Responding to Speed with Counterattacks, the Prefect's Dilemma

Many players, once caught in close combat, had no choice but to discard their spears and draw their own weapons.

Luckily, they were players and had a Game Backpack; otherwise, they would have been finished.

Soon, all sorts of weapons were brought out.

Some people even brought out incendiary bombs.

It was actually made by myself using oil and wooden barrels.

It was lit and smashed directly at me.

"Ah!"

They burned their own people.

Chaos ensued.

Before long, the players realized how ferocious the enemy soldiers were.

And it's incredibly powerful.

At first, they were eager to try, but after three or four players were killed and disappeared on the spot, and many others were injured and screamed in pain, the situation changed.

This isn't monster grinding; you can dodge and escape.

Of course, many players have already equipped themselves with Steel Armor and are not afraid of these swordsmen and shieldmen.

But he was quickly pushed to the ground, stepped on, and stabbed in the gap with a knife.

"Ah!"

"I want to go home!"

"I'm not playing anymore!"

I only joined the training and battles to gain some advantages and steal some points.

These players, having suffered a real blow and tasted the true cruelty of the battlefield, immediately began to wail and cry for their parents.

"No, no!"

"I'm not playing anymore!"

"This resurrection opportunity I finally got is so precious, I can't just waste it here!"

Thus, a small formation of fifty people, with only three dead, and its seemingly orderly formation collapsed.

This is what you call a mob.

Gao Linzhi stood behind, stealthily watching this scene.

He remained unmoved and did not reprimand the players.

Because if he were drafted into the battlefield as cannon fodder, he would also be thinking about how to save his life.

If you can escape, then escape.

This is reality.

Some players even ignored the battlefield environment and tried to log off forcibly.

And at this time...

Standing at a distance, using the flag to assist in directing the player formation, "Alluring*Boring" sighed helplessly.

"As expected, players who can't be resurrected are easily defeated."

"Yes, only by having Company Executive Players hold real leverage over players and treating them as ordinary cannon fodder can such tactics be employed."

"Manage them with real military law, deal with them with brutal methods, erase their mentality, and make them see themselves as soldiers so they can withstand the battlefield," a player leader said.

He nodded, bored.

"That's right. If it's based on playing games, how can they possibly face real death?"

Sure enough, at that moment, a large number of complaints appeared in the event channel.

"Holy crap, this is for real!"

"Of course! People die when they're killed. This is a realistic game!"

"I'm here to play games, not to court death."

"If you want to die, you can do it in real life. Why bother doing it in a game?"

"If you'll die if you don't play games, and you'll die even if you play games, then what's the point of playing games?"

"Yeah, even though there's a free resurrection, the pain of death is still real. I just got slashed and lay on the ground for ages, unable to move. It was excruciating pain. TV shows and movies are all lies. When someone's been slashed in a vital spot, how can they possibly say their last words or struggle to make any movements?"

"Yes, it hurts so much!"

And at this time...

The two governors were in a large tent on a distant hillside, watching the battlefield below.

The people below are fighting to the death.

The people above, like the Feudal Lords of the Spring and Autumn Period, sat eating, drinking, and chatting.

They would occasionally comment that their own team hadn't played well enough, making them look bad.

Prefect Liu and Prefect Liang exchanged a glance.

They narrowed their eyes slightly, as if they had breathed a sigh of relief.

"Old Liu, it seems these players aren't a big threat."

"Yes, at most they can do logistics and be considered extraordinary individuals. When it comes to the real battlefield, they still have to rely on real swords and guns."

"Even if they outnumber each other, they can't forge a fighting spirit."

"That's right, if we want to win with numbers, we still have to rely on us, the native sons."

However, their good fortune didn't last long, and soon the two prefects noticed something amiss.

That is, as the players scattered, the native soldiers sent by Prefect Liang, who were originally governed by military law and fought quite fiercely, had some squads wavering.

From their elevated vantage point, they used spells to observe and clearly saw that more and more soldiers were becoming increasingly cunning.

Those aggressive squads pushed the players too hard, which backfired.

Seeing that they had nowhere to run, with a troop of soldiers behind them and no way to log off, many players were suddenly enraged and began to fight to the death.

Once the players fight them to the death, they become unwilling to exert themselves.

They're all just trying to pull off all sorts of tricks.

Soldiers in feudal dynasties may seem ignorant and illiterate, but they were all experts in how to survive.

