Redemption 04

"Sinners... you are all sinners... atone for your sins..."

The voice was intermittent, yet it echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

The ragtag soldiers, already sleep-deprived these past few days, instantly fell into a trance. Some even fell asleep the moment they closed their eyes. And as soon as they did, they saw the nightmares that had plagued them for days, along with the unfamiliar faces of those who had died because of them.

"No, no, no, it's not like this, I... I didn't want this..." someone opened his eyes in terror, shaking his head, completely unaware that he had stood up.

In the very next moment, a bullet struck him right between the eyebrows. He fell backward stiffly, and the companions beside him saw that his face even bore a faint smile of relief.

In the past, this would have inevitably caused panic, but now someone just stared wide-eyed and muttered, "He... he's free."

Before the words faded, several others stood straight up.

When death became a channel for release, these lackeys who lacked the courage to end their own lives actually began to look forward to it.

They no longer wanted to dream of those terrifying scenes, only to wake up and face the torment of their own guilt.

The Han State guerrillas left behind to cover the retreat were somewhat baffled. Why wasn't the enemy firing a single shot?

But they didn't dwell on it too much. The enemy might be fools, but they had to protect their own comrades. Gunfire rang out one-sidedly. Watching more men fall, Little Hei sounded visibly weary: "You just brought them here to die? What's the point? It would be better if you just grabbed a satchel charge and wiped them out yourself."

Fang Zhiyi, however, looked coldly at his subordinates, his tone chilling. "I am making them no longer fear death."

This baffling encirclement left the Han State guerrillas confused, but after receiving news that their main force had evacuated, they found the besieging forces making no further moves, so they all retreated as well.

When the gunfire ceased, Fang Zhiyi ordered them to advance once more.

This time, facing his command, everyone silently picked up their gear and set out.

The operation was undoubtedly a failure. They hadn't killed a single enemy, yet they had lost dozens of their own brothers.

Someone looked at the remains of the dead. Fang Zhiyi simply ordered them to dig a random hole and bury them. No one objected, as if this was exactly how things should be.

For people like us, just having a hole to be buried in is good enough.

Fang Zhiyi's battered unit returned to the city. Tian Yue had already anticipated this. Since it wasn't soldiers of his Yue State dying, it didn't matter. However, Fang Zhiyi submitted the location of the Han guerrilla forces, which made Tian Yue look at him with a bit more respect. He hadn't expected him to actually find the stronghold of those rats.

"The mountainous terrain is easy to defend and hard to attack. I hope you will leave the subsequent mopping-up operations to us," Fang Zhiyi said with a sincere expression.

Tian Yue nodded repeatedly. "Alright, I will provide you with the support you need in a timely manner." He wasn't afraid of Fang Zhiyi's men wasting ammunition; he was only afraid they would do nothing.

After all, the Yue State was paying these pieces of trash a military salary.

Fang Zhiyi's camp was deathly silent. In their dreams, they even saw the comrades who had died in this battle. Their faces were full of relief, which sparked a trace of yearning in everyone else.

To Fang Zhiyi's surprise, two soldiers actually shot themselves that night.

But Little Hei quickly remedied the situation. The soldiers who committed suicide also appeared in the dreams, but unlike those who had found release, their faces were filled with agony, their flesh and blood mangled.

Soon, a consensus formed among everyone: only those who died in battle could achieve release. Otherwise, it would be an endless cycle of painful reincarnation.

For the second mopping-up operation ordered by Fang Zhiyi, the enthusiasm of these men increased significantly. They still remained silent, and everyone's face was incredibly haggard, but at the thought of their impending release, their eyes were filled with anticipation.

It was ironic. At this point, these scumbags who had surrendered just to eke out a living were actually actively seeking death.

It was another long march, but unlike before, this ragtag army advanced in silence. No one fell behind, because anyone who did was immediately shot by Fang Zhiyi.

Fang Zhiyi still deployed his troops, and they still didn't fire a single shot. This left the Han State guerrillas baffled. No one knew what this lackey army was actually here to do. They just crouched there with their guns mounted, neither firing nor shouting, as if they were just there to stare at them.

However, this didn't stop them from retreating. The soldiers left behind to cover the retreat still reaped a rich harvest, and after the main force evacuated, they also left safely.

Once they vanished into the mountains, Fang Zhiyi's ragtag army silently stood up, threw their dead comrades into pre-dug pits for a hasty burial, and then turned away.

Fang Zhiyi once again submitted the results of this battle, and Tian Yue finally began to take it seriously.

It seemed Fang Zhiyi really could find the strongholds of these Han State guerrillas. However, the combat effectiveness of the ragtag army was simply too poor. Tian Yue even considered sending his own troops to wipe them out, but his innate caution made him dismiss the idea. Who knew if this was a trick? What if the main force went out and a crisis occurred in the city?

After much thought, Tian Yue came up with a good idea. He generously upgraded the equipment of Fang Zhiyi's ragtag army, for which Fang Zhiyi thanked him profusely.

As Fang Zhiyi was about to leave, Tian Yue suddenly asked, "Fang Zhiyi, your subordinates have been very quiet lately."

Fang Zhiyi paused, then smiled ingratiatingly. "Lord General, we've lost quite a few brothers these past two times. Everyone is holding in a lot of pent-up anger."

"Hmm, understandable. I actually think now is a good time for you to train them properly. Give them some combat capability, and do not disappoint the expectations our Yue State has for you."

"Understood, Lord General," Fang Zhiyi replied.

Watching him leave, Tian Yue shook his head. If the Yue State army wasn't all at the frontlines right now, he wouldn't have to speak like this to a treasonous piece of trash.

Fang Zhiyi indeed listened to his words. After returning to camp, he began the training.

This ragtag army had never undergone any systematic training, but no one raised any objections, because Fang Zhiyi's rigorous training allowed them to briefly forget the horrors.

"Do you want to disappoint the great gods? Do you want to continue being tormented by your own wretchedness after death?"

"Run! You bastards! For glory!"

"Can't run anymore? You are trash! Someone, drag him out and shoot him!"

Seeing their comrades dragged out and shot, no one was shocked. Some were even envious, and even the ones being dragged away had faces full of numbness.

They still lived days where nights were plagued by nightmares. That bizarre, giant god constantly displayed horrifying scenes comparable to hell right before their eyes.

In the minds of these treasonous lackeys, death and release had already become synonymous.