Chapter 2195 Useless Bow
Li Yao secretly clicked his tongue. If the army of the Imperium was viewed as a whole, this General Lei Chenghu would certainly be a well-deserved big shot of the military.
Li Linghai said, âWhen the Imperium finally launched a strategic counterattack, it was General Lei Chenghuâs troop that led the charge and marched into the five worlds, including the Black Wind Sector, which had been occupied by the Covenant Alliance for a hundred years. He secured five triumphs in a row and recovered the former land a hundred years ago, clearing the obstacles for the subsequent troops.
âIn the ten years that followed, General Lei Chenghuâs Astounding Thunder Fleet had been fighting in the most difficult battlefields and were almost broken to the point of destruction many times.
âBecause of General Lei Chenghuâs prestige and the middle- and bottom-level officersâ worship of him, and because the war was still intense at that time, even the four KurfĂŒrst families did not dare to play tricks on the reestablishment of the Astounding Thunder Fleet. They could only give the warships of the latest model that were produced recently to General Leiâs command.
âOf course, the troops of the four KurfĂŒrst families would not listen to General Leiâs command easily. So, the soldiers that were placed into the Astounding Thunder Fleet were often from the local troops and the miscellaneous troops that had been collapsed in the bloody battles.
âAfter more than ten years of strategic counterattacks, it was inevitable that many troops were crushed and lost organization. Those failed soldiers with low morale were garbage that nobody wanted for fear that their lethargy would infect other troops. But General Lei Chenghu simply accepted all of them.
âAfter the bloody battles, General Leiâs troop had already become a hotchpotch with the crushed soldiers from every part of the universe.
âMany people who admired General Leiâs charisma and eminent military accomplishments volunteered to join General Lei when they had better choices. As a result, the composition of the Astounding Thunder Fleet was even more complicated.
âSuch a âhotchpotch troopâ would be an unorganized mess in the hands of any commander. But General Lei had amazing skills that could transform the unorganized mess into seasoned warriors in the shortest amount of time and grant them the courage to die together with the enemy.
âGeneral Lei Chenghu is perhaps not the best militarist in the Imperium, but when it comes to the training of soldiers, he is well-acknowledged to be the best of the Imperium!
âAll in all, General Lei had been leading such a hotchpotch troop in the frontmost battlefield against the Covenant Alliance, making great contributions to the Imperium.
âRight now, the situation is more or less steady. The Fourth Coalition Fleet under General Lei Chenghuâs command, commonly known as âAstounding Thunder Fleetâ is the fleet with the most main-force warships, the best equipment, and the highest combat ability aside from the troops of the four KurfĂŒrst families. In terms of the battle will, they are even much better than the private troops of the KurfĂŒrst families. After the screening of iron and blood of a hundred years, there are neither cowards nor selfish scoundrels under General Leiâs command. They are all the most distinguished soldiers boosted by the purest dreams who are willing to defend the Imperium with their hot blood!
âRight now, General Lei Chenghu is commanding the Fourth Coalition Fleet of the expedition army as the special admiral of the Imperium. He is also the commander of the Third Battle Area, which includes four newly-recovered war worlds and dozens of rather prosperous resource planets, as well as two twisted space zones that are very suitable for the collective space jumps of supermassive fleets. It is an important place that all the generals will fight over.â
After hearing Li Linghaiâs introduction, Li Yao said after a long daze, âSo to speak, General Lei Chenghu is truly a giant pillar that holds the sky of the Imperium. Are the four KurfĂŒrst families insane enough to involve such a big shot of the military just because they want to strike the reformists? Are they not worried that something may go wrong in the frontline?â
âIâm afraid you are wrong.â
Li Linghai said gloomily, âIt remains to be seen whether the four KurfĂŒrst familiesâ main focus is the reformists and they are just removing General Lei Chenghu by the way, or their primary target has always been General Lei Chenghu while the measures against the reformists are just smoke grenades!â
Pondering for a moment, Li Yao bulged his eyes. âWhen the birds are all shot down, the bow will be useless?â
âExactly. Do you remember what I told you when I introduced the situation of the Imperium to you a few days ago? After a decade of bloody battles, the troops that are scattered in different worlds of the Imperium are being awakened as a whole. They are craving to let out their own voice.â
With a smile, Li Linghai said, âTake a guess. If the military really wants to get out of the control of the four KurfĂŒrst families and grow into an independent behemoth, who will it choose as its leader?â
Li Yao blurted out, âGeneral Lei Chenghu?â
âExactly!â
Li Linghai said, âGeneral Lei Chenghu is almost an immaculate soldier of the Imperium. In terms of prestige, accomplishments, charisma, and the attitude of the bottom-level soldiers, nobody can be compared to him. He truly deserves to be called the âGod of Warâ.
