Chapter 36: Triple System Draw! The Iron-Blooded Commander Li Yunlong!

Page 1 of 3

Yet, in the face of this major military operation, the Chengyun faction not only failed to notify him in advance, but even moved against Sanlaodeng behind his back.

In Nezu Kazuma's eyes, this was nothing short of a grave insult.

"Prepare my special train at once. I must return to Chengyun immediately and question Wang Lin in person!"

"Yes, Consul General!" his secretary responded without delay.

Watching Nezu Kazuma leave in haste, Kawashima Naniwa felt a swirl of complicated emotions.

Clearly, waiting passively was not the way to solve anything.

He too rose to his feet and decided to take action. "Get in touch with my army’s command headquarters!"

But to Nezu Kazuma's surprise, Wang Lin, who usually appeared at a single call, was nowhere to be seen today.

Instead, he encountered Yang Ting, who had just hurried back from outside the court.

"Consul General, I must apologize. Our Commander-in-Chief has unfortunately caught a chill and is resting at home."

"If you have any requests, please tell me directly. After all, the Commander and I are sworn brothers."

"Please, enjoy some of my finest Pu’er tea."

Presented with these exquisite refreshments, Nezu Kazuma sneered coldly.

"Of all times for an illness to strike, it has to be now! Mr. Yang, don’t you find that a bit too coincidental?"

The smile faded from Yang Ting’s face as he replied with gravity, "Consul General, what are you implying?"

"Are you suggesting our Commander is deliberately avoiding you?"

Although Yang Ting, as leader of the bureaucratic faction, was adept at leveraging the foreign army’s power to strengthen his own position, he always put the interests of the Chengyun clique first. Otherwise, he could never have retained his current status.

As the situation grew increasingly awkward, Nezu Kazuma decided to drop all pretense and stated his demands directly.

"Very well, Mr. Yang, please relay this to Commander Wang: you must return all occupied territories within a week!"

"Yan is our ally, and as for Shui Fang Zhengquan, he is under our protection!"

"Any attempt at this moment to attack Yan and ally with Shui Fang will be regarded as an act of hostility toward the Empire!"

"For that, we will not hesitate to resort to diplomatic or even military means to ensure you pay a heavy price!"

With that, Nezu Kazuma straightened his suit and strode away, ignoring Yang Ting’s parting words.

At that moment, Wang Lin and Jiang Bai were sitting down to breakfast together. If not for the Western-style table, the scene would have been indistinguishable from any ordinary household meal.

"Judging by your expression, those fellows must have annoyed you again."

"Come, have a pancake, and let’s talk while we eat."

Yang Ting’s face was dark. "Damn it, the foreign army just delivered an ultimatum."

"They say if we don’t immediately return the occupied areas, they’ll launch a full-scale war against us!"

The words froze the atmosphere.

Even Wang Lin, who’d had a healthy appetite, suddenly found his pancake tasteless.

"Damn it! This is meat already in our mouths—how can they expect us to spit it out now?!"

Wang Lin seethed. "They’re clearly looking down on us!"

Yang Ting gave a wry smile. "But, Commander, ever since the end of the Anti-Guo campaign, haven’t we just been pawns for others to play with?"

Wang Lin was momentarily at a loss for words.

As the heaviness in the air deepened, Jiang Bai suddenly spoke up.

"Don’t worry, big brother. Given the current situation, there’s no way they’ll dare go to war with us."

Page 2 of 3

"As long as our main forces remain within the pass, the foreign army won’t dare launch a large-scale invasion of Chengyun province."

"If they really do try to drag us into a war of attrition, the northern powers won’t miss such a golden opportunity!"

After hearing Jiang Bai’s analysis, Wang Lin’s expression relaxed a little.

Still, he fretted, "But what if they really do send troops?"

A wild grin spread across Jiang Bai’s face. "Then we’ll let them have a taste of our strength!"

Jiang Bai’s confidence stemmed from the fact that the foreign army’s total strength in Chengyun province was only about twenty thousand troops. Even including six railway guard battalions, the total barely reached thirty thousand.

That might be considerable in optimal conditions, but such a force could never hope to wage all-out war against Chengyun province alone.

If the foreign army wished to launch a major campaign, they’d have to bring in reinforcements from their homeland. But that depended on the approval of their civilian leadership—not to mention the economic crisis at home.

Moreover, in order to counter the northern powers on Haiwai Island, the foreign army had already borrowed massive sums from the Western Empire. Though the war had been won, their foes offered no reparations, leaving them to shoulder the debt alone.

Now, with those war debts still unpaid, launching another protracted conflict would plunge them into utter economic ruin.

As matters developed, events unfolded just as Jiang Bai had predicted.

The moment news of the Chengyun army moving out reached the top brass, endless internal debate erupted.

The army faction was adamant about sending troops to Chengyun province, forcing Wang Lin’s surrender, and demanding heavy war reparations.

