104: Chapter 14 Even a desperate enemy is pursued

Three days after the recovery of the capital, Li Ling received intelligence that about five thousand remnants of the rebel army, led by a brigade commander named Liu, were fleeing to the Northeast to seek refuge with the local Northeast Warlords.

"Five thousand?" Li Ling frowned. "Wasn't it said that only three thousand fled into the capital? How did five thousand pop up?"

"Sir, these five thousand are not the group that fled from Baoding Prefecture." Chen Zhiyuan pointed at the map. "They are the rebel troops stationed north of the capital. Upon hearing that the main force was annihilated, they didn't enter the capital but fled directly north. Along the way, they coerced many civilians, increasing their numbers from over three thousand to five thousand."

"Coerced civilians?" Li Ling's gaze turned cold. "What are they planning?"

"According to intelligence, they want to defect to the Northeast Warlords, using the civilians as a 'gift' to exchange for the protection of the Northeast Warlords."

Li Ling stood up abruptly and slammed his fist on the table.

"Bastards!"

The study fell into silence; everyone was startled by Li Ling's rage. They rarely saw him so angry; he was usually smiling and unserious, but at this moment, his eyes were filled with killing intent.

"Pass the order, the First Division is to set off immediately to pursue this rebel force." Li Ling's voice was cold as ice shards. "No matter where they run, you must catch them. Rescue the coerced civilians, annihilate the rebel army, and leave not one alive."

"Yes!"

The First Division set off that afternoon.

Three thousand elite infantry, equipped with the latest rifles and machine guns, took the trucks and carriages captured from the rebels and pursued them at full speed along the route the rebels fled.

The Air Force Reconnaissance Squadron was also deployed, searching for the rebels' tracks in the skies to the northeast.

The next morning, the reconnaissance plane discovered the rebels' tracks in a mountainous area about 150 kilometers from the capital. They were resting in a valley. The civilians were locked in several carriages, and the rebel soldiers were sitting around campfires, some eating, some dozing, with lax vigilance.

"Sir, the rebel army has been found!" the communications soldier reported. "Located in a valley 150 kilometers from the capital, numbering about five thousand, with about three hundred civilians."

"Order the First Division to advance at full speed and arrive before dark." Li Ling ordered. "The Air Force will conduct reconnaissance on the valley, identify the rebels' command post and the location of the civilians, and provide target guidance for the ground troops."

"Yes!"

The First Division advanced at full speed, trucks and carriages bumping on the rugged mountain roads. Soldiers held onto the railings tightly; some were carsick and vomiting, but no one complained.

By evening, the First Division reached a position less than ten kilometers from the rebels.

"Sir, the troops are in position, requesting to attack." The commander of the First Division requested instructions from Li Ling via radio.

Li Ling looked at his watch, then at the map, and pondered for a moment.

"Wait a bit longer." He said. "Wait until it is completely dark before attacking. Night warfare is our forte; the rebels are not good at night warfare, which can minimize casualties."

"Yes!"

Night fell, and the mountainous area was pitch black.

First Division soldiers moved forward in the dark, deploying into attack formation less than two kilometers from the rebel camp. Snipers occupied high ground, machine gunners set up fire points, and commandos approached the rebel camp quietly.

At 2:00 AM, the attack began.

Snipers fired first, picking off the sentries on the periphery of the rebel camp one by one. The rebels were dealt with silently before they could even sound an alarm.

Commandos took advantage of the night to rush into the camp, using daggers and silenced pistols to deal with the sleeping rebel officers. Machine gunners blocked the main exits of the camp to prevent the rebels from escaping.

When the rebel soldiers woke from their dreams, it was already too late.

"Don't move! Surrender and you won't be killed!"

"Surrender and live!"

"Those who resist will be killed without exception!"

First Division soldiers rushed into the camp from all directions, aiming their guns at the panicked rebel soldiers. Some rebels tried to resist and were shot on the spot; some tried to escape and were mowed down by machine gunners; others knelt on the ground, raising their hands, trembling.

The battle lasted less than an hour. Of the five thousand rebels, over three hundred were killed, over four thousand captured, and less than one thousand escaped into the deep mountains under the cover of darkness.

The three hundred coerced civilians were all rescued, with zero casualties.

"Sir, a great victory!" Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan reported excitedly. "The First Division successfully rescued three hundred civilians, annihilated over three thousand rebels, captured over four thousand, and seized a large amount of weapons, ammunition, and supplies. Our casualties... twenty-three dead, over fifty wounded."

Li Ling took the battle report, read it, and remained silent for a while.

