The Great Ice Flame War (Part 1)

"How many men has the Flame Clan brought? Who is leading the army?" Xue Li asked, looking at the soldier.

"The Flame Army numbers six hundred thousand. Scouts report that the Flame King, Huo Yi, is leading the campaign in person. They have already breached the border city and are less than ten kilometers from Frost Flower City," the soldier replied.

"This King understands. You may go," Xue Li said.

"The Flame Army is upon us. Do any of you have a sound strategy?" Xue Li asked, looking at Snow Wolf and the others.

"My King, this subordinate is willing to lead the troops to drive back the Flame Army," Snow Wolf said.

"My King, that must not be done. Our combined land and air forces total only three hundred thousand. The Flame Army outnumbers us two to one; we cannot afford a head-on collision," a man dressed in blue said.

"Xuezhi, I think you've been scared witless by the Flame Army! If our clan puts forth its full strength, we also have an army of six hundred thousand," Snow Tiger said.

"The Flame Clan has a total force of eight hundred thousand, and if they commit their full strength, they can field an army of 1.6 million. Even if we win this battle, the Flame Army can simply mobilize another million men. Can we even scrape together another hundred thousand to resist a million-strong force?" Xuezhi said.

"Big Brother, how should we deal with the Flame Army?" Xue Li asked Leige.

"Xuezhi, how many rifles do we have? How many heavy weapons? How many aircraft?" Leige asked Xuezhi.

"Reporting to the Duke, we have two hundred thousand rifles, thirty thousand machine guns, ten thousand heavy machine guns, fifty thousand mortars, thirty thousand howitzers, ten thousand heavy artillery pieces, fifty thousand tanks, ten thousand fighter jets, and ten thousand bombers," Xuezhi said.

Because Leige had helped Xue Li ascend to the throne, Xue Li had granted him the title of Duke of the Ice Clan, a position second only to the Ice King.

"Xue Li, do you trust your big brother?" Leige asked, looking at Xue Li.

"I do. I trust you, Big Brother. You helped me ascend the throne, and I, Xue Li, am not a man who forgets favors. How do you intend to deal with the Flame Army?" Xue Li said.

"Xuezhi, select three thousand men from our three hundred thousand. These three thousand must be capable of taking on ten men each," Leige said.

"Understood," Xuezhi said.

After receiving Xue Li's approval, Xuezhi headed to the barracks to select the soldiers.

"Big Brother, are you planning to lead these three thousand men to launch a sneak attack on the Flame Army?" Xue Li asked.

"That is correct," Leige said.

"That is too dangerous, Big Brother. The Flame Army has six hundred thousand men; you have only three thousand. They outnumber you two hundred to one," Xue Li said.

Although Xue Li worried that the Ice Clan would be finished if anything happened to Leige, he still hoped that Leige could succeed in his sneak attack and slay the Flame King, Huo Yi.

"Rest assured, I will be careful," Leige said.

"This King has decided to personally lead the three hundred thousand land and air troops to reinforce Frost Flower City. This battle will ensure the Flame Clan dares not wage war against our nation for the next hundred years," Xue Li said.

Frost Flower City, North Gate.

"Xuegao, how many of the Flame Army's assaults have we repelled?" a white-haired man in military uniform holding a machine gun asked his deputy.

"Reporting to the General, this is the thirteenth time," Xuegao said.

"How many men do we have left?" the General asked.

"We have fewer than three thousand men left, and our ammunition is running low."

Xuegao said.

"Re-report, General, an urgent telegram from Ice City."

A soldier ran up to the general and said.

"Read it."

The general said.

"February 15th, 4:00 PM, Xue Li has declared himself king from within the prison. The rebel army has captured Ice City and murdered the Great King."

The soldier said.

"Traitor Xue Li, I will tear you to pieces!"

The general said.

"Listen, Ice Army soldiers, your Great King is dead. Our King has long admired General Xue Yin's reputation. If the General surrenders to the Flame Kingdom, our King is willing to offer you the position of Marshal. Please, surrender to our nation."

A Flame Army soldier shouted through a megaphone.

"Rat-tat-tat."

Xue Yin fired his machine gun, the bullets striking the ground in front of the soldier.

"In war, one does not kill the messenger. Go back and tell Huo Yi that even if I die in battle, I will never surrender to him."

