CHAPTER 849: CHAPTER 849: THE UNSCRUPULOUS SOUTHERN LEGION

Honestly, Salen’s image completely overturned Chu Guang’s impression of the Eastern Legion, and utterly changed his perception of the identity of a Legion Leader.

He doesn’t seem like an ordinary officer, or even the typical military personnel, not only his conversation is impeccable, but his gestures also carry the elegance reminiscent of old-line nobility, even more so than Bennott who is a civil official.

Chu Guang couldn’t help but think that if this guy had a bottle of red wine as decoration, he could be directly placed into a picture frame without any sense of dissonance.

Especially the gentlemanly and harmonious temperament and depth, which surprisingly somewhat resemble his own.

Of course, the resemblance is just that—somewhat similar.

Just as the Eastern Legion and the Alliance have differences in most matters, there are intersections where their interests align in some matters.

For instance, in matters related to the Eastern World.

Compared to the Southern Legion, whose colonial lands are relatively barren, the Eastern Legion possesses vast and fertile lands, where continued expansion is a "greater investment than return" endeavor, with a "return on investment" far less than developing existing lands.

Although the large grassroots officer group of the Eastern Legion has a direct motivation to establish achievements, this motivation is insufficient to sway the upper echelon of military aristocrats—or rather, those "big landlords" owning large tracts of land.

And the only hopeful ones to bring about a breakthrough for the East Expansionists, General Kras and General Griffin, recently perished in an Eastern campaign—one slain by the Grand Canyon, the other in a war with the Alliance.

Due to these numerous reasons, the East Expansionists, mainly composed of young officers in the Eastern Legion, have been almost marginalized.

On the contrary, the old-line military aristocrats tend to be closer to the civil official group in Triumph City, exchanging officers and resources under their command.

As for now, they have one more entity to trade with—the Alliance.

Although they look down upon the Alliance’s military equipment, they cannot deny that the tractors and other agricultural machinery from the Alliance are quite useful.

The Southern Legion, on the other hand, is quite the opposite.

While their homeland is relatively affluent, their colonies mainly lie along the coast of the Great Desert. Despite the rich minerals there, these places severely lack arable land.

Precisely because of this, when it comes to the invasion of Poluo Province, the upper and lower levels of the Southern Legion have aligned interests.

Lower-level officers aspire to gain promotions through war, while the upper echelons need the land to support the prosperity of homeland settlements.

And the interesting part lies here.

Although the Southern Legion internally holds a unified war demand for Poluo Province, the Eastern Legion and the Southern Legion have a diametrically opposing "unified divergence"—led by Salen, the large landlords vehemently oppose breaking the ancient contract.

Though two political entities have completely different interests, they wear the same guise due to historical legacies.

Since a long time ago, Chu Guang felt that this legion, a survivor force, is quite awkward.

And coincidentally, the man standing in that pale blue beam of light also feels the same way.

With a pleasant smile on his face, the Eastern Legion’s Legion Leader Salen spoke eloquently.

"...There is no everlasting emperor, so naturally there won’t be any everlasting law. Every rule has its day of obsolescence, the same for the United Human, War Construction Committee, and our legion is no exception."

Chu Guang gently raised his eyebrows, looking at this unique Weilante person with interest.

"I didn’t expect to hear these words from the Legion Leader of the Eastern Legion."

Salen chuckled upon hearing this and looked at Chu Guang with equal interest.

"Well, now you’ve heard it. As an exchange, could you satisfy my curiosity?"

Chu Guang asked casually.

"What do you want to know?"

Salen smiled and said.

"I’m very curious about your views."

Isn’t it obvious?

Saying this, they likely want to split.

However, Chu Guang didn’t want to comment on their internal matters, and if the legion truly split, it might not be favorable for the Alliance.

After all, at least they are still holding each other back now; if they stopped acting altogether someday, the entire Wasteland would suffer.

After pondering for a moment, he weighed his words carefully and spoke.

"I don’t have any views on your internal matters, but just talking about the matter itself, I think your words have truth."

Salen smiled and continued.

"So, does the esteemed Mr. Manager believe that the Alliance will have a day of obsolescence too?"

"That’s an obvious matter," Chu Guang smiled faintly, replying in an ordinary tone, "Even stars have a day when they die out, let alone a mere flame burning upon the earth?"

