Chapter 63: The Unorthodox Way: Poison!

"Well, not bad. To think you know so much—splendid! Consider this a meritorious deed. When we launch our attack, you will accompany the rear guard and not charge forward again," Lin Mu instructed with a smile.

"Yes, yes! This humble one thanks Lord Lord for his care! I will certainly follow Lord Lord's orders!" Li Jia replied in a sweet, submissive whisper.

In truth, back in True Dragon Village, Lin Mu had already recognized that this Li Jia possessed a very precious quality, a natural aptitude—or rather, a talent: cartography!

He was able to draw mountain trails after having walked them only once. Though crude and sketchy, his drawings captured both the spirit and form of the terrain. Such a talent was exceedingly rare in ancient times, especially since he had received no professional training and relied solely on his own intuition and memory to create his maps. His potential was remarkable.

It was entirely possible that he possessed the rare special profession of a Cartographer! A military map cartographer! He was of extraordinary value! Ancient military campaigns placed immense importance on the advantages of timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony. Among these, geographical advantage was crucial on the battlefield; tactics such as fire attacks, water floods, and rolling boulders all depended on the lay of the land. To plan and deploy these in advance, military maps were indispensable. Consequently, every military cartographer was immensely precious, particularly those gifted with innate talent.

Although Li Jia currently appeared rather raw, timid, and cowering, as if unfit for any major responsibility, Lin Mu valued the latent talent he had demonstrated. During their ordinary interactions, Lin Mu had repeatedly tested him and concluded that Li Jia's lack of confidence stemmed simply from his youth. To Lin Mu, however, this was unimportant. What mattered was possessing this kind of aptitude and talent. As long as those were present, he could have the talents within his territory cultivate Li Jia's other qualities, bolstering his confidence and enhancing his abilities! Any nurturable quality was a minor matter; raw talent, on the other hand, could not be taught!

Standing before Lin Mu, Li Jia remained utterly respectful and deferential, completely unaware that he had already been entered into the Lord's private pool of talents.

Lin Mu instructed him and a few low-ranking soldiers to guard the supplies and materials, while the rest of the force advanced to assault the Azure Dragon Stronghold.

"Fengjin, we have now reached the vicinity of the Azure Dragon Stronghold. Do you have any sound strategies?" Lin Mu asked Feng Zhong, who was by his side.

"Haha, My Lord, although the Azure Dragon Stronghold currently has a large number of personnel, their military strength is weak. We have three methods to conquer them. First, a direct frontal assault. Before their outer outposts can react, we capture their main camp, and then use the advantageous terrain of the Azure Dragon Stronghold to fend off the soldiers from the three outer outposts. Deprived of logistics, they will not be able to hold out for long. We can then use inducements to make them surrender without bloodshed. Second, a sneak attack. According to that scoundrel Fan Shun, the Azure Dragon Stronghold has three trails, each leading directly to one of the three outer outposts. We can dismantle the outer outposts one by one to deplete their elite forces, leaving us with no worries in our rear when we finally assault the stronghold. Given our strength, taking the Azure Dragon Stronghold will require minimal consumption. Third is the method we discussed earlier: infiltration, using poison to render them unconscious, and then launching an all-out attack to take them," Feng Zhong replied. His strategic acumen was formidable—he was proficient in both civil and military arts, truly worthy of being a divine general!

"Haha, excellent! Fengjin is indeed a master of strategy, brilliant in both civil and military affairs! All three of your methods are viable with our current strength. Which one do you think is best?" Lin Mu asked, exceedingly pleased and gratified. Having a capable subordinate truly made being a lord much easier! Once he got out of the Yinglong Valley, he would shamelessly go abduct a few more divine generals and strategists...

"The first method carries hidden risks in our rear. If we fail to conquer the main Azure Dragon Stronghold in a timely manner, we will find ourselves in the awkward predicament of being caught in a pincer attack. However, given our troop strength, we have a ninety percent chance of taking them swiftly. The second method requires blinding speed to quickly capture the three outer camps and prevent reinforcements from the Azure Dragon Stronghold! Yet, there is a tactical variation we can employ here: we can capture two of the outposts while leaving one untouched, thereby executing a tactic of besieging a point to lure reinforcements. When the main stronghold sends troops to rescue it, we ambush their relief force. With our strength, we have a hundred percent chance of success. The third method is somewhat difficult; we do not know if the Azure Dragon Stronghold possesses warriors with special reconnaissance skills. If they do, our half-baked assassins will not be able to execute the plan," Feng Zhong explained in detail.

