Forest Transport

The group hurried along the path they had come by. The sounds of footsteps, panting, and supplies bumping together blended into one.

Lin Mo walked in the middle of the group, surrounded and protected by the Clones.

His current health was only 50/300. Although leveling up had increased his constitution limit, he had only one-sixth of his health left, and his status bar showed [Moderately Weakened].

But it didn't matter.

He glanced to the side at the Clones, who were carrying supplies yet still striding along as swiftly as ever.

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

Now this is what you call winning by lying down. Lin Mo thought smugly.

After walking for about the time it took to burn an incense stick—roughly two li along a flat dirt road—the Flatbed Cart rolled along smoothly.

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

Lin Mo looked around.

There was dense forest ahead, along with shrubs, rocky slopes, and several small streams they would have to wade across. The cart simply couldn't pass.

"The Flatbed Cart is out of the question." Lin Mo shook his head. "Take it apart and use the boards as stretchers for the seriously wounded. As for the supplies... we'll have to carry them on our backs."

"But there's so much..." Lin Xi looked at the five carts of goods and frowned worriedly.

"Food, cloth, weapons, silver... altogether, it must weigh more than ten thousand jin, right?"

"That's why we'll transport it in batches." Lin Mo had already begun making plans.

"The food is the heaviest, with each sack weighing fifty jin. The cloth is light, but it takes up a lot of space.

"As for the tools and weapons... hang everything that can be hung on your bodies."

He looked at the Clones around him.

"Besides, you're all Level 5 now.

"With 31 points in Strength, your physical abilities are more than three times those of an ordinary adult man.

"Carrying a hundred-some jin... shouldn't be difficult, right?"

The Clones looked at one another.

"In theory... it shouldn't be difficult." Lin San rolled his shoulder, walked over, and lifted a sack of rice with one hand. He weighed it in his hand and said, "It really is light. It's like carrying a bag of Potato Chips."

"Then stop wasting time." Lin Yi had already begun assigning tasks.

"There are seven seriously wounded. Use the boards from the dismantled cart to make simple stretchers, with two people carrying each one.

"The lightly wounded who can walk should walk on their own. Arrange for people to carry those who can't."

"As for everyone else," he pointed at the supplies, "carry as much as you can. Food first, then tools and weapons, and cloth last."

"What about you, my lord?" Lin Xi asked.

Lin Mo found a flat rock and sat down. He pulled a piece of jerky they had searched out earlier from his robes and began chewing it leisurely.

"Me? Of course I'll sit here and command, while... protecting the remaining supplies."

"Here we go again..." Lin Wu rolled his eyes. "We do all the work every time while you sit around."

"What else would I do?" Lin Mo said righteously. "I'm the lord, the brain. The brain needs to rest so it can command the limbs better."

"Isn't your brain resting a little too much?" Lin Liu muttered under his breath.

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

"Nothing! I said, my lord, you're wise!" Lin Liu hurriedly changed his words.

"My lord." Lin Qi hurried over, leading the War Horse. His face was full of difficulty, and his tone carried a hint of hesitation.

"This horse... probably can't enter the forest.

"Look, the trees are growing too densely, and the interwoven branches and leaves are blocking the way.

"And many of the mountain paths ahead are steep, rugged, and full of potholes. A horse simply can't get through."

Following his gaze, Lin Mo looked at the chestnut War Horse, and a trace of approval flashed through his eyes.

It really was a rare fine horse, tall at the shoulder and powerfully built, with sturdy limbs and a glossy, smooth chestnut mane.

At a glance, it was clearly a carefully fed, excellent War Horse—something rarely seen in ordinary places.

But in this primeval forest, where the sky was blocked by dense foliage and the terrain was complicated...

The War Horse's advantages couldn't be brought into play at all. In terms of practicality, it was actually less useful than a donkey with plenty of stamina.

"Have people chop down the trees and clear a path ahead. You lead it along slowly."

Lin Mo waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for argument. "If you encounter somewhere it truly can't pass, have two people carry it through. You must bring this horse back."

"Carry... carry the horse?" Lin Qi's eyes instantly widened, his face filled with disbelief.

The horse weighed at least several hundred jin. Two people were supposed to carry it? That was absurd!

"What else would we do?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, speaking with righteous confidence.

"This is our spoils of war. How can we just abandon it?

"Besides, once we've built our territory, how impressive will it be to have a War Horse to ride whenever we go out!"

"...Yes." Lin Qi tugged at the corner of his mouth and accepted the order with a bitter expression before going to make arrangements.

Once everything was ready, this grand transport operation officially began.

"Set out!" At Lin Yi's command, this peculiar transport convoy immediately got moving.

Sure enough, the group's pace slowed considerably.

There were no roads at all in the primeval forest. The Clones had to hack through vines and shrubs with blades and axes, forcibly carving out a passage.

Shouts, chopping, and panting echoed through the forest.

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

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

Every one of them was loaded down with supplies.

Lin Qi was even more straightforward. He stacked three sacks of rice together, tied them up with vines, and hoisted them onto his back. "Let's go!"

He had used too much force. His feet sank into the ground, leaving two deep pits, and he staggered two steps before regaining his balance.

Lin Shi took a different approach. He spread out the cloth and made it into a huge bundle.

He stuffed it full of tools and weapons, then slung it onto his back, turning himself into a human mobile warehouse.

The only problem was that it clanked and rattled as he walked, making him look like a scrap collector.

Transporting the seriously wounded did not go smoothly either.

The stretchers made from the Flatbed Cart were too crude, and the mountain paths were rugged, so the people carrying them had to proceed with extreme caution.