Chapter 49: The Fall of Qingfeng Stronghold

Following his battle with the King of the Howling Silver Wolves, and after fully recovering from his injuries, Feng Zhong’s overall strength experienced a massive surge. This gave Lin Mu even greater confidence in the upcoming operation.

Ordinarily, a King-level Howling Silver Wolf leading its pack should be more than capable of wiping out the Azure Dragon Stronghold. With Feng Zhong having grown even stronger, and the soldiers under his command similarly enhanced, the chances of success were even higher.

Equipped with superior gear, bound by strict discipline, and radiating high morale, the soldiers with high-tier aptitudes finally revealed their formidable combat prowess.

Overall, this force had advanced to a whole new level compared to when they defended against the Howling Wolf siege. Now, facing packs of wolves or wolf cavalry, they should be able to eliminate them without suffering a single casualty.

However, Feng Zhong did not head to the Howling Wolves' territory to settle accounts with the Wolf King. Following Lin Mu’s instructions to recuperate and conserve his energy for the impending assault on the Azure Dragon Stronghold, this mission needed to be foolproof, as it was of paramount importance to the development of the territory.

Lin Mu set out accompanied by his two top commanders, Feng Zhong and Xiao Hu, followed by 2,900 soldiers. Carrying the rune-bound spatial pouches containing the supplies for 100 soldiers, Lin Mu moved without banners, flags, or war drums. The entire force quietly traversed the Yinglong Valley and the open fields, before plunging headfirst into the vast and mysterious Qilian Mountains.

Since the territory lacked horses—even wild ones—there was not a single cavalryman among their ranks. Earlier, Lin Mu had even traveled with Jiang Yuan, an expert beast tamer, to the Howling Wolves' camp in an attempt to tame some wolves. Whether due to system restrictions or other reasons, they returned empty-handed and frustrated. Perhaps those wolves were simply too wild to be subjugated, or perhaps they were nothing more than a collection of data.

Previously, Lin Mu had also considered utilizing some green-furred oxen to transport supplies and rations. However, after Chang Yin voiced his opposition, Lin Mu chuckled sheepishly and abandoned the idea. Those green oxen were desperately needed for agricultural work within the territory, and with a force of only 3,000 men, excessive rations were unnecessary; a sufficient amount would suffice!

Steel should always be used on the blade of the sword, a principle Lin Mu understood well.

Thus, everyone had to rely on their own two legs for travel and their shoulders for carrying rations.

During his frantic training of the troops, Feng Zhong had also dispatched soldiers to clear the rugged mountain path leading to the Breeze Stronghold, roughly exploring the surrounding terrain and gathering intelligence.

Even though the path had been cleared, it still took Lin Mu and his men two days of dusty, arduous travel to finally reach the Breeze Stronghold.

Along the way, due to the large size of the contingent and the potent vitality radiating from them, they easily provoked attacks from various wild beasts—one of the inherent dangers of the mountains. It was difficult for a large army to march rapidly through the forest, and their combat effectiveness was heavily restricted and prevented from being fully unleashed. Nonetheless, these elite soldiers had no trouble dealing with ordinary wolf packs or tigers; the wildlife merely delayed their marching speed.

The wilderness of the Mythical World was perilous, frequently haunted by fierce beasts. Howling wolves echoed endlessly through the night, accompanied by the cries of apes and roars of tigers whose majestic presence shook the mountain wilderness. Coupled with the dense spiritual energy, boundless natural treasures, and thriving spiritual veins of the Mythical World, countless dangers filled the wild. Consequently, ordinary indigenous people rarely ventured casually into the hazardous wilderness under normal circumstances.

Only those with high martial prowess, seasoned hunters, or individuals driven to desperate life-or-death extremities would dare to set foot there.

Though the untamed wilderness offered abundant resources and countless rare heavenly treasures, this wealth was perpetually accompanied by the threat of losing one's life at any moment.

Naturally, wherever there was danger, places of safety also existed. Perhaps due to the diligent cultivation efforts of countless generations, numerous settlements had formed, which was the origin of the various villages scattered across the land.

Nearly two months had passed since Lin Mu accepted the territorial quest, and he had yet to subjugate a single stronghold soldier or citizen—a rather dismal failure. However, Lin Mu firmly kept in mind the adage that one must first sharpen their tools if they wish to do a good job.

Fortunately, the quest had no time limit; otherwise, failure would have been inevitable. Moreover, after so many days with no human activity emanating from those strongholds, Lin Mu surmised that these major strongholds must be quite special, even if he could not yet pinpoint the exact nature of their uniqueness. Otherwise, under conventional territorial rules, if they were merely ordinary bandits and rough outlaws, his own territory certainly would have been targeted and attacked long ago.

The guide leading Lin Mu forward was the quick-witted youth previously obtained from the Breeze Stronghold: a young boy named Li Jia.

Li Jia was thoroughly familiar with the mountain path between the Breeze Stronghold and the Azure Dragon Stronghold. He had frequently accompanied the Breeze Stronghold's transport teams as they escorted supplies to the Azure Dragon Stronghold, making him well-acquainted with the route.

