Chapter 438 Great Victory at Jiliu Pass!
In the forest north of Jiliu Pass, shouts and gunshots shook the earth, and a fierce battle opened the bloody curtain.
On one side were the peasants from the Duchy of Campbell, and on the other side were the peasants from the Twilight Province.
Just yesterday evening, the arrival of reinforcements from the Principality of Campbell completely shattered Finnian's attempt for a quick victory.
He knew very well that on the open plains, even if his army composed of farmers had the upper hand in numbers, it would be difficult for them to go head-to-head with the well-equipped and well-trained regular army of the Duchy of Campbell.
Without any hesitation, he immediately gave the order to retreat and withdrew all 100,000 Green Forest Army into the forest north of Jiliu Pass.
This is his home turf.
The children of the Running River are natural hunters, and every farmer in the Dusk Province is as familiar with the forest as the legendary elves!
He had no doubt that as long as he relied on the complex terrain and cleverly deployed the encirclement, he would be able to use wave after wave of bullets and arrows to divide and surround these lackeys loyal to the nobles and devour them completely!
Just like the two battles they fought before arriving at Rapids Pass!
At that time, he had less than 100,000 soldiers under his command. Facing Earl Grayger, who was superior to him in both military strength and supernatural power, he cleverly used the terrain to make the latter fall into his trap while he was rushing to help!
I have to say, there is actually nothing wrong with this plan.
The number of Green Forest Army is twice that of the Campbell people. They even demoted bronze-level and even steel-level extraordinary people to the hundred-man team. What they are best at is guerrilla warfare.
However, Finnian ultimately underestimated the strength of the "Northern Rescue Army" and slightly overestimated the strength of his own men.
Count Grayger was merely a tyrant, and the peasants under his command were essentially no different from them. However, the Campbells before him were different. They were a group of farmers who had already stood at the gates of industrialization, a force that was ahead of its time!
As Campbell's army advanced into the forest, the ambush that Finnian was proud of finally began!
The sound of trumpets rang out from the woods on all sides, and thousands of Green Army soldiers roared and rushed out of the woods, launching the first round of offensive against the army of the Duchy of Campbell, trying to drown these uninvited guests who broke into the forest in the sea of people.
Unfortunately, however, the first group they encountered was the vanguard of the Northern Rescue Army - a chasseur unit consisting of 200 grenadiers.
These two hundred young men are tall, strong and powerful, and most importantly, they are fearless of death!
Faced with the overwhelming shouts and the rebels rushing towards them, they not only did not feel any fear, but instead burst into shouts of excitement.
"Brothers! Monsters are spawning!"
"What a great planning dog! What a grand event!"
"Hahahaha! I've been eating the cake that the dog planned for so long, and finally I can enjoy it for once!"
"Ahhh! Totally crazy!"
The rebels only saw a tall hunter ignite the grenade filled with black powder in his hand, and with a running start, threw it three or four hundred meters away!
That was obviously no longer the power of old farmer Campbell...
It is clearly the strength of a superhuman!
The exploding grenade exploded in the forest, killing five or six unsuspecting Green Army soldiers.
And they soon discovered that the grenade was not an isolated case.
The grenadiers on the opposite side all had outrageous arm strength, and the distance of their bombs was even greater than that of the bows and arrows in their hands!
Finnian watched helplessly as his ambush troops ran into a group of lunatics who didn't care about casualties at all.
They only focused on charging, and then poured a hail of bullets on the Green Forest Army's line, ignoring the rain of arrows coming from all directions, and had no fear of death at all!
This group of fearless lunatics instantly tore through the Green Army's vanguard, so that before Finnian's carefully arranged encirclement could be closed, they were blown to pieces by the oncoming grenades, and the army was almost completely routed...
And now——
Their real nightmare has just begun!
Just as the "big guys" of the Principality of Campbell were tearing through the defense line with their lives, Campbell's main force also launched a general offensive.
"go ahead--!"
As the cannons rang out, the company commander drew his command sword and led the soldiers standing in three rows beside him to advance in neat steps.
Not just moving forward—
The moment Campbell's phalanx brought the rebel line within firing range, the three rows of soldiers immediately stopped, with the first row taking the lead in firing the first volley, followed by the third row moving to the front and firing, followed by the second row at the end of the team... The phalanxes on the entire battlefield were moving forward in a slow-moving and slow-shooting posture!
