Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 611: Chapter 611. Two Battle Puppets

The eyes of the battle puppets also shone. Unlike Xin Wuming’s eyes, the puppets’ eyes shone literally. The glow erupted into a bright red beam of light.

Zee Min knew the eye weapons of these battle puppets. These mid-tier runic puppets were repurposed from her previous army. She placed her left arm before her. The gauntlet on that arm shone. A glowing, wide disc appeared before her arm.

The two red beams smashed into the glowing disc but were unable to penetrate it. While the disc shield blocked the eye beams, Zee Min punched forward. Her punch produced a shockwave that staggered the two battle puppets and ended their beam assaults.

Xin Wuming flew above Zee Min when she was blocking the beams. He used Death Blossoming Sword. Countless flowers with bladed petals descended upon Zee Min from above.

Zee Min used the disc shield that was still active to block most of the blades, while her other arm performed rapid punches to break the remaining blades. Despite her fast movements, some blades still slipped through and scratched her mechanical armor. The words of power on the armor glowed to resist the blades, but the glow wasn’t as bright as before.

An energy core powered her mechanical armor, and it was running low on power due to the constant punishments. The nearest riflemen with better accuracy never stopped firing at her. She had to fight Xin Wuming and the battle puppets while under fire.

These difficulties dulled his rage. She started looking at her surroundings. Most of the soldiers she charged out with had lain dead. None of the militias dared to come out. She was alone. In the distance on the other sides of the city, she saw their forces experiencing the same fate, getting massacred by the cannons and rifles.

The West was the side where more militias managed to charge out.

*

The West side was where Xuang Chao was. He managed to rally the militias with a rousing speech. Shi Zhang’s words added to the encouragement, driving the militias with a fervor. Xuang Chao led the militias as they charged out.

Many fell during the charge, but they continued. They seemed determined to reach the riflemen. Xuang Chao assured them that once they brought the enemy into a melee range, they would end the enemy’s domination of the battlefield.

Their raging spirit somehow helped them traverse a long distance under fire from rifles and cannons. They were about to reach a range where their ranged weapons and arts could hit the enemies, but several battle puppets emerged from the ground. As they did, a few riflemen waved their arms, and many small discs with different colors appeared.

Xuang Chao identified these discs as the elemental mines at a glance. Before he could warn the others, the discs had rushed toward them. The charging mob was now assailed by rifle bullets, cannon fire, and the elemental mines.

The blasts from the mines prevented them from approaching. This rendered them easy targets for the rifles. They fell helplessly without being able to reach the riflemen.

Even Xuang Chao, who had the cultivation of the Beginning Spirit Stage, couldn’t remedy the situation. He knew he would die if he forced himself forward. Many within the militias with a high cultivation level had the same thought. They decided to turn tail in disgrace and ran back to the safety of the city. Xuang Chao had no choice but to do the same.

*

Zee Min, who saw the events transpiring, was depressed. This gave Xin Wuming an opening to thrust his sword at her face. She managed to dodge it, but the thrust left a long scar on her right cheek.

She gave Xin Wuming a kick that threw him back. She couldn’t follow up with another attack because the two battle puppets were all over her. All the while, blackstone bullets continued to hit her armor. The words of power flashing on its surface became even dimmer.

”Damn you all!” She cursed. She made a roundhouse kick that produced an explosive shockwave that pushed the battle puppets back. A jet blast from the armor then propelled her back toward the city.

Xin Wuming called everyone to stop firing after Zee Min retreated.

The plan to assail the Echos Army at Tusha Valley from two ends had ended in failure. Water Steam City couldn’t send any support. After the surviving militias returned to the city, they refused to go back out. This, of course, guaranteed the failure of future requests. After witnessing what happened, the citizens were even more adamant to stay within the safety of the city wall. Shi Zhang wouldn’t be able to tell them to go outside even if he put his heart into it at this point.

While the mental blow of failing the operation was great, a worse disaster was waiting for them.

During all the commotion, the security became lax. A large portion of the artificial farms in the northern part of the city had gone up in flames. Everyone went over to save as much as they could, but more than half the farms were burned to the ground.

On the site, they found several worker puppets broken and city guards killed. They knew then that this burning was deliberate.

”We have enemy spies among us...,” Zee Min uttered with apprehension.

”How... How can it be?” Shi Zhang said in disbelief.

”With so many refugees being let into the city, it is easy for the enemy to slip in,” Xuang Chao said.

”That can’t be! All the refugees are scanned when entering the gate. Anyone not registered as Khode’s citizens will be discovered!”

”The fact is, we have spies among us,” Zee Min repeated. This time, while pointing at the burned farms.

Shi Zhang couldn’t say anything to refute. He turned to his wife, An Mei, who had turned pale. She saw his glance and said, ”I estimate we won’t last half a year...”

---------------

Back at Tusha Valley, Amon was reading a message talisman. The message reported the success of burning half of Water Steam City’s means of producing food.

The message was sent by his past clan members, Lin Bahu and Lin Rong. They were Lin Xiaolong’s people whom he borrowed to sneak into Steam Water City. Since they were already registered Khode Citizens, they had no problem entering the city with the other refugees.

”They haven’t made any move,” Yong Baili said. He was referring to Khode’s army camping outside Tusha Valley. ”According to their plan, they should have attacked by now.”

”The force from Steam Water City failed to leave the city yesterday,” Amon said. ”If they attack, they are on their own. They aren’t willing to suffer massive losses... yet.”

”They are waiting for their legions who circle the mountain range?” Yong Baili asked.

Amon nodded. ”That can be said as their backup plan in case the force from Steam Water City failed to cause us enough trouble from the rear. That force is mainly comprised of civilians, after all.”

”They will be sorely disappointed when they learn we have also blocked the back doors for those legions.”

”This will be a long waiting game,” Amon said. ”Let the soldier rest but remain alert in case the enemy decides to move.”

”Understood,” Yong Baili responded.

Amon asked a soldier to call Zhong Yuan before returning to his command tent.

Zhong Yuan came not long after. ”You called?” He asked.

”Have you set up the puppet manufacturing workshop?” Amon asked.

”I prefer to do it back at Surly Gate Town’s factory. The facility I have set up here won’t be able to build many battle puppets. A field workshop mostly only caters to repairs. Why do you want a facility to build battle puppets?”

”Because we will be here for quite some while, and I want you to start with a project,” Amon answered.

”What project?” Zhong Yuan asked.

”I want you to build two battle puppets.”

”Only two?”

Instead of answering, Amon put two power sources on the table.

Zhong Yuan was at first confused. But after studying the two power sources for a few seconds, his eyes turned wide. ”These... These are power sources for high-tier runic battle puppets...!”

”I believe you will require rare materials to produce the puppets. Make the list. You can request to transport the materials from Surly Gate Town.”

”I... Even with the materials, it will take some time to build one, much less two...,” Zhong Yuan uttered.

”You are not confident you can build one?” Amon asked.

”Of course, I can! I have wanted to try building one for a long time already. I simply never have the chance. The only puppet maker I know who has successfully built one is Khode’s current supreme councilor.”

”I suspect as much,” Amon said, though he knew for a fact that Shi Zi in Echos had achieved the same feat. ”For the supreme councilor to dismantle the previous High Council, he must possess the power of a Lord Stage cultivator even if he was not one.”