After finishing his briefing, Counselor Pei quietly stood to one side without offering any advice. This time, they were only providing necessary intelligence; as for what was actually to be done, it was entirely up to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan stared at the map for quite a while before asking, "Is there any intelligence regarding the interior of that enemy camp?"
Counselor Pei shook his head. "The garrison here has conducted reconnaissance several times, but they were intercepted from afar on every occasion, suffering considerable casualties. However, they haven't given up and are still trying as of today. If there is any word later, I'll inform you right away, Supervisor Chen."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I have a good enough sense of the situation. Let's head back first."
Counselor Pei assented, then added, "Let me show you a few more things, Supervisor Chen."
As the two stepped out, Counselor Pei glanced outside the corridor. "Nights in the Confluence are always hard to endure. The former imperial house took advantage of this very edge to strike at us; otherwise, we wouldn't have been put at such a disadvantage."
Chen Chuan looked outside. It had been broad daylight when they first entered the operations room, yet almost in the blink of an eye, the outside world had plunged into total darkness.
Surviving in the wild of the Confluence at night was another challenge he had to face. Fortunately, having inherited part of Chen Bitong's memories and experience, he had already prepared thorough contingency plans.
This time, Counselor Pei led Chen Chuan out of the main building. Beneath the glow of searchlights, they crossed an open clearing and arrived at the airship mooring ground located behind the fort. Two small airships were parked on the plaza. Pei said, "These are the Canglu airships. At five o'clock tomorrow morning, they will transport a contingent of reinforcements to the forward camp. If you wish to go there, Supervisor Chen, you can ride on one of them."
Chen Chuan replied decisively, "I leave tomorrow."
Counselor Pei said, "Very well. Considering the vast expanse of that uncharted region, Supervisor Chen, we notified the personnel here to prepare some means of conveyance for you. Over this way..."
Chen Chuan followed him to the side. Rounding a corner, he saw a stable housing several tall, magnificent horses. The stable had evidently been sprayed with chemical disinfectant, leaving no foul odor.
Counselor Pei walked up to one of the black horses, took the reins, and patted its neck. "These are dragon-nosed horses that we've bred and trained ourselves. Although we don't have the former imperial house's specialized breeding methods, they have gentle temperaments and abundant stamina. Best of all, as a breed cultivated within the Confluence, they can survive outdoors at night just like the native fauna here, so you can bring them along without worry."
Chen Chuan looked them over. These horses all stood roughly two meters at the shoulder, with well-developed muscles and powerful builds. They were indeed formidable, and he gave an approving nod.
Counselor Pei pointed toward a few other horses. "Considering that you will also be carrying supplies, Supervisor Chen, we've prepared two pack horses for you. Even if they are somewhat slower, they are more than capable of bearing your gear."
Chen Chuan could tell at a glance that these pack horses possessed outstanding endurance; their slower speed was of little consequence. Truth be told, the horses were purely for transit to him; if it came to an all-out sprint, even the dragon-nosed horse wouldn't be able to match his pace.
"I appreciate you thinking through everything so thoroughly, Counselor Pei. Thank you," he said.
Counselor Pei waved a hand. "These are trifles. The men fighting on the front lines are putting their lives on the line. I only hope these will be of help to you, Supervisor Chen."
"They will be very useful," Chen Chuan said earnestly. He stepped forward and patted the horse. It submissively lowered its head, standing quietly and obediently.
Counselor Pei said, "Then I will have the horses loaded onto an airship later. The Canglu departs at five tomorrow morning. Supervisor Chen, get some rest early." With that, he saluted Chen Chuan, turned, and walked toward the mooring ground.
Chen Chuan didn't linger outside long either. After familiarizing himself with the horses, he returned to the temporary quarters assigned to him by the garrison.
He took a quick shower, brewed a hot drink, and sank into an armchair. Tapping his boundary credential, he brought up a map from its storage.
This was Chen Bitong's cartographic data. Around and inside that uncharted region were scattered red and green dots, along with a few grey ones. Most of these marked native settlements; red indicated hostility, while green signified they could be approached. Grey represented unknown stances, where their reception would depend on the circumstances.
Winding curves crisscrossed the map, marking the hidden trails Chen Bitong had mapped out that could be traversed.
Of course, "traversable" only applied to someone of Chen Bitong's caliber. The wilderness of the Confluence was rife with unpredictable hazards and unknown creatures; no ordinary third-limit fighter could guarantee safe passage through those paths.
His gaze shifted to the current location of the Linax Federation's camp. On Chen Bitong's map, that had originally been an expansive native settlement. Presumably, the two factions had either slaughtered or driven away the inhabitants to seize the site.
However, they certainly wouldn't have established just a single camp. Even around this garrison fortress, dense networks of sentry posts, trenches, and permanent fortifications were spread out.
One could easily imagine that surrounding the enemy camp were layers of fortifications and smaller outposts. If he were to charge straight in along the main road, he would likely have to fight his way through each of those defensive positions one by one. Even if he could pull it off, by the time he reached his goal, the enemy would have long been prepared.
