My lord, spare his life!

[Evil...] ​​The orca woman was about to take advantage of Zhang Yang's good mood to discuss the three of them being released from their bonds, but she wisely changed her words at the last minute, [Respected Lord Zhang, the warships we sank this time should be enough... enough for that, right? Enough for one person, if you will.]

At least let one of them go back and report.

Zhang Yang: [Not enough.]

The orca woman nearly fainted from anger.

【How could that not be enough?】

They almost had their identities exposed.

"This time, we only killed a detachment of enemy reinforcements, not the main force. The vast majority of the work was done by my men." Zhang Yang spoke bluntly, but seeing the red name above the orca woman's head flashing, she calmly began to soothe her, "Although the three of you are not under my command, I am always fair and just in my rewards and punishments, and I will never forget you."

The orca woman suppressed her long-suppressed anger.

Who cares about the other person's "reward"?

All she wants is freedom!

Zhang Yang grasped the orca woman's hand, gently stroking the back of it, and said sincerely, "My lady is brave, capturing one of the bandit generals for me. If you don't mind, I would like to repay you with a box of small fish."

The orca woman changed the subject: "But then again, the three of us are very close friends and family, and we've always stood together through thick and thin. How could we just abandon one of us and run away alone?" A plate of small fish only has three or four fish.

A box of small fish must contain at least dozens, maybe even a hundred, right?

Zhang Yang was moved by the affection shown by the three orcas.

The orca woman probed further: "Have my two companions received any reward? If they haven't, and I am the only one who has, I cannot accept it. There's a saying among humans: 'Sharing blessings and hardships,' and we orca are the most united of all."

Zhang Yang laughed and said, "Of course they have that too."

The orca woman nodded: "Alright, I thank Mr. Zhang on their behalf. It's best not to trouble yourself with two people at once, and Mr. Zhang is already burdened with worldly affairs; he can't afford to waste time on such a small matter. Any rewards you have, just let me take them back with me; there's no need for you to speak with them individually again."

Zhang Yang felt that something was off about what she said, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Then he looked at the woman in front of him, who looked so serious and honest that she seemed to have the word "honest" etched on her face, and he dismissed his doubts.

When Yuan Xie was cleaning up the spoils, he also tallied the results of the three orcas. Zhang Yang only needed to use this information to catch small fish.

The three orcas received roughly the same reward.

"Should I get soldiers to carry these over for you?"

The orca woman neatly stacked the three large boxes of small fish, lifted them with one hand, and said calmly, "No need. Such a small matter doesn't require troubling Zhang Jun's people. I'll take them back to them."

Only after the orca woman left with the three boxes of small fish did Wang Qi say, "She'll definitely line her own pockets and keep some for herself. She's an orca, not a human."

Corruption and embezzlement are common among humans, so after each war, the distribution of rewards requires the individual signatures of the soldiers to ensure that every pay/reward/compensation reaches the rightful recipient and to prevent middlemen from skimming off the top. But women are like orcas.

Wang Qi: [What happened to the orcas again?]

The law of the jungle in nature is more cruel and straightforward.

Zhang Yang coughed lightly: [I see through it, but I won't say it.]

【you mean?】

Zhang Yang said, "If there really is a middleman taking a cut, isn't this just handing them ammunition? While it won't turn them against each other, it will certainly create resentment. I think that queen wouldn't want her allies to know about her actions that disrupt unity."

One handle can control three orcas.

why not?

Seeing that the mountain spirit knew what was going on, Wang Qi didn't offer any further advice.

Normally, three boxes of small fish wouldn't even be enough to fill a killer whale's teeth, let alone three killer whales.

However, the fish Zhang Yang gave them were different. These fish, like the birdseed that Da Gu and the others ate, contained extremely strong and pure energy; eating just a few was equivalent to a whole group hunting for food. The three orcas gathered together and enjoyed a delicious meal, instantly replenishing the energy they had expended in their beast forms during the day, leaving them quite full. The orca girl glanced at the dolphins lingering around the boat with longing eyes, clicked her tongue, and tossed out a fish bone.

Watching the dolphins scramble for it, the orca girl suddenly spoke.

Where did Zhang Jun hunt these fish?

Although she hadn't yet cultivated to the point where she could summon a tribulation lightning strike, every inch of her bones and muscles had been tempered and refined by pure star power, making her flesh stronger than steel, and the star power stored within her body had reached a certain level. But compared to these small fish, she was still far behind.

Rather than saying these small fish contain pure energy, it would be more accurate to say that pure energy has been molded into the shape of small fish.

Even in the forbidden depths of the Star Sea, it would be difficult to find such a fish, right?

Orca Woman: [Why ask so many questions?]

They just need to eat.

The orca girl chuckled and said, "Don't humans have a saying, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime'? Rather than letting Zhang Jun go through the trouble of fishing there, it's better for us to go hunting ourselves, without troubling her. Isn't that also for her own good?"

