Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 181 Scout Captain

Hmm, this is a bit of a dilemma.

Li Wei's first thought was whether the Blood Wolf was a large or medium-sized creature, but it should belong to the canine family, which felt very relevant.

Among large creatures, warhorses certainly count.

If one could scare dozens of warhorses into a state of stress on the battlefield, the effect would be quite good, but that's definitely not something a current Bear Hunter can achieve by leveling up.

Furthermore, his main career path in the future will be as a scout, and a scout's enemies will certainly include hunting dogs.

Well-trained hunting dogs are far superior to those random stray dogs.

Putting everything else aside, the combination of Fallen Knights and Wild Dogs outside Kah City is nothing but a muddy mess.

With well-trained hunting dogs and elite soldiers, Li Wei would have no chance of infiltrating.

"But—that being said, we have to look at it from a longer-term perspective. How often do we get the chance to infiltrate Kahe City? I don't want to be a petty thief."

Li Wei hesitated, his gaze falling once again on the enhancement of the third title. Perception +1 was a very powerful attribute, but it consumed too much energy. It would often take only a few minutes to deplete his stamina, leaving him as hungry as a grandson.

It can reduce consumption by 50% at once, which is a great deal.

In short, the titles of Bear Hunter and Dog Slayer are very useful in regular combat, but the Tracker title can give him an advantage in higher-level battles.

Without further hesitation, he consumed 3000 temple reputation points in one go to upgrade the Tracker title by half a level, reducing the cost by 50%.

Next, Li Wei quickly left the town of Vido and hurried back to the army's assembly point. Well, actually, including the craftsmen and farmers, the total number was less than two hundred people. What kind of army was that?

But this was indeed the maximum force that the second-level priest Joseph could mobilize in the current region. If he wanted to prevent Duke Will from becoming furious and to prevent the king from finding out and alarming the royal family, the best outcome would be to quell the chaos in Kah City with just this few people.

You shouldn't escalate the matter until the situation deteriorates to a certain extent.

This is the way of governing!
At this moment, Li Wei deliberately wandered around for a while and confirmed that Hathaway was not there.

He had intended to ask Ron in secret, but five tall and burly temple guard knights stood guard over Ron and Priest Joseph. These two were like the commanders of an army, ready to kill anyone who dared to approach!

The plot has indeed changed; he is no longer the main character.

"Li Wei! The commander has ordered you to be the scout captain, leading us fifty li ahead to shield the main army from the left and right, and to ensure that there are no ambushes ahead!"

At this moment, the four-star hunter John arrived with Fila, Shelt, and Li Zhengxing, bringing with him orders from Commander Ron.

Li Wei almost thought he had misheard. Was this a false order? Why would you, a four-star hunter, not be a scout captain and come looking for me?
"Stop dawdling. I'm definitely not as knowledgeable about the area around Kah City as you are, so let's get going!" Little John added in a low voice.

Okay, that reason is understandable, but bringing along that shrewd businessman Fila? Are you kidding me?

"Could we replace this woman?"

"No, although she is a shrewd businesswoman, she is very good at logistical support."

"Alright then." Li Wei gave Little John a deep look; his will to die was even stronger.

Hathaway, it seems you're really going to pull some tricks, but why are you doing this? With the Second Priest Joseph suppressing the High Priestess Luna, isn't the rest simple?
What exactly happened in the past seven days?
Considering that this woman had once been hiding in the snow-capped mountains of Ross Emir for a full twenty days, it is clear that she also possessed remarkable stealth abilities.

Could Ron and Hathaway be using the strategy of ordinary warriors winning with conventional tactics and unconventional methods?
Is the main force the standard, while the hidden forces are the surprise attack?
Li Wei actually doesn't understand the art of war at all. Just kidding, who among the ordinary civilians on Earth in the 21st century understands this? It would be strange if someone did.

Anyway, this can also be seen as a form of learning: use your imagination, pay attention to details, and do what you are good at.

And reconnaissance and scouting are indeed Li Wei's forte.

Similarly, escaping is also one of his strengths.

As Li Wei walked briskly along the road, he had already sketched out the terrain he needed to pay close attention to along the way.

“Brother John, I suggest that the five of us split into three groups: myself in one group, you in another group, and Fila, Shelt, and Li Zhengxing in another group. The two of us will be the visible sentries and the mobile sentries, and the other three will be the hidden sentries.”

“My idea is actually very simple. The three of them need to occupy a high point, one that can overlook the surrounding area for dozens of miles. At the same time, they need to quickly build temporary defensive fortifications, which means cutting down trees. Do you have an axe? If not, Li Zhengxing, run back and get one. Don’t think that just because you are sentries, you can prevent enemy attacks by building a simple fortification at a key location.”

"Fira, what do you want to say?" Li Wei suddenly turned around and asked, because he heard Fira muttering to herself. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was less than ten meters away. Even if you were a mosquito buzzing, you couldn't escape her ears.

