Chapter 536: From Temporary Yingdi to Forward Yingdi

By this time, the Temporary Yingdi was already looking quite decent; the weeds on the ground had been cleared away, several campfires had been lit, and even the tents for the night had been set up on the slightly sloping ground.

A large amount of supplies from the wagons had been unloaded; these items were placed on the outermost perimeter to serve as a wall, followed by the wagons, then the pack horses on the inner side of the wagons, and finally the tents and campfires.

The rescued female villagers were feeling much better; they had boiled pot after pot of vegetable soup and were even using an iron pot with a relatively flat bottom to bake wheat cakes.

The campfire under this iron pot had been manually extinguished, leaving only the glowing charcoal to provide heat, and inside the empty iron pot, the female villagers brushed a thin layer of oil on the bottom before carefully placing the rolled-out thin wheat cakes inside.

They found a clean stick with the bark peeled off to flip the wheat cakes in the pot, preventing them from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Before long, a rich aroma of wheat wafted out.

These were picked out and placed on a wooden tray to the side to cool naturally, but some impatient warriors, not caring about the heat, grabbed the piping hot wheat cakes and took large bites.

They would take a bite of the freshly baked wheat cake, then a sip of vegetable soup, washing the wheat cake down. If they felt the flavor was lacking, there was salty bean paste pickled by the villagers of Changmai Cunzi themselves; just a tiny dip was enough to provide sufficient saltiness.

Jier was hungry too; after taking off his gloves and washing his hands, he picked up a bowl of vegetable soup specifically set aside for him and drank it all in one go.

He then grabbed two wheat cakes, rolled them both together into a stick shape, dipped them in the salty bean paste, and ate them in large mouthfuls.

Having eaten the portion of several people in one go, Jier finally stopped, satisfied.

Priest Bata'er, who had already eaten, came over to find him and asked Jier about the search for the Forward Yingdi earlier.

Jier told the priest about the situation in the surrounding area and explained his plans in detail.

"There is no need to abandon this simple camp; it can serve as a supply transfer Jiedian between the wagon train and the Forward Yingdi."

Taking out a map, Jier marked the results of his observations of the surroundings from today onto it.

Due to the lack of measurements, there might be some deviations in the various positions, but the general orientation on the map was correct. Jier had a very good sense of direction and spatial awareness, so the maps he marked were deeply trusted by others.

"The wagon train needs to return from Changmai Cunzi to here two or three times to transport a sufficient amount of supplies and grain, and then the warriors will need to rely on carrying things on their shoulders and backs to transport some of the most essential supplies from here to the selected Forward Yingdi. At the same time, the Forward Yingdi also needs to be established; there are many trees there, so the large trees within the camp need to be felled, and then at least two layers of alert defense circles need to be established."

Jier gestured with his hands: "The outermost circle will be made of tree bark, vines, and other thin, long natural ropes wrapped around the camp at calf height, with wooden chips hung on them that can make noise. The inner circle will be a wooden wall made from the branches of the felled trees and the trunks of the downed trees, which must be at least one person high and difficult to climb."

"The Forward Yingdi needs to consider the temporary living situation for hundreds of people after the villagers are rescued; even if everyone has to squeeze in, it must be a place where everyone can temporarily rest for a few days. After defeating the enemy, first let the villagers rest temporarily at the Mine, then escort them from there to the Forward Yingdi in small batches, and then transport them from the Forward Yingdi to the Temporary Yingdi on this open ground where we are now, let them board the wagons here, and then ride the wagons back to Changmai Cunzi."

"According to what everyone planned earlier, I have already abandoned Changmai Cunzi," Priest Bata'er said regretfully.

"I know, I remember. After the villagers are rescued, they will rest for a while in Changmai Cunzi. At the very least, they can't all ride the wagons to Xinxiwang, right? They will still have to walk there, while the wagons carry the accompanying supplies. In Changmai Cunzi, they mainly need to be persuaded by you. I believe not all villagers will be willing to go with you, abandoning their homes, land, and so on in Changmai Cunzi. Letting them start over in Xinxiwang—not everyone has that determination."

The priest lowered his head: "That is true. Then what if they are unwilling to go with me? Should I just leave them there and ignore them?"

Jier shook his head: "Changmai Cunzi is already broken to that extent; without enough sense of security, who would dare to live there? Even for the villagers who are unwilling to abandon Changmai Cunzi, at least they cannot stay there this year. After all, a large section of the village wall is broken, and this year's crops have not been planted. Just let them squeeze into Lanse-Qingting for now, and wait until next year. See if the Agricultural God Church in Yemei Town can give you some support, or if the autonomous villages in the entire Nanbu Sasi County can provide Changmai Cunzi with some supplies and manpower to rebuild the village next year."

Speaking of this, Jier smiled: "Of course, the church will also have to send a new Cunzi Priest. But I don't think many people will be willing to come and take over."

