Since both teammates chose a more aggressive approach, Fu Qing had no reason to back down. He took out the map and studied it carefully, preparing to select a supply point to practice on.
The gold mining team, seeing that Fu Qing was determined to raid the Empire’s supply points, was at a loss for how to dissuade him.
Fu Qing waved his hand to cut off their unspoken advice. “Tell me about each supply point—their scale, personnel distribution, types of stored supplies, everything you know.”
Seeing Fu Qing’s reaction, the gold mining team realized their persuasion was futile. They had no choice but to wrack their brains and provide all the information they knew, hoping to reduce the danger. Although they thought this information would have little impact, it was the best they could do.
After more than half an hour, the gold mining team prepared to depart. They would head deeper into the Land of Gold Sources, crossing it to enter the Thick Soil Gobi, a notorious chaotic area that was also one of the few places the Empire’s influence did not reach.
Despite the many dangers along the way, this was their best option. If they continued, they still had a chance for survival; staying here would mean certain death if discovered by the Empire’s forces.
Before they left, Fu Qing gave them the storage belt from the mage. The belt contained the food and water the gold mining team had along the way, as well as some magical materials, but nothing particularly valuable.
The gold mining team thanked Fu Qing profusely and left. Even after they had gone a considerable distance, they frequently looked back, silently hoping that the three would reconsider their plan to raid the Empire’s supply points. After all, since the Empire’s forces entered the Land of Gold Sources, there had been no successful raids. Attempting to raid an Empire resource point with just three people was almost like seeking death.
After the gold mining team left, Lai Fu, who had been out for washing and hunting, returned. The other two dragonlings were still missing, their whereabouts unknown.
Lai Fu sat quietly next to the camp, hands tucked in, waiting patiently.
Seeing Lai Fu’s actions, Shu Bao found it oddly familiar—how did this dragon learn to tuck its hands in just a few days?
While waiting for the other two dragonlings, a figure sneaking away, hidden by the cover of a metal boulder, also quietly departed.
The person in question was Wang Bu, the swordsman from earlier. Wang Bu had originally planned to flee, with his first choice being the Thick Soil Gobi. However, after considering the harsh and brutal conditions of the Gobi, he began to waver. Hesitating for a while, he quietly returned to observe the situation.
Upon learning that the cunning man planned to raid a supply point with a snake and a rat, Wang Bu was disdainful, thinking that such actions were akin to seeking death.
However, considering the previous man’s strange tactics and his confident demeanor, Wang Bu felt a sense of danger, especially when a magical dragon suddenly appeared in the camp. His heart raced with the realization of the Empire’s recent significant losses in search of dragon eggs and the perilous nature of dragons. This was precisely his chance to turn things around.
If he could get the news about the raid attempt to the Empire and explain the true cause of Su Wen the mage’s death, along with the presence of a magical dragon, his own mistakes would be overshadowed. If things went well, he might even get a promotion, as a magical dragon would easily overshadow a mere mage.
So, Wang Bu, hiding in the shadows, observed the entire event and listened to the detailed explanation of the supply points by the gold miners. Believing he had found a remedy, Wang Bu quietly left and quickly headed for the nearest and smallest supply point.
It was easy to guess that with only one person, two pets, and a dragon, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to tackle a heavily fortified location, so the smallest and least defended supply point would undoubtedly be their target.
He only needed to arrive at the supply point before the man, deliver the news, and let the Empire assemble defenses in advance. This would set a trap for the intruders. Even if they didn’t show up, the news of the magical dragon in the Land of Gold Sources would be extremely valuable.
After Wang Bu left, Fu Qing and Shu Bao turned their attention to the spot where Wang Bu had been hiding. Lan Qing looked puzzled and asked what was going on.
Shu Bao explained, “A keen listener went to disrupt the enemy’s plans.”
Fu Qing nodded, “Call Jinzi and Yinzi back. We’re going to the Xinya supply point.”
It was clear that Jinzi and Yinzi had not returned yet because Shu Bao had sent them a message. With the growth of the dragonlings, Shu Bao had developed the ability to communicate with them telepathically over a distance.
Before long, the two dragonlings quickly returned to the base. Seeing that Lai Fu had returned earlier than them, they felt a bit aggrieved and each thrust their big heads toward Shu Bao, seeking a head pat before they were satisfied.
The three then mounted the giant dragon and swiftly headed toward the Xinya supply point.
The Xinya supply point was not the smallest or closest one recently, but rather a medium-sized point further away. Its location was quite strategic, situated in an excellent position for support. If Wang Bu managed to get the message to the Empire, the defensive forces originally stationed at Xinya would likely be called away to provide support.
