During their rest that night, Qin Mu learned that Sun Hu wasn't just talking; the Sun family had actually made preparations: twenty large ships and two thousand soldiers, ready to set sail as soon as Qin Mu agreed. According to Sun Hu, they were also planning to send troops, but their plan was to support Lingnan.
With the Sun family's support, Qin Mu felt more confident. Moreover, the Sun family was very experienced with seasickness, and with their prescriptions, those suffering from seasickness were much better when the ship set sail the next day; at least no one was vomiting. Crucially, the Sun family was familiar with the sea routes, and the leading ship was currently theirs.
"Fortunately, Brother Sun helped us. Otherwise, this voyage would have been risky, not to mention the potential to disrupt the monkey tribe's rear, the losses would have been considerable." Five days had passed, and the people from the north had grown accustomed to life on the ship. They were no longer cooped up inside, but instead watched the sea from the ship's side.
"You flatter me, Governor. The brothers in Lingnan are also familiar with life at sea. Even without us, there will be no problem."
"It's different this time. We're short-handed, but with you two thousand people, things will be much easier."
"Commander, how do we get into the city?"
"Go ashore after dark. Leave the city entry to me. Once inside, Brother Sun, lead your Sun family to the left and fight your way in. Brother Feng, fight your way in the right. We don't want prisoners, just killing and burning. If you hear the retreat horn, retreat immediately without hesitation," Qin Mu instructed.
"clear."
According to the Sun family's records, the city ahead was called Nha Trang, only about twenty li from the sea, making it one of the best targets for attack. As darkness fell, the ships approached the coastline. Because they didn't know the depth of the water or whether there were reefs near the shore, they had to anchor, lower small boats, and use them to transport people ashore.
After landing, the three thousand soldiers marched towards Nha Trang. The journey, about twenty li (approximately 10 kilometers), wasn't far, but it still took them more than half an hour. By the dim moonlight, looking at the low city walls, many couldn't help but smile. It was like a wealthy person seeing someone showing off, only to discover they were so poor they couldn't afford to eat. Compared to the city walls of the Central Plains, which were often over ten meters high, this thing, apart from its thickness, could only be considered a basic enclosure.
The people from the Six Doors were more familiar with dealing with this kind of environment. Xi Junmai, Fang Yiai, and Bu Mang led their men and sneaked over.
The ropes they carried were completely useless. The two worked together: one would assume a horse stance with his hands crossed at his waist, while the other would run over and jump, being tossed onto the city wall by his companion.
Under the cover of night, soldiers in thin leather armor, carrying embroidered spring knives, began clearing the city walls.
A creaking sound rang out from below the city gates. The gates opened halfway, and people rushed into the city from below, while the patrolling soldiers on the city walls clutched their throats and collapsed.
Although Huang Sanjian didn't come, the army is never short of sharpshooters. They might not be good at dealing with experts, but shooting down these ordinary patrols under the cover of night is a piece of cake.
When Qin Mu entered the city, his entourage split into three groups and advanced.
Every city has a military camp and a center, but for small cities like these, having a few hundred guards is considered quite good. In cities with large garrisons, the troops would be stationed outside the city walls. After all, for long-term garrisons, feeding and watering the soldiers would be a major problem, and it would be very inconvenient to solve these issues within the city.
Once inside the city, they acted with impunity, killing anyone they saw. When they encountered large gates or mansions, they would send out a small squad to storm in. Before long, Nha Trang was engulfed in flames, filled with screams and shouts of battle.
"Do not sheath your sword upon entering the city!" This was the only order given upon disembarking! Soldiers, simmering with resentment from military life, vented their anger on the monkey tribe. Blades flashed in the firelight, blood gushing forth in a furious display.
The crudely made wooden door was kicked open, and a five-man squad, knife in hand, rushed in! They hacked at anyone in sight. They all knew their purpose in this expedition wasn't for money, but simply to kill! Kill! Kill!
Qin Mu felt no sympathy for these creatures, who, like the wolves, had different hair and eye colors and wore tattoos. Deep down, in another world, he was an angry young man born in the 1980s. Although he had never been to Southeast Asia, he had never had any goodwill towards the Southeast Asian monkeys, only hatred.
Capture the prisoners alive, find out the important locations, the grain warehouse, guard the military camp, and once you've taken control, the rest of you are free to move around.
Following Bu Fang, they first went to the granary, then returned to the city garrison, where they packed all the items the soldiers had collected into the Heavenly Mystery Tower. Although this expedition wasn't for personal gain, they certainly couldn't miss out on anything that came along.
