"I can lead the way!" Vika hurriedly said.
"Forget it then."
Luo De put away the map, "By the time you get there, your tribesmen might have already been turned into corpses and taken away."
Luo De planned to directly send someone to deliver the letter to the edge of Razor Plain.
With the delivery by Eagle, it could be reached in less than a day.
As for the location of the Silver Claw Tribe, those Eagle Feather Barbarians would control the Eagles to find it.
"Do you have any secrets in your Silver Claw Tribe, or sayings that are only circulated within the tribe?"
Luo De explained, "When my soldiers say it, your tribesmen will follow him."
Vika slightly shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "There are no such sayings, but there are some little secrets about my tribesmen."
"Hmm, thatāll do."
Luo De motioned for Vivian to take out a notebook for recording, "Alright, go ahead."
"Nessa liked chasing her tail until she was five, when a snake bit off half of it."
"Sarika once picked up rabbit droppings thinking they were treasures."
"Lai Te likes to talk in his sleep and often wets the bed while doing it."
...
Vika revealed over a dozen secrets about his tribe, all of them were embarrassing scandals.
To save his tribesmen, Vika couldnāt care about these details now.
Vivian recorded everything, laughing while doing so.
"Just do your job honestly, Iāll take care of the rest."
Luo De stood up and left the cell without turning back.
Vika stared intently at Luo Deās back, unable to withdraw his gaze.
He didnāt know if he could save his tribesmen this time.
...
...
In the valley of Razor Plain.
In the cave, Rein and Gang Le sat facing each other around a stone platform.
Charcoal lines formed nine small squares on the stone platform, creating a three-by-three grid.
Rein and Gang Le each held five small white and black stones.
This was the "Siege" game passed down in the Broken Rock Empire.
"Siege" was an ancient strategy game, similar to tic-tac-toe on Blue Star, but a bit more complex.
Each player had five pieces, which they took turns placing on a 3Ć3 grid, aiming to form a straight line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) or trap the opponent so they canāt move.
This game was simple and easy to learn, needing just a few stones and some drawn lines on the ground, very popular both in the military and in Frost Leaf Town.
Rein and Gang Le were in the middle of a match, with two other lordsā Knights watching.
Rein frowned, carefully scrutinizing the board.
His fingers hovered above a white piece, reluctant to place it down.
"Hurry up, Rein!"
Gang Le impatiently tapped on the table.
"Quit dawdling, weāre not wagering credits, just betting on snowballs."
He grabbed some jerky and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously.
Rein remained unmoved, silently contemplating the consequences of each move.
"The Lord said, if youāre in a hurry to drink hot soup, youāll get burned."
Rein said calmly, "One wrong move, every step wrong."
"In a battle, the enemy wonāt wait for you to think slowly."
Gang Le rubbed the stone table, grinning, "One sword strike, either I live or you die."
Rein said nothing, placed a white piece, blocking one of Gang Leās paths.
Gang Le widened his eyes, realizing he was about to lose.
"Something important came up, I quit."
Gang Le stood up without hesitation.
"Youāre cheating, Gang Le, you were about to lose..."
As Reinās words trailed off, Tucson came running over,
"My Lords, the Saint Master has sent new orders!"
Rein and Gang Le simultaneously lifted their heads to look at Tucson.
But Tucson didnāt speak, his gaze inadvertently fell on the two other unfamiliar Knights.
These Knights were from Baron Blom and the Baron of Long Winter Town, here to help clear the Lizardman burial pit.
These two Knights caught on quickly, greeted Rein and Gang Le, then left the cave.
After the Knights left, Tucson took out a letter and handed it to Gang Le.
Gang Le casually passed it to Rein,
"Here, read it and tell me what it says."
Rein took the letter, swiftly scanning its contents.
"Itās about the Lordās previous instructions for us to prepare."
Rein said, "This time thereās a specific location."
"Do we really have to rescue those Mountain Cat People?"
Gang Le glanced through it briefly, kept the last page of the letter, and threw the rest into the fire.
Two days ago, Luo De had already transmitted the order to find the location of the Silver Claw Tribe, and commanded readiness to act at any moment.
"Their concealment abilities are excellent, with proper training they could greatly aid the Lord."
Rein stood up, began organizing his hunting bow and arrows,
"Besides, we canāt let the Lizardmen succeed in what they intend to do."
"Your last point is very right."
Gang Le stretched his neck and shoulders, "Itās been a while since Iāve exercised, letās see if I can meet a Lizardman and chop off a few heads."
...
...
In a secluded pine forest within the deep mountain gorge.
Dozens of low, simple tents were hidden beneath the pine trees.
The exteriors of these tents were completely covered in pine branches and snow, making them indistinguishable from afar, looking just like a cluster of pine trees.
This was the temporary camp of the Mountain Cat People.
Pits were hidden below the tents, where several elderly Mountain Cat People sat together.
Their eyes were filled with worry, their tails hung lifelessly to the ground.
"There has been no news from Leader Vika for a long time."
An elderly, hunched Mountain Cat Person trembled as he spoke.
His claw tightly gripped a cane, "Could it have failed?"