Chapter 327

In the turbulent waves of power transition, the Harik family rose to the top, took control of Sun and Moon City, and became the apparent masters of this land.

However, when they first reached the pinnacle of power, they were faced with a city full of crises. The atmosphere in the city was as depressing as the silence before a storm. Tension permeated every inch of the air, and the streets and alleys seemed to be shrouded in a haze of fear.

Patriarch Norton of the Harrick family is undoubtedly a man of great wisdom and foresight.

He knew very well that when he was one of the noble families, he could exploit the interests of the public under the banner of the empire and the emperor, and could still divert the anger of the people. But now, the Harik family has stood at the cusp of power and has become the focus of everyone’s attention. The methods of the past must never be used again.

Norton stepped forward quickly. With his prestige in the family, every word he said sounded like a loud bell, and he possessed an unshakable power in the family.

The senior members of the family also knew that Norton’s actions were not detrimental to the family’s interests, but were carefully considered from a long-term perspective for the stable rule of the family.

Most of them agreed with Norton’s decision, their eyes full of trust and support.

However, the family is huge and has many members, so there are always some stubborn people. These people are short-sighted and blinded by power and desire. They think that now that the entire empire is under the control of the Harik family, they can act recklessly and enjoy the dividends brought by power.

They scoffed at Norton’s decision, complained in private, and even tried to continue using the same old methods of exploiting the people for their own personal gain.

When Norton learned about this, a trace of determination and resoluteness flashed in his eyes. He knew very well that if these stubborn clansmen were not severely punished, they would become a hidden danger to the family’s rule.

So he pushed these people out without mercy and beheaded them in public to show the people the attitude of the Harik family.

That day, many people gathered around the execution ground, their eyes showing both fear and a hint of relief. When the cold light flashed and the head fell to the ground, the entire execution ground was silent, followed by a suppressed cheer.

This move, like a timely rain, temporarily calmed the burning anger in the hearts of the people.

Then, Norton issued a series of well-planned policies to benefit the people. He reduced taxes for the people, allowing those families who were struggling under heavy taxes to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He ordered the repair of streets and houses that had been ruined by the war, allowing the city to gradually regain its former vitality.

He also encouraged the development of commercial activities, provided support to shops that had closed down due to the war, and made the market bustling again.

The implementation of these policies, like beams of warm sunshine, illuminated the hope in the hearts of the people and greatly eased the conflict between the Harik family and the people.

Thanks to the efforts of the Harik family, the family’s rule gradually stabilized in the southeast region and the central region where Sun and Moon City is located.

The market, which was once deserted, is now filled with the cries of vendors, and the stalls are filled with a wide variety of goods; children are playing and laughing in the streets again, and although there is still a hint of fear from the past war in their eyes, they are smiling more and more; shop owners have also regained their confidence and are greeting customers enthusiastically, and the city’s economy is beginning to slowly recover.

However, other parts of the land were plunged into unprecedented chaos.

Previously, some of these areas belonged to aristocratic interest groups headed by the Xu family, while others were loyal to the royal family.

But now, with these two forces being annihilated by the Harik family in one fell swoop, the entire region suddenly became leaderless, like a pile of loose sand, and fell into endless chaos.

The once prosperous town has now become dilapidated, with weeds growing on the streets and houses falling apart without repair. The once strong city walls now have cracks, as if telling of the cruelty of war.

The people in the towns were living in dire straits. Not only did they have to face the trauma brought by the war, but they also had to endure the torture of hunger and disease.

In this chaotic land, warlords are everywhere.

These warlords were independent and had their own troops. In order to compete for territory and resources, fierce conflicts often broke out between them. Their armies were mostly composed of refugees and guerrillas, lacking training and poor discipline.

These soldiers, armed with weapons, plundered towns and villages at will. People’s property was looted and their lives were seriously threatened.

Some warlords were even ambitious and wanted to be kings and emperors and set up their own system. They built palaces and recruited officials on their own territory, as if they had become the masters of this land.

They ignored the lives of the people, levied heavy taxes, and forced laborers to build their own palaces and armies.

Under the rule of these warlords, the people lived a miserable life, spending every day in fear and despair.

In a remote town, a warlord named Zhao Wu occupied it.

He was originally a local gangster. Taking advantage of the war, he gathered a group of rabble and, with the weapons in his hands, forcibly occupied the town.

He was a tyrant in the town, beating and scolding the people at will, and robbing their property and food. If the people showed any resistance, he would brutally suppress them. Most of the young and strong men in the town were forcibly conscripted into the army to work for him.

The elderly, the weak, the sick, the disabled, women and children could only live hard in hunger and fear.

In another area, a warlord named Sun Ba was even more powerful. He had a well-equipped army and occupied a large area of ​​land.

He proclaimed himself “King of Pingnan” and implemented brutal rule in his own territory.

Not only did he impose high taxes on the people, he also frequently launched wars, attacked surrounding towns and villages, and robbed them of their resources.

Wherever his army went, they burned, killed, looted and committed all kinds of atrocities. The people hated him to the core but dared not speak out.

Fierce wars often broke out between these warlords for territory and resources.

On the battlefield, the air was filled with smoke and the sound of killing shook the sky. Soldiers brandished their weapons and fought each other, and the blood dyed the earth red. Every war would bring heavy disasters to the people.

Their homes were destroyed, their loved ones were separated and they were displaced.

Many people lost their lives in the war, and the survivors could only struggle painfully in the ruins.

Although those forces that were once loyal to the royal family suffered heavy losses in the war, the fire of loyalty in their hearts was not extinguished.

They hid in the deep mountains and forests, secretly accumulating strength and waiting for the opportunity to overthrow the rule of the Harik family and restore the status of the royal family.

