Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 507: The Returning Wanderer's Thoughts

Another old mother, in her twilight years, staggered to the foot of the city wall.

She looked old-fashioned, with gray hair, and her face was deeply marked by the years. Her eyes were already soaked with tears, flashing with hope and worry. She looked up at the tall city wall and called out in a trembling voice: "My son, my son, where are you? Mother is here to take you home!"

On the city wall, the battalion commander of the 118th Regiment was holding his gun tightly, his eyes full of struggle and contradiction. He heard the familiar call from under the city wall, the voice of his mother whom he missed day and night. His heart trembled suddenly, and the gun in his hand seemed to become heavy.

He turned his head and looked at the thin figure under the city wall, and the tears in his eyes could no longer be stopped. His legs softened, and he knelt on the city wall and kowtowed three times in the direction of his mother. Then, he raised his head and shouted in a choked voice: "Mom! I am unfilial and have made you worry. I will go home with you and will no longer fight for the Southern Government!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement rang out from the city wall. Soldiers put down their weapons one after another, some squatted down and cried, some shouted the names of their families, their emotions were completely released at this moment.

"I'm not going to fight anymore! I want to go home to see my wife and kids!" A soldier threw away the gun in his hand and shouted.

"Yes! We won't fight anymore! This war is meaningless, we should have gone home long ago!" another soldier echoed.

"Go home! Go home! We want to go home!" More and more soldiers began to shout, and their voices merged into a huge torrent, echoing on the city walls.

When the old mother heard the response from the city wall, a relieved smile appeared on her face. She knew that her son was finally coming back and she could finally end this long wait and worry.

On the city wall, the battalion commander stood up, his eyes flashing with determination.

He knew that his decision would change the fate of many people. He took a deep breath and shouted: "Brothers! We were forced to take this path. Now, it's time to end it all! Let's lay down our weapons and go home! Start our lives again!"

His words resonated with the soldiers. They stood up, waved their weapons, and shouted, "Go home! Go home!" The sound exploded on the city wall like thunder, shaking everyone's heart.

As the soldiers' voices of approval grew louder and louder, the atmosphere on the city wall became more and more heated. They seemed to see the fields of their hometown, the smiling faces of their loved ones, and everything that was once familiar to them. Their hearts were filled with expectations for the future and relief from the past.

As time went by, more and more family members gradually gathered under the city wall of Wanxi City. Some of them were gray-haired, some were young and beautiful, but without exception, they all looked up at the high city wall with expectation, hoping to see the figures of their relatives.

"Son, mother has brought you your favorite radish-stuffed buns. Come down and have a bite!" An old mother with white hair, holding an insulated box in her hands, called out in a trembling voice.

"Master, the children and I are waiting for you. Please stop fighting and come back soon!" A young wife, with tears in her eyes, holding her child's hands tightly, also called towards the direction of the city wall.

On the city wall, one officer after another heard the cries of their families, and their hearts were deeply touched. Some officers had red eyes, while others silently shed tears. They knew that they owed their families too much, and this war had made them lose too many precious things.

"Mother, I am an unfilial son and I have made you worry." A middle-aged officer knelt on the city wall and kowtowed three times to his mother. He stood up, looked at his mother with tears in his eyes, and responded with a choked voice.

A young officer waved to his wife at the foot of the city wall, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.

As the officers walked up to the city wall one by one and responded to the calls of their families, the crowd under the wall began to boil.

They waved to their loved ones on the city wall, calling their names, hoping that they could return home as soon as possible.

At this time, the head of the logistics regiment of Wanxi City also came to the city wall with baskets of steaming buns. He shouted loudly: "Fellow defenders in the city, as long as you are willing to surrender, you can eat hot buns immediately! We have enough food here, come back, the country will let you live a stable life!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers on the city wall began to drool. They hadn't had a full meal for a long time, and these hot buns were undoubtedly a huge temptation for them.

"Surrender! For your family and your own future!" the head of the logistics regiment continued to shout.

The soldiers on the city wall began to talk to each other. They knew that this war was meaningless and that continuing to fight would only cause more people to lose their lives. Moreover, they also longed to return to their families and live a stable life.

Chai An looked anxious, and he rushed all the way, and finally found Commander Liu Fang. His face was full of anxiety, and his eyes were flashing with anxiety, as if a disaster was about to happen.

He rushed to Liu Fang in two steps and said breathlessly, "Commander, it's bad! Something big happened over there on the city wall!"

Liu Fang was looking down at a battle report. When he heard Chai An's words, he raised his head and frowned slightly: "What happened? Tell me slowly."

Chai An didn't even have time to catch his breath, and quickly reported the situation on the city wall to Liu Fang in detail: "Peng Hui's gang, they announced on the city wall that they would no longer fight for the Southern Government and would surrender! Now the city wall is in chaos, and many soldiers have responded to them. The situation is very critical!"

After listening to this, Liu Fang's expression did not change much. He put down the battle report in his hand, stood up, slowly walked to the window, and looked into the distance, as if he was thinking about something.

Seeing that Liu Fang did not respond, Chai An became even more anxious: "Commander, we have to find a way to stop them! Otherwise, the entire city's defenders will surrender!"

Liu Fang turned around and looked at Chai An, his tone calm but with a hint of helplessness: "Stop it? How to stop it? The Southern Government has already abandoned these loyal soldiers. Do you think we still have any power to win back their hearts?"

Chai An was stunned. He didn't expect Liu Fang to say such a thing. In his mind, Liu Fang had always been the resolute, courageous, and ruthless commander, but now, he seemed so decadent and helpless.

Liu Fang walked up to Chai An and patted him on the shoulder: "Chai An, you have fought with me for many years, you should understand the cruelty of war. These soldiers are also human beings, they will get tired and disappointed. If the Southern Government can't give them what they want, they will naturally choose to leave."

Chai An lowered his head, feeling mixed emotions. He knew Liu Fang was right, but he still couldn't accept the fact: "But, Commander, are we just going to watch them surrender? Wouldn't all our efforts over the years be in vain?"

Liu Fang sighed: "In vain? Perhaps. But sometimes, letting go is also a relief. These soldiers have paid too much for the Southern Government. Now, it's time for them to go home."

Chai An was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "I understand, Commander." He turned and left, his heart filled with endless emotion and helplessness.