"For the brothers who died, double the pension. For the wounded, arrange the best treatment. As for the rescued civilians, settle them in the capital first, and send them home after the situation stabilizes."

"Yes!"

He put down the battle report, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside.

"System." He murmured in his heart.

"Hmm?" The system's voice was lazy but had a bit more seriousness than usual.

"Tell me, why did those rebels coerce the civilians?"

"To survive." The system said. "They knew their crimes, knew that surrendering meant death, so they wanted to use the civilians as hostages to trade for a chance at life."

"Worse than beasts." Li Ling gritted his teeth. "Those civilians had no grudge against them; why should they be buried with them?"

"Host, this is a chaotic world." The system's voice was calm and cold. "There is no right or wrong, only life and death. What you can do is to end this chaotic world as soon as possible, so that everyone can live securely."

Li Ling took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

"You're right. I must end this chaotic world as soon as possible."

He turned around, walked back to the table, picked up his pen, and began to write the next step of the Northern Expedition plan.

Outside the window, the night was deepening, but the eastern sky was already beginning to turn white.

A new day was about to begin.

Three days later, the three hundred rescued civilians were sent to the capital.

They were ragged, sallow, and their eyes were full of fear and exhaustion. Some old people could no longer walk and were carried by soldiers; some children were still feverish and held tightly in their mothers' arms; some women were crying because their husbands had been killed by the rebels.

Li Ling personally went outside the city to welcome them.

He got off his horse-drawn carriage, walked to the civilians, and bowed deeply.

"Folks, I'm sorry." His voice choked a little. "I came late, and let you suffer."

The civilians were stunned. They had never seen such a high-ranking official bow to them, let alone a general say "I'm sorry" to them.

An old man walked over tremblingly, knelt on the ground, and tears streamed down his face: "Sir, you are doing us a disservice. You saved our lives, we can't even kowtow enough to thank you, how can we let you bow to us?"

Li Ling quickly helped the old man up: "Old man, please don't do this. This is my responsibility, and my duty."

The old man held Li Ling's hand tightly, unable to stop crying.

Other civilians also knelt down one after another, kowtowing to thank him.

Li Ling's eyes were moist. He took a deep breath and said loudly: "Folks, from today on, you are safe. I will send people to take you home, give you food, clothes, and medicine, and help you rebuild your homes. Don't worry, as long as I am here, no one will be able to bully you again!"

"Long live Young Master Li!" someone shouted.

"Young Master Li is our savior!"

"Young Master Li is our parent who gave us a new life!"

The cheers of the civilians echoed outside the city and lingered for a long time.

Li Ling stood there, looking at those suffering faces, and secretly swore: Must end this chaotic world as soon as possible, so everyone can live a good life.

That evening, in the command post, Li Ling received a secret letter from the Northeast Warlords.

In the letter, the Northeast Warlords expressed their willingness to submit, on the condition that they retain their territory and army.

Li Ling finished reading the letter, sneered, and threw it on the table.

"Dream on." He said to Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan. "Keep the territory and the army? What's the difference from now? It's just changing masters."

"Then what does Sir plan to do?"

"Stabilize him first." Li Ling said. "Reply to him, submission is possible, but he must surrender his territory and army, and accept reorganization. Otherwise, when we are free, we will deal with him first."

"Yes!"

Li Ling stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night sky outside.

"System." He murmured in his heart.

"Hmm?" The system's voice was a bit fuzzy, as if it were dozing.

"Tell me, will the Northeast Warlords agree?"

"No." The system said. "If he agrees, he will have nothing left. If it were you, would you agree?"

"No." Li Ling shook his head. "So, this battle will be fought sooner or later."

"Then just fight." The system said. "Anyway, you're not afraid of him."

"I'm not afraid of him." Li Ling said. "I just don't want to see more people die."

"Host, you're at it again." The system's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "War means people will die. What you can do is to minimize casualties."

"I know." Li Ling sighed. "I just... sometimes I think, if there were no war, how good would it be."

"No war?" The system laughed. "Host, you are too naive. As long as there are humans, there will be war. This is something engraved in the genes, it cannot be changed."

Li Ling was silent for a long time, then said: "Perhaps one day, it will change."

"Maybe." The system said. "But that day is not something you or I can see."

Li Ling stopped talking, just stood quietly at the window, looking at the night sky outside.

In the distance, the city walls of the capital looked exceptionally tall under the moonlight, like a silent giant beast, overlooking this ancient city.

Tomorrow, he will continue north.

And this war is far from over.