The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Deep in the night, three shadows moved west.

The barren ground bore not only a jumble of hoofprints, but also countless footprints and wheel tracks. Without a doubt, these were the traces left by the Vikings and the Qi Kingdom Person.

Two men and a horse followed these faint tracks, not daring to pause for even a moment.

Soon, the stars lost their brilliance and the moonlight dimmed. Dawn was approaching.

Although he had not slept all night, Zeng Mu felt no fatigue. On the contrary, he was brimming with energy. He supposed he had slept too long before waking up, though the most important reason was, of course, the elemental energy.

The open, barren expanse was now behind them. Ahead lay a Withered Forest of leafless trees roughly ten meters tall. The trees grew densely, their branches tangled, and the hilly ground beneath them was full of slopes and hollows, making it impossible to see where the forest ended.

"Whoa..." Kanni stopped the horse and gazed at the familiar Withered Forest, his eyes flickering as though he were considering something.

"This Withered Forest is too dense for the main force's warhorses or the Qi Kingdom Person's chariots to get through, isn't it?" Zeng Mu offered.

"They certainly can't get through. But if they abandon their chariots and go on foot, getting up there will be easy enough. And the forest provides good cover. It's an excellent place to rest or launch an ambush."

Kanni explained that this Withered Forest was a shortcut west. Once they passed through it, they would soon be near Sand City. Avoiding the Withered Forest meant taking a long detour that would cost another three days.

Zeng Mu understood what he meant. "Looks like both groups will head in. The main force won't abandon its horses on the way back to the city, which means that once it finishes the detour, it'll run straight into an ambush laid by the Vikings who got there first."

They dismounted. Kanni leaned close to the horse's ear and murmured something, then gently patted its head. With a soft whinny, the warhorse galloped toward the edge of the Withered Forest.

"Will it manage?" Zeng Mu asked, watching the horse depart.

"Don't worry. That fellow's been with me for a while, and it knows the route to Sand City. The energy in the elemental meat I fed it earlier will be enough for the long journey, too." Kanni waved as he watched the horse go.

With the horse taken care of, the two headed into the Withered Forest. Before long, they discovered chariots concealed beneath dry grass.

Looking at the dozen or so chariots, Kanni estimated that the group numbered over a hundred. And if they dared pursue the Vikings, their enemies must have numbered fewer than that.

"But where did those Vikings get the nerve to chase the main force?" he asked, puzzled. After all, the main force still had at least a thousand men. Even these two groups combined would probably not be enough to take them on.

"Could they be pursuing a small squad rather than the main force?"

Kanni's eyes lit up at those words, and he clapped his hands. "Right! That's much more likely."

At that thought, both men felt a powerful unease. The lands to the west belonged to the Holy Temple, yet these Vikings still dared give chase. Their targets must either have been carrying some extraordinary treasure or included someone of great importance.

As for the Qi Kingdom Person, Kanni knew perfectly well that those fellows merely wanted more credit and loot.

With that concern driving them, the two quickened their pace considerably. After they had traveled some distance over the rough, uneven ground, Kanni suddenly stopped ahead of him and raised a hand. "Something's up."

They crouched, lightened their steps, and crept forward without a sound. After a hundred paces, they spotted a concealed camp.

The camp was not particularly large, but it was tightly packed, its positions hidden by the terrain of the Withered Forest. It blended into its surroundings like green shoots in a bamboo grove, making it extremely difficult to spot.

They could see roughly ninety people in the camp. Spear emblems adorned their breastplates and helmets, and a flag planted at an angle in the ground confirmed beyond doubt that these soldiers belonged to the Qi Kingdom Person.

Some of them were wounded, but their injuries were minor, none deep enough to reach the bone. Apart from damaged armor and clothing, the others showed no visible injuries.

At that moment, they were all sitting in circles on the ground, holding dry rations and chewing slowly. In the middle lay fresh green gourd shells cut into halves and filled with newly drawn fresh water. The water looked rather unappealing, with a light brown tint, presumably from mixed-in silt, but it was certainly safe to drink.

"What's going on with these fellows? Why have they made camp here? Aren't they supposed to be pursuing the Vikings?" Zeng Mu asked quietly at the sight.

"I don't know yet. But if they've stopped to rest, that means the Vikings haven't gone far. They may even be resting in their own camp as well," Kanni reasoned.

"If that's the case, it's even stronger proof that the Vikings are pursuing a small squad. The main force has already taken the long way around, after all. Maybe that squad is buying time for them?" Zeng Mu's eyes flickered.

"You're right. If so, it means they're all still in the Withered Forest."

The Withered Forest was vast, covering more than three hundred mu. With its tangled branches, thick roots, and uneven terrain, crossing it on foot would take no less than two days.

Kanni therefore knew that if the Nameless One's theory was correct, the Vikings were searching the Withered Forest for that small squad even now. But given the difficult terrain, they obviously could not send every soldier out without first confirming the enemy's location. That could scatter their force and allow the enemy to pick them off one by one. He therefore suspected that only some of the Vikings were pursuing the squad, perhaps their leader himself, while the rest rested in camp just like these Qi Kingdom soldiers.

