Chapter 490: The Dagger Revealed

The cold wind of the winter month whitened the roofs of Lei Ming City, and the cold wind over the Raging Torrent River was even more bone-chilling; no one could be seen by the river.

In this weather, whether serfs or ordinary commoners, they would choose to stay at home with their families.

However, under those low, dark clouds, there were two petite figures, flapping their wings listlessly, flying against the noisy wind.

They weren't just generally small; even if someone looked up and saw them, they would take them for crows, not evil things from the labyrinth.

"Achoo!"

"Wuwuwu... so cold..."

The little demon Mixi was shivering with cold, seeing her holding her small arms to her chest, her expression depressed to the extreme.

Youxi, who was flying beside her, was the same; that little thing was shivering her neck, occasionally sniffing the snot that was about to freeze into an ice cube.

By the way, ever since their soul level was promoted to Gold by the Demon King, the two had finally mastered Bai Yin-tier transcendent power through diligent training.

But even with transcendent power, they couldn't withstand the continuous baptism of this bone-chilling cold wind.

"... Mu, must be that the Demon King discovered what happened that time."

"It's all your fault, Mixi!"

"Wait, why is it my fault again?"

"If your tears weren't so useless, dripping onto that Minotaur's bald head, how could the Demon King have discovered us!"

"Ex, excessive! Clearly your snot dripped on it too."

"Nonsense! How much snot did I have! Just, just a little bit!"

Even in a "dead end" desperate situation, it couldn't stop the little demons from arguing, especially this pair of troublemakers who had fought since they were small.

Youxi flapped her wings that were about to freeze, and while Mixi hadn't thought of how to talk back, she wailed desperately, "Now it's good, both of us have been sent to such a place where birds don't poop to carry out missions... causing me to be punished with you."

This was definitely the Demon King giving them a hard time!

Although little demons didn't wear shoes.

Although there was a dispute over who should carry this pot, both little demons agreed that the reason they were sent out to carry out this most boring mission in the coldest weather was the punishment from the Demon King after their eavesdropping was exposed that time.

"Bu, but..." Mixi pouted aggrievedly, "Once I heard that 'Mia', I couldn't help it... Xixi Highness is so pitiful..."

Youxi was the same.

If it weren't for the fact that the noisy cold wind might freeze her tears, she would have started wailing with teary eyes again by now.

Actually cheating on two boats—

The Demon King is really too bad!

Just when they were complaining about their fate and complaining about not being able to rub the Demon King's taste through the empathy of Xixi Highness, Mixi, whose brain was slightly better, suddenly stopped sobbing and widened her eyes, looking at the river surface below her.

"Youxi, look below quickly!"

"Look at what? Isn't it just a broken river..."

Youxi looked down impatiently, but the complaining voice stopped abruptly.

Only to see below them, on the originally wide and empty Raging Torrent River channel, a large area of dense black dots had appeared at some point.

Those weren't ducks floating on the water—

But a mighty fleet!

Countless simple flat-bottomed barges, crowded like crucian carp crossing the river, were mighty and drifting south with the current.

Realizing the severity of the problem, the two little demons glided down for a while, and at the same time cast magic to hide their figures.

Borrowing the hazy daylight, they caught a glimpse of the fully armed soldiers on the ship, seeing the gun barrels exposed under the shed exuding a chilling cold light.

It was Campbell's conscript soldiers!

A murderous aura came rushing toward them!

The little demons of the Nightmare Land would never be unfamiliar with this group of guys; after all, their previous king was shot to death by them and strung on a spear.

The two little demons stopped talking, looked at each other blankly in mid-air, and the desperate mood was gradually replaced by strong excitement.

"Youxi..."

"Mixi!"

"Waah! The big one is finally here!"

They screamed excitedly, their wings vibrated hard, and they drilled into the higher clouds, revealing only two pairs of shining eyes.

"Fast! You go tell the Demon King Highness!"

"Why not you?!"

"I want to watch them here."

"Damn it..."

Youxi felt Mixi made sense, flew around toward the direction of Bai Yin Pine Forest with an unwilling expression, and went to report to the Demon King.

And Mixi still hid in the clouds, just like a child who had waited for the circus to open, watching the crowded river channel below excitedly.

Demons didn't care who fought whom.

As long as they fought, they could please the Demon God Highness in their hearts!

