White Graupel Cavalry

Su Ming opened the information and searched through it, discovering that Turkmen City and the salt mine belonged to Bulenleifu Tack. Su Ming recognized the name; he recalled reading the roster of powerful figures on the continent, "Lord Bulenleifu, is he that infamous Grand Puppet Master?"

"It's this one. He likes to make Doll out of real human skin," Zijin replied. "This person is not only powerful, but also particularly fond of underhanded tactics. It's very difficult to find his true form if you're against him. However, his main territory is far from here."

"That's alright then." Su Ming put away the documents; he was already afraid of a powerful enemy suddenly appearing.

"Are there any Saint Rank in the Northern Lands?" After thinking for a moment, Su Ming still asked with unease.

"There is one locally," Zijin replied, "Leoni Alva, titled Icefield Nightmare, is also a lord. But this man is single-mindedly pursuing power and doesn't care about the affairs of the territory, however—" She thought carefully and confirmed, "Leoni is no longer Saint Rank."

He was seriously injured a year ago, and his strength has greatly decreased.

"That's good; the fewer potential enemies, the better," Su Ming said.

Katharine said she only enjoys beating weaker opponents, and Su Ming felt the same way. It's not like he's looking for a beating in the game; who wouldn't want to face easy opponents?

****

Approaching Turkmen City, Zijin shut down the gasoline engine and activated the magic circle and Magic Power crystal drawn on the rear of the snowmobile to provide thrust. The snowmobile was disguised and could barely be mistaken for a strangely shaped cargo snowmobile.

Outside the Turkmen City, guards were checking the identities of outsiders. Su Ming took out the merchant's identity certificate he had previously robbed from Old Luo's house, claimed that Zijin was his wife, and the two were registered and allowed to pass.

This outdated method has many flaws, but it can be considered an effort to maintain public order.

The market in Turkmen City is bustling with vendors and people.

Zijin explained, "The salt mines here supply the entire Northern Lands; it's arguably the most profitable industry on the ice plains."

"It is indeed quite bustling," Su Ming said.

The two first went to the alchemy shop, but unsurprisingly, they couldn't find any finished products for the Nie Silver Plating. Zijin selected several alchemical products and materials with similar compositions and took them back to make her own.

The items together were quite heavy, so Zijin made an appointment with the shop owner to come back and pick them up later.

"Shall we split up?" Su Ming suggested. "Sure."

The two then began their own shopping.

Su Ming went to the farmers' market and bought a large amount of seasonings and spices. Since the food selection was limited, he could only focus on condiments. Then he bought some miscellaneous household items, and afterwards headed towards the baby and maternity store. He bought anything that caught his eye along the way.

When I arrived at the baby store, Zijin was already waiting at the door. She was holding a steaming hot baked flatbread and taking a big bite. Beside her was a large bag containing flat, round objects covered in mud.

Su Ming thought it looked familiar, "Water chestnuts?"

"Yes, I bought it whenever I saw it."

"It seems this is where they produce this. I bought a bag of water chestnut flour too." Su Ming patted his backpack.

Zijin handed another baked flatbread to Su Ming. He took it and took a bite; the crispy crust was filled with wild boar meat.

The aroma of scallions and ginger filled the air. If it weren't for the coarse texture and strong fishy smell of the meat, he would have almost thought he had returned to Earth for a moment.

Zijin tilted her head and looked at the earthenware jar Su Ming was holding in his other hand. "Wine?"

"The millet wine here is homemade and not very strong," Su Ming replied.

Zijin was very surprised, "Was this prepared for me?"

"She can only have a small glass a day at most," Su Ming said. He had figured it out; although her drinking habits were terrible, it was better to guide than to suppress.

Zijin's eyes lit up. "I'm not that addicted to alcohol. It's just that when I was a dragon, I got used to drinking whole jars of alcohol at a time, and I'm not used to this body's tolerance."

The two entered the maternity and baby store, where Su Ming asked for two dozen diapers, as well as socks, gloves, baby nail clippers, and other miscellaneous items.

The shop assistant enthusiastically recommended some items they had overlooked. Noticing that the prices were all in copper coins, Su Ming was too lazy to calculate and asked the shop assistant to wrap them all up.

Zijin picked out a moisturizing oil and bought several bottles at once. "Human skin is just so itchy," she complained.

The air humidity here is extremely low, and the Youth Civilization is running its heating system. Su Ming, being from the north, had chapped lips and was so busy that he overlooked this. Fortunately, Hansite was experienced and would occasionally sprinkle water on the floor and radiators in the carriage.

"I'll set up a few humidifiers when I get back," he said.