Deep within the Qilian Mountains, the cleared mountain path was filled with the atmosphere of an ancient primeval jungle. Towering green pines, cypress trees, blooming flowers buzzing with bees, and ancient vines intertwined with giant trees created a scene that, in modern society, would either be preserved as a remote ecological sanctuary or developed into luxury villas and clubs for the ultra-wealthy. Humanity was forever altering the Earth...

In stark contrast to this tranquil and serene environment, the soldiers wore grim expressions, gripping their weapons tightly. Danger lurked everywhere in the jungle—this was the warning their drillmaster had drilled into them.

Crossing mountains and rivers, following the vaguely familiar path, Lin Mu and his men arrived at a mountain directly opposite the Breeze Stronghold.

Perhaps guided by some premonition, Lin Mu did not immediately lead his troops into the Breeze Stronghold; instead, he dispatched scouts to investigate the situation.

Sure enough, after more than two months, the Azure Dragon Stronghold had finally made its move. Reconnaissance revealed that they had already established preliminary control over the Breeze Stronghold.

The perimeter of the Breeze Stronghold was now guarded by well-equipped soldiers dressed in uniform attire, completely eradicating the relaxed atmosphere of the past.

Farmers returning from agricultural labor outside wore panicked expressions and dazed looks in their eyes, devoid of the cheerful smiles and laughter from before.

Furthermore, archers patrolled the watchtowers at the stronghold's gates. It appeared these troops were Xu Zhao's Azure Dragon Army—essentially the regular officers of the imperial government, though privately raised and controlled by him. Using the court's resources to cultivate his own private army was a classic empty-gloved maneuver practiced by many generals and officials throughout the Great Han Dynasty.

If Lin Mu killed these individuals, the system presumably would not penalize him; instead, he would likely be rewarded with merit and renown.

During the upcoming Rebellion of Xu Zhao in Wu Commandery, players who killed soldiers of the Azure Dragon Army would gain massive amounts of reputation and military merit, along with abundant wealth. However, the lion's share of these rewards would inevitably go to indigenous NPCs, with the officials of the Great Han government claiming even more.

Lin Mu arranged for several scouts to probe the situation inside the Breeze Stronghold, and they quickly returned to report.

"Reporting to the Lord, the basic situation of the opposing Breeze Stronghold has been verified. The stronghold has now been taken over by the Azure Dragon Stronghold. However, the takeover must have happened very recently, as many people from the original Breeze Stronghold are still maintaining order, and various production activities are even continuing. Most of the forces from the Azure Dragon Stronghold are military personnel. Based on visual estimates by my subordinates, there are roughly over 5,000 Azure Dragon soldiers. They all wear standardized cyan armor sets. Judging by their movements, their combat proficiency and strength do not seem exceptionally high, but their equipment consists of standard-issue gear, which should be no weaker than our own," reported one of the scouts. A competent scout naturally understood the necessity of gathering such fundamental intelligence.

"A force of just over 5,000, yet they managed to seize control of the Breeze Stronghold? It seems the original garrison of the Breeze Stronghold must have been even smaller!" Feng Zhong remarked upon hearing the report. His eyes gleamed brightly, though his expression remained calm and relaxed.

"Ah! These bandits really are trying to take over our stronghold! I wonder how my family is doing? Surely they won't go on a murderous rampage? Lord Lin, please, I beg you, save our stronghold!" Hearing the scout's report, Li Jia grew extremely anxious, worrying about the fate of his relatives inside the stronghold, and immediately dropped to his knees to plead with Lin Mu.

Li Jia was well aware of how ferocious those soldiers were. Although he had never seen them slaughter humans, the bloodthirsty cruelty they displayed when hunting down fierce beasts like timber wolves, fire oxen, green roe deer, and black-wind tigers was a sight he could never forget!

"Get up first. Since I already promised your stronghold leader that I would help your people, I certainly won't let any harm come to your family. Rest assured!" Lin Mu lifted Li Jia to his feet, then turned to consult with Feng Zhong. "Since there are only 5,000 troops, let's launch a surprise attack under the cover of tonight's darkness. Catch them unawares and take them down. However, our objective is not to slaughter them, but to knock them unconscious, take them captive, and gradually win their allegiance. The territory is desperately short on population!" Lin Mu's eyes flashed with brilliance. With 5,000 ordinary soldiers against his own 3,000 elite troops, capturing them should be effortless. He possessed at least that much self-confidence.

"Haha, excellent! We shall follow the Lord's command! Given the aptitude and strength of these greenhorns, this will be a piece of cake!" Feng Zhong had absolute confidence in the prowess of his men.

The troops moved in an orderly and concealed fashion. Soon, night descended. Lin Mu instructed the soldiers to satisfy their hunger with dry rations and coarse flatbreads, without lighting fires for cooking. Once they subdued the enemy soldiers and entered the stronghold, they could enjoy a hot meal then, heh heh!

Griping his fine steel spear tightly and gazing at the brightly lit stronghold in the distance, Lin Mu's eyes radiated authority and confidence. *My spear is already thirsting for battle!*