“Bang, bang, bang—!!!”
The smoke instantly filled the entire forest!
Facing the volleys of fire from the Northern Rescue Army, the Green Turbans, attempting to form a siege, were like primitive men. Armed with muskets and crossbows, they were often disoriented by two or three rounds of merciless lead bullets before they could even reach the enemy.
Campbell's soldiers advanced steadily while firing, and even the numerous obstacles in the forest could not break their formation.
They had already practiced today's encounter in the Silver Pine Forest north of Thunder City.
Many of the soldiers are veterans who once fought against Demon Lord Dragun. Even many platinum-level demon generals died at their hands. Now, dealing with a group of rabble is naturally a piece of cake!
The continuous volleys of gunfire formed an insurmountable wall of fire and blood in the forest north of Jiliu Pass. Wherever they passed, both living people and tree trunks were torn to pieces, with their skin and flesh torn!
It's not just the flintlock rifles on the front line that are making noise, but also the artillery in the rear!
Smoothbore cannons and mortars roared in unison on the plains behind, and the whistling shells passed over the treetops like meteors, cutting open one bloody corridor after another in the middle of the Green Forest Army!
Although the Green Army's artillery deployed in the hilly area quickly opened fire in response, they were soon met with counterattacks from Campbell's mortar unit!
After just a few rounds of volleys, the Green Forest Army's artillery fire died down, and their positions were reduced to ashes.
The jungle guerrilla tactics that Finnian was proud of turned into a joke in the face of well-trained soldiers and absolute firepower advantage.
This can no longer be called a war—
It was a completely one-sided massacre!
Tens of thousands of Green Turbans were defeated by the well-trained Campbell soldiers on the battlefield where they were best at.
Everyone is like a drowning person in a mountain torrent, and can only escape in a smoke maze with no exit in sight.
The mountains and plains were full of people who took off their headscarves and ran away. Some people not only threw away the weapons in their hands, but even ran away with their straw sandals.
Just like when they gathered together with their blood boiling and tied their headscarves on their heads...
"What a bunch of rubbish!"
Looking at the deserters running around in the forest, Finnian's face was full of anger and fear, his fists clenched, and his nails dug deep into the flesh.
The development of things far exceeded his expectations.
He originally planned to rely on his familiarity with the terrain to deal a head-on blow to the Principality's army, but he didn't expect that the two sides were more than an order of magnitude apart in both tactics and strategy!
Campbell's soldiers, with their morale high, advanced deep into the forest with great force, advancing under the cover of organized artillery.
In the face of that absolute firepower, individual combat power below the fine steel level was completely useless, and in terms of extraordinary power above the silver level, it was obvious that Knight Campbell, who had a profound foundation, had the upper hand.
Even if the power bestowed by Chaos is more destructive in reality, the knights blessed by the priests can rely on tacit cooperation to defeat them one by one.
Finnian's men had only just mastered this power, just as they had just received the weapons bestowed by Chaos.
After all, war is not like rolling the dice while drinking, where whoever has the higher number wins.
Besides, no one except the gods can see all the dice.
For now, I can only avoid the sharp edge temporarily...
Finnian no longer hesitated and led his guards to break out to the north. Standing in front of them were both Campbells and deserters who had taken off their turbans.
No matter who they were, anyone who dared to block his way was shot to death by the bow and arrow in his hand and the short crossbows of his personal guards!
Just when he was about to escape, a group of cavalrymen in shining armor attacked his flank.
Looking at the shining lances and the majestic Campbell flag, the guards gathered around Finnian showed uncontrollable panic on their faces.
Theresa pointed her lance at the bandit leader standing in the formation and shouted sternly.
"It's over, you jungle rat Finnian, you traitor to your monarch, you murderous devil! Surrender now!"
After all, the Knight Master was more educated. The string of titles made Finnian almost fail to realize that he was being talked about.
"My name is Jungle Shadow! I can't wear so many hats!"
He laughed, put his hand on the bow, looked at the knight on horseback, and responded without hesitation.
"As for the traitor who betrayed the monarch? Thank you for the compliment!"
Theresa, who was holding the reins, raised a sneer at the corner of her mouth. The holy spell made her look like a god descending to earth.
