Chapter 146: Battle Results

Chapter 146: Battle Results

An hour later, the smoke cleared.

The battle offered little of note; under a pincer maneuver, forces from two different directions exchanged not a word, merely aiming and firing.

The monster chieftains had intended to charge the evidently thinner ranks of Chen Jian and his comrades, but they quickly realized that under heavy fire they could gain little advantage here.

By contrast, aiming at the ironclad troops of the Holy Hall Guard Brigade offered a glimmer of hope.

——

Yet, while they attacked, Chen Jian and his group certainly did not stand idly by.

Bullets and shells fired from behind carried greater force; often a single volley sufficed for Chen Jian and his men to fell a massive-threat chieftain instantly.

By the battle's end it had almost become a one‑sided rout; though the Holy Hall Guard Brigade suffered heavy losses, the twelve blood‑skull chieftains were nearly annihilated.

Only two chieftains broke away at the last moment, saving their lives.

Meanwhile, the fight between the Protectorate Army and the blood‑skulls was drawing to a close.

Without unified command, the blood‑skulls descended into a final frenzy, but their madness against an organized defense was little more than a joke.

The formation was quickly scattered; although Chen Jian's goal of total annihilation was not met, it was clear that these demons, surrounded by thousands of Protectorate troops, had fallen into an irrecoverable disadvantage.

After confirming the surroundings were safe, Chen Jian led his team toward the distant Guard Brigade soldiers who were watching.

He lowered his weapon, while the opposing leader—his helmet stained blood‑red, his silver‑white cloak fluttering—stepped forward to stand opposite Chen Jian.

"You fought well."

The Guard Brigade commander spoke first:

"Without your aid, we could not have slaughtered these monsters at such a small cost."

"You were not bad either."

Chen Jian gave a slight nod and replied:

"At least, you fought bravely."

"Under the radiance of the Holy Trinity, none would retreat."

The commander lifted his head and removed his helmet.

A youthful face was revealed before Chen Jian; their gazes met, each bearing a measure of respect.

For the Guard Brigade commander, though he had long heard of his sister unit's annihilation at Huangshi City, he remained a true soldier and knew better than anyone the brutality of the battlefield.

He could condemn the enemy's cruel methods, yet he could not condemn their ruthless lack of mercy on the field.

This is a fundamental quality of a soldier.

Likewise, for Chen Jian, though he despised most of the charlatans of the Machine God Cult, when those charlatans pointed their guns at even more vile monsters and sacrificed their lives to send the beasts back home, he would not mock them heartlessly for their ignorance‑born sacrifice.

The two stood in silent opposition; after a moment, Chen Jian spoke again:

"The blood‑skulls here will be swept clean, but the allocation of the spoils could bring greater casualties."

"We should not continue to oppose each other, lest our common enemy exploit the opening."

"This is not something we can decide."

The Guard Brigade commander subtly tightened his grip on his weapon, while Chen Jian, without changing expression, unfolded the weapon rack on his exoskeleton.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense, as if the next moment would see both sides erupt into fierce gunfire.

Chen Jian had no certainty of victory, for the Holy Hall Guard Brigade still numbered over two hundred, most of them armed with automatic weapons.

If they exchanged fire at close range, our side would inevitably face great difficulty.

But if it were merely a matter of withdrawing intact, he possessed absolute confidence.

The cat‑vehicle had already been started, its automatic howitzer muzzle pointed ahead of him.

His bullet‑proof vest could shield him from the Guard Brigade's bullets, and their chance to fire was, in fact, only once.

Modern warfare never decides strength by numbers alone; that was his assurance.

Upon this thought, Chen Jian spoke:

"Put away your weapon; to us it looks utterly ridiculous."

"You know well that before us, no matter how many you have, you amount to no effective threat."

"You cannot annihilate us all, and even if you let only one or two of us survive, the ensuing retaliation would be beyond your capacity to bear."

"The peace accord has just been reached; if you wish to break it, I suggest you think again."

"I do not wish to break the peace."

The commander slowly shook his head, then said:

"But the Holy Hall deserves its due reward." "This ruin holds a great secret from Huadu; clearly, the secret lies in the building behind you."

"We do not demand that you hand over this secret, but you may not monopolize it either."

"We do not want it."

Chen Jian declared decisively:

"We want nothing of what lies inside that building."

As his words fell, the commander stared at Chen Jian, astonished.

"You don't want it??"

"If you don't want it, why then did you storm in at any cost?"

"The entire Guard Brigade of Anqing and even Jinling was mobilized, at great sacrifice; we expected the ensuing scramble for loot to be even bloodier, yet you say you don't want it??"

Doubt filled the commander's eyes; Chen Jian gave a faint smile and continued:

"In fact, the contents there hold no value for us."

"If you have patience, I can tell you the whole story."

"But you must decide quickly; after your bishop arrives, I will not speak again."

Upon hearing Chen Jian's words, the commander hesitated a moment, then said:

"I accept."

Thus, Chen Jian drew a deep breath and laid out the squad's plan from start to finish.

When he heard that the entire Anqing Guard Brigade had been used by the squad, a flicker of ruthlessness crossed the commander's eyes.

But upon learning of Huadu's inhuman, cruel scheme, that ruthlessness turned to shock.

After hearing Chen Jian's narration, the commander slowly exhaled.

After a moment of silence, he spoke:

"It appears Huadu is our greatest enemy."

"If the facts are as you say, then they are likely at war with all humanity."

"Indeed, that is so."

Chen Jian spread his hands and said:

"So no one can obtain what's inside."

"We will utterly demolish this building, in our own way."

"All you need to do is steady your bishop."

"Then, when the opportunity arises, relay to him everything I've told you, point by point."

".Yes."

The brigade commander nodded again.

He locked eyes with Chen Jian, speaking each word deliberately:

"We remain enemies."

"But perhaps the Sanctum has truly erred."

"You are not some mimetic heretics; you are not even heretics."

"You are merely enemies."

Having said that, he raised his hand and gestured backward.

Following his motion, the Sanctum's Vanguard Brigade likewise retreated backward.

Chen Jian watched them leave the central hospital; after a simple gesture, Lei Jie and the others swiftly began setting up the demolition charges.

The battle was over.

Or perhaps it had only just begun?

Half an hour later, amidst the flames and explosions, the central hospital building of the Source of Sin collapsed in an instant.

Chen Jian watched the fire and smoke shoot skyward, exhaled softly, then gave the order:

"Everyone, take cover where you are."

"The allied forces of Anqing are withdrawing."

"After they leave, we too ought to come and scrape the ground!"

(End of chapter)