"I didn’t expect you to be so magnanimous, but if that day truly came, wouldn’t you feel it a pity? It’s the painstaking effort of yourself and others with similar ideals who wagered everything to create it."

Salen watched Chu Guang with keen interest, but it seemed he wasn’t just looking at him.

The gaze seemed to pass right through him and look at someone else who wasn’t here.

However, Chu Guang didn’t mind and simply answered from his own standpoint.

"Why would I feel regret? The Alliance is just a rescue organization. We’ve never aimed to be the eternal truth, nor do we represent it. Instead of telling people what the truth is, we hope more to impart the courage to explore the future, unwavering confidence, and some methods we’ve tried."

"If one day in the future, a brighter light is born on this land, I would only feel comforted that my descendants truly lived up to us, passing on the flame rather than becoming the grave guard of me or the ’New Era’... In this way, our burning truly holds meaning, at least we aren’t the last relay baton in the race, so why would I have any regrets?"

Salen stared intently at Chu Guang, not speaking for so long that Chu Guang once suspected his network was malfunctioning again.

After what seemed like half a minute, Salen suddenly sighed deeply and said with emotion.

"I now understand why Vanus insisted on staying with you."

So similar.

Incredibly similar!

Although the voice and appearance were completely different, those were indeed words once spoken by that esteemed person... or at least similar words.

Yet most Weilante people have already forgotten.

Or rather, they only remember the part they wanted to, treating loyalty as the sword in their hand, honor as the shield, and eventually becoming the "grave guards" of whom this guy spoke, using the name of righteousness to perform vile deeds, and turning the equality they once fought for into tyranny, transforming from the persecuted into the "parasites" of the Wasteland.

Including himself.

Salen’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

As the Legion Leader of the Eastern Legion, his feelings toward the Marshal were extremely complicated.

On one hand, he respected that esteemed person from the heart, viewing him as an idol, yet on the other hand, he had to face reality. What he represented wasn’t just himself; he had to make more practical considerations for the interest group behind him.

It would be great if the Marshal could be as active as he was a century ago, rather than occasionally uttering a few words like now.

If that were the case, they wouldn’t have to be at each other’s throats like today.

Looking at the daydreaming Salen, Chu Guang surprisingly glanced at him twice.

"...Surprising, I didn’t expect you to remember the name of a Thousands of leaders."

Salen was stunned for a moment and then laughed, teasingly saying.

"I hadn’t heard of this person before, but today is different. This guy, as a Weilante, not only successfully entered the internal circle of the Alliance but even became the Chief of Staff of the Alliance Army. If I still hadn’t heard of this capable man, wouldn’t it show how ignorant I am?"

Chu Guang chuckled and said.

"There are quite a few Weilantes living in the Alliance. We don’t stress identity, only whether one’s abilities and responsibilities match the position."

Salen, smiling, said.

"Is that so? Then someday I’ll have to come and see if you live up to your words."

To Salen’s joking remark, Chu Guang responded with a friendly smile.

"...As long as you come in peace, you’re always welcome."

...

The meeting lasted for two hours.

The Alliance’s Manager Chu Guang and the Eastern Legion’s Legion Leader Salen had a delightful conversation.

Though the communication signal was sporadically interrupted, it didn’t affect the friendly atmosphere between the two parties at all.

During the meeting, both sides agreed that the agreement previously signed between the Eastern Legion and the Alliance would remain valid.

Additionally, a supplementary clause was signed on the original agreement.

The gist of it was that the conflict between the Southern Legion and the Alliance would not affect the cooperation between the Eastern Legion and the Alliance.

Moreover, the Eastern Legion and its affiliates would not supply any military materials to the Southern Legion.

This negotiation essentially meant that the Eastern Legion had drawn a clear line from the Southern Legion.

The royal aristocrats of the Falcon Kingdom could finally breathe a sigh of relief, no longer needing to worry about being dragged into this unprovoked disaster...

Meanwhile, outside Tiandu City in the Poluo Province, an H-1 "Dragonfly" military transport plane was slowly landing on a makeshift runway.

This runway was dug out one shovel at a time by the survivors mobilized by Leader Absek in the vicinity, only barely functional at best.

Fortunately, the Alliance’s military products weren’t too picky about their operating conditions. The "Dragonfly" landed in a zig-zag manner but didn’t end up in any real accident.

As the plane landed, the survivors standing outside the airport fence exclaimed in astonishment, with expressions full of disbelief on their faces.