The cold wind of the winter month didn't freeze the river water of the Raging Torrent River, but it froze the boots of the new recruits training in the southwestern swamp until they were stiff.

Although the atmosphere in the training camp was oppressive, there was also a taste of finding joy in suffering.

Raman and his comrades squeezed around a pile of wet firewood puffing out black smoke, trying in vain to roast their numb hands, complaining about this damn swamp, complaining about the boots that would never dry, and chatting about things in their hometown.

Having lived together for so long, they had become friends, and some people had already made appointments about what to do after finishing their military service.

Raman said he was going to contract a timberland in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, and the young men in the same tent all advised him not to have this dream.

Raman said stubbornly.

"The newspaper said there are many trees there."

"Cut it out, the newspaper also said there are gold mines on the Gana Continent," a young man who seemed to have read books curled his lips, "And do you think there are no trees outside Lei Ming City? Or is it that there are no trees in your home?"

This...

Raman really didn't know how to answer.

Indeed.

Trees were everywhere.

That soldier who had read books pushed his glasses and said to him.

"Listen, if you were a stranger, I would advise you to follow the Grand Duke; go wherever the Grand Duke tells you to go. But you are my friend, I must tell you, never listen to what those big shots say, you have to watch where they go."

Raman retorted.

"Ailin is in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng."

The soldier squatting beside him laughed and said.

"But Edward is in Lei Ming City, isn't he?"

This...

Raman couldn't do it again.

That soldier who had read books continued to advise.

"You don't earn your discharge pay easily, so don't throw it into the water in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng; honestly find a job, and then see what your boss is doing, and learn from him. If he buys a house silently, you buy one too; when he advises you to buy, you must not buy, just like those Kelin Group stocks."

"You see those Lai En people are very pitiful, but have you ever thought about why they are poor? Is it just because their king is bad? Some land can only grow potatoes, some land can grow wheat; even if I haven't farmed, I know—"

"Dong—!"

The rude bell suddenly rang, and all the soldiers subconsciously stopped talking, scrambling to climb up from the ground.

Rapid footsteps came, and they saw their Centurion walking over with a serious face.

He was no longer the proud rooster in front of the Prince a few days ago, and now only the coldness like frost and snow remained on his face.

"Gather! Bring your stuff, emergency mobilization!"

After speaking, he went to the next tent.

Raman's heart jumped violently.

This tone wasn't a drill!

He rushed into the tent, grabbed the beloved "Luo Ke Sai Rifle," and then rushed out of the tent with the crowd, together with other young men.

Under the urging of the bell, the entire camp boiled over.

Soldiers ran in the mud, and the roars of officers came one after another, as if the enemy's artillery fire was on their heads.

More than ten hundred-man squads completed the assembly quickly, and after reporting the numbers, they left the camp immediately, marching at full speed toward the main channel of the Raging Torrent River.

Raman's heart was half nervous and half excited. Looking at the other camp teams not far away, he licked his dry lips.

Finally going to the front line?

But the front line... where exactly is it?

A flash of confusion flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly thought of the legend of Lei Ming County, as well as that restless demon.

The Demon King was their old opponent.

Although the late king Aaron Campbell killed him, everyone knew that one Demon King died, and another new one would come.

As long as the labyrinth was still there, there would be a steady stream of Demon Kings coming over.

A mobilization of this scale in this season, the opponent could only be that guy.

Understanding who his opponent was, Raman perked up, and the raging fighting spirit dispelled the confusion in his eyes.

Just right!

He wanted to show those monsters in the labyrinth, let those guys who drank blood and ate raw meat taste this firepower they had never seen before!

Presumably they would be like the lizardmen in the southwestern swamp, hearing the sound of gunfire, and lying on the ground as if they had lost their souls.

The process of marching was tense and long.

Fortunately, the construction teams leveled the roads in the swamp, allowing the transport wagons to come in, otherwise they would have had to struggle on the road for a few more days.

However, when everyone arrived at the bank of the Raging Torrent River panting, stepping through the last layer of reeds that blocked their view, the scene that came into view made everyone dumbfounded.

The young man wearing glasses widened his eyes, his frozen lips trembling, squeezing out a sentence.

"This is..."

The wide river surface was full of flat-bottomed boats, they were like they had appeared suddenly, filling the wide Raging Torrent River.

Some boats continued to drift downstream, while others rushed to the shore, landing on the shallow beach just a few hundred paces away.

