Chapter 100

"Everyone, you've worked hard. Has everyone eaten yet? Quick, quick..."

Zhou Lu quickly turned around and called to the Ertu group, "Quickly prepare wine and meat."

A few leaders behind Zhou Lu were about to move, but the smiling eagle guard waved his hand and urged anxiously, "Centurion, no need to trouble yourself. We've already eaten military rations on the road. The Second Elder instructed us that this mission is extremely urgent. We can't afford to waste time. Let's set off right away."

A few eagle guards had already turned to prepare to leave. Clearly, they had already calculated their journey into the wilderness, and passing through here was just a stop to pick up Zhou Lu.

Zhou Lu was taken aback. These eagle guards were working harder than he was. However, he wasn't ready yet. He hadn't fully understood some of the dangerous areas on the map, and the effects of the poison in his body hadn't been fully absorbed. Leaving now would be too rushed.

Zhou Lu hurriedly stopped them, "Don't rush, everyone, don't rush. You must be exhausted from the continuous journey. Let me arrange tents for you to rest. We can discuss everything tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

The eagle guards turned around, their faces half-smiling, half-serious. Had they run to death so many hunting horses on the road just to rest?

Since receiving the mission, the Second Elder, Mo Xuanji, had repeatedly instructed them that this mission was extremely urgent and they must proceed as quickly as possible. On the road, the eagle guards had detailed their travel plans, even down to the hour.

Last night, they had only slept for half an hour in a sheltered valley before continuing their journey. They finally arrived at the Western Border before dawn. They planned to pick up the centurion mentioned by the Second Elder and, with a bit more time, hoped to enter the outskirts of the wilderness by nightfall.

With such a tight schedule, how could they afford to delay?

The smiling eagle guard took a deep breath and explained urgently to Zhou Lu:

"Centurion, the Ghost Shadow Tribe could attack at any moment. The battle is imminent, and we can't afford to waste any time. The sooner we enter the wilderness, the more we can establish informants, which will give our army an advantage in the future. We can't afford to delay. Let's set off quickly."

The eagle guards turned around again.

Ertu frowned, disapproving of the eagerness of the eagle guards.

Without the guidance of these old wilderness guides, could you establish more informants by rushing into the wilderness a day earlier? Even with your formidable strength, is the wilderness a place where strength alone can accomplish everything?

Ertu, leaning on his cane, limped forward and bowed:

"Lords..."

Ertu advised:

"As the saying goes, 'Sharpening the axe doesn't delay the woodcutting.' You've just arrived and haven't even had a few words. Before entering the wilderness, we should at least sit down and discuss the next steps with the centurion..."

Ertu's advice was reasonable, and even Ai Wuyou nodded in agreement.

The eagle guards turned around again, their faces showing impatience.

With their efficient and decisive style, if not for the centurion designated by the Second Elder, they wouldn't have been delayed in this tent.

A black-faced eagle guard glared at Ertu and asked harshly, "Who are you?"

Ertu noticed the other's gaze fixed on his lame leg, feeling a bitter smile. Before he became lame, he had been a formidable figure in the wilderness. Now, he was in such a sorry state. Ertu shook his head and said, "I am the guide."

"Are you going with us?"

The smiling eagle guard was taken aback and then asked, "Can you ride a fast horse?"

Before Ertu could answer, the black-faced eagle guard's brows furrowed even more, staring at Ertu disdainfully and asked, "Spend time discussing? We still have a few days to enter the wilderness. Can't we discuss things on the way? If we don't discuss, are we just going to sit around and eat shit?"

The domineering nature of the eagle guards could no longer be suppressed.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Lu and Ertu's group's faces changed.

When Ertu received the amnesty from the Heavenly Demon Tribe, he originally planned to visit the old leader at the Thirty-Seventh Hunting Ground. However, upon hearing about Zhou Lu's more difficult mission, he finally decided to stay and guide Zhou Lu into the wilderness again.

When Ertu made this decision, Zhou Lu and Xiaoluan were almost moved to tears.

They knew that Ertu had experienced so much in the wilderness and had long lost his passion for it. The peaceful and stable life he dreamed of was waiting for him, and the old leader he had been separated from for many years was waiting for him to visit. Yet, he still chose to accompany Zhou Lu into the wilderness again.

This straightforward and stubborn Uncle Ertu valued righteousness more than his own life.

But now, the black-faced eagle guard was insulting Ertu, saying he would eat shit on the road.

This was even more unbearable than insulting Zhou Lu himself.

Zhou Lu's stubbornness flared up, and he didn't care about their arrogance and dominance.

Zhou Lu slapped the Black Gold Order on the table and said coldly, "Stop arguing. I am the centurion, and I make the decisions here. I say we rest for a day, so we rest for a day."

"You?"

Zhou Lu's words made the eagle guards turn around, their eyes filled with disdain, and some even showed a hint of mockery.

They had heard about Zhou Lu capturing the leader of the Blackbeard Mountain Bandit Camp and knew that this fat man had some skills. However, as elites under the Second Elder, they also knew from various sources that Zhou Lu's greatest advantage was the giant crossbow and a few top-tier weapons.

Besides, the military achievements Zhou Lu had made, any of them could easily match or exceed. Just because of a bit of luck, he was acting like a centurion in front of them?

Forget centurion, even the thousand-man commanders were nothing to them.

If not for the Second Elder's instructions, they wouldn't have given this fat man any respect or accommodation.

The smiling eagle guard had a half-smiling, half-serious expression, stepping forward casually, exuding a domineering aura. With his tall and strong body, he stood in front of Zhou Lu like a towering iron tower.

"Centurion, you're wrong..."

The smiling eagle guard's voice had a condescending tone, "We respect you as a centurion, but can military matters be treated like a game? Think about it, the Ghost Tribe envoy has been gone for several days. Who knows what the Ghost Shadow Tribe will do? The military mission is the most important."

The smiling eagle guard continued, "Centurion, you may have your own plans for this mission, but I want to tell you that we, the eagle guards, have a more detailed and precise plan. Moreover, we have more experience in completing this wilderness mission than you."

Before the smiling eagle guard finished speaking, the black-faced eagle guard stepped forward, his gaze piercingly looking at Zhou Lu, and added calmly:

"Centurion, you may not know who we are. I can tell you that when you were still playing with mud, we had already saved our tribe countless times. The military achievements we have accomplished, each one is enough to shock the world. Such great deeds, each of us has successfully completed countless times. Our military achievements are even more than the meat you've eaten..."

"So impressive?"

Zhou Lu was speechless.

The eagle guards all showed a proud expression.

Who were they? They were the ones who walked with arrogance in the tribe, with pride etched into their bones. In front of this inexperienced fat man, they felt a sense of superiority. At this moment, they heard the fat man say, "So impressive, why didn't the Second Elder assign this mission to you?"

"Ha!" Ai Wuyou couldn't help but laugh. She found it amusing that the fat man was so damn good at insulting people.

Even Xiaoluan couldn't help but smile, her eyes squinting with laughter, trying hard to suppress her giggles. Xiaoluan knew that her grandfather's eagle guards would have a hard time with this damn brother.

Indeed, Zhou Lu's words hit the soft spot of the eagle guards. The wilderness informants were so important, and in the end, the Second Elder still entrusted this fat man with the responsibility.

The eagle guards were all stunned by Zhou Lu's words, their veins bulging. No one had ever played them like this. This damn fat man was the first.