Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“on?”
Song Lixing asked, “What is it?”
“I thought that the Chairman should try to gather the leadership of the military system, the military command department, the military government department, the headquarters, the defense committee, and the military committee of the four families and bring them to the frontline.
Song Bugui said, “Chairman, you should know that these guys are seriously interfering with the fleet of the Heaven’s Origin Sector, especially the sub-units of the other three families, They are beyond our control.
“If those guys stay in the Yellow Dragon Sector or simply enter the flagship of their own fleet, there will be nothing I can do if they disobey my command on the battlefield!
“Therefore, in order to ensure a great victory in the Battle of Jade Cauldron, those people must be lured to the flagship of the last general. Only in such a way can we drive the tiger to swallow the wolf and let the remaining elites of the other three families fight against Lei Chenghu’s remaining soldiers.
The Song family, on the other hand, will reap the final victory.
“Well…”
Song Lixing squinted, greed beaming out of his eyes.
“They might not be willing to listen to what I have to say. Therefore, the chairman will have to board my flagship together with them. As for the reason, just consider it a joint command.
Song Bugui said, “Rest assured, Chairman. Even if our flagship jumps to the Jade Tripod Sector, it will be at the center of the battle formation. Lei Chenghu, who is in a mess right now, will not be in any danger.
“Once the victory is secured, it will be announced that you have defeated the God of War. Such an honor is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. By then, you will be the first in the Song family in hundreds of years!”
“Well…”
Song Lixing grunted a few times, but he could not help but smile. He looked at Song Bugui deeply and said, “What, you don’t want to defeat the God of War and enjoy the glory in person?”
“Iknow myself and who brought me everything.
Song Bugui lowered his head deeply, not allowing his supervisor to see the mysterious light and shadow in his eyes. He humbly said, “Chairman is this general’s entire hope and greatest reliance. This general will be able to bask in the glory of Chairman seizing the matchless wondrous merit. This is
enough for this general.
“After all, the Chairman is a well-known, valiant general in the rightful government of the Imperium of True Human Beings. Without your support, I wouldn’t have dared to fight against Lei Chenghu.
“Alright. I understand what you mean. Rest assured. Your family will not treat you unfairly for your loyalty.
Song Lixing was still trying to put on airs, but the comers of his lips, which were still twitching, betrayed him. He waved his hands and smiled. “I have my own ideas about the matter. I will deal with the pigs and dogs of the imperial court. Your task is to ask the fleet to prepare for an assault within the
next 24 hours. The rise and fall of the imperium will be decided in this battle. Just carry out your orders!”
“Understood!”
Song Bugui closed his legs, straightened his back, and saluted with all his might.
The light beam dimmed again. The dark mirror reflected the face of the commander-in-chief of the fleet like a black swamp.
However, compared to his confusion and distress a moment ago, his face was much calmer and more mysterious.
Song Bugui scratched the bridge of his nose softly. Pondering for a long time, he summoned his eldest son, who was the communication officer on board.
“Juncai, how many soldiers do we have in the entire fleet—at least in the high level of the Building Foundation Stage?”
Song Bugui’s eyes were half closed. His fingers were still pressing the bridge of his nose as he held half of his face and asked in a low voice.
“Us?”
The eldest son was not sure what his father meant. He said carefully, “Father, more than one third of the soldiers in the fleet belong to the Song family. Don’t you know that?”
“Of course!”
Coldness leaked out of Song Bugui’s eyes as he stared at his eldest son in anger. “I didn’t ask the Song family. I asked us!”
“Aren’t we… the Song family?”
The eldest son blinked his eyes. It was not because his reaction was slow, but because Song Bugui had always given the impression that he was a timid, submissive, and mediocre man. Even the eldest son often complained that the old man was too obedient sometimes and failed to notice the sharpness in
Song Bugui’s words.
“The Song family is the Song family. We are us!”
Song Bugui raised his voice. The anger that he didn’t vent on Song Lixing just now was all directed at his eldest son. “Is your father the master of the Song family? Is your father the candidate for the throne? Can your father’s words carry weight in the entire Song family?”
The eldest son was dazed. He took a deep breath and finally sensed the killing intent flowing through Song Bugui’s fingers. He shivered and realized what was going on.
“With the blood of our own family and the generals from our hometown who have followed us for more than a hundred years, we can probably gather five hundred warriors who are willing to die for us.
