Chapter 79: Chapter 78: Advancing

For a full day, Ridder and Macken assigned tasks to the Guards and the militia. Everyone took this expedition seriously.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was four in the morning on the twenty-first.

In the open grounds of the Outer Fortress, Ronin, Ridder, Macken, Elron, and the other Transcendents had all gathered, along with twenty-seven Guards and eighty militia members.

The castle servants were all present, handing out freshly baked bread to every person—some to eat then and there, and some to take for the road.

Once breakfast was over, everyone was fully equipped and ready to depart.

Ronin gazed at the soldiers assembled before him. Some carried Inferior Longswords, others held Ironwood Long Spears, and a few were armed with bone spears or even just wooden clubs. As for armor, they were lucky if they had an Ironwood Chest Guard; the vast majority of the men had no armor at all.

There was nothing to be done; Ronin couldn’t procure so many weapons at once. He only needed this group to look intimidating, as he wasn’t counting on them for much actual combat strength.

Besides, it wasn’t as if everyone in the opposing Wilderness Tribe had proper weapons and armor.

He slowly drew the Longsword from his waist.

This “Flowing Flame Sword” was the reward from the fifth day of his seven-day login, and he had only started using it after reaching the Intermediate Level and gaining the ability to release Fighting Qi.

It could amplify his Combat Skills, and a casual swing would unleash flames. Its power was impressive; it had to be a Magic Weapon or an Inscribed Weapon.

“Everyone!”

Ronin raised his Longsword. As he channeled Fighting Qi into the blade, crimson flames surged across its surface, glowing like lava capable of vaporizing anything and illuminating the entire plaza.

“Move out!”

In the dim light before dawn, the hundred-man expedition quietly began its march.

Chahar led the servants up the tower. He watched the army depart, his gaze filled with blessings and prayers.

Tears welled in the maid Bella’s eyes. “Mister Butler, do you think the Lord will return victorious?”

Over time, the servants had grown accustomed to their new environment, their new lives, and this exceptionally tolerant master. They had come to regard this place as a second home.

And all of it depended on one person: the master of the castle, Ronin. None of them wished for any mishaps to occur on this expedition.

“Without a doubt!”

Chahar said with conviction, “The Lord never fights a battle he isn’t prepared for. He will definitely return in triumph!”

The early morning mountain wind was chilly, and the air was damp.

The soldiers lit all the torches they had prepared, forming a Fire Dragon that snaked across the fields. They proceeded north along the planned route at a steady, unhurried pace.

The men’s spirits were a mix of excitement and anticipation, though some felt a bit lost. But with their Lord leading them personally, not one of them thought of retreating.

Ronin, walking at the head of the column, had already spent all the Attribute Points and Energy Essence he had accumulated from his recent daily check-ins.

He checked his Attribute Panel. His Level progress had grown significantly since he left Pasture City:

[Level]: 2-Intermediate Knight (51/200); 2-Intermediate Mage (300/300)

His Mage Level was now maxed out, and his Knight Level was a quarter of the way to the next stage.

Although he was only an Intermediate Knight, his two ranged attack spells—the Wind Blade Skill and the Fireball Skill—made him no less of a threat than an Advanced Level Knight.

In addition to his own improvements, Macken had increased his Cultivation by two points through his training, reaching a progress of 284/300.

Through his own Cultivation and by using Energy Essence, Elron’s Level progress had reached 211/300, making him a Late-stage Intermediate Light Attribute Mage.

As for Commander Ridder, the Master-Servant Contract between him and Ronin was a limiting factor. His strength could not advance any further until Ronin broke through to the Advanced Level, which was truly a pity.

In addition to these stat increases, Ronin also brought along the four Wind Blade Skill Scrolls he had recently crafted, as well as sixteen Healing Spell Scrolls made by Elron, to be prepared for any contingency.

