Chapter 373: War and Chaos (3)

As night fell and the rain gradually subsided, the Second Order found a rare moment of peace. The thorny tree cicadas whispered about the upcoming victory or defeat. The young ones hoped that the Allies would prove their reliability, but they also worried that if the Allies truly won, the camp would appear to be a bunch of idiots.

People no longer dueled privately; most citizens had less time for thought than cicadas. After two days, once the winner had been decided, the higher-ups would make a decision... and no matter how absurd the process, the decision itself was significant. Once the leaders spoke, people knew what to do... If they advocated independence, they followed suit; if they firmly opposed it, they opposed it.

To some degree, they all mock this mentality of following the crowd. But do those who actively advocate for this truly have their own "independent opinions"? Are their beliefs their own, or are they just what others want them to believe?

No one knew the answer... So, it was best to just follow a soldier's duty and obey orders. Once the winner was decided, this matter would finally be over.

In a bar in a narrow alley, a tall, thin man stared at the dirty glass in a trance. He was not wearing his usual white coat and looked like an ordinary frustrated middle-aged man, but the bartender treated him with great respect.

"Your drink, sir."

He was stunned for a moment before coming to his senses. He took the wine glass and said with a smile, "I'm no longer your superior..."

"That was an unfair trial," the bartender said. "That's what everyone thinks."

"It's fair. People always have to pay the price for their actions."

"That's unfair," the bartender kept repeating. The tall, thin man scratched his head helplessly. Then a new customer squeezed into the small bar, extending a big hand to greet them: "It's a perfect night to chat with old friends! How about giving us a little space?"

"Yes, Captain!"

The bartender stood at attention, saluted, and trotted out. Huan Ge poured a small glass of fruit wine and sat down at the bar.

"Did you hear that? Call me 'Captain', and you're 'Commander'."

"It's just a habit... You don't like being called 'sir', do you? That's the thing." The tall and thin man, Jas Trick, smiled. "It's not easy being a military leader."

Huan Ge drank the wine in one gulp and put the cup down with force.

“Sometimes I really think that it’s a good thing that there are strong and weak people in this world!”

"How do you know?"

"If Hengkong and the others hadn't been able to suppress both sides, the internal strife in this military camp would have broken out long ago. And if I hadn't been able to suppress them all, how could the Second Lineage Disturbance have been resolved in such a frivolous manner?" Huan Ge said, "And precisely because everyone knows the difference between the strong and the weak, and knows the importance of the opinions of strong people like us, they are collectively willing to acknowledge the results of the duel... They think this is a good solution!"

"I can use tricks like this to make them realize the strength of the Allies and their own limitations. If you and I all had the same strength and abilities..."

He clutched his empty wine glass and sighed, "This military camp has probably already been flooded with blood!"

Trek poured him another glass. "This world is deeply unfair. The strong are born bearing the lives of the weak. Your command can determine their life or death, and a single word from you can change their minds... So it's better to be foolish than cautious. There's no need to delve into things that can be glossed over. This is what those in high positions mean by being cautious in their words and actions."

"That's absolutely right," Huan Ge said in a deep voice, "but you see it so clearly, why haven't you come forward yet? Commander-in-Chief Jas Trek!"

Cui Ke was silent for a long time, then smiled bitterly and said, "The chaos in the military camp originated from me alone. Even if I had no dignity, what right did I have to speak to them?"

The rampant rise of separatists, the despondency of the city-state, the turmoil within and beyond the military camp, and even the rise of Parrimanism after the war—all stemmed from the final bloody battle twenty years prior. During that period, during a lull between battle lines, the Outer Paths launched surprise attacks, while a multitude of demons descended from the sea to entrench the city-state. The city-state of Jingsha was perilous, yet from the nobility to the soldiers, no one ever doubted their chances of victory or defeat.

Because the commander-in-chief at that time was Jas Trick.

He commanded the army for ten years, achieving victory in every battle, and was recognized as a leader in both military strategy and martial arts. More importantly, his Holy Honor Cup, powered by the sacred tree, allowed for the rapid transfer of troops, enabling unprecedented high-mobility combat. At the time, the city-state was facing internal and external difficulties, and everyone knew the decision.

Withdraw the main force back into the city, repel the demons, and then use the city's geographical advantages to repel the enemy forces on the front line. Simply hold out until the next batch of reinforcements arrives, and Jingsha's predicament will be resolved, and these ten years of war will finally be over!

But Jas Trek didn't follow his lead. He left only a small number of troops to return to the city to provide support, while leaving the main force to fight to the death on the front lines. That front was held, but the soldiers who should have been able to return home died in the final battle.

The city-state of Jingsha gained nothing. The families of the fallen, in their grief, called for the severe punishment of the negligent commander and justice for the fallen. Consequently, the commander-in-chief was court-martialed and demoted to the Third Divine Guard. Meanwhile, Periman, who had returned to the city-state with the remaining troops, was hailed as a city-state hero and rose to prominence.

The events of twenty years ago ended with the resignation of a senior official.

"That's ridiculous!" Huan Ge roared. "If ordinary people, unfamiliar with warfare, can't understand something that can be understood by just looking at a map, how could the people in the military court not understand it?"

"Stop talking..."