And their target was most likely the main force's knight commander. Only he was important enough to make the Vikings pursue so far.

"What sort of man is the knight commander?" Zeng Mu asked.

"A powerful, responsible man. The wood-aspected elemental power he commands is terrifying, and it also provides excellent concealment. Perhaps that's why the Vikings haven't been able to find them quickly."

Zeng Mu stared at the Qi Kingdom Person ahead, who had finished replenishing their food and water. "These fellows have probably already located the Vikings' camp. They look like they're taking their last meal before battle."

"Yes. The people of the Seven Kingdoms are all sharp. Their intelligence-gathering abilities are first-rate."

Kanni had barely finished speaking when the seated Qi Kingdom soldiers rose to their feet and looked toward a figure emerging from the dense forest.

The man was about thirty, with sharply chiseled features and an air of authority even without a scowl. His armor looked far finer than that of the other soldiers. A black cape billowed behind him, embroidered with a large golden character for Qi. A silver spear emblem marked the center of his helmet, and the sword at his waist was bronze. One glance was enough to tell that he led this expedition.

"A Silver-Pattern General of the Qi Kingdom. No wonder they dared venture deep behind enemy lines," Kanni said in a low voice.

Apart from their other titles, the three major powers called their military commanders knight commanders, generals, and leaders respectively. Each system had four ranks, distinguished by the number of soldiers they could command. From lowest to highest, these were white-mark, Silver Pattern, purple-mark, and Red Pattern.

The Silver-Pattern General before them was thus a commander who could lead a thousand men.

The two lowered their heads and strained their ears to hear him speak.

"Brothers, the enemy is just over four li ahead of us. Those fellows surely haven't realized that we've already wiped out the rear guard they left behind. And they'll never expect us to launch a surprise attack at dawn, while they're still sound asleep."

"In this Vanguard War, the cunning Qin Kingdom suffered the fewest casualties and fled the fastest. I imagine even our king never expected the Qin Kingdom's newly crowned young king to be so calculating, leaving us in the most dangerous position at the rear of the army."

"But even their general probably never imagined that we would not only escape safely, but also track the Vikings down. Soon, we will strike and kill their Purple-Pattern Leader in this campaign, Yetos."

"I know some of you brothers are afraid-afraid of the power that fellow commands. But as the old saying goes, fortune favors those who take risks. If you want glory and achievement, you must be bold. Years ago, I seized an opportunity just like this one, and that is how I reached the position I hold today. You are fortunate. This day has come for you far sooner than it did for me."

"Warriors, set the hot blood and courage within you ablaze! There are no cowards among the soldiers of our Qi Kingdom! When the sun rises in the east, its radiant light will shine upon your faces, marking the greatness of this day! Unleash your fury! With the sharp swords in your hands, deliver a death sentence to the enemy in a single blow! Remember, you will be reapers of death! You will be heroes!"

This impassioned, blood-stirring speech was exactly what the soldiers wanted to hear. They drew their swords and raised their arms, shouting, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Unfortunately, this stirring scene did nothing to excite the two men lying on the ground.

With mockery and disdain in his voice, Kanni murmured, "Sure enough, anyone who makes general knows how to spout hot air. If I had a tongue like that, I might have talked my way into becoming a knight commander long ago. Even staying a white-mark for the rest of my life wouldn't be bad."

Zeng Mu could not help chuckling. "You've got plenty of years ahead of you. Who knows? You might become a Red Pattern knight commander someday," he said reassuringly.

"Oh, give me a break. Red Pattern? I'd thank my lucky stars if I ever became a Purple-Pattern Knight Commander. You're just making fun of me." Kanni shot him a glance.

"They're moving," he said, quickly changing the subject.

Only when the soldiers set off did the two notice the others who had been hidden away. They inwardly marveled that these fellows were no pushovers. They were presumably elite soldiers from the Qi Kingdom force in this campaign.

With these additional soldiers, their numbers exceeded two hundred, somewhat more than Kanni had expected.

"Move out!" the Silver-Pattern General shouted. The soldiers assembled in pairs behind him followed his lead, advancing swiftly and quietly, dangerous as wolves and tigers.

Only after the troops had been gone for two minutes did the two dare stand and look in the direction they had left.

"The mantis stalks the cicada? Interesting..."

Kanni tilted his head toward him and said in all seriousness, "Nameless One, you're lucky, just like that fellow said."

Zeng Mu looked utterly speechless. After a brief silence, he pointed at himself. "I'm lucky?"

"Of course. Opportunities like this, where the mantis stalks the cicada, don't come along often. And the rewards are usually enormous."

"But being the oriole waiting behind the mantis isn't so easy. After all, who knows where a net might suddenly appear?" he said, throwing cold water on Kanni's enthusiasm.

Kanni folded his arms. "You're so stubborn. If our earlier analysis is right, this means we can help the knight commander, and we'll be rewarded for it. If we can bring back the Viking leader's head, there's a good chance the Holy Temple will grant us a noble title. That's a far better reward than killing a hundred or even a thousand enemies."

"So what are we waiting for? Hurry and follow them. The oriole can't linger on its branch forever."