Chapter 292: Three Gunshots

Chapter 292 – Three Gunshots

Rebellion.

It was not the first time Li Xian had heard that word.

Yet he had never imagined it would be applied to himself.

Perhaps, in essence, a so‑called “rebellion” is merely a betrayal dressed in finery.

But who can state with absolute certainty that every betrayal in this world is wrong?

After his conversation with He Shuo, Li Xian kept turning the question over in his mind.

No matter how he racked his brain, he could not arrive at a definitive answer.

So he could only try, as best he could, to persuade himself to wait a little longer, to watch a little longer, to grant the affair a little more time.

What if circumstances were to change?

What if, in truth, it was never necessary to go that far?

Hope was dim, yet perhaps not entirely extinguished?

After leaving He Shuo’s temporary quarters, Li Xian returned to his own dwelling.

He had feared that the Holy Army, dispatched by the Sanctum to “oversee the battle,” would interrogate his whereabouts, but in fact no one seemed to care at all.

Their sole task appeared to be ensuring that the Hanhui City’s Guard of the Faith would march out of the city as planned to face the monsters.

As for what the bishop himself ought to do, it meant nothing to them.

Tragedy.

Li Xian vaguely realized that he had become a discarded pawn.

As He Shuo had said, even if he carried out the Sanctum’s orders to the letter, as soon as he relinquished the only power he held—the Guard of the Faith of Hanhui City—he would, one day, be cast out of the Mechanical God Church’s core of power.

The only difference would be whether it happened “with dignity” or “without.”

With that thought, Li Xian could not help but sigh.

He pushed open his own door and groped for the light switch.

After pulling it down, he discovered the lamp did not ignite.

It was then that he remembered: the newly appointed councilor of Hanhui City, the bishop of the Mechanical God Church, could not even safeguard a single battery.

All generators and batteries had been requisitioned by the Holy Army, most shipped to Jinling for the Saint’s “Great Electrical Revitalization Project.”

The few that remained were also taken by the Holy Army for their own use.

Now, accustomed to electric light, he could only light a candle like the other common folk.

——

The absurd part was that he had never even stocked candles at home.

After all, who would bother preparing such a thing?

Stumbling forward, he hoped to find his bed and simply sleep until dawn.

But at that moment, a mocking laugh echoed from the darkness.

“Falling from the pinnacle of power does not feel pleasant, does it?”

“Who’s there?”

Li Xian’s hand slipped to the pistol at his waist, and the man in the dark spoke again:

“Don’t be alarmed, it’s me.”

“Zhou Yan.”

“Zhou Yan?”

Li Xian’s breath eased instantly.

“Why have you returned? Weren’t you heading north with your men?”

“There’s no need to go.”

Zhou Yan flicked his wrist, igniting the candle in his hand, casting light on the table Li Xian had been groping for in vain, and sat down, then said:

“The entire northwest has been swallowed whole by the beast tide; countless monsters are gathering.”

“Just a few days ago we could still assemble hunting parties to stalk isolated beasts, but now that is utterly impossible.”

“The numbers are too great, the density too high.”

“Even if we manage to slay one or two in the field, we will be cut off by the oncoming hordes before we can retreat.”

“Therefore, we will no longer take any risks.”

“The Holy Father has issued a new command: all Holy Blood bearers abandon every prior mission and move toward the new city of Jinling.”

“If we encounter a city willing to migrate, we shall assist its civilians in the exodus.”

“If they refuse, or there is no time, after leaving a reasonable contingent for defense, we may suspend the operation.”

“Thus, I have come here to bid you a final farewell.”

“We are heading to the new city of Jinling.”

“After this beast tide passes, we may never meet again.”

“Our positions differ, yet I must tell you you are a person truly worthy of respect.”

“—Understood.”

Li Xian nodded slowly.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke:

“Leaving a reasonable number of troops for defense actually means there’s no need to leave any at all.”

