Summer Expedition Team, set off! Orcs are Summer's people, don't...
"The four of them?" Jiang Yunlan asked in confusion for a few seconds, then quickly recalled the four spirits she had encountered before coming to find the wooden beast.
She realized that it was the wooden beast that sensed the elf's aura from her, and her confused expression turned to understanding. "You're worried about Alanya and the others, aren't you?"
The wooden beast nodded.
"Don't worry, Sveta is there with them. Sveta is an elf born before the Age of Calamity, very powerful. She'll definitely be able to restore their energy and wake them up quickly," Jiang Yunlan reassured them.
Given Sveta's power, waking up the four Aranya wouldn't be difficult, but she knew they would still need to rest for several seasons before returning to their prime.
The wooden beast was unaware of the additional information she had added in her mind. Hearing her say that the elves would awaken, it lay back down on the ground, looking as if it wanted to rest.
Seeing this, Jiang Yunlan didn't linger any longer. She took the energy stone out of her bag and placed it beside the wooden beast, then strode back along the secluded path to the main street of Senhu.
The night was cloudy, and the moonlight was hidden behind the clouds, making the sky appear even darker. However, lanterns hung everywhere around the forest lake, and the orcs coming and going were completely unaffected. Jiang Yunlan returned to the street and quickly blended in with the orcs. She listened to their casual conversations and greeted the orcs who called out to her.
"Lan! The first team has been out for five days off. Will there be a selection process for the second team when the hot season comes?" A weasel beastman trotted up to her and asked with expectant eyes.
During the last selection of orcs for the mission, he was still familiarizing himself with the natural power granted by the elves and was unable to participate. He was so anxious that he and Bai Youyouge, who was also training in natural power, lamented every day. The orc's mission was to fight, fight, and fight!
The time he couldn't fight was incredibly boring, and he could no longer suppress his desire to go out.
Bai Youyouge had been dragged along by him all the way here, and now he was staring straight at Jiang Yunlan with shining eyes, wanting to hear the long-awaited good news.
There were many orcs eager to venture out and explore the map. Therefore, as soon as this question arose, several orcs immediately appeared around him. They surrounded him, their eyes fixed on Jiang Yunlan expectantly.
"An official announcement will be released on the first day of the hot season. You'll need to check the bulletin board for details. However, Senhu will indeed be sending out a second team," Jiang Yunlan said with a smile, without revealing too much information beforehand.
If the Cotton Squad hadn't brought back the Healer Clan and Aliya, she had originally planned to arrange a second expedition from Forest Lake in the middle of the hot season. After all, Forest Lake's fighting strength was weaker than the other two habitats, and it shouldn't have sent out orcs like the grasslands and mountains.
But things are different now. With the return of the Cotton Team, the Senhu Second Trail Blazers can set off during the hot season.
With her affirmation, Bai Youyouge and the other orcs became excited and happily waved goodbye to her, sharing the good news they had heard with every orc they encountered.
"Hey! My friend, I remember you're a guardian/warrior/adventurer. A new expedition is coming up soon. How are you doing? If you miss this expedition, the next one won't be until after the fruit season."
News of an upcoming mission suddenly spread throughout the entire Forest Lake habitat, making Forest Lake lively again at night.
Since the completion of the Forest Lake habitat, there have been almost no orc clans around Xia's three habitats that haven't joined him. Some orc clans further away have joined Xia, while others continue their lives in their own habitats. The most distant orc clans have never heard of Xia, and Xia has never heard of their existence.
The orcs of Forest Lake understood that they were about to travel to a place their people had never been before. This realization filled them with excitement, but also a touch of nervousness.
They never forgot the Apocalypse Orcs watching them closely outside, and they kept in mind the news of the attacks on the teams heading to other habitats. But they were not afraid of encountering the Apocalypse Orcs; they were Orcs who had defeated many of their own people before they could embark on these missions.
The orcs of the Apocalypse Tribe want to launch a sneak attack? Let them come!
Their Forest Lake expedition team will capture these Apocalypse Orcs, escort them back to their habitat, and imprison them all, just like the Summer Orcs did before.
"The exploration direction of the second Senhu pioneer team was below the Senhu habitat."
The orcs selected for the team listened intently to Jiang Yunlan's instructions, their concentration focused. They would be setting off soon.
"Your first expedition will last for one season. Even if no new orc clans are discovered during the entire hot season, please return to Forest Lake on the first day of the fruit season." Jiang Yunlan's calm voice carried a hint of seriousness as she moved her gaze to look at each orc in the group.
The orcs in the pioneering team met her gaze and instinctively straightened their backs even more. They responded in unison, managing to shout out the simple words "Understood" with the air of someone about to charge into battle.
They remembered everything Lan said.
After Jiang Yunlan finished explaining the situation, her expression softened. She began to give instructions on some details, outlining common methods for dealing with wild animals and techniques for concealing oneself in different environments.
She stopped to give them instructions after escorting them to their mounts and supply trucks, then smiled and watched them leave Senhu.
"Lan! Don't worry, I'll protect them!" Agni shouted, having volunteered to go out. He watched as Lan, who was standing at the entrance of the Forest Lake, became a small dot and disappeared from his sight.
It withdrew its gaze and turned its attention to the area below the forest lake it had once passed through. It remembered seeing other nature spirits there, and perhaps this journey would bring back new spirits to summer.
