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Monarch of Evernight - Chapter 632




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Chapter 632: 632

Chapter 632: Forced Summon [V6C162 – Sorrow of a Silent Parting]



There was a wide region between the Zhao and Bai clan warzone . The geography therein was diverse with hills, intersecting valleys, and towering stone forests . There were rivers flowing through these ravines, but the rapid flow and shallow reefs made even the most seasoned swimmers feel apprehensive about going in .

This vast area was a natural battleground . The complicated landform made transportation difficult, and even the most versatile of trucks couldn’t get through . That was why neither the Zhao nor Zhang clans had built major strongholds here . There were only small fortifications .

At this moment, there was a unit moving toward the Zhao clan along the simple road on the valley floor . The squad was made up of several hundred people, yet there were only a dozen or so trucks among them, mostly filled with heavy equipment and wounded people . Hence, most of the soldiers could only advance on foot .

Many of the walking soldiers were also covered in bandages, some with blood seeping out of them . Almost every vehicle was littered with bullet holes—the most unfortunate one had no roof over the driver’s compartment and only had half a bonnet left . A good jolt would cause the truck to spit out large amounts of steam, causing the people to wonder when the car would break down entirely .

The trucks and warriors wore the insignia of the Zhang clan . Apparently, they had just withdrawn from the frontlines . Although it looked like they had just experienced a bitter fight, the troops still maintained a basic marching formation and there were no signs of low morale .

Under the officer’s orders, a truck and dozens of soldiers split off from the main unit . They began constructing defensive structures on a nearby hill, while the main army kept marching forward . Everything was executed in an orderly fashion . These details made it clear that the Zhang clan private army was manned by elites, even though it wasn’t all that famous .

After traveling another ten kilometers, dozens of people split off again to build a defensive sentry while the rest kept moving forward . A small mountain appeared over the horizon with the vague outline of a castle atop it .

The Zhang clan officer picked up the binoculars and brought the castle into clear view . This wasn’t a small settlement but a fort capable of holding thousands . There were several military flags flying atop its walls, and the officer’s expression finally relaxed a bit after seeing the words Swallow Cloud Zhao Clan on one of them . He sighed deeply and ordered, “Send word back to the general immediately . Tell him that we’ve reached the Zhao clan warzone . ”

The captain beside him disembarked from the command vehicle, retrieved a motorcycle from the back compartment, and drove back along the same way . In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared over the end of the visible road in a cloud of dust .

At this moment, in the nearby fortress, there were seven to eight generals squeezed into a small conference room . Apart from the two from the imperial regular army, the rest were all wearing the colors of the Zhao clan or the Fire Beacon Corps . This didn’t lower the deterrent effect, however—if anything, the pressure was rising . Everyone knew that the fighting power of the Zhao clan and the Fire Beacon Corps was above even the imperial regular army .



Positioned between the two parties was a lieutenant general with graying hair . At this moment, he was staring at the map on the table with a deep frown . To his left and right were young, stern-looking men—they looked to be barely in their thirties but were already wearing the stars of a major general . Of the generals in the room, there were actually two more below thirty years of age, and one brigadier general among them was only twenty-three . The remainder were also in their thirties with rarely anyone over forty .

Only the two major generals belonging to the imperial regular army were around fifty years of age . Their gazes toward the contemplating lieutenant general were full of reverence .

Zhao Zhuoyan, the Fourth Young Master of the Duke Yan Lineage, had been on the battlefield since he was sixteen . To date, he has over twenty years of campaign experience with little if any losses throughout his career . It was just that his style had always been reliable and as steady as a rock—definitely not as eye-catching as Zhao Weihuang’s tempestuous approach to things . But be it in terms of combat strength or accomplishments, Zhao Zhuoyan wasn’t one to be trifled with .

Him being in charge of the Zhao clan warzone on the floating continent was a testament to his abilities .

Although Zhao Zhuoyan wasn’t that famous, many in the imperial army knew of him . They were also clear that he was the most headache-inducing of opponents .

The two imperial officers scanned the other Zhao clan generals, their gazes lingering quite a while on the major general to the left of Zhao Zhuoyan . Then they looked at one another and saw deep apprehension in each other’s eyes .

Zhao Junhong was one of the Zhao clan’s four young nobles and could be considered one who had made a name since a young age . His fame wouldn’t just stop there if it wasn’t for Zhao Jundu being too dazzling . What surprised everyone was that Zhao Junhong’s combat strength had kept up with his outstanding commanding abilities . He had broken through continuously and was actually rank-twelve at the moment, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhao Jundu .

The one sitting next to him was Zhao Junsu . He was just in his twenties yet was already a brigadier general . The four young nobles of the Zhao clan were all champions at this point . They had grown from being protected by the clan to people who could shoulder great responsibilities .

On the other side was Zhao Fenglei . Although he was a fair bit older, that was only compared to Zhao Junhong and Zhao Junsu . Regardless, he was also a major general at this point and had a place among the young experts of the imperial army . The Zhao clan still possessed Zhao Jundu, Zhao Ruoxi, and Zhao Yuying who more or less made up the core power of the clan in this generation .

And that was the Zhao clan—saying they were a clan of many talents was a gross understatement .



