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墨書 Inktalez
"What use is this?"
People often react with curiosity when encountering something they have never seen before, and Ye Huan was no exception. At that moment, he was staring at the slightly yellowed map in Weiyang's hand, muttering to himself, unable to comprehend what Weiyang was trying to convey, his face filled with confusion.
"This is a map of Huaxia Nation from fifteen years ago. It not only marks the locations of various towns but also describes the geographical situation nearby." Seeing Ye Huan's bewildered expression, Weiyang quickly provided an explanation. Then, as if recalling something, he lightly tapped a spot on the upper left corner of the map and said, "Look at this city; this is Liangzhou."
Following Weiyang's instruction, Ye Huan leaned closer to the map. Upon closer inspection, while the location of Liangzhou City itself was inconsequential, the surrounding mountains marked in red caught his attention.
Mountain City...
In an instant, the term flashed through Ye Huan's mind. However, as he looked at the map, he was filled with questions. Logically speaking, Mountain City should be one of those places that are easy to defend and hard to attack. The surrounding mountains served as a natural barrier for the city. How could it have been breached by the Southern Xiongnu Empire?
Could it be that the lord of Liangzhou at that time was an idiot?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt; Ye Huan's brows furrowed deeply.
"Are you wondering how such a city could fall?" Noticing Ye Huan's frown, Weiyang puffed out his plump belly and assumed a knowledgeable demeanor, confident that if Ye Huan asked for clarification, he would eagerly step in to enlighten him.
Ignoring Weiyang's comment, Ye Huan continued to ponder quietly, even placing himself in the position of an attacker, considering what results would ensue if he were to assault Liangzhou City, surrounded by mountains like an impregnable fortress.
Airborne troops?
No, there were no airborne soldiers in this era.
Tunnels?
Creating a tunnel through the continuous mountain range would be far too troublesome.
Was it seduction?
...
A series of strategies were continuously dismissed in Ye Huan's mind, and his thoughts became increasingly clear. Suddenly, he recalled the historical dramas he had watched in the past, which often featured scenes where an army surrounded a city that was difficult to breach...
"Surround but do not attack!"
He lightly uttered those four words, finally grasping the crux of the issue. To deal with such a city, the key was to deplete its food supplies, forcing it to surrender—that was the true way.
Moreover, Ye Huan also understood Zhao Wujie's fundamental intention in sending him to assess the military strength of Liangzhou City. If there were many soldiers within Liangzhou City, then the tactics used by the Southern Xiongnu Empire against Huaxia would be ineffective. However, what if the military forces in Liangzhou City were not sufficient?
Using their own methods against them!
As an emperor, Zhao Wujie had lost his territory. If he did not want to reclaim it, he would be unworthy of being called a ruler. Furthermore, Zhao Wujie did not want to marry his little princess to Ye Huan; even if Ye Huan died, it would have nothing to do with him. Such a good opportunity—why not take advantage of it?
Meanwhile, Weiyang was astonished and gaped at Ye Huan after hearing what he said. She suspected that Ye Huan must have heard about Liangzhou's fall before; otherwise, how could someone who grew up in the royal capital know so much about the old events surrounding Liangzhou?
That said, Weiyang was well aware of the young nobles in the royal capital. Almost all of them, except for members of the three major associations, spent their days indulging in pleasures and living extravagant lives, showing no concern for national affairs.
"By the way, Weiyang, after going around in circles, you still haven't told me how this map relates to our trip to Liangzhou?"
Struggling to push Zhao Wujie out of his mind, Ye Huan looked up just in time to see Weiyang with her mouth wide open. He then remembered that the terrain near Liangzhou seemed unrelated to their journey and couldn't help but ask.
"Uh, how could it not be related? It takes at least three to five days to get from here to Liangzhou. Plus, Liangzhou is surrounded by mountains; we need to prepare some dry rations and necessities," Weiyang said with a serious expression, blinking her small eyes. She didn't dwell on whether Ye Huan's earlier murmuring was something he already knew or merely guessed.
Whether it was just an illusion or not, seeing Weiyang's expression made Ye Huan feel that she must be hiding something from him. However, Weiyang was right; they indeed needed to prepare food for several days on the mountain roads. During those few days of fleeing earlier, Ye Huan had already consumed all the dry rations he had brought from the royal capital.
Nodding lightly, Ye Huan acknowledged what Weiyang had said, and the two of them left the room, heading out to purchase some everyday necessities.
As they walked, Ye Huan continued to chat with Weiyang and casually asked how the grandson of the Mage Association ended up in Beiyuan City. "I mean, Weiyang! Why aren't you staying in the capital? Why come all the way here?"
"Do you think I wanted to? It's just that my grandfather said something about how mages need to gain experience..."
Rolling his eyes, Weiyang scratched his head in frustration. Even with his plump belly, he couldn't help but hunch his back slightly, clearly reluctant.
Experience? What kind of experience?
Upon hearing the term 'experience,' Ye Huan was puzzled, his mind filled with question marks.
"Don't you know that every Professional must hunt a Fourth-Level Beast alone after reaching level four to exchange for a level four certification at the association?" Noticing Ye Huan's confused expression, Weiyang looked at him as if he were a monster. At the same time, a scene flashed through his mind—Ye Huan wielding an M4A1 and swiftly taking down numerous black-clad figures. He no longer doubted Ye Huan's level.
"Hunt a Fourth-Level Beast?"
