Chapter 129: The Northern Oath

Chapter 129: The Northern Oath

In private, Willis began to spread rumors that Qiangwei was a traitor and a sellout to the planet, spinning tales that sounded plausible. Coupled with the fact that Qiangwei had indeed been staying within the Demon camp during this period, he managed to convince a small group of soldiers who were unaware of the truth. Fortunately, it was only a small group; the other soldiers paid no heed, though they also failed to report his behavior to their superiors.

It wasn't until Willis got drunk one night and threw a tantrum in the barracks, roaring at the top of his lungs for the Black Troop to hand over the "traitor" Qiangwei and accusing the squad of harboring her and harboring suspicions of betraying Earth, that he was finally caught by his superiors. He was promptly thrown into solitary confinement for spreading malicious rumors.

The incident reached the ears of the Black Troop, dampening everyone’s mood. They all knew exactly what Qiangwei was doing; the sharp decline in the number of demons being converted in China was entirely due to her. She was the one providing coordinates to the Black Troop, and it was her doing that caused the high-ranking demons to withdraw from Earth. However, these facts could only be known to them and a few high-level officials. After all, the demons were invaders, and even if her heart remained with her homeland while she served in the "enemy camp," such things were not worth publicizing. There were already too many people on Earth who worshipped demons; broadcasting her mission would only create more demon-worshippers and embolden those who had already turned. Thus, Qiangwei’s contributions could only be recorded in classified files, never to see the light of day. It was a grievance for her, but the bigger picture had to come first.

Soon, however, an even more distressing event occurred: the Northern Oath, an overseas armed faction, began a large-scale invasion of China’s borders, with some converted demons spotted within their ranks.

At that time, Yun Yang and Qiangwei were away traveling; Ge Xiaolun was in the Qiankun system verifying the feasibility of a solar system defense line; Liu Chuang was patrolling outer space with his team to guard against potential dangers; and Sun Wukong was leading his own squad on coastal patrols to defend against potential Triangle-body terrorist attacks. Internal affairs like these could not be offloaded to the Angels for help.

That left only Zhao Xin and Qi Lin, the two super-soldiers. But Zhao Xin was a close-quarters fighter, and a battle would inevitably lead to collateral damage among civilians. Having just dealt with the incident of soldiers questioning the Black Troop, Lian Feng, who took the defense of Earth as her personal responsibility, was hesitant to act rashly. After discussions by the command center, they decided to dispatch Qi Lin, who possessed precision-strike capabilities, to the border to support the border guards. Her mission was to focus on neutralizing the converted demons, while the regular border guards would handle the remaining Northern Oath militants. Zhao Xin was kept on standby as backup, as Qi Lin’s physique was relatively fragile, and they feared complications.

Upon receiving her orders, Qi Lin boarded the atmospheric rapid-transit craft *Tianwei* and headed for the border, with Zhao Xin remaining on high alert.

By then, the fighting at the border had reached a fever pitch due to the involvement of the converted demons. However, thanks to the superiority of their weaponry, the border guards held the line, preventing the Northern Oath forces from threatening the safety of the border cities. Yet, they suffered heavy losses under the intensity of the heavy fire. The leaders of the Northern Oath, desperate for Morgana’s reward, were emptying their own coffers, throwing everything they had into the fight without a thought for the future. Missiles and artillery were rained down as if they were free. The border guards, tasked with defending such a long frontier, could not concentrate their strength, resulting in a situation where they were being suppressed despite having superior equipment.

The Northern Oath, acting like a typical "barefoot person unafraid of the one wearing shoes," sought to break through by attacking at various points, aiming to penetrate deep into Chinese territory. They would strike and run, never lingering, and because the border guards represented the state, they could not pursue the militants deep into enemy territory. They were forced into a passive, embarrassing defensive stance. The border guards were brimming with frustration, and upon hearing that the Black Troop was sending a super-soldier, they hoped to give these overseas militants a hard lesson and scare them off once and for all.

A hundred kilometers from the border, a massive military base stood on the barren land. Dozens of missile trucks had their launchers raised, as if waiting for someone or something to arrive. Beyond that, there were countless tents of all sizes, where various militants in camouflage gear were reveling. Among them were a few non-human figures—these were the converted demons, the main force of this offensive against China.

Given China’s current weaponry, no amount of regular militants would be enough to fill the void. They could only use artillery to clear the area, then have the converted demons and regular militants sweep through. On the outskirts of this base were many smaller camps holding people the Northern Oath had captured, mostly women—what they were used for, there is no need to explain. There were also many strong young men being brainwashed by converted demons to worship Morgana, only to be given a weapon and sent to serve as cannon fodder.