“So Hanhui City has, in effect, been abandoned, correct?”

“Yes.”

Zhou Yan answered without hesitation, and upon receiving the reply, Li Xian seemed to make a resolve and suddenly said:

“You need not leave.”

“Why?”

Zhou Yan asked, puzzled:

“You don’t truly believe that your forces alone can hold back the beast tide, do you?”

“It’s not a matter of a few, a dozen monsters; according to our reconnaissance in the northwest, the tide now numbers over four hundred.”

“And those four hundred beasts are all destined for Jinling’s new city.”

“They may not pass directly through Hanhui City, but given the surrounding terrain and the monsters’ movement patterns, at least a portion will drift through Hanhui City.”

“Even if only”

“No.”

Li Xian cut Zhou Yan off, then said:

"My point isn’t that I want to drag you along to hold Han River City together."

"My point is, we could enlist the Huaxia troops to help us defend Han River City."

".Good idea, but unrealistic."

Zhou Yan shook his head.

"Now the Huaxia forces are concentrating their defense on Jinling New City; they have already erected a rather sturdy line there, and the outcomes of the first two battles against the beast tide have proven their choice correct."

"They have no reason to aid a city that isn’t theirs."

"What if the city did belong to them?"

The words hung in the air, and Zhou Yan stared blankly.

"What do you mean?"

"Today, an officer of the Huaxia army found me."

"He conveyed the Huaxia army’s intent to me in clear terms."

"He wishes for me to rise in rebellion and surrender."

"Rebellion and surrender?!"

Zhou Yan instinctively repeated those four words; unlike the first time he heard Li Xian, he now grasped the implication of the suggestion almost immediately.

"So… he hopes a mutiny will break out in Han River City?"

"Exactly."

Li Xian nodded again.

"I have resolved to follow the Huaxia army’s counsel."

"I will lead the Han River City’s Guardians of the Faith to revolt; I was still pondering how to purge the Saintly Army’s overseers from within the city, but now that you’re here,"

"perhaps we could join forces?"

"I must petition the Holy Father."

Zhou Yan rose to his feet.

"Rest assured, this won’t delay us much."

"I’ll give you an answer as soon as possible."

"Very well."

Li Xian exhaled a long breath.

Making this decision did not ease his mind.

On the contrary, he could feel a heavier weight pressing upon him. Yet perhaps that was not a bad thing?

Twelve hours later, outside Han River City.

The battered remnants of the Guardians of the Faith trudged back, dragging wounded comrades and broken gear.

There was no doubt their mission had utterly failed.

Deprived of sufficient intelligence, enough seasoned veterans, ample arms, and even adequate logistical support, their assault on that beast was a pure, one‑shot gamble.

If they could win, they would; if not, the result was exactly what we see now.

The Guardians suffered a staggering loss of one‑third of their ranks; even among the two‑thirds who barely escaped, dozens were wounded.

Of the original three hundred, only about one hundred and fifty remained combat‑effective.

Even those one hundred and fifty had seen their morale utterly shattered.

Standing before the wounded, Li Xian forced down the urge to curse, to question, and tried to soothe his troops; yet his words of encouragement rang hollow against the bewildered, desperate gazes of his men.

Only one thing could slightly ease Li Xian’s guilt.

This would be the last time.

The last meaningless battle.

From now on, once that one task is completed, none here will need to waste their lives in futility.

He drew a deep breath, straightened, and at that moment Zhou Yan stepped up beside him.

"The task you asked me to do is finished."

"I have deployed personnel to fully cover the area around the Saintly Army’s overseer garrison; most key positions are now manned."

"Yet even so, we cannot guarantee absolute control."

"Those overseer units are seasoned guardsmen; their camp defenses are meticulously arranged."

"If only the Huaxia army could lend us their drones and combat robots, many of our troubles would vanish."

"I do wish for that."

A wry smile flickered at the corner of Li Xian’s mouth.

"But you know, some things we must do ourselves."

