The straight-line distance between the Valley of the Wind and Pejite City is approximately 150 kilometers.
If you ride Horseclaw at full speed, it will only take a little over a day to reach the destination.
But the purpose of the group led by Meila and Kamlin was not to travel any further.
They are a rescue team whose mission is to search for, rescue, and guide refugees fleeing war along the way.
Not only did they need to carefully survey the hills and oases along the way where people might be hiding, but they also had to carry a considerable amount of drinking water, food, and basic medicine, which made their progress very slow.
It took them three whole days to reach the outskirts of Pejite.
Fortunately, this vast desert is not flat; scattered hills can shield caravans from the scorching sun and sandstorms, and also make the routes suitable for caravans and travelers relatively fixed.
The rescue team doesn't need to search blindly in tens of thousands of square kilometers of desert; they can simply follow this main road patiently and pay attention to any traces along the way.
As for those unfortunate travelers who strayed from the main path and ventured deep into the desert, only to be swallowed by sandstorms or miasma— Meila could only offer her a silent apology.
Their resources are limited, so they must prioritize rescuing survivors on the main road.
At this moment, the rescue team stopped in a small valley that could shelter them from the wind and sand.
The valley is nestled between two hills, the surface of which is covered with strange rock patterns that have flowed halfway and then solidified.
Rumors suggest that this ubiquitous terrain is a remnant of the catastrophe known as the " Seven Days of Fire."
The evidence is that these molten rocks contain a large amount of Ceramic Steel, Ceramic Steel was a building material widely used in ancient civilizations.
However, Meila, as the deputy captain of the rescue team, had no interest in exploring ancient legends or geological wonders at the moment.
Sweat clung to his temples, and his thick, dark eyebrows were furrowed tightly together.
Staring at the chaotic scene before her, she felt utterly overwhelmed.
More than thirty people were blocking the only entrance and exit of the valley, arguing noisily.
"Hand over all your supplies and compensate us for our losses!" The chubby-cheeked man spat as he spoke.
"No way! Compensating with some things is enough? We have to hand over the Horseclaw too!" the guy shouted, his eyes darting around, his gaze constantly drifting towards the rescue team's mount.
"You executioners, you must pay the price!" screamed the woman, whose face was mostly covered by a headscarf, revealing only her cruel eyes.
The rescue operation was initially progressing smoothly.
After leaving the Valley of the Wind, they encountered two groups of refugees, totaling about a hundred people.
Although these refugees were running out of water and food, and were exhausted and disheveled, they had not been attacked by bandits and were in much better condition than Meila's original group.
After replenishing their supplies and taking a short rest, the vast majority of refugees set off for the Valley of the Wind, escorted by five Blessed Warrior.
A few refugees were moved by Meila's personal experience and volunteered to stay and join the rescue team, hoping to help more people like them who were fleeing the war.
Everything was going well until this group of "refugees" appeared. Meila had experienced life-or-death escapes and witnessed the wickedness of people's hearts. She was no longer a naive little girl, and she immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Although these people wore clothes that were dark in color and plain in style, the fabric was clean and tidy, with almost no tears.
Their packs were bulging, and they even carried ten spirited Horseclaw — Horseclaw are quite valuable assets in the desert, fetching a high price.
More importantly, of these thirty-odd people, fewer than ten were dressed like civilians; the rest were all armed guards clad in leather armor and carrying rifles. They were not refugees in need of emergency assistance; they were a group of wealthy people who had fled the city with their guards.
Meila raised her voice, trying to explain, "Hey, are you guys being reasonable? We're the ones who were attacked, those people—"
"Nonsense!" the fat man interrupted her. "Our guards were only asking questions when you brutally murdered them!"
"Yes! Hand over the murderer, or you won't leave today!" the others clamored.
It all started about ten minutes ago.
Just as the rescue team was about to emerge from the narrow valley that stretched for a kilometer, a dozen or so people suddenly jumped out from behind several weathered boulders and blocked the road.
Those men wore leather armor and chainmail, and carried gleaming longswords and old-fashioned bolt-action rifles.
The leader of the group shouted at the top of his lungs a line he'd picked up from some old storybook, "Halt! This mountain is mine, these trees are mine! If you want to pass, hand over all your valuables—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
Excited growls rang out almost simultaneously, and ten figures pounced on their opponents like hungry tigers.
"Enemy attack!"
"Hehehe! Finally, I've found a living one!"
"Brothers, grab your weapons and charge!!!"
Most of those accompanying the rescue team were newly selected Blessed Warrior who had not yet experienced formal combat.
After listening to Kamlin and several other "seniors" recount their battles against the Insect Claw Mercenary Corps, they were already itching to fight, only regretting that they hadn't witnessed those "big scenes."
Although Yupa's training was more brutal than normal combat, it was not truly life-threatening.
Now that they've finally run into a group of robbers, isn't this a godsend opportunity for real combat?
The young soldiers, eager to make a name for themselves, charged forward without hesitation.
Then----
The battle (if it could even be called a battle) was over in thirty seconds; the robbers were simply crushed by the all-out Blessed Warrior.
If the well-coordinated, disciplined, and well-equipped Insect Claw Mercenary Corps has a combat strength of ten, then this rabble armed with single-shot rifles has a combat strength of less than three.
By the time Kamlin spoke up to stop them and remind them to leave some survivors for questioning, the battle was already basically over, and almost all the bandits had been killed by the warriors.
Only the man overseeing the battle from afar, seeing that things were going badly, let out a strange cry and scrambled onto Horseclaw hidden behind a rock, fleeing for his life.
This greatly displeased the Blessed Warrior, who had expected a tough battle like the Insect Claw Mercenary Corps, but instead only crushed a bunch of weaklings.
After the battle, the rescue team began to inspect the battlefield, collect usable weapons and valuables, and prepare to give the bodies a simple burial.
Just as everyone had finished clearing half of the battlefield, a commotion arose at the entrance of the valley.
Now, this group of "refugees" blocking the road has made their appearance, which led to the accusations and standoff at the beginning.
Meila utterly taken aback by these irrefutable accusations.
Could they have made a mistake? Were those people not robbers?
She quickly dismissed those thoughts; what guard would use such a robbery-like line to "ask for directions," deliberately scaring the other party away?
She came here hoping to help more of her compatriots.
Mei can be patient and gentle when facing the truly vulnerable who need help, but when faced with this unreasonable and argumentative person, she is at a loss for how to deal with him.
Reasoning with them won't work.
Using force to disperse them? How is that any different from the "rioters" they're accusing them of?
Just as Meila's brows furrowed more and more and the atmosphere became increasingly tense, a tall, thin young man with a small mustache appeared to her side at some point.
"Captain Kamlin, they—"
"It's alright, let me handle it."
The voice carried a power that involuntarily calmed her down.
Then, Kamlin turned to the "refugees" and asked with a wry smile, "So—you acknowledge these people as your guards?"