“Fang Ping, you’re back. Pack your things; Teacher Zheng asked us to gather over at the passageway in a while...” Fu Changding informed his friend immediately once he noticed Fang Ping had returned.
Fang Ping did not say anything. He leaned on the bed, making the headboard creak.
After the others had finished packing their belongings and were getting ready to leave, they noticed that Fang Ping was still leaning on the bed. Fu Changding asked in a hushed voice, “Are your injuries serious this time?”
“No, they’re all superficial wounds.”
Fang Ping shook his head and exhaled. “You all go ahead first.”
“Then you...”
“I’ll rest for a while.”
“Well, hurry up a bit then. Fang Ping, I know what you’re thinking, but right we’re really too weak. We can’t even get down the city walls...”
Once the battle started, if this group of Rank-2 martial artists went down the city walls, they would die one by one.
“Uh-huh, I know that. You guys go first.”
“Well, come soon then.”
...
After everyone left, Fang Ping muttered, “I’m an Upper-stage Rank-3 martial artist who’s much stronger than regular Peak Rank-3 martial artists. Rank-4 martial artists might not even be a match for me...
“You guys can leave, but what about me?”
Upper-stage Rank-3 martial artists and the ranks below that were two very different things.
“If I were Rank-2, I’d leave like everyone else. Staying here would just be dying in vain. However, I’m not Rank-2.”
Fang Ping lay on the bed, daydreaming as he stared at the aged ceiling.
...
Half an hour later.
The passageway plaza.
Zheng Longjiang counted the members of his team and scrunched up his brows lightly. “Fang Ping hasn’t come back?”
“He’s already back. He’s at the dormitory.”
“Where is he then? Didn’t I say to come and gather here?”
Fu Changding shook his head and thought for a moment before saying, “He...he probably doesn’t want to go back...”
“Doesn’t want to go back?”
Zheng Longjiang was slightly stunned. Did that brat Fang Ping have such guts?
After a moment of consideration, Zheng Longjiang ordered, “All of you wait here for a while!”
He turned and walked towards the small accommodation area after that.
...
In the dormitory.
Lu Fengrou looked down at Fang Ping as he lay on the bed and said calmly, “Why aren’t you leaving?”
“Lack of money.”
Lu Fengrou wrinkled her brows.
Fang Ping groaned and sighed, “I have to fight a little, or else I won’t have money to achieve a Rank-4 breakthrough. It wouldn’t be that easy to achieve a Rank-4 breakthrough outside.
“Now that the battle has started, I’ll try and scrounge up some benefits. We’ll see how it goes.”
“You’ll die.”
“I ‘ll die sooner or later if I’m stuck at Rank-3 anyway. If not, Instructor, you could give me eighteen billion or entrust all your property to me, so I could look after your family business...”
“Are you putting a jinx on me so I’ll die?”
With a downcast face, Fang Ping shook his head. “Instructor, I didn’t say that. What were you thinking? I just wanted to help you look after your family business so you can focus on achieving your Grandmaster breakthrough and not have to worry about these trivial matters...”
“It’s up to you then. Be careful.”
Lu Fengrou turned and left after she finished speaking. Zheng Longjiang came in on the heels of her departure. The moment Fang Ping saw him, he said, “My instructor let me stay behind to gain some experience so I can breakthrough to Rank-4 and prepare to take over MCMAU!”
Zheng Longjiang stopped abruptly in his tracks. After a moment, the corners of his mouth twisted and he said, “Then you’ll have to wait for all of us to die!”
Fang Ping laughed dryly, “That wouldn’t do. If you’re all dead, wouldn’t MCMAU be an empty shell? Why would I still want to take it over then?”
“You little brat...have a care then.”
Zheng Longjiang did not advise him, as he had also just noticed Lu Fengrou.
...
An hour or so later, Fang Ping nibbled on some half-cooked meat in the canteen, then left.
Soldiers could be seen everywhere in Hope City right now.
The martial artists were also in a hurry, some going to the north gate and others to the east gate...
