Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai climbed onto a coal truck, hiding under its chassis to sneak into the fortress. He had expected the military base to be solemn and austere, but after getting in, he discovered the logistics and supply area he was in was more like a bustling marketplace, with quite a few restaurants, bars, and even barbecue stalls.

Luo Kai was wearing a military uniform, so he didn’t stand out in the crowd. He wandered around for a bit, and the cumin aroma of roasting meat made his mouth water. He had spent the last half-month in the wilderness, living like a savage, and he desperately craved the taste of salt. He felt his pockets; he didn’t have a single penny on him, though he did have a pistol and a short knife. He wondered if they were worth anything.

Just as he was pondering how to sell them, he suddenly saw a familiar face. It was Old Fu from Black Stone Heavy Industry. His eyes lit up, and he immediately followed him.

Old Fu was extremely familiar with the area. He greeted people with a cheerful smile everywhere he went, eventually walking into a small restaurant.

Luo Kai inconspicuously followed him to the lodging area on the second floor. He waited until he saw Old Fu take out a key to open a door before darting over and tapping him on the shoulder.

Old Fu jumped, and his first instinct was to draw his gun. But he felt his wrist tighten as the pistol was snatched away. Turning around, he saw a young soldier holding the pistol and smiling at him. He exclaimed, "Xiaoluo!"

Luo Kai smiled and pushed the pistol into his chest. "Old Fu, your skills are getting rusty!"

Old Fu took the gun and joyfully punched him on the chest. "You damn brat, you scared the hell out of me! Do you have any idea how worried Xiaozhuo has been these past few months you were missing?!"

A warmth spread through Luo Kai’s heart. He smiled and said, "Is Xiaozhuo doing okay?"

"Xiaozhuo’s doing great. Come in, we can talk properly."

Old Fu, somewhat emotional, led him into the room and looked him up and down. He said in amazement, "Xiaoluo, you... how did you end up like this? Why... why did you join the army?"

Luo Kai sighed. ’It’s better if others don’t know what happened to me.’ He shook his head and said, "I ran into some trouble. It’s a long story, so let’s not talk about it. Old Fu, I’m starving. Treat me to a meal, will you?"

"Let’s go. We’ll eat downstairs."

The restaurant’s main hall was filled with customers and was extremely noisy. A few men in brown clothes caught Luo Kai’s attention. Their clothes were embroidered with a flaming clown face. Each one was solidly built with a cold gaze, and they exuded a murderous aura.

Luo Kai’s gaze hardened. He found the clown emblem somewhat familiar. After thinking for a long time, he finally remembered: it was from a circus performance he had seen in his past life. The circus’s logo at the time was the flaming clown face.

Noticing Luo Kai’s gaze, one of the bald men shot him a vicious glare and flipped him the middle finger. If it had been some hot-headed youth, a fight might have broken out. Fortunately, Luo Kai was broad-minded and had no desire to start trouble. He turned his head and asked Old Fu, "Who are these people?"

Old Fu glanced over, knowing Luo Kai had an easygoing personality and wouldn’t be bothered by such provocations. He said, "They’re mercenaries from the Hunter Guild. Hmm... they seem to be from the Sun Mercenary Corps. Damn, the Great Lord is really willing to spend. The Sun Mercenary Corps charges a very high price!"

"Mercenaries?"

"Yep. A bunch of desperados who only recognize money, not people."

They ordered a table full of food and chatted as they ate. Old Fu was here representing Black Stone Heavy Industry to escort a shipment of military-grade weapons, and from him, Luo Kai learned about the current situation.

The Xingma Kingdom had three large bases in the Tieheng Mountain warzone, with a total of 200,000 troops assembled. Ironwood Castle was the largest, where the main force of 100,000 soldiers from the Tiger Soul Army was stationed, responsible for offense. The other two locations, Ping Mountain Port and Hulu Pass, were primarily for coordinated defense. Ping Mountain Port was a small military port. Since the Nanzhao Kingdom is a landlocked country with no navy, the Xingma Kingdom’s important military supplies are all transported by sea—this was also the reason why the Great Lord, Duke Yiven, was so insistent on pacifying the Dragon Shark Pirates. The final location was a narrow checkpoint called Hulu Pass, which could prevent the Nanzhao Kingdom from launching a flanking attack.

