Chapter 371: War and Chaos (1)

The cicadas in the bramble trees chirped listlessly, their hum drowned out by the sound of the rain. The small citizens who once played music in the streets now glared at each other from the trees, along with the other insect citizens. The music was replaced by a commotion, and they jostled each other uncomfortably.

Raindrops fell from the insects, bounced off the thorns, and merged into the muddy water on the street. The muddy water reflected the gloomy faces, and the mud splashed on the trouser legs of passers-by under the footsteps of military boots.

Passersby's gazes met, their expressions filled with the same anxiety, annoyance, and anger waiting to be vented. One person patted his trouser leg. "You're walking so heavily, yet you have the face of a weak independent." The pedestrian stopped. "Looking for trouble, conservative?"

"Ahh, I want to crush your useless balls." "All you have left is your mouth."

The rain intensified, making it impossible to tell who threw the first punch, but it was a powerful blow, sending the other man crashing into the bar window. He quickly rose and retaliated, the rainy night further muddied by the blood. Naturally, the citizens were drawn in, eagerly joining in as if they had finally found their chance. Thus began another mass brawl, a foreshadowing of future misfortune.

The bar patrons remained silent, a common occurrence for the Second Order during this period. They discussed secret information that had come from nowhere. The red-haired woman in the corner pricked up her pointed ears, listening with great interest.

"Tianye has delivered another batch of weapons..." "Their mass-produced fighters are indeed useful." "They can all serve me!"

"Who are these weapons going to be used on?" "Of course, the outsiders." "Wouldn't it be better to send them to the front lines?" "I haven't received any relevant information."

"So it's used for civil war?" the red-haired woman said casually.

This statement shattered the tacit understanding, and the barely maintained peace gave way to a tense glare. The bar gradually divided into two distinct factions. Even the bartender was prepared, but the red-haired woman continued to drink alone, seemingly blind. Someone approached her aggressively, "Which faction are you from?"

"Stop it! Don't embarrass yourself in front of strangers!"

The old man's response was a scolding. The short, skinny old man pushed the man's fist away and sat down in the seat next to him with a sullen face.

"Mr. Slaine..."

People seemed to know him, and because of his intimidating aura, they shrank back and walked out of the bar in silence. Soon, a noise was heard outside, and the red-haired girl looked at the rain through the muddy window.

Silain ordered a glass of fruit wine and said to her, "It's not a good idea to travel to Jingsha at this time."

The old man had long ears and eyes so large he could be described as sparse, and the red-haired girl felt very familiar with him. She smiled and said, "A lot of people are fighting."

"This is the tradition here. Warriors settle disputes with their fists." Silain shook his head. "There's a special law called the Law of Combat... Whoever wins gets to rule, that's basically it. That's why orators are ignored here; the words of the strong count."

"Are there a lot of contradictions? We are obviously comrades in the same army."

"In the past, the citizens of our Second Bloodline were invincible warriors... Just like the name Iron Crown suggests, they were as hard as steel and as tenacious as thorns," the old man said. "But this army suffered heavy losses twenty years ago."

"Did you lose the fight?"

"We won. But it was a tragic victory," Silain said calmly. "We held out for ten years, but failed in the final battle. Fewer than half of the men returned. Those who survived began to doubt the point of such a war... Thirty-year hard labor, dwindling reinforcements, an increasingly powerful enemy. Casualties, starvation, fleeting happiness, this cycle repeats endlessly. Sooner or later, they'll give up and become another Netherworld Divine Kingdom."

He stared at the pale red wine. "There's nothing to gain in war, only more and more to lose. That's why everyone wants to get away from it... responsibility, obligation, justice, and so on. They want to leave all that behind, get away from the center of the war, and go far away..."

"Grandpa, that's running away." The red-haired girl said with a smile.

"You're running away with ugly, selfish motives." Silain nodded. "But if it means saving the lives of family and friends, why not run away?"

He drank the wine, stood up and said, "Little girl, there are still places available on the boat at the harbor. Jingsha is about to get into chaos, so leave early."

"You are very kind to me~"

"Once people get older, they tend to be friendly to young people, just as children are often friendly to the elderly."

The old man from the independent group left, and the red-haired girl waited for another half hour, during which time she ordered all the drinks she had not seen. Half an hour later, a new guest sat down next to her.

"What do you think of the Jingsha city-state?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"Grandpa's hometown is full of people who are too naive!" Qingxia said with a smile.

"Mr. Chu and I are exhausted while you're eating, drinking and having fun here."

"Are you killing heretics?"

With his other hand, he stole Qingxia's wine glass. Qingye leaned behind her and took a big gulp. He said listlessly, "I wish it were so. It's a civil war, a civil war!"

·

With the passage of the Independence Act, the situation in Jingsha became critical, and all factions naturally took action. Small and medium-sized factions like Wuchendi, represented by Velvet, had already arrived, and larger factions like Longquan Township were not far behind.

