Chapter 85 - 84: Attacking the Purple Fruit Tribe

The next morning, Ronin and his men ate brunch, then set out for the Purple Fruit Tribe along a small path, led by Wodun and Dandy.

He chose to depart at this time, rather than leaving before dawn as he had the day before, for two reasons. First, he wanted to give the Guards on this expedition more time to rest.

Second, he wanted to arrive at the Purple Fruit Tribe around nightfall. By then, people would be returning from their work, making it easier to surround the settlement.

With fewer men this time, the group traveled much lighter. The path was also frequently used. While it was no main road, it was far better than the wild forests between Mountain Forest Town and the Cyan Bamboo Tribe.

As a result, their pace was much faster and the journey much easier than the day before.

However, Ronin was in no hurry.

He deliberately slowed their pace to conserve the team’s energy. He also had Wodun and Dandy find a relatively secluded spot not far from the Purple Fruit Tribe, where they could stop and rest while waiting for the optimal time to attack.

Ronin gazed at the rolling hills before him, his mind filled with concerns about the future development of his territory.

He might possess this endless forest with its vast timber resources, but transportation remained a persistent problem.

Forget processing the timber and shipping it to other cities for sale; even transporting it from the Cyan Bamboo Tribe to Mountain Forest Town was a major issue—the paths were impassable for horse-drawn carts.

’To get rich, you must first build roads. It’s the same in any world.’

’The Purple Fruit Tribe has the smallest population, so they probably don’t have much cultivated land. I can move all of them to Mountain Forest Town. The able-bodied men can form a road construction crew and start by clearing a path between Mountain Forest Town and the Cyan Bamboo Tribe.’

This was Ronin’s initial plan.

He had no intention of moving everyone from the Cyan Bamboo Tribe to Mountain Forest Town. They had already cultivated nearly a thousand mu of land there, which he wasn’t willing to abandon casually. Besides, the large cyan bamboo forest was a valuable resource with many uses.

In addition to the road between Mountain Forest Town and the Cyan Bamboo Tribe, a path to the Grey Soil Tribe would also need to be built. It would be a massive undertaking.

Besides, this wasn’t Earth. Building roads through the mountains meant contending with wild animals and Magical Beasts. He had to mitigate the environmental risks to ordinary people.

"After this war against the Wilderness Tribes is over, I plan to form a Hunter Squad."

Ronin looked at Ridder and Macken on either side of him. "This Hunter Squad’s primary mission will be to sweep the forest lands between Mountain Forest Town and the Cyan Bamboo, Purple Fruit, Grey Soil, and eventually, the Black-collar Tribes. They will kill or drive out any particularly dangerous Magical Beasts and wild animals."

"Wild animals, and especially Magical Beasts, possess strong instincts and a degree of intelligence."

"As we conduct these sweeps, the beasts will learn that this area is dangerous and won’t dare approach it lightly. This will provide better protection for the road construction crews."

Ridder agreed. "My Lord, our number of Knights will increase significantly after this war. If we just have them perform routine training and sparring every day, their improvement will be limited. A truly powerful Knight needs to experience the thrill of real combat and be tempered on the edge of life and death."

"Yes, my Lord!"

Macken agreed as well. Ronin had actually mentioned this idea during their first expedition into the mountains, and Macken had kept it in mind ever since.

"I think we could form multiple squads of three Transcendents each. Some squads could be responsible for clearing out the nearby wild animals, while others could enter the Wushan Demon Beast Mountain Range from the Black Iron Forest to hunt Magical Beasts."

Ronin listened to their suggestions and nodded slowly.

’Forming a Hunter Squad would not only solve the safety issue for the road workers but also give the Transcendents under his command valuable experience. Furthermore, the carcasses of the hunted animals and Magical Beasts could be sold. This would allow the Knights to earn some extra money, and as the Lord, Ronin would also profit. It was a plan that killed several birds with one stone.’

"Then I’ll leave this matter to the two of you. However, you must remember that while the Hunter Squad is important, you cannot neglect the territory’s defenses."

A glint of ambition flashed in Ronin’s eyes. "After all, the Sain Territory lies to our southeast, watching us covetously."

In the Sain Territory, there was said to be a large swamp, which was why its main settlement was called Swamp Town.

’Swamplands are actually a very valuable resource,’ Ronin thought. ’It’s a shame Baron Reisen doesn’t know how to make use of it.’

Ridder and Macken took Ronin’s warning to heart. Mountain Forest Town was their main base, and its defenses had to be impeccable.

Ronin had mobilized nearly all his forces for this expedition because, on the surface, his relationship with Baron Reisen hadn’t completely soured. The chance of a direct attack was slim.

After the recent incident with Wiggin, Wushan Castle was looking to reassert its authority. If Baron Reisen were to attack Mountain Forest Town now, it would be far too risky for him.

If news of such an attack got out, he would be made an example of to warn others, regardless of any connections he might have.

However, it was uncertain whether Baron Reisen would take the initiative once Lurans passed away.

The group rested for two hours, setting out again as the sky began to grow dim.

After crossing two small hills, they reached the crest of the second and finally saw the stronghold nestled in the valley of the Ring Mountain below.

The stronghold was somewhat smaller than that of the Cyan Bamboo Tribe, but not by much.

The various buildings in the stronghold were arranged haphazardly, and like those of the Cyan Bamboo Tribe, they looked rudimentary.

After all, for a small mountain tribe like this, their first concern upon waking each day was food. They had little time or energy to spend on constructing proper houses.

As long as they had a place that offered some shelter from the elements and kept them from freezing to death, it was enough.

Ronin scanned the area and noticed that the Purple Fruit Tribe had no watchtowers or patrols. He suspected he could walk right up to their gate without being spotted in time.

"What is that patch of yellow forest?" Ronin asked, pointing to a grove of yellow trees on the eastern slope.

The area should have been dominated by pines and other tall trees, but where Ronin was pointing, there was a grove of low-lying, yellow trees.

Wodun and Dandy gazed in that direction before answering, "My Lord, that must be the Purple Fruit Trees, where the Purple Fruits grow."

Dandy added, "The leaves of the Purple Fruit Tree are normally green. They just turn yellow in September when it’s time for them to fall."

’So that’s why,’ Ronin thought. ’The Purple Fruit Tree is deciduous. I’ll have to get a closer look later.’

"We won’t launch an all-out attack," Ronin announced.

Ridder and Macken were both taken aback for a moment, especially Macken. He was already poised for a charge, determined to be the one to take down the enemy leader.

’But the Lord said not to attack?’

"My Lord, what is your strategy?" Ridder asked.

"They only have two Intermediate Transcendents; they can’t possibly resist us. A full-frontal assault would only lead to unnecessary casualties. After all, every person who survives is one more laborer to serve me."

Ronin then laid out the plan he had formulated during their journey.

"When it gets dark, Macken, you’ll take ten Guards and twenty militiamen and watch this hillside. If anyone tries to flee this way, drive them back or capture them. The rest of you will follow me around to the valley entrance to block their gate."

"Then, Wodun and Dandy will go forward and demand the surrender of the Purple Fruit Tribe’s leader. If they are willing to surrender, we save ourselves time and effort. If they’re as foolish as Willie and refuse to see reason, it won’t be too late to strike."

Ronin looked at Macken. "If you hear fighting break out down in the valley, then you lead your men and charge down the mountain."