Xue Yin replied through his own megaphone.

"General, must we really continue to fight the Flame Army to the death?"

The deputy general said.

"What do you mean by that? Are you thinking of defecting?"

Xue Yin looked at the deputy general and asked.

"General, why don't we feign surrender, lure the Flame Army into the city, then close the gates and annihilate them?"

The deputy general said.

"Huo Yi is no ordinary man. How could he fail to see through such a ruse? I fear that once the Flame Army enters the city, it will be impossible to drive them out."

Xue Yin said.

"Re-report, General, an urgent telegram from Ice City."

Another soldier ran up to Xue Yin and said.

"Read it. Let's see what other bad news there is!"

Xue Yin said.

"February 16th, 8:00 AM, Xue Li, in his capacity as the new king, has appointed you as Grand General with the title of Count. Xue Li has already personally led an army of three hundred thousand ground and air troops to reinforce Frost Flower City."

The soldier said.

"Traitor Xue Li, you treacherous rebel! I have no need for a title bestowed by a traitor like you! If he dares to come to Frost Flower City, I will surely kill him to avenge the Great King!"

Xue Yin said.

"General, you have campaigned for the Great King for many years, yet he never once granted you a title, and your rank remained merely that of a general. Those inferior to you were promoted to Grand Generals and Marshals instead. I feel this is unjust for you; why don't we serve Xue Li instead?"

Xuegao said.

"Rat-tat-tat."

Xue Yin immediately riddled Xuegao with machine-gun fire, turning him into a sieve.

"Listen well! Deputy General Xuegao incited me to surrender to the rebels and has been executed by my hand. Anyone else who encourages me to surrender to the rebels or the enemy will meet the same fate as Xuegao. Do you all hear me!"

Xue Yin said.

"Yes!"

The soldiers and officers beside Xue Yin shouted.

Xue Yin did not notice that one officer had quietly slipped away.

Military camp, Company Commander's tent.

"Company Commander Xue Xing, I have something of great importance to tell you. Could you have them step out first?"

An officer arrived at the camp and pulled aside a man wearing a company commander's uniform.

"You all, step out for a moment."

Xue Xing said.

"Yes."

The officers said.

The officers finished speaking and left the company commander's tent.

"What is it, Xue Hua? Has something happened to my older brother?"

Xue Xing spoke.

For some reason, his heart had suddenly ached just now, as if something terrible had happened.

"Company Commander Xue Xing, you must remain calm after hearing what I am about to say. You must stay calm."

Xue Hua said.

"Go ahead."

Xue Xing said.

"Xue Li has declared himself king from within the dungeons of Ice City and led a rebel army to murder the Great King. Furthermore, Xue Li has appointed Xue Yin as Grand General and bestowed upon him the title of Count. Xue Li is now personally leading an army of two hundred thousand to reinforce Frost Flower City. When the General tried to persuade Xue Yin to surrender to Xue Li, Xue Yin used a machine gun to shoot the General to death! He even declared that anyone else who tried to persuade him to surrender to the rebels would meet the same fate as General Xuegao. I received kindness from General Xuegao and cannot bear to see him die a miserable death with no one to avenge him, so I came specifically to inform you, Company Commander Xue Xing."

Xue Hua said.

"Ungrateful wretch! My elder brother tried to persuade him out of kindness, only to be shot to death by his machine gun. Xue Yin, I will kill you to avenge my brother!"

Xue Xing said.

"Company Commander Xue Xing intends to kill Xue Yin."

Xue Hua said.

"You just said that Xue Li is personally leading a large army to reinforce Frost Flower City."

Xue Xing said.

"At the earliest, five days; at the latest, eight days. Xue Li's army will arrive at Frost Flower City."

Xue Hua said.

"Xue Hua, tell me, should we surrender to the Flame King or to Xue Li?"

Xue Xing asked.

"The Flame Clan is an alien race to our people. Although Xue Li is a rebel, he is still one of our Ice Clan. Surrendering to him is the best choice."

Xue Hua said.

"Very well. Then we shall use Xue Yin's head to demonstrate our loyalty to the new king."

Xue Xing said.

"How do you intend to kill Xue Yin?"

Xue Hua asked.

