Otherworld Bone Dragon Operation Guide

Chapter 185 White Shot Cavalry
Su Ming opened the records and searched, discovering that Turkmen City and its salt mines belonged to Brunrev Tucker. Su Ming recognized the name; he recalled reading the roster of powerful figures on the continent, "Lord Brunrev, is he that infamous puppeteer?"

“It’s this one. He likes to make dolls out of real human skin,” Violet replied. “This person is not only powerful, but also particularly fond of playing dirty tricks. It’s very difficult to find his true form if you’re against him. However, his main territory is far from here.”

"That's alright then." Su Ming put away the documents, already fearing the sudden appearance of a powerful enemy.

"Are there any Saint-level beings in the North?" After thinking for a moment, Su Ming still asked with unease.

“There is one locally,” Violet replied. “Lioni Alva, known as the Nightmare of the Icefield, is also a lord. But this man is single-mindedly pursuing power and doesn’t care about the affairs of the territory, however—” She thought carefully and confirmed, “Lioni is no longer a Saint-rank. He was seriously injured a year ago, and his strength has dropped significantly.”

"That's good, the fewer potential enemies the better," Su Ming said.

Catherine said she only enjoys beating weaker opponents, and Su Ming felt the same way. It's not like he's looking for a beating in the game; who wouldn't want to face easy opponents?

****
As they approached Turkmenistan, Violet shut down the gasoline engine and activated the magic circle and crystal drawn on the rear of the snowmobile to provide thrust. The snowmobile was disguised and could barely be mistaken for an oddly shaped cargo sled.

Outside the city gates of Turkmenistan, guards were checking the identities of outsiders. Su Ming pulled out the merchant's identification document he had previously scavenged from Old Luo's house, claimed that Zi Jin was his wife, and the two were registered and allowed to pass.

This outdated method has many loopholes, but it can be considered an effort to maintain public order.

The market in Turkmenistan is bustling with vendors and people.

Violet explained, "The salt mines here supply the entire Northland and are considered the most profitable industry on the ice plains."

"It is indeed quite prosperous," Su Ming said.

The two first went to the alchemy shop, but unsurprisingly, they couldn't find any finished products for the Nirvana Silver Plating. Violet selected several alchemical products and materials with similar compositions and took them back to make her own.

The items together were quite heavy, so Zijin made an appointment with the shop owner to come back and pick them up later.

"Shall we split up?" Su Ming suggested.

"all right."

The two then began their respective shopping.

Su Ming went to the farmers' market and bought a large quantity of seasonings and spices. Since the food selection was limited, he could only focus on condiments. After that, he bought some miscellaneous household items, and then headed towards the baby and maternity store. He bought anything that caught his eye along the way.

When I arrived at the baby store, Zijin was already waiting at the door. She was holding a steaming hot baked flatbread and taking a big bite. Beside her was a large bag containing flat, round objects covered in mud.

Su Ming thought it looked familiar, "Water chestnuts?"

"Yes, I buy it whenever I see it."

"It seems this is where they produce this. I bought a bag of water chestnut flour too." Su Ming patted his backpack.

Zi Jin handed another baked flatbread to Su Ming. The latter took it and took a bite. The crispy crust was filled with wild boar meat, exuding the aroma of scallions and ginger. If it weren't for the coarse texture and strong gamey smell of the meat, he would have almost thought he had returned to Earth for a moment.

Zijin tilted her head and looked at the earthenware jar that Su Ming was holding in his other hand. "Wine?"

"The millet wine here is homemade and not very strong," Su Ming replied.

Zijin was very surprised, "Was this prepared for me?"

"She can only have a small glass a day at most," Su Ming said. He had figured it out; although her drinking habits were terrible, it was better to guide her than to suppress it.

Zijin's eyes lit up. "I'm not that addicted to alcohol. It's just that when I was a dragon, I got used to drinking whole jars of alcohol, and I'm not used to this body's ability to handle it."

The two entered the maternity and baby store, where Su Ming asked for two dozen diapers, as well as socks, gloves, baby nail clippers, and other miscellaneous items.

The shop assistant enthusiastically recommended some items they had overlooked. Noticing that the prices were all in copper coins, Su Ming was too lazy to calculate and told the shop assistant to wrap them all up.

Zijin took the initiative to choose a moisturizing oil and then bought several bottles at once. "Human skin is just so itchy," she complained.

The air humidity here is extremely low, and the Youth Civilization Train is running its heating system. Su Ming, being from the north, had chapped lips and was so busy that he overlooked this. Fortunately, Hanster was experienced and would occasionally sprinkle water on the floor and radiators in the carriage.

"I'll set up a few humidifiers when I get back," he said.

