Chapter 1883 - 982: Hyakki Night Trip
Chapter 1883 - 982: Hyakki Night Trip
At 2 a.m., on the wilderness of the Central Plains, the Qing Shan Ship had already been intercepted by a dense array of floating airships.
Li Su stood on the deck, looking at the colleagues in front of him: "You are all the young faction in the Li Family Army... Do you know why you are still alive?"
Among these officers were brothers who once trained together at the Autumn Leaf Courtyard. They had once beaten up the Shadow Candidates from the Qing’s Family together, drank together, raced cars together, and walked along the small path outside the Autumn Leaf Courtyard where the setting sun shone obliquely.
There were also some officers who were the younger generation that Li Su and others had developed in the army, all under the age of 35.
Before the officers could answer, Li Su continued, "Because even the Family Head doesn’t know what the future of the Li family will be after he’s gone, and you all are the future of the Li family. He carefully selected all of you so I could bring you away from City 18. He hopes you live, but I think he prefers that the people of the Li family live with dignity. Soldiers should die on the battlefield, wrapped in horse hide; today is a good time for that."
The officers did not speak, nor did the soldiers behind them.
Li Su calmly said, "Board the ships, prepare to face the enemy. Commissioner Li Changqing and I will be on the Qing Shan Ship, standing with all of you, not retreating an inch."
This was especially a cruel pre-battle mobilization. Li Su did not deceive everyone by saying we still had hope, reinforcements, or that we could achieve victory.
Because everyone standing here was a military elite, everyone had the ability to judge the situation, so deceit was pointless.
Thus, Li Su chose to speak the truth: if everyone is destined to die today, then let it be a death with some meaning.
The sky’s alloy deck parted to the sides, and one by one, the floating airships ascended, escorting alongside the Qing Shan Ship.
Li Su returned to the command room and reported to Li Changqing: "All floating airships have ascended, only your airship remains, sir. Prepare to board, the Li family must not perish."
Li Changqing responded calmly: "Ordinary people live and die naturally, and the Li family, like humans, will also die; there’s nothing that can’t be broken. Check the satellite monitoring again."
A soldier shouted, "Retrieve the real-time satellite monitoring, no reinforcements are arriving nearby, it’s just us."
Li Changqing did not speak, she just silently watched the radar, seeing the approaching enemy forces.
There were indeed no reinforcements.
It seemed the purpose of the Qing Shan Ship’s existence was to arrive at the Central Plains, to buy a few more hours for the Parents’ Meeting, and then to be destroyed.
Li Tongyun hesitated.
Li Changqing smiled at her: "We are all people who cannot see destiny. So if those who see destiny think it’s best for us to die here, then we will die here."
She wasn’t afraid of death, just a bit regretful for not knowing Qing Chen’s whereabouts until now.
Once outside Taboo Land 002, she piloted the Qing Shan Ship to support Qing Chen, and when she saw that vibrant young girl beside Qing Chen, she left without a word.
But this didn’t mean she would forget the fireworks Qing Chen took her to see, nor that night she rode the motorcycle through the city with Qing Chen.
"Lao Wan, if you survive, how will you record me?" Li Changqing asked with interest.
Lao Wan laughed, "I’ve already archived records of yours for my colleagues, set to be declassified in 100 years. Your activities since age 16, every decision, and preference are recorded in there. Miss, I have high regard for you because you are the only outstanding female general of this era."
Li Changqing seemed indifferent to the last comment, nor did she care how people would see her in the future. She just wondered if when the files were opened a century from now, if Qing Chen would go to the Observer to take a look at her records?
But at that moment, a soldier shouted, "Sir, someone from Ginkgo Mountain is requesting communication."
"Open the communication."
In the holographic projection, Zero, dressed in a black formal suit, said, "Please immediately set the Qing Shan Ship to automatic attack mode, and the remaining personnel should board the airships, including Commissioner Li Changqing."
Li Changqing was puzzled: "Isn’t it too late for us to evacuate now? We’re surrounded, and the airships can’t get out."
Zero responded, "This is an order."
Li Changqing hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, before the Storm City fleet arrived, she boarded a floating airship and departed.
Just as they left the Qing Shan Ship, a white light suddenly shot from afar, penetrating the Qing Shan Ship and causing it to lose all power.
Only the anti-gravity system continued to operate, turning the Qing Shan Ship into an immovable island.
This white light had appeared before, when Qing Chen and Yi smuggled to the West Continent, and it was this white light that pierced through the Kingslander.
The West Continent Aerial Fortress always had a trump card against aerial fortresses, which was why the Duke of Blackwater previously said to Li Yunshou, "Even two aerial fortresses from the Eastern Continent might not be able to replace me."
Li Changqing sat on the floating airship in a daze, but the next moment, they discovered an issue with the radar mark. Where the Qing Shan Ship was, an aerial fortress appeared out of thin air.
It was floating at 16,000 meters altitude, maintaining an almost vertical distance from the Qing Shan Ship, hidden in the night.
This was the Heaven Ship Qing Chen had seized from the Chen Clan!
This Heaven Ship had disappeared after the battle in the north, strictly adhering to preset coordinates at the limit altitude, maintaining complete communication silence, only now making its appearance.