"Understood."

Zhou Yan nodded, then asked:

"What about the other preparations? Are they complete?"

"The weapons are ready."

Li Xian lowered his voice slightly:

"I have readied enough arms for four hundred men, including forty automatic rifles, a hundred single‑shot rifles, and a large stock of flintlocks and muzzle‑loaders."

"The firepower should suffice; if we arrange it properly, taking on the overseer units poses no insurmountable problem."

"The casualty issue, however, we must prepare for in advance."

"How many losses do you anticipate?"

Zhou Yan’s expression showed a hint of worry; it was clear he could not fully trust these poorly equipped Guardians.

War is never easy, especially when the foe clearly outmatches them.

They will fear, they will doubt, they will refuse orders for myriad reasons.

And once losses cross a certain line, collapse follows, and the ensuing mutiny becomes almost inevitable.

Yet Li Xian seemed far more optimistic than Zhou Yan.

"Four hundred versus forty, I expect fifty to a hundred casualties."

"After all, those overseer squads are equipped with the 75‑type automatic rifles procured from the Huaxia army."

"Those rifles are no joke; they even outclass the Conqueror rifles of the Holy Cathedral’s Guard."

"Regardless, they are outnumbered."

"I will split the four hundred Guardians into eight squads, then sever all contact between the squads."

Thus, even if a few squads break and flee due to heavy casualties, it will not hinder the other squads from continuing the assault.

A revolving battle?

Zhou Yan asked instinctively.

More or less.

Li Xian brushed his forehead and said:

According to the Huaxia army, this is called a reserve unit.

Understood.

Zhou Yan lifted his head, gazed at the guard‑faith troops returning to the city to rest, and said with a hint of lament:

Had we known the uprising was coming, you should have acted more swiftly.

At least this way, the losses from that reckless charge can be avoided.

I thought the same at first.

Li Xian chuckled.

But now I realize it's not that we couldn't act sooner; it's that the Huaxia army had to wait for this event before offering me counsel.

In truth, that is a condition that must be fulfilled.

If we hadn't suffered this defeat, how could the men I hold ever muster the courage to defy the sanctuary they have always trusted?

Indeed.

Zhou Yan nodded thoughtfully, then added:

Yet, looking at it this way alone seems insufficient, doesn't it?

Their faith is not so easily shaken, either.

Thus I have no intention of shaking their belief—nor does the Huaxia army.

He told me of a doctrine called “purging the treacherous court.”

I will tell the guard‑faith troops that we are not rebelling against the Saint; we are merely victims of those foolish, arrogant Supreme Saints, while the Saint himself has been deceived by them.

Therefore, we must act on the Saint's behalf and excise this malignant growth.

They will not know what they truly aim to do; even if one day the Huaxia army takes this city, they will still believe that their “rebellion” is merely a display of loyalty to the Saint.

At this point, Li Xian fell silent.

Zhou Yan sighed in admiration:

The wisdom of the Huaxia army.

What we can learn from them extends far beyond weapons and technology.

Truly so.

Li Xian clapped his hands and rose to his feet.

Then he spoke:

Prepare yourselves.

The uprising will commence in six hours.

When the time comes, let my three gunshots be the signal to enact the plan.

Understood!

Six hours later.

The sky gradually darkened.

Li Xian slowly pressed bullets into his pistol's magazine, inspected them carefully, and then inserted the magazine.

He then pushed open the door and stepped outside.

Following the ladder set outside, he climbed to the roof of his dwelling.

At that moment, the setting sun revealed a thin edge on the distant horizon.

The last strand of brilliance faded, and the air, tinged with a hint of moisture, seemed to be scented with sunlight.

Li Xian looked toward the barracks of the Supreme Saints' combat squad in the distance, where a blaze of light shone and the aroma of food drifted faintly on the wind.

He drew a deep breath and raised the pistol in his hand.

Immediately after the sun had fully set, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

(End of chapter)