Chapter 53: The Special Space Equipment—The Marching Pack

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“What? Sir, you intend to attack the Azure Dragon Stronghold? That place is guarded by our Grand Commander, the Legion General himself! His combat prowess is unmatched, undefeated in the Kuaiji Commandery’s capital city, and he’s a renowned fierce warrior throughout Yangzhou!” Fan Shun gasped, astonished by the audacity of these unruly rebels to pit themselves against such a formidable opponent—like eggs against a rock, courting death. With that thought, Fan Shun quickly backtracked, “Ah, no, no, how could the Grand Commander of Azure Dragon Stronghold be a match for Your Excellency? I see that your men are mighty and invincible, with heroic generals emerging one after another. Attacking Azure Dragon Stronghold will be a mere trifle; we will crush their legion commander until he’s battered and broken, ha ha!”

“Ha ha, very well, then I look forward to us beating the Azure Dragon legion commander to a pulp!” Lin Mu laughed, fully aware of Fan Shun’s intentions but not irritated. He possessed god-tier generals himself; although this god-tier general had yet to reach his peak, a mere legion commander was hardly a threat.

Afterward, Lin Mu began to inquire step by step about the layout and troop strength of Fan Shun’s mountain strongholds. To Lin Mu’s surprise, Fan Shun cooperated fully, spilling all he knew as if emptying a sack of beans, as though eager for Lin Mu to launch an immediate assault on Azure Dragon Stronghold.

From Fan Shun’s words, Lin Mu learned that Azure Dragon Stronghold currently had a population of 150,000, but eighty percent were new recruits. Only 10,000 were fourth-rank soldiers, and 20,000 were third-rank soldiers. Their military strength was at its weakest this year, making it the perfect opportunity for an offensive that must not be missed.

One willing to strike, one willing to bear it—the interrogation went unexpectedly smoothly, leaving Lin Mu half-amused, half-bewildered.

“All right, I have a general understanding of Azure Dragon Stronghold’s situation. Now tell me, why are you consolidating Qingfeng Stronghold? Such a small mountain base must be insignificant in the eyes of your Grand Commander. Why suddenly attack it?” Lin Mu asked, probing the true purpose of their mission.

“We attack them because our Grand Commander, by chance, discovered that this small Qingfeng Stronghold produces a special local product—the ‘Marching Bag’—which greatly benefits us soldiers leading military lives. Though it’s just a rumor, we adhere to the principle of ‘better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one escape.’ So we have long planned to weaken Qingfeng Stronghold gradually and absorb them, to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures and ultimately obtain their secret recipe,” Fan Shun explained candidly.

“We frontline soldiers are just the vanguard. There will be more troops following behind,” Fan Shun revealed. Such information could likely be learned from the locals in those mountain strongholds. Though the product was unconfirmed by the Azure Dragon Army and even their interrogations of Qingfeng’s people yielded little valuable info, they still aimed to bring the entire stronghold under control, fearing otherwise they wouldn’t get the formula.

“What? The special product ‘Marching Bag’? A spatial equipment product!” Lin Mu’s heart leapt upon hearing this. Such a product was incredibly precious. In war and travel, what is most vital? Provisions, weapons, and medicine—all of which are crucial.

Transporting these essentials usually relied on supply wagons and the like. Although players could carry supplies in backpacks, each player had only 36 inventory slots, each holding up to 99 units, totaling about 3,600 units—mere drops in the ocean compared to the tens or hundreds of millions of units needed.

Moreover, many native commanders and governors did not trust players and would not allow them to transport supplies unless absolutely necessary. Entrusting the army’s entire fate to player outsiders would be foolish beyond measure.

In the eyes of many high-ranking natives, players were of even lower status than commoners from humble origins, often regarded as rootless weeds destined to wither away.

Thus, the marching bag was crucial. If every soldier possessed a spatial equipment bag, fully stocked with their own provisions, weapons, and medicines, with no worries about logistics, they would be invincible in battle, conquering all.

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Lin Mu was ecstatic to learn that Qingfeng Stronghold produced the special “Marching Bag.” It was an indispensable item for marching, fighting, plundering, and traveling.

Natives and players had many differences; besides players’ ability to resurrect, their 36-slot backpacks already gave them far more convenience than natives.

