Chapter Six: Deep Into the Heartland
[Congratulations to the host for defeating a one-star martial artist, gaining 15 experience points and 15 exchange points!]
[Congratulations to the host for advancing to the rank of eight-star warrior, earning 8 talent points!]
After defeating the formidable enemy, Lu Xingchen did not rest; he continued to pursue the scattered soldiers of the Fengming Kingdom. After all, in his eyes, these soldiers were glaringly obvious sources of experience points.
An hour later, the battle ended, and Lu Xingchen checked his system panel.
[Host: Lu Xingchen]
[Rank: Eight-star warrior]
[Experience: 35/90]
[Exchange points: 200]
[Talents: Eagle Eye (7), Strong Strike (1), Frenzy (16)]
[Profession: None]
[Quest: A Small Test of Skill (80/100)]
Not bad; his strength had improved considerably.
Wang Xing came over to report.
“Captain, we’ve completely annihilated a thousand-strong unit from the Fengming Kingdom. Only a few of our brothers have minor injuries—this is a total victory!”
Lu Xingchen nodded slightly, not overly excited. Cavalry against infantry should be a crushing advantage. This time, they were simply lucky to encounter an enemy comprised solely of infantry. If the opponent had cavalry too, the battle wouldn’t have been so easy.
Lu Xingchen was more concerned about another matter.
“Were there any who slipped through?”
“Yes.” Wang Xing’s expression was somewhat embarrassed.
“Although the brothers followed your orders to eliminate the fleeing soldiers with full force, the enemy numbers were too great, and a few managed to escape.”
Lu Xingchen’s face darkened.
“This is troublesome. The Fengming Kingdom has suffered a heavy loss; they will surely look for revenge.”
Wang Xing nodded.
“The enemy will likely react quickly and send heavy forces to ambush us. My suggestion is to withdraw immediately and return to camp.”
Lu Xingchen furrowed his brow, weighing his options. At a time like this, retreat was undoubtedly the safest choice.
---
But the chance for a surprise attack came only once. Once the enemy was on guard, the cavalry squadron’s effectiveness would diminish. More importantly, his system quest was about to be completed.
Lu Xingchen truly coveted the large amount of experience points.
“Keep marching—seek the next target!”
In the end, Lu Xingchen made his decision.
“Understood!”
Though puzzled, Wang Xing had been convinced by Lu Xingchen and respected his judgment.
“What about the spoils? This army carries a large amount of provisions and weapons,” Wang Xing asked.
Lu Xingchen pondered briefly, then said in a low voice, “Only take three days’ worth of food; destroy all other spoils on the spot. The greatest advantage of the mounted bow squadron is mobility—don’t let these things become a burden!”
In the following time, Lu Xingchen led his troops to rout two smaller units of the Fengming Kingdom.
Finally, Lu Xingchen completed the system quest and advanced to the rank of ten-star warrior.
During the battles, he obtained a new talent: “Blade,” which increased damage when using sword-type weapons by five points.
At dusk, the group rested beside a small river.
At that moment, Wang Xing hurried over.
“Captain, bad news! The patrolling brothers report that five cavalry squadrons of the Fengming Kingdom are moving toward us. The main roads back to camp are also guarded by enemy forces. What shall we do?”
Lu Xingchen suddenly stood up.
“Not surprising—the fruits of our victory are too abundant. The more enemies we tie down here, the easier it is for the general at the front.”
Wang Xing was astonished. In a life-or-death moment, the captain remained so calm—truly rare!
“Captain, what should we do next? If we want to ease the general’s burden, we must survive first.”
Lu Xingchen thought for a moment, then said solemnly,
“Immediately reorganize and march into the heartland of the Fengming Kingdom!”
Wang Xing was stunned.
“Captain, are you crazy? With our limited forces, attacking the Fengming Kingdom? If we get entangled, and they gather their main army, we’re finished.”
Lu Xingchen smiled faintly.
“You said it yourself—we have to get entangled first. Most of the Fengming forces are stationed along the border between the two countries; the defenses in the interior are weak. As long as we move swiftly, it will be difficult for them to catch us.”
Wang Xing was deeply shocked—he hadn’t expected his captain to think so unconventionally. Although theoretically sound, this plan carried great risks. Could they truly make it home safely this time?
But there was no other choice—it was worth a try.
The entire unit immediately marched toward the Fengming Kingdom’s interior.
Over the next day, Lu Xingchen and his men circled within the heartland, continuously striking enemy forces, and his experience rapidly accumulated.
---
However, advancing from ten-star warrior to one-star martial artist required 150 experience points—a seemingly endless journey.
This system was truly unfair!
At noon the following day, Lu Xingchen and Wang Xing scouted ahead and encountered a Fengming force.
This unit numbered only around two hundred but was well-equipped and carried no baggage.
Wang Xing said, “Captain, it looks like we’ve found a fat fish. This unit is probably escorting an important figure of the Fengming Kingdom.”
Lu Xingchen was somewhat pleased.
“How about it? Want to give it a try?”
Wang Xing replied gravely,
“I’m afraid not. Although the enemy is few, they are all elites. More importantly, they likely have martial artist guards. Even if we win, we can’t capture them. Once the enemy learns of our movements, it’ll be hard for us to return to camp.”
Lu Xingchen smiled slightly.
“That’s exactly what I want—the enemy to know our movements! Leave the two martial artists to me.”
Hearing this, Wang Xing was puzzled.
“Captain, how do you know there are two martial artists?”
“A secret—I can’t say. Prepare for battle!”
Lu Xingchen upgraded “Eagle Eye” to level 20, increasing his sight range by 50 meters, allowing him to clearly see targets from 200 meters away.
Combined with the system’s passive ability, he confirmed that there were two three-star martial artists among the enemy.
They could fight!
But to ensure success, Lu Xingchen also raised “Strong Strike” and “Blade” to level 10, and spent 100 exchange points at the shop to obtain an advanced yellow-tier spirit sword.
Lu Xingchen led his men stealthily, waiting for the enemy to stop and rest before launching the attack.
A volley of shots immediately reduced the enemy by nearly half.
Lu Xingchen ordered,
“Keep one alive; execute the rest!”
“Understood!”
The sudden assault and the death of comrades greatly demoralized the enemy, leaving them unable to mount an effective resistance.
The two three-star martial artists, along with a frail middle-aged man, broke through Lu Xingchen’s encirclement and fled on horseback.
Lu Xingchen shouted,
“Those three are mine!”
With that, he spurred his horse and gave chase.