World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 865 - 409: Sad Zhi Li! When the wall falls, everyone pushes!

Chapter 865: 409: Sad Zhi Li! When the wall falls, everyone pushes!

Suo Lun’s gaze was directed toward Turing Chen, while the latter’s gaze was fixed on Princess Zhi Yan.

Turing Chen’s demeanor was not one of humility but rather one of arrogance.

"This first battle today, we indeed suffered a devastating defeat," Turing Chen said. "However, there is different news coming from Tianlang Pass."

Suo Lun said, "I saw that too. Jian Ze suddenly dispatched a force of one hundred thousand, attacking Tianlang Pass continuously, and he actually managed to breach it."

Turing Chen asked, "Lord Suo Lun, what is that new weapon of yours called?"

"Cannons," Suo Lun replied.

"Cannons? A good name indeed!" Turing Chen continued. "Its power is significant, yet it isn’t. Due to the long intervals between each firing, it is an invincible killer at sea, but on land, it seems..."

Indeed, if the battle strategy of throwing waves of soldiers was used, the effectiveness of the cannons would be greatly diminished.

Turing Chen continued, "Lord Suo Lun’s forces are mostly mercenaries. These men are undoubtedly skilled in combat, but their fighting will is much too weak. Thus, in terms of fighting capability, they probably are not as good as the Dragon Guard Legion, nor as the various feudal elite forces."

Suo Lun nodded, acknowledging this point.

His forces, apart from the Iron-core Silver Wolf Legion, the earliest Suo City Guard Army, and later, the Rock Thieves Corps, consisted largely of mercenaries, all driven by money.

Turing Chen spoke again, "Of course, you also have a large part of your army captured from Duke Zhi Wei’s Southeast Army. I believe you also wouldn’t overestimate their loyalty. If things go smoothly for Lord Suo Lun, all is well. However, if things go awry, it is only natural that they might turn their blades against you at an opportune moment."

Regarding this, Suo Lun had no doubt.

His rise had been too rapid, and the true loyal forces directly under him were too few. Moreover, there was no such thing as reflecting on hardships to appreciate sweetness in this world, nor a way to brainwash. Thus, whether it was the mercenaries or the co-opted new soldiers from prisoners, Suo Lun held a very pessimistic view regarding their loyalty.

At present, the only forces he could trust were the Suo Family’s army, the core members of the Silver Wolf Legion, and the Rock Thieves Corps. The first two together numbered merely less than twenty thousand, while the Rock Thieves Corps, numbering fifty thousand, had become the absolute main force.

Of the fifty thousand men in the Rock Thieves Corps, Suo Lun had assigned twenty thousand to the Tianlang Pass battlefield, five thousand to the northern Nu River battlefield, with the remaining twenty-five thousand all at the Fenglei Fort Defense Line.

Suo Lun said, "Turing Chen, speak plainly, no need to beat around the bush."

Turing Chen said, "Jian Ze has two hundred thousand troops at his disposal, but only the one hundred thousand of the Southwestern Legion are reliable. The remaining provincial allied forces are second-tier troops, mostly riffraff and thugs with little combat effectiveness. In today’s major battle, Jian Ze deployed the entire Southwestern Legion and even left more than ten thousand as a supervising team, declaring those who retreated would die! So, the mere over eighty thousand actually used to attack Tianlang Pass were able to break through directly."

"Get to the point," Suo Lun said angrily, his patience always running thin.

Turing Chen continued, "We have four hundred thousand troops at our disposal, nearly five times that of Jian Ze. Once we, like Jian Ze, make a desperate all-out effort using the human wave strategy, crazily attacking the Fenglei Fort Defense Line. Do you think it can be breached?"

If a desperate, relentless human wave strategy was employed.

Then each meter of the Fenglei Fort Defense Line would need to withstand more enemies than today’s Tianlang Pass.

Key issue is, in today’s battle at Tianlang Pass, Jian Ze’s forces had climbed the walls three times, with the last assault resulting in a breach and occupation of Tianlang Pass.

The Fenglei Fort Defense Line was different from Tianlang Pass.

Behind the walls of Tianlang Pass, there were many castles and passes that could be defended.

Once the Fenglei Fort Defense Line was breached, there would only be simple military camps left, and beyond that an open road leading directly to Heavenly Water Main City.

That is to say, even if Tianlang Pass was breached, it could still be retaken.

However, if the Fenglei Fort Defense Line was breached, then the enemy would truly sweep through unstoppable, directly pouring into Tian Shui City. At that time, the entirety of Tian Shui City, like a defenseless beauty, would be ravaged.

Once the Fenglei Fort Defense Line was breached, it essentially meant defeat!

So, under such a desperate human wave strategy, would the Fenglei Fort Defense Line be breached?

Suo Lun did not know, but judging purely from today’s battle at Tianlang Pass, the possibility of the Fenglei Fort Defense Line being breached was very high.

Because the cannons on the land battlefield were not as powerful as imagined.

Perhaps, it would only be with the advent of high-explosive bombs, particularly when the era of breech-loading cannons arrived, that cannons could truly become the gods of war.

Turing Chen asked, "If we were to make a desperate attack, committing all our forces to storm the city. What do you think the chances are of breaching the Fenglei Fort Defense Line? Seventy percent?"

Nearly seventy percent, seemed likely.

Suo Lun said, "Even if it is breached, how many would die?"

Turing Chen responded, "Exactly, that is the key point. Today, the Southwestern Legion lost nearly sixty thousand, causing my father’s heart to bleed. These troops are the foundational pillar for the Turing Clan’s security and prosperity, as well as for the stability of Rage Wave Kingdom. His Highness Zhi Li, like a trapped beast, can only fight desperately, not caring even if it costs his last soldier, just to defeat you and ascend to the throne, as he faces only one path of no return. But my father is different..."