Chapter 249 The Beginning of Chaos
"Shia, can you put that gun down? It's for mortals, it's just a toy to you."
Qin Mo watched as Xia idly fiddled with a Type 2 rifle, pulling a paper cartridge out of the chamber and loading it back in. The dazzling, flamboyant maneuver sent a chill down Qin Mo's spine.
Because every time a fixed round is loaded into the chamber, the muzzle always seems to be aiming at the most sensitive part of his body, intentionally or unintentionally. The faint, sly smile on Shia's lips confirmed that his feeling was correct; this girl was indeed teasing him.
"Qin Mo, you're absolutely right! This is a toy, a toy specifically for hunting birds. How about... I go bird hunting with you!"
There is a river in the local city of Yeli that connects the sea and the inland. There are many wild ducks in the river. Ever since Shia saw Qin Mo shoot a wild duck with his rifle, he has been eager to try it. However, the rifles of the Da Yuan army are strictly controlled, and no one dares to lend them to him to play with. Moreover, Qin Mo's rifle is a work of art and is not allowed to be used by others easily.
"Although the Indians are lazy, this place has never been unified, so wars have never stopped. There are still some high-tech soldiers like spies. Our muskets need to be kept secret for now. When we get to the sea, I'll play with you to your heart's content, shooting down petrels, seagulls, and seabirds."
Do you think I care?
Shia threw down her gun, swayed her hips, and stormed off. Hunting birds at sea? Was there even enough space for two people to be alone on that cramped boat?
Lin Yongqian happened to come looking for Qin Mo and ran into Xi Ya. Seeing the maid's angry expression, he quickly stepped aside, not daring to provoke her. Everyone knew that Xi Ya was currently sharing a tent with Qin Mo, and regardless of whether she could rise to power in the future, she couldn't afford to offend her now.
"Your Highness, the allied forces have halted their advance a hundred miles to the north. Tribal warriors are constantly joining them, and their numbers now exceed twenty thousand."
"Through the intelligence obtained by my subordinates from the merchants, the leader of the allied forces is Laputa Walmart, the younger brother of the lord of Masuripaten, a famous warrior in the north, who is said to be able to capture elephants alive."
"Oh! Did they make any demands?" Qin Mo casually toyed with a jade carving, speaking indifferently. Twenty thousand men didn't pose a threat to him; the key was how well the cleanup would be handled after the battle.
"Your Highness, we haven't received any news yet. I think they've discovered our presence and are hesitating."
While the two were discussing, a messenger came from outside to announce that Hubaye was requesting an audience.
Hubaye's face was dark, clearly still angry. He calmed down a bit after seeing Qin Mo and Lin Yongqian. He first bowed to the two of them before explaining the reason for his request to see them.
“Your Highness, Lord Lin, Walmart sent someone to my house with his letter. He questioned me about why I brought foreigners to the land of the gods, and also questioned why I was doing business. He demanded that I hand over my property and go to the temple to repent and atone for my sins to the gods.”
The Hubayas are Brahmins, the highest of the four castes, and typically work as priests, scribes, and other similar roles. They are usually large landowners. The Vaishyas, a lower caste, are the main group of merchants. It's indeed somewhat inappropriate for the Hubayas to engage in commerce, but what can he do when he has so many children?
Hubaye had six sons, who were to divide the family property upon reaching adulthood. However, as the most shy direct descendant of the Vias family, the land he received was insufficient to support his sons after they came of age. That's why he went to Southeast Asia to trade with McKenzie, and the property eventually ended up in Qin Mo's hands.
"Your Highness, Lord Lin, I've been in business for quite some time now, and they're only now using this ridiculous excuse to question me. I won't listen to them. I only wish to see Your Highness to ask when the army will engage in battle. I still have several hundred brave warriors in my family who are willing to follow Your Highness and serve you."
Seeing that this shy man had actually mustered up his courage, Qin Mo smiled and said, "Hubaye, we will naturally look for you when we need you, but now is not the time. What we need to do now is... wait."
"Your Highness... I'm afraid that if we delay any longer, Walmart's influence will only grow stronger. They already have 20,000 men."
"When they have 50,000 men, we'll have a go at them," Qin Mo said confidently.
Hubaye stared blankly at Qin Mo until he was sure Qin Mo wasn't joking before he took his leave. After returning, he repeatedly sent people to investigate the allied forces' camp, calculating when they could reach 50,000 men.
As the allied forces gained more and more momentum, more and more people blindly followed them, and even some inland city-states sent warriors, wanting to get a share of the wealth in the prosperous local area.
"Your Highness, the allied forces... exceed fifty thousand!"
Ten days later, Hubaye, suppressing his excitement, reported the news to Qin Mo. He had finally understood Qin Mo's intentions: to decisively defeat all the city-states within a thousand miles and firmly establish his foothold. If this victory was achieved, his business could expand into all the city-states, becoming even more powerful and profitable than before.
Laputa Walmart finally led his allied forces toward the local city of Yeli; otherwise, they would starve. This allied army comprised warriors from dozens of city-states in eastern India, and the amount of food they consumed was alarming.
Walter, who had never commanded so many troops before, now understood why so many foreign invasions of India in history only had tens of thousands of troops—it was all due to logistical constraints.
Coordinating the march of dozens of powerful forces is a complex art. Rajput was clearly uneducated, and the allied army took three days to cover a distance of one hundred li. Even so, several conflicts broke out within the allied army along the way, mainly over disputes about the distribution of spoils after looting villages along the route, and conflicts over customs caused by different beliefs between tribes, among other trivial matters.
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