Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 185 The Trap: Self-Criticism, Choice, and Effort

A few days later, the "Tail-Broken" captain was once again punished mercilessly by the "Gap-Toothed" chief, and his back and buttocks, which had not yet healed, were torn open again.

It's the same reason, and the same process.

Having barely been able to stand and move around, the captain of the otter-boar orc hunting party couldn't wait to lead his team out again, trying to make amends, regain his dignity with a bountiful hunt, and win back the chieftain's trust.

Unfortunately, he encountered the "Black Mouth" tribe's hunting party again.

Unsurprisingly, they were once again rudely driven back.

Objectively speaking, this was inevitable, because General Sargeras Gorehowl maintained a state of emergency during the war, requiring each tribe to continuously supply resources. When internal food supplies became tight, they had to increase hunting in the wild to replenish their resources.

Over the years, the orcs, with their keen senses of sight, hearing, and smell, have long since wiped out most of the wild animals around their stronghold. These orcs have absolutely no concept of sustainable development.

They only know how to take, and never think about tomorrow!
Therefore, the hunting distance will only get farther and farther, gradually extending to the edge of the tribal borders.

The "Rotten Swamp" tribe is surrounded on all four sides, with rivals with whom it has had conflicts on three sides. Only the north is bordered by the "Black Mouth" tribe, which is also a vassal of the "Long Tooth" tribe and can be considered an ally. Therefore, the hunting party would naturally travel more in this direction.

However, there are also degrees of closeness and distance between vassals.

When large tribes divide land among their vassal tribes, the closer the relationship and the higher the loyalty of the tribe, the closer the land will be.

Surrounded by staunchly loyal followers, it serves as a shield for the tribe's core stronghold and also allows the leader to easily take care of his subordinates.

Therefore, although the "Rotten Swamp" tribe is also a son of the "Long Teeth" tribe, he can only be considered a stepson, adopted son, or godson, and there is still a big difference between him and a biological son like the "Black Mouth" tribe.

This time, the two hunting teams met again on a narrow path.

The focus of the conflict was a forest deer that had just fallen, with the iron claws that "Black Mouth" had on its legs and the spears of "Rotten Swamp" stuck in its back.

The argument quickly escalated into shoving, then into a brawl, and finally, the two leaders faced off one-on-one again.

This is one way for non-hostile tribes to determine victory or defeat, just like Liu Zaiyue versus Kane of the Stonehoof tribe.

Unsurprisingly, "Broken Tail," whose injuries hadn't fully healed, lost again.

They had never won an argument, nor a duel. After the hunting team leader, "Broken Tail," retreated in a sorry state, the enraged Chief "Gap-Tooth" immediately ordered that "Broken Tail" be given double the lashes.

The patrons in the tavern were all certain that this time, they wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least a week!
While Grayclaw and Old Pipe were still gathering information and looking for opportunities, "Broken Tail" sent his followers over there.

The orc who came was very polite: "Do you still have the medicine that your caravan gave to Captain Broken Tail last time? The captain asked me to buy some. Don't worry, the price will be fair, and you won't lose money!"

Of course, you can only take what the other party says with a grain of salt. Last time, when this "tailless" captain kicked me out, he didn't return the gifts I had sent him.

The caravan dared not delay, and the two leaders immediately brought medicine for the wounds and respectfully went to offer it to the caravan leader.

Captain Duanwei leaned against the bed, his buttocks tilted to one side, grimacing. He looked quite badly injured. When he saw the caravan members, a shadow of gloom flashed across his eyes.

He waved for everyone around him to leave, leaving only the vice-captain of the hunting team at his side. After a long silence, "Broken Tail" finally managed to ask with difficulty, "You... what you said last time was that you wanted to support me... in setting up my own business?"

It seems that these orcs can't be won over by words alone; the only way is to subdue them by force!

Although the incident was sudden, the old pipe smoker immediately picked up on the story he had prepared long ago.

"Captain, we're just small businessmen, how could we possibly do such a thing!"

"However, we travel all over the country, doing business, so we know quite a few tribes."

"As you may know, a while ago, a Minotaur tribe below Thunder Bluff, the one that lives by the sea, suddenly went crazy and took a fancy to this swamp, saying they wanted to buy it and see if they could raise some sea fish."

