The remains of the betrayers were buried, and everything seemed as if nothing had happened.
The enemy's main force, delayed by the obstruction, found their march time reduced.
But words spoken are like water spilled, and the declaration to reach the city in ten days and annex it had already been made. To go back on it would be to lose face.
How embarrassing would that be!
The twins ordered a night march to make up for the lost time.
High-level ability users had excellent physical condition, and pulling two all-nighters was not a significant issue for them.
However, the low-level ones were different.
Especially the captives.
Originally injured, starving, and thirsty, many had already collapsed. After two consecutive nights of marching, tens of thousands had fallen by the time they reached the city gates.
The remaining people were also exhausted, appearing half-dead.
An Nuan and more than a dozen leaders stood atop the city gates, sneering:
"Oh my, tens of thousands marching out so grandly, I thought it would be a formidable force. Turns out, you all have eyebags dark enough to paint landscapes. Hey, are you sure you can still fight?"
Tang Qing, seeing An Nuan step forward to taunt them, exclaimed in surprise, "A woman? Are you guys alright, letting a woman lead a bunch of grown men?"
Women were rarely seen in high positions within the base.
Typically, female high-ranking officials were either the top boss's lover or direct family members.
Like her, who was already at level seven. Based on her strength and influence, she should have been eligible for a high-ranking position.
But at best, she was only a vanguard captain.
She didn't even have a seat at base meetings, let alone a chance to speak.
How could this woman stand in front of a circle of men and speak?
Chen Wenjing: [Nuan Zong, the woman on the far side, seems a bit out of place.]
An Nuan looked at Tang Qing.
The moment the two women's eyes met, Tang Qing felt a strange sensation.
Chen Wenjing: [She seems... admiring? Yearning, it looks like she yearns for you, Nuan Zong.]
What did yearning mean?
Yearning for one's enemy? This woman had a big heart.
Fortunately, it wasn't liking; she didn't want to get involved with anyone like Zi Xing again.
The twins stepped forward to mock them:
"You're quite good-looking, with soft skin and a fair complexion. If you beg us nicely, we can make you our exclusive female slave."
"Becoming an exclusive female slave is a glorious thing. My brother and I will dote on you!"
Chang Kaitong could no longer hold back. His compressed magnetism condensed into a core, ready to be launched at them, sending them to the heavens.
Chang Kaitong: [What to do, I also really want to dote on them a little...]
The others chuckled.
Hao Yunfeng: [There are quite a few people in the military who like that sort of thing. I can help you fulfill your wish.]
Chang Kaitong chuckled, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Hao."
"We're all on the same side, no need to mention trouble. However, we need them alive. Dead ones won't be any fun, and we don't have that kind of hobby here!"
The twins: "What are you whispering about?"
"Brother, they don't seem to be taking us seriously at all. Look, that girl is even sitting down."
An Nuan sat on Juan Juan's back.
The two-and-a-half-meter-tall cat was more robust than a tiger, perfectly suitable as a mount.
An Nuan cleared her throat, holding a microphone:
"Listen up, all of you who've had your clothes stripped off."
"I know you are survivors from various places who were captured. You didn't want to participate in this battle, so I'm willing to give you a chance to choose."
"We won't hold anyone responsible who wishes to leave. We also welcome those who wish to defect."
"If it's because your families are being held hostage, I advise you to wake up."
"You must have seen their actions over the past few days."
"People like you, who still have some value, are treated like this. Do you think the women and children will fare any better?"
"Their fate will be even worse than yours!"
An Nuan's words were quite stirring.
Some people's hearts began to waver.
They had personally witnessed the fate of women and attractive men in their hands.
The forces outside were like this, and within the base...
They dared not imagine.
To think about it might lead to despair...
An Nuan: "People who can unhesitatingly slaughter their own comrades, do you really expect them to let you off? That's just wishful thinking!"
"Damn it!"
An electromagnetic cannon whizzed past An Nuan's ear.
The twins were shocked.
No damage at all?
That was an electromagnetic cannon.
It had destructive power within a hundred meters, so how could it have no effect?
An Nuan only felt a gust of wind brush past her ear, a tingling sensation.
The twins' first attack didn't even create a ripple.
This further destabilized their morale.
The long-haired man laughed, "Look at the cannons you fired, they have no power at all, just empty blanks, right?"
"Wang Ruo, what did you say? Say that again, you bastard!"
Wang Ruo lazily sat up on the ox's back.
"I said what I said, you bastards fired blanks, useless!"
"Heh, if you're so capable, you do it then!"
"I'll do it if I will!"
He sat up, tied his long hair, and raised his hand. Hundreds of electromagnetic feather arrows appeared in the air.
"Fire!"
The feather arrows shot towards An Nuan.
She didn't move, but as the arrows approached, they inexplicably vanished before her.
Wang Ruo was stunned. What was going on?
The twins burst into laughter, "Hahaha, your arrows can disappear into thin air? That's amazing!"
"Brother Wang's Thunder Feather Arrows are said to be very powerful, but seeing them in person, they're nothing special, hahaha."
Wang Ruo glared at them menacingly.
His murderous intent was palpable.
"You brats, if you keep yapping, I'll let you two taste the power of the Thunder Feather Arrows as well."
"Heh, come on, we'd love to see who's stronger, you or us!"
Hao Yunfeng: [These three little brats are already bickering before the fight has even begun, how funny.]
Chen Hao: [Are we fighting or not? I feel like they're just stalling.]
An Nuan also sensed it.
Although they were called a united army, there wasn't much synergy between them.
But they were from three major bases. Would they really engage in infighting in front of the enemy?
An Nuan didn't believe it.
Although she didn't know what they were up to, she couldn't just indulge them.
She nodded.
The troops launched peony bombs, dense clusters of bombs fired into the sky.
Wang Ruo shouted, "I knew you'd pull this trick! I was waiting for you! Tornado!"
He drew his iron fan and swung it, two small tornadoes engulfing the peony bombs.
The crackling flames exploded within the tornadoes, with only a few falling to the ground.
The twins laughed, "We were prepared for this trick! You let your guard down while arguing, hahaha, serves you right!"
The tornadoes advanced towards the city gates.
Wang Ruo: "You guys can taste your own medicine too! Haha!"
An Nuan smiled, "Intelligent, but only a little! Wooden Fish."
"Fire Tornado!"