Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 822
"Those flip-floppers were like the appeasers in the Martial Meritocrats civilization. All they cared about were their own interests. They had always been reluctant to carry out Wuying Qi's military demands and would simply stay back when the Covenant Alliance's army arrived while asking Wuying Qi's troops to resist the enemy. Some of them were even conspiring with the Covenant Alliance in secret, selling assets and intelligence to the enemy!
"Since this place was too far away, even the parliament of the Star Ocean Republic could barely do anything about the sub-republics. They could only maintain the harmony on the surface.
"Wuying Qi knew better than anybody that the flip-floppers were not reliable. If he suffered a crushing defeat, the vassal worlds would certainly not fight to the end for the Star Ocean Republic. If anything, they would be the first to surrender. By then, the failures would snowball until the final defeat was unstoppable!
"Therefore, Wuying Qi had to secure a glorious victory with the few troops that he had!
"He decided to gamble. After finishing the preparations on Karan, his nest, he pretended that he had grown arrogant because of the recent victories and marched to attack the Covenant Alliance's supply lines.
"The Covenant Alliance saw through his fatal disadvantage, his shortage of troops, as he expected. Seizing the momentary opportunity, they launched an assault to Karan.
"With his remarkable commanding arts, Wuying Qi pretended that he was crushed and had to run away in panic. He threw away Karan and escaped to a vassal Sector in the rear.
"In order to fool the Covenant Alliance, he even pretended that he had been attacked by the local armed forces who were determined to surrender to the Covenant Alliance so that the Covenant Alliance would think that he had completely lost his power.
"The Covenant Alliance was tricked as he planned. After they occupied Karan, because of the strategic resources on the planet and since Wuying Qi had left the facilities such as the maintenance docks, the space ports, and the communication bases intact, they considered the place to be a new command center and were preparing to conquer the ten or so vassal Sectors nearby.
"But they didn't know that Wuying Qi had made preparations beneath Karan's surface!
"Since the Purple Thunder Crystals on Karan were enough to boost the maximum speed of a starship by five percent, it is not hard to guess that they are materials that contain abundant spiritual energy and are both highly active and highly unstable!
"With the methods that he had learned when he was wandering in the universe, Wuying Qi established a great array that pierced through the core of the planet and connected all the mother lodes of the Purple Thunder Crystals, turning the whole of Karan into an enormous 'planetary bomb'!
"It was indeed the most insane tactic!
"It must be noted that, when Karan was converted into a 'planetary bomb', Wuying Qi's main force was still gathered in the place. Even he was commanding the battles there in person, too!
"One moment of carelessness, and he would've been blown to smithereens!
"It was an appallingly risky gamble, but it paid off!
"The Covenant Alliance considered the occupation of Karan a landmark success. The main force of the fleets gathered on Karan to rest and regroup ahead of the attacks in the next phase. Most of the generals were gathered in the command center on Karan, too, dispatching troops and discussing strategies.
"Choosing a perfect opportunity, Wuying Qi activated the great array deep inside Karan. The spiritual energy contained in the Purple Thunder Crystals was unleashed all at once, blowing the entire planet apart!
"The shocking explosion affected the entire space. Not only were the generals of the Covenant Alliance all cooked up, most of the main force warships also became wasted garbage floating in the universe!
"The more than ten vassal Sectors couldn't help but become awed by such a glorious achievement. Called and intimidated by Wuying Qi, they all submitted their local armed forces. A coalition fleet was founded and chased after the enemy. Eventually, the Covenant Alliance's strategic attack was crushed. A lot of starships of the Covenant Alliance were captured, too. It was indeed the most brilliant victory!"
Li Yao had been holding his breath the whole time and did not exhale again until this moment.
There were certainly exaggerations in Su Changfa's rhetoric, but the key tactic was unlikely to have been fabricated.
Despite the possibly different stance, Li Yao was truly amazed by Wuying Qi's strategical judiciousness and his tactics that bordered on insanity!
Seeing Li Yao's apparently touched countenance, Su Changfa, however, put on a cold smile and gnashed his teeth. "After winning the battle in such a glorious way—shattering the Covenant Alliance's intentions and almost annihilating all the invaders—when the troops on our side were so terribly outnumbered by those on the enemy's, logically, he should've returned a hero and received the bouquets and cheers from the people of his homeland!"
Li Yao found it odd. "Did he not?"
To this moment, he had not figured out what was wrong about Wuying Qi yet at all.
Su Changfa frowned. "Of course not. What awaited Wuying Qi was not applause but the barrage of the Cultivators, the despise of the general public, and a trial of the military court on the grounds of 'crimes against humanity' and 'massacre'!"
Li Yao was dumbfounded. "Wh—why?"
It was almost like one of the classic plots where good guys were wronged without a good reason!
Su Changfa coughed and said, "Because… in order to deceive the Covenant Alliance, Wuying Qi did not bring away the ordinary people living on Karan when he 'fled from the planet in panic'.
"There were approximately 8.2 million civilians on Karan, most of whom were miners, mechanics, and specialists of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and their families.
"When Karan was detonated, the 8.2 million civilians were naturally… sacrificed, too."
