In the heart of the great mountains, soldiers advanced rapidly, disturbing countless mutated beasts. Some of these creatures charged towards the soldiers, while others, startled, turned and fled. Ultimately, the charging beasts met their end with a few sharp gunshots, leaving only their corpses on the ground and causing no further disruption. The fleeing mutated beasts, however, were destined to live longer.
Guo Pinming studied his map, his brow furrowed. The path ahead was proving to be exceedingly difficult, requiring them to fight mutated beasts as they moved, which would significantly slow their progress.
"This won't do," Guo Pinming murmured to himself, staring at the map. "If we can't reach our destination within ten days, a large gap will appear in our encirclement, and the mutated beasts will escape."
In truth, Guo Pinming had chosen the most arduous route, bearing the greatest pressure. But he was a professional soldier, accustomed to hardship and perseverance. Thus, Guo Pinming did not complain. Entrusting him with the most challenging mission was, he believed, a testament to the City Lord's trust.
Just then, Cai He approached Guo Pinming and said, "Minister, the mercenaries refuse to move any further. They've reached their limit. Should we take a break?"
Guo Pinming did not wish to rest, but the mercenaries could no longer continue. He couldn't force them. They had to fight while advancing and leave soldiers to guard crucial intersections. The defensive lines they had established were the most demanding, so it was understandable that the mercenaries were struggling.
"Then let them rest for a while. We'll continue in half an hour," Guo Pinming said with resignation.
For Guo Pinming, the issue of food was secondary. After all, hunting in the mountains could sustain them for a period. The primary problem was exhaustion. Traveling and fighting consumed a vast amount of time, and many areas were dense forests requiring someone to clear a path, further exacerbating the physical toll.
Even evolved individuals couldn't withstand such high-intensity physical exertion, let alone the mercenaries, many of whom were ordinary people. After traveling, these ordinary individuals longed for a place to sleep. Yet, they had been traveling day and night, and they were nearing their breaking point.
Yu Muhe's mercenary group had been assigned to Guo Pinming's command. Yu Muhe had initially intended to showcase his fighting prowess to establish authority within his mercenary group, paving the way for future endeavors. However, he suddenly discovered that his days were consumed by arduous travel, and he could no longer endure it.
The gap between his ideals and reality was immense. His ideal battle was a life-or-death struggle amidst gunfire, but reality was a monotonous cycle of travel, travel, and more travel.
"Rest for half an hour, then set off again!" the leading soldier commanded. The mercenaries, as if hearing joyous news, immediately collapsed onto the ground to rest. Some lay down in the dry grass, ready to sleep, while others leaned against rocks, drinking water.
"Damn it, we can finally rest. Boss, we've really drawn the short straw. I heard the other four teams, even though they're working hard, at least they're eating and drinking well. What about us? We're doing the hardest work, and we don't even have good food to fill our stomachs!" Wei Tong complained to Yu Muhe as he sat down. He leaned against a rock, his lips cracked.
Wei Tong was a shrewd individual. While others rested or drank water, he often roamed near the soldiers from Yuzhou, gathering information. He learned that fighting under Guo Pinming was the most strenuous; Guo Pinming took on all the dirty and difficult tasks, like a fool.
Take this current war, for instance. Under Shen Feng, things were most comfortable. Shen Feng's contingent was the largest and closest to Yuzhou, allowing for swift supply transfers. They established their front lines within two days and began their advance. The mercenaries followed the regular army, profiting handsomely. The worst off were Guo Pinming's men, burdened with the heaviest tasks, struggling to replenish their food and drink, and exhausted from fighting and traveling daily.
Wei Tong's sense of fairness was immediately disturbed. They were all mercenaries, yet his group was suffering immensely, constantly traveling through the mountains, enduring hardship without reaping any significant rewards. It was as if they had drawn the worst lottery ticket. At this moment, all he could do was complain.
Hearing his subordinate's complaints, Yu Muhe recalled his son's earlier plan: to perform diligently within the army. Therefore, he quickly consoled Wei Tong, saying, "Don't be so dejected now. Perhaps we'll achieve merit later? The rewards will surely be substantial."
However, Wei Tong looked at Yu Muhe in astonishment and asked, "Boss, you don't actually believe what the guild said, do you? We've been drafted into this war like conscripts, working ourselves to death. If we don't quit, we should at least work hard. I can barely stand it anymore!"
Upon hearing the call to strive for merit, Wei Tong became fearful. He was a man in his thirties. If it weren't for the need to support his family, he wouldn't have become a mercenary. Now that he was conscripted, why should he work hard when he could slack off?
Yu Muhe quickly tried to persuade him, saying, "Brother, listen to me. Our current lives are difficult and miserable. Our monthly utility bills alone are substantial. We always need to consider our families, right? So, if we achieve merit, we can request better treatment from the City Lord's mansion, and then everyone can live a good life, can't they?"
Wei Tong found some logic in this and stopped complaining, though he still retorted, "I'm only doing this because of you, boss. If anyone else tried to persuade me, I wouldn't even bother!"
Yu Muhe quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, it's all because you're giving me face. If we need to achieve merit in the future, I'll have to rely on you more."
Hearing his boss say this, Wei Tong felt much happier. He then prepared to rest on the grass. But it was strange. It was late autumn, and many trees in the mountains had shed their leaves. The only evergreen trees were pines, and most of the grass on the ground was withered. Yet, the patch of grass Wei Tong was lying on was lush and green. Looking around, he noticed quite a few patches of such verdant vegetation.
