Chapter 189: Raising Flowers Into Trees (III)
Lin Xin put Float to full use, reducing the weight of the four of them, so as to not trouble Haoyue too much. Wang Yuanyuan, Sima Xian and Han Yu walked behind, relying on their external spiritual energy to sustain their movements, making it so that even if they had to walk for a whole day, they would still have no problem to keep up with the pace, to say nothing of the fact Lin Xin occasionally aimed a Float to support them.
The other Demon Hunt Squads had their respective methods; everyone was after all at least at the fourth step of cultivation, so their advancing speed was in no way slower than an ordinary little light cavalry.
Yang Wenzhao led his 2nd Demon Hunt Squad at the rear of the group, and everyone silently kept walking forward. Two hours later, they stopped at a hill, located at a distance of three hundred meters from the demon camps.
Long Haochen was now gathered together with all the Demon Hunt Squad captains, unfolding a map and relying on a mage’s Scouting Eyes to determine their position.
“That’s right, this is the place! According to our intelligence, this path is the one the demons’ logistics team will definitely take.” Long Haochen pointed to a flat dirt road located at the bottom of the hill, as he said so.
Yang Wenzhao replied, “Dawn will come in a mere hour, I believe a few of us should go scout the route while the others stay there to rest and ambush.”
Long Haochen replied, “Our groups would be inferior to the dispatched demons. Is there a summoner with the ability of summoning flying magical beasts among us?”
Hearing him, the others’ eyes lit in surprise. This was after all the first time everyone cooperated together, and for a special military operation. For this reason, speaking of mutual understanding between them was out of the question.
Yang Wenzhao clapped his forehead and said, “My team’s Liao Yu can do it.
It was quite thoughtful of you. I can have him scout the surroundings on his flying magical beast and the mages will be unceasingly encompassing the surroundings with Scouting Eyes.”
Yang Wenzhao explained the operation to Liao Yu with a few sentences, and a moment later, a few fine flying magical beasts quietly rose to the sky before disappearing in a flash.
Duan Yi said, “According to our intelligence, this logistics team will be containing approximately 3000 demons, the absolute majority being low level demons. When the time for battle comes, how should we attack?”
Long Haochen wrinkled his brows, looking at everyone else, replying, “Please voice out your suggestions everyone, feel free to say anything.”
Luc Xi said, “I think we should attack all together. First, the mages would launch their attack. Then, the knights, warriors and summoners would attack all together, and the assassins would join up to aim for the enemy leader. And we, priests, would be in charge of managing the overall situation.”
This Luc Xi was the captain of the 4th Demon Hunt Squad, leader, priest, and only one who reached the fifth step yet in Li Xin’s squad.
Hearing his words, Long Haochen and Yang Wenzhao unawarely wrinkled their brows. The other few Demon Hunt Squad captains thought for themselves but didn’t take the initiative of voicing out their own opinions.
“I think doing so would be inappropriate” Long Haochen started to talk.
“Why?” Luc Xi looked at Long Haochen, somewhat surprised. Being 24 years-old this year, he was at the age limit for participating in this year’s Demon Hunt Squad Competition. He could be considered a senior among everyone here. As such, he was still a bit doubtful about Long Haochen’s strength; this Long Haochen appeared after all far too young. Let alone Luc Xi, all the other Demon Hunt Squad captains felt a bit unwilling to have him acting as the captain of this operation.
Long Haochen said, “If it was the army that operated, there would be no problem with this fighting strategy of yours, Captain Lu. But we are not the army, and the biggest problem in our group is that we are not familiar enough with each other. Under such circumstances, facing more than a thousand enemies, reaching our set objective would be something hard to do. Although we are still more than fifty kilometers away from the demons’ main armies, demons have air force; upon discovering that their logistics team suffered an ambush, their air force will definitely immediately report that, and as long as they manage to hinder us for some time, this mission will be very hard for us to accomplish.”
Luc Xi creased his brow, “Then how do you think we should act?”
Long Hoachen gave his reply, “Each Demon Hunt Squad should fight on their own, breaking into the enemy troops from different locations. Their logistics team is bound to advance in a single-line formation, and since over the past days, in particular with yesterday’s battle, the members of our respective Demon Hunt Squads should have gotten familiar with each other, they should at least have a beginning of coordination and tacit understanding with each other. By launching surprise attacks from different positions, we will not disturb each other and should be able to bring out the best of our fighting strength. As long as we manage to cut off the formation of the logistics team, before setting fire to their supplies, we will be sure to cause large damage to the demons’ side in a very short period of time. We have to do our utmost to win this battle against time.”
Luc Xi remarked in a deep voice, “But did you think about this: this way, some of our Demon Hunt Squads will possibly face attacks of the enemies’ powerhouses from all sides. Each Demon Hunt Squad is only formed of six people, what if one runs into danger under such circumstances?”