As the scale of the war grew, comprehensive national strength became the sole factor in determining victory. The Nanzhao Kingdom’s domestic situation was much better than the Xingma Kingdom’s. It had a large population, abundant resources, and its people were relatively prosperous. Furthermore, it was close to the center of civilization, the Dongyuan Upper Country, and its military technology was extremely advanced. Large-scale combustion-engine vehicles were already widespread in its army. If not for the terrain of Tieheng Mountain restricting the use of armored vehicles, the Xingma Kingdom would have been defeated long ago.

Although the Nanzhao Kingdom’s national strength was far greater than the Xingma Kingdom’s, it had always been on the defensive in the wars between the two nations over the years. This came down to geographical determinism: the harsher a people’s external living conditions, the more martial and warlike they become, and the stronger their aggression. The Xingma Kingdom had long coveted the prosperous Nanzhao Kingdom, and almost every Great Lord had launched a war, determined to seize control of Tieheng Mountain.

This war was no different. Since frictions began last year, several large-scale conflicts had already occurred, with casualties on both sides. Relatively speaking, the Xingma Kingdom had the upper hand because it was the aggressor. Currently, the two nations were primarily fighting over a strategic high ground called White Bone Ridge. After several battles, each side had suffered tens of thousands of casualties.

Luo Kai wolfed down his food while listening to Old Fu’s analysis of the battlefield situation. He inwardly wondered if he should just give Old Fu the intelligence he had. Black Stone Heavy Industry had deep connections with the Great Lord’s Mansion, so Old Fu could definitely find a way to see Lord Yiven.

"Old Fu, tell me about the high-ranking generals in the Xingma Kingdom’s military."

Old Fu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "In the Xingma Kingdom, besides the various local Government Armies, the most renowned force is the Great Lord’s direct lineage, the Tiger Soul Army. The Grand General of the Tiger Soul Army is General Chang Yuan. Not only is he a master strategist, but his Body Technique Cultivation is also extremely high. He is a registered High-Rank Martial Artist with the Body Technique Association. And since he’s not very old, it’s very likely he could advance even further in the future!"

"Advance even further?" Luo Kai didn’t understand what he meant. ’Is there a realm above Martial Artist?’

Old Fu glanced around mysteriously and lowered his voice. "The next step is Grandmaster, also known as a Body Master! The Body Technique Association has a rule: once you become a Body Master, you are forbidden from interfering in humanity’s internal conflicts. That’s why no one knows General Chang’s true strength."

Luo Kai couldn’t help but think of Shisan. As his understanding of Body Techniques deepened, he appreciated Shisan’s power more and more. From the sound of it, Shisan was very likely a Body Master.

"There’s also the Wolf Soul Army, another of the Great Lord’s direct lineage forces. It doesn’t have many soldiers, only about fifty thousand, and is permanently stationed at Hulu Pass. The Commander-in-Chief’s name is Xu Minglang. He’s a Mutant, and it’s said he has a special ability that lets him hear everything within a hundred-li radius!"

Luo Kai hesitated for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Is there a high-ranking general in the military named Zhang Mao?"

Old Fu looked at him in surprise and nodded. "Yes. General Zhang is the head of the Armaments Department. All of us military-industrial groups have to deal with him."

Luo Kai was about to ask for more details when a long, piercing air-raid siren suddenly blared. It was immediately followed by the WHOOSH of falling artillery shells and violent explosions. A dense barrage of bombs detonated right around the restaurant. In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. The ceiling began to collapse, and shrapnel blew a huge hole in a cement wall, shredding a nearby merchant who couldn’t react in time.

Luo Kai’s heart began to race. He dodged a slab of concrete falling from above. The war had come so unexpectedly. Their bombing zone was right here. ’We have to get out of here, now!’