Raman's eyes also widened.

No demons.

Nor was there the fire that could roast his boots dry.

There were only humans like him, even his compatriots, and even the boots soaked in water were exactly the same as his.

The only difference was that they were wearing thin autumn clothes, holding all kinds of flintlock guns in their hands, everything was the same as before.

This group of brave Campbell musketeers were jumping from one barge after another into the knee-deep river water, dragging their barges and supplies ashore.

Through the gloomy daylight, Raman could even see the relief and confusion on their faces; they should have been drifting on this river for a long time.

Some people were clearly just finished vomiting, with stains hanging on their chests, their faces blue, their lips trembling.

But they didn't hesitate.

Under the order of the officers on the river bank, this group of guys who looked like a mob were quickly assembling into line formations—

Undoubtedly, that was an act of war!

But why?

Raman only had confusion in his heart; newspapers were sent to the camp every day, and the newspapers had all kinds of information, except this matter was not mentioned.

At this time, the roar of the officer came, temporarily dispelling the confusion in his heart.

"The rebel army is attacking us! Warriors of the 100th squad of the 7th thousand-man squad! The Campbell artillery squad is on the way, soon they will set up artillery on the soil slope under your feet! Now, follow me forward! Drag them down before reinforcements arrive!"

The drumbeats of marching sounded.

Raman's feet moved subconsciously, following the ranks beside him forward, even the rhythm of his breathing was in sync with the military drums of marching.

However, the confusion in his mind didn't get an answer.

Rebel army?

Wait—

Who exactly betrayed whom? Who fought with whom?

At least in his impression, the court of the Campbell Duchy was peaceful, the baron respected their count, and the count swore to serve the Grand Duke.

Fortunately, the officer's roar answered the confusion in his heart.

"The running dogs of Count Gelansidun united with the King of Lai En, their knights stepped onto our land in the name of mercenaries, trying to overthrow our Grand Duke! Occupy our land! Loot our wealth!"

"Now! They also want to shamelessly usurp the fruits of our Grand Duke's reform! Let us return to the past and be their slaves!"

"They are dreaming! If they want my daughter to serve their master in their castle, then cross over my corpse!"

"Saint Xisi will stand with the truly loyal subjects, for His Majesty the Grand Duke, for Campbell! For honor!"

The Centurion, shouting at the top of his lungs, drew his military sword, the anger burning in his wide-open pupils, wishing he could crush his teeth.

"Everyone—"

"Prepare—!"

Nearly three months of training had already formed Raman's muscle memory.

The moment the word "prepare" was spoken, his body had already reacted, and the gun butt hit his shoulder socket with a "dong."

The distance of three hundred paces was too far for old-fashioned flintlock guns, and those experienced young men on the river bank didn't even look at them, still adjusting the formations that hadn't been formed yet, and looking after those barges loaded with supplies.

Those Centurions leading the team were the same, not putting those rifles aimed at them in their eyes at all, because firing at this distance was just a waste of the soldiers' physical strength and bullets—

They didn't doubt it at all, until the raised military sword was swung down.

"Fire—!"

Dense gunfire rang out!

The crackling sound was like rapid thunder, tearing apart the tranquility of the Raging Torrent River bank.

The young men on the bank were caught off guard, the bullets flying over were a bit too accurate, many heads were blown open, and bright red blood floated in the river.

At first, their officers didn't care.

After all, the sound of gunfire was very far away, and the reeds blocked their view, no one knew who had been shot, only knowing that they were still fine.

Even the officers on the river bank were laughing at the weakness of the opposite side, actually using precious ammunition to fire warning shots at this point.

The gunpowder carried by a soldier was limited, generally enough to fire thirty shots, and if the outcome was undecided, it entered the bayonet fighting stage.

Whoever ran out of gunpowder first would be the first to be embarrassed.

However, another terrifying aspect of the "Luo Ke Sai 1053 Rifle" was that the paper-cased fixed ammunition using smokeless gunpowder not only simplified the soldiers' loading process, but also changed the ammunition base of the Campbell Army. Even without carrying an ammunition bag, a private could carry sixty paper-cased bullets in his pocket.

And if it were a smart commander, having made offensive or defensive plans in advance, they could pre-bury the ammunition in the dug-out foxholes.

Bullets wrapped in oil paper, as long as they didn't fall into the water or stay in the warehouse for several years, almost wouldn't be damaged.