Priest Bata'er also gave a wry smile: "That is certain. After such a big incident this year, who would still dare to be the Cunzi Priest of Changmai Cunzi? And I am very worried about the diocesan church in Borisfa City. If the situation there is not good, I estimate they won't think about sending a new Cunzi Priest here for several years."

The two sat by the campfire and talked a lot about the subsequent arrangements.

Priest Bata'er was still not very confident about taking over Xinxiwang in the future, but whenever Jier talked to him about the hardships of this journey and the trials along the way, it made Priest Bata'er feel a sense of peace. After all, no matter how troublesome the future might be, it wouldn't be harder than trekking long distances with hundreds of refugees in a chaotic situation, right?

Having made it through such difficult circumstances, building a new town didn't seem that hard, did it?

The next day, early in the morning.

Jier asked the female villagers who had transitioned into being chefs to make more food, trying to let everyone eat their fill and eat well.

Because there was a lot of work today, and much of it was heavy physical labor, it was very necessary to have enough food to support the physical exertion.

But fortunately, after liberating Changmai Cunzi, everyone had plenty of everything else, and the grain was so abundant they couldn't finish it.

"The Forest is dense, so there is insufficient sunlight, and the temperature inside is still very low. So, don't look at how hot it is here in the sun right now; everyone should put on their clothes properly, fasten their cuffs and collars, and be careful of the various mosquitoes and insects in the Forest."

As Jier spoke, he specifically pinched a dry leech he had caught from the nearby woods. He showed this terrifying little bug, which was twisting incessantly while being pinched, to everyone: "Everyone needs to be extra careful of this thing. They will crawl from the dead leaves by your feet onto your feet and calves. Or they will fall from the leaves and branches above onto your head and shoulders, and then use their sharp little mouths to suck your blood vigorously!"

"This terrifying little thing will not only suck away your precious fresh blood, but it will also use its dirty little mouth to transmit diseases to you through the wound! So everyone keep an eye out for this thing, and check your legs, feet, shoulders, and heads from time to time. And friends and comrades should check each other; if you see this thing crawling on a companion, just catch it and crush it! Oh, giving it to the Mao Maos is fine too; they seem to like eating this thing."

"In addition, be careful of anything you find unusual, including a strange Mushroom on the ground, peculiar moss on a tree trunk, strange birds you haven't seen before, small animals darting past your feet, or the reflective beast eyes staring at you from behind the bushes, etc. If you see anything unusual, shout loudly and call me or Priest Bata'er."

The warriors and the female villagers who were coming along had never been into the mountains before, so they didn't know how to protect themselves in this place.

They listened carefully to Jier's instructions and discussed them with each other in low voices.

Weier, however, had some experience with life in the mountains and forests because he had spent some time with Bandits before. He was surrounded by two warriors, and at this moment, he was quietly imparting his experience to these two warriors.

"Besides what Knight Jier said, you also have to be careful of other flying insects or jumping insects that will bite you. If possible, pick some non-toxic wild grasses and wild flowers with a scent, crush their leaves and petals, and apply the juice to your exposed skin."

"Also, carefully check your clothes to see if there are any holes or tears. If there are, patch them up quickly, otherwise those little bugs will crawl in through these places and bite you."

"And don't directly crush many small bugs; some of them have poisonous bodies, and their poisonous body fluids will hurt your skin after you crush them. Just flick them away with your fingers or fan them away."

"Your hair must be wrapped well with cloth; don't complain about the heat! Otherwise, our hair will become a nest for those bugs!"

Seeing that everyone had finished communicating, Jier waved his hand and let everyone, who had eaten and drunk their fill, begin to act according to the plan.

Aoni and Weier took the lead, and several Mao Maos, who were trying their best to keep their spirits up, followed them to assist in clearing the way. They needed to follow the marks Jier had left to find the Forward Yingdi from the Temporary Yingdi.

The warriors carried quite a few supplies and began their trek fully armed. Mao Maos would also scatter around them to guard and help them drive away and clear out some dangerous snakes and insects.

The female villagers carried some grain and followed closely behind the warriors, and finally, there was Priest Bata'er, who needed to watch the end of the team to confirm that no one fell behind or got lost.

It wasn't that Jier had nothing to do, or rather, his task was even heavier!

Because Jier needed to transport the heaviest Tents from here to the Forward Yingdi.

Both he and his warhorse needed to carry the heaviest supplies, so he couldn't look after the whole team and left it to Priest Bata'er to command.

As for the driver and Xueya Site and the others, after emptying the wagons, they set off immediately to return to Changmai Cunzi. Firstly, to return to the village and transport more grain over—at the very least, they had to transport enough grain for hundreds of people to eat for ten days—and secondly, to meet up with the wagons transporting the wounded soldiers at Changmai Cunzi as soon as possible. Leaving the other party alone in Changmai Cunzi wouldn't do; what if something happened?

