Chapter 63

"No, don't!!"

Geluomu screamed in terror, wanting to run away.

But the two elite Minotaur guards behind Kagerosh had already stepped forward and pinned him down firmly.

"Drag him out!"

Kagerosh ordered coldly.

"Let all the tribesmen watch!"

"This is the consequence of disobeying my orders!"

"Yes! Commander!"

The two elite guards dragged the screaming Geluomu out of the tent like a dead dog.

Soon, a shrill scream came from outside the tent, and then it stopped abruptly.

A thicker smell of blood drifted in.

The remaining Minotaur patriarchs in the tent were scared to death, their breathing almost stopping.

They knew that Commander Kagerosh was truly angry this time.

Kagerosh slowly walked back to his "throne" and sat down.

He used a dirty rag to wipe the non-existent bloodstains off his serrated broadsword.

"Now, does anyone else have any objections to my orders?"

His voice was calm but carried a chilling pressure.

"No, none at all."

"The Commander is wise!"

"We will follow all of the Commander's arrangements!"

The remaining Minotaur patriarchs scrambled to express their loyalty.

Kagerosh nodded with satisfaction.

Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

The effect was good.

These simple-minded guys could only be made to obey obediently with the most direct fear.

"Very good."

Kagerosh threw the serrated broadsword to the side, making a dull sound.

"Pass on my order."

"All tribes, rest for three days."

"Five days later, we break camp and retreat."

"Return to the Orc Wasteland."

This order stunned all the Minotaur patriarchs present.

Retreat?

The situation was excellent now, and the human resistance was so weak; it was the perfect time for massive plundering.

Why retreat?

A relatively bold Minotaur patriarch named Luokesa asked cautiously: "Commander, why are we retreating?"

"Those human nobles are simply vulnerable now."

"We can still grab more wealth and slaves."

Kagerosh glanced at him coldly.

"Stupid."

"Do you really think humans are that easy to deal with?"

"That castle in Vanguard Valley—have you forgotten?"

"That young human lord, and the terrifying cavalry under his command—have you forgotten?"

"Moreover, there are likely quite a few such existences within the Xin Feng Province."

"Even human nobles stronger than him are not non-existent."

Mentioning Vanguard Valley and that nightmarish Storm Knight Order.

Fear appeared on the faces of all the Minotaur patriarchs.

In that battle, they suffered heavy losses, and even Commander Kagerosh almost didn't make it back.

"The Orc Kingdom's order is for us to contain the human forces and create chaos."

Kagerosh continued.

"We have already exceeded our mission."

"Now the entire Xin Feng Province is in a mess; our goal has been achieved."

"Continuing to go deeper will only make us the target of public criticism."

"When those human nobles react and unite to deal with us, do you think we can get any benefit?"

"And..."

A flash of imperceptible brilliance crossed Kagerosh's eyes.

"Our harvest this time is already enough."

"It's time to take our spoils and go back to enjoy them."

Hearing "spoils" and "enjoy," the eyes of those Minotaur patriarchs began to shine again.

Although they were simple-minded, they knew the principle of stopping while ahead.

Especially since they dared not disobey Commander Kagerosh's majesty in the slightest.

"Yes! The Commander is wise!"

"We will follow all of the Commander's arrangements!"

The Minotaur patriarchs replied in unison.

Kagerosh waved his hand.

"All of you, go down."

"Keep your tribesmen under control; no more trouble is allowed in these few days."

"Otherwise, Geluomu will be your example."

"Yes! Yes!"

The Minotaur patriarchs, as if granted amnesty, scrambled out of the tent.

When Kagerosh was the only one left in the tent.

The majesty and coldness on his face slowly faded.

Replacing it was a deep sense of exhaustion and wariness.

He walked to the tent entrance and looked south.

That direction was Vanguard Valley.

It was the human territory that had given him his first taste of a crushing defeat.

After investigating during this time, he had finally learned the name of that human noble.

Roko Raymond.

"Storm Colt..."

He whispered to himself.

That kind of top-tier warhorse could only be cultivated by Centaur tribes with all their might.

What kind of background did that young human lord have?

How could he possess such powerful strength?

As for the retreat he just mentioned?

The publicly announced retreat was naturally to paralyze those stupid guys.

And also to paralyze potential enemies.

His real plan went far beyond that.

Thinking this, Kagerosh touched his chest, where a crude map was hidden.

On the map, a secret route wound through the mountain forest north of Vanguard Valley.

"Hmph, Roko Raymond..."

A flash of resentment and cunning crossed Kagerosh's eyes.

"Do you think I would really take so much dead weight and slip away under your nose in such a grand manner?"

"Too naive."

The night grew deeper.

Kagerosh secretly summoned his most trusted confidants.

These were all elite Minotaurs who had followed him for many years, each one loyal to him.

"Commander, you summoned us?"

A particularly sturdy Minotaur with a hideous scar on his face asked in a deep voice.

He was the captain of Kagerosh's guard, named Geluomu.

Kagerosh nodded, signaling them to come closer.

He lowered his voice, his tone heavy.

"I suspect that Vanguard Valley has already roughly grasped our movement trajectory."

"That young human lord is harder to deal with than I imagined."

Geluomu and the others' expressions changed slightly upon hearing this.

"Commander, then we just publicly announced a retreat in five days..."

Kagerosh sneered.

"That was for others to see."

"Our real operation begins tonight."

He spread out the crude map.

"We will lead three hundred of the most elite tribesmen, carrying the most valuable part of the loot from this plunder, and take this road."

He pointed to the secret path on the map that passed through the mountain forest north of Vanguard Valley.

"This road is rugged and difficult to travel, but it can avoid the main line of sight of humans."

"As for those captives, and the trash from other tribes..."

A flash of disdain crossed Kagerosh's eyes.

"Let them follow the original plan and retreat north with great fanfare in five days."

"They will be our best cover."

A flash of understanding crossed Geluomu's eyes.

"The Commander is wise!"

"Using those trash to attract human attention, while we can leave with the real wealth without anyone knowing."

Kagerosh nodded.

"The wealth we plundered this time is huge."

"I will use half of it to grease the palms of those big shots in the Orc Kingdom."

A light of ambition flickered in his eyes.

"As long as I have their support, I can get rid of the fate of being cannon fodder, gain a higher status, and possess more powerful strength."

"By then..."

His fist clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm.

"I will definitely return!"

"Roko Raymond! Vanguard Valley!"

"I will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold in the future!"

A flash of determination crossed Kagerosh's eyes.

"Pass on my order: immediately select three hundred of the most elite warriors, carrying all the lightweight, valuable wealth."

"In one hour, we depart secretly!"

"Remember, this matter must be kept absolutely secret!"

"If there is any leak, you have all seen Geluomu's fate!"

"Yes! Commander!"

Geluomu and the others replied in unison, their eyes shining with excitement and anticipation.