Especially since there was no rush to run away this time, there was enough time to loot, and the soldiers were allowed to party all night. If they wanted to sleep, they could go to sleep on the ship the next day.
The monkey tribe was indeed poor; they had no circulating currency and relied mainly on barter or blackmail. However, despite their poverty, the city garrison found a considerable amount of gold and silver jewelry. Even ordinary people carried some gold and silver ornaments.
"Woo! Woo woo!" As dawn broke, a long and two short horn sounds rang out, and soldiers carrying bundles and weapons rushed out from different houses. Some of them were still fastening their belts as they ran, which made their comrades laugh.
Like refugees, the soldiers gathered at the city gate. Seeing that the incense sticks stuck in the ground had burned out, Qin Mu waved his hand and turned to leave.
Although the swords are not sealed upon entering the city, strict discipline is still a must. Those who do not arrive within the stipulated time will not be waited for. As for those who cannot board the ship, they can stay with the monkey tribe.
The procession receded into the distance, leaving behind a city engulfed in flames and smoke, a scene of utter devastation. The deliberate avoidance of widespread burning was intended to show the other monkey tribes the horror of such an attack, to teach them the consequences of invasion, both for themselves and others. Qin Mu didn't understand the monkey tribe, but he knew monkeys well—typical bullies who prey on the weak. If you're kind, they'll dare to steal from your bag, frequently attack you, and even take you out for performances.
Returning to the ship with great enthusiasm, the large vessel set sail again, continuing its journey along the coastline. The Sun family was well aware of the nearest coastal cities; they had captured Zhiming City, Hanukkah City, and Man City in half a month. They had slaughtered twenty to thirty thousand monkey tribesmen, but more importantly, they had disrupted the monkey tribes' rear, as there were not many cities in these areas to begin with.
"What's the next step? The other cities are at least two hundred miles from the sea." Sun Hu asked as he boarded the ship again.
They were unfamiliar with the terrain inside the monkey tribe's territory. Unlike the grasslands, this place was not a place where one could roam freely. Qin Mu dared not lead the team deep into the area, as that would be tantamount to suicide.
All eyes were on him, and Qin Mu silently slid his finger across the map.
"How about we head this way? This is a peninsula, so we're not afraid to go deep into it. Besides, there are definitely no large cities on the peninsula. We can drive the monkey tribe towards the mainland!" Qin Mu ran his finger from bottom to top, pointing to the area around Malaysia in another world.
“That makes sense. Kill some of these guys on the peninsula and let some go. It’ll give them a bit of trouble,” Sun Hu agreed.
"I'm afraid it won't be very useful, since the monkey tribe is mainly attacking tribes in the vicinity of Lingnan," Feng Zhiyu said worriedly.
“I know this is a problem, but our strength is limited. The commotion we’ve caused on our way here has been considerable, and it’s also tied up some of the monkey tribe’s energy. If we advance from this side, we can put pressure on the monkey tribes, and perhaps they will seek help from other tribes,” Qin Mu analyzed.
“That’s right, the more ruthlessly we kill them, the more afraid these skinny monkeys become,” Sun Hu nodded. The monkeys were indeed as he described—skinny and thin! They were dark and thin, not quite as black as black people, but not far off. They had thick fur, and most of them only wore a piece of leather or leaves around their waists. At first glance, they looked almost like wild beasts.
Feng Zhiyu still chose to support Qin Mu and the others' opinions. After all, Qin Mu was right. These four thousand people would not be of much use if they went back. On the contrary, if they made a fuss, there might be unexpected gains. At least they had already slaughtered four cities, which must have caused quite a stir among the monkey tribe.
Feng Ang strategically abandoned some regions and small towns. Upon learning of the large-scale invasion by the monkey tribe, many mountain strongholds came out to help, gradually stabilizing the situation. The main reason was that the monkey tribe did not have much of a way to deal with the large cities.
Qin Mu and his men were unaware of all this. Along the coastline, from Manchester to the very edge of the peninsula—a different world, the Kuala Lumpur region—they left men to sail, while three thousand men disembarked. This time, they didn't choose a night raid; instead, they marched during the day, with scouts rushing into the dense forest.
What bothered them most was that marching through the dense forest was extremely difficult. The weather was hot and humid, and crucially, there was a lot of rain. A downpour could happen anytime while they were walking.
"This damn weather is really unpleasant," Cheng Huailiang cursed as he moved forward, cutting down a vine.
"Haha, just think about all those gems on the ship, and you won't feel so bad anymore," Yuchi Baoqing said with a laugh behind him.
