nations almost powerless against Tianhuan's swift assaults.
More terrifyingly, Tianhuan itself was a great power, home to family groups like the Hojo clan, rich in technological heritage and solid industrial foundations, making it effortless to create war machines.
From head to toe equipped with closed-loop systems and smart exoskeletons, what was a heavy burden for other nations was standard for Tianhuan. Even the lowest units were fully equipped, with each platoon having at least two mecha units for breakthroughs and fire support.
For other nations, deploying mecha was akin to waging a war of annihilation, but Tianhuan soldiers were all trained in vehicle operations and could switch to armored divisions when necessary.
Five mecha units, using the natural disaster as cover, set off at 2 a.m. undetected by anyone, as national broadcasters reported the ongoing disasters and Onmyoji continued their hypnosis and encouragement, keeping their morale at peak.
All of this was watched closely by Du Zexin.