In the air above Hope City, a powerhouse in flight stance roared, “Non-Military Department martial artists in the middle ranks, report to the Department of Warfare and get your mission assignments!
“Martial artists in the lower rank, report to your city gates and get your mission assignments!”
After some consideration, Fang Ping went to the north gate.
The north gate was currently packed with people. On both sides of the city gate, officers were shouting, “Line up and wait for mission assignments!”
Martial artists were very efficient. Fang Ping lined up on one side; his turn came very quickly.
“Do you have your martial arts license?”
“I do.”
Fang Ping handed over his martial arts license. The other party glanced at it and inquired again, “Which level of Rank-3...eh, Fang Ping...that sounds familiar...”
The officer in charge of arranging missions muttered to himself. There were still many people though, so he set the thought aside and asked immediately, “What stage of Rank-3 are you?”
“Upper-stage.”
“Then you’ll go to the east gate and help with defense...”
“Not to field battle?”
“Only the middle-ranks will leave the city to fight at the moment. Go now, don’t waste time.”
Fang Ping asked no more questions but headed toward the east gate.
...
Half an hour later, Fang Ping was assigned to the top of the city walls of the east gate.
He was not the only one there. Dozens of other people were present as well, all Rank-3 martial artists. The person in charge was also an officer, whose insignia indicated that he was a master commandant of Peak Rank-3 strength.
This officer led the members of his team to their assigned places.
When they came to a place that resembled a fort entrance, Fang Ping saw Hope City’s defensive weapon for the first time.
It was a large bed crossbow forged from alloy. The master commandant leading them said loudly, “Everyone, we only have one mission, and that is to protect this bed crossbow and infuse the bolts with Vitality! Although Upper-stage Rank-3 martial artists are unable to expel Vitality from the body, channeling Vitality into weapons is doable.
“All of you take turns to channel Vitality into the crossbow bolts, and I’ll be in charge of shooting the martial artists in flight stance outside the city!”
At this, Fang Ping asked hurriedly, “Is that possible? Most martial artists in flight stance would be at Rank-5. Can the bolts kill Rank-5 martial artists?”
“They can. Of course, the chances are low, but killing Rank-4 martial artists is possible as long as there’s enough Vitality.
“We’re all Rank-3, so our abilities are limited individually, but with 10 Rank-3 martial artists, we can split into two shifts to infuse Vitality into the bolts. The combined strength of 5 people is still able to kill them.”
Fang Ping turned to look at their surroundings and saw that on top of the city wall, there was another bed crossbow several dozen meters away.
Other than the crossbow, there was what resembled a launcher for a bazooka...
“What’s that?”
“An energy cannon!”
The master commandant had seen Fang Ping looking at the weapon and explained, “Energy ore can be used to blow things up, but it’s best not to rely on that.”
With a wry laugh, the master commandant added, “It’s too wasteful, so we can’t afford to use those sorts of tactics. Everyone knows the preciousness of energy ore. One blast is a few million wasted. Unless it’s a last resort, Sino Nation can’t afford that sort of battle expense.
“Also, with martial artists in charge, we have to be careful in case the other party’s powerhouses intercept the shot and launch it back at us. This little toy has quite a bit of explosive power, and it’s not as practical as the bed crossbow.”
Fang Ping gave a slight nod. Someone in the team chuckled, “Little Brother, is it your first time seeing one of these things?”
“Yes.”
“Then when the enemy arrives, we’ll let you experience for yourself how Rank-3 martial artists kill Rank-4 ones. Does Sky Gate City really think they’re going to bring us down? Comparatively speaking, we don’t have enough powerhouses so we might not have the upper hand, but if we compare equipment, we’re still stronger than them...”
The master commandant smiled. “There’s a higher probability of us going up against the East Sunflower City military.”
He continued, “This time, the Military Department’s goal is to cripple the other party’s army. Let East Sunflower City feel fear and regret!
“Let them know that attacking Hope City is their biggest mistake, no matter what the cost!