As a transit hub, Huilong City was operating at near capacity, with troops pouring in from all corners of the world, eager to see if the situation improved. Reliable and experienced teammates like Qingye and Qingxia were the first reinforcements to arrive on Jingsha's mainland, tasked with the city's lord's personal mission.

Stop the civil war in Jingsha!

"I couldn't even imagine it in the past. This is the Jingsha city-state! The most united place in the entire world! But just because of a bill, it has become like our Shura Island!" Qing Ye complained bitterly.

"Oh, Xiaoye, do you guys on Shura Island often have internal conflicts?" Qingxia was curious.

"They're not just fighting internally, they're fighting local wars. A dozen famous generals are claiming states, fighting each other like dogs, and deaths are commonplace," said Vander. "Compared to Shura Island, the civil war in Jingsha is nothing but playing house. Neither side even resorted to inhumane and destructive weapons. Their moral standards are incredibly high."

Qing Xia was filled with awe. "So there are such stupid things. I suddenly understand why Commander Chongming didn't want to go home after being away for hundreds of years."

Qing Ye clutched his head and screamed, "Please stop talking! I really want to stuff all those bastards from my hometown into the battle line!"

"Although it's called a civil war, I actually walked around the military camp and felt that the situation was okay. There didn't seem to be any large-scale bloodshed."

Qing Ye's eyes were dull: "Why do you think Mr. Chu and I came here so late..."

"...Could it be that I'm already late?"

Fander rolled his eyes. "Four days! Do you know how we spent those four days? The three of us ran all over the barracks, and we beat up every officer with a rank except the second captain! Yesterday, a few assassins were still trying to play the game of pretending to be loyal. If I hadn't reacted quickly, we almost got into a fight."

Qingxia exclaimed, "What?! The civil war has been suppressed, so where would I be of any use?"

Chu Hengkong touched her head and said, "The situation is still not optimistic. The Second Order is now completely dependent on us to maintain order. If we don't find a way to guide the people's hearts, the situation will not fundamentally change."

Qingxia rekindled his spirit: "Let's infect them all with the virus and force them to vote."

"Okay, go ahead. When Jingsha punishes you, I'll be standing beside you, eating potato chips and clapping my hands with Mr. Chu." Qingye said.

"So annoying... We clearly have more combat power here..."

"There's a difference between combat effectiveness and influence. A thousand words from outsiders can't outweigh a single word from a local leader," said Fander, explaining the local situation. "Right now, two individuals in the Second Order hold the highest public support: veteran General Silain, who supports independence, and the second captain, who remains neutral and uncommitted."

"Slaine is a Seismic Point 4 Air Wing. His combat prowess isn't particularly strong, but he's very experienced. Like the shop owner and his crew, he's experienced the war. The current Second Order officers have all been mentored by him to some degree, so even if they disagree, it's difficult for them to openly oppose him."

Qing Xia exclaimed, "Ah!" and questioned, "He's fought for so many years, how could he still not see the reality clearly?"

"Because old man Silan's family is loyal and brave," Vander said dryly. "The old man fought for too many years, and almost all his family and comrades died on the battlefield, leaving only his beloved grandson. He originally imprisoned his grandson in Mansa Star Fort, and would never let the child go to the battlefield again. However, the boy rebelled and fought without telling the old man, and was killed in the last battle 20 years ago."

“Ah…”

"The old man was practically insane after that battle. If it weren't for Parrimanism, he'd probably be dead along with his family by now," Vander commented. "Well, there's nothing we can do. It's miserable enough that he's lived to this point. We're in no position to lecture him on moral matters."

Qingxia felt dizzy after hearing this: "Skip this for now! Where's the second captain?"

"The Second Captain remained silent, remained silent, and refused to express his stance," Chu Hengkong said. "His choice directly led to the current situation. Had the Second Captain expressed his stance, whether supporting independence or the Allies, the situation within the Second Order would have become clearer. But he was determined to remain neutral to the end. Without a leader's word, the subordinates had no choice but to continue their chaos."

Qingye first thought of the worst possible scenario: "Could he be an accomplice of the Speaker? Acquiescing to the separatist movement in the name of neutrality?"

"I don't think that's possible..." Vander's eyes were subtle. "His intelligence is on par with yours. He shouldn't have that kind of intention..."

"This squid doesn't look very useful, so I'm going to eat it first, okay?"

"How dare you eat your comrades, you bastard! Hypnotism!"

"Ah, my eyes hurt—I'm wearing goggles."

Qingxia pulled down her goggles, beaming with pride. Qingye ignored the two heartless individuals and said to Chu Hengkong, "What should we do now? If we continue to suppress the independence faction with violence, the number of petitions won't increase."

"Intelligence says the second captain will make a move tonight. Let's see what he plans first."

The source of the information must have been reliable, because not long after they sat in the bar, they heard a booming announcement. The voice echoed throughout the Second Order, the speaker's tone particularly exaggerated: "Citizens of the Second Order, listen carefully! Team Two will be making a major announcement today! Cast your gaze toward the nearest water curtain. Those who are close, please come to the Plaza of Honor!"

(End of this chapter)