"So that’s what an airplane looks like!"

"How does such a massive iron lump fly into the sky?!"

"I’m more curious about how it landed!"

"Rat God bless, Rat God bless... free from sickness and disaster, all the unclean things fly away..."

Some people exclaimed and discussed, some were too shocked to close their mouths, and others clasped their hands and recited rhymeless prayers.

They have lived here for most of their lives and have never seen such an astonishing thing.

Even though when they were digging the runway, someone told them what it was for and that they should level the land seriously. However, the impact of seeing it in person was far more shocking than the hearsay, causing the crowd to chatter nonstop.

While the onlooking survivors were buzzing with discussion, Zayed, the president of the Family Meeting, stood among the crowd.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and a gentle smile masked the deception and pretense behind his brows.

If only that plane would crash...

From the moment the plane appeared in his sight, such a thought involuntarily arose in his mind.

Although this might introduce a rift in the hard-won alliance of Poluo Province, it would save him a lot of trouble.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the power to kill with his gaze, and the Snake God he believed in did not respond to his "prayers."

Though the plane was swerving, it ultimately stabilized and landed on the runway.

Secretly regretting it, Zayed chuckled softly and led the nearby family members in applause, simultaneously chanting.

"... Nowadays, opposing the invasion of the Southern Legion is Poluo Province’s top priority, and it’s a blessing for Poluo Province to join forces with Mammoth Nation!"

Applause thundered around, and some non-Family Meeting residents, stirred by the atmosphere, also joined in the clapping.

Sava, clapping, quietly glanced at Zayed and then quickly looked away.

He remembered clearly that this gentleman did not speak like this last night.

However, only he was aware of those words.

And after hearing Zayed’s speech, the surrounding family members all nodded in agreement, joining the surrounding people.

Including a journalist from the Survivor’s Daily.

The tall, slender young man from Jinjaron Harbor was especially moved, glancing at Zayed after finishing his applause and said with emotion.

"If only those officers, obsessed with fighting and killing, could see the bigger picture like you do."

His name was Chris.

Since last year, he had been working at the Survivor’s Daily in Jinjaron Harbor. Because of his work, he had witnessed the United Federation transition from a collective full of hope and ideals to something "twisted."

They once had high hopes for Laxi; however, he turned out to be no good, staying put after capturing a stronghold and focusing on making money by exporting labor, only stepping in when the Heavenly King Army caused trouble to snatch control of Northern Three States.

The Poluo Country Federation is the same, waving the banner of "aligning with the Alliance," yet flirting with the Legion.

Especially that Leader Absek, a thorough hypocrite. Outwardly enlightened, he clings tightly to power, mimicking the Alliance by assembling industry representatives, yet treating those insightful people like fools, keeping them at arm’s length without engaging them.

This guy is even worse than Laxi; at least the latter is straightforward, doing what he says, whether good or bad.

Looking at it now, Zayed seems to be a man of sentiment and righteousness and an idealist willing to lower himself to get work done.

Though his abilities are limited, he is at least willing to share everything with his family.

Moreover, instead of hiding in a safe place, he risked himself by going to West Sail Port, organizing laborers coerced by the Legion, for which he was hunted and slandered by the Legion.

Looking at the indignant young man, Zayed kindly smiled, comforting him.

"Hey, you shouldn’t criticize those officers like that! If they had no vision, they wouldn’t have stepped up at that time!"

Chris sighed and said.

"I know, I just think... if only they could completely put aside personal interests. That way, the Alliance wouldn’t even need to mediate, and we’d unite on our own."

And unite more thoroughly than now.

Unlike now, where we keep uniting yet remain vigilant against one another.

Looking at this naive young man, Zayed faintly smiled.

"We can’t demand others do it; it’s enough to do well ourselves. Besides, having the Alliance mediate is not bad; external and internal forces are both forces. Our relationship with the Alliance is like being brothers within a family; the efforts of the second brother are surely crucial, but the help of the eldest brother is also indispensable!"

Chris sheepishly smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"I know, I have no complaints about the Alliance... just that Absek doesn’t seem like a good person."

Zayed shook his head to stop his words.

"You mustn’t say that; Mr. Absek is truly a brave man and my idol. Unlike our minor efforts, they’ve fought real battles with the Weilante people."

Saying this, he sighed with profound sadness again.

"Unlike us, we spilled some blood but achieved nothing... I really feel ashamed towards the families in West Sail Port."

