Bright Sword: I don’t want to be the king!

Chapter 200: Shock (Part )

Chiang Kai-shek heard this, hesitated for a moment, and replied:

"The 358th Legion killed the Beast Tribe Major General and dealt a heavy blow to the enemy! Award Cao Geng the Third-Class Holy Tripod Medal and a Sword of Bravery. This will encourage him to be neither arrogant nor impatient! Reward Cao Geng personally with 358 gold coins, and the entire th Legion with gold coins. An announcement will be issued to the entire country, the entire army, and the entire church to commend him!"

In fact, Chiang Kai-shek did not want to over-publicize the achievements of the 358th Corps and Cao Geng.

After all, the warlord potential displayed by Cao Geng made Chiang Kai-shek wary and even defensive.

If the country was not facing a life-or-death crisis at this moment, Chiang Kai-shek would have let Cao Geng temporarily retreat to the second line...

Now, all we can do is wield the sword of benevolence, pray for a miracle, and try to awaken Cao Geng’s sleeping soul.

If he can comprehend it, he will undoubtedly become an honored apprentice, and he will be rewarded with glory and wealth.

If he remains obsessed, then this sword of benevolence may become the guide for his final journey!

He Yingqin immediately stood up and responded: "Yes, sir!"

......

Giant Eagle City, the headquarters tower of the First Legion of the Northern Legion.

After receiving the secret letter from the 9th Ghost Brigade, Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto stayed up all night and stayed in the tactical seminar room with the staff.

They discussed how to rescue the Ninth Ghost Brigade, which was in deep trouble.

Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto paced anxiously in the tactical room, looking forward to the arrival of dawn so that he could quickly send out the dragon knights soaring into the sky.

At this time, the staff officer who stayed in the communications room hurried in. "Report to the corps commander! Major General Kosei Toranosuke, commander of the 9th Ghost Brigade, sent a secret letter!"

Upon hearing this, Yoshimoto Sadaichi immediately gave an order. "Read quickly!"

"The 9th Ghost Brigade fought bravely, but was ambushed before dawn and ultimately overwhelmed. Major General Kosho Toranosuke died for his country, and the brigade lost more than half its troops!"

Upon hearing the news of the disastrous defeat of the 9th Ghost Brigade and the death of Major General Toranosuke Oshio, Lieutenant General Sadaichi Yoshimoto suddenly looked up with shock on his face.

His hair stood up like spikes, and he shouted:

"It collapsed in just one night? What happened? Notify the Secret Service Department and gather all the intelligence on this battle! No tiny clue should be missed!"

"Yes, sir!" Chief of Staff Major General Hanatani Masaru immediately turned and left, instructing the intelligence department to collect detailed combat information.

......

Tieshizi Hutong in Peking is the former site of Duan Qirui's Executive Yuan and the headquarters of the Japanese North China Expeditionary Army.

The disastrous defeat of the 9th Ghost Brigade and the sacrifice of Major General Toranosuke Oshio could not be covered up or escaped by the First Army.

Report the matter to the North China Expeditionary Army Headquarters as soon as possible.

When the news came, the faces of the Japanese generals in North China were filled with anger.

They roared, "Sir, this Cao Geng is too arrogant. We must destroy him and not let him act so recklessly, otherwise the face of our Imperial Japanese Army will be completely lost!"

Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Nakanishi Sadaki waved his arms and called loudly: "Dispatch a brigade from Qi and Lu, recruit a brigade from Henan, and add the 36th Underworld God Division from Jin, a total of two divisions, to launch a large-scale cleanup of the 358th Regiment. I don't believe that we can't completely eradicate the 358th Regiment."

The Japanese soldiers' anger was not without reason.

The annihilation of a brigade is destruction, not defeat, let alone repulse.

It was a complete destruction, a defeat never seen before.

This made the North China Front Army unable to help but be furious.

When the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ando Nijusan, saw that his staff team was so reckless, he immediately reprimanded them: "Absurd! It is extremely stupid to act rashly when we don't even know the enemy situation. The first thing to do now is to find out the intelligence of Cao's 358th Regiment, and then we can formulate a strategy based on it."

General Okamura Neiji read the battle report over and over again...

He frowned and asked in confusion: "How did the Shadow Legion obtain the Fury of the Cannon? From this report, it seems that they are still equipped with Saruman's magic weapon. Could it be a gift from Saruman's Empire?"

General Anadar 120 sighed, "The diplomatic envoys have questioned Saruman, and he claimed that those weapons were originally supplied to the Kingdom of Klein. Since the peace treaty with our country was signed, Saruman has not sent any military forces to China. Intelligence personnel have also learned that Commissioner Jiang did allocate a batch of Saruman magic weapons to the Shadow Corps, but there was no No. cannon, let alone super-large ones. Even the army of Commissioner Jiang's confidants did not have them, and it is impossible for them to be handed over to Cao Geng. I'm afraid Saruman did not tell us the truth!"