“I heard from people I know that one of their leaders has a mistress who loves to eat sea fish, but sea fish are hard to catch, so someone suggested raising fish.”

"Actually, it's just a crazy idea. Sea fish, where can you raise them on land? It's said that they tried many times in lakes of all sizes, but none of them worked, so they started thinking about the Blackwater Swamp."

Duanwei nodded thoughtfully: "Yes, I know about that. The chief didn't even see them. What's the point of bothering with a small tribe of a few hundred people!"

Old Pipe chuckled and rubbed his hands together: "Captain's judgment is accurate. They are indeed not very strong. However, their leader is a pure-blooded minotaur from Sky Ridge, and he has close ties with the Thunder Cliff tribe."

"It's said that its roots run quite deep!"

"Our caravan also heard about their bounty. If any orc leader can help them conquer this swamp, they are willing to provide money, food, warriors, and weapons to fully support them!"

"We small merchants dare not get involved in such important matters. However, if any of the officials in the camp have any ideas, we can act as a go-between."

The captain of "Broken Tail" had an uncertain expression.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "I'm not able to move around right now, so let the vice-captain go and see them in my place and hear what they have to say."

"In my opinion, what's so important about that rotten swamp? If Thunder Bluff really has my backing, I might be able to persuade Chief 'Gap Tooth'!"

Soon, with the help of the "Bailu 890" caravan, representatives of Hanhai and confidants of "Duanwei" began close contact. After a series of intensive consultations, the two sides reached a basic cooperation framework.

Thundercliff and Sky Ridge did not intervene, so in the end, Conch Mouth was in charge. With the intelligence support provided by Broken Tail, they defeated or captured the chief of the Rotten Swamp tribe, Toothless, and put Broken Tail in power.

Of course, the truth on the Han Hai Territory side is that the names Thunder Cliff or Sky Ridge are fake; they are mainly just for creating a big name and increasing the credibility of Duanwei.

However, one thing is certain: by using the pretext of internal strife surrounding "Broken Tail," Han Hai is absolutely confident that its current military strength can take down "Rotten Swamp."

Both parties agreed that after "Duanwei" takes over as the tribal leader, he will "lease" the northern section of the swamp to the "Hailuokou" Minotaur tribe for a period of fifty years, with a generous rent payable every three years.

As all the details were finalized, according to the first phase of the action plan, the main force of Hailuokou would be "cut off" and settled in an empty hunting area near the tribal stronghold, waiting for an opportunity to launch a thunderous attack from within and without!
With everything in place and just waiting to be put into action, Wang Shouyi received a communication from the command center.

Moreover, it was a personal call from Lord Chen Mo.

Suppressing his wildly beating heart, Wang Shouyi replied in a low voice, "Reporting to the lord, I am Wang Shouyi, platoon leader of the third platoon of the first reconnaissance company of the National Defense Army, Torch Military Academy graduate number 000107. Please give your instructions, lord!" "I am Chen Mo!"

"The 'Rotten Swamp' tribe has set a trap; the operation is to be terminated immediately!"

"The caravan should abandon all cargo and its passengers should disperse and evacuate!"

"If it is confirmed that escape is impossible, and surrender on the spot is permitted, we will immediately initiate diplomatic channels to negotiate a ransom!"

"Act immediately!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Shouyi was still somewhat incredulous, his immense joy at having performed such a great feat plummeting to an abyss of despair. However, his ingrained discipline compelled him to immediately issue a retreat order.

Okay, although the "Rotten Swamp" orcs are not particularly intelligent overall, and although there are indeed many internal conflicts within the tribe, the orcs have managed to maintain their dominance over the human race for so many years, which means they are not an enemy that can be easily defeated by a simple trick.

In fact, after the intention to sow discord was first exposed, the hunting team leader "Severed Tail" immediately reported it to the Otter-Boar Orc Chieftain "Gap Tooth".

"Duanwei" is the chief's direct subordinate.

For the otter-boar orcs, punishment doesn't always mean a bad relationship; it can actually be a sign of closeness, since these guys often fight without any restraint.

Upon learning that a caravan was gathering information and stirring up trouble in their territory, the old shaman of the Otter-Boar Orcs devised a plan to lure the enemy out of their hiding place.

The orcs occupied their home ground, and their plans and actions were flawless. The only oversight was that they were unaware that twenty kilometers above the sky, there was the "Sky Eye" of the Vast Ocean Territory.