The eldest son paused for a moment and added, “They are all warriors who have been trained by me in person and dared to stab holes in the sky with their heads on their belts. They are not just in the high level of the Building Foundation Stage, but also in the Core Formation Stage. Together with the few
Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators that outsiders don’t now about…”
“That’s enough. There’s no need to elaborate on the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. I’ll give you twelve hours. Use whatever methods and excuses you have to summon them to the flagship. No. Five hundred is too many. If you really want to do something big, you don’t need so many people. Pick the three
hundred most loyal ones.”
Song Bugui said, “Feed them well. Also, select their crystal suits, weapons, and ammunition carefully. Then, give each of them a Cosmos Ring’s marrow crystal and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Say that they will receive ten times the reward after the job is done. Just wait for it!
“Of course, they are just ordinary death warriors. As for Core Formation Stage Cultivators and Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, just bring them to me. I’ll talk to them in person.”
“Yes, Father. No, Father…”
The eldest son’s nose was burning, as if he were meeting his father for the first time. He stammered, “What—what are you doing?”
“Nothing. Just preparing for the worst.”
Song Bugui said casually, “Listen up. In the next twenty-four hours, the fleet of the Heaven’s Origin Sector will finish the last preparations and march toward the Jade Cauldron Sector. According to reliable sources, Bai Xinghe, Lei Chenghu’s deputy general, has rebelled and defected. Lei Chenghu’s fleet
has fallen into total chaos and will collapse without a fight.
“If that is the case, let’s fight to the death and smash the brand of ‘God of War’ and become the greatest hero of the rightful government of the Imperium of True Human Beings!
“If that’s the case, there will be no need for the three hundred warriors. Let’s just say that they are protecting us and our masters. After all, if my guess is correct, our flagship will be quite lively in a moment. Many masters are coming to ‘joint command.”
“What? Lei Chenghu’s deputy defected? I—I understand now!”
In fact, the eldest son was still confused. He chewed on his father’s words and frowned. “There seems to be a deeper meaning in your words. You said ‘if that is the case’, and we are going to do it. Is there a second possibility?”
“Whether or not there is a second possibility, we have to plan ahead. Otherwise, we will be used for nothing, and we won’t even know how we die in the end.
Song Bugui stiffly said, “Do you understand? If you do, hurry up and do it.”
“No…”
A father knows his son best. Thousands of thoughts popped up in his eldest son’s head, but he gradually realized what was going on. Excitement, fear, and anxiety were written all over his face. He said in a trembling voice, “But—but, Father, Mother, Grandpa, and so many of my brothers and sisters, my
wife and children, and your grandchildren and great-grandchildren, thousands of people in our family are still staying in the residence on Yellow Dragon and being controlled by our family. What are they going to do?
“Iknow. I know. I was planning to retreat as the education director of the Star Ocean Imperium fleet. If I had a choice, who would be willing to be the commander-in-chief of the insignificant fleet and face the pigs and dogs in the rear and the gods in the front?
Song Bugui was silent for a moment before he said, “Juncai, don’t you feel that your father is too easy to bully? That anyone can ride on your father’s neck and knead your father’s head like dough?”
“Well…”
Naturally, the eldest son found it hard to answer the question.
“Humph. Yun Xuefeng, Song Yushi… So many brilliant and cunning Immortal Cultivators have fallen, but I’ve survived for a hundred years. Do you think that I, Song Bugui, am a saint?
Song Bugui finally took off the hand that covered half of his face. Clenching his fist, he ruthlessly hammered the control panel in front of him, causing a loud bang as smoke curled up.
Without the shadow, his bloodshot eyes and the savageness that was even more intense than blood were fully revealed to his eldest son.
“When an arrow is nocked, it has to be shot. If it is not cut off when it is needed, it will only lead to chaos. Everything I did was because I was forced to. In any case, my entire family will be executed. I might as well give it a try. Whether or not my family can escape from Yellow Dragon depends on their
luck.
“Go now, Juncai. Believe in your father for once. This might be the only way to save your family.”
“Understood!”
The redness in Song Bugui’s eyes seemed to be burning his eldest son. The eldest son felt that his eyes and brain were burning, too, as if a volcano was erupting. He saluted Song Bugui and left in a hurry.
Watching his eldest son gradually disappear into the darkness of the pathway, Song Bugui sat back in the commander-in-chief’s seat. He licked the blood that had splashed out when he smashed the control panel and summoned the advisor and other members of the bridge team while he pondered
emotionlessly.
Before the bridge crew and the leadership of the fleet arrived, the seasoned general of the imperium, the commander-in-chief of the fleet of the Heaven’s Origin Sector, and the remaining strategical Immortal Cultivators of the coalition army of the four electors smiled bitterly and mumbled to themselves
ina low voice.
“The imperium… is doomed!”
