Star Gate

Chapter 600: Savages from the North (I)

Not a flicker of change crossed Yuan Shuo’s expression after he killed everyone on the East Shore side of the bridge. He darted into the military camp on the shore and arduously dragged out a mammoth crate.

“Heh, an energy bomb. Not bad, they’ve even got city annihilation missiles. It looks like they won’t stop until they’ve killed Li Hao...” Yuan Shuo also dragged out a massive launcher. He seemed very familiar with it and fiddled with the launcher for a while before looking across the East Sea. “Damn it, I have no idea where you guys are fighting. I guess I’ll just raise a fuss. Run here if you’re smart enough to, tyke! If not, I’ll attract some attention with what I’m doing anyhow.”

He spat into his palms and grunted as he dragged out a massive bomb from the nearby crate. It was as translucent as a crystal and highly classified in terms of strategic importance. The one in charge of this camp had been a Nova. Novas were fully qualified to look after these items as initial Novas were rare powerhouses for regular provinces.

But for Yuan Shuo, that level was plainly insufficient. He didn’t even exude ripples when he killed the initial Nova.

He could sense the violent energy within when he hoisted the massive bomb onto his shoulders. These bombs were almost all excavated from the ruins. Any ruins that were of regular size or greater possessed such missiles. They were part of the standard city defenses.

As for whether or not they could be found in Battle Heaven... Yuan Shuo hadn’t made it inside. He’d only taken a turn outside, but it was his expectation that there was a ninety-nine percent chance that those missiles could be found inside the city as well, and in large numbers.

At the moment, he focused on nothing else but quickly loading the launcher! After one missile, he continued with more. East Shore had significantly invested in this army unit by equipping them with six city annihilation missiles. Yuan Shuo loaded them all into the launcher and smoothly picked up a small box next to it. A code was required to fire these, but the code was hard to break. Any that were in use now had been successfully broken.

“This is all my fault,” Yuan Shuo sighed as he broke the code. “Look at what you guys have turned things into! if I’d known, I wouldn’t have publicized how to crack the code thirty years ago. I’d thought to bring about world peace by having the various sides check each other, which leaves space for us martial masters to fight to our heart’s content. But now look at what the result is—you guys are going after my disciple!”

His words would shock many if they became public knowledge. Not everyone knew that weapons such as the city annihilation missiles had appeared on the scene long ago, but that they hadn’t been in use for long. It wasn't until thirty years ago that the various factions knew how to break the code and fire them properly.

Prior to that, any usage required activation of the self-destruct sequence. To put it simply, some martial masters or a large army unit would have to run the missile to wherever they wanted to bomb and manually detonate it. The launchers were completely unusable.

Thirty years ago, Yuan Shuo felt that this was such a pitiful arrangement. A large number of friendly troops died every time they used a missile, so he decided to share the way to break the code with a wave of his hand.

The loudly cursing old man swiftly loaded all of the city annihilation missiles, broke the code, checked his aim, then glanced across the sea again. It was too far for him to get a clear look. Further details were impossible. That was fine, he didn’t care.

He pressed the fire button, sending six missiles shooting through the sky at an extremely fast pace. Approximately five minutes later... KABOOM!

A stunning explosion ripped through the void!

Tidal waves reared in the sea and the bridge shook violently. In a location toward the center of the bridge that Yuan Shuo could not see, countless ships were falling apart and endless pirates had already been obliterated out of existence. The incredibly durable bridge began collapsing.

First it was half a kilometer, then one kilometer, and then one and a half kilometers... The damage rapidly spread for half a dozen kilometers. One fourth of this strategically important East Sea Bridge had been destroyed in a split second. The collapse was not contained and continued to spread elsewhere!

Wails of pain sounded, some pirates lucky enough to survive keened their anguish. Most of their fellows had been bombed to death because Yuan Shuo had glanced at his transmission pendant and knew that there were pirates somewhere in the center. He didn’t know their exact location, his goal was just to destroy the bridge. The pirates were an added bonus.

Various pirate leaders hovered in the air. Some were gravely wounded while others were lucky enough to survive disaster. Some were shell shocked, while one screamed, “It’s East Shore... East Shore utilized their city annihilation missiles! This was a trap and great war is upon us! They randomly fired off city annihilation missiles...”

Chaos had their home in a grip that was closing around them! Such were the thoughts of all of the survivors.

BOOM!

A massive wave churned across the water surface and slapped all of the fleeing pirates into meat paste. It was almost one thousand meters tall!

The East Sea was finally no longer tranquil. A few remaining pirate faction leaders quickly spread the word. East Shore had fired city annihilation missiles!

Perhaps it was the central region that’d sent people. The sky was falling.

......

Moments later, the world finally recovered its senses.

Within Silver City.

“Damn it, what are all of them doing?!” cursed a heavyweight. “Are they seeking to start a war that drags in the entire dynasty? What on earth is East Shore doing?! They fire their missiles after Xu Qing has utilized his. Are they all crazy?!”

