What are called gentlemen—well, the demonic forces have made a serious mistake. They assumed that the heavenly troops were also gentlemen, but that's merely an illusion. How could anyone dressed so elegantly possibly engage in petty, ungentlemanly acts? In fact, these troops have done even worse than petty officials. At the very least, officials know what it means to uphold dignity; these people... I suspect they've already discarded their principles completely on the way here. Qin Shao watched the battlefield, where the situation had clearly tilted in favor of one side, and murmured with a smile, "What talent! I can't imagine which heavenly general trained these troops. My admiration for him flows as continuously as the Yangtze River." The elder Lei Feng, frowning, said, "I don't know either. Honestly, I haven't had much contact with the heavenly generals—I've never actually fought alongside them." In truth, he'd have liked to say, "I don't even know these people. How could they have trained their troops to such a standard? I'd say they're not exactly admirable." The only person among the magical forces who was genuinely happy was Meili. On the surface, she furrowed her brows, displaying a look of deep indignation, while in reality, she was holding back a smile. You, Locket, aren't known for being strong, aren't you? You don't claim to be able to conquer humanity just by stepping onto the battlefield? Now what? Even if the heavenly soldiers didn't resort to desperate tactics, defeating thirty thousand magical troops would be nothing short of a breeze. As more and more of their own people fell in battle, the old general's heart bled. He drew his banner from his waist and was about to issue orders. Meili stepped in first and asked, "General Locket, are you planning to order a retreat?" "Yes, the situation is unfavorable. We should first withdraw, consolidate our defenses, and then launch a coordinated offensive." "That's ridiculous," the female demon said earnestly. "We've already been defeated. If we retreat now, we'll immediately turn into a rout. The heavenly soldiers aren't fools—don't you think they'll take advantage of our weakened position and pursue us?" "Lockt was furious: 'I'm the commander, aren't I? What right do you have to give orders? Go on, get out of my way and keep whining—I'll hold you accountable!' Mirel shrugged: 'This is your decision. When things go wrong, don't blame me.' The old man stormed: 'Rest assured, I'll take full responsibility. Everyone listen—retreat one thousand kilometers and establish a defensive line.' He was truly incensed, issuing such a baffling order—based on his decades of battlefield experience, he knew that retreating now was nothing short of self-sabotage. Even if the situation on the battlefield was unfavorable, holding on would eventually yield a turnaround. And no matter how heavy the losses from direct confrontation, they would pale in comparison to exposing their rear to the enemy. The order was issued, and most of the junior and mid-level magical warriors—those serving as squad and battalion leaders—were stunned. After all, the magical forces generally have lower intelligence levels; even they found this move utterly illogical. How much more absurd must it have seemed to the others? The person who issued the orders was completely furious—what he found most intolerable was subordinates dictating to him, especially when that subordinate was a woman. Lockt had always believed that Meili was capable of commanding the assault on Earth due to her appearance, not her actual competence. Therefore, whenever Meili proposed any suggestion, he would immediately reject it without hesitation, only then did he feel truly in control. The demons had retreated, and Qin Shao was left speechless, his mouth hanging open: "Their commanders' heads must have been kicked by our Chinese donkeys! The battle was still in full swing—how could they just decide to withdraw so suddenly?" "Yes, I find that hard to believe as well. Was there some hidden scheme?" The elder thought more deeply: "Should we remind the heavenly troops not to pursue them, in case they fall for it?" He gave a sharp glance: "Are you serious? How could we not pursue them? If the demons have made a poor move, shouldn't we follow suit? The elder immediately ordered the heavenly troops to pursue them, to chase them all the way ten thousand li." "Got it." The elder with the thunder and wind firmly waved his small flag, and the heavenly troops shouted as they pursued. In his heart, Qin was still uncertain—his confidence in the firm tone he had used stemmed not from personal conviction, but from the fact that the heavenly soldiers weren’t his own subordinates. Even if it were a trap, it wouldn’t necessarily mean his own people would perish. What if it weren’t a trap at all? Then he would have missed the golden opportunity. There was no grand scheme; the demonic forces, constantly pursued, had exposed their backs to the enemy, and their fates were invariably tragic—this time was no exception. More and more demons fell, and casualties rose sharply. To maintain order, Lockt assigned several generals to join him in covering the battlefield. Though this helped somewhat, its overall impact remained negligible. Only now did he fully realize the gravity of the situation, filled with regret. Yet, as a commander, he most feared changing course midstream. With the army now in full disarray, even if he turned around and fought again, he would find it difficult to recover the situation. Mei Li smiled with a touch of amusement, thinking to herself that her mother had merely lost a few thousand troops—how about you? With three full armies, only a handful would survive this defeat. The other generals grew anxious. One of the more courageous ones said, "General, what shall we do? The enemy has reached us now—shall we retreat? Retreat?" "Retreat," he gritted out, "gather the remnants, then fight again." Mei Li was the first to turn and run. After all, you've already issued the order—what does it matter to me if you all perish? Moreover, her escape route was deliberate—she did not follow the retreating magical forces. In just a few strides, she vanished. Lockt clutched his teeth, the last to turn, as cries of his people falling behind echoed ceaselessly from behind. Qin Shao below jumped up and down, shouting, "Hurry up and pursue! One enemy slain is a break-even. Two slain is a profit. Three slain, and you're a hero of the Heavens. Four slain, and you're a king among the Heavenly Army!" "The elder flushed angrily: 'Then why didn't you go after them?' 'Heh, I'm not from the heavenly realm, so I can just stay here as a passive spectator,' he said rather unkindly. At that moment, a figure approached from afar, speaking in surprise: 'Where are the demons? Aside from a field of corpses, I can't see a single enemy.' It was Qing Ya, who stepped gracefully on her flying sword, dressed in a moon-white silk robe—exactly like a celestial maiden descending from the heavens. 'They've been fleeing in panic, scrambling like mice, after being attacked by thirty thousand heavenly soldiers,' Qin Shao said with a cheerful smile. 'What?' the beautiful inspector exclaimed, her eyes wide open. 'I haven't even stepped in yet, and they've already been routed? Qin Feng is all yours—why must I protect your girlfriend and never get to fight? Hmph.'" He looked momentarily embarrassed, saying, "I never expected that—how could the heavenly realm be so generous and send down thirty thousand heavenly soldiers? Wait, who sent you here in the first place? You're supposed to stay on duty! You're not even supposed to leave! I'm telling you—stay right here, don't you dare go!" Qingya had already taken off on his flying sword, leaving only one remark: "Your female friends are safe. What's more, you can't just leave your post and waste words—now I'm off to fight the demonic race!" He sighed, looking at the elder Lei Feng, saying, "It's hard to manage the team." The elder nodded, deeply moved.