âIf the military wants to get rid of the control of the four KurfĂŒrst families and the Council of Elders, the extremists of the âBlood Oath Allianceâ are far from enough. They need the leadership of a real powerful big shot from the military, and General Lei Chenghu is the only candidate!â
Thinking for a moment, Li Yao asked, âWhat does General Lei Chenghu think himself? Or rather, what is his view on the so-called âreformistsâ?â
âGeneral Lei Chenghuâs attitude does not matter. I believe that General Lei absolutely has no intention of leading the army to rise against the Council of Elders, nor does he have anything to do with the âBlood Oath Allianceâ. If he had such ambitions, he wouldnât have commanded all his troops to fight vehemently against the Covenant Alliance a hundred years ago. I absolutely believe that General Lei has been fighting for nothing but the country in his entire life.â
Li Linghai said, âHowever, now that he has been respected as the âGod of Warâ, many things are unavoidable for General Lei. For example, the extreme organizations in the military such as the âBlood Oath Allianceâ may call for and instigate other soldiers under his name. Or when the time is ripe, he will be raised by countless zealous young officers and pushed to a throne that he is unwilling to take!â
Li Yao blinked his eyes. âI can totally understand the subtle situation that General Lei Chenghu is in.â
âThen, it should be easier for you to understand why the four KurfĂŒrst families are more determined to settle the matter regarding General Lei Chenghu, at the risk of the instability in the frontline, than they are to deal with the reformists, right?â
Li Linghai sneered, âA hundred years ago, the four KurfĂŒrst families did not take care of General Lei in a hurry not because they were merciful but because General Lei did not pose a great threat to them at that time. Also, the intense war required a âGod of Warâ such as General Lei badly.
âBut right now, the military is growing more and more independent, and the young, bottom-level officers are more and more radical. General Lei is worshipped by more and more people too.
âBesides, the Covenant Alliance has suffered a crushing defeat and seems unlikely to be a major threat to the Imperium in the next decades. Isnât it the best opportunity to take away the bow now that all the birds have been shot down?
âGod of War. Hehe. God of War! In the Imperium that is dominated by major noble families, how can a man that is respected as the âGod of Warâ end well?â
Taking a long breath, Li Yao wiped the sweat on his forehead and said, âIf General Lei has such a high prestige in the army, how could the so-called âspecial investigation committeeâ bring General Lei away from the Astounding Thunder Fleet so easily?â
âIt was because General Lei volunteered to go with them.â
Li Linghai sighed. âYou donât know General Lei. He is a pure soldier who believes in obeying orders. The Council of Elders represents the glory of the Imperium. Until he completely loses hope in the Council of Elders, he will obey the orders from the Council of Elders unconditionally.
âTherefore, the special investigation committee does not need many hands at all. Even if they only sent two strengthless office clerks, General Lei wouldâve left his own fleet and returned to the nest of the four KurfĂŒrst families together with them.â
After a long daze, Li Yao smiled thoughtfully. âI did not know that such Immortal Cultivators exist.â
âGeneral Lei is a model soldier and a model Immortal Cultivator in our vision. Whether you are his friend or his foe, you have to admire his honor and integrity.â
Li Linghai remarked, âA lot of people say that General Lei was born in the wrong age. He shouldâve been born in the age of Blackstar the Great a thousand years ago in the Imperium of True Human Beings that was still young, vigorous, fair, and just.
âIn that case, he probably wouldâve helped Blackstar the Great annihilate the Alliance of the Holy Covenant as the commander of the Imperium, or at least clear the remnants of all the obsolete noble families!â
Li Yao rolled his eyes and said, âAfter hearing what you said, Your Grace, I think that General Lei Chenghu actually has the demeanor of a Cultivator!â
Li Linghai smiled. âI know what is on your mind. Do you think that you have a chance to transform General Lei into a Cultivator? If so, you canât be more wrong. Be careful. If you ever meet General Lei one day, no matter what, do not reveal your identity as a Cultivator because General Lei loathes Cultivators.â
Li Yao was stunned. âWhy?â
âGeneral Lei is the firmest Immortal Cultivator who has suppressed the riots of the Cultivators many times.â
Li Linghai said, âOf course, they were not necessarily âreal Cultivatorsâ, or at least not from Starlight. Many space pirates and privateers like to be engaged in their activities under the banner of the Cultivators. Who can tell which of them are real and which ones are fake?
âAfter witnessing the ugliness of those âCultivatorsâ and the idiocy and craziness of the ignorant people who had been instigated by them, do you think General Lei would have any fondness for the Cultivators? The Covenant Alliance, the extraterrestrial devils, and the Cultivators are all the same for General Lei. They are all the enemies of the Imperium in his eyes!â