The same was true for the knights behind her.
"...I think your brain has been completely ruined by the shit Chaos poured into it. You can't even tell the difference between praise and insult."
The offensive power of this sentence was so weak that Finnian did not feel angry at all, and even felt like laughing.
"Chaos? I think you are the ones who have sold your souls to Chaos! Just like those nobles hiding in the castle! Where were you when we were starving? Where was your oath not to let your people perish from hunger and cold? You only remember what benefits you!"
Theresa looked at him indifferently and said coldly.
"And where are your people? In your frying pans? Or on your drying racks? I don't think you're hungry. You're eating more than the castle's defenders."
The correct way to elevate the soul level is to practice the teachings of Saint Sith, use the truth in your hands to build a legend, be worshipped by people, and obtain miracles bestowed by the gods.
In addition to this path, there are also some shortcuts.
For example, killing many, many people, or using rituals to please the evil spirits in chaos.
She didn't know what this guy had done, but it was obviously impossible that he had moved the gods by doing good deeds and improved his cultivation.
Even if someone is moved, it is probably the gods in the chaos who are moved.
Facing the Knight's accusation, Finnian laughed.
"Don't blame me for your filthiness! Besides, I'm not a king, so where do my subjects come from?"
Theresa's lips curled up in a sneer.
"Becoming a de facto king, yet not claiming to be one? What a brilliant tactic! I must commend you for completely shrugging off even your last remaining obligations."
Seeing through her bluffing and delaying tactics, Finnian grew tired of communicating with her and pulled the bowstring in his hand.
"A mere knight dares to speak so arrogantly in front of me. It seems you don't know what true power is."
"Oh? Then tell me, what is the real power?"
A majestic voice came from not far away. Finnian looked over subconsciously and saw a knight riding his horse towards him through the chaotic battlefield.
Her dazzling golden hair was tied into a circle at the back of her head. Her fair and straight face was like a marble sculpture in front of a church. Under her slender black eyebrows were eyes as sharp as swords.
He almost thought it was an elf walking from the rushing river... Every Llane in the Dusk Province had heard the legend about her, although no one had seen her with their own eyes.
However, Finnian soon came to his senses and realized that the people on the other side were the Campbell people, and it was impossible for them to obtain the blessing of the river spirit.
Seeing Her Highness Irene coming from behind, Theresa held the reins with one hand and respectfully retreated back to the cavalry formation.
Now she is no longer the girl who needed her own protection a few years ago. Even when facing the demon king in the maze, she can fight without losing.
Finnian narrowed his eyes, glanced at the sword at the knight's waist, and suddenly seemed to understand something, and laughed out loud again.
"I didn't expect Grand Duke Campbell to be a chick. Hey, how old are you? Have you grown all your hair yet? I'm only interested in ripe fruits."
Faced with those frivolous words, Irene remained unmoved and just smiled faintly.
"I am the Grand Duke's sister. You don't need to worry about my age."
"Why didn't he come?"
"There's no need for my brother to take action against a character like you."
"Oh? It seems your brother never taught you not to treat adults' weapons as toys."
Finnian's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes gradually became dangerous, and a hint of ecstasy and greed flashed in the depths of his eyes.
How strong could a young girl, still wet behind the ears, be? As long as she was held hostage, there might be a chance of turning this battle around!
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Finnian's eyes, and he no longer held back. His platinum-level strength erupted in an instant!
The majestic power of chaos gathered towards the longbow in his hand, transforming into a dark green arrow, which was placed on the string.
Then, he released the bowstring with lightning speed!
“Go to hell—!”
This arrow was aimed at her horse!
Having guessed that this rat would launch a sneak attack, Irene did not panic at all in the face of the sudden thunderbolt attack. She just placed her hand on the "Light of Legend" at her waist with an expressionless face.
She had already prepared for the arrival of the Ancestral Spirit long before she arrived here. She would not let this rude fellow get away like some damned imp in Silverpine Forest!
The moment she placed her right hand on the hilt of the sword, the golden light instantly burst out from her body, condensing into a majestic and ancient knight's phantom, completely enveloping her!
This time, the person she called out to was none other than her father, Aaron Campbell, the former king of the duchy who killed the demon lord Reggie Dragun!