Now manpower was precious, and every single person had to be used precisely.

"Xueya Site, you guys should set off as early as possible too! Once I dismantle the Tents here, I have to start working too! Remember, after the Forward Yingdi is barely set up, we still have to conduct Scout missions."

"We're off, Jier." After exchanging greetings, Xueya Site drove the wagons and led the entire wagon train onto the return journey. This group was much faster because it was downhill and they were empty wagons; perhaps by nightfall, they would be able to make a round trip.

"Be careful of possible enemies on the road. If you discover any, turn back and find me, and I will ride over to eliminate them."

Jier gave his instructions and began to dismantle the Tents.

He first dismantled his own tent, then the warriors'.

The first things to be dismantled were the ground nails fixing the tents. Others would need some tools, but Jier just reached out and pulled, one in each hand, and pulled out the Iron Nails and Wooden Nails that had been driven into the ground.

Easily.

Then he came to the tent, gave a light jump, and took the top of the tent off the support pole. The entire tent swayed, and with a push from Jier, it fell to the ground to the side.

Jier carefully laid the tent flat, smoothed out the wrinkles, and then rolled it up into a tent roll as tall as a person, after which he folded it in half once more, took out a Rope, and tied it securely; at this point, the entire tent had become a cloth roll that was half a person's height, rolled up and fixed.

Jier loaded it onto the Muan of Tianxuecao, and the ground stakes he had pulled out were also put into a bag and hung on the Weapon Rack. As for the support pillar for the tent, this sturdy and heavy wooden pillar was pulled out of the ground by Jier in one go, and after patting off the soil particles at the bottom of the pillar, he carefully placed it on the back of Tianxuecao and secured it with a Rope.

"Is it heavy?"

Jier asked his warhorse.

Tianxuecao walked a bit, realized these things were not even as heavy as Jier himself, and shook its head.

Jier then nodded and gave a mischievous grin: "In that case, carry another tent! How about it?"

The tall warhorse showed a puzzled look and let out a neigh that let Jier do as he pleased.

So Jier dismantled the remaining tents of the Warriors in one go, hung a large bag of Ropes and ground stakes for securing the tents on the back of Tianxuecao, and then placed a large bundle of packed tent Fayu Bu onto the Muan.

This time, this heavy load finally made Tianxuecao react; it walked a bit, realized it could still hold up, and so it went on its own way along the route the Warriors had taken, heading into the Forest.

Jier didn't care about it; he himself carried the entire bundle of tent Fayu Bu on his shoulder and dragged the entire support pillar of the large tent, quickly catching up to Tianxuecao, which was walking in front.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Jier, again carrying a large bundle of Fayu Bu as big as himself on his shoulder and dragging an entire support pillar, chased after Tianxuecao, which had left first, without stopping his pace.

Tianxuecao knew where to go because the team of Warriors was not far ahead; the route the Warriors had taken was very obvious, and the dead leaves and such on the ground had been pushed aside while walking, revealing the soft ground underneath.

Calling it ground, it was actually humus soil accumulated over many years, which was simply a paradise for small insects, and also like the Zerg creep in StarCraft; stepping on it would not only cause some brownish water to emerge but even squeeze out quite a few small insects.

It was just something else.

However, this had nothing to do with Tianxuecao and Jier; one had horseshoes, and with one step, the place where the horseshoe made contact was directly compacted by the heavy pressure, and Jier also had sturdy and sealed combat boots on his feet; wearing them on a hot day was a bit of a suffering, but at this moment, there was no need to worry about insects crawling up along the instep.

Before long, Jier and Tianxuecao caught up with the team of Warriors.

Jier first greeted Bata'er Jiaoshi, who was walking at the very back, then nodded to the female Villagers carrying food and iron pots, and then strode past them, catching up to the Warriors carrying other supplies.

"Knight Jier! How are you moving so fast?"

"Good fellow, carrying so many things and still able to catch up to us; Knights truly have bodies made of iron."

The Warriors discussed among themselves; Jier laughed out loud and overtook them again.

Before long, he caught up to the two people leading the way, Aoni and Weier.

"How is it? The marks I left were relatively easy to find, right?" Jier asked while overtaking them.

Aoni turned his head and was startled by Jier, who was carrying a tent Fayu Bu as big as a person on his shoulder and dragging an entire support pillar: "My lord, you are really fast!"

"Yeah, you actually caught up to us." Weier looked at Jier, who had super strong mobility, with envy, and in his heart, he was even more eager to possess this kind of power; with this kind of ability, he would have the strength foundation to return to his hometown for revenge.

If he couldn't even reach the Knight Rank, then there was no need for him to return to his hometown to die, so as not to cut off his family's bloodline.

?? Welcome everyone to subscribe to this book, add this book to your collection, and vote for this book with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and tips to support it. Thank you, everyone.