As the last ray of sunlight faded from the rocks, Shen Xiaochuan closed his notepad and stood up.
“Walk.”
As soon as the word was spoken, the team immediately began packing their belongings.
They couldn’t stay at the camp for long; the iron mine was just the beginning, and they had to continue westward.
The mountain path was steep and covered with loose rocks.
The soldiers slowly descended, stepping on the unstable footholds, with Chen Yan leading the way.
Half an hour later, the terrain gradually lowered, and the air became damp.
A faint sound of water could be heard from ahead.
“Is there a lake?”
A Scout turned around and asked Dao.
Shen Xiaochuan raised his hand to signal to stop, then leaped onto a boulder and looked ahead.
In the center of the depression, a small but crystal-clear lake stretched out quietly, its waters revealing fish swimming clearly.
Moss covered the banks, and several unidentified herbs grew among the crevices of the rocks.
“A level three treasure land…
Yuling Lake.”
He gazed at the words that appeared before him and read them aloud in a low voice.
This lake continuously produces live fish, and its water is drinkable; long-term consumption can even slightly enhance one’s physiology.
Such a place is extremely precious and a key resource for the development of the divine kingdom.
“God, what are those three big guys by the lake?”
Scout pointed to the lakeside and asked Dao.
Shen Xiaochuan looked in that direction and saw three giant bears catching fish in the shallow water.
” Combat power 403″.
He looked at the data displayed by the System and thought, “A single one isn’t strong, but if three of them team up and fight head-on, someone will die.”
“How about we launch a surprise attack tonight?
We can make our move when they’re asleep.”
“No.
This is a flowing lake; there are fish at night, and they won’t leave.”
He crouched down and focused intently on observing the bears’ movements.
Ten minutes later, he discovered a problem—the three bears did not cooperate with each other; whoever got the fish kept it, and if they couldn’t, they would attack their companions with their claws.
Shen Xiaochuan’s lips curled slightly, a calculating glint in his eyes: “They don’t live in groups, we can make them kill each other.”
How do we incite them to fight?
“Use big fish as bait.
Throw in a big one, and they’ll fight over it.”
Do we have any big fish?
“No.”
The team fell silent.
They’d only just caught a Red Feather Chicken; their divine kingdom wasn’t even stable on basic rations.
Where would they get an advanced, large fish?
Shen Xiaochuan frowned; his plan had been temporarily thwarted.
Just then, an urgent message popped up on the Faith Channel.
[ Zhang Heng: Help!
I’m being attacked by two Japanese Gods in the 17th latitude region.
The divine barrier has broken through three layers, and half of the Believers are dead.
If they don’t come soon, I’m doomed!]
In the attached image, a large black fish is placed on a stone platform, with a yellowed drawing sheet lying next to it.
[Snakefish – Excellent Grade ]
[Effect: Can be forged into a fishbone blade, penetration power +32%]
Shen Xiaochuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“This is the bait.”
This fish is large enough and has thick, meaty flesh, perfect for luring monsters.
More importantly, Zhang Heng possesses the forging blueprint.
If he could obtain this blueprint, weapon manufacturing efficiency would increase dramatically.
He replied immediately.
” Zhang Heng, hold on.
I’m coming right away.”
“What good is it if you come alone?
Those two are gods, their combat power is over four hundred each!”
“I am not alone.”
Shen Xiaochuan turned to face the team and said, “Everyone assemble.
Lightly armed soldiers, take your tools and get ready to depart.”
“17th parallel north, rescue!”
“We haven’t finished exploring this area yet, what about Yuling Lake?”
“Leave it for now.
The fish won’t get away, and the bear won’t go far.
But if a person dies, everything is gone.”
He jumped off the stone and walked to the front of the line.
“Listen carefully, the operation is divided into two steps: first, rescue Zhang Heng; second, retrieve the snakebone fish, and then deal with the three bears when we get back.”
“But the enemy has two gods, and we only have three thousand men.
It’s too dangerous.”
“The fact that they haven’t killed anyone after fighting for so long shows that they’re after resources, not the divine essence.
Greedy people always leave room for maneuver when they strike.”
“And we will not stay.”
“Yes.
Attack them as soon as we arrive, don’t give them time to react.”
He spread out the map and marked the route with pebbles.
“Starting from here, we will pass through the cliff valley and cross the wild boar ridge.
It will take at least three hours to reach the destination.
The mountain road is treacherous, and someone needs to clear the obstacles first.”
“I’ll go.” Chen Yan stepped forward.
“Aren’t you going to guard the camp?”
“No one dares to touch the camp now.
You are the supreme god, you go to rescue people, and I must go with you.”
Shen Xiaochuan glanced at him and nodded.