"Uh, haha, buddy, is this really necessary? The commander only told us to advance fifty miles, and that we only have a day. You're telling me we need to build fortifications? We're here for reconnaissance, not to defend a position..."

Fila said, half-jokingly, that she was still resentful. She had only gone to find those merchants who accompanied the army to build relationships and prepare to do some small business to support her family, but Ron had captured her to be a vanguard. Damn it!

Li Wei stopped and turned to look at the unscrupulous merchant Fila, who chuckled. "Laugh your ass off! Do you know what time this is? I could easily charge you with disobeying orders."

Before Li Wei could even speak, Little John rushed over like a whirlwind and kicked her—just one kick! Fila didn't even have time to react before she was sent flying through the air, so high, so far, and it hurt so much!
"Paji!"

Should!
Serves you right! It's one thing to joke around normally, but to try and bargain now?

Military orders are absolute, don't you understand?
Fila was stunned. She lay on the ground for several seconds, then got up without a word. After all, she was a four-star player and knew her place.

Li Wei gave Little John a strange look; he was starting to lose control of his emotions.

Why bother?

"Shelt, you three are in charge. I will tell you where to hide. Do as I say! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Understood!" Sheldt shouted, meticulously, though inwardly he was somewhat skeptical.

Sending a five-man reconnaissance squad fifty li ahead to shield the main army from the flanks—what kind of order is this? Do they really think we five are lightning-fast night raiders?

But he was more sensible than Fila, and thanked his older sister for suffering on our behalf.

May our eldest sister rest in peace!

John remained calm, as if nothing had happened.

“No one should walk in the middle of the road. Stay in the shade as much as possible. John, have you been in charge of reconnaissance in this direction these past few days? Tell me your findings.”

“Yes! For the past seven days, I have traveled this road every day, covering about two hundred miles round trip each day. I am quite certain that the High Witch and the Mad Baron in Kah City have not made any move to head north, and those crows are only circling around the mountains and forests surrounding Kah City.”

"If that's the case, you should be the scout captain. What is Ron up to?" Li Wei asked, frowning.

This time, John hesitated slightly before quickly replying, "This isn't Ron's idea, it's Hathaway's suggestion. She said you're a better fit."

Li Wei glanced at Little John and asked, "Where did Hathaway go?"

“I don’t know. She likes to act alone and disappeared three days ago.”

Do you have any grievances in your heart?

"Complaints? Not at all. The important things come first. Hathaway must have her reasons for making this suggestion!"

Li Wei nodded and said nothing more, which basically confirmed the matter.

Hathaway and Ron definitely reached some kind of agreement in private.

Should we appoint him as the scout captain?
You bitch, you might as well just type "I'll use you as bait" in the chat.

However, things have progressed to this point, and Li Wei has no more room to maneuver. He either has to give up the honor of being the Rookie of the Year, or he has to accept this arrangement.

Aren't there four friends who are acting as bait with him?
With the five of them working together, surely they can hold out until Hathaway shows up?

The five men then marched at full speed, resting for only ten minutes to replenish their food and water. They continued along King's Road for about eighty miles until a steep, rocky mountain appeared ahead. Just as Li Wei was about to call for a stop, Little John had already stopped.

"John, are you familiar with this rocky hill?"

"Naturally, this mountain ridge stretches from east to west, and only the stone mountain overlooks the north and south, making it a very strategically important place. It would be a mistake not to build a watchtower here, but because of this, even a novice who knows nothing would know to focus on scouting this place."

"For the past seven days, I have climbed the rocky hill every day and searched it. I can say with certainty that there were no ambushes there before noon yesterday."

Li Wei nodded. Since Little John said so, he could believe him—not a chance!
Knowing that Hathaway hadn't returned for three days, Li Wei was certain that this gambling addict was planning a big gamble.

After all, gambling is very addictive. She had a precedent of successfully assassinating the Snow Witch Hathaway, so what difficulty would it be for her to assassinate a black-robed witch this time?
In addition, Ron led his army to advance from the rear, which is correct.

It's strange that Hathaway was lurking in the shadows.

As for Li Wei and his five companions, they weren't even considered Zheng Qi; they were simply bait.

"So I'm curious, if I don't summon a two-star Blood Raven, how are you able to lure the Black-Robed Witch here?"

While pondering this, Li Wei quickly issued the order.

"This rocky mountain is a strategic location that military strategists must contend for. Holding this place is of paramount importance to the safe advance of our army."

"Rest for five minutes to replenish your food and water. Then, John, you go around to the south. Be careful to check your surroundings and choose a hidden route to climb up. If there are any ambushes on the rocky hill, you can take advantage of our distraction to launch a surprise attack from behind!"

"As ordered!"

Li Wei then looked back at Fila, Sherter, and Li Zhengxing, who all had bitter expressions on their faces.

"Next, I will climb the mountain from the north, and you will climb from the west. Don't stop, charge up in one go, and be prepared for battle! I will provide cover with my bow and arrows. Shert, Li Zhengxing, you two carry shields and watch out for any rolling logs or rocks!"

(End of this chapter)