The march was tedious. The path grew difficult after they entered the mountain forest, and the men’s conversations dwindled until the atmosphere became tense and heavy.

Fortunately, the rising sun soon dispelled the gloom of the mountain forest, and the men’s psychological burden eased considerably.

Commander Ridder walked at the very front, guiding the column by following markings left on the trees along the route.

Ronin was increasingly impressed. ’Ridder is truly worthy of his reputation as the legendary Commander-in-Chief of the Flame Expedition Army,’ he thought. ’Everything he does is so methodical. The intelligence he gathered has saved this expedition a great deal of manpower and resources.’

They continued their march until nearly noon, when Ridder stopped beside a large tree. Ronin noticed the marking on its root was different from the previous ones.

“Lord, once we cross this small hill and continue for another five li, we will see the bamboo grove where the Cyan Bamboo Tribe is located.”

Ridder suggested, “Should we rest here for a while and recover our strength?”

Ronin nodded. “Everyone’s tired after marching all morning. Let’s rest here and recover our strength.”

He paused, then continued, “We only need to reach the Cyan Bamboo Tribe before dark, so everyone can rest for a good while. Make sure to post sentries, and order the soldiers not to wander around or talk loudly.”

’If we arrive too early,’ he reasoned, ’the tribespeople will be out working. It’ll be difficult to catch them all in one fell swoop, and some might even escape to warn the Grey Soil and Purple Fruit tribes.’

’It’s better to wait until later, when the workers start returning home, and then execute the encirclement.’

While the men found places to rest, Ronin climbed to the top of the hill. He gazed into the distance, wondering how far north one would have to travel to see the northern sea.

Looking back, he realized that the distance between Mountain Forest Town and the Wilderness Tribe wasn’t as great as he had imagined.

The distance from town to their current position was fifteen or sixteen li at most. Adding the remaining five li, the total journey was only about twenty li.

’Perhaps one reason the Wushan Alliance Army failed to completely wipe out this group was that they were relatively scattered.’

’But the bigger reason was likely that the nobles, having already killed the leader of the fleeing enemy, decided it wasn’t worth the cost. With the remaining survivors hiding deep in the remote mountains and forests, spending more energy and money to hunt them down would have been more trouble than it was worth.’

’Nobles had little interest in matters that offered no profit or advantage.’

Time passed slowly. The men ate their bread and drank their water. After waiting for the sun to begin its descent, the hundred-man force set out once more.

They moved more cautiously this time, using trees, bushes, and the terrain to conceal their movements.

Fortunately, the Cyan Bamboo Tribe’s fields were not on this side. The tribespeople also seemed preoccupied with the autumn harvest, and no patrols were in sight. This allowed Ronin and his party to reach the edge of the bamboo grove without any trouble.

“Juliet, Sim, take your men along this mountain valley and circle around to the east. Set up an ambush on your assigned paths. The Lord and I will wait here for you for half an hour.”

Ridder had taken command. “After half an hour, we will begin the main assault. If you run into any trouble, send a runner back here immediately.”

“Don’t worry, Commander. Even if we encounter someone, we guarantee they won’t be able to make a sound!”

Juliet and Sim gave their confident assurances, then led their respective groups to get into position.

The sun sank low, and the light in the mountain forest gradually dimmed. Night would fall soon. At this hour in the mountains, the workers would be returning home.

Ronin’s gaze penetrated the Forest Land ahead. “Juliet and Sim should be nearly in position. It’s time for us to move.”

The five Transcendents rose and took the lead, followed by the seventy soldiers. As the column advanced through the bamboo grove, the only sound was the soft tread of their feet on the ground. There were no other noises.

No one spoke, no one conversed. Everyone advanced in silence, a testament to the discipline drilled into them during training.

Even a Transcendent had to be cautious when facing a well-trained, well-equipped army of ordinary soldiers.

An average Basic Level Knight could take on seven or eight well-trained soldiers at most; they were not invincible.

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