Chapter 85

After the military hunting preparation meeting ended, Zhou Lu didn’t know how he made it back to his stone cave in the Array Fire Pavilion. Once he relaxed, a wave of exhaustion immediately overwhelmed him. He fell onto the soft animal skins and slept soundly, not knowing how long he had slept.

Outside, the pre-battle tension was growing more intense. On the wasteland, horsemen could be seen galloping everywhere, passing messages for the military scouts.

The chief of Blackbeard Mountain was escorted by a heavy guard, as if facing a formidable enemy, on his way to the tribal headquarters.

Rumors spread that the elders of the tribe were determined to give the wilderness a bloody lesson. More war hunting troops were rapidly gathering, preparing to head to the western border, then from there, enter the wilderness. They would directly attack the stronghold of Blackbeard Mountain and crush the bandits in one fell swoop.

The Heavenly Demon Clan would not tolerate a band of bandits with mineral resources growing powerful on the border.

However, everyone with clear eyes could see that with the chief of Blackbeard Mountain captured by Zhou Lu, the current state of Blackbeard Mountain was in chaos and at its weakest. With the intelligence Zhou Lu brought back, the terrain and dangers of Blackbeard Mountain were as clear as the lines on the palm of the hand to the Heavenly Demon Clan. Attacking Blackbeard Mountain at this time, no matter how righteous and tense it appeared, was essentially taking advantage of the situation to gain easy benefits and beat a fallen dog.

Who didn’t know that this bandit suppression was already a foregone conclusion? Without its mysterious aura, Blackbeard Mountain, under the iron hooves of the Heavenly Demon Clan’s army, was like a wild dog stripped of its claws and teeth. At this point, it wasn’t a question of whether to attack, but who would lead the troops and which military falcon would be dispatched.

Whoever led the troops would gain a great military achievement.

After subduing Blackbeard Mountain, the Heavenly Demon Clan could use the momentum of this bandit suppression to intimidate both near and far, ensuring that the wilderness would not dare to harbor any thoughts of coveting the territory.

The elders of the Heavenly Demon Clan would not let such a good opportunity slip away.

...

Zhou Lu didn’t know how long he had slept. When he slowly woke up, he still felt dizzy and his body ached. He propped himself up on the soft animal skins, looked around drowsily, and recognized his cave in the Array Fire Pavilion.

The lustrous night-luminous stones cast a warm glow in the cave. Above his head, a stack of clean clothes was neatly folded. The stone table was filled with the aroma of wine and meat. In one corner of the cave, a large wooden tub filled with hot water was steaming.

Zhou Lu was overjoyed. He shook his head and climbed off the animal skins, grabbing a mountain badger’s leg and devouring it with great relish. He then lifted the wine flask and drank it all in one go, feeling incredibly refreshed.

After being hungry for a long time, this meal was extremely satisfying. He swept the table clean, leaving no trace of food. Zhou Lu wiped the oil from his mouth, stripped off his clothes, and quickly jumped into the large wooden tub. The heat of the water made his pores open, and the fat man almost lay in the tub in a spread-eagled position, feeling so comfortable that he wanted to moan.

He scrubbed off all the old grime, washing his head and body thoroughly, then changed into the soft undergarments and loose leather armor. The clothes seemed to carry a familiar scent. Zhou Lu, still feeling a bit dizzy, didn’t have time to think much. After dressing, he climbed back onto the soft animal skins and fell asleep again.

After several days and nights without sleep, constantly on guard in the perilous wilderness, Zhou Lu’s nerves had been stretched to the limit. After relaxing and sleeping, he still felt it wasn’t enough and slept soundly again.

His mind and body were finally at ease, and this sleep was incredibly refreshing. After sleeping for several more hours, he finally woke up from a deep, dreamless sleep. Zhou Lu slowly opened his eyes.

He was completely rested, his mind unusually clear, and his body felt full of energy. Zhou Lu stretched lazily, slowly climbed off the animal skins, and reached out with his sleeve to wipe the saliva from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, he caught a faint, delicate fragrance from his sleeve.

Zhou Lu suddenly froze. "Xiao Luan?"

The clothes he was wearing still carried the unique scent of Xiao Luan.

Zhou Lu quickly turned his head to look around the cave. The pile of dirty clothes he had thrown aside was gone, the large wooden tub filled with old grime was also gone, and the table was wiped clean, with some fruits and vegetables neatly arranged on it.

Zhou Lu leaped to his feet, feeling warm inside.

"Having a sister is really great." The fat man thought without a care, knowing that during the time he was sleeping, Xiao Luan must have visited him multiple times and carefully cleaned up for him.

Although the large wooden tub full of grime made him feel a bit embarrassed, he thought: "Xiao Luan is my sworn sister; what’s there to be ashamed of if she sees it?"

Zhou Lu smiled foolishly and patted his head. "Right, I brought a gift for Xiao Luan. She’ll be overjoyed when she sees it."

Zhou Lu pushed open the cave door and strode out, pounding on the large door. After a long time, no one responded. It seemed Xiao Luan wasn’t in the cave.

Zhou Lu scratched his head in surprise and walked out casually.

The Array Fire Pavilion was a scene of bustling activity. In the large cave, some alchemists hurriedly walked with animal skins, some were frantically discussing in groups, and most were fully focused on smelting in the furnaces.

At this moment, all alchemical fire cultivation and research had stopped, everything was making way for the war preparations. The alchemists had more tasks than they could handle.

Seeing Zhou Lu walk over, the people forced smiles and greeted him, then quickly returned to their work.

They were too busy to ask the fat man who had just returned from the wilderness about his experiences.

Zhou Lu scratched his head in confusion. Suddenly, he saw Ke Ling coming from the other side and was overjoyed. He ran over and grabbed her. "Sister, where’s Xiao Luan? Have you seen her?"

In the Array Fire Pavilion, Zhou Lu was closest to Xiao Luan and Ke Ling.

"You’re finally awake!" Ke Ling looked delighted to see Zhou Lu. She pulled on his sleeve, examining him up and down, and finally smiled with relief. "The wilderness is so dangerous, but your fat hasn’t decreased at all." Zhou Lu smiled and scratched his head.

Ke Ling pushed Zhou Lu playfully. "Xiao Luan went to the Hunter Supervisor’s tent. She said the tribe received a message through the hunting eagle and that if you woke up, she would urge you to go there."

"Alright, I’ll go." Zhou Lu turned to leave, and Ke Ling called out from behind, "Maybe your military achievements have come in, Zhou Lu. If you suddenly become rich, you have to treat us, and I’ll eat a lot."

Zhou Lu laughed heartily. "I won’t forget my beautiful master."

...

Page flip, AD starts

Page flip, AD ends