Chapter 96

In the western border of the Tianyao Clan, every day, well-armed and armored hunting teams would march in grandly, and the smell of gunpowder in the air was becoming increasingly thick.

In front of the main tent of the central army, dozens of hunting horses were often tethered, and urgent military meetings were held almost several times a day.

A few days ago, a simple military falcon restricted area was quietly demarcated in a mountain hollow on the south side of the Xijiang Array Fire Pavilion.

Several gray-brown felt tents, all made from mountain goblin skin, were incredibly tough and thick. Inside the tents, whether it was the frame, decorations, table, or animal skins, everything exuded a subtle luxury.

However, in stark contrast to the bustling preparations outside, this restricted area was almost devoid of people, eerily quiet. A group of hunting supervisors passed by the mountain hollow, pointing and whispering in surprise.

They couldn't figure out which hunting team was stationed here, and why there were no military horses to be seen.

At this moment, in the central tent of the mountain hollow, Zhou Lu's plump body was half-leaning on a table. He stretched lazily, yawned widely, then rubbed his bloodshot eyes and gestured to Ertu and the others: "Come, come, let's go over it again. After crossing the Erguodu Swamp, how many bandits are holding out in the Poison Eye Cave?"

Ertu and over ten others, with bloodshot eyes, gathered around again, forcing themselves to stay alert. In front of them lay a large, dark green animal skin, on which an incomplete map of the wilderness was drawn.

Ever since the second elder had assigned Zhou Lu the task of establishing informants in the wilderness, Zhou Lu had gathered Ertu and the others overnight. He pointed at the incomplete map of the wilderness, squeezing every bit of information out of these Bullhead Mountain leaders.

From the terrain and natural defenses to the distribution of large and small strongholds, from the strength composition to the habits of the bandits in the strongholds, and even their desires, addictions, and needs, no detail was overlooked.

For two days and one night, Zhou Lu and Ertu's group hardly slept, meticulously analyzing every detail, sorting out the threads, and painstakingly planning the next steps.

On January 27th, 765 of the Wasteland Calendar, the Tianyao List competition was about to begin, with only two months and thirteen days left! In these two months and thirteen days, no one knew when the Ghost Shadow Clan would attack.

This war with the Ghost Shadow Clan was a matter of life and death for the entire clan.

The task of establishing informants in the wilderness was urgent.

A faint fragrance wafted in from the tent flap, invigorating the spirits of the people in the stuffy felt tent. They looked up to see Xiao Luan lift the tent flap and walk in with a man in a plain robe, his face expressionless.

The man in the plain robe looked middle-aged, with a stern, unsmiling demeanor. Zhou Lu didn't recognize him, but since he was with Xiao Luan, he didn't pay much attention.

Xiao Luan, dressed in a simple robe, carried a box of food and wine. As soon as she entered the tent, she frowned.

The air inside the tent was stuffy and hot after a night of work. It was already bright outside, but the lamps on the table were still lit, forgotten. Xiao Luan saw Zhou Lu with dark circles under his eyes, looking exhausted, and her heart ached with both sorrow and pity.

She knew these people hadn't slept all night.

"This silly fatso, does he really think he's a great hero just because others praise him? He hasn't slept for two days and one night, taking on all the hard work himself. Fatso, you're so foolish."

Xiao Luan's eyes were red.

She was certain that when her grandfather assigned Zhou Lu the task of establishing informants in the wilderness, he had already manipulated the fatso's mind with his "cunning and crafty" ways, leaving no room for refusal.

Xiao Luan knew her grandfather too well. He had been a leader all his life, and his methods of controlling subordinates were already at a masterful level.

First, her grandfather had let Sopero give Zhou Lu an extremely unfair battle achievement rating, making him feel utterly hopeless. Then, he suddenly appeared before the fatso, giving him an unexpected and great surprise, causing his emotions to fluctuate wildly and his defenses to completely break down. Finally, he used fear-mongering to assign the fatso a task that was crucial for the entire clan.

Under such an attack, it would have been strange if the fatso had even considered whether he should do it or not.

With just a few simple steps, her grandfather had completely controlled the fatso, using him as he pleased. The poor fatso, unaware of being manipulated, was still working hard for her grandfather.

Xiao Luan bit her lip, looking at the fatso with sunken eyes, feeling both pain and pity. The wilderness mission was so dangerous and difficult. The last time the fatso returned from the wilderness, it was largely due to luck. This time, would he be able to come back alive? Xiao Luan really wanted to step forward and grab Zhou Lu's arm, telling him not to be foolish and to give up being a hero.

Xiao Luan's eyes were slightly red, and she took a gentle step forward, reaching out her hand.

"Brother."

Xiao Luan called out, placing the large food box on the table: "You must be exhausted, come and eat."

"Let's eat."

Zhou Lu called out enthusiastically, grabbing the food box and taking out the wine and meat, distributing them to everyone.

Xiao Luan bit her lip, looking at the somewhat silly fatso, feeling a mix of reluctance and pain. She then took out a data disc from her chest and handed it to Zhou Lu: "This is the information on the thirty high-ranking hunters assigned by Grandfather. Take a look."

Zhou Lu, with a large piece of cooked meat in his mouth, nodded excitedly and took the data disc, flipping through it casually. Gradually, his expression became increasingly serious.

The second elder, Mo Xuanji, had assigned him the direct subordinates of the Eagle Guards.

The data disc introduced these Eagle Guards, who were almost all selected by Mo Xuanji from the seven forces under his jurisdiction. Each one had special abilities and means. Together, they had completed countless difficult tasks and resolved many life-threatening situations. The experience of each one, when detailed, was greater than Zhou Lu's age.

From the data disc, it was clear that their missions always had a distinct Eagle Guard style, with sharp and swift actions, often delivering fatal blows to the enemy with overwhelming force.

After reading this, Zhou Lu felt a strange sense of oppression.

He was shocked by the past achievements of these Eagle Guards. When their iron hooves trampled through bloody fields, he was still playing with mud somewhere.

He suddenly realized a problem: would such a powerful group of Eagle Guards listen to him, a nobody?

Did the second elder really expect him to lead these people to accomplish a great task?

The important task of establishing informants in the wilderness had once made Zhou Lu work tirelessly day and night, but now, thinking about it, how could such an important matter be completely entrusted to a nobody?

It was highly likely that the second elder was secretly relying on the Eagle Guards, and he was just being used as a guide because he was more familiar with the wilderness.

Zhou Lu extended a hand, holding the meat in his mouth and chewing it subconsciously. He suddenly felt a mix of emotions.