Taking Apart the Text, Explaining Each Character
This intelligence, translated from a ringtone, is unreliable, especially its timestamps.
According to the mission execution standards of the Quick Blade reconnaissance soldiers, there shouldn't be so many secret messages used to mark the time.
For example, it's like two people exchanging information.
A simple "Good morning" is now preceded by a phrase like "sent at 7:23:40 AM".
The information that scouts could convey by ringing bells alone was extremely limited. By the time the recipient needed to process the information, these time-related coded bell sounds became useless.
As long as the operation is planned according to the local true solar time by checking the watch before it begins, there is no need to repeatedly check the time of each combat unit during the mission.
The only doubt in Ms. Su Ling's mind was the authenticity of these translations.
They look more like a fabricated, illogical piece of junk information.
"Not a single sentence in the entire report is useful. It seems that after entering the area around Aizong Mausoleum's Mausoleum, the members of the Third Squad team were communicating with each other—in reality, they were simply talking past each other."
Your brother Ling said this, completely failing to see any practical value in this information.
On the other side, Fuyanni boldly speculated. "Could it be a trick by the Immortals? They've already discovered it! They've captured the Swift-Knife brothers and made them ring the bell to send messages, buying time—giving Judas a chance to escape?"
"That's possible," Su Ling thought so too.
The term "countryside" comes from <The Art of War>: "The countryside is used because of the people in the village."
Most of the spies of the Gate of Wonders are from Wuling Mountain, native Qi cultivators and alchemists of the Rootless Tree sect. Mr. Luo Ping'an can send these natives of the Great Xia to follow local customs and search for traces of demons and monsters in various villages and towns. Therefore, Marshal Krozo can receive intelligence on any movements of Danqiu Country immediately.
The scout team of Quickblade arrived in this unfamiliar land to carry out their mission. Unlike the intelligence personnel of the Gate of Wonders, they did not have this layer of disguise—they could only lie in ambush in the mountains and forests, tracking important targets on official roads and waterways.
Once these scouts are turned and captured, they become Judas's "double agents," which is what Su Ling is worried about.
If these soldiers send the wrong information, that Judas has used enemy spies—the journey becomes extremely dangerous, and they should evacuate as soon as possible.
When Marshal Krozo received this information, he must have taken these factors into consideration. That's why he immediately halted the Phoenix, giving Su Ling time to make a decision and letting the VIP decide whether to terminate the exploration.
We already know the answer Su Ling gave.
--She wasn't afraid at all; she was incredibly brave.
After telling Fuyanni and Billy about these things, Su Ling fell silent, waiting for the ship to dock so she could begin her exploration mission.
Fuyanni asked--
"--VIP, the message from the Gate of Wonders said that this team has twelve people, and the situation within the Aizong Mausoleum area is unknown. Are you still going to force your way into this den of dragons and tigers?"
"If Judas is really hiding in this town, I'll take his life." Su Ling couldn't make a face, but her slightly lowered eyes could be vaguely seen through her sunglasses, her gaze full of aggression. "One for one is a good deal; if he survives, it's a huge win."
When talking about these things, the Phoenix's tone remained unchanged. Although her strange facial paralysis had robbed her of some "emotions," it implied that Judas had to die.
"Enough has been sacrificed already. The Madness Butterfly Sect has been wreaking havoc in every administrative region before," Billy said in a low voice. "How many people have they harmed? How many lives have they taken? If we could kill Judas before we cross the border and use his head to sweep through the Central Plains—we would save many lives and avoid countless unnecessary sacrifices."
Looking at the big picture, Billy is absolutely right.
Judas had been bewitched and anesthetized by [REMIX]. The gunsmith's death caused him to misjudge the situation, and he harbored a deep superstition about military matters.
He didn't believe that Ming De would go all out to fight a large-scale hot war in Great Xia, but rather preferred to use the Pompeii Sea to divide the Chu-Han border.
The boss is high-profile about health and wellness, Judas is low-profile about life.
This is the current overall strategic policy of the alliance, and Judas has never considered activating the Dagda's Cauldron in the short term. The power of this Holy Grail is simply too fascinating, too powerful, too illusory, and too incredible.
Pellegrini once told the leader about it—but it was just an outlandish legend from hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Was humanity's rise truly achieved through the wish for a Holy Grail?
Judas couldn't believe it and would never devote all his energy to it.
He wasn't furious about the miscarriage of the fertilized egg in East Horse Port; instead, he was even more concerned about MK-28 and Gloria Sebastian.
Throughout, what this alliance leader cared about most was the future of the Immortals, his own personal survival needs, the need to maintain a stable situation, and the continued covert rule of the alliance over the Great Xia.