The massacre of the city was fourfold, and everyone reaped a rich reward, with gold, silver ornaments, and jewels in varying amounts. The monkey tribe, unaware of the value, knew that these items would be worth a fortune back in the Central Plains, at least equivalent to several years' worth of their provisions. Therefore, despite the hardship, morale remained high.
“Next time we’ll bring some chicken,” Cheng Huailiang said, wiping the leaves off his face.
"What? If you want to eat, go shoot birds yourself," Yuchi Baoqing retorted.
"Bah! I want to try making an example of them to scare the monkeys. If it works, wouldn't we be able to win without a fight?"
"Really? I'm not well-educated, you're not lying to me, are you?" Liu Renshi asked in surprise.
"Hehe, you actually believe that? Just like Brother Qin said, ugly as you are, dreaming big!" Yu Chi Baoqing couldn't help but laugh.
Chatting and laughing, the journey wasn't too lonely. Qin Mu was most grateful to have brought Han Chen along this time. With Han Chen's medical skills, they not only treated illnesses along the way, but also saved many soldiers bitten by venomous snakes and insects. His ability to kill with a single needle and save lives with a single needle was displayed vividly, and it could be said that his reputation in the army was even higher than Qin Mu's. The soldiers obeyed Qin Mu's orders, but they respected Han Chen from the bottom of their hearts. They took meticulous care of him, attending to his every need, and if he hadn't refused, the soldiers would have even carried him.
"Something's up!" Upon seeing the scout return, Cheng Huailiang, the leader, immediately gave a hand signal. Everyone immediately stood at attention and waited.
"Reporting to the general, a monkey tribe has been discovered ahead."
"How big is the tribe? How far is it?" Qin Mu stepped forward and asked.
"We are five miles ahead. We don't know the exact number of people, but it should be around five hundred," the scout replied.
"Scatter and surround them, but be careful to leave some alive. With someone leading the way, finding the next place will be much easier," Qin Mu reminded them.
"Yes!" Cheng Huailiang and the others, who had been cooped up in the dense forest for a long time, responded loudly, and then led the group forward with great enthusiasm.
"No arson! Whoever sets a fire will sleep in the open tonight!" Qin Mu shouted from behind.
Setting fire in the dense forest would not only leave everyone without shelter from the rain, but could also result in everyone perishing in the flames. Qin Mu was aware of this, but he had been preoccupied with attacking the city recently, so he didn't need to worry about it.
It was just a tribe, so the danger was not great. When Qin Mu arrived with his rear guard, the battle was basically over. The soldiers were searching house to house, and some prisoners were being brought from different places to the open space in the middle of the tribe.
These monkey tribes were truly impoverished. Their crudely constructed houses all looked almost identical, making it impossible to tell which family was wealthier. The wood used to build these houses consisted of tree trunks with the bark still attached, let alone planks. The wooden doors were so simple that the monkeys could easily squeeze through the gaps.
This was Qin Mu's first time paying attention to a monkey tribe. Aside from a simple house, the furniture was also basic, constructed from trees and stones, or carved from wood. There were no vegetables around the house, only weeds. Qin Mu finally understood why the monkey tribe was lazy yet never starved. Around the tribe, fruit trees were planted everywhere, some tall and seemingly decades old, while others were still just seedlings.
It seems the monkeys, though lazy, aren't stupid; they know to plant the fruit seeds in the ground so more fruit trees will grow. The tribe, resembling a mountain of flowers and fruits, made Qin Mu secretly sigh. Such a wonderful place, occupied by the monkeys, was truly a waste of resources. The forest laden with fruit made Qin Mu envious.
"Governor, we've found out." Xi Junmai came over and said.
"We'll talk about it when we get back." Qin Mu nodded.
Back in the tribe, they gathered everyone together to hear the news.
“This is a small tribe. There are three other tribes nearby, all roughly the same size. Ahead, beyond ten mountains, lies the largest tribe, much larger than these. These monkey tribes don't have much of a concept of numbers; we only have this much information about their population and distance. We interrogated more than ten people, and the answers were all pretty much the same,” Xi Junmai explained.
"What's your opinion? Should we strike straight at the heart of the enemy, or annihilate the three small tribes first?" Qin Mu asked, nodding slightly. This wasn't surprising. Just like the wolf clan, ordinary wolves were illiterate, but the elite wolves were better off; they knew how to count cattle and sheep.
“Let’s wipe out the smaller tribes first, otherwise we’ll have to turn back. Let’s split up and then we can surround them from three sides,” Sun Hu suggested.
"I second that," Feng Zhiyu nodded in agreement.
I second that!
I second that!
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