Full Load Return to Nest

The second transport run was smoother than the first.

Everyone had gained experience and knew how to pack more efficiently and which paths were easier to travel.

Lin Mo remained seated on a rock.

He had finished his jerky and was now studying a book he'd found on the mountain bandit leader.

"These mountain bandits sure have a flair for the dramatic," Lin Mo mused, flipping through an erotic art book with great interest.

The artwork was mediocre, but the realism was commendable.

"Lord, are you studying tactics?" Lin Yi's voice suddenly cut in.

Lin Mo's hand twitched, nearly dropping the erotic book.

"Ahem, I'm studying... ancient human anatomy," he said, closing the book without missing a beat. "How is it, is the second transport done?"

"It's done."

Lin Yi reported, "We only have one last small batch left, mainly those few boxes of miscellaneous items and the remaining cloth. It should take about ten people to move it."

"Then hurry up," Lin Mo glanced at the sky. "The sun is about to set."

"Yes."

The third transport run began.

With fewer people this time, the speed increased significantly.

Lin Shiba, Lin Shijiu, Lin Ershi, and ten others carried the last of the supplies and set off on the return journey.

Lin Mo finally stood up and stretched.

His backside had gone numb after sitting all afternoon.

He moved his limbs, feeling the surging strength from his level five Attributes.

Then, he bent down and, with one hand, picked up the two remaining wooden crates from the ground. They contained copper coins, silver fragments, and those few books.

"They're quite light," he estimated, hefting them. They probably weighed around fifty pounds.

To him, it felt like carrying a handbag.

And so, in the afterglow of the sunset, Lin Mo, carrying a wooden crate in each hand, strolled leisurely towards Water Curtain Cave.

His steps were light, and he even hummed a little tune.

Suddenly, a cold, grand, and emotionless synthesized voice.

Without any warning, it boomed in the deepest part of his mind, and simultaneously in the consciousness of all Internal Test Players:

[World Announcement (Region: Yunzhou Prefecture, Great Xia Dynasty)]

[Internal Test Player 'Zhao Dapeng' (ID: 7342), on the ninth day of the ninth month of the third year of Tianqi, Great Xia Calendar, in Zhang Family Village, Linshan County, Yunzhou Prefecture, maliciously, without cause, and continuously murdered twenty-seven innocent villagers.]

[This act severely violates the basic order of 'Destiny' and has triggered the 'Heaven's Wrath' mechanism.]

[A 'Blood Sea Pursuit Order' is now issued:]

[1. Reward: Those who successfully apprehend or kill 'Zhao Dapeng' will be rewarded with two hundred taels of silver.]

[2. Eligibility: All Internal Test Players automatically gain the status of 'Temporary Bounty Hunter'. Additional rewards will be given for tracking and discovering his whereabouts.]

[3. Class Change: Those who ultimately complete the apprehension or kill will receive the full class change qualification for the Special Profession 'Bounty Hunter' and additional generous rewards.]

[4. Punishment: 'Zhao Dapeng's' current status has changed to 'red name' (utterly wicked). All native factions (government, sects, gangs, and even some neutral monsters) will have locked hostility towards him. Killing him will grant reputation and special rewards.]

[The net of heaven is vast and wide, yet misses nothing. Players are warned to take heed and act accordingly.]

The announcement echoed three times in the consciousness of all Internal Test Players.

Lin Mo's steps abruptly halted. The clones carrying supplies also stopped subconsciously.

The forest fell silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Lin Mo's expression, under the dappled shade of the trees, shifted unpredictably.

Murdering civilians... rapid leveling...

It wasn't that he hadn't considered it before.

Especially after discovering how much experience he needed to level up, and how risky and slow hunting wild beasts or mountain bandits was in comparison.

Those unarmed villagers, with no combat skills, were like lambs to the slaughter before him and his clones, weren't they?

That thought had quietly taken root in his heart like a venomous snake.

Fortunately... fortunately, he had been too busy scouting the terrain and establishing his territory to put that dangerous idea into practice.

A shiver of post-fear crawled up his spine.

"As expected..." Lin Mo muttered to himself, his voice a little dry. "The evil alignment isn't that easy to play."

The system had drawn a clear red line with this announcement, imposing severe penalties.

A government bounty, a red name marker, and possibly even "divine punishment."

That Zhao Dapeng was finished.

"Lord?" Lin Yi's voice came, laced with inquiry.

Lin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

"It's nothing." He waved his hand, his gaze regaining its firmness. "Let's keep moving."

In the end, he still had to rely on the proper path, improve himself, and build his influence.

Heretical paths might offer temporary speed, but they were ultimately a path to ruin.

The group reassembled and set off again, steadily advancing towards Water Curtain Cave.

Lin Mo's footsteps didn't falter, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

The defensive map of Black Wind Stronghold was already in hand, and they had already eliminated two of the enemy leaders and lost nearly half their men.

At such a perfect opportunity, perhaps... he should find a chance to uproot Black Wind Stronghold completely.

"We're almost there, almost there!" Lin Ershi's voice broke the silence of the woods, his tone filled with irrepressible excitement. "We can finally have a full meal tonight!"

"I've been craving white rice so much I'm going crazy," Lin Ershiyi dreamed.

"I want to eat meat, big chunks of meat," Lin Er'er swallowed.

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, the last group finally returned to Water Curtain Cave.

"We're here, we're here!"

"I'm exhausted... my shoulders feel like they're about to break!"

"Put it down! Put it down quickly!"