Huan Ge insisted, "The pressure on the front lines is so great. If we don't defend the front lines as quickly as possible, the outside forces will bypass the city-states and follow the tide, directly attacking the thousands of small and medium-sized dust islands in the rear and our support bases on the periphery! The first to perish will be Ji Qiufeng's Huilong City, and then the reinforcements from Longquan Township will be cut off by the outside forces at sea. The next ten years of new forces will suffer heavy casualties before the battle even begins!"

By then, not only will we be unable to break through the Heavenly Prison, but even defending it for the next ten years will be a major problem. Given the current state of affairs, we must defend it with all our might!

Trick said solemnly, "It's not your family or mine that died in battle!"

Huan Ge refused to give in: "What we are protecting is the safety of millions of families!"

The two soldiers glared at each other, their eyes as cold as blood-soaked arrows. Finally, it was Trek who retreated, slumped over the bar in despair.

"The people want an explanation," he whispered. "The families of the dead want an answer. Someone must be held accountable for so many casualties. If no one takes responsibility, how can this matter be resolved?"

"So many orphans and elderly people! Children who have lost their fathers, wives who have lost their loved ones! Are you going to tell them that this is justified? Are you going to tell them that the soldiers deserved to die?!"

Trek's voice rose, nearly losing his composure, as he repeated the monotonous questioning. Parriman walked the world wearing a mask, and he was truly no different. His mask was a cynical demeanor, a listless demeanor. But he couldn't remove it. Beneath his mask lay regret and sorrow, words he couldn't share with his family or his subordinates. Only when he met his former comrades, under the influence of alcohol, could he confide in them.

"Jingsha City-State needs the Judged Jas Trick, just as it once needed Perriman!" Trick sighed, "If I don't shoulder this responsibility, how can the war be declared over?"

"—Nonsense, nonsense!"

The bar door was kicked open, and a thin old man in a military uniform appeared, his eyes filled with anger. He pointed at Trick and trembled, "Is this what I taught you? Did I teach you to be moral and just?"

Trek was stunned for a moment: "General Silan..."

"You're a soldier! As a soldier, you must obey orders and follow commands. As a general, you focus on the overall outcome, life and death!" Silain shouted angrily, "You're a soldier, all you care about is winning and losing, and how to win!"

"The battle has begun, lives have been lost, and you must face the mourning families. Tell them that their loved ones died with honor! They sacrificed their lives for justice and for all living things! Tell the children to inherit their father's bravery and become a formidable Jingsha soldier to slay his enemies. Tell the wives to carry on their husband's legacy and raise their children to become distinguished citizens of the city-state who will fight alongside us and be worthy of the spirits of the dead!"

"This is your vocation! Your obligation!" Slaine roared. "You are a ruthless soldier. Your mission is to ensure victory for the Allies! Public opinion and morality, what bullshit! Those are the fucking things politicians consider! Are all those politicians in Mansa Star Castle idiots? It's your turn to worry about them!!"

Cui Ke remained silent. Huan Ge tried to smooth things over, "Old man, this is too... We should at least be a little more humane..."

Silain turned around and cursed, "Shut the fuck up! Can you make such a decision? Twenty years ago, you would have committed suicide!"

"I'll shut up. I'll shut up."

Huan Ge sat there, his eyes fixed on his nose, his nose on his heart, pretending he didn't hear anything. Silan stared at his favorite student, his eyes filled with deep disappointment.

"Why didn't you do that, Trick?" the old man asked.

"Old General, you're being so easy!" Trick gritted his teeth. "How can I speak like that? Am I supposed to tell you that your good grandson died with honor, and ask you, a lonely old widower, to cheer up and support me in overcoming the criticism in the city?!"

"That's right! That's what you should say!" Silain glared. "No matter how great the pressure, you must withstand it. If those around you can't stand it anymore, you must personally pull them up. You must give speeches, win support, guide public opinion, exaggerate the consequences of defeat, and make everyone believe that it was you, Jas Trek, who saved the Allies. You are the true hero of the city-state!"

"But you escaped. You were court-martialed yourself, and in the end, that coward, Parriman, reaped the benefits of post-war public opinion. You went from a clown to a city-state hero!"

Trek shook his head: "Talking about this now..."

"Yeah, it's pointless," Thrain interrupted. "You're just a district captain now, and I've long been an old man whose only thought is about my dead grandson. We can't even stand up straight anymore, so let's just live in despair."

"Run! Run! Run as far as you can. If everything goes well, at least we can survive overseas for another 20 or 30 years, spending our last days alone under the siege of the outsiders!"

The old man left. Huan Ge drank two more cups and said to his old friend, "I'm going to say something cruel."

"I've heard a lot of cruel things today."

"Jingsha City-State needs Jas Trick," Huan Ge said calmly. "We could fight a few rounds, and perhaps temporarily suppress public opinion... But neither I nor Chu Hengkong can change people's minds."

"Twenty years ago, you were prepared to be sacrificed. Now, do you still have the courage to stand under the gaze of the public?"

Huang Ge also left, leaving only the sleepy Trick in the small bar. After an unknown amount of time, the bartender returned to clean up the bar, and Trick raised his drowsy eyes.

"If I were to give a speech again, would you listen?"

"Yes, sir," the bartender said. "Any time."

(End of this chapter)