In the upper command room, Lu Yunzhao and several senior officers looked at the maps and military forces of various bases below and discussed the offensive strategy.

Lu Yunzhao strongly advocated for a comprehensive offensive, targeting all cities from the Cape Base to the Heavenly God Temple, including some smaller cities that did not belong to the Taotie City faction.

Senior officer Lu Xing disagreed. She had personally participated in the battle at the Cape Base. The alliance of the cities of Taotie City was different from other scattered soldiers. They had tactics, qualified commanders, and powerful evolved beings.

A full-scale offensive would consume too much manpower; it would be better to concentrate on attacking a single city and proceed gradually.

Lu Yunzhao neither agreed nor disagreed with her suggestions, but asked her: "How many bases are under our control in the lower levels? How much land do they occupy? How much armed force do they have? How much land do those cities occupy? How many evolved beings do they have?"

Lu Xing answered one by one, saying that the lower-level bases numbered in the dozens, and in terms of area, armed forces, number of evolved beings, and overall strength, they far surpassed the small town outside the base.

Lu Yunzhao gently stroked the table: "When an elephant steps on an ant, does it need to consider how many ants it will kill at once?"

Lu Xing was speechless for a moment, then brought up the past again: "But what about the defeat of the Heavenly God Temple before..."

"Last time it was just my own squad, this time it's the military forces from the upper echelons and the base."

Lu Xing wanted to say something more.

Lu Yunzhao then added, "Being overly cautious is indecisiveness, and the garrison doesn't need a general like that."

Lu Xing suddenly remembered Lu Yuntian's fate, and faced with the blatant reprimand, he subconsciously lowered his head.

The next moment, she frowned slightly, feeling that this kind of reprimand was very familiar...

"Alright, I don't want anyone to raise any objections to the basic tactics."

Lu Yunzhao tapped the table, and Zhao Ning, sensing the situation, took out a box.

Inside the box, neatly arranged on shelves were densely packed with blueberries.

Lu Yunzhao smiled and said, "This is an advance reward for the team leaders. You can take it with you later. Well then, I'll wait here for your good news. I wish us a great success."

...

With one worry gone, Xia and Qiu's journey home was exceptionally pleasant.

As they approached Taotie City, Xia Chuhe sent Li Qiusheng back to report that he was safe, and then took a detour to an area outside the city where there were no dungeons to block his way.

Ten thousand acres of fertile land lie between the Heavenly God Temple and Taotie City, with the latter being closer to the Heavenly God Temple.

Along the edge of the fertile fields, apple orchards and low shrubs such as sand willows and caragana transplanted from the sandy land are planted.

Low shrubs that are used to living in sandy soil will quickly swell and grow vigorously when they come into contact with fertile soil, just like a dry sponge meeting water.

Even with protective shields, the few apples that grow on the wind and sand are small and yellow, looking far less vibrant than when they are on the farm.

A small portion of this orchard belongs to the Meow Meow Legion, a housewarming gift from City Lord Xia.

The kittens were happy to play wildly in and under the trees, and naturally took on the responsibility of guarding the orchards and fields as well.

The little tabby cat, perched on a tree, saw a trail of dust kicked up by the motorcycle in the distance. It stood up alertly, its eyes wide, pupils dilated, and its tail fur bristled into a fluffy ball, signaling to its companions.

The sharp-eyed kitten recognized the visitor as Lord Xia, and lazily meowed, reminding the little tabby cat that it was an acquaintance.

The tabby cat remained vigilant until it confirmed that it was that annoying guy who always rubbed the cat's head and stroked the kitten's tail, before it lay down again.

The little tabby squinted, calculating the motorcycle's location. When it was almost there, it turned around and changed position, deliberately letting its tail droop under the tree branch and swaying it slowly from side to side.

one two three……

Sure enough, the familiar pulling sensation came from the tail.

The little tabby cat meowed, twisted its waist, and slapped Lord Xia with its claws. Then, amidst Lord Xia's cries of "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!", it triumphantly jumped to another tree and nimbly disappeared.

"You stinky kitten, you stinky tabby, I'll remember you! Next time, don't expect me to give you a bite of the leftover rabbit scraps!"

Xia Chuhe not only spoke fiercely, but his hands were also busy. He quickly uprooted a sand willow to make room for the pine seedlings.

Plant the saplings, lay out the moss mat, and bring in the water pipes.

Nourished by the water, the moss spread slowly like black ink, reaching the apple tree in no time.

The tabby cat, who hadn't run far, curiously jumped down from the tree and stomped around on the mossy carpet.

After stepping on it for a while, it seemed to feel safe and then took advantage of the situation to sharpen its claws on the moss.

After rubbing it a couple of times, the moss carpet opened a hole, silently enveloping and covering it.

The once free and expansive forest instantly transformed into a dark and oppressive shroud. Little Tabby couldn't bear this change and frantically scrambled and howled under the moss.

The rapidly moving mass of flesh under the black blanket was more pitiful than a whack-a-mole in a game of whack-a-mole.

Xia Chuhe immediately forgot the grudge from the claw attack and couldn't help but soften his heart.

She quickly turned the tap on higher and said to the mossy blanket in a flattering tone, "My Blackie, what has this little cat done to offend you? Please let it out, and I'll teach it a lesson for you."

Moss wasn't really angry; she just wanted the kitten to experience what it felt like to be killed by curiosity.

Since Xia Chuhe had offered her a way out, she readily agreed and gave the kitten a hole to crawl through.

The tabby cat, its fur standing on end, leaped two meters high, jumped onto a tree, and disappeared in a few bounds, as if it wanted to leave not a single hair behind.

"Haha, thanks to Black Milk for avenging me!" Xia Chuhe laughed heartily, even though he could tell from the cat's posture that it was tumbling and crawling.

The moss came to life as soon as it was laid down, but the pine tree remained largely unmoved.

Xia Chuhe copied the music again and put it into the speakers, so that the speakers could play music for the green pine trees.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!