Spatial equipment among natives was extremely rare. Except for some high officials, noble families, and wealthy merchants, ordinary peasants and soldiers barely had access to such items. Even if the government or major guilds sold spatial equipment, it was prohibitively expensive and beyond the reach of common folk—a luxury item.

Natives and players each had their strengths and weaknesses, perhaps by design of the great goddess Nüwa herself.

If Lin Mu could obtain the ‘Marching Bag’ production recipe, he could mass-produce them within his own territory. Ideally, he would equip his entire army with them, eliminating worries about logistics during campaigns. Every native soldier would then possess endurance akin to that of players!

It seemed the greatest prize from Qingfeng Stronghold was not the villagers themselves but this special product.

No wonder Azure Dragon Stronghold wanted to seize Qingfeng—such a temptation was irresistible.

Any farsighted general would not miss the chance to acquire the technology to produce marching bags. Lin Mu, naturally, would not yield.

In his previous life, Lin Mu had the best spatial equipment—a treasure pouch with one hundred slots, much larger than the current 36-slot backpacks.

Upon receiving this earth-shattering information, Lin Mu no longer felt like interrogating Fan Shun. He had his soldiers settle Fan Shun down, instructing them not to mistreat him. No lavish food, just simple meals to keep him alive. After capturing Azure Dragon Stronghold, Lin Mu was confident this exceptional mid-tier general would have no choice but to submit obediently to his lordship.

Lin Mu intended to leave the mountain stronghold’s main hall to find Gao Hai for a discussion. After all, they were already like fish on his chopping block. Yet before Lin Mu could step out, Gao Hai appeared before him.

“Village Chief Lin Mu, I have matters to discuss. Shall we talk inside?” Gao Hai said respectfully, folding his hands mysteriously.

Lin Mu sensed Gao Hai’s purpose and casually replied, “Very well, Chief Gao, please lead the way!” Lin Mu already felt like the master of this place.

Gao Hai did not object, knowing when to seize the moment, and walked ahead.

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They reached a secluded side chamber, just the two of them. Gao Hai spoke first: “Village Chief Lin Mu, I understand from that Azure Dragon soldier the reason why Azure Dragon Stronghold swallowed up our Qingfeng Stronghold. I will get straight to the point: I am willing to offer the production blueprint of our stronghold’s special product—the Marching Bag. At the same time, I hope Qingfeng Stronghold may submit to Your Excellency, settling in True Dragon Village as your subjects. I only ask that the lord provide some care and a safe home for all of our people, nothing more. I beg your mercy, my lord!”

Ha ha, Lin Mu favored straightforward dealings, no beating around the bush. It seemed Chief Gao was resigned to his fate. Though lacking strategic foresight militarily, he was outstanding in benevolent governance and loving his people. Lin Mu judged him suitable for leadership in times of peace.

“Chief Gao, didn’t you entrust me with a task? I have yet to complete it. Are you truly willing to submit? Are you not afraid I will come to crush Azure Dragon Stronghold?” Lin Mu asked, curious rather than proud upon hearing Gao Hai’s words.

“From what I have seen of your soldiers’ quality, my lord, you could repel countless armies and roam the world freely. Azure Dragon Stronghold is no match for you now. Moreover, you have helped our village and comforted our people. You are a just and benevolent lord, not one to break faith. No matter how the campaign against Azure Dragon Stronghold goes, I am willing to lead 140,000 villagers to submit to Lord Lin Mu, hoping for your care,” Gao Hai replied sincerely.

“Very well. Since Qingfeng Stronghold is willing to settle in True Dragon Village, from now on we are one family. Since your villagers can produce the Marching Bag, I will entrust production tasks to you. I hope you will not disappoint me!” Lin Mu said.

“Good, good! We will not fail to meet the lord’s expectations!” Gao Hai said happily. By contributing the production blueprint, he hoped to hold this technology in hand, increasing his influence and status, avoiding becoming a marginalized figure in the territory.

Self-preservation requires a solid foundation and position, lest one become cannon fodder—this was a lesson many understood well.

Valuable talents are never easily discarded; Gao Hai understood this deeply.

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There will be three updates today. Please consider recommending and bookmarking the story! Thank you all for your support, and thanks to [Wuyin Benzun], [Qianshang], [Evil God’s Touch], and [He Jia Shaoyong] for their generous rewards! Also, thank you for every recommendation, bookmark, and comment! Much appreciated!~~