Chapter 221 Day Five · Family-country

As the most elite super-large comprehensive corps in Zhongzhou State, once war broke out, the Border Control Corps must be the first to bear the gunfire of the enemy and acted as the backbone, conducting a large number of operational missions.

In a time of peace, it was the iron wall of Zhongzhou State, but in a time of war, it was the sharp sword of Zhongzhou State. This super force of nearly 600,000 soldiers had been given too many sacred duties by the entire Zhongzhou State since it was founded. It was once at its peak and had once fallen to the bottom. Since Dongcheng Wudi, the God of Massacre of Zhongzhou State, took charge of the Border Control Corps till now, it still shone brightly.

It was the glow of blood.

Dongcheng Wudi made the Border Control Corps because he pulled it out of the shadow of the treason case when it was haunted by abjection.

The Border Control Corps made Dongcheng Wudi, too. Because of the existence of the former, the latter’s title as the God of Massacre could be famous in the Dark World.

Thunderbolt, Pegasus, Blood, Wild Sand, and Black Dragon.

These five regiments were arguably the most essential parts of the Border Control Corps, and Dongcheng Wudi spent most of the year in these five regiments.

The Pegasus Battalion was stationed in the frontier of Tibetan area in Zhongzhou State.

The Blood Battalion was headquartered at the border of Nanyun.

The Wild Sand Battalion guarded Beijiang of Zhongzhou State.

The Black Dragon Battalion held the northeast gateway of Zhongzhou State.

The Thunderbolt Battalion was a troop directly subordinate to Dongcheng Wudi, the Commander of the Border Control Corps. It was also a troop with the least number of soldiers. It had less than 20,000 soldiers in total, but all of them were elites.

It had been nearly two decades since Dongcheng Wudi took charge of the Border Control Corps, and the Thunderbolt Battalion had been following him. Wherever the long sword of the God of Massacre pointed, the Thunderbolt Battalion would launch attacks there. The Thunderbolt Battalion was a genuinely experienced troop. Each one of the 20,000 soldiers was Dongcheng Wudi’s trusted subordinate and also the biggest pride of the Border Control Corps.

The early August was destined to be an eventful period to the Dark World. Things in North America was in full swing, and Northern Europe was in turmoil. When the final battle of Changdao was left in the air, East Asia was again plunged into chaos.

Chaos erupted in the south of Annan State, which bordered on Zhongzhou State. The Scorpion Organization, which had been vanishing without a trace in Annan State for nearly a decade, revived. As soon as it appeared, it began to start a prairie fire.

In just a few days, the Scorpion Organization had occupied three cities in the south of Annan State. It was said that this organization had more than 100,000 members in less than two days.

Annan State was in chaos, and international news was in full swing. The government of Annan State was so deeply troubled that it immediately sent troops from the north to the south battlefield to hunt down the Scorpion Organization.

Intentionally or unintentionally, the northern part of Annan State bordering Nanyun of Zhongzhou State had become guardless like never before. The land to the north of Annan State was now almost unguarded and exposed to the sight of Zhongzhou State.

In this delicate and complicated situation, the Thunderbolt Battalion had dispatched nearly all of its 20,000 elites to go south to enter the Nanyun Province.

Marshal Dongcheng Wudi, the God of Massacre of Zhongzhou State, personally led the Thunderbolt Battalion and hurried to the headquarter of the Blood Battalion.

For a time, the world was shocked, and the eyes of countless people began to shift from East Island to the border of Zhongzhou State.

Even some countries that had previously cooperated with Zhongzhou State to clamp down on East Island’s currency expressed doubts. Whether or not they understood what was going on, their actions made it clear that they wanted Zhongzhou State to be sensible.

The Secretary of State of Star State even issued a question at the UN conference. He said that he did not understand the intention of the Thunderbolt Battalion’s sudden move southward. He went further and suggested Zhongzhou State withdraw the Thunderbolt Battalion.

Gaul’s spokesman also euphemistically expressed that when the north of Annan State was guardless and its main force was crushing a rebellion in the south, the Thunderbolt Battalion’s move southward would only cause panic and misunderstanding in Annan State.

The comments of the spokesman of Yinglun State were more strident because he almost pointed out that Zhongzhou State harbored hostile intentions by doing so. He not only suggested Zhongzhou State withdraw the Thunderbolt Battalion but also recommended the Blood Battalion, which was stationed at the border of Nanyun, should also withdraw some distance at the same time to show its sincerity.

In this regard, the spokesman of Zhongzhou State who attended the UN conference offered no explanation but a sneer.

Dongcheng Wudi was even more decisive. In an environment where everyone knew each other well, amid a chorus of doubts, the God of Massacre of Zhongzhou State did not order to retreat. Instead, he directly ordered the Blood Battalion and the Thunderbolt Battalion to advance 10 kilometers ahead.

International confusion became questioning. Questioning gradually became denunciations. Denunciations eventually escalated into shouting curses and then threats bordering on the old refrain.

Zhongzhou State kept silent.

The Border Control Corps was even silent as the grave. They just went about their business and didn’t give a shit to the uproar in the outside world.

The Nanyun border was sultry and oppressive.

On a hillside less than 10 kilometers from the border, Dongcheng Wudi, who had just got up, flipped through the newspaper and squinted slightly.

The international section of the newspaper was full of accusations and threats from other great powers to Zhongzhou State. There were plenty of accusations in a tough tone against Zhongzhou State’s taking advantage of other people’s perilous state and bringing shame on the demeanor of being a superpower. Dongcheng Wudi glanced at the newspaper, tossed it aside, and sneered, “Contemptible scoundrels. You’re only skilled at performing in opera.” Sanctions? Shit.”