"Furthermore, our soldiers are full of youthful vigor and high martial spirit, which easily attracts the attention of the experts in the Azure Dragon Stronghold, making infiltration extremely difficult and the success rate very low! However, this subordinate suggests that My Lord could combine the second and third methods. We can have soldiers infiltrate the surrounding outposts. Although they are stationed in the dangerous Qilian Mountains, they rarely experience the fires of war, so their vigilance will not be very high. They are unlikely to suspect a surprise attack. By using poison to render their soldiers unconscious and then launching a coordinated sneak attack, it should be quite easy to capture them! These outer soldiers should be the elite core of the Azure Dragon Stronghold. Once we deal with them, we can assault the main camp under the cover of night, striking when they are unprepared and taking them completely by surprise," Feng Zhong advised.

"Very well, let us use your strategy, Fengjin. Everyone, rest up, eat some food to restore your stamina, and once the troops have recovered, we will initiate the plan," Lin Mu pondered for a moment and immediately agreed with Feng Zhong's stratagem.

After interrogating Fan Shun earlier, Lin Mu had learned that the soldiers of the Azure Dragon Stronghold generally ventured out in groups to hunt fierce beasts, using this brutal method to level up and hone their combat skills and experience. Moreover, they always sortied in full force. If soldiers could infiltrate their logistics area and administer a paralyzing potion, they could simply wait for the troops to return and eat their meal. Once the drug took effect, they could capture them in one fell swoop, thereby increasing the territory's population once again.

In truth, while Lin Mu wished to capture the Azure Dragon Stronghold without the slightest effort, Feng Zhong had actually intended to advise him that the poisoning strategy had a very low success rate. Their own troops were trained to temper their martial vigor and combat prowess, lacking any training in the ways of assassins, and thus were unsuited for infiltration missions.

Of course, if it were himself or Xiaohu—who had already advanced to the class of a senior warrior—acting as assassins to infiltrate, there would be no problem at all; such experts could freely control their internal martial energy.

However, seeing Lin Mu's radiant and excited smile, Feng Zhong chose not to dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, he waited until they reached the Azure Dragon Stronghold to lay out the pros and cons, confident that Lord Lin Mu would most likely adopt his strategy.

The mysterious item stored in Lin Mu's backpack was precisely a sleeping potion!

This sleeping potion was of Grade 2 quality, painstakingly brewed using the blood of the Howling Silver Wolf King. When Lin Mu mobilized his troops, he had taken all the sleeping potions that had been brewed, intending for them to play a decisive role when conquering the Azure Dragon Stronghold. Furthermore, when the residents of Qingfeng Town were being relocated, he had instructed the returning soldiers to bring back a fresh batch of sleeping potions brewed by the medical hall, just in case they ran short!

A Grade 2 sleeping potion possessed a certain level of effectiveness against junior warriors, while ordinary soldiers would be rendered completely unconscious. When they woke up, they would find themselves securely bound hand and foot.

During the rest period, Lin Mu, Xiaohu, and Feng Zhong sat at the very center of the troop formation.

"My Lord, I've never done anything involving poisoning before. What if I mess it up?" Xiaohu asked, a look of nervousness on his face.

After consulting with Feng Zhong, Lin Mu had decided to have Xiaohu lead a small squad to infiltrate the Azure Dragon Stronghold and plant the sleeping potion in their water source or food supplies. Yet, when receiving these instructions, Xiaohu himself had suddenly grown somewhat timid.

"It's fine. As long as you strictly follow the route we discussed, there won't be any problems. If by any chance you are discovered, prioritize saving your own skin and abandon the mission, understand?" Lin Mu encouraged him. In Lin Mu's eyes, Xiaohu's life was far more important than any so-called mission!

"All right!" Meeting Lin Mu's expectant and trusting gaze, Xiaohu felt a wave of calm wash over him.

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Three chapters completed~~ Asking for recommendation votes and collections!! The total number of recommendation votes is getting close to 1000; once it hits 1000, I'll release another extra chapter!