Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 426 The New Era of the Vast Ocean: The Old Absurdity of Eastern Xia

The death of Overseer Calgaras marked the end of an era.

The era when the Orcish Royal Court could send a general to the White Deer Plains and command the wind and rain with a single word, and shake the earth with a stomp of its foot, is gone forever!

When the last guard plunged his scimitar into his own heart, and warm blood splattered onto the orc warlord's already stiff body, they together completed this special orc god ritual at the cost of their lives.

The night wind swept through the burning tents, and sparks flew like fireflies, illuminating the corpses that remained in guard postures even after death. They lay in concentric circles around the orc warlord Kagaras, like a group of petrified statues.

When the footage reached Chen Mo, the lord pondered for a moment, then sighed softly, "Bury him. He was a loyal man... orc!"

Dongxia does indeed have this tradition: those who die on the battlefield, even those from the enemy camp, are treated with at least basic respect.

Of course, there is also a private speculation that Kagaras actually played a significant role in helping the lord completely eliminate the orc forces in the Western White Deer Plain, so the lord is expressing his heartache and regret.

If this guy can make it back to the Orc Wasteland alive, he might even be able to contribute to the lord's cause in the future!

Objectively speaking, without this guy's series of crazy measures to forcibly control the various orc tribes of the West White Deer Plain, launch fierce attacks on the mines from the outside, and block information from the inside, Chen Mo would have needed at least two to three years to solve the West White Deer problem according to his plan.

But now, in just one month, the West White Deer Plain has become part of the territory of the Vast Sea Territory.

The situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse.

The lord ordered Vulture Cliff to be guarded for three more days, and in those three days, the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Even though the three major tribes still retained a main force of hundreds of thousands of orcs, at this moment, they were powerless to reverse the situation.

Why has the air force of the Vast Ocean Territory significantly reduced its support for the Vulture Territory in the past few days?
He went to supervise and assist the "Lei'a" tribe in their work.

Having already embarked on this path, the "Thunderjaw" tribe had no other choice.

Under the command of their revered bloodline leader, Prince Liushuang, and with the reconnaissance and fire support of the Hanhai Air Force, the "Leijue" tribe launched a full-scale attack. They not only forcibly broke into the strongholds of the three major tribes, but also wiped out the remaining members of the tribe, young and old, and forcibly drove them onto a long and arduous journey.

These orcs were all driven into the fortress of "Thunderjaw".

Besides arresting people, they also destroyed grain.

All villages within a radius of hundreds of kilometers, whether inhabited by orcs, humans, or hybrids, suffered the same fate—houses were demolished or set on fire, warehouses were opened, and the food that could not be taken away was reduced to ashes in the raging flames.

Thick smoke, like giant black pillars, rose above the White Deer Plain, beginning a relentless expulsion of orcs and humans.

They had no choice but to leave. These tribes, large and small, and villages, cut off from their food supply, could only head in the direction indicated by "Thunderjaw," where there was a "way to survive."

This brutal method of large-scale forced demolition is nothing new among orcs, but it once caused quite a bit of controversy in the Vast Ocean.

The lord's previous education of everyone was too civilized, to the point that many young commanders thought that our lord could not possibly issue such an absurd order.

Then, the veteran officer Ma Qianzu gave them a rude awakening.

"The lord once said in military class, 'Small acts of kindness are the thief of great kindness!'"

“I ask you, if we don’t use such violent methods as forcibly cutting off their food supply, would the members of these villages and hamlets willingly leave their homeland?”

The young officer cadets all shook their heads.

"Alright, if they don't leave, then the hundreds of thousands of orcs who retreated from Vulture Cliff, without food and driven by hunger, will they let go of these 'granaries' along the way?"

They continued shaking their heads... Some of the more astute officers had already realized what was going on.

"Then, can we abandon our attack on the orc army in order to protect these villages?"

Even the slowest-witted orc trainees have now realized what's happening.

That's right. From the very beginning, the war between Han Hai Ling and its opponents was a completely asymmetrical one.

The advantages of the Han Hai are reconnaissance, firepower, and supply, while the advantage of the opponent is its strong strength. To win this war, it is necessary to play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses.

Once the orc camp's supplies were completely cut off, the outnumbered Han Hai forces could not contain the rampaging orcs and could only let them wreak havoc on the West White Deer Plain.

At times like these, any village with surplus grain would be doomed to extinction!

"So, we are saving people! On a large scale, we are saving the entire White Deer Plain. On a local scale, we are also saving these poor souls who are about to be swept into the storm. No matter if the other side is human, orc, half-orc, or any other race, only by hiding in our controlled area can they have a chance to survive this war!"