Chapter 1258: Will You Press It or Not? |
"Blowing up almost ten million people on his own side?"
Li Yao gasped hard, his mind abuzz. He felt that his heart was grasped by a cold hand. He was shocked, disgusted, and scared.
It was not 'accidentally injuring' ten million compatriots in a fierce battle, nor an extreme condition such as one where the commander was forced to barrage an area indiscriminately to destroy the enemy when the enemy's commander was discovered along with ten thousand compatriots next to it, but a carefully concocted plan since the very beginning where the ten million compatriots were baits to lure the enemy into the trap. The commander had known, and actively pushed forward, the death of the ten million compatriots since the very beginning!
Such—such—such a technique far exceeded the limits of Li Yao or any other normal human being!
It was indeed not wrong to accuse Wuying Qi of crimes against humanity and massacre.
The shock and wariness that Li Yao showed subconsciously made Su Changfa laugh coldly. "Do you not understand such a simple logic, Fellow Cultivator Li?
"The Covenant Alliance may be vile, but they were definitely not foolish. They had been dealing with Wuying Qi for more than ten years and knew very well that he was an experienced, unwavering commander!
"How could it be so easy that Wuying Qi 'fled in panic'?
"Such a tactic to lure the enemy to march forward before destroying them together was a risky plan in the first place. He had to pretend that he was caught unprepared and forced to escape in a hurry. Only in such a way would there be a slim chance that the Covenant Alliance was fooled!
"If Wuying Qi had evacuated the almost ten million civilians in advance, would it not have suggested that he had foreseen the upcoming assault of the Covenant Alliance? The enemy would have needed only the most preliminary analysis to notice the strange arrangement!
"Therefore, the 8.2 million civilians could not be evacuated. For the country, for their people, and for the glorious victory of mankind as a whole, they had to be sacrificed!"
Li Yao coughed hard. Thousands of thoughts were rolling in his head, tearing his solid belief crazily.
He carefully calculated what reactions his fake identity should make under such circumstances before he stammered to reply, "I understand all the logic. However, sacrificing almost ten million civilians in a row was indeed a bit… violent. No wonder the Cultivators and citizens in the capital were dissatisfied!"
"It is the easiest thing in the world to judge this and judge that on the moral high ground when you are not involved. Nothing really concerns your interests after all!" Su Changfa snorted. "What's difficult is to actually make the helpless and yet correct choice when you are in a critical situation!
"The lives of 8.2 million innocent victims sound like a big deal, don't they? Wuying Qi sounds like an inhumane butcherer and a headsman, right?
"However, those guys, and you, Fellow Cultivator Li, have you ever considered the consequences if he hadn't made such a choice?
"At that time, the border defense army under Wuying Qi's command was terribly outnumbered. Despite the continuous tactical victories, their zone of activity was significantly suppressed by the intruders of the Covenant Alliance!
"If he couldn't secure a crucial victory, he would've been overwhelmed by the army of the Covenant Alliance!
"In the meantime, behind Wuying Qi were more than ten vassal worlds that were undetermined and on the fence. The controllers of the vassal worlds were all local magnates who only cared about their own interests. They were sordid, shameless tyrants!
"Although they had accepted a lot of aid from the Star Ocean Republic under the name of 'humanitarianism', they wouldn't hesitate to surrender to the Covenant Alliance at the perilous moment at all!
"Once the ten or so vassal worlds betrayed them, the Star Ocean Republic's defense line on this particular galaxy arm would've completely collapsed! The army of the Covenant Alliance would've marched into the most prosperous core area of the Star Ocean Republic unstoppably!
"At this time, the Star Ocean Republic had yet to enter the highest warring state. The core worlds were still reminiscing about the hundreds of years of peace and tranquility. The weapons were still all in the arsenal, and everybody was still talking and laughing as usual. They were not ready for a great war at all!
"In such a case, how many 'innocent civilians' would've been killed in your opinion?
"Ten billion, fifty billion, a hundred billion?
"The worst case-scenario might've been that the Star Ocean Republic was completely crushed, and the last hope of the civilization of mankind was extinguished!"
Li Yao did not know how he should answer the question.
Under Su Changfa's enchantment and the interference of the swirls of light and shadow in the Grand Illusionary Land, he found it impossible to calm himself down and think about the question carefully.
At this time, countless glittering tentacles extended from the Grand Illusionary Land and covered Li Yao's tightly, as if they were putting extremely cold, black armor on him!
"Hu… Hu… Hu…"
Li Yao heard his own breath, which sounded like it was from the deepest level of hell.
The world in front of him was changing in silence into the bridge of a starship. There was only one button on the panel in front of him. The light beam on the panel was displaying a yellow planet with countless tiny light spots dancing on the surface like dense, shining butterflies.
It was the planet of Karan.
Su Changfa's voice came from behind Li Yao, dropping like the venom that a viper was secreting incessantly. "Fellow Cultivator Li, let's do a little mind game. Now, you are Wuying Qi at that day, faced with Karan, which has already become the enemy's nest!
"You can choose to detonate Karan, and blow up the enemy's command center and main force fleets as well as 8.2 million civilians, thereby winning the war and saving the entire Star Ocean Republic!
