In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

Thinking of this, Wang Yan slapped his aching thigh and couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Starting from the city of Conghua, the caravan traveled for five or six hours. As the setting sun dyed the sky a magnificent crimson gold, the leader, Liam, blew the bone whistle hanging around his neck.

The long, deep whistle echoed through the gradually darkening forest.

"Stop—! We're camping here today!" Leam's booming voice came from ahead.

The massive caravan slowly came to a stop.

The crew stopped the pack animals and began working methodically.

They skillfully untied the harnesses and belts from the pack animals and worked together to unload the heavy carts from the backs of these gentle giants.

The carts loaded with goods were pushed to the center of the camp and arranged in a loose semicircle in the open space.

The beasts, relieved of their heavy loads, snorted with ease. Guided by their riders, they walked with slightly tired but still steady steps to the open space outside the camp, where they slowly lay down, forming a huge circle.

Their bodies naturally form a thick and warm barrier.

The caravan crew unloaded large bundles of fragrant hay and soybean meal from a specially prepared cargo wagon and scattered them evenly in front of each pack animal.

The giant beasts, exhausted from a long day, lowered their heads and began to quietly chew their dinner, creating a soft rustling sound in the air.

After settling their most important companion, the staff began preparing dinner.

They quickly cleared a space in the center of the camp, which must have been used as a campsite before. They used stones to build a simple stove pit, set up an iron pot, and took water bags, rice bags, dried meat, and vegetables from another vehicle.

The flames quickly flickered, and a reassuring "bubbling" sound came from the pot, filling the air with the aroma of food.

Meanwhile, the five-man gilded mercenary brigade did not rest for a moment.

Their captain, a wiry man with a scar on his face, quietly assigned tasks.

Armed with spears and curved knives, the two began to cautiously patrol the woods within a radius of several dozen meters around the camp, their sharp eyes scanning every bush and shadow.

The other three took out thin ropes, bells, and small animal traps from their bags and set up simple yet effective warning traps along several possible approach routes, taking advantage of the terrain and vegetation.

Their movements were swift and highly professional, clearly indicating that they were already accustomed to it.

The only ones who were unemployed were Wang Yan and three other scholars.

They sat around the central campfire, warming themselves by the fire while waiting for the food prepared by their companions.

Tina had previously stated that food and lodging would be provided for those who joined the caravan.

Wang Yan originally intended to inquire about the Academy of Teachings from these scholars, but the three scholars kept discussing topics such as earth vein elements, and Wang Yan couldn't get a word in edgewise.

The crackling of the campfire mingled with the scholars' discussion about the "seasonal shift of the earth vein nodes." Wang Yan was staring absently at the bubbling meat soup in the pot not far away when a sharp screech suddenly came from the edge of the dense forest in the distance!

That was an alarm sounded by the gilded brigade's patrol post.

"There's a situation—!"

A soft shout exploded like a pebble thrown into water.

"Grab it! Quickly!" Liam, like an enraged tiger with long manes, leaped up from beside the cart, his voice booming, "Use the cart as a wall! Pack the goods tightly! Quickly!"

The caravan crew members were well-trained, and their relaxed expressions were instantly replaced by seriousness.

Without hesitation, they dropped what they were doing and rushed toward the carts loaded with heavy goods.

With shouts and heavy scraping sounds, the carts were quickly pushed to the perimeter of the camp, one after another, forming a rough but sturdy wooden and iron defensive line.

The men pulled out machetes, spears, and even crossbows of varying lengths from under the cart or from the cargo compartments, quickly taking up positions behind the cart walls, holding their breath, their eyes fixed on the dark forest from which the alarm was coming.

Although they can't compare to a professional gilded brigade, the guys are not without fighting power.

Wang Yan and the other scholars were also hastily but forcefully pushed to the very center of the defensive line by their men.

The scholars' faces drained of color, their previous academic enthusiasm vanished, leaving only tension and unease.

Wang Yan's heart pounded, and his palms were sweating profusely. He subconsciously looked around, searching for anything he could use as a weapon. In the end, he only found a thick, hard piece of firewood, about the thickness of his wrist, which he used to stoke a fire. He gripped it tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

He knew very well that he was not one of the original characters he had used before, and he was powerless against the monsters of Teyvat.

At this moment, the gilded brigade squad responsible for patrolling the perimeter and setting traps retreated from the forest like cheetahs.

All five of them were covered in grass clippings, and their faces were flushed from running.

The scarred captain, who was leading the group, rushed straight up to Liam, his expression extremely ugly.

