At this mont, Qing Shuli suddenly said, "I’ve thought of a way."
"What way?" Luo Wanya looked over at him.
Qing Shuli said seriously, "There are only 17 airships now. Every ti they confirm a solid target, they assu there’s a full Parents’ eting squad lurking on the ground, then they do a fire coverage strike. After the coverage, they have to go back to rearm, right?"
Xiao Qi hesitated for a mont. "Yeah, that’s the pattern we figured out."
Qing Shuli said, "Then every ti we split off 17 people and scatter them out in the wild to act alone. Once they run into an airship sweeping the mountains, they’ll make noise, scream their lungs out, and draw the airship in for a coverage strike. That way, we can use 17 people to buy about two hours for everyone else. After the airship pulls out, the rest can go full speed ahead."
Luo Wanya stared at Qing Shuli, watching him calmly lay out the cruelest plan.
Yeah, this way the main force could naturally speed up. But those 17 being abandoned? What about them?
History is often cruel. Its cruelty lies in how the victories we praise so much almost never ntion how many people actually died for them.
Even if history tells you the number of dead, it usually won’t tell you their nas.
These 17 people have absolutely no chance of surviving, because the whole point of them acting alone is to die, to trade their deaths for one aningless enemy fire coverage.
Qing Shuli said, "I’m the one who proposed this plan, so I’ll lead by example. Let take the first batch of 17."
Luo Wanya grabbed Qing Shuli. "Wait, anyone else can go, but not you!"
"Why can’t I?" Qing Shuli shot back. "I was made into a puppet before and leaked so much information on Parent Association mbers. I already feel extrely guilty."
"That wasn’t your fault, the Puppet Master’s thods are impossible to guard against," Xiao Qi said.
Luo Wanya said, "Because of your relationship with the boss, you’re not allowed to take this risk. If he cos back and finds out you’re dead, what do you think that’ll do to him? I know you feel guilty toward the boss, that’s why you’ve been working around the clock, but it doesn’t an you get to pay it back with your life."
Qing Shuli shook his head. "You don’t really understand my relationship with him. Looking back now, the ’family love’ from the Outer World has only ever shortchanged him. But I’m not doing this to make it up to him. I’m doing this because I’m a mber of the Parents’ eting. This is what I’m supposed to do."
As he spoke, Qing Shuli broke free of Luo Wanya’s grip, turned, and walked toward the rear. "Those with no parents, no wife or daughters, no attachnts—give 16 people, you’re coming with !"
For a mont, over a hundred people stood up from the grass. Qing Shuli smiled and said, "Don’t need that many."
...
...
In the Jian nguan area, Qing’s Group Army was spread out and camped across the mountains and wilds.
Qing Yi stepped off an airship, covered in dust from travel, a classified file in his hand as he walked into a Green field tent and handed the file to Qing Kun. "This is intel from the West Continent."
By now all the youthfulness was gone from Qing Yi’s face. At fifteen he’d already picked up the banner of the Spy Bureau, running everything inside it like a tight ship.
The waterlon haircut was gone, replaced with a neat buzz cut, easy to manage.
Qing Kun cursed under his breath as he ruffled his hair. "You little shit don’t even call dad anymore. Where’ve you been this whole ti, gotta keep secrets from too?"
Qing Yi’s expression stayed cold. "Watch your image. I’m the Chief of the spy service now, sa rank as you. In warti you and I are not father and son, we’re colleagues. My operations are top secret, I can’t tell you."
Qing Kun opened his mouth. "...Fuck."
Qing Yi went on, "Northern agents sent word: the puppet troops drove a group of civilians into the wilds. The Genetic Potion production plants in six northern cities have all been refitted and locked down. I suspect they’re secretly testing a new Genetic Potion on civilians. Also, the Central Royal City’s Group Army has already left City 18."
In the temporary field command post, Qing Kun carefully read through all the docunts. This frontline commander might be rough around the edges, but he knew what mattered.
After finishing, Qing Kun drew in a sharp breath. "Qing Shan Ship and Heaven Ship are both gone? Using Hyakki Night Trip, a trump card like that, this early... We should’ve saved it for the most critical mont..."
He glanced at the ti again. "We’ve already hit the rendezvous ti we agreed on, but not a single person from the Parents’ eting has shown up. The ti Qing Shan Ship can buy us won’t be much. According to intel from the West Continent network, the Central Royal City’s Group Army didn’t take part in encircling Qing Shan Ship. They may already have reached the Southwest Transverse Mountain Range."
Jindai Yunlo stood there in a White Hunting Clothes, hands tucked into his sleeves, eyes closed as he rested, ignoring even the female secretaries in the command post.
Jindai Sorajima stood behind him with his blade in hand, glaring warily at everyone around.
Jindai Yunlo sighed. "You’re an Onmyoji, you’re not Qieshe Yumian. What are you doing carrying Yun Xiu’s katana around every day..."
Jindai Sorajima shot him a glance. "I’m worried so idiot won’t watch where they’re going."
"You’ve changed. Everything’s changed. You weren’t like this before," Jindai Yunlo said with feeling. "Why don’t you go rest for a while? They already know what’s going on, you don’t need to stand guard over them."
Qing Kun cut in with a curse, "Stick to business, you two, don’t start flirting on my ti. According to my deploynt, I’ll wait for the Parents’ eting at most another 24 hours. Once we’re past that, my unit has to start an orderly retreat."
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