Their ability to withstand casualties is far lower than that of seemingly intelligent and educated modern soldiers.

The indigenous soldiers at the forefront faced fierce resistance from the players.

Some players shouted at them:

"Brothers, we're all just beasts of burden!"

Why should oxen and horses make things difficult for each other?

"Don't really fight! This is just a bet, not for your family!"

"Yes, give us a way out!"

So the native soldiers also began to hold back.

Everyone started acting out their roles.

Almost as if they were born with a natural talent, the players started acting along with them.

They were fighting each other with knives and guns, but no one was aiming for the other's vitals.

Anyone who breaks this unspoken agreement will face the consequence of Mutual Destruction.

This kind of tactic is actually quite easy for the lower-ranking soldiers on both sides to spot.

The greatest casualties usually occur when the troops first enter the battlefield, are unfamiliar with each other, lack coordination, and when one side is scattered and fleeing.

When a stalemate truly occurs, both sides have a tacit understanding.

This is also why many battles where the forces are evenly matched often result in very few casualties.

Even now, with only a few indigenous soldiers injured, there are still signs of retreat.

The two prefects were immediately enraged.

They immediately ordered their trusted confidants to send messages to each other's officers, instructing them to crack down on a wave of military law violations.

Before long, the confidant brought a soldier who was trying to escape, captured him, and brought him before the two prefects, letting them vent their anger.

The soldier did not break formation and flee; instead, he kept shrinking back.

He always wanted to protect others.

Prefect Liang scolded, "You scoundrel! I, the Prefect, provide for you, so why do you not fight bravely on the battlefield?"

Instead, they're always timid and hesitant!

"So that you may know, my family has an 80-year-old mother and a 3-year-old baby who is crying for milk." The soldier kowtowed repeatedly.

"The petty person is truly burdened by worries, hence the fear in his heart."

This soldier must have learned a whole set of words from somewhere; he's incredibly eloquent.

"How hateful! This must have been taught by those cunning players. The people of this prefecture have always been honest and simple, and as those players would say, they have always been the finest assets of this prefecture. Now they have become so cunning!" Prefect Liang was very angry, and the consequences would be severe.

However, the soldier's pitiful words resonated with the others, who all shared the same sentiment.

One of the retainers couldn't help but advise, "My lord, if that's the case, then it's truly understandable."

"Yes, so we spared his life."

Upon hearing this, Prefect Liang became furious and laughed instead.

"A bunch of bastards!"

"How could this boy, who is only fifteen years old, possibly have an 80-year-old mother?"

"You think your mother, over 60, can still give birth? That's ridiculous!"

"Drag him away and behead him!"

The soldier was immediately taken aback.

He thought he'd just get a beating, but it turns out he's going to be beheaded?

Desertion is punishable by beheading, but he didn't desert; he just flinched when the blows came.

"My lord, please don't kill me! My lord, I was wrong! I'm willing to fight to the death! I'm willing to fight to the death!"

"Hmph, if I don't kill you, you won't know how harsh military law is. I won't spare you!" Prefect Liang ordered his men to take the soldier out and behead him.

The other retainers and subordinates were in a dilemma.

But they had no choice but to obey orders.

Just when the soldier was in despair, a sudden change occurred.

Three players suddenly appeared in the main tent.

The leader was a female player, with two male players beside her.

The female player was dressed in a flowing, ancient-style gauze dress, her movements ethereal and graceful.

The two male players, both dressed as servants, stood on either side of each other, with four large characters above their heads:

"Tengu One. 1"

"Tengu Two."

"Stop!" the female player in ancient costume shouted angrily, "You guys are bastards!"

"He was just afraid of dying, why did you cut off his head?"

Who isn't afraid of death?

"He has an elderly mother and young children. You people in positions of power don't care about human life at all!"

"Life is the most precious gift God has given to mankind; only God has the right to take it away!"

No one has the right to take another person's life!

The two prefects were stunned.

The retainers were also stunned.

At this moment, Gao Linzhi also noticed the movement in the large tent on the hillside, and he immediately sneaked over to watch the melon.

"Ridiculous! This is a battlefield!" Prefect Liu was the first to react.

"What battlefield? If this were a real battlefield, that would be one thing, but this is just an arena for your two families to divide the spoils!"