Your intentions are too obvious.

Zhang Boyuan wasn't stupid; how could he not understand? For these orcas, if such a place truly existed, they wouldn't trade it for the entire Three Enclosures and Four Symbols Continent. Even if Zhang Boyuan didn't know the place's value, those around her would have told her; why would they reveal it so easily?

The orca girl rubbed her slightly full belly regretfully: "You still have to have dreams, what if they come true?" Unfortunately, we're on different sides.

Otherwise, they would all want to stay by Zhang Yang's side.

The larger the orca pod, the scarcer the food becomes. But if they don't reproduce and expand, their small numbers make them vulnerable to bullying. Otherwise, they wouldn't need to come ashore to find a way to survive. The orca girl burped: [I can't eat anymore, any more and my meridians will be blocked.]

But if these fresh small fish aren't eaten in time, they'll spoil.

Male killer whale: [How about we leave it with Zhang Jun for now?]

Orca Girl and Orca Woman: [...]

That's a really clever idea.

The fish were fresh when they were stored there, so they should be fresh when they get them back. Even if they're not fresh anymore, Zhang Yang still has to give them fresh ones. The male orca said, "[While we're at it, let's subtly find out where these fish came from.]"

It doesn't smell like a river fish.

But it doesn't quite look like a sea fish.

Zhang Yang: [...Are you sure you want to leave your belongings with me?]

She opened the three boxes and looked inside. The box with the orca woman's name on it was the fullest, almost overflowing, while the other two boxes of small fish were much shallower. It seemed the orca really was taking a cut! Zhang Yang pretended not to know and didn't expose the truth. She put the fish into her game inventory, a twitch at the corner of her mouth.

Good grief, three boxes can't be stacked on one game tile. They have different names, so each occupies its own tile.

The already limited game space became even more cramped.

She frowned as she looked at her game backpack, hesitating whether to declutter and get rid of some junk. After looking around, she couldn't bear to throw anything away, so Zhang Yang could only sigh softly, close her eyes, and shut the game backpack.

We'll clean it next time.

If it's barely enough to handle this, then we'll continue using it.

Because of Zhang Dagu's revenge, Zhang Daji's feathers were visibly thinner, and a small bald patch appeared on his head, making him look pitiful. Zhang Yang took out a handful of birdseed, but before Zhang Daji could even bring his beak to peck at it, a bird's claw pressed down on his head.

His head was forced to press tightly against the ground.

Zhang Dagu happily ate his meal alone.

Seeing it reminded Zhang Yang of Zhang Dagu's previous business trip: "How's things progressing in Jiukan?"

Zhang Dagu said he exceeded his target.

Hearing Wang Qi's translation, Zhang Yang was slightly surprised: "You mean Jiukan has gone into internal strife? It seems the kickbacks Jiukan people are taking are bigger than I thought, otherwise the Star Beasts wouldn't be so impatient, turning on the table and killing people the moment they learned the truth. In that case, Jiukan probably can't care about their allies for the time being; we can take this opportunity to eliminate Xuyang." Zhang Dagu tugged at Zhang Yang's sleeve, trying to get his attention.

Zhang Yang looked down at it and teased, "Big Gu, you did a great job! You've made a name for yourself this time. Is there anything you want?"

Zhang Dagu gestured with his wings.

Wang (translator) begins: [It says it wants to take human form.]

Not only must it be more beautiful than Zhang Daji, but it must also be taller, stronger, and more robust. However, there was one more sentence that Wang Qi didn't translate. Wang Qi looked at Zhang Daji with some disdain. Look at that other bird, it gets the credit but doesn't forget to praise its former master.

That little beast Zhang Daji only cares about himself.

Zhang Dagu stared at Wang Qi.

It just can't speak human language, but it can understand human language.

Did that despicable Wang Qi forget to say something?

Noticing Zhang Dagu's gaze, Wang Qi merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his provocative gesture making Zhang Dagu furious.

Upon hearing the mention of transformation, Zhang Yang immediately thought of it.

She gently cradled Da Gu in her hands and said softly, "What kind of look does Da Gu want? We can prepare in advance so we have ample time for refinement. We can make changes if we're not satisfied with anything. Da Ji was pressed for time this time, and many parts aren't quite at their best." This was also something Zhang Yang regretted.

Zhang Dagu was overjoyed and flapped his wings, trying to burrow into Zhang Yang's arms.

Touching her ticklish spot, Zhang Yang couldn't help but smile naturally, her laughter clear and crisp. Wang Qi, holding Zhang Daji by the neck, stared blankly at the mountain spirit, his mind unconsciously recalling the mountain spirit he had seen in his spiritual sea—no matter how skillful the mountain spirit's hands were, capable of a thousand transformations, its soul remained unchanged. Wang Qi was certain that the mountain spirit he had seen that day was its most authentic and pure form.

Zhang Daji, whose neck was being choked: [...]