They often sent small troops to harass and attack the Harik family’s army, causing certain troubles to the Harik family’s rule.

After stabilizing their rule, the Harrick family finally turned their attention to these chaotic areas. Norton knew that if the chaos in these areas was not resolved, it would pose a serious threat to the family’s rule.

So he began to prepare for the campaign against these rebellious warlords.

He summoned the elite generals in his family and discussed the strategy of the expedition in the spacious and bright meeting room.

The generals sat in front of a huge sand table, carefully studying the distribution of power and terrain of each warlord.

Their eyes revealed determination and confidence, as if they had seen the dawn of victory.

“Everyone, these warlords are now rebellious and are doing whatever they want everywhere. The people are living in dire straits. As the rulers of this land, we, the Harik family, must not sit idly by and watch.”

Norton’s voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the chamber.

The Harik family used to be rebellious, but now that they occupy the center, they naturally have to be righteous.

“What the master said is absolutely right. These warlords are simply a group of bandits. Their actions have seriously disrupted social order. We must send troops as soon as possible to catch them all in one fell swoop.” A young general said excitedly.

“However, we cannot send out troops blindly. These warlords each occupy advantageous terrain, and their armies are not small in number. We must formulate a detailed strategic plan to ensure that nothing goes wrong.” An experienced veteran frowned and analyzed calmly.

After an intense discussion, the generals finally worked out a detailed expedition plan.

They decided to first concentrate their superior forces to attack the weaker warlords, gradually weaken their strength, and then launch a general attack on the stronger warlords.

Before the expedition, Norton personally came to the army camp to see the soldiers off. He stood on the high reviewing stand, looking at the soldiers lined up neatly below, his eyes full of expectations and encouragement.

“Soldiers, you are the pride of the Harik family and the protectors of this land. Today, those warlords are wreaking havoc everywhere, and the people are looking forward to us saving them. I believe that with your courage and wisdom, you will be able to defeat the enemy and bring peace and tranquility to this land.”

Norton’s voice was passionate and inspiring the morale of every soldier.

“For peace, for the Harik family!” The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices resounding through the sky, as if to break through the depressing sky.

With an order, the army of the Harik family set out in a mighty manner.

They marched in orderly steps towards the chaotic areas.

The sunlight shines on their armor, flashing a dazzling light, as if it is an iron army of justice, about to conquer the darkness.

Wherever the army went, the people lined the streets to welcome them.

Their eyes were filled with hope and gratitude, as if they had seen a savior.

The people who had been oppressed by the warlords told the soldiers about their experiences, with tears in their eyes.

The Rick family’s army rushed towards the chaotic area like a torrent. The first target was the Zhao Wu forces entrenched in a small town in a valley.

Although this small town is not large in scale, it is located on a strategic road, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and thus became the first stumbling block on the Harik family’s road to conquest.

When the army of the Harik family arrived outside the town, Zhao Wu had already received the news. He hastily organized the mob and prepared for battle on the city wall.

Most of the soldiers were in ragged clothes, and the weapons in their hands were also varied and uneven, revealing a chaotic atmosphere without any rules. However, their faces showed a blind and crazy ferocity due to Zhao Wu’s daily coercion and inducement.

The vanguard troops of the Harik family quickly set up camp outside the city, with tents arranged in an orderly manner, like a small fortress.

The young general Kedun was in charge of this vanguard operation. Although he was young, he had made his mark in his family’s battles, and his eyes revealed a determination and courage far beyond his age.

Keton stood in front of the tent and carefully observed the defensive layout of the small city. He found that in order to strengthen the defense, Zhao Wu dug many traps around the city wall filled with sharp bamboo sticks, and piled up a large number of boulders at the gate of the city to try to stop the attacking army.

The corners of Luo Feng’s mouth rose slightly, revealing a confident smile. He already had a plan to defeat the enemy in his mind.

The next morning, just as the sun rose and the first ray of sunlight shone on the earth, the attack of the Harik family began.

Luo Feng gave an order, and the sound of the horn suddenly resounded through the sky, making the valley buzz. The soldiers pushed the huge siege equipment and slowly approached the small town.

Among them, the tall siege tower was like a steel behemoth, and every step it moved made the earth tremble slightly; the siege soul guide was ready to go, and the huge stone bullets flashed a cold luster in the sun.

Seeing this, Zhao Wu immediately ordered a counterattack.

The soldiers on the city wall picked up their soul guides and fired at the attacking army.

For a moment, lasers flew over like locusts, drawing black arcs in the air.

The soldiers of the Harik family were not afraid. They raised the special shields in their hands and lined up closely together to form an indestructible shield wall.

The laser hit the shield, making a “clinking” sound, like a fierce symphony of metal collision.

Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, Kedun suddenly gave the order: “Siege towers, move forward!” Several siege towers moved forward rapidly, and the soldiers hid in the siege towers and steadily approached the city wall.

Zhao Wu was horrified when he saw this. He quickly ordered his soldiers to attack the siege tower with huge rocks and hot oil.

Huge rocks rolled down from the city walls, splashing dust on the ground; hot oil poured down like a boiling waterfall, trying to ignite the siege tower.

However, the Harik family’s siege tower had already taken protective measures. The tower was covered with thick iron sheets to withstand the impact of boulders, and a protective net was installed on the top of the tower to prevent the invasion of hot oil. The siege tower successfully approached the city wall, and the soldiers quickly put down the planks and started a fierce close combat with the enemies on the city wall.

On the city wall, shouts of killing shook the sky, and the sound of weapons clashing could be heard. The soldiers of the Harik family were well-trained and coordinated, and they gradually gained the upper hand with their superb martial arts and tenacious fighting spirit.

(End of this chapter)