Chapter 688: Chapter 688: Qin Qing’s Cunning Move
Blitzkrieg my ass. I really want to strike you dead with a bolt of lightning... Ming Yue muttered to herself, feeling extremely anxious. She didn’t know if Qin Qing was ready. If not, Kristina’s blitzkrieg could put Qin Qing in danger. If Qin Qing were to die, Ming Yue felt she wouldn’t live long either. However, she didn’t dare try to persuade Kristina anymore.
「An hour later.」
The thousand-man vanguard of the nearly three-million-strong army of Martial Artists began to disembark while the others waited. They were worried that Qin Qing had set up an ambush at the port, so they sent the vanguard ashore first to test the waters.
The vanguard waited for over half an hour, but there was no sign of trouble.
"No ambush! Everyone, disembark!" the vanguard’s captain waved.
At once, the main force began to land in an orderly fashion.
"All Third and Fourth Realm members, follow me to the Abandoned City!" Kristina shouted once everyone was ashore. "The rest of you, follow Ming Yue to annihilate the Biluo Island army and seize the island!"
With that, she took off at a run, and all the Third and Fourth Realm War Gods immediately followed her.
"Lord Ming Yue, please assign us our combat mission," someone said respectfully.
Mission my ass. I don’t know the first thing about leading an army... Ming Yue simply waved her hand and yelled, "Flatten their barracks! Get those bastards!"
She bolted forward, and the army scrambled to keep up. As Ming Yue ran, she suddenly froze. Wait, where the hell are the Biluo Island barracks? Ah, screw it, just run!
ROAR—
Just then, a beastly roar thundered through the air, startling Ming Yue and the army behind her. In the next moment, they saw countless massive beasts charging wildly toward them from all directions.
Ming Yue broke into a smile. So Qin Qing was prepared all along. But her relief quickly turned to panic. The beasts don’t know who I am! What if they kill me too?
"There’s an ambush!" she shouted. "Quick, follow me to rescue the Princess!" With that, she pivoted and sprinted toward the Abandoned City.
Her army, which had been preparing to fight the charging beasts, heard her command and immediately gave chase. However, the army’s strengths were uneven, and some were even carrying children. This created a scattered formation with Ming Yue at the very front, followed by the Second Realm War Gods, then the First Realm War Gods, with the Great Grandmasters, Grandmasters, Seventh Grade, and Sixth Grade members trailing far behind.
Is that commander an idiot? She’s just serving up the weakest ones to us on a platter... the beasts collectively scorned Ming Yue as they began their pursuit.
They had their orders: simply injure, not kill.
Ye Xiu’s original tactic was for the beast army to ambush the invaders, which would have killed at least a third of the nearly three-million-strong force. But Qin Qing felt that wasn’t the best approach. A dead person could simply be buried in a pit. But an injured one? Then Kristina would have to care for the wounded, which would be a tremendous burden. The logistical nightmare of accommodating and treating such a vast number of casualties would be enough to break her.
***
Kristina led nearly 100,000 Third and Fourth Realm War Gods at full speed toward the Abandoned City, arriving at the villa district where Qin Qing and Leng Yue had been staying.
"Reporting to the Princess, the villa district is empty," the Island Master of Cloud Mist Island reported after his men had completed a search.
"Not here?" Kristina frowned. "Form thousand-man teams and conduct a city-wide search. Remember, do not go near Sword Burial Peak."
"Yes, ma’am!"
The Island Master immediately organized the teams and assigned their search areas. Kristina did not participate herself. Instead, she waited with ten Fourth Realm War Gods in the villa where Qin Qing and Leng Yue had lived.
***
Atop Sword Burial Peak, Qin Qing and Leng Yue watched through binoculars, enjoying a clear view of every thousand-man team combing through the city below.
"It’s time for the harvest," Qin Qing said with a smile.
"Understood," Leng Yue chuckled, taking out a calculator-like device and pressing the number three.
At that moment, one of the thousand-man teams was approaching a large building, about to enter and search it.
Suddenly, a violent explosion erupted from within the crowd. It was followed by a series of blasts from beneath their feet as the remote-controlled bombs buried underground detonated.
Meanwhile, Qin Qing monitored the enemy through her binoculars. Whenever a thousand-man team entered a bomb’s blast radius, she immediately had Leng Yue detonate it.
Explosions began to echo continuously throughout the Abandoned City.
"What’s happening?" Kristina, who had been sitting on a sofa sipping a drink, leaped to her feet.
The Island Master’s expression turned grim. "If I’m not mistaken, Qin Qing and Leng Yue must have planted numerous Landmines throughout the city. I’m afraid many of the search teams have stumbled upon them."
"Dammit! Why didn’t I think they would use a trick like this?" Kristina slapped her forehead in frustration. "Immediately notify all teams to watch out for Landmines!"
The Island Master’s face fell. "We have no communication devices. How can we notify them? The Abandoned City is vast. Shouting will never work."
Kristina was speechless.
"Princess, are you there?" Ming Yue’s voice called out just then.
"Ming Yue?"
Startled, Kristina hurried outside, shouting, "I’m here!"
Ming Yue ran toward the sound, followed by a huge crowd of First and Second Realm War Gods.
"Ming Yue, I ordered you to lead the army and seize Biluo Island. Why are you here?" Kristina demanded.
"After you left, our forces were ambushed by an army of beasts. It’s clear Qin Qing and Leng Yue anticipated you’d come for revenge and were prepared. I was worried for your safety, so I brought the troops here," Ming Yue explained.
Kristina was immediately moved. So Ming Yue only defied my command because she was worried about my safety. She then asked, "The army was attacked by beasts? What were the casualties?"
Ming Yue looked embarrassed. "There were too many beasts, and they were very strong. We ran while they chased. As of now, we’ve lost contact with everyone except for the First and Second Realm War Gods."
"What?" Kristina’s face drained of color. "To come and save me, you just handed over more than two and a half million troops to the beasts?"
Heh heh. What a nice surprise for you, huh?
With a look of profound sorrow, Ming Yue said, "If we hadn’t fled, I fear that even I and all the War Gods would have ended up in the bellies of those beasts."
Heaven knows, Kristina wanted to slap Ming Yue senseless right then and there. She heaved a sigh and said, "Forget it. At least you preserved the elite forces of our army. As for the weak... if they’re gone, they’re gone."
Her eyes narrowed in thought. "Since Qin Qing and Leng Yue expected me to lead an army here, arranged for beasts to ambush you, and planted Landmines in the city... it means they are definitely not in the Abandoned City."
"Then where could they be?" Ming Yue asked.
"I don’t know," Kristina said, shaking her head. "Since we’re out in the open now, our only choice is to settle in for a war of attrition with Qin Qing. Pass the order: the entire army is to retreat into the mountains and set up camp."