“Alright.
You lead five hundred men ahead to cut down trees, build bridges, and move stones to clear roads.
The rest of the team should follow closely.”
“Where are the others?”
“Divide into three teams.
The first team carries dry rations and water to ensure continuous supply; the second team carries spears and shields to defend against air attacks; the third team stays behind to guard against sneak attacks from behind.”
“Should we call in reinforcements from the Divine Kingdom?”
“It’s too late.
By the time they arrive, Zhang Heng will have already been wiped out.”
He put away the map and stood up straight.
“Remember, we’re not going to fight, we’re going to steal.
Rescue the people, get the fish and the blueprints, and leave immediately.
Don’t linger in battle, and don’t be greedy for credit.”
“What if they won’t let us leave?”
“Then beat them until they give in.”
The order was given, and the three thousand men quickly prepared.
Some checked weapons, some distributed food, and some wrapped their feet in strips of cloth to prevent chafing.
Shen Xiaochuan walked to the lakeside and took one last look at the three giant bears.
They were still fighting over the fish, one being pushed over and then crashing into another, creating a chaotic scene.
“Wait for me to come back,” he whispered.
He then turned around and walked towards the group.
“Set off!”
Three thousand people marched in formation, their footsteps echoing rhythmically on the mountain path.
As dusk fell, torches were lit one after another.
Before they had gone a mile, the communicator rang.
“My Lord, there’s news about Zhang Heng again.”
Shen Xiaochuan’s call was connected.
” Shen Xiaochuan …I can’t hold on much longer.
There’s only one layer left in the barrier, and they’ve already started letting Believers in.”
“Hold on.
We’ve set off and will be there in three hours at the earliest.”
“You…you really are coming?”
“Nonsense.
You asked for help on the hotline, which means you trust me.
If I don’t come, who will trust us in the future?”
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end.
“Okay.
I’ll hold on for another hour.
You need to hurry.”
Shen Xiaochuan looked up at the sky.
The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and the wind blowing from the valley carried a dampness.
“Speed up.”
He said, “At least 800 miles per hour.”
The team sped up its advance.
Chen Yan ran ahead, using his spear to clear away the branches blocking his path.
Shen Xiaochuan walked in the middle, his hand always resting on the spear at his waist.
He knew this trip would be difficult.
The Japanese were adept at ambushes, often outnumbering their opponents.
This siege of Zhang Heng was clearly premeditated, solely for the purpose of seizing resources.
But he cannot back down.
If he doesn’t rescue Zhang Heng today, no one will lend a helping hand when he’s trapped tomorrow.
Trust is more important than anything else.
and–
He gently stroked the copper gear pendant on his cuff.
My parents once said that you can’t repair a machine without missing even one screw.
The same is true for God’s Kingdom; allies are like parts, none of them can be missing, otherwise the entire system will eventually collapse.
“Lord God!” a voice called out from ahead.
Chen Yan stopped and pointed downwards.
At the bottom of the valley, there is a deep ravine, with only a rotten log connecting the two banks.
“make life difficult for.”
Shen Xiaochuan approached to take a closer look.
The bridge is narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, and below is a dark, deep pit; a single misstep would mean certain death.
“Tear it down.”
“It’s been demolished?
How are we supposed to get there?”
“If they can’t catch up with Zhang Heng, they will definitely retreat via this route.
By destroying the bridge, we are cutting off their retreat.”
“You mean…
to turn the tables and surround them?”
“Yes.
They think they are the hunters, but we are the hunters.”
He waved his hand and ordered: “Ten men in a group, saw through the wooden bridge, move it to the side and hide it.
We’ll find a shallow spot upstream to cross the river.”
Command execution.
The group turned and headed upstream along the river.
Twenty minutes later, they found a shallow area.
“Cross the river!”
The soldiers paired up and tied together with ropes to prevent themselves from being swept away by the current.
Shen Xiaochuan was the last to enter the water.
The river was waist-deep and icy cold.
He steadied himself and moved forward step by step.
After landing, everyone was soaked to the bone.
“No fires can be lit.”
He said, “Smoke will be detected.”
“Then how will you keep warm?”
“Run.
Keep moving, and you won’t get cold.”
The team set off again.
It was 1 a.m., and we were still two hours away from our destination.
The communicator rang again.
“God!
Zhang Heng’s signal is weakening!
He might not be able to hold on much longer!”
Shen Xiaochuan grabbed the communicator.
“Everyone, speed up!
From now on, report your distance every half hour!
I need to know how far we are from Dao!”
“yes!”
Three thousand people started running.
The torches formed a red line in the darkness, like a crimson serpent awakening, rushing towards the battlefield.