Reality quickly proved the correctness of this logic.

The orc army that surged out of Vulture Cliff was like a swarm of wasps whose nest had been disturbed, rushing frantically into the heart of the plain. Then they were shocked to find that the entire plain had been completely scorched, like a grassland swept away by a locust swarm.

Even if they could find some remnants of the tribes who had hidden themselves, they couldn't squeeze out a single bit of food or supplies from them.

Within a radius of several hundred kilometers, the only place with sufficient food reserves is the lair of the "Thunderjaw" tribe.

By the way, there is not only enough food here, but also the parents, wives, children, and the whole families of the other three major tribes.

If the previous siege of Vulture Cliff mines was partly due to the individual considerations of the orc overseer, now, under the influence of this open conspiracy, the orc army has no choice but to begin besieging Thunderjaw Fortress.

Of course, since the Vast Ocean Territory has allowed them to fight, it's impossible for them to win!

Here, not only are there elite soldiers and generals from the "Thunderjaw" tribe, but also the ace force of the Hanhai Territory, the First Army of the Field Army.

This semi-mechanized and semi-mule-driven force, after setting foot on the West White Deer Plain, followed Chen Mo's orders and ignored Vulture Cliff, heading straight for "Thunderjaw".

On the one hand, they assisted Lei'e in setting up defenses and preparing for the attack of the three major orc tribes. On the other hand, they also took the opportunity to give these little leopards a nudge, lest they have any more inappropriate thoughts.

The orc army was starving and trapped on both sides.

The siege lasted for two days, during which more than a dozen charges were launched. Then, including the time spent traveling and the fact that they had been without food for a week, the orcs began to surrender en masse.

In the end, apart from a few loyal orcs who tightened their belts and rushed towards the northern orc wasteland at all costs, the rest of the orcs laid down their weapons in despair.

This war, which broke out unexpectedly due to the lord's visit abroad and the White Deer Independent Brigade's deliberate attempt to curry favor, ultimately achieved results that were completely unexpected.

Of course, according to the bards, all of this was part of the lord's plan.

Lord Chen cleverly devised a series of schemes, and the Independent Brigade shed blood on Vulture Cliff! The little leopard eagerly pledged allegiance to a new master, while the Grand Warlord fled to the Beast God Tower!

The smoke of war has dissipated on the White Deer Plain, and the summer moon shines brightly over the vast sea!

The bards are keeping up with the times; they can even write poems about the Eastern Xia Dynasty...

With the last resistance force wiped out by the "Thunderjaw" leopard cavalry, at the beginning of the third year of Xia Yue, the West White Deer Plain was officially declared liberated!
Chen Mo issued the first commendation order in Xia Yue's three years.

In addition to their respective merit records, the "Liberation of Bailu" commemorative badges were awarded to the Jiuquan Army Corps' Fanxing Independent Column, Bailu Independent Brigade, Xiayue Alliance Air Force First Division, Xiayue Alliance Airborne First and Third Squadrons, and finally, the field army's First Army, which arrived late but made the final decision.
This is the first commemorative badge issued by the Summer Moon Alliance for a specific war, to commemorate humanity's reclaiming of this homeland and the glorious moment of completely driving out the orc invaders and achieving total victory in the war.

The Rainbow Holy City welcoming party, which was originally waiting for Chen Mo at the border of the Misty Moon Divine Court and the White Deer Plain, traveled day and night, covering hundreds of kilometers eastward, and came directly to the door of Chen Mo's ceremonial ship.

Taking this opportunity, Chen Mo made a small request to the other party.

"The West White Deer has just been liberated, especially in this battlefield area, where civilians have suffered greatly and social order urgently needs to be restored. At this time, the only one I can think of is your Mist Moon Divine Court. After all, you are not only close by, but also familiar with White Deer."

"I want to first transfer the priests, bishops, and temples from all over the Alliance to West White Deer to help us stabilize the situation here as soon as possible. Of course, since it involves mobilizing your people, we need to consult with your Rainbow Holy City."

"I wonder if the Holy City will give my small request a full consideration?"

With things said to this extent, how could the Holy City possibly refuse?

Although this action is somewhat illogical, it is not normal for those in positions of power to act somewhat arbitrarily.

Besides, using only the disciples of our Divine Court, without using anyone else, isn't that a great trust in us?
At the command of the Divine Court, the priests and chief priests of various counties and districts in the East White Deer Plain immediately assembled and entered the White Deer Plain in batches, escorted by the Han Hai Command troops and transport ships.