Remembering that Catherine needed human-made milk powder, Su Ming looked around but couldn't find it. He asked a store clerk, who retrieved the only two cans of milk powder from the top of the display case in the far corner.

"Does this stuff sell very little?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. "Don't cows in the north not produce milk in winter?"

“They can’t afford it,” Violet explained. “Poor people who lack breast milk usually make do with rice water or something, or they ask for some from families who have breast milk.”

"But what about the rich? Don't they need milk?"

“Nobles hire wet nurses,” Violet said. “Human milk is much cheaper than formula.”

Su Ming realized that consumption logic differs greatly depending on the level of production.

“Moreover,” Violet’s lips curled up, “people in the North choose to give birth in the spring. In a season of high temperatures and abundant food, children are more likely to survive.”

Their survival logic is also completely different.

Su Ming picked up the milk powder can and wiped off the accumulated dust. He didn't recognize the packaging material, but it looked like it had been there for a while. The outside said "Star Brand Newborn Infant Milk Powder" and "Place of Origin: Star Empire".

"I wonder if it's past its expiration date," Su Ming thought to himself. Anyway, he didn't understand products from another world; he'd just take it back and let Catherine judge.

The baby formula was very expensive, so he tossed a gold coin to pay, and the two walked out of the baby store.

****
The streets were crowded, and the two bought some small items. Su Ming found some dried corn kernels that seemed like a good way to make popcorn.

Three people walked towards us, dressed in military uniforms with insignia on their chests. A black blade cleaved through the white earth.

Zijin's body tensed up almost imperceptibly.

"What is it?" Su Ming asked.

"These people are White Scatter Cavalry!" Violet's eyes narrowed to almost vertical pupils. After brushing past the three, she slightly turned her head, glancing behind her out of the corner of her eye. "Su Ming, we need to investigate them!"

The scholar's last visit to the North was met with a humiliating chase by the White Scattering Cavalry. Thinking of this gave Su Ming a headache. [Violet, you're not planning revenge, are you?]

"How could that be!" Violet's gaze drifted to the side. "Our identities will definitely be exposed after the prison break. The only ones who can catch us and pose a threat are these elite troops on the ice plains—so gathering information beforehand is essential!"

Zijin's words were so high-sounding that Su Ming couldn't find a reason to refute them. The three soldiers exchanged a few words and then turned to leave the city. Zijin turned and followed, pulling Su Ming along with her.

"They were just discussing and deciding to return to camp," Violet said happily. "Perfect timing, we can go with them to their hideout!"

"Are you sure this is just an investigation?" Su Ming asked doubtfully.

"Of course—" Violet replied, "[Uncertain!]"

【…】

****
Su Ming and Zi Jin kept their distance, and the soldiers were completely unaware that they were being followed. They quickly left the city gate and headed along the main road in the suburbs.

Su Ming and Zi Jin found a merchant to store their belongings, and the two left the city hand in hand, pretending to be a pair of leisurely travelers enjoying the scenery.

"Relax, I'll just investigate." Zijin whispered to Su Ming, their conversation looking like a couple whispering sweet nothings. "Don't worry, I won't do anything rash unless there's a good opportunity!"

Su Ming was clearly not fooled by those words. "So that means you'll act recklessly whenever a good opportunity arises!"

As the number of people on the road gradually decreased, Su Ming and Zi Jin slowed down their pace and increased the distance between them.

"If there's a good opportunity, of course we should take advantage of it."

Su Ming sighed slightly. "How did you know what they were talking about?" he asked. At that time, in the noisy street, the two sides had already distanced themselves and were facing away from each other, so they couldn't see each other's lips.

It's possible to do this using one's perception abilities, but both of them were wearing forbidden magic suits, which greatly weakened their perception.

"A small perk of breaking free from shackles." Violet's tone carried a hint of smugness, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly.

"What breakthrough did you achieve?" Su Ming pressed.

"We'll have a fight when we get back, then you'll see." Violet smiled slyly, and Su Ming could almost see a devil's tail swaying behind the girl.

***
After walking for a while, the soldiers turned onto a small path in the jungle. This time, Su Ming and Zi Jin couldn't follow any further. Outside the city, it was snowy and there weren't many people around. They could barely disguise themselves on the main road, but chasing them into the forest would be too conspicuous.

Su Ming took a drone out of his backpack and unfolded its rotors.

"Wait a while before releasing it. It's so cold, the battery life is only twenty minutes," he told Violet.

The two found a slightly elevated spot nearby and sat for a while. Fifteen minutes later, Su Ming activated the drone, raising its altitude to 400 meters. The drone was painted in low-visibility camouflage, so even they couldn't see it.