General Okamura Neiji pondered for a moment and said, "Report this matter to the Marshal's Office immediately and request to send an envoy to express protest to Saruman. At the same time, send reliable spies to investigate Cao Geng and find out how he purchased weapons from Saruman through what magical channel. We must have conclusive evidence to force Saruman to stop violating the covenant. At the same time, we must also cut off the source of the Shadow Legion's force!"

General Anadar 23 bowed his head and replied, "As you command!"

"Special Intelligence Department, Shadow Agency, Iron Guard, I don't care what means you use. You must find out the intelligence of the Shadow Corps. Remember, I want true and accurate intelligence. Don't use those false intelligence to confuse me! Do you understand?"

The head of the Shadow Agency, Ken Inukai, and others immediately stood up and replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Before we find out the truth, no one should act rashly. You don't have to be angry about this small setback. We have dealt a heavy blow to the Chinese army many times. This time it was just a brief confusion that gave them an opportunity. As long as we can regroup, Cao Geng will definitely be defeated. Now, let him be proud for a while. Send a telegram to Lord Yoshimoto and tell him that he must maintain the status quo in Shanxi and cannot let the war situation deteriorate, otherwise he will be recalled to recuperate!"

General Anada 23 immediately responded: "Yes, sir!"

As the intelligence agencies conducted in-depth investigations, detailed battle reports of the Battle of Wuzhai Town were placed on Chiang Kai-shek's desk.

He glanced through it quickly and was shocked.

An oversized artillery behemoth?

And there are more than forty heavy artillery pieces?

Upon hearing the news, Chiang Kai-shek's eyes widened like a cow's.

This is the huge cannon he has always dreamed of.

One hundred Type 150 heavy guns were ordered earlier from the German Empire, but only 1936 of the newer ones were received in 24.

When the full-scale Sino-Japanese war broke out in 1937, Germany formed an alliance with the Ripon Empire.

Germany used 24 old heavy artillery pieces to deal with the problem, and then terminated the agreement to purchase weapons from China.

It was not until the United States assisted the Klein Kingdom government with low-interest loans that the Chinese army purchased 105 and 155 caliber heavy artillery again.

But those were just heavy artillery, and their numbers were limited.

Now a shadow corps has a huge cannon, which makes Chiang Kai-shek unbelievable.

"Find out how Cao got those huge cannons as soon as possible?"

In a distant fantasy country, the "Yunhai Guanlan Pavilion" teahouse is located at the top of the foggy city of Chongqing. A man in a magic robe just took a copy of "Fantasy Express" from a newsboy and ordered a pot of spiritual tea. After he sat down, his eyes were attracted by a piece of news in the newspaper.

He exclaimed: "Ah! The 358th Special Forces Battalion triumphed again. This time, they destroyed a magic brigade of the demon army and killed a demon major general!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several magicians and adventurers gathered around to chat. One of them asked, "Sir, is the 358th Special Forces Battalion the one led by Colonel Cao Jianxing?"

"Exactly! Who else in this world can command a team and completely defeat the brigade-level force of the demon army?" Someone responded sarcastically: "It can't be another exaggerated battle report! The army of the ruling council is already accustomed to this kind of bluffing. Killing dozens of little demons is called a great victory!"

"This shouldn't be an exaggeration. Look, the report clearly states that they did kill a demonic major general. How could they kill a major general if they hadn't wiped out an entire brigade?"

"If we can really kill a demon major general, then this battle will definitely be an overwhelming victory!"

"Cao Jianxing is truly extraordinary, a true warrior who has never lost a battle. He is just like this when dealing with demons!" He raised his thumbs and praised him highly.

"If other generals can be as good as Cao Jianxing, there is no need to worry about not being able to expel the demons!"

“But what I wonder is, if he is so brave, why didn’t the ruling parliament promote him?”

"Exactly! I heard that he is still only a colonel. With his ability, it would be a waste of talent for him to be the commander of a corps!"

"I've heard some rumors about this!"

"Oh! Tell me what the rumor is?"

"I heard that because Cao Jianxing is so outstanding, the ruling parliament is worried that his power will grow and become difficult to control in the future, so they dare not use him."

"Alas! We don't use the capable ones, but only the incompetent ones. No wonder our territory is invaded by demons."

"My friend, be careful with your words!"

"Yes, be careful with what you say and do!" The discussion continued in the scent of tea and magic.

Or have you ever heard of the mysterious Lionheart? In order to protect this land, the Lionheart paid a huge price. It is said that some teams would rather fight to the last man than retreat, and perish together with the devilish enemy, in exchange for the dawn of victory!

"General Cao Geng's way of training soldiers is truly extraordinary, just like the reincarnation of an ancient legendary general! The warriors of the Lionheart Regiment are all extremely brave fighters!"

