Chapter 280

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Inside West River City, order still reigned.

Outside the 5-meter-high reinforced concrete city wall, a traditional 10-meter city wall had long been covered over, enough to withstand the impact of light infantry; within 2 kilometers outside the city wall, taking advantage of the rugged terrain, a total of 12 machine gun pillboxes were arranged, roughly similar to the north bank by the river, but slightly fewer in number.

Previously, on the southeast, west, and north sides, due to the city wall, no pillboxes had been designed at all; it was only because Kaman's displayed strength was astonishing that these hard-to-destroy but poor-visibility defensive designs came into being. If following the regulations of the hot-weapon era, pillboxes should at least be scattered within five or even ten kilometers, but the gentlemen of the West Continent had no cannons, so concentrating firepower on their own side was more important.

These ideas were proposed by very few from Chen Yi, but most were perfected by Yu Weichao and Shi Nengren; with the victory of the last sniper station, everyone in West River Water Fortress was now full of confidence.

Yun Village, Xia Yun Cun, Lie Village, Dongxiayingcun, Xixiayingcun, Shang Shicun, and the four Xia Shicun in the east, west, south, and north were the earliest city-states to submit, joining the war preparations without any choice. For them, Chen Yi only needed to hand over the participation letter, and they would immediately send the strong laborers from their villages—it was precisely this attitude of submission that allowed some villages in the ordinary West Continent to survive. After all, compared to silently enduring exploitation, actively joining one side's forces and enthusiastically participating could at least guarantee survival after victory. Even in the eyes of Earth people, these villages' attitudes left nothing to fault.

Even She Lei proposed to form a new purely native rifleman squad. His so-called riflemen naturally referred to hot-weapon rifles, but Yu Weichao only allowed one squad for the two Lie Villages, and immediately dispatched them to the Dense Forest to carry out harassment missions.

Needless to say, such small-scale guerrilla warfare was very dangerous, which made She Lei and Yu Weichao slam the table, but to no avail. Everyone had varying degrees of wariness toward the natives; except for She Lei's straightforward nature, everyone agreed to first establish Earth's own strength.

Of course, no matter how the Water Fortress Senior Management made decisions, the West Continent natives would only find them friendly and enthusiastic, fair and strict... Ordinary people always see only the scene before their eyes and are unwilling to consider deeper issues. Just like Chinese peasants in the last century supported the proletarian revolution so much, never thinking they would thereby become the eternal proletariat.

Besides the submitted villages, the others inside West River Water Fortress were mostly hired laborers; those who came from far away could not leave immediately and could only obediently stay inside the city, listening to the cannon fire occasionally coming from outside.

Qin Dajiang adjusted the machine cannon's speed to 100 rounds per minute; pulling and releasing the trigger once basically meant one shell. For ordinary cavalry riding Mount Beasts, the deterrent was already great enough; even if someone rushed forward recklessly, a row of his 25mm shells would knock even Dragon Beasts to the ground.

The Humvee was also sturdy enough; ordinary javelins and bows and arrows could not harm a moving Humvee. The only one taking a risk was Qin Dajiang; although he was in the turret, it was a semi-enclosed turret.

Fortunately, they always roamed outside the enemy's large forces; if they encountered too many people, they simply blasted them open with shells. Plus, within a 4-kilometer radius of the Water Fortress, a few pillboxes could help, so the enemy's idea of using cavalry for raids naturally went bankrupt.

Within 2 kilometers of the highway, automatic rifles fired sporadically; that was the only surviving Tree Sentry, Lie Feng, son of the Shanglie Village Chief, who could use a stone Crossbow and had Body Technique level 8 quality. He only needed one hour to fire three consecutive shots, all hitting the bullseye.

Lie Feng was also arranged on a Tree Sentry post near the Water Fortress, which saved him to some extent. The area near the highway was open ground; any knight wanting to approach and attack would not only receive Lie Feng's greeting but also the help of heavy machine guns. On the Water Fortress city wall, Chen Yi and the others had been closely monitoring the enemy army's progress.

Of course, what truly guaranteed his survival was still Lie Feng's strength. He was like a boy growing above the forest; even carrying an Automatic Rifle, he could freely change positions. Many times, only at the moment of opening fire could the other side pinpoint his location.

However, like those harassing hunter squads, he could not stop the cavalry's assault, only inflict casualties.

Just like every army full of itself, the Military Commanders of Ma La only cared about charging forward, unable and unwilling to tally casualties. They followed the original city-state roads straight ahead, then stepped onto the flat highway, attempting to storm into the fortress before nightfall and end the temple's interrogation.

The heavy machine guns made a "crack crack crack" sound, like music summoning death.

Within 3 kilometers on both sides of the highway, the pillbox heavy machine guns and their shooters had long withdrawn and redeployed behind the city wall's cover. The fire net they now formed was far more terrifying than before.

One light infantry battalion and dozens of cavalry became the first wave's consumables for the fire net; next came a 20-man Heavy Cavalry squad, which only advanced another thirty meters.