As long as the intelligence is accurate, Su Ling, as the spearhead of the gunsmiths, will immediately begin planning the decapitation operation to assassinate Judas. After chopping off his head, the Immortals will have no offspring to inherit this power—this will also be the glorious moment when the Blood Butterfly Bible is officially completed, and the game of hide-and-seek will end prematurely!
Quick Blade never intended to engage in large-scale, open battles with the natives of the Central Plains, venturing into the wilderness and winding through the mountains; he had no intention of staging a strange, new-style Vietnam War. In such extremely complex and wild terrain, any combat factor would send the modern army into hell.
Contrary to the false signal conveyed by [REMIX], the gunsmith is dead, but he still has students, an entire industrial process for cultivating talent, knightly combat skills and a series of mission execution standards, railway military and political reforms, and a swift-blooded guerrilla force forged in the fires of adversity.
But Judas is dead, so he's really dead.
This news would quickly shatter the fighting spirit of every Immortals. Under this pyramid-like hierarchical power system, the most dazzling jewel above would shatter, and the subjects firmly controlled by Judas would soon defect, becoming surrendered soldiers without any fighting spirit— Wang Damin is the best example.
The principle of "a new emperor, a new court" applies to this highly centralized organizational structure. Its advantages and weaknesses are laid bare and have been fully exposed. Therefore, Krozo, the BOSS, and all the warriors, including the gunsmith, are confident that, strategically, the battles in the Shambhala region are not a fierce and arduous contest, but rather a routine notification for the liberation of enemy-occupied territory.
Victory is inevitable, and no matter how bad the battle situation is, it will not affect this high morale.
The only remaining issue is the tactical approach that needs to be considered when carrying out missions in local theaters of war.
When dealing with information about the Aizong Mausoleum and deciding on tactical plans, Teacher Su Ling did not hesitate to go all in. The seemingly dangerous and treacherous intelligence documents could not scare her, because the value of Judas's head was too high - kill one, and thousands of families will be happy.
Three hours later, Teacher Su Ling led her two little followers off the boat at Baibei Wharf and said goodbye to the two soldiers dressed as boatmen.
The sightseeing boat was then loaded with local soft-shelled fish from Baibei Port, and then turned around to return to the Mist River basin and head south downstream to continue its reconnaissance mission.
Fuyanni and Billy had changed into musicians' attire early on, and their travel documents had been custom-made by Taiye, indicating that they were travelers from the East who had come to travel around the world.
Teacher Su Ling didn't bring the Flash Butterfly Armor, nor did she bring any weapons. Apart from a box of Radiant Jewel jewelry, she only had precious animal materials and various spices. The Nameless One's equipment was truly eye-catching, especially the black iron armor that reflected golden and blue light. For the Blood-giving Monster, this outfit was a symbol of Death God.
To approach Judas discreetly, she could only wear an ordinary summer outfit: a large straw hat, a vest from the senior cadres' basketball team, loose shorts, and slippers—looking like a neighbor lady who hadn't brought any cash and was about to go downstairs to buy a Coke.
She tied her hair back early, casually took out a bottle of Chanel-style Six God Floral Water from her spice bag, sprayed it on the red bumps on her calves caused by mosquito bites, and pointed to the dockside inn.
"Walk."
Fuyanni was dressed in bizarre and outlandish clothes.
Billy the Kid hugged his six-string guitar and followed his backup singer into the first floor of the inn.
It was the busy season for fishing, and there were hardly any people in the inn. Teacher Su Ling told the two little babies to go upstairs to rest, while she leaned against the L-shaped counter and watched the innkeeper's grandson learning to use an abacus. The accountant and the cook were sitting in the shady corner, enjoying the cool air and drinking, comparing Go scores, arguing until their faces were red.
There was no aura of Blood-giving Monster, nor any unusual spiritual pressure; everything seemed perfectly normal.
After paying the room fee, we waited for the old innkeeper to cut open the large silver piece with a gold-cutting knife in the back, then come out with a grin on his face, carrying a scale.
"Honored guest! Honored guest from Japan!"
The old shopkeeper first broke up the loose silver into one- or two-tael coins, then stacked them in a row and pushed them in front of Su Ling's arm.
"Please make sure you're clear on the details. It's just for one night, two rooms. To shower and wash your hair, you need to go to the east end of Baibei Town; there's a public bathhouse there."
Su Ling: "Thank you for your hard work."
The shopkeeper continued, "The shampoo powder and soap will cost extra. My little shop can accept silver. The bathhouse is under the jurisdiction of the prefect's general, who ordered the Luo family in town to manage it. They like foreign tricks—they only accept loose silver notes, and they also accept red coins and Western-style silver coins, but they don't accept silver or silver dollars."