Remembering that Katharine needed human-made milk powder, Su Ming looked around but couldn't find it. He asked a store clerk, who took down the only two cans of milk powder from the top of the display case in the far corner.

"Does this kind of thing rarely sell?" Su Ming asked, puzzled. "Don't cows in the Northern Lands not produce milk in winter?"

"They can't afford it," Zijin explained. "Poor people who lack breast milk usually make do with rice water or something similar, or they ask others for some."

"But what about the rich? Don't they need milk?"

"Nobles hire wet nurses," Zijin said. "Human milk is much cheaper than formula."

Su Ming realized that consumption logic differs greatly depending on the level of production.

"Moreover," Zijin's lips curled into a smile, "People in the Northern Lands choose to give birth in the spring. In a season of high temperatures and abundant food, children are more likely to survive."

Their survival logic is also completely different.

Su Ming picked up the milk powder can and wiped off the accumulated dust. He didn't recognize the packaging material, but it looked like it had been there for a while. The outside said "Star Brand Newborn Infant Milk Powder" and "Place of Origin Star Empire".

"I wonder if it's past its expiration date," Su Ming thought to himself. He didn't know anything about products from another world anyway, so he'd just take it back and let Katharine judge.

The baby formula was expensive, so he tossed a gold coin to pay, and the two left the baby store.

****

The streets were crowded, and the two bought some small items. Su Ming found some dried corn kernels that seemed like they could be used to make popcorn.

Three people walked towards us, wearing military uniforms with insignia on their chests. A black blade cleaved through the white earth.

Zijin's body tensed almost imperceptibly.

"What's wrong?" Su Ming asked.

[These people are White Graupel Cavalry!] Zijin's eyes narrowed to almost vertical pupils. After brushing past the three, she slightly turned her head, glancing warily behind her. [Su Ming, we need to investigate them!]

The scholar's last visit to the Northern Lands was met with a humiliating chase by the White Graupel Cavalry. Thinking of this gave Su Ming a headache. "[Zijin, you're not thinking of revenge, are you?]"

[How could this be!] Zijin's eyes darted to the side. [Our identities will definitely be exposed after the prison break. The only ones who can catch us and pose a threat will be the elite troops on the ice plains—so it's necessary to gather information in advance!]

Zijin's words were so grand and righteous that Su Ming couldn't find a reason to refute them.

The three soldiers exchanged a few words, then turned to leave the city. Zijin turned and followed, pulling Su Ming along with her.

"They were just discussing and deciding to return to camp," Zijin said happily. "Perfect timing, we can go with them to their hideout!"

"Are you sure this is just an investigation?" Su Ming asked doubtfully.

"Of course—" Zijin replied, "[Unsure!]"

[...]

****

Su Ming and Zijin kept their distance, and the soldiers were completely unaware that they were being followed. They quickly left the city gate and headed along the main road in the suburbs.

Su Ming and Zijin found a merchant to store their belongings, and the two left the city hand in hand, pretending to be a pair of leisurely travelers enjoying the scenery.

"Relax, I'll just investigate," Zijin whispered to Su Ming, their conversation looking like a couple's private chatter from afar. "Don't worry, I won't do anything rash unless I have a good opportunity!"

Su Ming was clearly not fooled by those words, "So that means you'll act recklessly whenever a good opportunity arises!"

As the number of people on the road gradually decreased, Su Ming and Zijin slowed their pace and increased the distance between them.

"If there's a good opportunity, of course we should take advantage of it."

Su Ming sighed slightly. "How did you know what they were talking about?" he asked. At that time, the street was noisy...

The two had already distanced themselves and were facing away from each other, so they couldn't see each other's lips.

It's possible to do this using one's perception abilities, but both of them are wearing forbidden magic suits, which greatly weakens their perception.

"A small perk of breaking through the shackles." A hint of smugness lingered in Zijin's voice, a slight upturn of her lips.

"What breakthrough did you achieve?" Su Ming pressed.

"Let's have a fight when we get back, then you'll see." Zijin smiled slyly, and Su Ming could almost see a devil's tail swaying behind the girl.

***

After walking for a while, the soldiers turned onto a small path in the jungle. This time, Su Ming and Zijin could no longer follow. Outside the city, it was snowing heavily and there weren't many pedestrians. They could barely disguise themselves on the main road, but chasing them into the forest would be too conspicuous.

Su Ming took a drone out of his backpack and unfolded its rotors.

"Wait a while before releasing it. It's so cold, the battery life is only twenty minutes," he told Zijin.

The two found a slightly elevated spot nearby and sat for a while. Fifteen minutes later, Su Ming activated the drone, directly raising the altitude to 400 meters.

The drone was painted in low-visibility camouflage, so even they couldn't see where it was.