"Rotten Swamp" mobilized three infantry guards and two cavalry units in an attempt to wipe out the enemy from "Thunder Bluff" in one fell swoop. This operation was clearly visible under the scan of the reconnaissance airships, and its intentions were eventually exposed.

That afternoon, the caravan leader disassembled the communicator into parts and threw it into the fire along with other materials that could potentially expose their identity.

Taking advantage of the time gap before the enemy could close in, the caravan split into two groups. Some people sold their goods at low prices and even distributed money in the city, causing severe congestion and chaos. Others disguised themselves and sneaked in or broke through the checkpoints. In the end, some people successfully escaped.

Under the cover of the old pipe, Wang Shouyi, the greyhound, managed to escape. The young officer burst into tears the moment he saw his lord again.

While arranging diplomatic negotiations to try to secure the release of the arrested team members, Chen Mo also convened an emergency debriefing meeting.

"For a long time, we fought too smoothly. In our interactions with the enemy, we had a significant advantage in both force and strategy, and even repeatedly led the enemy to follow our lead."

"Therefore, starting with me, the entire command post was filled with a mood of wanting a quick victory and being eager for results."

"Especially me, the plan to deal with the 'Rotten Swamp' tribe before the autumn hunt was itself a lack of respect for the objective war situation."

"Our strength may be enough to quickly complete the war and conquer, but because we are worried that we will be too conspicuous on the White Deer Plain and become a live target for the orcs, we will avoid difficulties and try to create conflict from within the enemy to cover up our presence."

"As it turns out, the enemy is not a weather vane that will bend at the slightest breeze or fall at the slightest push."

"They do have internal conflicts, complaints, greed, dissatisfaction, and many things that can be exploited, but we cannot pin the victory of the entire war on the exploitation of these local factors!"

"Let's solemnly review that sentence in the textbook together."

"Strategically, we must despise all enemies; tactically, we must take all enemies seriously!"

"Starting with me, I hope everyone will learn from this experience, adjust their mindset, work steadily and diligently, and strive for excellence!"

Lin En and his nephew Lin Zhong, who were attending the meeting, exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with disbelief.

As exemplary figures who have risen through the ranks in the old army and bureaucratic system of the Starry Continent, in their understanding, a lord cannot make mistakes, and even if he does, he cannot admit them.

The problems must all be those of subordinates, subjects, the environment, or enemies... but definitely not those of the lord!
The lord must be wise and powerful, and always right, so that he can be like a god, raising a banner of absolute obedience for all the soldiers and civilians of the territory.

If the lord makes a mistake...

How can gods bleed?
However, what's strange is that the eyes of these young officers are still full of fanaticism, even more so.

Old bureaucrats who haven't experienced the Eastern Xia education system would find it difficult to fully grasp the underlying principles. However, even though the lord admitted his mistake first, Lynn and Lin Zhong didn't have the slightest thought of betraying him.

Just kidding, their strength is undeniable. They crushed tens of thousands of orcs, and this tribe of a few thousand could have been destroyed in an instant if the lord hadn't wanted to avoid future troubles.

After completing the criticism and self-criticism, Chen Mo gently clapped his hands to draw the team members' attention back.

"Although the first plan failed, we are making very good progress on the second plan."

“Just over ten minutes ago, the Shadowclaw tribe in the southeast gave a clear answer, expressing their willingness to provide us with hostages and to send troops to fight the Rot Swamp first, in order to fully express their sincerity to us.”

"They hope to receive our military support!"

"As it turns out, all strategies still rely on an unshakeable trend. The Otter-Headed Beastmen pride themselves on their strength, making it difficult for our strategies to be effective. The Shadow Claw tribe, knowing that it is surrounded by dangers, can only place its hopes on external support!"

"so!"

A smile returned to Chen Mo's face.

"It is regrettable that the Otter-Boar Orcs have given up their last chance for a peaceful transition, and their fate is already predictable."

"And the kittens of the 'Shadowclaw' tribe will surely have a safe haven in this land for a long time."

"For them, choice is more important than effort!"

"And for us—"

The young lord's gaze swept across the entire room, his tone firm and resolute.

"If we don't want to gamble with our future, comrades, we need to work even harder!"

(End of this chapter)