Long Haochen seemed to have a card up his sleeves, replying, “I didn’t exclude the possibility of running into such circumstances, but when the time comes, each team will have to provide mutual help and protection for each other, doing its utmost to provide help. Furthermore, considering the strength of each of our groups, even if we run into a powerhouse of the seventh step, we should be able to resist for some time. But the possibility of a powerhouse of the seventh step protecting this logistics team is extremely low. More importantly, no one should forget that this battle is a part of our test. Now, what we should do is to do our best to complete our mission and to reap the most contribution points possible. To ensure our safety will be important, but this mission is also of utmost importance.”
To have managed to become a Demon Hunt Squad member, all of them were smart youths. And from Haochen’s last sentence, everyone immediately came to a realization.
Luc Xi’s eyes suddenly glinted, giving Long Haochen a deep glance, but he did not raise the issue anymore. He secretly felt astonished, because although this Long Haochen was very young, his thinking was quite meticulous, and he responded to him in a calm and wise manner. Even more, he didn’t omit the important points of their test; they had to do their best to complete the mission and reap contribution points.
Without a doubt, Long Haochen arranged what was the most beneficial to them. Everyone belonged to Demon Hunt Squads, and all wished to get the most contribution points possible. If they were to act all together, they would very possibly hold each other back to get contribution points.
Although Long Haochen didn’t say it clearly, Luc Xi naturally came to realize this point. But if each Demon Hunt Squad were to fight in its own way, this problem would naturally not appear. Even if splitting the group like this could seem like splitting their fighting strength, in the end, because each Demon Hunt Squad combined all vocations, their surviving strength increased greatly, and fighting by the side of one’s Demon Hunt Squad would at the same time arouse one’s heart and soul even further. Furthermore, the ten team captains didn’t follow them this time. There would be no one this time to protect them in case they risked total annihilation.
Every captain’s eyes were already lit, and all were eager to give this plan a try. Now, what they thought about was how they could enable the squad they led to kill the most demons possible.
“I approve of Haochen’s suggestion.” Yang Wenzhao was the first to lift his hand.
Duan Yi slightly raised his hand, “I approve it as well.”
Luc Xi took a deep breath, “Approved.”
The four of them immediately had the same opinion, and the other captains understood what Long Haochen meant, and their combat plan was immediately decided. All that was left to do were some minute arrangements.
There was also a gap between the ten Demon Hunt Squad’s strength. Long Haochen’s group, formed of the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th Demon Hunt Squads was placed at the battlefront. This way, they would be able to help the comparatively weaker Demon Hunt Squads if necessary.
The ten Demon Hunt Squads quietly separated, scattering in a hill zone, within a kilometer from each other. Their order of appearance was as is: the 5th Demon Hunt Squad would go first, followed by Long Haochen’s 1st Demon Hunt Squad, then the 6th, the 2nd, the 7th, the 3rd, the 8th, the 4th and the last ones were the 9th and the 10th squad.
The two latter were placed relatively close to each other, and the nearest other squad to them was the 4th Demon Hunt Squad, possessing the most proficient member in the aspect of healing.
When they organized this way, under the fast arrangements of the captains, their formation could be considered neat and tidy; all of them were resting at their assigned locations, calmly waiting for the target of this mission to appear.
The broad and black horizon was gradually taking on a dark blue color; when one little bird after another arrived from a distant place. Soon, each Demon Hunt Squad got some news: their intelligence was accurate; the demon logistics team was coming this way. They would arrive in roughly half an hour, and were approximately 3,000, and were mostly formed of Zelin Dual Bladed Demons and Demonic Eyes.
All the Demon Hunt Squad members started to make their preparations, calmly surveying the scene at their east, from an elevated position.
In the east, the first radiances of dawn shone brightly and a long line of demons appeared in their line of sight.
Eight Zelin Dual Bladed Demons, each dragging the same carriage, happened to approach toward their locations. The mages of each team started to apply the ability Scouting Eyes, seeing that this fleet was formed of roughly two hundred chariots. Only Dual Bladed Demons were pulling them, and some sturdy other Dual Bladed Demons and Demonic Eyes guarded them from both sides. Only a thousand were in charge of guarding the supplies.
“Haochen, our observation didn’t detect any problem, but it seems that there’s something odd in the front of their logistics team.” As Lin Xin released his Scouting Eyes, he told that to Long Haochen in a low voice.
Lin Xin was incapable of attacking, but no other mage could match him on the field of support and assistance. His Scouting Eyes were a lot more accurate than the others.
“Oh? What is the oddity?” Long Haochen hurried to ask.
Lin Xin declared, “The other logistic chariots are leaving deep traces on the ground, but only this one leaves shallow traces on the ground. And more importantly, that logistic chariot is guarded by two Demonic Eye soldiers that look taller than the others and four Dark Green Dual Bladed Demons. It’s as if something important is guarded inside. According to our current deployment, this chariot will be in the scope of our group; I’m afraid our situation will be quite more thorny.”
Long Haochen slightly touched his neck; six specially powerful Demonic Eyes plus four Dark Green Dual Bladed Demon; this was indeed a quite powerful group.
Sima Xian’s eyes filled with fighting spirit, “Who cares about that, let’s beat them up.”
Wang Yuanyuan rubbed her own Divine Soul Shield, and although she didn’t say anything, her three gems were immediately inserted inside, and staring at Long Haochen, she was waiting for his decision.
