Above the Galaxy

Yuan Minghui was just talking about how the unique geographic position of the Golden City meant that soldiers like us never had the chance to achieve glory or fame at Wolf's Gate...

The next moment, his adjutant ran over saying there was an enemy attack.

What's going on? Is the enemy waiting for me at the gates?

Yuan Minghui was a bit stunned.

But, to the left is Luo City, to the right is Tianji City, there's the peril of Dushan in front, and behind is the Empire's heartland...

Who could attack the Golden City?

"Enemy attack?" Yuan Minghui, his expression serious, asked, "What enemy?"

"Barbarians." The adjutant breathed heavily and stuttered, "And the Sky Wolf Army led by Qin Jianyi... They're attacking the Golden City together."

Whoa!

Everyone's expression changed, and a large crowd stood up with a clamor.

Yuan Minghui's face was grave as water, and he asked aloud, "How come the Sky Wolf Army is at the Golden City? Weren't they surrounded at Zhao Ling and unable to escape?"

Zhao Depu's face turned even more ashen, and he asked urgently, "Is the information reliable? How did those barbarians end up with Qin Jianyi?"

The barbarians teaming up with Qin Jianyi's forces was no minor issue.

That meant the barbarians and Qin Jianyi had successfully colluded, and the troops guarding Dushan either 'joined the enemy' or were annihilated...

Either outcome was not something the Golden City could withstand.

"And what about the troops stationed on Dushan? Those Night Watchers... were they all wiped out?"

"We must report to the Military Department quickly; this is a major event..."

------

As the host of the banquet, Golden City Lord Zhao Depu naturally received the focus of attention from all the guests present.

Seeing many civil and military officials all change their expressions in shock, and then rise in unison, discussing things with unknown urgency.

"What's going on? What's happening over there?"

"Could it be that the barbarians are attacking?"

"Aren't the barbarians nearly slaughtered? How would they still have any ability to attack?"

------

Zhao Depu looked at Yuan Minghui, urging urgently, "General Yuan, go quickly to see what exactly has happened, and please ensure the safety of all the people in the city."

"Rest assured, Lord City," Yuan Minghui nodded, grabbed the military cap on the table, and said solemnly, "I am where the city is, the city perishes, I perish."

With that said, he turned and moved to confront the situation.

"Everyone, prepare for battle." Zhao Depu said aloud.

Then he also directly walked outside.

Swish.

The people present moved off one after another to their positions.

They bore great responsibility for the safety of the city, and if the Golden City truly fell to those barbarians, they would also have to evacuate in time...

------

Outside the Golden City.

On the vast barren land, thousands of Iron-eating Beasts galloped thunderously toward the city ahead.

The ground shook, and even the distant Dushan trembled along with it.

These Iron-eating Beasts had rough skins, fierce faces, and massive bodies, each ridden by a Barbarian Warrior.

The warriors were armored, wielded Wolf Fang Clubs, and carried various hand grenades and energy bullets...

Clearly, they were compactly equipped.

The barbarian clan lacked shooting skills, excelling in melee assaults, so the Wolf Fang Club and various close-range throwable energy bullets were their best weapons.

Leading the charge were Bo Gu and Man Niu, full of vigor, shouting though it was unclear what.

This being their first crossing over Dushan, their excitement was imaginable.

Above their heads, the Star Discs crisscrossed, with fighter jets densely packed.

On the majestic and magnificent 'Ziwei' Star Disc, Tang Fei, Phoenix, Little Fatty, Lu Siyu, and others gathered, along with the Sky Wolf General Qin Jianyi, who had deployed troops to provide support.

Who could have anticipated the Sky Wolf Army, besieged in Zhao Ling, would cross the Dushan offensive and appear in the Empire's heartland?

As long as they seized the Golden City, the Empire's major cities would be at their mercy.

Even Qin Jianyi himself couldn't have imagined it.

A week ago, he received a call from Tang Fei, inviting him to lead his army across the Death God Strait, to meet at Dushan for a grand endeavor.