“At this moment, the enemy is 60 miles away from us. If they’re quick, they’ll arrive this afternoon; if they’re slow, they’ll arrive tomorrow.
“Although we Rank-3 martial artists are unable to take part in the great battle of the powerhouses, we still can’t let humanity down...”
Fang Ping nodded distractedly. The situation had worsened to the point that Rank-3 martial artists could not even participate in the battle outside the city. Clearly, it was not as easy as the master commandant had made it out to be.
...
At the same time.
The Military Department’s warfare office.
Several elderly people were sitting or standing in the office, including MCMAU’s old Vice-chancellor.
A middle-aged man wearing a military uniform was standing in the midst of them. After a long silence, he said, “Seniors, the situation has not deteriorated to this point yet...” Before he finished speaking, a white-haired old man standing there frowned and said, “What’s with all the nonsense? Do we need you to remind us?
“Now, does the government mean for us to fight and destroy one city or battle against two cities?
“I say we should go all out against one city. The hatred between Sky Gate City and us runs as deep as the ocean. This time the few of us should focus on attacking Sky Gate City. Old Bai and Old Zhang are Rank-8, so the two of you are responsible for killing two of the three great marshals.”
“The rest of us will kill the other Rank-7s. We’ll take out as many as we can and destroy Sky Gate City completely.”
The gaunt old man sitting beside him shook his head. “My opinion is that we should kill those East Sunflower City bastards. Sky Gate City has been at war with us all these years—we know them through and through.
“It’s to our benefit if we leave Sky Gate City alone.
“On the contrary, if we do annihilate all of Sky Gate City, we’ll have to deal with East Sunflower City, which we’re not familiar with.”
“Are we just going to set aside all these years of enmity? I’m an old man approaching death; I just want to kill some Sky Gate City f*ckers!”
“Who are you to call yourself an old man? You aren’t even as old as I am. Young people nowadays...”
The slightly more robust white-haired old man looked sheepish but thought to himself, ‘I’m nearly a hundred years old, is it really appropriate for you to call me a young person?’
After the other elderly people had discussed things for a while, the old vice-chancellor, who had hitherto been silent, finally spoke up, “Kill the high-ranks of Sky Gate City. We don’t really understand East Sunflower City’s ways yet, so there’s no certainty about anything. Can we really destroy them the first time we go up against each other?
“We know Sky Gate City through and through though, so we have a better chance of wiping them out.”
The gaunt old man shook his head. “We have more of an advantage because we’re not familiar with East Sunflower City. After so many years of fighting, Sky Gate City is prepared for us already.”
The discussion continued with no one able to reach a consensus.
Right about then, a tall, powerfully built middle-aged man with a square jaw and thick eyebrows came in.
The moment he entered, the middle-aged man in military uniform hurriedly exclaimed, “Guardian Wu!”
Square Jaw nodded slightly and looked towards the group of elderly people. Without a word, he bowed low to them and the old men smiled, returning his greeting in kind.
“Old Bai, Old Wang...”
After paying his respects, Square Jaw greeted each of the old men one by one before finally looking at MCMAU’s vice-chancellor. With slightly reddened eyes, he said, “Teacher.”
The old vice-chancellor chuckled. “You’re a Rank-9 High Grandmaster now. What, are you still going to weep?”
“No. Thirty years ago, I told myself that in this life, I’d only let blood flow and not tears.”
That was what Square Jaw said, but there were still hints of tears in his eyes.
“The government and the Military Department mean for all of you to kill the Sky Gate City powerhouses. Even if you have to face East Sunflower City after that, you still have to be in the front lines. As of now, both cities are too close!
“Seniors, it’s because of our powerlessness...”
Square Jaw bowed again and said with tears in his eyes, “Bon voyage. All accounts in this life will be settled in the Catacombs!”
The old vice-chancellor chuckled and got up. “That’s enough, you’ve made me feel strangely uncomfortable. A group of old men won’t live long either, sooner or later we’ll die.