Su Ming turned on the camera and controlled the drone to follow the trees from above. The leaves had long since fallen in winter, leaving only bare branches in the jungle. From the air, the forest was completely exposed.

Su Ming quickly spotted three people in the footage. However, he didn't slow the drone down, but continued forward in the direction they were traveling. Not long after, a campsite appeared in the frame.

Lead-gray tents were scattered among the crooked trees, their canvas surfaces covered in frost. The remnants of extinguished campfires were everywhere, and the tents were all tightly sealed off to prevent them from being seen from afar at night.

The camp was laid out in a clear hierarchy, with sentries and patrols stationed all around.

"Very well-organized," Su Ming frowned. The White Shot Cavalry were special forces, and this disciplined camp showed they were not to be trifled with.

Furthermore, one can see a large number of sleds in the camp, along with a large number of otherworldly animals suitable for traveling in the snow, indicating that this team's mobility is not bad.

“That’s why I said if there’s a chance,” Violet said dismissively, “we should scan the surrounding area and see if there’s any terrain we can use.”

Su Ming couldn't refuse her, so he used the remote control to take aerial photos of the entire camp and its surroundings. Based on the number of tents, he deduced that the other side was a fully-equipped military unit.

The White Scatterback cavalry consisted of eight hundred main combat knights and over a thousand logistical support troops. The camp itself was approximately two thousand men in size.

The two men carefully studied the aerial photographs on tablets, searching for usable terrain features. In the very center of the camp, there were several structures covered with white camouflage netting. Beneath the netting were tarpaulins, providing exceptionally thorough protection.

“I miss it. Su Ming, when you first came, this is how it was when everyone was gathered around us,” Zi Jin said.

At that time, a Knights of Light and a priestly order were stationed on the land side of the Cui'an Cliff. Su Ming was somewhat glad for his past ignorance and fearlessness. He didn't understand how disparate the combat strength of the two sides was, but instead, he single-mindedly managed to escape.

“There’s a small hill over there. How about I unleash a wide-area spell on them from a distance?” She pointed to one side of the aerial view and suggested enthusiastically, “Lure their leader out, then capture him and run!”

“No.” Su Ming refused.

"It's very safe, Su Ming. I've already mastered the realm of natural rhythms! I'll act according to circumstances and never linger in battle!"

"Although I know you've always been petty, why are you so obsessed with revenge?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

Zijin didn't deny being petty, but instead brought up another topic, "Have you noticed the insulation material filling the windows and holes in the houses here?"

Su Ming nodded. He had noticed it when he raided Old Luo's house. The windows were filled with a semi-transparent material; when the thieves smashed the glass, these materials flew everywhere. Su Ming picked up a piece after the battle and examined it; it was a lightweight, porous material, which the White Triangle had used for soundproofing.

The cracks in Old Luo's house were also filled with this method, as were those in Acosta's house behind it. Su Ming used this method to repeatedly make his attacks penetrate the walls.

"This is the porous fiber invented by Master Newman. It is easy to produce, lightweight and inexpensive, and has excellent heat and sound insulation capabilities."

Su Ming recalled the materials he had read, "Master Newman, the engineering scholar whose title is 'Swallow'?"

“Yes, besides overseeing many famous projects, he also made numerous inventions that benefited the people. For example, biogas digesters and water collection wells in arid regions,” Violet replied. “Six months ago, I was being chased here with him, and I was forced to abandon part of the Bone Fortress and escape from the coast. Afterwards, I learned that he had died.”

"Made by the White Scatter Cavalry?" Su Ming narrowed his eyes.

The girl nodded. "Newman is mild-mannered; I don't believe he would resist to the point of being killed. The academic association has protested and demanded an investigation into this matter."

"But the dead can't testify, right?" Su Ming said.

"Yes, Commander Price of the White Shotguns insisted that Master Newman was already dead when they found him," the scholar replied. "The master's body was thoroughly destroyed, and the investigators couldn't find any evidence, so the matter was eventually dropped."

No wonder Zi Jin wanted to capture the White Scattered Cavalry commander; clearly, she wanted to "amicably inquire" about the truth. Su Ming glanced at the verified military outpost on the screen. "It would be unwise for us to provoke trouble now. Rescuing people from the Divine Might Prison is our top priority."

Zijin suddenly put down her tablet. "Okay, let's go back."

"Huh?" Su Ming was surprised. "Why are you being so obedient?"

She zoomed in on the image, pointing to a spot in the camp. "These dozen or so are mages, and the ones in the middle look like archmages." Her tone was full of regret. "With this group of mages around, capturing people won't be so easy. We might even get entangled with them."

(End of this chapter)