“Inspector general, bad news,” a quavering voice rang with fear and horror. “Huang Yu has taken the Silver Moon Army to the North Sea and fired... thirty city annihilation missiles at the territories of the Sea Monster Raiders, White Shark Raiders, and others. The North Sea is in complete pandemonium and tidal waves are so numerous that they crash into each other. Huang Yu is warning everyone in affected provinces to evacuate from the coastline. The tidal waves will be upon them soon...”

The inspector general suddenly fell silent and sat down in a stilted motion. “Announce this to the lands!” he heaved a sigh. “Steadfast Duke Xu Qing has committed a grave crime in brazenly firing the city annihilation missiles. He is to be demoted and stripped of his title as duke. He is now the Steadfast Marquis!

“Have the royal family stamp the decree and distribute it! Also, send men to search and confiscate all that you can from the duke’s home in the capital...”

“This is bad, inspector general.” A nervous messenger walked in at this time. “Skystar Commander Hou Xiaochen has led the Silver Moon Army into a besiegement of the duke’s manor. He claims that heavyweights of the three great organizations are hiding within the complex.

“He killed the duke’s younger brother, Xu Yao, on the spot and found a Red Moon ghost face mask when he searched the man. He is currently arresting all of the duke’s powerhouses, if not outright killing them. The eldest girl of Xu Qing’s second wife, the young girl who is a genius young girl, has been snatched out of Skystar Academy. Hou Xiaochen grabbed her directly from class and has already locked her into the Night Watcher dungeons!”

“Bastard!” The inspector general flew into a range and slammed his hands down as fists on the table. It splintered and fell apart. “Who gave him the authority to do so?!”

“He... he says... that he is the Skystar commander and as such, possesses this authority. Whoever dares oppose him is a rebel and an evil supernatural from the three great organizations...”

“The Skystar commander...” The inspector general blinked and fell silent. He remembered now, he’d agreed to this posting a few days ago. Indeed, this was the Inspectorate, the secondary law enforcement agency apart from the Ministry of Armed Forces. After the Night Watchers were formed, they were the first law enforcement agency. However, the agency still answered to the Inspectorate despite showing recent signs of wanting to break free.

“Good, very good!” the man sneered after prolonged silence. “These Silver Moon martial masters are definitely hot-blooded, alright! Forget it, let them have their fun with each other! Xu Qing wants to kill Li Hao, so Hou Xiaochen ends his line in Skystar City first. I’d like to see what else these crazies can get up to!

“East Shore would not attack the Xus for no reason at all. They must not be the ones to fire the missiles.” The inspector general was calm now. “It’s ninety-nine percent Silver Moon behind this. If not a contingency arranged by their provincial government, then... Yuan Shuo!”

The people around him blinked. Yuan Shuo?

The inspector general was so certain because the only person who could do so, who dared do so, and could attack with such precision was Yuan Shuo. There was no one else! When he played with the city annihilation missiles, the rest of them could only hold the missiles in their hands and personally deliver it to the blast zone!

“Ignore them!” sneered the inspector general after a while. “They can fight each other, so long as it doesn’t affect anyone else. I’d like to see how a family with two hundred years of history will stand against those Silver Moon lunatics!”

“Then... do we just let Hou Xiaochen throw his weight around like this?” someone asked apprehensively. That guy had gone mad! This was Skystar City, but he was deploying troops within the city and taken people directly from Skystar Academy. There were powerhouses in residence at the academy. It was an institution of learning that countless high placed officials sent their descendants to.

It was a true academy for nobility.

“There are so many heavyweights at the academy. Did none of them take a stand?” the inspector general asked aloofly.

“Yes, Vice Headmaster Wang stepped forward...”

“And?”

“And... lost one of his arms to a jab from Hou Xiaochen. He was arrested and taken in for sentencing. If he’s found out to be part of the three great organizations, he’ll be executed on a later date!”

“A peak Nova lost his arm to one stroke?” The inspector general frowned. Hou Xiaochen seemed stronger than before.

“Yes!”

“Then forget it.” The inspector general grinned. “It’s not like this is civil discord, it’s just the Skystar commander of the Night Watchers carrying out his duties! As for the East Sea, North Sea, and Calm Borders firing off missiles... Let the Ministry of Armed Forces deal with that!

“Everyone’s watching the show, so let’s keep watching it!” He spat on the ground with a sneer. “I bet you before long that it might be missiles flying through Skystar City before long!

“Notify me when either Li Hao or Xu Qing is dead.” He left with a flourish of his sleeves. “Don’t disturb me for anything else!”

“Understood!” The resigned group watched their superior office walk off. It looked like he was very put out by the hostilities on both sides. The main issue was that no one else was willing to step in, causing their superior to throw his hands up despite wanting to help at first. The group also clucked their tongues with surprise when their thoughts turned to Hou Xiaochen.

“Commander Hou... is a ruthless guy!” someone murmured with a smile of wanting to watch a great show. This has nothing to do with us, the bigger the better!

Hou Xiaochen was a deputy director at the Night Watchers when it came down to things. He was part of the Inspectorate as well. To see him be so brazen and antagonize characters that they wouldn’t normally be daring to provoke... beating them and crippling them outright... Honestly, it felt damn good!