Hearing his voice, a robust man sleeping near him sleepily rolled over and sat up from his blanket.

In the yellowish light, the beads of sweat on this person’s face could be seen flowing down constantly. He shot a glance at Dongcheng Wudi, who was already in uniform, and said with a bitter smile, “Don’t you feel hot, marshal? Although the conditions in the Blood Battalion aren’t so good, and even if the tent of the marshal on the makeshift campsite isn’t equipped with an air conditioner, a fan is a must. What are you doing this for?”

He got up from the blanket while speaking. As he moved, his body was suddenly covered with a thin layer of ice. When the ice appeared, there was a sense of sudden coolness inside the sweltering tent.

“Experiencing life.”

Dongcheng Wudi didn’t look back. He lit a cigarette and said in an indifferent tone.

“This damn life.”

The man cursed and looked puzzled. He was thin and was about the same height as Dongcheng Wudi, but his face was extremely rough. His dark skin, with an oily sheen, made him look very burly and fierce. At this moment, however, this general of Zhongzhou State, whose words were of enormous weight in the Blood Battalion, didn’t look intimidating at all, when he stood beside Dongcheng Wudi. He seemed honest, and even a little good-natured.

General Wang Wantian, the Commander of the Blood Battalion!

He was an old subordinate of Dongcheng Wudi and one of the latter’s most trusted people in the Border Control Corps.

“There is a place near here that has no air conditioner or fan either. It’s been going on like this for years.”

Dongcheng Wudi walked out of the tent with a cigarette in his mouth and a calm expression on his face. “I am going to walk around.”

More than 100,000 people in the Blood Battalion, plus less than 20,000 people in the Thunderbolt Battalion, had scattered along the long borderline and been ready to take action two days ago. At this time, Dongcheng Wudi was at the head of the frontier. Only 10,000 elites of the Thunderbolt Battalion stayed here.

The 10,000 people were encamped on the hillside closest to the border temporarily. A large number of tents were pitched on the ground, spreading like an endless scroll. Although this place was not as bleak and heroic as the headquarter of the Blood Battalion, it had a sense of silence and toughness.

Dongcheng Wudi walked slowly forward for less than a kilometer. In front of him, a large drum nearly five meters in diameter appeared.

The drum seemed to be made of wood but yet not. It had stood on the border for decades, weathered but yet unaltered.

This drum was called Family-country, but 19 years ago, this drum was named Xuanyuan.

It was a big drum that could withstand the full force of a Half-step Invincible Realm master.

It was the drum built by Li Honghe, the patriarch of the Li family, at the border in those days. Across the entire border between Nanyun and Annan State, there were 13 large drums in total. When the war broke out, the drums sounded loud enough to spread across the border for hundreds of kilometers.

When the war broke out and all advanced means of communication failed, communicating through the beating of drums became all the more important.

Therefore, the drum language was something that every soldier of the Border Control Corps basically understood.

Dongcheng Wudi went to the big drum and picked up the drumsticks.

As the morning sun rose on the horizon, the muffled drumbeats sounded several times in an instant, spreading through the mountains and rushing into the forest.

A moment later, 13 drums sounded at the same time. The drumbeats were muffled but spread through the border. However, only one meaning was conveyed.

No survivor was allowed to be left in this battle.

All the soldiers heard it.

Everyone in a small campsite which did not belong to the Border Control Corps and was situated in a forest of the aerolites on the border heard it too.

The drumbeats, vague and yet clear, reached the campsite, and also broke the silence of this campsite.

Li Honghe walked out the door of a pavilion near the center of the campsite where he had been staying for nearly two decades. He looked into the distance in a sort of trance and listened to the distant and yet close drumbeats, whispering, “It’s Xuanyuan… No, it is now Family-country.”

The morning wind stirred his ragged clothes. The old man came down slowly with a complicated look on his face.

The drumbeats awakened all the people in the camp. They silently walked out of their “dormitories” and came up to the old man.

The old man went to the center of the camp, stood under the fluttering Star Flag of Zhongzhou State, and watched the flying flag in silence.

After a long while, he took a slight step forward.

“His Royal Highness…”

In the crowd gathered behind him, a voice sounded in a complicated tone.

Li Honghe slowly turned back and looked at the old, loyal subordinates who had followed the Li family to death for years. His eyes were calm.

His eyes were occupied by people who had mixed emotions on their faces.

“Your sore point hasn’t dissolved yet, right?”

He kept silent for a long while. Then he looked at the crowd in front and suddenly asked with a chuckle.

“How can it dissolve?”

Another voice sounded in the crowd, full of bitterness and even ferociousness.

Li Honghe didn’t look to see who was speaking but spoke gently, “If it can’t dissolve, then let it be. We are soldiers. When the drum named Family-country is beaten, the battle is about to begin. What do you think I should do?”

There was only silence in the crowd.

Dead silence.

No one spoke.

Li Honghe looked at them quietly. There was no disappointment or joy in his eyes, only calmness.

This went on for a good while.

And it seemed to be a long period.

Li Honghe slowly turned around and held out his hand to the Star Flag that was hanging in the air before him.

“I can understand you, so… Don’t ask me where you’re going. I am not a War God anymore, but I’m still a soldier. So, I will go.”

He paused for a short while and then continued, “You can stay or engage in war, but you don’t have to be with me.”

He held the flagpole with a sudden force and directly pulled up the flagpole several meters high at one go.

The scarlet Star Flag fluttered in his hand and made a sound.

Li Honghe’s eyes lost focus. He looked up at the scarlet flag and muttered to himself, “Old thing… Let’s go.”

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