At this moment, the silent Zhao Zhuoyan finally looked up at everyone around him . “Rescuing the Zhang clan involves our nation’s fate . I believe there’s no need for me to explain this . We will use Junhong’s strategy for this battle . Failure is not an option! Any squad that slips up will be punished according to military law . There shall be no tolerance!”

Shaken by Zhao Zhuoyan’s stern voice, everyone expressed assent in loud voices .

On the map, one could see nine fortresses in the vast area between the Zhang and Zhao clan warzones, vaguely sectioning the battlefield into nine parts .


Zhao Zhuoyan spoke, “Now that the Zhang clan has been defeated, the dark races certainly won’t stop here . Their main army is on the chase and they’ll likely advance by splitting into different routes . These nine fortresses are important—we must delay the dark race army as much as we can and allow time for the Zhang clan to retreat into our defensive zone . Apart from the three first-line strongholds, the others must hold out for three days . I will organize reinforcements to provide support three days later . ”

All eyes fell upon the nine fortresses . Even those who weren’t familiar with military affairs would know how difficult it must be to hold the dark race army with these hastily built fortifications . It was a lethal mission, to say the least .

Seeing everyone’s serious expression, Zhao Junhong said with a radiant smile, “This battle isn’t entirely hopeless . To the dark race army, chasing the Zhang clan is more important than uprooting tiny fortresses . As long as we can withstand the first wave of attacks, the opponents will only leave a small restraining squad and shift the main army away to continue their chase . ”

The two imperial generals nodded with relieved expressions .

These nine fortresses were of the utmost importance to this operation . Zhao Zhuoyan looked around and said, “Generals, you may choose which fortresses you want . ”

Everyone frowned and fell into silent contemplation . Choosing a fortress depended not only on oneself but also on the generals nearby . In a fierce battle, a successful defense would depend on how well neighboring strongholds could work together and cover each other’s backs . The three first-line fortresses would meet the enemy first and thus required two generals assigned to them . After accomplishing their mission, the first-line defense forces would retreat to the second-line strongholds and join them, and so on and so forth .

It was at this time that Zhao Junsu stood up and was just about to point at the first-line strongholds .

Zhao Zhuoyan didn’t wait for him to speak before saying, “Junsu, you will defend stronghold number seven . ”

Zhao Junsu was startled . “Why?”

Number seven was on the third line of defense, closest to the Zhao clan base . It was also where the pressure was the lightest of all . Although there would surely be flanking dark race squads, their strength was far inferior to the main army in pursuit of the Zhang clan forces .

Zhao Zhuoyan said with a serious expression, “This is war, not a child’s game . You’re not strong enough to hold the first-line fortress . ”

Zhao Junsu was livid and somewhat indignant, but Zhao Zhuoyan’s authority was absolute . The former couldn’t go against an issued order in public . Thus, he had no choice but to sit down with a gloomy expression .

Following Zhao Junsu’s first move, a number of other generals started picking their defensive positions . Zhao Zhuoyan would guard the central point on his own, facilitating his coordination with the surrounding areas . Zhao Junhong, Zhao Fenglei, and the two imperial major generals picked the first-line fortresses .

It was at this time that Zhao Fenglei spoke up, “No matter what arrangements we make, the entire defensive line is still quite frail . We don’t have enough hands!”

Zhao Zhuoyan replied calmly, “Zhao Yuying will arrive tomorrow with two generals from the clan . ”

Zhao Fenglei shook his head . “Even with Yuying, it’s still far from enough . ”

How could Zhao Zhuoyan not see what even Zhao Fenglei could? He said with a slow sigh, “There’s no other option . The dark race army is vast, and even the Zhang clan has been defeated . How can there be any easy fights? The imperial fleets in the void are also locked in a bitter confrontation with the enemy . We’ll only be able to breathe easy when they manage to win and stop the dark races from sending more troops in . ”

What if they lost? The possibility occurred to more than one person, but they didn’t want to continue thinking about this . The defeat of the imperial fleets would bring about the eventual annihilation of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the void continent—perhaps only a handful of aristocratic disciples and powerful people might escape .

Zhao Fenglei suddenly said, “This war is important, yet our Zhao clan hasn’t been putting all of its power to use . ”

These words drew all attention onto him . Zhao Zhuoyan’s expression remained unchanged and no one could really tell what he was thinking . “What makes you say that?”

Zhao Fenglei sighed . “Have you all forgotten about Qianye?”

Zhao Zhuoyan frowned slightly but said nothing .

Zhao Fenglei continued, “With Qianye and Zhao Jundu disrupting the dark races from the outside, their army will be distracted from an all-out siege on the strongholds . Our defensive pressure will also decrease a fair bit . ”

Zhao Zhuoyan’s brows rose slightly, but he sighed in the end . “Qianye chose to be an independent hunter and is now fighting in the Li family warzone . He is, after all, not our Zhao clan member and he does not hold office in our army, either . I have no authority to transfer him . ”

Zhao Fenglei sneered . “How is he not our Zhao clan member? He’s registered to our fourth young master’s secondary residence . Besides, we’re struggling with our lives on the line here while he’s fighting for his own rewards over there . Isn’t that too inexcusable? I think desperate times call for desperate measures . For the bigger picture, I suggest we issue a conscription order and command him to return immediately!”

Zhao Junhong shot up from his seat and roared, “You can’t!”





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