But the navy and the civilian camp vehemently opposed it, arguing that resources should be redirected to the Winternania region to secure high-quality natural rubber and timber for the Empire, while also curbing the army’s seemingly boundless ambition.

While the foreign high command was deadlocked by these disputes, suddenly a piece of highly favorable news arrived from the front—

The fall of Xuzhou!

With Xuzhou lost, Shui Fang’s forces suffered catastrophic losses. Many units were destroyed or scattered, and their defensive line collapsed completely.

To preserve his strength, the Shui Fang leader was forced to retreat entirely and urgently begged Chengyun province for support.

Faced with Shui Fang’s desperate and pleading telegram, Jiang Bai immediately realized that the perfect moment had come to retake Chaha and destroy Sanlaodeng once and for all!

When Jiang Bai outlined this strategy to Wang Lin, Wang Lin agreed without hesitation, deciding to send the main force of the Seventh Reinforced Division south to seize southern Chaha.

The reason was simple: compared to the barren north, southern Chaha was far more valuable—both strategically and as a stockpile of Sanlaodeng’s military supplies, including equipment provided by the foreign army.

Though the gear was obsolete, retired from their own army, it was more than enough to outfit an ordinary infantry division.

If they could succeed in one blow, it would be a tremendous boost to the recovering Chengyun faction.

Moreover, the fall of Xuzhou meant the military pressure of the Resistance Alliance now bore directly on Shui Fang, with some front-line units even boasting, "Tonight we’ll cross the river and capture the little leader alive!"

At this desperate juncture, Shui Fang’s leader personally sent his trusted aide to Chengyun, promising on the spot that if Chengyun would continue its southward advance, Shui Fang would cover all military expenses—fifteen million per month.

At this point, the combined monthly military budget for all three Sanlaodeng allies was only ten million!

To demonstrate his sincerity, Shui Fang’s leader even paid a two-million deposit in advance.

Page 3 of 3

So, when Wang Lin saw the generous gifts from Shui Fang’s envoy, even his well-tempered nature couldn’t help but marvel, "Good heavens, they say these people are swimming in wealth."

"Well damn, I never believed it before, but today I’ve seen it with my own eyes."

In front of the Shui Fang delegate, Wang Lin signed the order for the southward campaign without hesitation.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Chengyun, in a large encampment, as soon as Wang Lin issued the order for the Seventh Reinforced Division to advance and seize southern Chaha, Jiang Bai set off at once for the division’s headquarters.

After two rounds of expansion, the Seventh Reinforced Division had grown into a massive force of over fifty thousand men.

Once the mobilization order was given, all personnel on leave were recalled at once. Bullets and ammunition were distributed to each company, and officers who could write prepared their wills themselves, while those who could not had the nearest schoolteacher write for them.

The wills were then locked away in wooden chests. If the writer survived the war, the will and chest would be burned in celebration; if not, the document would serve as a final message to their family.

With everything ready, only the final spark was needed to ignite the assault on Chaha.

Ah, and there was still the system reward to claim.

Jiang Bai rubbed his hands together, hoping for a stroke of good fortune.

[Ding! You have won three elite military officer draws. Would you like to begin the lottery?]

"Draw immediately!" Jiang Bai replied without hesitation.

The prize wheel spun rapidly before him.

When it finally stopped, the system’s voice rang out:

[Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the Iron-Blooded Warrior, Li Yunlong!]

Instantly, a portal visible only to Jiang Bai appeared outside.

A rough, booming voice echoed from within:

"Damn it! I heard the general wants to move against the Jin army scum. Li Yunlong here has been fighting them for years! My Independent Regiment will be on the frontline—I’d like to see who dares try to take my glory!"

With that, Li Yunlong strode out like a fierce wolf, his posture upright and imposing. In his hand, he gripped the renowned tiger-head broadsword, his steps firm and swift, a determined light blazing in his eyes.

His uniform was as black as the mud.

As a system-drawn character, only his personal traits were preserved upon summoning; his memory and understanding would automatically adjust to fit this era.

"Well now, what have I done to deserve such an honor, General Jiang himself coming to greet me!"

As he spoke, Li Yunlong’s stats appeared before Jiang Bai on a pale yellow interface.

Officer: Li Yunlong

Current Rank: Specialist Level One (81% progress to next rank)

Current Command: Independent Regiment (3,000 soldiers)

Command Capacity: 3,000/10,000

Loyalty: 100%

Officer Skills:

War Frenzy: When engaged in frontal combat, unit combat power increases by 30%, mobility by 20%, effect lasts four hours.

Recruit Training Expert: New recruit training efficiency improved by 300%.

Guerrilla Tactics Specialist: When operating in dispersed formations, unit penetration increases by 300%, rapid breakthrough by 30%, and reinforcement speed by 300%.