Lin Mo's Forest Haul

The group moved quickly along the path they had taken, the sounds of footsteps, panting, and clattering supplies mixing together.

Lin Mo walked in the middle of the group, completely surrounded and protected by his clones.

His Essence Blood was now only 50/300. Although leveling up had increased his Constitution cap, his Health was still only one-sixth of its maximum. His Status bar displayed [Moderately Weakened].

But it was fine.

He glanced to his side at the clones who were carrying supplies and still moving swiftly.

With so many "selves" protecting him, he was perfectly safe.

This is what you call coasting to victory, Lin Mo thought contentedly.

They traveled for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, covering roughly two li of flat dirt road. The cart moved smoothly.

But as they reached the edge of the dense forest, the road ended.

Lin Mo looked around.

Ahead lay a dense forest, thickets, rocky slopes, and several small streams they would have to wade through. The cart was completely unusable.

"Forget the cart," Lin Mo said, shaking his head. "Dismantle it. Use the cart planks as stretchers for the seriously injured. The supplies... we'll carry them by hand."

"But there's so much stuff..." Lin Xi looked at the five carts of goods, a little worried. "Grain, cloth, weapons, money... it must weigh over ten thousand jin combined?"

"That's why we'll do it in batches," Lin Mo said, already planning. "The grain is the heaviest, fifty jin per bag. Cloth is light but bulky. Tools and weapons... we'll strap anything we can onto ourselves."

He looked at the clones around him. "Besides, you're all Level Five now. Your Strength attribute is 31 points, meaning your physical fitness is more than three times that of an ordinary adult male. Carrying a hundred jin or so... shouldn't be a problem, right?"

The clones exchanged glances.

"Theoretically... it shouldn't be a problem," Lin San said, stretching his shoulders. He walked over, picked up a bag of rice with one hand, and hefted it. "It really is light. Like carrying a bag of potato chips."

"Then stop wasting time," Lin Yi said, already assigning tasks. "Seven seriously injured. Use the dismantled cart planks to make simple stretchers; two people to carry one. Those with minor injuries will walk themselves, or be carried if they can't."

"The rest of you," he pointed at the supplies, "carry as much as you can. Prioritize the grain, then tools and weapons, and cloth last."

"What about you, Lord?" Lin Xi asked.

Lin Mo found a flat rock and sat down. He took out a piece of dried meat he'd found earlier and began to chew it slowly. "Me? I'll be here directing the command, and also... guarding the remaining supplies."

"Here we go again..." Lin Wu rolled his eyes. "We're always the ones doing the work, and you're sitting there."

"What else?" Lin Mo said righteously. "I'm the Lord, the brain. The brain needs rest to better command the limbs."

"Doesn't your brain seem to get a lot of rest time?" Lin Liu muttered softly.

"What did you say?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing! I said the Lord is wise!" Lin Liu quickly corrected himself.

"Lord," Lin Qi said, walking over quickly, leading the dark red horse, his face full of difficulty and his tone hesitant. "This horse... I'm afraid it can't enter the forest. The trees are too dense, their branches and leaves blocking the path. And there are many mountain paths ahead, rugged and steep, uneven, the horse simply can't go."

Lin Mo followed his gaze to the dark red horse, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. It was indeed a rare fine horse, strong and sturdy, with powerful limbs, its dark red mane shiny and smooth. It was clearly a well-cared-for steed, not something you'd see just anywhere. But in this primeval jungle, with its canopy blocking the sun and its complex terrain, the horse's advantages were completely nullified. In terms of practicality, it was less useful than a donkey with excellent endurance.

"Have someone clear trees and make a path ahead. You lead it slowly," Lin Mo waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "If you encounter a place that's truly impassable, two people will carry it. We must bring this horse back."

"Carry... carry the horse?" Lin Qi's eyes widened instantly, his face full of disbelief. The horse weighed at least several hundred jin. Two people carrying it? That was preposterous!

"What else?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, his tone righteous. "This is our spoils of war, how can we just abandon it?"

Besides, once the territory is established, it'll be so impressive to have a warhorse to ride when going out!"

"...Yes." Lin Qi pulled at the corner of his mouth, his face grim as he accepted the order and went to make arrangements.

When everything was ready, this grand moving operation officially began.

"Move out!" Lin Yi gave the order, and this peculiar moving convoy immediately set off.

As expected, the convoy's speed slowed down considerably.

There were no roads in the primeval jungle, and it was entirely up to the clones to hack through vines and bushes with knives and axes, carving out a path.

Shouting, chopping, and panting echoed through the forest.

The scene was, for a time, quite... spectacular.

More than thirty people who looked exactly alike moved through the forest.

Each person was laden with a full load.

Lin Qi, in particular, was straightforward. He stacked three bags of rice, tied them together with vines, and slung them onto his back. "Here we go!"

However, he exerted too much force, and the ground beneath his feet was stomped into two deep pits. He stumbled a couple of steps before regaining his balance.

Lin Shi took a different approach. He spread out a piece of cloth and made a large bundle.

He stuffed tools and weapons inside, then slung it onto his back, like a human mobile warehouse.

It was just that when he walked, there was a clinking sound, like someone collecting scrap.

The transport of the seriously wounded also did not go smoothly.

The stretchers, modified from carts, were too crude, and the mountain path was rugged, requiring those carrying them to be extremely careful.