Chapter 333: The Time to Defeat the Enemy
Lin Ye was extremely uncomfortable with the bites from numerous mosquitoes, and one kept trying to bore into his ear. After swatting at it several times in vain, he became furious but couldn’t express it. The mosquito, as if emboldened, seemed to be teasing him.
Annoyed, Lin Ye looked around and found that both Ye Gan and Nanqiangren, as well as the reconnaissance team members, were all utterly still. Lin Ye broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, “As expected of professionals. I should have known better than to come myself.” As the commander of the three armies and the leader of his tribe, he was personally on the front lines, performing reconnaissance.
However, he then recalled that in ancient times, great generals always surveyed the battlefield thoroughly before a battle. By utilizing the terrain and coordinating their forces, and by assigning their troops to their appropriate roles, they could achieve twice the result with half the effort. Lin Ye understood this, comparing it to playing games in his previous life. Players of the same level, but with different professions, had their strengths and weaknesses, which maintained game balance. No profession was invincible; skill and operation were key.
Warfare was even more so. By arranging one’s troops according to the terrain and other forces, defeat was unlikely. Real-life battles were about finding the opportune moment to defeat the enemy.
As night deepened, Lin Ye sent someone back to tell those stationed there not to act rashly. More importantly, he wanted to let them know what he was doing so they wouldn’t worry about him.
Everyone rose from the fields. Those who washed up too slowly were reprimanded by the feathered people, some even resorting to physical violence. The victims simply fell to the muddy ground, struggling weakly. Their cries were pathetic and devoid of strength. The person being beaten seemed to hold a certain status within the Caoqian Tribe, and immediately, several people rushed forward.
One person lay on top of the beaten individual, while others shielded him. They confronted a feathered person holding a whip in one hand and a sword in the other. Lin Ye couldn’t discern their expressions or faces, nor could he understand their words, but a defiant roar could be heard carried by the wind.
As a commotion arose, more feathered people quickly arrived. Other members of the Caoqian Tribe stopped to watch. Some wanted to go forward but were immediately beaten by the feathered people guarding them. Anyone who stopped to watch was beaten. Suddenly, in this quiet pastoral setting, a scene reminiscent of hell unfolded. No one dared to stop any longer and quickly hurried away. Even though the person being beaten might have been a respected figure in their tribe, perhaps even their leader, they were now mere slaves. Under the threat of swords, few could risk their lives to protect him.
Only three people rushed forward to protect the beaten individual. From a distance, though Lin Ye couldn’t see their faces clearly, he could vaguely discern that they were very young. Several feathered people also approached and, without a second word, began to strike, shouting insults as they did. The one who had initiated the violence wielded his whip even more ferociously.
The fight ended quickly. The Caoqian Tribe members offered no resistance, perhaps knowing it was futile. They merely protected the person who had fallen into the muddy field. The feathered people summoned a few Caoqian Tribe members to carry the four beaten individuals towards their village.
From a distance, the Caoqian Tribe village was brightly lit, with a large pile of firewood burning fiercely in front of the settlement. Lin Ye and his companions had already memorized the terrain and planned their approach route to the Caoqian Tribe’s mountain stronghold after the surprise attack. Unlike most primitive tribes, they had no hidden sentries outside the stronghold. Lin Ye considered himself the originator of stealth and tactical surprise here and had no reason to be caught off guard himself. If that happened, he would be shaming countless transmigration heroes.
The field suddenly became eerily quiet, oppressively so, like the calm before death. It was a deathly silence, broken only by the distant flames of the bonfire in the mountain stronghold burning quietly in the night.
… (Request for flowers.)
Lin Ye, Nanqiangren, and Ye Gan crept forward. The others did not follow. Such infiltration work was not about numbers, so Lin Ye had them positioned to provide backup. They were to guard their rear and use bird calls as a signal for any emergencies. The infiltration route was chosen by Ye Gan, an expert in stealth and tracking. Lin Ye had also considered a similar route in his mind, which was almost identical to Ye Gan’s, so without a word, the three of them continued their stealthy approach.
Using the cover of rocks and trees, they quietly moved closer to the Caoqian Tribe. The closer they got, the clearer the village became. However, as Lin Ye and his companions reached a large rock not far from the village gate, they increasingly felt something was amiss. Their primitive tribe always had numerous hidden sentries wherever they went. They were accustomed to surprise attacks and were always on guard against them. Lin Ye was extremely confident in this, not only because of their vigilance but also because he frequently emphasized the importance of sentries in his lectures on warfare. He had given many examples of the consequences of not having them.
Where, then, were their sentries? Lin Ye glanced at Nanqiangren and then at Ye Gan, finding them equally bewildered. “I’ll go inside and take a look. Be ready to cover me,” Lin Ye said, seeing their confusion. He knew that thinking about it further was useless; seeing for himself was the only way to understand. “No.” “Tribe Leader, absolutely not.” These were the anxious pleas from Nanqiangren and Ye Gan, respectively. Nanqiangren simply gave Lin Ye a look and said “no” in a soft tone, while Ye Gan was visibly nervous. Lin Ye knew that without convincing the two of them, he couldn’t possibly go inside to investigate. However, this was a difficult point to argue. While a tribal leader could be on the front lines, there was no precedent for one to act as a scout and personally infiltrate enemy territory.