The first round of gunfire stopped, the rebel army on the bank still had no movement, death permeated in the eerie atmosphere, and the air was like freezing.

The first shot was indeed a warning.

If they threw away their weapons and ran away, they could shed a little less blood, but unfortunately no one ran away, and the coup was still continuing.

The cold wind of the winter month was bone-chilling, but the bank of the Raging Torrent River didn't freeze.

Perhaps the hot air exhaled from people's mouths melted them, or the thin ice froze in the wrong place, freezing in people's hearts.

Raman felt the shoulder leaning against him trembling; he heard someone praying in a low voice, praying for Saint Xisi to show his spirit, to make the people on the opposite side stop, or to throw away their armor and run away.

Losing to one's own people wasn't shameful; they didn't have a blood feud to begin with, perhaps if they met in a tavern tomorrow, they could still drink together with their arms around each other's shoulders.

However, the opposite side didn't run away, and they standing here didn't retreat a step either, not even raising the gun muzzles in their hands.

Perhaps those young men from Lei Ming City beside him all knew clearly what it would mean if they standing here lost.

Everything would return to the past.

Raman's mind subconsciously flashed through the first half of his life.

He went from a carpenter with clumsy skills, to having his job snatched by a factory, and finally entering the factory himself, drifting between the factory building and the docks.

Until recently, he found his position in the army, and it was clear that he wouldn't be here for long either; after all, it had always been iron-clad generals, flowing soldiers.

He didn't have very grand ideals, not even small ones.

He didn't have the foresight of the Grand Duke, nor the wealth of Mr. Andi, and he couldn't even compare to his officer; that guy who crowed like a rooster at least had a daughter.

But he also had things that belonged to him.

Just yesterday, that comrade wearing glasses shared a piece of cake with frosting on it with him. That was brought to that kid by his family, and after everyone made a fuss about seeing a share, he had to share it with the crowd helplessly.

Raman had never tasted such delicious cake.

Before, he felt Ailin said she wanted them to eat cake, and he also laughed at the Princess Highness for why not eat meat; and when he realized it, the cake was already in his mouth.

He felt that taste was really good.

In that distant and closed small village, waiting for the lord's servants to feed him like livestock, he probably wouldn't taste this taste in his whole life.

Nor would anyone tell him the untold stories of Prince Kelin and Princess Ailin by the campfire.

Today's life might not be perfect.

But he didn't want to lose it.

Perhaps every silent soldier beside him had the same thought—

Want to take all this away?

Then trade it for human heads!

On the river bank, those crooked small boats finally stopped steadily, and the rebels all went ashore with their supplies.

The officers loyal to the king and the count finally noticed the corpses and blood floating on the river surface.

Everyone's heart was full of surprise, but that was someone else's blood after all, not enough to deter the greed in their hearts.

Thousands of conscript soldiers assembled under the commander's order, forming the formation that every Campbell person was familiar with.

That was also the formation Mixi was familiar with.

Mixi, flying in the sky, seemed to have been awakened by the memory of fear, shrinking in the low clouds, shivering and not daring to come out, letting the cold wind blow and beat her.

Let alone a mere Bai Yin-tier—

Between those opposing armies, even a Diamond-tier powerhouse had to weigh whether it was worth colliding head-on with the strong will condensed by the multitude.

The drumbeats of the military musicians rang out, dull and oppressive, urging the assembled rebels to move forward.

They were ready to fight back, but didn't know their opponents were deliberately letting them assemble together...

The era had changed.

The Centurion beside Raman didn't hesitate at all.

The logistics soldiers had already placed ammunition boxes one by one at the feet of his young men, and the friendly forces not far away had also completed the assembly.

The military sword in his hand swung forward again, giving his young men the first and last order.

"Suppressive fire—"

"Fire!"

December, 1053 Aus Calendar, this was destined to be a winter month worth remembering by the Campbell people.

Standing at the crossroads of fate, the 100th squad of the 7th thousand-man squad of the Campbell Duchy unleashed the densest firepower ever seen in the Old Continent toward a certain conscript camp of Baron Lukeweier.

On the river beach, those young men who were also good at fighting didn't even have time to raise their flintlock guns before they were blown to pieces by wave after wave of bullet rain.

This could no longer be called war—

It was completely a massacre.

"Bang!"