Seeing those desolate eyes, the softest part of Chris’s heart was touched, and he couldn’t help but speak up in his defense.

"It’s not you who should be saying that! We all witnessed your struggle, how could it just be blood spilled in vain?"

"And you shouldn’t blame yourself either, what revolution doesn’t come without bloodshed? You’re facing the soldiers of the Army, while Absek and his people were only up against unarmed civilians. If you feel ashamed, then wouldn’t Absek have to bury himself in the ground to apologize!"

"Oh, Leader Absek has his own difficulties, it’s not nice of you to say that about him..." Zayed shook his head. Although he was quite proud of his wits, he still spoke cautiously, maintaining a humble demeanor.

Chris shook his head, thinking that this insightful person was being blinded and unable to see through Leader Absek’s hypocritical nature.

However, this only fueled his enthusiasm for reporting.

If the insightful people of Poluo Province were all deceived by that facade, then even if they eventually won this war, what awaited them would be a hell devoid of light.

Passion surged in his chest, and Chris’s eyes sparkled as he prepared the draft for his next report.

Zayed, however, silently smiled and turned his gaze to the plane that had already come to a stop.

He didn’t need to do anything next, just wait quietly.

That was what he was best at.

Like a snake lying dormant in the snow...

In the distance, surrounded by a crowd of soldiers, the Mammoth Nation’s Commander-in-Chief Laxi stepped out of the cabin door.

Walking up to Absek, waiting by the runway, he briskly extended his right hand.

"Nice to meet you! Leader of Poluo Country, Mr. Absek."

Although both came from military backgrounds, their auras were distinctly different.

After all, while Laxi was fiercely battling against Arai Yang, Absek was merely a small soldier under his command.

Even though he now sat on a throne above tens of thousands, he still exuded a rustic air, like a farmer draped in a yellow robe.

However, Absek wasn’t intimidated, he just instinctively glanced at the gun on Laxi’s hip, then smiled and took the extended right hand.

"Nice to meet you... I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, General Laxi!"

Laxi laughed heartily.

"I’m not worthy of such praise; it’s you, Great Leader, whose reputation precedes you. Even while I was in Mammoth City, I heard how your forces swept through the entire Poluo Province."

Absek also laughed in return.

"Haha! Can’t say it’s the entire Poluo Province, just about two-thirds of it! But you know the quality of those city defense troops, defeating them isn’t much of an achievement! But you, General, became famous in a single battle! Even the ’War God of the Empire,’ Arai Yang, was defeated by you!"

"Just a coincidence, just a coincidence. I didn’t expect him to end up like that," Laxi sighed, appearing regretful, and said, "I must apologize to you for this; I hope you won’t take offense."

Upon hearing this, Absek froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Why would I take offense? If you ask me, he deserved it! A dog more concerned with his master than his brothers, seeking personal glory while dragging thousands to their deaths. I only regret not personally putting an end to him! Clearing a threat to the Poluo people!"

Laxi still wanted to say something when the "Far-sighted eagle," who had been standing nearby, couldn’t wait any longer and coughed to interrupt.

"Stop complimenting each other, the Army only left us with over sixty hours. We need to quickly discuss the battle strategy."

Representatives from the military factions of Tiger State and Leopard State have arrived and are now waiting in the operations command center.

Though their leaders didn’t come personally like Laxi, the representatives sent are essentially second-in-command figures.

Upon hearing the urging from the Alliance’s representative, Absek immediately sobered up and said with a serious expression.

"Mr. Eagle is right! Gentlemen, please follow me to the operations command center—"

Before he could finish his words, an officer suddenly ran over with a serious face, didn’t even salute, and whispered quickly in Absek’s ear.

After listening to the whisper, Absek was initially stunned, then his expression turned drastically.

The same happened to Laxi in front of him, who was still wearing a calm smile on his face, until a call suddenly came to a guard beside him.

When he took the call, the calm look on his face changed instantly.

In the end, Eagle was left in the dark, completely unaware of what had happened as he was still on the line.

Fortunately, his three good brothers had gone to the frontline and didn’t keep him waiting long. A message quickly arrived on his VM.

[The Army! The big-noses have opened fire!]

Seeing the flickering text on the VM screen, Eagle held his breath for a moment.

Good heavens!

The update was supposed to be seventy-two hours later, and this dog plan even included a surprise attack?!