"You can also choose to follow the general principles of humanity, kindness and mercy, and retreat instead of doing that. As a result, the ten or so vassal worlds will surrender, the entire defense line on the galaxy arm will be crashed completely, and the Star Ocean Republic will be open, utterly defenseless. More than ten billion victims will be killed in the war eventually!
"Come on. Make a choice. Will you press the button to detonate the entire planet?
"Press it, and you will be killing 8.2 civilians personally!
"If you don't, billions of victims will die because of you, and even the entire civilization might be doomed. The 8.2 civilians will not necessarily survive to the end, either!
"Will you press it or not?
"Make a choice! Make a choice! Make a choice!"
Su Changfa's voice was like tsunamis made of black venom that were crushing Li Yao's belief crazily.
This was the truly 'brainwashing'. Everything just now was merely story-telling!
Li Yao gritted his teeth hard, his face twisted, as he pondered if there was a perfect solution with the best of his computational ability.
However, he failed to find a third option when his brain almost exploded.
Deep down in his heart, the mental devil was seething and shrieking, "What's there to think about? Compared with ten billion people, ten million are just drops in a bucket. Press it. Just press it already!"
The mental devil took control over Li Yao's left hand again and extended toward the button.
Li Yao grunted and contained the rebellion of the mental devil with his brute force. His entire left arm was uttering cracking sounds, and he seemed to be controlled by invisible string because his movements could not have been more rigid.
Su Changfa observed his actions coldly. Then, after a smile, he clapped his hands. The illusions were suddenly gone. They were back to the 'bystander mode' in the beginning.
Li Yao took a breath in relief. All his clothes were soaked in sweat, and the nerves in his brain were still bouncing.
"It's difficult to choose, isn't it?
"Normal people are not capable of making a choice. Their nerves are not thick enough for them to face the cruelty of the universe!
"In fact, if Wuying Qi had been merely considering his personal gains and losses, he probably should've made the second choice.
"Because of the huge contrast of the numbers of the two armies, even if he failed, he wouldn't have been held responsible. Instead, it would have been the perfect evidence that the capital's support for him had not been good enough, which was a horrible mistake. His future development would benefit from it!
"Let's say that the Star Ocean Republic was truly destroyed by the Covenant Alliance in the end, so what? He could always wash his hands and leave again, continuing his travel in the sea of stars!
"But Wuying Qi never considered his personal gains and losses. Everything he did, he did for the salvation of mankind as a whole and our civilization!
"If not me, who? For the best interests of mankind, Wuying Qi chose the first option without the slightest hesitation. Every single person that he killed meant the salvation of a thousand! Killing ten million people meant saving ten billion. He saved the entire civilization!"
Prideful brilliance was beaming from every pore on Su Changfa's body, as if he found glory in Wuying Qi's decision, too.
Li Yao was silent.
Deep inside his brain, his soul and the mental devil were at loggerheads. They were glaring at each other, neither of them backing off.
"Senior Wuying Qi was too great!" The mental devil was sobbing and could not have been more touched. "If not me, who? Such integrity, devotion, wisdom, and courage! What a resolute and incredible man!
"I have decided!
"I'm going to learn from Senior Wuying Qi and join the Immortal Cultivators. I will fight to the last breath for the best interests of the civilization of mankind!"
"Cut the cr*p!"
Li Yao could not help but raise a storm of brain electricity and slashed it hard with the dazzling lightning.
Although the mental devil was screaming and blacked as before, it was recovering much faster this time. There was not much pain on its face, either. Instead, the face was full of fearlessness and determination.
"Come on! The Immortal Cultivators are never scared of the bullies!"
The mental devil craned its neck and shouted, "You can suppress me with violence temporarily. You can even completely kill me. But you will never defeat me, unless you make your choice first. Kill ten million people, or have ten billion people killed? Choose! Choose! Do you have the courage to choose?"
Li Yao was lost for words for a moment.
Ever since the negative emotions inside his soul swallowed the Blood Stripe Virus and turned into the mental devil with an independent personality, this was the first time that he did not know how he should face the dark side of himself!
Chapter 1259: The Sick Beauty |
"Wuying Qi placed the best interests of the civilization of mankind above his personal interests and the interests of the Star Ocean Republic's parliament," Su Changfa declared passionately. "For mankind, he would not concede to anyone or waver when he was faced with tough choices!
"During the Battle of Karan, other than sacrificing the 8.2 million civilians, he in fact did something else that seriously dissatisfied the capital.
"At that time, for the play that he 'fled in panic', not only did he leave the 8.2 million civilians to Karan, he also kept most of his starships and strategic assets in that place, too.
"Wuying Qi's forces were thin in the first place, and they were even weaker after he lost more than half of his starships and assets.
"Although the command center and the main force fleets of the Covenant Alliance were destroyed in the detonation of Karan, a lot of soldiers still dispersed in chaos and were rushing toward their hometown.
"It was easy to defeat them, but a lot of forces were required in order to annihilate all of them. Wuying Qi's border defense army was far from enough for the task. He could only seek help from the ten or so vassal worlds!