A trace of fear flashed in Finnian's eyes, and his face, twisted by frenzy, showed an expression of disbelief.
In that golden light, there was a power flashing that far exceeded his understanding!
"Diamond, diamond level?!"
"No! This is impossible!"
Erin Campbell did not have diamond-level strength, but that did not prevent her from harnessing this power beyond her own in the name of the Light of Legend!
This moment——
She was not fighting alone, but standing together with the ancestors who once protected the people of the Principality of Campbell!
The dazzling light was like a sacred iron hammer, hitting the dark green arrow shadow that exuded an evil and vicious aura!
There was no explosion.
Not even a sound!
The power of chaos melted away in the dazzling light, just like an ice cone falling into magma.
Finnian didn't even have time to let out a scream, or to shoot a second arrow, or even to summon his extraordinary strength to resist.
Everything he had was burned to ashes under the scorching light, whether it was his body or his ambitions and desires!
"...Those who are not recognized by the 'Ancestor Spirits' cannot wield the Light of Legend, even if they have Campbell blood. You really should learn more about your neighbor's epic."
After putting the Light of Legend back into its scabbard, Irene looked at the Green Army soldiers behind Finnian with an expressionless face.
"What about you? Want to try it too?"
No one wanted to try it.
Even among the servants of Chaos, not all of them have achieved platinum-level power.
Looking at the strong man who killed "Lin Ying" Finnian with one sword, the guards suddenly turned pale, dropped their weapons, and knelt on the ground to surrender.
Irene nodded to Theresa, handed the task of capturing prisoners to her and her subordinates, and then rode back to the army without any delay.
Looking at the departing figure, the eyes of every knight of the duchy flashed with heartfelt respect.
Only Irene herself noticed the sweat rolling down her pale forehead onto her armor...the victory she won with overwhelming force was not as easy as she appeared.
Harnessing a power that doesn't belong to you has its price. The only thing to be thankful for is that she's still young and won't burn out as easily as her father did...
…
With Finnian's death, the Green Army began to collapse in an organized manner, and the battle north of Rapids Pass finally came to an end.
Under the leadership of Irene Campbell, the Northern Rescue Army lifted the siege of Rapids Pass with less than a thousand casualties.
Not only did they annihilate a rebel force ten times their size, they also killed "Forest Shadow" Finnian, one of the twelve leaders of the Green Forest Army, in just one battle!
For the soldiers who followed Her Royal Highness Irene Campbell northward, this was undoubtedly a resounding victory!
The soldiers cleaning up the battlefield were whistling, chatting and laughing, or happily counting the captured weapons and supplies.
Although these poor guys couldn't find many copper coins on them and the seized equipment couldn't be sold for much money, they didn't come here for this.
"I wonder how much land this battle can buy my son."
"Hey, I think that area next to the Rapids Pass is pretty good! Besides, there's no one there, so it would be a shame not to plant something there!"
"Don't think about it, wait until you survive..."
"Ha, if that's the kind of people waiting for us down the road, I guess it's okay to start thinking about it now!"
"Indeed, these guys are too weak. They are no match for the Demon King from Thunder County. I don't know how they defeated their own lord!"
"I think the King of Ryan is no better than that!"
The entire military camp was filled with a relaxed and happy atmosphere.
It wasn't just the "normal soldiers" who were like this; the group of tall and strong "fools" were the same, with happiness written all over their faces.
Perhaps the Green Forest Army's combat effectiveness was too weak, and most of them who were at the front actually survived.
At this moment they were chattering loudly about their recent achievements, and even complaining that the battle ended too quickly and they had not had enough fun.
"I hope I can meet some decent opponents in the next match." [One Punch, One Crying Monster] couldn't help but click his tongue, with an expression of being unsatisfied.
[Master Wang, the hair perm master at the entrance of the village] scratched his head, staring at the player interface that only he could see, confused, "Wait, why are there no contribution points?"
Specializing in nuclear submarine repair: "Maybe it was converted into land for us."
Mr. Wang, the hair perm master at the village entrance, asked: "Where's the land?"
Specializing in nuclear submarine repair: "According to convention, of course, the settlement will be made after the event is over."
FaFa Lumberjack: "... Damn, why is it so troublesome."
Mr. Wang, the hair perm master at the village entrance, said: "I didn't see the event announcement, so I suddenly felt a little panicked..."