The dragonlings advanced at their fastest speed and arrived near the Xinya supply point after half a day. When they arrived, they saw a large group of people hurriedly leaving the Xinya supply point. Clearly, they had received the support notification.
Shu Bao and the others were not in a rush. After taking a distant glance, they flew to an even more remote location to set up camp, leaving plenty of space for the support team to depart. Meanwhile, they took the opportunity to eat and regain their strength.
Once they had rested enough, they mounted the giant dragon and flew towards the Xinya supply point.
Using the cover of night, the giant dragon circled above the supply point for a while, occasionally devouring one or two of the Empire’s tamed flying magical beasts. The support team, in their hurry, had taken most of the flying magical beasts with them, so the three dragon cubs circled for quite some time without being detected by those below.
It wasn’t until a dragon’s roar shattered the night sky that the dragon swooped down, unleashing its breath upon the supply point. The dragon flew low, leaving behind scorching flames and the powerful winds created by its high-speed movement.
The attack came so suddenly and from such an unexpected direction that the remaining personnel at the supply point didn’t have time to react.
As they scrambled out of their quarters, the camp was already engulfed in flames. The deafening roars of the dragon echoed continuously, and the enormous shadow in the sky felt like the descending hand of death.
They tried to fight back, but whether they were swordsmen or mages, few could reach the dragon’s attack range. Even if they managed to attack, their efforts were negligible.
The stronger mages and swordsmen had all gone to support the effort, eager to fight for the chance to capture a magical dragon. If they succeeded, they could leave the copper-stinking land of the Land of Gold Sources and secure a lifetime of prosperity.
“Dragons! Why are dragons here!”
“Help! Fire!”
“It’s not just one dragon! It’s three!”
“Run! We can’t win!”
…
The camp was filled with screams and panicked cries. Some people were trying to put out the fire, while others attempted to fight back. However, the existing defenses and manpower of the camp were insufficient to withstand the assault of the three magical dragons.
In just a few minutes, the camp was deserted. Once one person started fleeing, it was only a matter of time before the rest followed in panic.
The three dragonlings landed in the middle of the camp. With the remaining fires still burning around them, the layout of the camp was clearly visible. The three of them wasted no time, splitting up to begin a frenzied search for supplies.
This supply point was of medium size and had three large warehouses. According to the information from the gold miners, the supplies stored at nearby points were largely similar: metals, gemstones, rare magical beasts, magical plants, etc., all sourced from the Land of Gold Sources.
Shu Bao, Fu Qing, and Lan Qing exchanged glances, then each chose a warehouse to search. Fu Qing picked the largest one. When he opened it, he found it packed full of metal ores. Boxes filled with gold formed two small mountains, and there were various amounts of iron, copper, and aluminum. He even discovered some titanium—an excellent find, as it is a fundamental material for space exploration.
Without hesitation, Fu Qing transferred all the resources into his system space. The system space was soon filled to the brim. He was finally satisfied, thinking that since the crash, he had finally struck luck.
The situation at Lan Qing’s warehouse was similar, though it contained a lot more magical plants and even a box of magical potion formulas. It was unclear which faction the Empire had plundered these from. These items suited Lan Qing’s preferences, so they were also added to the collection.
When the two finished their searches, they went to the nearby warehouse to find Shu Bao. Upon entering, they were greeted by the sight of a distressed furry creature. Looking around, they discovered that the warehouse was completely filled with cages, each housing a magical beast or an unidentified magical beast egg!
Both Lan Qing and Fu Qing were stunned, quickly realizing that this warehouse contained the magical beasts that the Empire had tamed from the Land of Gold Sources!
This was truly a pleasant surprise! However, these living beings could not be directly stored in the system space like the other materials. This was precisely what troubled Shu Bao.
“If only there were something to store living beings,” Shu Bao lamented as he looked at the warehouse full of magical beasts. Not to mention transportation, just taking care of them was a major issue. Two dragonlings were already a big enough handful; adding so many magical beasts would mean that the Xia Wang Tribe would be overwhelmed.
As he was reflecting on this, a sudden commotion of cries and wails came from outside the warehouse.
“Don’t eat me! Don’t eat me!”
“I have good stuff here!”
“Really!”
Then came a series of screams, indicating that the people outside were terrified.
The three of them walked out of the warehouse and saw a person surrounded by the three dragonlings. The person was facing the menacing stares of all three dragons and looked as if he was about to faint. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be someone of considerable status.
When the person saw them coming out, he rushed over, tears streaming down his face, “I am the Thirty-Seventh Prince of the Empire! You can’t kill me!”
Moonlit: Wow! The ruler of the Empire must be so hardworking in producing offsprings.