Raman mechanically pulled the trigger, the gun butt hitting his shoulder painfully. He didn't pause, his frozen stiff fingers skillfully pulled the lever, stuffing the paper casing that was also frozen stiff into the gun chamber.

"Ding—"

"Whoosh—!"

A stray bullet flew past Raman's cheek, bringing up a burning bloodstain.

That was probably a shot fired by a soldier before he died; after all, no commander would order to fire at this distance.

He didn't notice it at all, all his heart and soul were focused on the metal lever in his hand, and he was praying to Saint Xisi with unprecedented piety.

The rebel commander on the opposite side was completely dumbfounded.

No one had ever seen such firepower; they were still habitually using the tactics of the past, firing after approaching the range...

However, in just one breath, several squads on their side were wiped out, leaving only a ground of bloody corpses.

Finally unable to bear the fear in his heart, the rebel thousand-man commander who directed the battle roared, ordering the thousand-man squad that had been wiped out to charge.

At least—

Buy time for the brothers behind to fire!

"Charge—!"

"Take advantage of the gap when they fire and rush up!"

Hearing the sound of the charging horn, the military musician drew his battle sword, threw away the military drum at his waist, and launched a charge along with the soldiers.

The shouting sound rang out on the river beach, like the surging tide. They roared, charged, trying to use the gap when the Duchy's army fired to rush up.

However, they miscalculated soon.

That "ding-ding" ringing rifle was like not needing to load at all, and the continuous rain of bullets gathered into a rain of death.

They fired at a terrifying rate of one shot every two seconds, while they who were charging died batch after batch.

Se'erfu, who was charging along with the last squad of Baron Lukeweier, suddenly felt a chill in his chest, as if he had been kicked by a donkey.

The pain came after the fact; he hadn't had time to see what it was before he fell silently into the mud melted by hot blood.

Fortunately, death didn't torture him for too long.

At the moment of death, he looked at the cold faces around him, and a hint of comfort that couldn't be counted as comfort surged in his heart.

At least... there were quite a lot of people who died here.

Presumably no one would discover that he betrayed the Grand Duke, and no one would make things difficult for his children, as well as his wife and father because of this.

If there was an afterlife, he would still choose to reincarnate here.

The sound of gunfire gradually thinned.

Before the artillery squad was pushed to the mound, the rebels who landed on the river bank had already been beaten to pieces by that dense firepower network.

The soldiers and officers who survived by luck finally chose to surrender, including those Lai En knights and gentlemen who were disguised as mercenaries.

Scared silly, they were like drowning dogs, tied into a ball by the angry Campbell people and thrown onto a flatbed cart to be taken away.

The bank of the Raging Torrent River was dyed a shocking dark red, and the turbid river water was full of broken corpses.

Raman put down the scalding rifle, the smell of gunpowder smoke made him unable to open his eyes, and when he finally tried hard to open his eyes, he was lost in place again.

He didn't have transcendent power.

But the number of people he killed today, I'm afraid even a Bai Yin-tier powerhouse would be surprised...

The rebellion was still continuing.

The Raging Torrent River was very long, and it would take a long time for the blood to be washed into the sea.

Raman suddenly began to be afraid; if the demons in the labyrinth came out in full force at this time, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, the thing he worried about didn't happen; this year's winter month was exceptionally quiet, especially Lei Ming County, which was riding on the Demon King's head.

At the same time that the rebel army of the northern vassals and the Campbell Grand Duke broke out in a bloody battle, the Lei Ming County labyrinth, which the nobles had high hopes for, was exceptionally quiet.

Not a single demon took advantage of the fire.

The only little demon who "passed by" by accident also shrank her neck, shivering, and hid back into the labyrinth when no one was paying attention.

Except for the only exception—

That wasn't a demon in the labyrinth, but from the center of the distant hell.

Only to see in the woods, an elegant young lady was covering her mouth and laughing lightly; under the purple parasol was a gorgeous and thin black long dress.

She didn't seem afraid of the cold.

Compared to the biting cold wind, she hated the sunlight that occasionally crossed the dark clouds even more.

At this moment, a sick smile was hanging on that exquisite face, and the smell of blood permeating the air not only didn't make her afraid, but made those scarlet pupils reveal a intoxicated smile.

"Kukuku... is this the territory of brother Highness?"

Worthy of being a demon famous in hell—

"This smell of blood is truly pleasant."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 491 =====