Therefore, he intended to take a detour this time, outflanking around via the side paths to launch a surprise attack against the camp's vulnerable flank and rear. Crushing this camp would effectively sever the supply line and retreat route of the expeditionary team that had pushed deep into the uncharted region, making them far simpler to deal with afterward.
Having settled on a plan, he put further thoughts aside. Draining his hot drink in one gulp, he rose and walked into the adjacent training room, sitting down to regulate his breathing.
After a night of rest, the time reached four thirty the next morning.
Chen Chuan washed up and tidied his gear. Taking up the Xuejun Saber, he called Chaoming, lifted his trunk, and walked out.
Counselor Pei was already waiting in front of the mooring ground. As Chen Chuan approached, Pei extended a hand to shake his.
"Supervisor Chen, the three horses have been stowed in the lower hold of the airship. If you do not plan on heading to our forward camp first and need to disembark midway, just let the captain know, and he will lower them down for you. Lastly, I wish you every success on this mission."
"Thank you," Chen Chuan replied.
Counselor Pei released his hand, stepped back, and offered a crisp salute.
Chen Chuan returned the salute, then turned and ascended the gangway into the airship. Stepping inside, he swept his eyes across the cabin, noting two twelve-man squads of soldiers seated there, each sporting visible combat implants. These two squads were part of the reinforcements heading to the forward camp; aboard the other airship were four more squads of the same composition.
He was dressed in civilian clothes this time rather than his supervisor uniform, so the soldiers remained seated without reacting when they saw him. He picked a secluded spot, sat down, and rested the Xuejun Saber beside him.
After a short wait, the two airships lifted off from the fortress one after the other. Amidst the thrum of propellers, they soared toward the distant sky.
Chen Chuan sat alone with his eyes closed to rest his mind, regulating his breathing, while Chaoming remained obediently by his side.
One of the squad members looked toward Chen Chuan and nudged his companion with the toe of his boot. The latter had been dozing off, and feeling the nudge, glanced over in surprise. The first soldier gestured slightly toward Chen Chuan and whispered, "Is that a fighter?"
"Has to be."
The other soldier glanced at the Xuejun Saber and murmured, "A blade that long isn't something an ordinary person can swing."
The first man whispered, "I hear the fighting up front is fierce. The former imperial house deployed a lot of warriors. Isn't one lone fighter a bit thin for reinforcement?"
"That's not for us to worry about," his teammate replied. "Catch some sleep while you can. Once we arrive, we won't get another chance."
The airship cabin fell quiet once more.
Several hours later, Chen Chuan suddenly opened his eyes. He tapped his boundary credential, which roughly displayed their current position on the map based on the terrain. The passage he intended to take was not far ahead.
He sent a message to the captain along with a set of geographic coordinates.
A moment later, two crewmen came over and heaved open the rear hatch. A rush of cold, damp air flooded inside, instantly jolting everyone in the cabin awake.
What were they doing?
Chen Chuan picked up the Xuejun Saber and rose to his feet. He gave Chaoming a gentle pat on the head, and the bird immediately spread its wings and flew out. Chen Chuan grabbed the trunk beside him and walked out onto the unrailed rear platform.
By now, the airship was slowing down and losing altitude. Chen Chuan tossed the trunk down toward the ground first, then leaped straight off the platform.
The soldiers in the cabin were dumbfounded. They were still at least one to two hundred meters above the ground. Jumping from this height... was he serious?
Chen Chuan plummeted through the air. Looking down at the approaching earth with wind whistling past his ears and his red scarf fluttering behind him, his expression remained completely calm.
He had initially intended to brace for the impact directly. But just as he was about to hit the ground, a surge of power transmitted through the fluttering red scarf, instantly lightening his body. When his feet touched the earth, he barely felt any impact at all.
Looking at the drifting scarf, he said softly, "Thank you, Hongfu."
He turned toward Chaoming, who had already located the dropped trunk. Seeing no unexpected threats and confirming that the area was relatively safe, Chen Chuan walked over to the trunk, caught the strap, and hoisted it from the mud.
Turning around, he signaled to the airship. The vessel descended further and opened its lower cargo hatch; standing upon a sling platform, the three horses were slowly lowered to the ground.
Once they touched down, Chen Chuan stepped forward, unfastened their safety tethers, and led them off the platform. He signaled upward again, whereupon the airship sealed its hatch and slowly climbed back into the sky.
Chen Chuan turned back and unpacked his gear from the trunk, strapping the loads across the backs of the two pack horses.
Once everything was secured, he swung onto the black dragon-nosed horse and looked toward the rushing river and dense woods in the distance. A clear cry echoed from the sky as Chaoming surged ahead in flight.
Chen Chuan withdrew his gaze and flicked the reins. Beneath him, the dragon-nosed horse broke into a gallop, its hooves churning the ground as it surged forward.
Chapter 718