If it weren't for Tang Fei's clear face showing through the phone, he would've suspected Tang Fei had been kidnapped by the Night Watchers at Dushan...

What was the purpose of going there?

To fight desperately with the Night Watchers?

What of the barbarians?

After listening to Tang Fei's explanation, he felt a stupefied sense of the absurd.

The Empire's unresolved issues for decades had been resolved by Tang Fei?

By the time he arrived with his Sky Wolf Army, Tang Fei had completed the reorganization of the barbarian clan.

Continuing the organization implemented by his father years ago, the elite of the barbarian clan were organized into three battalions: one for collision, one for death-defiance, and the last named Blood Mane...

The names hadn't changed.

After Bo Gu stepped down as clan leader, he took up the position of battalion commander of the collision battalion, and Man Niu was promoted by Tang Fei's... younger brother Little Fatty to commander of the death-defiance battalion. Tang Fei felt that young people should be given more opportunities, while Little Fatty thought his brother spoke too much.

The blood mane battalion was handed over to the former blood mane battalion commander Kuanglie's son, Blood Red, a middle-aged man seen as relatively short among the barbarians but swift and immensely strong.

On the night Tang Fei first arrived at Dushan, he had witnessed this individual's performance, where a single club could crush batches of people, and the bullets seemed to magically avoid him...

Thus came the scene unfolding before his eyes.

The barbarian clan charging, the Night Watchers yielding, and the Sky Wolf Army sweeping forward.

Little Fatty becoming the master of the barbarian clan, can you believe it?

Could it be... one's identity truly self-bestowed when out and about?

Were these barbarians so easily deceived?

If we had known... we could've used this trick, wouldn't we have already opened the Northern Border's gates?

Qin Jianyi looked at Tang Fei and asked, "Now that the Golden City's generals surely have received the warning... shall we strike first?"

Tang Fei understood what Qin Jianyi meant, fight before negotiating; what can't be obtained on the battlefield would be even harder at the negotiating table.

Yet, he still shook his head and refused, speaking aloud, "Forget it, let's go for surrender directly. Fighting and such, in the end, it's the civilians who suffer."

The city breaks, people die... ultimately, it's the ordinary citizens who lose.

Those high officials and wealthy merchants might be long gone before the war even starts.

Moreover, they have houses in all major cities, whereas the homes of ordinary citizens, once lost to war, really are gone...

To achieve victory, a general claims glory over ten thousand bones.

The bones are all of the lower class.

Tang Fei had never been part of the lower class, even back at Hate Mountain he was the village's top hunter, occasionally gifting grain and meat to the neighbors...

But he understood that feeling wasn't pleasant.

"In that case, I'm just worried they won't show respect and refuse to surrender." Qin Jianyi expressed concern.

Tang Fei turned to Phoenix, asking, "What do you think?"

"Let me try first, I have met Zhao Depu, the Golden City Lord, face-to-face several times during his state affairs visit to the capital... Every year on my birthday, he would even send his daughter Zhao Ya to deliver gifts..."

Phoenix also disagreed with striking directly.

Once the Imperial Princess, she knew well the barbarians' impact and the destructive nature of those weapons...

Once it starts, the city breaks, people perish, leaving countless homeless.

These are all our people.

Previously, when General Tang Li used the barbarians, it was only against the Aus Federation... never had they been used to charge at their own brothers?

"Alright, contact Zhao Depu... If you can persuade him, we can obtain the Golden City without a fight." Tang Fei laughed as he said this.

"I will try my utmost." Phoenix nodded.

Qin Jianyi saw Tang Fei and Phoenix had finalized their plan, so he did not add further comment.

He thought, with Phoenix as Tang Fei's strategic move, they might indeed subdue the enemy without battle.

If they could open the Golden City's gates, perhaps other cities could follow suit?

Yes, this first city mattered greatly; let's see the Empire's Eldest Princess's prowess.