“This is bad, Boss Leam. It’s not just stray monsters.” He spoke very quickly and in a low voice, but it was clearly audible in the tense silence. “We’ve found the traces of a sizable temporary camp of a Hilichurl tribe. They must have already caught a whiff of our food and living creatures.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his men who stood ready and the deepening twilight beyond the car wall, before adding, "Given their habits, the attack will come soon. Ordinary Hilichurls are manageable, but there are likely shamans or thugs in the tribe... Be prepared, this won't be easy."

“Damn it, Tinari just cleaned up this area two days ago… What bad luck.” Liam’s face darkened, and his thick brows furrowed.

He didn't complain that Tinari hadn't cleaned it properly, because he knew that Tinari had definitely cleaned it.

It must have been yesterday or today that another Hilichurl tribe from another region migrated here.

The caravan was truly unlucky.

Chapter 19 I Understand Qiuqiu Language

Liam took a deep breath, and without further ado, turned and roared at everyone:

"You heard me! Hilichurl tribe! Nock your crossbows, grip your spears! Light all the torches to avoid being ambushed, protect the scholars, and remember, hold the wagon walls, don't let a single one get in!"

At his command, more torches were lit and thrown out with crackling sounds, forming a discontinuous band of firelight around the outer edge of the vehicle. The flickering flames made the suspicious dark figures moving along the edge of the woods appear even more sinister.

The aroma of food lingered in the air, but now it was mixed with the smell of rust, sweat, and a tense atmosphere as if a storm was brewing.

From deep within the dense forest, inhuman roars and the sound of heavy, dragging footsteps began to echo, growing louder as they approached.

Wang Yan gripped the wooden stick tightly, but his ears twitched slightly.

A low, indistinct roar came from the forest, mixed with the sound of sticks striking tree trunks.

To Wang Yan's ears, these sounds gradually became clearer and more discernible:

"Plata! Plata! (Attack! Attack!)"

"Movo unta! (Charge!)"

“Mimi muhe mois! Mimi muhe gusha! (We want food! We want meat!)”

"Eleka dada! (For the tribe!)"

He also vaguely heard a rougher, more raspy voice, seemingly that of a commander, shouting:

"Todo odomu! Todo yika! (Rob strangers! Rob those bad guys!)"

"Sada upa! (Ready!)"

Wang Yan was startled and shouted, "They're going to attack!"

After Wang Yan shouted a warning, within three to five breaths, three Hilichurl thugs wielding giant shields rushed out of the jungle, and the guys with crossbows instinctively started shooting.

Unfortunately, all the arrows struck the Hilichurl's wooden shield with dull thuds, but caused no damage.

Behind the three-headed wooden shield thugs, dozens of Hilichurls wielding wooden clubs rushed out, hiding behind the wooden shield Hilichurls, and charged towards the defensive position.

Just as the Hilichurls were about to reach the defensive cart, the five members of the Gilded Brigade rushed out. The captain, wielding a long sword, struck down with a single blow, causing a wooden shield Hilichurl to stumble and nearly fall to the ground. The remaining four members of the Gilded Brigade worked in perfect unison to stop the other two Hilichurls.

The Hilichurls' charge was interrupted, and Liam hurriedly shouted, "Shoot the surrounding Hilichurls first, and avoid the Gilded Brigade's position."

This is to prevent the guy from shooting the Gilded Brigade instead of the Hilichurls.

Upon hearing this, the caravan crewmen regained their composure and began firing again.

This time it worked very well. Without the cover of the Hilichurl mobs, ordinary Hilichurls have a hard time breaking through the crossbow fire. Even if they do break through, they will be stabbed to death by the crew behind the cart with spears after getting close to the cart for defense.

Just as the situation was improving, Wang Yan's expression suddenly changed again. He heard the slightly vulgar language again: "The vines beckon (Abyss language)."

Wang Yan was startled and shouted, "Watch out for the vines!"

His reminder was timely, and the Gold Plating Brigade's fighters retreated instantly without hesitation.

The next second, the ferocious vines, like venomous snakes that had been lurking for a long time, burst out of the ground the moment the gilded brigade members retreated. The barbed whip tips swept across the spot where they had stood, cracking the ground and making eerie green light emanate from the cracks.

If it weren't for Wang Yan's timely reminder, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Shaman, jungle to the left, within thirty meters, Liam,” the scarred, gilded brigade leader shouted.

Within the defensive formation, Liam revealed a terrifying smile: "Found it."

