NOVEL WEB Chapter 455: But They’ll Remember, And That Is What We Want
Inside the Unified Army's high command center, no one spoke.
The room, usually buzzing with reports and light chatter between teams, was completely still.
General Wei Shan stood with her hands behind her back, her posture straight, eyes locked on the floating map in front of her.
The live battlefield feed of the Western Continent shifted with flickering lights and markers—too many of them red.
The final words of Xu Qianghua still echoed faintly in her ears.
"No credit. No emblems. Let them learn."
The entire command team had heard the call. Every senior officer. Every tactician. Every adjutant.
The message had been clear: intervene, but do it as the Unified Army, not as anyone's protector.
Not as a savior.
Just as a consequence.
Wei Shan's adjutant, Lan Fei, stood just a few steps behind her. The younger officer had never seen the general so still. So quiet.
Fei cleared her throat gently. "General?"
Wei Shan didn't move.
Fei tried again. "What are your orders?"
Wei Shan finally blinked and turned toward her team. She let out a long, quiet breath.
Then she stepped forward to the center of the room, her boots making a soft but solid thud against the polished stone.
"This is it," she said, her voice calm but strong. "We've trained for three years. We've gone through drills, war games, simulations—some of them against each other."
She looked around the room, making sure every pair of eyes met hers.
"But today, we take the field for real. This is our first official operation as the Unified Army."
No one said a word.
"This isn't a border conflict," she continued. "This isn't a cult raid or a skirmish against bandits. This is a continent-wide collapse. A real war. And we are going to stop it."
Her voice sharpened, not with anger, but with purpose.
"The Western families made mistakes. They ignored help. They ignored strategy. They relied too much on tradition and title—and now they're paying the price."
Fei nodded grimly.
"They failed because they didn't prepare. But we are created to stop these kinds of problems, and we need to make sure that the best tide will not let them be destroyed."
Wei Shan pointed to the map.
"We're sending in the First Legion, the Sixth Support Division, and both mobile healing squads. They will deploy under Unified Army flags only—no banners, no clan affiliations."
Her voice dropped lower, but heavier.
"And let me be clear. I want this operation to be perfect. The sharpest coordination, the cleanest strikes, the fastest response times.
This needs to be the most brilliant counteroffensive anyone has ever seen."
A murmur began to spread.
One of the senior tacticians, Commander Lei, raised his hand. "You want the enemy crushed and the Western commanders humbled."
Wei Shan nodded. "Exactly."
Lei chuckled. "I can get behind that."
The rest of the room finally began to loosen. Some officers cracked their necks. Others grinned.
Fei stepped forward, voice more serious. "General, what if there's backlash? If some of the surviving clans accuse us of not acting sooner?"
Wei Shan gave a quiet smile, just the hint of one.
"Then let them talk. Let them scream and throw blame. Everyone in the world knows the Xu family tried to help. And everyone knows the Unified Army doesn't serve pride."
She walked toward the window at the far end of the chamber, where she could see the troop deployment field outside.
Hundreds of soldiers were already forming up. Supply cultivators were passing out sealed scroll packs.
Formation experts were loading jade disks onto transport carts. Command beasts stood ready near the back, their armored scales gleaming under lantern light.
"I know what Patriarch Xu is doing," Wei Shan said after a pause. "He's giving them the exact lesson they need."
Fei stayed silent.
Wei Shan added, "It's not just about the Western Continent. It's about the future. If we keep saving people who refuse to change, they'll never stop making the same mistakes."
Fei nodded. "So we save them. But we make sure they feel it."
"We make sure they never forget it."
They stood there in silence for a few more seconds, both watching the map.
One of the live feeds updated with a soft pulse.
City of Huiyan—breached.
Outer gates collapsed. Civilian evacuation failed.
The red marker flashed three times. Then dimmed.
Another officer stepped forward. "General, evacuation requests are coming in from three more cities. Should we prioritize them?"
Wei Shan turned around.
"We will protect them, but we do not change the plan. We hit the core of the beast invasion first.
The moment we take down the lead formation, their momentum breaks. That's when we sweep outward and stabilize."
The officer saluted. "Yes, General."
Fei added, "All division captains are on standby. Formation masters are ready to deploy. I've confirmed medical teams in staging areas one through five. We're ready to move."
"Good."
Wei Shan stepped back toward the chamber's center and touched the glowing command seal.
A wave of energy swept through the room.
All the floating screens refocused.
The map zoomed in on the central valley—the area where most of the beast forces had gathered.
She looked at everyone one last time.
"This isn't just a rescue mission. It's a message."
"Today," she said clearly, "we remind the continent why the Unified Army exists."
There was silence.
Then a shout.
"For the Alliance!"
"For the Unified Army!"
Dozens of voices rose.
Boots stomped. Hands slammed against chests.
And just like that, the silence turned into fire.
Wei Shan didn't smile.
But her eyes narrowed with focus.
As the room cleared, she remained standing by the window.
Fei stood beside her again.
The two of them watched as the first of the transport ships began to lift into the air, glowing softly as they broke through the barrier dome and headed toward the battlefield.
Fei glanced at her. "Do you think they'll be grateful?"
Wei Shan didn't look away.
"No," she said. "Not at first."
She crossed her arms.
"But they'll remember, and that is what we want."