"I heard that the Lionheart Corps is recruiting new soldiers. I want to say that if you want to join the army, you have to join the Lionheart Corps. Even if you sacrifice your life, it is for a noble mission!"

"Yes, we are not afraid of death, but we want to die in a proper way. If we can drive away the devil, why should we fear life or death?"

……

A young man in a bachelor's robe walked through the ruins destroyed by demon fighters, and the anger in his heart could no longer be suppressed.

He said to his companions excitedly: "This book can no longer calm my anger. I will go to Shanxi, join the Lionheart Regiment, and become a brave warrior against the enemy!"

His companions also shouted: "Let's move forward together! Seeing the devil rampant and slaughtering our compatriots at will, I can no longer tolerate it! General Cao Geng is brave and fearless, we should follow him to fight against the devil!"

With one person raising his arm and calling for help, seven or eight passionate young people immediately decided to travel north together, join Cao Geng's army, and join the Lionheart Regiment.

In Mizhi County, Shaanxi Province, a man in his early twenties knelt in front of his elderly mother and kowtowed devoutly.

He said with guilt: "My father died at the hands of the devil, and I can't bear it anymore. The Lionheart Regiment is a true warrior against the enemy, and General Cao is a man of steel. I will go to him and take up arms to fight against the devil. I am unfilial and can't continue to serve you."

The old mother was stunned, tears welled up in her cloudy eyes, then she wiped away her tears and asked in a trembling voice: "Son, remember to kill more demons and avenge your father. I will take good care of myself, you don't have to worry!"

The man's eyes were filled with tears and he said firmly:

"Mom, the child is gone."

He kowtowed three more times, then stood up and left. Before leaving, he stopped again, looked back and said, "Mother, I can no longer be filial to you, please take care of yourself!"

After saying this, the man left resolutely, because he was afraid that his courage would disappear in the next moment.

When he reached the entrance of the village, the village chief with a weathered face held his walking stick and stared at the young man.

"Zhao Jia Dalang, have you really thought it through?"

"I have thought it over carefully." The young man answered without hesitation, "Village Chief, I can't stand it anymore. The hatred for my father is irreconcilable. I will destroy the demon and avenge my shame!"

After a long while, the village chief sighed and said, "Go ahead. Come back as soon as possible after defeating the demon. Zhao Jiadalang, you must work hard in the Lionheart Group and don't bring shame to our village. We will help take care of your mother. As long as there is food, she will not be hungry..."

"Thank you village chief!"

The old mother hid under the banyan tree in the village, watching her child's back gradually disappear into the distance, and finally burst into tears, crying:

"My dear father, you must protect me in the underworld!"

As the news of Cao Geng recruiting soldiers spread, many young students packed their bags, traveled across mountains and rivers, and headed to Shanxi to join the Lionheart Group and jointly resist the invasion of the demons...

In the mysterious 358th Legion Headquarters, Cao Geng held a detailed post-war report compiled by Fang Ligong, recording their devastating victory over the evil Noxian th Legion, a victory that left a brilliant mark in the long river of history.

However, the price of victory is heavy!

The consumption of magic ammunition, especially explosive bombs, almost exhausted the Legion's reserves.

In this all-out conflict, the 358th Legion fought across three battlefields against two powerful lich divisions.

In order to completely defeat the Ninth Legion, Cao Geng even deployed more than forty mysterious thunder cannons, whose destructive power was enough to make the hardest soul tremble.

Although the enemy was destroyed, the loss of magic ammunition and explosive bombs made Cao Geng feel heartbroken and almost unable to breathe.

Are two million magic crystals a lot? Only in war can you experience the feeling of money flowing like water.

Once the cannon roars, all your money will be gone!

In this battle, the 358th Legion's stock of magic crystals dropped sharply, leaving less than pieces.

The explosive bombs were almost used up.

Even the think tank Fang Ligong and the logistics officer Wang Chen couldn't help but sigh after seeing the list of damage: "We can't afford it. We really can't afford such a war. If it happens again, we will choose to escape even without the enemy attacking!"

Cao Geng sighed and gave the order: "Pass the order down. The new recruits will first use the composite magic bow instead of shooting practice. They must master the core skills first, and then use the magic gun to reduce the consumption of magic crystals! All units must be cautious when attacking the Noxian puppet army. Only fight valuable battles, preferably battles that can bring benefits. If anyone sends troops rashly again, I will make them understand the value of frugality!"

"As you command! I will pass it on!"

Fang Ligong knew the temperaments of those under Cao Geng very well. If they were not restrained, they would really use up all the magic crystals.

After putting down the report, Cao Geng inspected the soldiers and comforted the wounded. When he returned to the regiment headquarters, he noticed that there were three incense sticks in the corner under the eaves of the regiment entrance, as if someone was mourning their deceased relatives.

However, the three incense sticks are of different lengths, forming an obvious mountain shape.

Cao Geng remained calm on the surface, but he was secretly thinking:

"What exactly did Zhao Gang want to see me about?"