Why did you order them to go?
Ling Caiyu hurriedly found Yuan Dong and looked at him leaning against the wooden railing. Her melancholy voice was filled with anxiety, "You know that Xi Hui and the others have only recently received their punishment. Their injuries haven't fully healed yet, but they have to travel to the eastern end to find the Xia beastmen. This is too harsh on them."
"Is it too harsh? I interrupted their punishment; it's just traveling with injuries. After all, they can't use wood power to heal themselves during the punishment, but they can ask their companions to heal them while traveling." Yuan Dong replied lightly, leaning lazily against the railing without moving a finger, her gaze not even glancing at Ling Caiyu Sparrow.
Her tone was calm, as if she were talking about something that didn't need to be discussed.
Just then, an orc passed by. Ling Caiyu swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth, and suddenly darted to the other side, quickly hiding in a corner formed by the walkway and trees, avoiding the orc's gaze.
Hearing the commotion beside her, she chuckled softly, "You're still just as afraid of encountering strange orcs as before; you haven't overcome this trait yet."
“Don’t interrupt,” Ling Caiyu tugged awkwardly at the brim of her hat. “You know I’ve always disapproved of your and Jianying’s methods of dealing with them. Sometimes you can be a little gentler. Otherwise, it’ll be troublesome if another riot like the one that happened before occurs.”
Yuan Dong was surprised to hear his advice and looked at him in astonishment, only to see the lower half of his face.
Yuan Dong suddenly burst into even louder laughter, saying gleefully, "Do you know what the orcs in the tribe call you? The elusive deputy chief. It's strange, really. You rarely show up, and your personality is much gentler than mine, yet you're the orc they fear the most out of the three of us. You see, gentleness doesn't work here."
“The fact that they dare to resist means that they haven’t been suppressed thoroughly enough. Anyway, once the leaders are killed, the remaining orcs will naturally obey.” She stopped smiling, straightened up as she spoke, and turned her gaze to the tribal habitat below the walkway.
They stood halfway up the mountain, with exquisite and well-preserved tall houses behind them, and dilapidated, low houses and seemingly crumbling wooden sheds at the foot of the mountain in front of them.
Tall orcs and short orcs walked along the narrow road, some carrying heavy loads in their animal forms, others carrying things in their human forms. A closer look revealed crisscrossing wounds on their bodies, and collars around their necks that identified them.
They silently carried out the orders their master had given them before leaving, walking as fast as they could even when they were too weak to run, trying to finish the task before their master returned. Otherwise, they would have no food for dinner.
Yuan Dong stared indifferently at the lifeless low-level orc slaves, never expecting to see her sister and the summer orc her sister had brought back in her field of vision. She raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing that her sister was selecting slaves for that summer orc.
"Clang!"
A beastman slave, accidentally bumped into a leopard beastman brought back by Yuan Bingsheng while carrying cargo. He immediately fell to the ground in a panic, apologizing profusely, "My lord?! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, my lord!"
Yuan Bingsheng was very dissatisfied with the mishap that occurred during the demonstration of the tribe. He looked at the orc slave with extreme coldness and immediately asked who the orc's master was.
Upon hearing this, the orc slave trembled even more violently, and after saying his master's name, he frantically begged for mercy.
The scene before her made Yan Ganguo feel distressed, but she dared not show a trace of pity. She could only pretend to be troubled and ask Yuan Bingsheng, "Can I take this orc with me? He bumped into me, and I'm very unhappy. I'll take him."
She made her request, and Yuan Bingsheng readily agreed, assuring her that the slave would be hers after tonight.
From halfway up the mountain, Yuan Dong watched as Yuan Bingsheng lifted the orc slave from the ground and placed him next to Yan Ganguo. He knew this was because Yan Ganguo intended to dispose of the orc himself. After all, in their tribe, only the master had the authority to deal with slaves.
“Ling Cai, look how obedient they are now. There’s no need to give them too many benefits; it will only inflate their desires. Although it’s not difficult to deal with, I hate trouble.” Yuan Dong said, his tone tinged with annoyance.
Ling Caiyu followed her gaze to the foot of the mountain, her emotions completely unmoved. A beastman slave was a beastman slave; how could he be compared to his own people?
“Ling Cai, absolute strength is the reason we can stand here. Xi Hui and the others were not strong enough and failed the mission. I have already shown leniency by not demoting them. You understand how important Ze Lan is to us. This matter ends here. There is no need to mention it again. I will not change any of the rules regarding punishment,” she said.
Upon hearing this, Ling Caiyu understood. Yuan Dong had long harbored resentment towards him, and of course, there was no way he would approve his suggestion.
He silently pulled down the brim of his hat and glanced one last time at Yuan Dong, who was staring at the foot of the mountain, before leaving.
He knew that Farwinter had been purging dissenting orcs in the tribe since taking power, but this was the first time he clearly realized that Farwinter might actually target him.
Perhaps it's true, as Lian Qiyu and the others said, that there can only be one voice in a tribe.
Ling Caiyu turned around and left with her back to Yuan Dong.
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Author's note: From a timeline perspective, the departure of the Yu Hui Yu Que team to Xia occurred a few days before the arrival of the Yi Clan in Xia.
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