Chapter 442
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Chapter 442: Passing Through Mountains and Seas
"Within the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, the situation is particularly complex."
"In reality, it has never been clear."
"Since the Demon Emperor of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom suddenly fell from the sky, the decline of the entire kingdom was predetermined. The division of fiefdoms among vassals and the crumbling of the land can already be seen from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period."
"But the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom had no choice, it was an inevitable outcome. Even among humans, there are different skin colors, origins, and cultural customs. Demons, on the other hand, are even more different in appearance and life forms."
"The natural differences between races make it difficult for them to coexist peacefully. How can meat-eaters and herbivores live harmoniously together? This kind of society simply doesn’t exist, therefore it inevitably leads to a semi-slave, semi-feudal system."
"Of course, chaos also has its benefits. It’s something that many sinister individuals secretly desire. It means that in this place, losing one’s humanity can actually lead to a better life. The demons follow the law of the jungle, and once you enter, you shouldn’t consider yourself human. Otherwise, you’ll suffer great losses."
"For now, let’s just talk about a simple principle and not worry about the bigger picture."
"Once you enter the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, be cautious and don’t act like a vulnerable lamb."
"This place, life is the cheapest thing."
…
"Big sister…"
"How many people have we lost?"
"There were five of them, and two of them were injured and couldn’t walk."
"Even if we carry them, staying here means waiting for death."
"They said it’s better to stay here and wait for death than to be exhausted or die from illness."
"These arrows are coated with poison, if you get hit, you’ll become weaker and the enemy is tracking us, and we have no supplies…"
"Darn it!"
"We can’t walk fast, so let’s set up an ambush and try to steal a few horses."
"You really dare to think of ambushing cavalry? Putting tripwires won’t work, we need to kill the horses first, and those horses aren’t easy to tame!"
Within the mercenary group, they were all talking at once, while trying to rest and quietly arguing.
This was already the sixteenth hour since they escaped.
Most of the equipment was confiscated, there were no vehicles, so they had to rely on walking to move around. The main way of moving in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom was by using animals. Various beasts with mixed demon blood had extraordinary physical abilities. They might be slightly slower in terms of speed, but they had great endurance and quantity. Initially, the mercenary group planned to buy a batch of mounts and head towards the Bai Ze Kingdom.
Now, the goal was halfway achieved – they were being chased by this group of cavalry.
Chao Lu had heard about the military composition in Xiangliu. Their reconnaissance consisted of two types: falcons and black foxes. Both were scouts, and once they locked onto an open terrain, there was practically no chance of escaping. Black foxes were skilled in tracking in complex forested areas. When they attacked, it was seldom alone, usually in a group search.
After being locked onto, their traces were exposed in just five short hours, even though the mercenary group carefully covered their tracks. It showed how strong the search capabilities of these scouts were. After that, it was several hours of exhausting running.
The cavalry attempted several encirclements and charges, but the traps set up by the mercenary group delayed them. They managed to break free not long ago, but then they encountered harassment from the black foxes. They couldn’t even get a good night’s sleep.
Tanis finally understood why there were very few mercenaries who would take jobs from the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, because the opponents were not human at all.
Both human and animal strength have limits. How far can a horse run before it collapses? What is the maximum marching distance for a hundred light cavalry? Do they need to rest? Do they need food, water, and bathroom breaks?
The reason why cold weapons were quickly replaced by modern weapons is not unfounded. Animal power can’t compare to machines that can operate beyond their capacity. The flood of steel was very powerful and rough. Thousands of tanks firing, bombers in the sky, combined with armored infantry throwing grenades, it was deadly.
However, in reality… this advantage could be leveled out in front of the Demon Kingdom cavalry, which had triple the physical abilities, endurance, strength, and stamina. Tanks can run for a long time, but the driver will get tired, so will infantry. But the Demon Kingdom cavalry is different, none of them are human. Even if the horse dies, they can jump off and run faster than the horse, continuing their charge and pursuit without reason.
With the improvement of individual strength, many mercenaries’ knowledge is no longer effective.
The art of war is always changing, but the most efficient and suitable methods are those that have been left behind after countless wars.
For example, let’s talk about the Holy Decree Army of the Sacred Religion, which is actually a mix of the Angel Legion. Each person can summon one, increasing their combat power several times. They all have summoned spirit snails and rely more on the angel army from heaven and their own divine magic, even though they are equipped with modern weapons.
After being chased for ten hours, the mercenaries looked exhausted and seemed a bit confused.