With healing abilities, fighting skills, and even the capacity to perform miracles when necessary, the priests of the Divine Court are indeed adept at maintaining stability in the Western White Deer Plain.

Of course, there are also side effects; the religious influence of the Divine Court may quickly fill the faith vacuum left by the orcs' departure.

But Chen Mo can't worry about that right now.

By transferring the people from the Divine Court to Dongbailu, a vacuum of priests will be artificially created for a period of time.

This would make it easier for him to send out a high-ranking name from a certain divine court. "High Priest White Fang, let's go!"

The old bishop changed into a suit of armor, sported a full beard, and had two pointed ornaments pinned to his ears. Judging from his appearance, he was undoubtedly a hybrid of some orc race.

The old man awkwardly touched his chin and sighed helplessly.

"Truly, my lord, you've gone to great lengths to get the old man to leave."

"But though the world is vast, where can I go?"

"The priests of the Divine Court are only temporarily transferred; they will return sooner or later. Could it be that the lord intends to send me to the heavens beyond the mountains?"

"unnecessary!"

Xia Yuanfeng led the White Fang High Priest onto the ship, carefully inspected it, repeatedly instructed the accompanying personnel, and finally came to the old bishop's side to give him instructions.

"The lord has a large island in the outer sea called Fishing Island, also known as Fishing Platform. The island has been built for a long time and has all kinds of facilities, but there is no temple."

"Just stay there peacefully, fish if you want, catch shrimp if you want, but don't forget to take some time to reminisce about your time in the Divine Court."

We're waiting for your good news!

The transport ship headed east, while the honor guard headed west.

The warships cleaved through the river, sailing upstream, passing through this rising new land, and heading towards the defenders of the old order.

The water sparkles, and the stars are above.

The evening breeze heralded the end of an era and ushered in the beginning of another.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When news of Chen Mo's crossing of the West White Deer Plain reached Dongxia, the commanders and advisors of the [Cihang] Engineering Department were momentarily taken aback.

This great battle truly took everyone by surprise.

The General Staff studied the battle cases repeatedly, and the final conclusion they reached was just that one sentence.

Wrong time, wrong place, but the right battle.

When you have superior troop strength, surround the enemy's stronghold. Dongbailu is a classic example of besieging the stronghold and attacking reinforcements, with multiple forces advancing and attacking from both inside and outside, achieving success on all fronts.
When forces are outnumbered, they are surrounded by the enemy. Xibailu is a typical example of a strong defense that the enemy must defend, cutting off their supplies and morale, and achieving victory in one battle!
"Not bound by strategies and plans, but able to proactively adjust and adapt to changing circumstances, our 'wandering soldiers' are increasingly showing the demeanor of great generals!"

In the meeting room, some people smiled and agreed, while others felt a tightness in their chests.

Chen Mo's victory over there is indeed something to celebrate, but considering the current situation in Dongxia, the fact that the commander-in-chief of [Cihang] brought this up so seriously might get him criticized.

Sure enough, the next second, the commander-in-chief's teacup slammed heavily onto the table.

"What are the conditions and equipment for Xiao Chen?"

"And you, what resources and equipment do you have?"

"Now that such a big commotion has been caused, don't you have anything to say?"

Indeed, just as the White Deer was being restored in the Starry World with overwhelming momentum, the defense of the Eastern Xia headquarters exposed a huge loophole.

Prior to this, with the World Tree [Sprout] as a guardian, as long as enough spirit crystals were provided, all the sea serpent evil spirits were strictly controlled outside the borders of Dongxia, which made Dongxia a core safe zone that attracted worldwide attention.

However, just two months ago, a group of fresh, evil spirit creatures suddenly appeared in the heart of Dongxia. Although these slow-moving creatures were quickly wiped out by the local city management brigade in cooperation with the armed police force after they were discovered, the unexpected outbreak still caused a huge uproar.

You must understand that Dongxia had previously claimed to have complete defense and zero infection, which made those anti-China parties and colonists furious and enraged. Now that they had finally seized this opportunity, how could they miss it?

Foreign forces and "spiritual immigrants" who had long hated Dongxia for "keeping to itself" flocked to the area, and in an instant, the rhetoric of cyber destruction spread like sewage gushing from the sewers.

Cyberspace was the first to fall. Amidst the heated discussions, all sorts of dubious and embellished "insider information," "on-site photos," and "victim interviews," with various obscure titles, spread everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, the international public opinion field on Blue Star began to ferment.