The idiot planner shouldn't be so bad as to take advantage of even this little virtual reward for free, right?
It shouldn't be that bad...
Singing the song of victory, the Northern Rescue Army, led by Irene Campbell, returned to the castle called Torrent Pass.
However, unlike the high-spirited soldiers, there was not much joy on Irene's face, but rather a hint of heaviness in her eyes.
On the way back to the castle, all she saw were burned-out villages, deserted farmlands, and empty pastures.
The flames of war had reduced everything here to scorched earth, the ruins a haven for crows. The pungent smell of smoke mingled with a stench she didn't want to distinguish, and only aimless undead wandered among the wreckage.
Some priests showed reluctance on their faces. They raised their scepters, silently chanted spells, and cast holy light to liberate the wandering souls.
"This bunch of scum..."
Theresa rode beside Irene, looking at the remains of a burned-out farmhouse on the side of the road and cursing under her breath.
"These man-eating beasts... they're not resisting tyranny at all; they're simply a bunch of beasts who enjoy destruction and slaughter!"
That may not be the case.
Irene silently gazed at the ruins and the death wandering among them, and did not completely agree with Theresa's statement.
The two things are not contradictory.
But one thing is certain: if the Twilight Province were as prosperous as the Duchy of Campbell, people would never do such extreme things even if they were dissatisfied.
At least that's how it seemed to her.
After a long moment, Irene said in a resolute voice, "Theresa, we will definitely restore order to this land."
Theresa nodded respectfully.
"The sword in my hand will always follow you, Your Highness."
When they arrived at the castle gate, the surviving commander, General Pierce, was standing at the door to greet them, leaning on his sword and leading his remaining troops, numbering less than a hundred men.
Although these veterans are exhausted, their backbones are still straight.
They are also winners.
Faced with an enemy a hundred times larger than themselves, they resisted to the end with the determination to die, and finally waited for the reinforcements that they didn't know would come.
"Your Highness Irene, on behalf of all the defenders of Rapids Pass, thank you for your assistance... I believe you must have obtained the approval of His Majesty the King or the Governor. I will not ask any more questions. I will leave this place to you." Pierce thanked him in a hoarse voice and handed over control of the castle.
It was better for the Campbells to take the castle, whether they had the authority or not, than for it to fall into the hands of the mob.
At least they still believe in the ethics of chivalry.
At least they won't massacre the villagers hiding in the castle.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Pierce. Please let my military chaplain heal your wounds." Irene nodded and said solemnly.
"Haha, thank you very much." Pierce did not refuse.
At this moment, he suddenly noticed the heaviness on Irene's face that was inconsistent with victory, vaguely guessed something, so he grinned with his cracked lips and continued.
"...The Green Forest Army marches like a swarm of locusts wherever they pass. What you've seen now is only the beginning. If your next stop is Twilight City, you'll see far more bleak sights along the way. All I can say is, be prepared, Your Highness."
Irene was silent for a long time, then suddenly spoke.
"General Pierce, I heard someone say... that it was the kingdom's nobles who first abandoned their obligations. Is this true?"
General Pierce was slightly stunned when he heard this, as if he had not expected to hear this sentence, and a complex emotion flashed in his turbid eyes.
He did not answer directly, but turned his head to look at the dilapidated castle behind him, and then looked at the scarred brothers around him who had shared life and death with him.
"I don't know who those people you're talking about are, and I don't want to make excuses for them."
He looked at Irene again and spoke word by word.
"I just want to tell you that I don't."
As he spoke, he pointed to the soldiers behind him.
"Neither do they."
Irene saw the answer in his tired but extremely determined eyes, and then bowed to the respectable veteran.
"I see."
She was about to enter the castle.
However, at this moment, a sentry on horseback came rushing towards this side, and did not dismount until he reached the edge of the castle.
Seeing the solemn look on the sentry's face, Irene did not blame him for his rudeness, but asked immediately.
"What happened?"
The sentry did not dare to delay and reported immediately.
"Your Highness! My brothers and I have found the Green Army's artillery position. There were six siege guns there, and our mortars destroyed them all."
He swallowed hard and continued in a difficult voice.
"We found the bodies of the ratmen there..."
(End of this chapter)
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