Su Ling: "Understood."
It's important to know that tourists from the East are highly sought after in the mainland. These guests from foreign lands are usually quite skilled, some even possessing supernatural abilities, and they are generous with their money. The only thing to be careful about is that they don't follow the proper etiquette of Xiabang, such as the hierarchical relationships between rulers and subjects, fathers and sons. Some of these guests have eccentric tempers and strong personalities, making them difficult to deal with and take care of.
The shopkeeper naturally took good care of her. He was afraid that Su Ling, a cold-looking young woman in her mid-twenties, might be harassed or bullied in town. If it resulted in a death, the head constable would send people to arrest her, and the protection fee he was supposed to pay in spring and autumn would have to be paid again.
Moreover
The innkeeper asked, "Sir, are you married?"
Su Ling: "It's really strange that there's a matchmaking agency every other street in this area, and they ask every woman they meet if she has a husband."
In feudal times, the emperor's property belonged to his subjects, the subjects' property belonged to the warlords, the warlords' property belonged to the landlords, the landlords' property belonged to the men, and the men's property belonged to the women.
Property with two legs is walking around on the street, so we need to find out who the owner is in order to protect and manage it.
This ingrained way of thinking is deeply rooted in the minds of the Xiabang natives, which is why the shopkeeper asked about the husband's family first.
--Back at the end of the previous volume, when Flavia rescued an old woman from the ruins, the old woman also asked, "Do you have a husband?" This question was also about Flavia's ownership of her property.
"Oh! I won't ask, it's not convenient to ask anyway." The old shopkeeper immediately shut his mouth, curiously examining Su Ling's strange attire.
A Ling: "It's hot. Please understand."
The temperature in Baibei Port is 38 degrees Celsius. This godforsaken place has no air conditioning or ceiling fans, so none of Xiantai Prefecture's foreign tricks can be brought in. Apart from the border guards escorting supplies to deliver valuable goods to the Capital City, other private caravans have to deal with the warlords and bandits of the Sixteen Kingdoms—they can't earn a single penny. With the roads blocked, there's no such thing as trade.
Besides a tank top and shorts, the VIP was only wearing a sweat-wicking cotton bralette, which was convenient for exercise and running and kept very cool.
Upon arriving in Baibei Town, not only in farmers' homes, but also in the homes of most wealthy families, even if the young ladies and wives were fainting from the heat, they would still dress modestly, wrapped in silk cloth to cover their shame and ugliness.
Su Ling remained silent, nor did she intend to ask any further questions. The more she asked, the more information would fall into the enemy's ears—perhaps the moment the three of them disembarked, a local warlord's spies would be watching them.
After checking the passport and its stamps, carefully examining the white paper and red lettering, the shopkeeper took his grandson to the well in the backyard to cool off, not wanting the child to see the Japanese woman.
Actually, there's no need to ask anything.
--After the old man finished speaking, the task stage objective in A Ling's eyes changed automatically.
[Information processing in progress.]
Her mind raced, and those simple words transformed into profoundly meaningful mission objectives.
A new exploration target has appeared in the Phoenix's UI spirit entity slot.
[Task Hint: The commander has ordered the Luo family in town to oversee the public bathhouse. The public bathhouse is an important facility for improving the livability of the area.]
[The person in charge of collecting fees at the bathhouse is forbidden from handling silverware, dislikes silver ingots and coins, and shares similar characteristics with the blood-feeding monster symbolized in the Galahad Balason disinfection ritual.]
[The public bathhouse in Baibei Port District can be used as the next investigation site.]
[The phased task objectives are being revised]
[Recommended travel companion: Mr. Billy]
[Task Difficulty: Very Easy]
"Let's go!" A Ling kicked open the door to the room of the two apprentice craftsmen and pulled Billy along with her.
Fuyanni asked in surprise, "Huh? What about me?"
A Ling was too lazy to explain, which is why she often said, "It's hard to explain to you with your intelligence."
The recommendations given by the Phoenix were all meticulously calculated, and she couldn't explain why she didn't bring Fuyanni along; it was all due to "a woman's intuition" at work.
"I'm going to the bathhouse with him," Su Ling said. "You stay here."
"Why?!" Fuyanni cried out, looking utterly aggrieved. "What if there are beautiful women to see? Why didn't you include me in such a great opportunity?"
The answer to why we didn't bring Fuyanni seems to be clear now.
This guy seems to think he's in the Nine Realms, on a warm and peaceful street in a bathhouse.
So Su Ling simply followed the procedure verbatim.
"It's hard for me to explain to you with your level of intelligence."