At the very center was a massive factory building serving as a temporary command post. Inside were several powerful-looking converted demons—the high-ranking figures of the Northern Oath. All the humans and converted demons in this base made up the entire Northern Oath armed group.

Inside the factory, the demon in the center projected a light screen from his eyes. Pictures flashed by as he pointed and commented. If one looked closely, they would see the images were of members of the Black Troop. Currently, it was showing Ge Xiaolun, the Power of the Galaxy.

"This one is the Power of the Galaxy; too powerful. I’m not considering it."

With a flick of his finger, the image changed to footage of Qi Lin fighting in the Battle of Tianhe.

"Now, I think this one is the safest. Look."

He magnified the image to draw the attention of the surrounding demons. "A female sniper. No special abilities."

The demons around him nodded. The one to the left of the leader made a fist and said, "Yes, well within our control. Once we take her out, our mission will be accomplished. Hahaha!"

The leader of the Northern Oath chimed in. Hearing this, the demon who had spoken earlier asked, "Don't you find it a pity?"

The leader leaned forward, his presence domineering. "I led everyone out of New York—what was it for? Just for women?"

At the same time, the *Tianwei* piloted by Qi Lin landed slowly at the border camp, drawing a crowd of soldiers who couldn't help but offer the kind of praise girls love to hear.

"That's Qi Lin from the Black Troop! She's so beautiful."
"If she were my wife, I..."
"Wake up, stop dreaming in the middle of the day."

Qi Lin could only respond with a sweet smile. Guided by an officer, she entered the command tent. The officers, who had been venting their frustrations about the demons, stood up to greet her upon her arrival.

"Officer."

"Complaining in the command center isn't a good look, Lieutenant," Qi Lin noted, having clearly overheard them.

Once seated, Qi Lin explained her general capabilities and the orders given by the Central Command. They then began to discuss the tactical plan for the following day.

That night, Qi Lin sat in her tent, thinking of Qiangwei. She couldn't come up with a solution for Qiangwei’s predicament and could only wait for things to unfold. But one thing was certain: Qiangwei had not betrayed her country. After all, wasn't Yun Yang there?

Just then, a voice came from outside the tent. "Is Qi Lin there?"

Hearing this, Qi Lin, who had already lain down, grabbed her clothes and said, "Please, wait a moment."

She put on her jacket before letting the person in. It was the lieutenant from the command center, carrying a small basin that was emitting a faint trail of steam.

***

In China, atop the summit of Mount Hua, Yun Yang and Qiangwei sat together, discussing some rather difficult questions.

"Yun Yang, when are we going to get our marriage license?" Qiangwei asked softly, leaning on his shoulder.

"We could do it now. The Taotie have been driven off Earth; why don't we go back and tell them and hold a wedding?" Yun Yang rubbed his head against her red hair, then grabbed her hand and said earnestly.

Qiangwei’s lips curled into a smile. Deciding to give him a hard time, she said softly, "Okay, but where would the house be? And a car? We can't keep living at the military base after we're married."

Yun Yang’s expression stiffened. He realized that after being here for so long, he truly didn't have a house, let alone a car—he’d only been a passenger, never a driver, save for the one time he rode Qiangwei’s motorcycle. But he certainly wasn't going to say that out loud. He continued in a gentle voice, "We'll buy them when we get back. I haven't spent a single cent of my allowance; we’ll settle down in Tianhe City."

"So, you don't have them yet? Then I'm not marrying you."

"Oh? Trying to tease me? Do you believe I’ll take you right here tonight?" Yun Yang threatened, pulling her into his arms.

Qiangwei blushed, but instead of answering, she rubbed her stomach and said, "I'm hungry."

Well, she was a god-body now, and yet she still got hungry? The subject change was a bit clumsy, but Yun Yang’s body was honest. He let her go and spread his wings. "I’ll go catch a rabbit or something. We’re having rabbit tonight."

Hearing this, Qiangwei made a disgusted face at the flying Yun Yang and waved him off. After he left, she rubbed her own face and muttered, "Qiangwei, what were you saying? How did we end up talking about marriage?"

She then found a reason for herself: since the war against the Taotie had been won and the demons had no intention of occupying China, they should be able to live their own little lives for a while. After all, there is no home without a country, and conversely, there is no country without a home. She was simply contributing to the motherland.