On the other hand, the black fox scout can continuously track for more than three days without sleep. After that, they can sleep for fifteen hours straight and regain their energy and stamina.
The Peregrine Falcon has slightly lower stamina. After continuous hovering for sixteen hours, they must rest, but they can perform consecutive aerial reconnaissance.
The light cavalry has even longer activity time. In the absence of the need for rapid marching, their pursuit distance can reach an astonishing eight hundred kilometers.
Once their tail is caught, the chances of escape are almost impossible.
After witnessing the army of the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, one can realize how exaggerated their war potential is. They rely on the capital given by heaven, are very unreasonable, and surpass the human race in every aspect except for intelligence. Moreover, they reproduce quickly. Although some races have relatively short lifespans, slightly stronger demons can easily live for a few hundred years. Those whose bloodline originates from the Great Wilderness, monstrous creatures or exotic beasts, can live even longer, meaning their growth period and peak adulthood are both astonishingly long.
With the company of such monsters, it’s easy to imagine the constant psychological pressure the Ming Country has endured. For generations, countless people have prepared for battle against the imaginary enemy, the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.
Now, the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom itself is caught in a quagmire of internal warfare. Its method of diverting conflicts through external warfare has become ineffective, resulting in endless infighting. It’s just like the Warring States period in the Yingzhou region, where expansion becomes impossible and internal disputes lead to more pressure.
Strategists have continuously jumped into the chaos, further deepening the internal conflicts within the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, depleting its war potential.
Tanis didn’t know which way to go next. These ten hours were difficult to navigate.
The climate here is still relatively warm, but they must head north next, with over a thousand kilometers remaining to reach the Bai Ze Kingdom.
She thought about the need to acquire transportation or shake off the black fox, but it seemed nearly impossible. There were no towns in sight.
Although it was on the map, this edition of the map was recently updated two years ago. It’s the latest map available in the mercenaries’ market, supposedly sold by some intelligence agency. It has a high level of credibility, guaranteeing an accuracy rate of 97%.
And then, the remaining 3% blind spot caused them to stumble upon it.
Tanis cursed at these unscrupulous merchants.
In ten hours, human legs can run a far distance, but only about fifty kilometers at most. It can be really tiring, even for the Demon Kingdom’s light cavalry, it’s just like taking a short walk.
"There’s no other way." Tanis called out to the mercenaries, "Tonight, we’ll set up an ambush here. Kill their men, take their horses, this is the only way. Otherwise, we’ll all end up here."
She asked Chao Lu, "Little Princess, do you have any ideas?"
Chao Lu shook her head, "Let’s do as you said."
"Everyone, take a rest." Tanis whispered, "We’re going to have a tough fight ahead."
Chao Lu silently touched Dundun’s healed wound, her gaze lowered… To put it nicely, she was calm and unaffected, already seeing through the highs and lows of life and death; to put it bluntly, her mind was buzzing, unsure of what lay ahead.
Even if the upcoming battle would be tough and deadly, she could quickly accept it. The brief sense of fulfillment from fighting to survive would prevent her from becoming a walking dead.
…
About five miles away.
A black fox appeared, but it’s not actually a fox, it could be a wolf or a jackal.
The black fox scout sat on the ground and reported, "The enemy has landed and rested. They are located slightly above the valley."
The lieutenant looked at the map and grinned, "They’re resting in the valley. Only fools would do something so foolish. It seems they don’t plan on running away. They’ve decided to turn around and fight us. They want to raid our cavalry and steal our horses. They have some courage, but they underestimate our cavalry’s ability to maneuver. Even if it’s a difficult mountain trail, our Demon Kingdom’s cavalry can easily go around. We’ll send forty riders to attack from behind at the narrow passage seven miles away. The rest of us will follow me. Watch out for tripwires and landmines… And remember, don’t harm Bai Ze. We want them alive!"
The black fox scout obeyed the order and left.
The light cavalry rode swiftly at night.
The air was filled with a chilling and bloody scent.
This place is the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, a place where bones are buried.
Life is cheap here. There’s no room for innocent lambs. Every lamb hides a wild beast underneath. They don’t chew on grass, but on flesh mixed with bones. Only those with sharp claws and teeth can survive longer.
How long is longer?
Maybe one day, maybe two days, or maybe not even tonight.
…
Ten miles away, a beautiful and powerful tiger roamed through the mountains and forests, running swiftly.
A person sat on the tiger’s back, wearing a bronze mask, crossing mountains and seas to arrive here.