It felt like it was dying a little.

The army reorganized in place for half a day, repairing ships, treating wounded soldiers, and collecting all the arrows left on the battlefield that could be retrieved, calibrated, and reused.

Zhang Yang planned to secretly meet up with Han Wona along the way.

[Nine Kan has the fewest personnel, but their destructive power in a large-scale battle should not be underestimated. Jingzhi is encountering elite mercenaries from the Star Beast Village... I'm worried that Fulong will also run into some tough opponents.]

What you say comes true.

Before Zhang Yang could even go to find Han Wo, Han Wo arrived first.

The two armies met halfway.

Han Wo, noticing the extensive repairs on Zhang Yang's warships, exclaimed in alarm, "Has my lord encountered a formidable foe?" Several ships were still being repaired while keeping pace with the main force, using salvaged wreckage as makeshift tools. Their dilapidated state certainly gave them a pirate-like appearance. In contrast, Han Wo's side only had slightly soiled clothing…

Didn't Fulong encounter him?

They're just a bunch of insignificant rabble.

The enemy's poor performance led her to suspect a conspiracy.

Only after we finished and called it a day did we realize that the enemy was simply too weak.

After several battles, Han Wo had wiped out the enemy's stronghold and even captured their main base. She also brought back a lot of prisoners, but she was now struggling with how to deal with them—whether to kill them or release them. With her lord away, she needed to ensure her troops had sufficient provisions and supplies, leaving little room for prisoners, let alone any extra food to feed them. Han Wo really didn't want to waste a single grain of food on the prisoners.

Fortunately, they ran into their lord before they ran out of food.

Zhang Yang's lips twitched slightly: [Is this really an elite force?]

Han Wodao said, "I've sent people to inquire. This so-called elite reinforcement was forcibly conscripted in the last two months. The youngest is no more than eight or nine, and the oldest is forty-five or forty-six. The best able-bodied men were carefully vetted by Qin Shiming long ago."

Qin Huang is actively recruiting soldiers in his hometown.

Later, Qin Huang's hometown fell into Zhao Chai's hands, and Zhao Chai showed no mercy to Qin Huang's hometown, exploiting it even more ruthlessly.

Individually, they couldn't even hold a spear properly, let alone fight. [Give them seven days' worth of rations and let them leave on their own. Keeping them around is pointless; they're not of much use anyway. It's better to disband them and let them return to their hometowns to make a living.] Zhang Yang didn't know why, after so many years of warlordism, there were still so many people in the world, but she knew that a place's development depended on its population. A land without people is just a dead land.

Han Wo: [My lord, this action...]

Zhang Yang raised his hand to indicate that she didn't need to persuade him further, and said, "It's alright. Xu Yang is doomed. Even if Zhao Chai receives the news, he'll only have time for his seventh-day memorial service. Letting these people go won't prevent them from leaking our information. In that case, let's give them a way out."

There's no need to exterminate them all.

Han Wo did not immediately accept the order and retreat.

Instead, she looked at Zhang Yang with a strange expression, making Zhang Yang involuntarily touch his face: "What's on my face?"

[My lord, you seem somewhat different than before.]

This world is filled with various mysterious forces, including the so-called "body snatching," so Hanwo has to be on high alert.

Zhang Yang: [It's probably because I've become smarter.]

Her strategic thinking has passed the minimum requirement!

This progress gave her tremendous confidence.

Han Wo nodded upon hearing this: "...It's good to release them. Let them go back alive and spread the word about our lord's benevolent name. Let the world know that our lord is different from the likes of Zhao Chai and Qin Huang. Under the latter, death is certain; only by following our lord can one survive." Zhang Yang, hearing the flattery in Han Wo's words, blushed, a rare occurrence for him.

I hadn't thought that much about it.

She simply felt that even prisoners of war should be treated as living, breathing people, not as a string of useless numbers.

Unexpectedly, the prisoners who received the news were not appreciative. Instead of being overjoyed at regaining their freedom, they burst into tears, knelt on the deck, and kept begging for mercy. But no matter how much they pleaded, they were eventually given seven days' worth of dry rations and forced off the ship.

More than a hundred soldiers disembarked with them.

This was Zhang Yang's idea.

[Letting them take their provisions back home is not an option; they might not comply. I worry these prisoners will become bandits and harm innocent people in the area. Fulong, how about you take another hundred or so fully armored soldiers to keep an eye on them and escort them home?]

Those who wished to return to their hometowns were protected by these soldiers.

Unwilling to return to their hometowns, the soldiers became jailers!

Han Wo: [...My lord, you really haven't been possessed by anyone?]

Could it be that Fan Shuyan's teaching has yielded results?

I don't know what happened, but there was a strange noise coming from the study today. It creaked and groaned for a long time, like some parts were rusty and hadn't been lubricated. Then I realized it was the study's air conditioner… Sigh, it was making me hallucinate…