"Just wait. Our army has fewer than three thousand men left. Even if only to save their own skins, the officers will eventually urge Xue Yin to surrender to the Flame Clan or Xue Li. When Xue Yin kills a few more officers, that will be our moment to strike."

Xue Xing said.

Flame Army camp, Flame King's tent.

"A tiny Frost Flower City has actually withstood thirteen fierce assaults from my six hundred thousand troops. This is a disgrace to This Seat, and a disgrace to all of you!"

Flame King Huo Yi said to the Flame Clan generals in the tent.

"Great King, our army is low on ammunition for our heavy weapons. A fortress as sturdy as Frost Flower City is difficult to breach without sufficient heavy ordnance."

A Flame Clan general said.

"Those treacherous merchants simply refuse to sell us more heavy weapon ammunition. Otherwise, our army would have breached Frost Flower City long ago."

Huo Yi said.

"Great King, through our previous thirteen assaults, I have discovered that while Frost Flower City is incredibly sturdy, not all of its walls are equally reinforced. The section of the wall from the East Gate to the North Gate is not as solid as the others. If our army concentrates all our heavy artillery, we can certainly blast that section of the wall to rubble!"

A Flame Clan general said.

"Pass on This Seat's order: assemble all the heavy artillery of the entire army and bombard that section of the wall. We must blast it open!"

Huo Yi said.

"Yes!"

The Flame Clan generals shouted.

Twenty minutes later, Frost Flower City.

"Ready, fire!"

The Flame Clan artillery captain shouted.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Hundreds of heavy cannons bombarded the walls of Frost Flower City.

"BOOM!"

With a deafening roar, a massive breach was blasted into the wall between the North Gate and the East Gate of Frost Flower City.

"Soldiers, after we take Frost Flower City, you will have three days of leave! Gold and women—take whatever you can grab! Charge!"

Huo Yi shouted.

After shouting, Huo Yi took the lead and charged toward the breach created by the heavy artillery.

"General, it's bad! A section of the wall between the North Gate and the East Gate has been blasted open by the Flame Army's heavy artillery!"

A soldier ran to Xue Yin's command post and reported to him.

"What! Xue Ji, take two companies to the breach and hold it at all costs. Do not let the Flame Army break through."

Xue Yin commanded the officer beside him.

"Yes."

Xue Ji replied.

With that, Xue Ji led two companies of soldiers toward the breach.

"Boom! Argh!"

Huo Yi launched a fireball from his hand, killing several Ice Clan soldiers.

"Take Frost Flower City!"

Huo Yi shouted.

"Bang, bang, bang."

"Argh!"

Xue Ji and his soldiers arrived to provide support shortly after, as the North Gate was not far from the breach.

"You're courting death!"

Huo Yi declared.

"Boom!"

Huo Yi fired a fireball from his hand, striking several Ice Clan machine gunners.

"Boom!"

Xue Ji also launched a blue energy bolt from his hand, attempting to intercept Huo Yi.

"Argh!"

Xue Ji had overestimated his combat strength; the fireball shattered the energy bolt and continued on toward the Ice Clan machine gunners, killing them instantly.

"Chain Fireball!"

Huo Yi unleashed dozens of fireballs from his hands toward the Ice Clan soldiers.

"Scatter!"

Xue Ji shouted.

As soon as Xue Ji gave the order, the Ice Clan soldiers scattered, taking cover to continue their fight against the Flame Army, though a few unlucky soldiers were struck by the fireballs and killed.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

"Argh!"

The Ice Clan soldiers began using grenade launchers and mortars to attack the Flame Army.

"My King, the Ice Army's firepower is too intense; our troops cannot push through."

A Flame Clan general reported to Huo Yi.

"Blazing Prairie Fire!"

Huo Yi soared into the air and unleashed a wave of red energy toward the Ice Clan soldiers.

"Argh!"

The Ice Clan's mortars and grenade launchers were silenced immediately.

"Charge!"

Huo Yi commanded.

"I'll take you down with me!"

An Ice Clan soldier screamed.

After shouting, the soldier pulled the pin on his grenade and charged toward Huo Yi.

"Boom!"

Huo Yi fired a fireball from his hand, killing the soldier instantly.

"Brothers, charge together! If we kill Huo Yi, we win! Follow me!"