“If we don’t move now, in two years, we might not be able to fight.”
“Teacher...”
“Alright, you go ahead with whatever you need to do. Since we’ve established the target as Sky Gate City, we should discuss a little. Remember to keep that bastard busy. If the Rank-9 comes, a couple of old farts like us probably won’t be able to hold him.”
“Definitely!”
“Off you go then...”
...
In no time at all, it was afternoon.
Before the energy sun had gone down, Fang Ping and everyone else saw a great army appear on the horizon.
At the same time, at the north gate, Sky Gate City’s large army started closing in.
A loud, piercing bugle call rang through the air!
In a flash, Fang Ping and the others focused all their attention towards the faraway army barely 5 miles away from Hope City.
The master commandant in charge took a deep breath and said solemnly, “Prepare for battle!”
5 people, including Fang Ping, immediately laid their hands on the alloy-forged bolt and prepared to infuse it with Vitality.
However, the large army opposite them soon stopped advancing.
At that instant, a powerhouse from the opposing army levitated into the air, emitting an intense wave of energy.
“A high-rank powerhouse!”
More than a dozen powerful waves of energy particles began fluctuating within Hope City and Fang Ping saw that there were powerhouses suspended in mid-air.
...
In mid-air.
The group of old men no longer hunched over with bent backs. Instead, they stood ramrod straight.
The old vice-chancellor smiled as he faced his elderly comrades and chuckled, “Old friends, don’t drop the ball!”
“Manage yourself!” One of them scoffed lightly. The old vice-chancellor did not take exception to this, merely smiled lightly and asked, “Shall we go then?”
“You really talk too much nonsense!”
The next instant, the group of old men flew towards the north.
In a flash, many figures also flew out from the north side of Sky Gate City. Both parties avoided the troops and headed further away.
Before the armies from both sides could even engage in battle, an earth-shaking roar sounded in the distance.
Wave upon wave of powerful energy sent shockwaves through the air from far away.
Battle in the Catacombs happened much more rapidly than what Fang Ping had imagined.
An instant later, Fang Ping saw nearly a thousand figures flying down from the city walls. He saw Tang Feng, Lu Fengrou, and many, many other familiar instructors...
“Kill them!”
A roar rose up and Fang Ping saw that these middle-rank powerhouses had swiftly engaged in combat with the enemy’s middle-rank powerhouses, who had emerged at the same time.
Both sides had intentionally diverged from the main battlefield and were battling it out on the side.
Seeing that Fang Ping was focused on the scene before him, the master commandant in charge said in a low voice, “The middle-rank and high-rank powerhouses have their own battlefields. The ones we have to face are mostly ordinary soldiers and martial artists of the three lower ranks as well as a number of middle-rank martial artists.
“Of course, there are also middle-rank martial artists who have remained here with us.”
He had just finished speaking when outside the city, countless martial artists from the Catacombs swarmed towards the city walls, pushing a shining metal shield cart before them (TN: an ancient Chinese shield—basically a large shield on wheels that you push in front of you).
This was the first time that Fang Ping knew that their enemies actually had a shield cart.
Other than the metal shield cart, Fang Ping also saw battering rams and cloud ladders (TN: An ancient Chinese hinged siege ladder used for scaling walls).
Under the driving force of the martial artists, the Catacombs army was ruthlessly efficient.
Fang Ping was starting to get restless, but the master commandant said coolly, “Our target is not them but the middle-rank martial artists who will appear soon. Remember, when the army reaches the city walls, there will be some middle-rank martial artists with them as well. Vault over the wall and assassinate them—don’t worry about it, there will be people to go up against!”
Fang Ping nodded frantically. In contrast, the others with him were completely at ease. Someone had even pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a piece of energy ore that glowed as if it were on fire. Fang Ping’s jaw went slack as he had not seen a spark, only smoke.
“Be extravagant for a bit and enjoy the moment. Smoking gives me motivation, so my Vitality becomes greater.”
The middle-aged martial artist laughed, considering that explanation sufficient.