The Peace Talks

"Ming Yi, Ming Yi, hold your course. You're the formation's eye. Hold your course. You're the formation's eye."

"Fire Wind Ding, Fire Wind Ding, add two more speed. Add two more speed. Cross the ridge. Cross the ridge."

"Great Over, Great Over, move three positions northwest. Three positions northwest. Send the fire line into the cave."

"Great Strength, Great Strength, Returning Maiden, Returning Maiden, open the gunports. Open the gunports. You can fire. You can fire. Boom, boom, boom!"

"All hands, all hands, the blazing flames have landed. The blazing flames have landed. Change banners, change banners."

"Li Word Team, Li Word Team, fall back. Fall back. Report, report."

"Zhen Word Team, Zhen Word Team, advance. Advance. Fire at will. Fire at will."

"Xun Word Team, Xun Word Team, raise the flags. Raise the flags. Prepare to rip with the wind. Prepare to rip with the wind."

In Chengshan Fortress, Zheng Zetian sat in the central seat of the main tent, activating the Flesh Scorpion system's super acceleration. Electricity crackled around his body, his eyes shone like stars, and he darted about like flashes of lightning.

Each of his eight fingers, excluding both thumbs, had a spiritual thread tied to it, connecting it to one of the Mechanical Puppets positioned in the eight cardinal directions. A telegraph machine stood in front of each puppet. The moment Zheng Zetian moved his fingers, they clattered as they tapped out an order.

His left thumb darted about, helping him make calculations with one hand, while his right thumb sketched and modeled on the Flesh Scorpion's system projection, following the semaphore signals from the Daoist priests relaying telegraph messages compiled from reports far away.

They lacked the sort of real-time broadcasting system the company had, so he couldn't see the battlefield with his own