This was because Chen Yi was unwilling to use machine guns to pave the highway; otherwise, casualties would have doubled.

Even so, the Military Commanders were unwilling to have their subordinates, burned with money and time, consumed like this. Ignoring the orders from behind, they stopped on their own.

The Ma La people, actually, did not want to suffer losses either.

Especially the Temple Supervising Sacrificer; he even tried every means to avoid attacking, one moment saying to drive the Slave Soldiers, the next saying to build siege engines, but actually did not even approach the city.

For an entire day, their energy was spent on how to deal with Ironclad Vehicles and how to eliminate small units in the forest.

Muse and the others did not enter the Ma La-State Army Camp outside the Water Fortress until nightfall. They did not see the leading Knight or Elder Council members; only a Knight Attendant greeted them and showed them where to stay, but there was not even hot water.

The group felt it was only natural, but only Muse lay awake with his eyes open. Before the first half of the night had passed, he got up.

Miliku, sleeping beside him, was also tossing and turning. Hearing the noise, he also turned over and followed him out. Having been a Knight Attendant for nearly 10 years, he now said softly, "Sir, can't sleep?"

Muse grunted, gazing at the starry sky. After a long while, he said, "I remember someone telling me that Sir Lu Fu was attacked at night."

It wasn't someone who told him; actually, Muse had bribed a temple boy in the camp to ask. Lu Fu Zhuang Yuan was in a mess, but no one was silenced. Those who returned naturally reported and complained to the Ma La Elder Council.

Miliku trembled as he heard this and said softly, "You're worried?"

"Who knows."

After speaking, both fell silent.

In the latter half of the night, Muse could finally not stand it. Yawning with fatigue, he prepared to go sleep in the back when a familiar yet unfamiliar "thump thump" sound suddenly echoed through the camp.

They're here!

Muse's eyes suddenly widened. Ignoring the heavy armor on his body, he whooshed up onto the wall and looked down.

The gunfire seemed to come from all directions.

The Knights ran about like headless flies. Muse heard a Light Cavalryman rushing past, or a Heavy Cavalryman who hadn't had time to put on his equipment, muttering there: "An open and aboveboard battle—how can it be like this."

Miliku covered his mouth, nearly laughing out loud, and said, "They're not a city-state, after all."

But Muse replied, "They're no weaker than a city-state now. Let's go check the tents."

They were staying in the camp of Ma La's third great Military Commander, Grand Knight Silva. Faintly, they could see the firelight soaring into the sky ahead. In no time, the distinctive heavy "thump thump" of the Ironclad Vehicle sounded again. Not only the passing Knights, but even Muse and the others found it a headache.

That cannon fire could kill even if it hit near you; it was fast and well-defended. If it weren't for the Temple Sacrificers' certainty, everyone would have thought they encountered a Dragon.

A squad of Light Infantry hurried past Muse.

Miliku shouted, "How is it up front?"

"Fine," the other replied indistinctly.

"Even Light Infantry have been sent up." Muse licked his lips, not knowing whether to be happy or disappointed.

If the conquest of West River Water Fortress failed, he would have a use then. By then, the Elder Council would at least have to give him a Knight title before he could go and discuss matters.

"Another squad." By the light of the burning fire, Miliku pointed ahead and said strangely, "They're coming from the north. Why not go straight over? What's the point of reinforcing the east now?"

"Maybe there were casualties," Muse said, more uneasy than worried. Ma La had sent over ten thousand well-trained soldiers and Knights this time. Counting Slave Soldiers and Husband Soldiers, it exceeded 20,000, and there were no few experts at the Combat level. The front looked like fire soaring into the sky, in utter chaos, but losses were not great. The Knights wouldn't run about the camp like mad women.

Miliku was a soft-hearted, meticulous person. Hearing Muse's words, he counted there and then said, "This squad has only 18 men. A Light Infantry squad should have 25, right? With so many losses, are they still being sent to the front line to reinforce?"

The Military Commanders valued soldier casualties greatly. This place was not far from Ma La. If 7 soldiers were killed, they should have been sent back for rest and refit long ago.

Muse unconsciously looked up again. This look made him see the pattern: "Quiet, look at the blood on them."

"How?"

"That blood soaked in, it wasn't splashed on." Muse was always a Knight who had been on the battlefield, but now he was cold all over, wanting to call out but not daring to.

He suddenly regretted telling Miliku these things, and his gaze turned unfriendly.

"Sir, I'll go wake the others," Miliku suddenly said, not knowing whether he had detected Muse's rising killing intent.

"Go." Muse finished speaking and turned around, his eyes fixed on the Grand Knight's barracks.

A burst of gunfire like popping beans startled Muse; even though he was prepared, his whole body turned ice-cold.

The Grand Knight is finished!

... (Unfinished. If you want to know what happens next, please log in at www. qidian. com for more chapters. Support the author, support genuine reading!)