"So many precious lives are going to die just for you to fight in the arena and divide the spoils. You are utterly despicable!"

You all deserve to die!

When the female player in ancient costume mentioned this, the two prefects immediately frowned.

They noticed that the soldiers on guard duty inside the tent all had expressions of approval on their faces, and they were all bowing their heads.

This is perfectly normal.

Most people are afraid to speak the truth because of pressure from above.

If someone speaks up for them, they will naturally and subconsciously agree.

They actually found it ridiculous too.

Just for the sake of two big shots dividing the spoils, thousands of people are going to have to fight to the death.

Before the players arrived, they still had a romanticized view of the important figures, believing them to be born Saint.

When the players appear, they'll learn that all these so-called born Saint are just ordinary people.

They too will experience birth, aging, sickness, and death; even without magical intervention, a single cut will shatter them in two.

The two prefects were immediately enraged.

But they were still shrewd and immediately ordered their men:

"You bastards, who gave you the right to speak here!"

"Take him out and watch!"

Seeing this, General Liu was already prepared to take action.

This time, he took action personally, and the Red Robe Young General joined in as well.

Their trusted subordinates, including several Battalion Commander, Military Sima, and Captain, all stepped forward.

They were going to capture and kill these three players.

In their view, one Captain is enough.

Now is the time to show our attitude.

However, the strength of these three is truly not to be underestimated.

Gao Linzhi had already arrived near the main tent.

He slipped into the tent, and no one was paying attention.

He then saw three people forming a battle formation inside the large tent.

The three men, each wielding a sword, formed a Three Talents Sword Formation.

One of the Captain was the first to rush forward.

He drew his heavy sword and slashed it fiercely at the three men.

As a result, the opponent unleashed three flashes of sword light, and an invisible energy field collided. Then, three consecutive sword strikes cleaved the Captain into a bloody mess.

They didn't kill him, they just stripped him naked.

The Captain, clutching his lower body, ran out of the tent.

Immediately, many guards turned to look.

The Captain was on the verge of tears.

This is completely hopeless.

At this moment, outside the tent, some casual players started jeering:

"Facepalm, facepalm! Everyone else below has one, they won't see yours!"

The Captain listened and realized that it made sense.

So he covered his face.

"Oh my god, it's just a toothpick!"

"Damn it, didn't you say you weren't going to watch it?"

"You believe what your competitors say?"

The two prefects were immediately enraged!

"You bastard! You bastard!"

"An insult to civility!"

"Kill these three!"

General Liu was also helpless.

He personally took action and engaged in a battle with the three of them.

The main tent was immediately destroyed.

The battle between the tents was suddenly exposed to the light of day.

"Look, it's General Liu!"

"The red-robed general has also entered!"

"Who are those three players? They're so powerful!"

To everyone's astonishment, the three players who appeared out of nowhere were actually incredibly strong.

They were actually able to withstand the attacks from General Liu and the Red Robe Young General by working together.

Now military law can no longer be enforced.

Upon seeing this, the guards around them all lit up with excitement.

Prefect Liu discovered the problem.

"Damn it, these players are either incredibly weak or incredibly strong!"

"The gap between them is even greater than that between a human and a pig."

That's true.

A weak player is arguably much worse than a level 1 NPC.

Those top-tier players, who play with exceptional skill, are comparable to bosses, or even stronger.

Because they can all defeat the boss.

This is the difference between the two sides.

Gao Linzhi continued watching with great interest.

Faced with this new threat, how will these two governors respond?

"Hateful!"

The two governors discovered that even their strongest men were powerless against the three.

There was nothing that could be done but let the three of them make a scene here, trampling their faces on the ground.

The soldier who was to be punished had already cleverly escaped.

General Liu and the Red Robe Young General fought against the three for a while, and they found that although the opponents were not as fast as them, they were still quite troublesome.

They were able to block their attacks every time.

The surrounding players were buzzing with discussion.

Who exactly are these three people?

"Two men and one woman, all of them are very strong."

"They cooperated seamlessly, advancing and retreating with ease, and were even able to contend with that powerful adjutant."

"I see now. Although they are much slower than that adjutant, they are capable of both defense and counterattack."

"Yes, their reaction speed is fast enough, and they are flexible enough to cover up all their weaknesses."

"The sword light from the three of them seems to be able to create an energy shield. No matter how fast you are, if you hit my shield, the shield will be able to passively counterattack."