Wei Tong lay down in the green grass, intending to rest in the rare shade. However, as soon as he lay down, he felt an itch on his back. He reached behind him to scratch and felt a round object. Upon closer inspection, he found an oval, ball-like thing, resembling a small fruit.
"What is this thing?" Wei Tong asked, frowning at the small fruit with its yellowish-white skin.
Seeing the object, Yu Muhe quickly advised, "Throw away anything you don't recognize. Don't eat things randomly. If something goes wrong, it'll be troublesome."
According to Yu Zhijing, he had eaten a fruit brought back from the mountains, which led to his incomplete evolution and a terminal illness at a young age. If he couldn't find a way to complete his evolution, he would live for at most twenty years. Therefore, Yu Muhe was no longer willing to bring back unfamiliar items, especially not letting his child eat them carelessly.
Some things might appear harmless, but once consumed, they could lead to a lifetime of despair.
Just as Yu Muhe was anxiously telling Wei Tong to throw away the fruit, Cai He passed by. Hearing Yu Muhe's anxious words, he couldn't help but say, "You city folk are truly unsophisticated. This is a phoenix egg. Everyone in the countryside knows that, yet you're so nervous!"
Cai He wore the standard uniform of Yuzhou, adorned with special insignia, indicating he was an officer in the army.
Cai He had just passed by and was about to rest when he saw two mercenaries anxiously staring at a fruit. It had a yellowish-white skin, stained with mud, and was only about two fingers wide, similar in size to a small potato. Cai He couldn't help himself. These city dwellers were too detached from the common people, not even knowing such a simple thing.
Yu Muhe looked at Cai He's attire and realized he was an officer from the military camp. Not daring to offend him, he quickly asked, "Brother, you say this is a phoenix egg? What exactly is it? We've truly never seen it before. Please enlighten us."
Cai He, a villager, was delighted to be asked a question by a city dweller for the first time. His vanity satisfied, he generously offered his knowledge. "The plant behind you is called a kidney fern. The fruit you're holding isn't actually a fruit, but a tuber of the kidney fern, which is the same part as a potato. It contains a lot of carbohydrates, so it's safe to eat."
Yu Muhe continued to ask, "Have you eaten it before?"
Cai He nodded and said, "I have. The taste is average, certainly not as good as fried potatoes. Of course, it's been over a decade, so I don't remember the exact taste."
Cai He grew up in a village. When he was hungry, he liked to find food in the mountains. There were many edible things on the mountain: wild fruits, wild peas, wild strawberries, and these small tubers. The taste wasn't great, but being edible was enough.
Yu Muhe nodded, enlightened. "So that's how it is. I was too worried. It's mainly because my child fell ill after eating a strange fruit, so I'm extra cautious and dare not eat things randomly."
Cai He shrugged and said, "You should rest quickly. We'll be on the move again in half an hour. Don't hold us back."
Yu Muhe said nothing and watched Cai He leave.
However, Wei Tong became somewhat annoyed. He quietly said to Yu Muhe, "Boss, look at this guy. He just knows a bit more than us, and he's acting so proud. What's so great about that?"
Yu Muhe quickly replied, "Alright, alright, hurry up and rest. We still have to travel later."
Wei Tong shrugged, shook his head helplessly, peeled the phoenix egg, and threw it into his mouth raw without cooking it. Since this thing was mainly carbohydrates, it meant it could replenish energy. At least he could eat something to fill his stomach.
Perhaps in the past, even a dog wouldn't have bothered with something this small. But now, as long as it could replenish energy, anything was good. Especially in the city, as long as there was food, everything was sufficient. Those with food were the masters.
Yu Muhe watched his brother consume the so-called phoenix egg. He felt a bit worried. However, after Wei Tong had eaten the phoenix egg for a while and there was no adverse reaction, he finally felt relieved. It seemed not all plants were dangerous.
After finishing the phoenix egg in his hand, Wei Tong wasn't satisfied. Although the taste was a bit off, it could fill his stomach. He had been traveling all day, and the food he ate in the morning had been digested by noon. If he didn't replenish his energy now, his stomach would be completely empty later.
So, Wei Tong immediately called some of his close brothers and began searching for the verdant kidney ferns on the mountain to dig them up. As soon as they found the underground tubers, they stuffed them into their mouths.
While Wei Tong led his men in searching for food on the mountain, some joined in, wanting to eat more. But more people simply collapsed and slept. At this time, who had the leisure to dig for tubers? No one could fill their stomachs with the energy from such small tubers. It was better to sleep soundly for half an hour than to spend that time digging for tubers; it would be more beneficial for restoring stamina.
The soldiers, witnessing the mercenaries' actions, were even more disdainful. They thought, "They complain after traveling such a short distance. Clearly, they lack training. Now they have the energy to dig for tubers. They're too spoiled!"
Yu Muhe leaned against a rock, his brow furrowed in thought. How could he achieve merit next? Only by achieving merit could he make requests and establish his authority. Although he might not be capable within the city, outside Yuzhou City, he could certainly dominate.
But achieving merit was not easy. Nowadays, it was all about travel. Unless they could increase their marching speed, opportunities for merit would not arise.
"Alas, it's so difficult. My intelligence isn't as good as my son's. I can't think of any solutions!" Yu Muhe pondered for a long time but still couldn't come up with anything, feeling a sense of helplessness.
Yu Muhe realized his evolution had been a failure. Although he was an evolved individual, his intelligence had not evolved. As a result, he had to consult his son about everything before making a decision. But even geniuses came at a price; true geniuses often died young.