Su Ming turned on the camera and controlled the drone to follow the trees from above. The leaves had long since fallen in winter, leaving only bare branches in the jungle. From the air, the scene inside the forest was clearly visible.

Su Ming quickly spotted the three figures in the footage. However, he didn't slow down the drone but continued forward in the direction they were traveling. Before long, a campsite appeared in the footage.

Lead-gray tents were scattered among the crooked trees, their canvas surfaces covered in frost. The remains of extinguished campfires were everywhere, and the tents were all tightly sealed off to prevent them from being seen from afar at night.

The camp was laid out in a clear hierarchy, with sentries and patrols stationed all around.

"Very well-organized," Su Ming frowned. The White Graupel Cavalry were special forces, and this disciplined camp showed they were not to be trifled with.

Furthermore, the camp has a large number of sleds and a large number of otherworldly animals suitable for traveling in the snow, indicating that this team's mobility is not bad.

"That's why I said if there's a chance," Zijin said dismissively, "Let's scan the surrounding area and see if there's any terrain we can use."

Su Ming ignored her and used the remote control to take aerial photos of the entire camp and its surroundings. Based on the number of tents, he deduced that the enemy was a fully-equipped military unit.

The White Graupel Cavalry consisted of eight hundred main combat knights and more than a thousand logistical support troops. The camp itself was approximately two thousand men in size.

The two men carefully studied the aerial photographs on their tablets, searching for usable terrain. In the very center of the camp, there were several structures covered with white camouflage netting. Underneath the netting were tarpaulins, providing exceptionally thorough protection.

"I kind of miss it. Su Ming, when you first came, this is exactly what it looked like when everyone was gathered around us," Zijin said.

At that time, a Order of Light and a priestly order were stationed on the land side of the Cui'an Sea Cliff. Su Ming was somewhat glad that he had been ignorant and fearless back then. He did not understand how disparate the combat strength of the two sides was, but instead, he escaped without any distraction.

"There's a small hill over there. How about I unleash a wide-area spell on them from a distance?" she suggested enthusiastically, pointing to one side of the aerial view. "Let's lure their leader out, grab him, and run!"

"No good." Su Ming refused.

"It's very safe, Su Ming. I've already mastered the Natural Rhythm Domain! I'll act according to circumstances and never linger in battle!"

"I know you've always been petty, but why are you so obsessed with revenge?" Su Ming asked, puzzled.

Zijin didn't deny being petty, but instead changed the subject, "Have you noticed the insulation material filling the windows and holes in the houses here?"

Su Ming nodded. He had noticed it when he raided Old Luo's house. The windows were filled with a semi-transparent material. When the thieves smashed the glass, these materials flew everywhere. Su Ming picked up a piece after the battle and examined it. It was a lightweight, porous material that the White Triangle had used for soundproofing.

The cracks in Old Luo's house were also filled with this method, as were those in Akosita's house behind it. Su Ming used this method to repeatedly make his attacks penetrate the walls.

"This is the Porous Crystal Cotton invented by Master Newman. It is easy to produce, lightweight and inexpensive, and has excellent heat and sound insulation properties."

Su Ming recalled the materials he had read, "Master Newman, the engineering scholar whose title was 'Barn Swallow '?"

"Yes, besides overseeing many famous projects, he also made numerous inventions that benefit the people, such as biogas digesters and water collection wells in arid regions," Zijin replied. "Six months ago, I was being chased here with him, and I was forced to abandon part of the White Bone Fortress and escape from the coast."

It was later learned that he had died.

"Made by the White Dew Cavalry?" Su Ming narrowed his eyes.

The girl nodded. "Newman is mild-mannered; I don't believe he would resist to the point of being killed. The Academic Association has protested and demanded an investigation."

"But the dead can't prove it, right?" Su Ming asked. "Yes, Commander Price of the White Graupel Cavalry insists that Master Newman was already dead when they found him," the scholar replied. "The master's body was thoroughly destroyed, and the investigators couldn't find any evidence, so the matter was eventually dropped."

No wonder Zijin wanted to capture the White Graupel Cavalry commander; clearly, Zijin wanted to "amicably inquire" about the truth. Su Ming glanced at the verified military outpost on the screen. "It's unwise for us to rashly cause trouble now. Rescuing people from Divine Might Prison is our top priority."

Zijin suddenly put down her tablet. "Okay, let's go back."

"Huh?" Su Ming was surprised. "Why are you being so obedient to advice?"

She zoomed in on the image, pointing to a spot in the camp. "Those dozen or so are mages, and the ones in the middle, judging by their attire, are Grand Magus." Her tone was filled with regret. "With this group of mages around, capturing people won't be so simple; we might even get entangled."