Then, Wang Yan saw the caravan leader, carrying a large knife, stand up and leap from behind the defensive formation into the nearby jungle.

"Yika odomu! Movo unta! (You bad outsider! Run!)"

Several panicked screams of Hilichurls echoed from the depths of the forest, followed by the heavy footsteps of Leyam and the sharp whistling of blades cutting through the air. Interspersed among these were the crisp sounds of some kind of wooden staff being violently broken, and a short, mournful cry that was definitely not human.

Before the cries of agony had even subsided, the horde of Hilichurls besieging the camp seemed to have been simultaneously choked, their chaotic charge abruptly halted.

They looked at each other, uttering unintelligible gurgling and whimpering, their fierce glint quickly replaced by fear.

"Unu tomo nini! Movo unta! (The shaman is dead! Run!)"

It's unclear which Hilichurl shouted first, but the remaining Hilichurls immediately collapsed in morale. They dropped their sticks, let out terrified howls, and turned to flee into the dark depths of the forest. Even the three wooden shield thugs who had been entangled by the gilded brigade struggled to break free of their weapons and retreated hastily with heavy steps.

The crisis was thus averted.

The camp was filled with heavy breathing and low curses from survivors of the ordeal.

The men remained gripping their weapons, watching warily in the direction the Hilichurls had disappeared, until the scarred leader of the Gilded Brigade gave a safety signal, at which point the tense atmosphere eased slightly.

Liam strode back from the forest, carrying his large knife stained with an unidentified dark green fluid.

In his other hand, he was carrying a motionless grass mound shaman.

"Solved. It was an old shaman, well hidden." He walked to the scarred captain's side, tossed down the large knife and the shaman in his hand, gave a brief instruction, and then his gaze swept across the crowd, landing precisely on Wang Yan, who was being protected in the center.

The two previous reminders were both given by this Liyue person.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice it definitely isn't.

His gaze held undisguised surprise and scrutiny, as if he were re-evaluating this seemingly frail Liyue scholar.

“You…” Leam’s voice boomed, “How did you know this thing was going to cast a spell? Can you sense elemental forces?”

In Sumeru, those who can manipulate things and use them all have some skills, but these skills also require the use of instruments.

Wang Yan, however, didn't need to do anything before he directly offered a reminder.

Wang Yan's heart was still pounding from the near-death experience, and her palms were covered in cold sweat.

He knew that the use of "Tongxiao Language" in battle was too conspicuous and that a reasonable explanation had to be given.

“I study ancient scripts, and I’ve also dabbled in some extremely obscure… fragments of non-human linguistics. I’ve taught myself some Hilichurls, and I just overheard a Hilichurl shaman chanting a spell, so I instinctively spoke up to warn him,” Wang Yan explained. “I can only say, ‘Kiss!’”

Liam stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly grinned, revealing a hearty smile, and patted Wang Yan's shoulder forcefully: "Whether it was a fluke or not, your shout saved at least three lives and saved us a lot of trouble! Good lad!"

As he spoke, he bent down, rummaged around on the Chuchusaman's body, and pulled out a tattered scroll.

"You contributed to this battle. You just said you study writing, right? Here, take this as your share of the profits."

Liam threw the remnants to Wang Yan.

Beside them, a scholar spoke up: "This is a Demon-Sealing Scroll. It has some hieroglyphic patterns on it. It is very ancient and dangerous. According to research, Hilichurl Shamans obtain their spellcasting abilities from it. The Gnostic faction has been buying these things."

Because Wang Yan demonstrated his knowledge and helped everyone resist the invasion, the scholars also began to show goodwill.

As Tinaly said, a scholar should act like a scholar; your knowledge determines your social standing.

"Then I shall accept it without hesitation." Wang Yan took the scroll and did not refuse.

In fact, Wang Yan 'liked' the scroll the moment he saw it.

"Haha, alright, clean up the battlefield and increase vigilance! Tonight, give this... young man Wang Yan an extra portion of meat! It's on me!" Liam shouted with a laugh.

The campsite was immediately filled with scattered agreement and laughter, and the atmosphere truly eased.

The crew began clearing the crossbow bolts and inspecting the carts and goods, while the Gilded Brigade once again dispatched men to expand the patrol area in case the Hilichurls returned.

Chapter 20 Whispers of the Abyss (Please add to your favorites and vote with monthly tickets)

That night.

The banquet following the victory in battle has come to an end.

Although Liam said it was a celebration, he didn't go too far.

After the group finished eating, they took turns resting.