While the so-called mainstream media in civilized society appear to report objectively on the surface, their articles are filled with leading words such as "it is reported," "possibly," and "questionable." Meanwhile, state tabloids and independent media outlets have no such scruples, using sensational headlines for their front pages.

"The Myth of the Eastern Xia Dynasty Shattered!"
"Safe zone turned into infection zone!"
The person who brought this media storm to its climax was the "yellow-haired stock god" who was known for his outspokenness.

In a highly-rated financial talk show, when the host subtly asked for his opinion on the recent security incidents in Dongxia, the old man first exaggeratedly raised his signature eyebrows, and then gave the camera an expression that was a mixture of anger and mockery.

"They say it's safe where they are? Ha!"

He spread his hands, making a sad expression.

"Okay, I admit it, I sent my children, all my five little darlings, to Dongxia! You know, they even charged me a huge sum of money!"

"In my entire life, I've never paid so much money to anyone! Not even the IRS has ever gotten a single penny from me! And what happened? The Dongxia people took it all!"

"I was scammed! You know, some of them are experts at this kind of fraud!"

Then he leaned back abruptly, his voice rising in indignation: "They cheated me! I think they must compensate me! Full compensation! That's the bare minimum respect for a great and successful person!"

With a shrug and a shrug, the blond-haired stock market guru perfectly embodied the essence of a businessman.

Every opening in Dongxia, from the outside in, was numb.

Where is the problem?

A comprehensive investigation was launched immediately. At the same time, the Cihang Engineering Department also asked Researcher Zhang to communicate with Mengya. However, the results from both sides were not ideal.

Undead creatures were being born one after another, and Dongxia could not find the source no matter what. Although they were always able to deal with it in time, as the scope of the mysterious infection grew larger and larger, Dongxia had no choice but to sound the alarm for a level one war alert.

The feedback from the other side, 【Sprout】, was very clear: as a World Tree that has taken root in this land, it has been carrying out its duty of protecting this land.

Of course, with so many people coming and going, it's impossible for [Budding] to screen them one by one. Therefore, what works is a self-operating mechanism.

According to the underlying logic of this mechanism, any person or spirit that can approach or enter Dongxia must meet multiple conditions simultaneously.

For example, the undead warriors or soul-type creatures sent by Chen Mo will trigger this detection mechanism. Only after the Dongxia government issues a formal appointment, such as completing the induction procedures of the Blue Star Independent Column of the Nine Springs Legion and obtaining the recognition of the official system, will these undead warriors be included in the "whitelist" of the [Budding] review mechanism.

If we follow this logic, then there must be at least one evil being, guaranteed or endorsed by the Dongxia government, that can create undead warriors and is wandering this land.

How can this be?

Although Dongxia has appointed many foreign experts and advisors since the establishment of the state, no matter how much they search and confirm, they cannot be related to sea serpents.

Seeing the unprecedented victory of the wandering soldiers, the commander-in-chief once again flew into a rage, and the entire security and military systems of Dongxia were scolded and humiliated.

Where is the problem?

The security system's researchers and liaisons spent their time on Ziyun Mountain, repeatedly exploring and studying this mysterious and elusive mechanism of action.

Until one day, during an exchange, a researcher accidentally discovered that because "Sprout" is associated with the long history and culture of Dongxia, in its concept, the government that can represent the orthodox Dongxia is not just the current government.

So, is there any connection between any government of Dongxia and these evil spirits, which are most likely from sea serpents?
Gu Liyang clenched his fists upon receiving the report.

Following this line of thought, not only do they exist, but some of these evil spirits have particularly powerful origins!

For example, there's the former army general of the sea serpent... the commander-in-chief of the "expeditionary army" who personally launched the great sweep, Jiro Muraoka.

This executioner, whose hands were stained with blood, was tried and declared "not guilty" by the former Dongxia government and released. He was subsequently hired as a senior instructor and special advisor.

In a horizontal comparison, the "official status" and treatment level that this war criminal once received were comparable to those of Gu Liyang today!

This is not an isolated case. In a corner of the history of the Eastern Xia Dynasty, there is also a record of a notorious "White Group"!
If this conjecture is true, does it mean that these derivatives, bearing the sins of war and evil obsessions, have thus obtained a pass to freely enter and leave Dongxia, unrestricted by the [Sprout]?
The history of Earth is just as absurd.

On that day at Chang Le Palace, the commander-in-chief of Cihang unusually smashed a cup.

(End of this chapter)