Xue Ji shouted.

Xue Ji led his soldiers in a charge toward Huo Yi; they knew that if they killed him, victory would be theirs, as Huo Yi was the strongest the Flame Clan had.

"Protect the King!"

The Flame Clan general shouted.

"No need. Blazing Prairie Fire!"

Huo Yi replied.

Huo Yi unleashed Blazing Prairie Fire once more, killing Xue Ji and all the Ice Clan soldiers.

"Long live the Great King!"

The Flame Clan general shouted.

"Long live the Great King!"

The Flame Clan soldiers followed suit, roaring in unison.

"Take Frost Flower City! Kill!"

Huo Yi shouted.

"General, Battalion Commander Xue Ji has been killed in action. The Flame Army is less than a kilometer from the command post. You must leave, General!"

A soldier ran into the command post and said to Xue Yin.

"Bang!"

"Pfft!"

Xue Yin shot the soldier dead on the spot with his pistol.

"Anyone else who tries to persuade This General to retreat will meet the same fate! Send a telegram to Xue Li and the others: Frost Flower City has fallen, but This General will never surrender to him. Today, This General shall perish together with the Flame Clan! After sending the message, destroy the radio and the codebooks. Brothers, grab your weapons! We fight the Flame Army to the death!"

Xue Yin shouted.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Yin grabbed a machine gun and led his guard company charging out of the command post.

"Rat-tat-tat."

Xue Yin had not gone far from the command post when he encountered a dozen Flame Clan soldiers. Xue Yin and his guard company immediately gunned them down.

Five minutes later.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"

Xue Yin and his men ran into the Flame Army led by Huo Yi, and a fierce battle erupted between the two sides.

"Ice Clan soldiers ahead, Frost Flower City has already been taken by our army. If you are willing to surrender, This King will spare your lives."

Huo Yi shouted.

"Whoever dares to surrender, This General will blow his brains out!"

Xue Yin shouted to the soldiers beside him.

"Bang!"

"Argh!"

No sooner had Xue Yin finished speaking than he was struck dead, though no one knew who had fired the shot.

"Big brother, I have avenged you," Xue Xing said from the window of a building in the distance.

He had been hiding in the building, using a sniper rifle to take Xue Yin's life with a single shot.

"Company Commander, Frost Flower City has fallen. What should we do?"

An officer beside Xue Xing asked.

"That's right, Company Commander, what are we to do? Should we surrender to the Flame Clan?"

Another officer asked as well.

"Brothers, as members of the Ice Clan, we must never surrender to the Flame Clan. Follow this Company Commander and break out of the encirclement!"

Xue Xing shouted.

The soldiers and officers around him were all his trusted subordinates; though not many, they numbered in the hundreds.

One hour later.

"Great King, our army has captured Frost Flower City. Most of the Ice Army has been wiped out, with only a small number managing to break through," a Flame Clan general reported to Huo Yi.

"Huo Shi!"

Huo Yi shouted.

"Your son is here!"

A Flame Clan man wearing a regimental commander's uniform saluted Huo Yi.

"Take two battalions and ensure that the Ice Army remnants are completely annihilated!"

Huo Yi ordered.

"Your son obeys!"

Huo Shi replied.

Huo Shi then led his soldiers to pursue the retreating Ice Army.

"Great King, it's bad! A telegram has come in from Xue Yin—Frost Flower City has fallen."

A soldier ran to Xue Li's side and spoke.

"Your Majesty, we must immediately signal the air force to bomb Frost Flower City."

Xue Tiger said.

"What is your opinion, Snow Wolf?"

Xue Li looked at Snow Wolf and asked.

"Your Majesty, your subordinate also suggests bombing Frost Flower City."

Snow Wolf said.

"Your Majesty, you cannot bomb Frost Flower City. There are still Ice Clan civilians who haven't evacuated; if the air force bombs the city, what will become of them?"

An Ice Clan general said.

"Xuexiang, even if the air force doesn't bomb Frost Flower City, do you think the Flame Clan will spare the civilians inside?"

Xue Tiger said.

"In order to eliminate more of the Flame Army, I can only apologize to the people of Frost Flower City. Signal the air force—bomb Frost Flower City!"

Xue Li said.

Three hours later, above Frost Flower City.