Ye Huan was aware of magical beasts. In this Nine Provinces Continent, the Summoner in the Summoning Book used by summoners was a type of magical beast. However, they were known for their gentle nature, while magical beasts themselves were quite aggressive. Generally speaking, magical beasts lived in remote areas. Hunting a Fourth-Level Beast to prove one's strength as a level four Professional seemed rather troublesome.
Thinking about this, Ye Huan wanted to ask where magical beasts typically appeared. However, Weiyang suddenly seemed to discover something new; he raised his hand lightly and pointed toward a small stall not far ahead, hurrying over in that direction.
In contrast to the bustling shops of the capital, Beiyuan City's streets were filled with vendors. Many pushed carts laden with various goods for people to choose from, resembling mobile stalls. The direction Weiyang was heading toward was one such mobile stall filled with an assortment of dried goods.
Rice cakes, wheat cakes, and even dried vegetables...
"Boss, I'll take five pounds of wheat cakes and another five taels of dried vegetables!" Standing excitedly beside the stall, Weiyang shouted loudly enough for Ye Huan to hear clearly.
Having spent some time in this world and piecing together information from Ye Huan's memories along with his own understanding, Ye Huan concluded that this world resembled ancient times in his original world. The writing system, language, and measurement units were all similar; even daily expenses primarily involved gold and silver, supplemented by banknotes.
Therefore, Ye Huan did not find it strange what Weiyang said; instead, he wanted to walk over to Weiyang and see if there was anything delicious to eat.
As he lifted his leg, out of the corner of his eye, Ye Huan clearly saw a dark shadow flash past him and dart into an unknown alley by the street.
The buildings in Beiyuan City were mostly single-story houses, and alleys like this were quite common. It wasn't surprising to find such a passageway, but what truly caught Ye Huan's attention was that fleeting shadow.
'Could it be that those guys from Dragon Hall are still unwilling to give up?'
Casting his gaze toward the direction where the shadow had disappeared, an inexplicable and terrifying thought suddenly emerged in Ye Huan's mind, sending a chill rising from his feet…
In terms of long-range combat, with his Fragmented Grenade, M4A1, and Desert Eagle, Ye Huan would not fear those men in black. However, in close combat, he felt that even nine lives would not be enough against these martial artists. Moreover, if they launched a surprise attack, Ye Huan feared it would be even more humiliating for him to die.
With this thought in mind, Ye Huan hurriedly made his way to Weiyang's side, eager to leave Beiyuan City as soon as possible and inform Weiyang about the black-clad figures he had just spotted.
"Are you saying those men in black might still come after you?" After hearing what Ye Huan said, Weiyang finished packing the dried food she had just bought and turned her gaze toward the alley Ye Huan mentioned, quietly asking him.
Without hesitation, Ye Huan nodded. He was filled with frustration; the reason he had killed so many from Dragon Hall was not only for venting but also to make those men in black retreat. Who would have thought they hadn’t left? This was truly beyond Ye Huan's expectations.
Furthermore, up until now, Ye Huan still hadn't figured out how many of them there were. This was too passive for his liking.
Just as Ye Huan and Weiyang were entangled in how to deal with these men in black, a sudden sound of hoofbeats reached their ears from a distance. A group of unusually dressed individuals appeared behind them…
Countless small vendors erupted into chaos upon seeing these people. Even the old man who had just sold dried food to Weiyang was no exception; he hurriedly pushed his cart away, looking more terrified than if he had seen the White Impermanence.
"Quickly! The Town Enforcers are coming!"
"What? The Town Enforcers? Everyone run!"
"Make way, make way!"
Shouts, chaos, and screams echoed through the streets as the vendors hurriedly fled, skillfully pushing their carts into the narrow alleys.
In the blink of an eye, only Ye Huan and Weiyang remained on the street, exchanging puzzled glances, unsure of what had just transpired.
'City Enforcers? Could it be...'
Reflecting on the cries of the small merchants, Ye Huan felt an unsettling familiarity with the scene unfolding before him, as if he had been transported back to the bustling streets of the Twenty-First Century. A phrase he once read on a military forum resurfaced in his mind: 'The city management teams of a certain country are a formidable paramilitary organization capable of operating around the clock with just a battered van or pickup truck!'
Turning in surprise, Ye Huan didn’t see any vans or pickups, but he did spot about a dozen horses nearby. The riders were clad in matching dark blue martial arts uniforms, surrounding him and Weiyang from less than two meters away, each wielding a three-foot-long wooden stick.
The leader stood out among them; although he was a man, he had long hair cascading over his shoulders. His pale complexion gave him a somewhat effeminate appearance. He was quite handsome with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a high nose bridge—overall, he could be considered a striking figure.
Behind him, the others appeared to be weathered by long exposure to sun and wind, their skin a healthy shade of dark brown. Their muscular limbs stretched their clothing tightly.
These must be the Town Enforcers that the vendors had mentioned.
At the same time that Ye Huan was observing these individuals, the pretty boy leading them was also scrutinizing Ye Huan and Weiyang. His bright eyes lingered on Ye Huan for quite some time before shifting to Weiyang. After sizing him up thoroughly, his gaze narrowed as it focused on a package behind Weiyang.
There lay the provisions that Weiyang had just purchased...
After a moment's pause, the handsome man withdrew his gaze and suddenly waved his hand. Pointing his stick at Weiyang, he shouted loudly, "Grab that fat one!"
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