My Misfortune Crushed Instances

The two talked for a while longer, going over the details of the intelligence, and then Xiaoli left the command center, planning to rest overnight before setting out again. The main reason was to let the Herculean recharge, as this operation required covering a long distance.

The next day, Xiaoli got up and prepared the supplies needed for solo marching.

This time, unlike the journey north of the Divine Wood Forest, there were no Warrens of the Wen Que tribe to rest at, so they needed to bring along dried food made by the local Demon Race for provisions.

Xiaoli flipped onto the monkey’s back, sitting on the Herculean’s shoulder, and tossed the still-sleepy Yuan Erliang into the basket, letting him lie on the pile of animal skin water bottles.

As long as there was enough food and drink, the rest would just require ensuring safety.

After getting ready, the two monkeys and one man were set to head northwest, advancing through the recently captured grain and water region. The Western Kingdom had completely withdrawn from that area, revealing a gap that led west toward Wolf Fang Cliff.

But before he could set out, Duan Ling rushed in hurriedly from outside Yellow Earth City. Seeing Xiaoli, he greeted him and then dashed towards the command center.

Xiaoli continued walking out. He hadn’t gone a few hundred meters when the Herculean hadn’t even started running, and Duan Ling caught up from behind.

"Wait, Commander Cheng is looking for you."

So Xiaoli turned back.

"We have received some intelligence."

Cheng Wen took him to the terrace outside the window, "The Western Kingdom has a high-risk target named Dylan Hegg. He has about the same strength as the female priest you killed, originally fighting in the south against the Polar Alliance."

"But there’s also a tricky figure from the Polar Alliance, with an unknown name, codenamed the Plague Priest. He has a curse skill that can cause long-term negative effects on the target, which is hard to dispel."

"Our intelligence indicates that Dylan Hegg is recuperating in Feihong Town, southeast of Wolf Fang Cliff. His period of weakness should last about five more days."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoli chuckled, "Kill him, right?"

"That’s right."

Cheng Wen also smiled, "Feihong Town is a transportation hub after entering Cold Wind State from Zhangye State to the south, not a territory belonging to any specific Demon Race. They should have control over that area."

Xiaoli asked, "What about the defense situation?"

Cheng Wen answered, "That’s what I wanted to discuss. The Western Kingdom’s main elite forces are positioned at the junction of Cold Wind State and two other states. The rear Feihong Town is, instead, a weak spot with no top experts stationed."

He went back inside the room and called in a few advisors to have them analyze the defense structures around the Feihong Array on the map in detail.

Afterward, he said, "Therefore, I believe that if you try to infiltrate Wolf Fang Cliff following your previous route, on your way back, you could pass through Feihong Town for a hit-and-run. They wouldn’t have time to react, and you could return the way you came."

"Old Cheng, I still think this plan is too risky."

The bearded man in charge of intelligence remarked nearby, "Is a hit-and-run really that easy? What if they close the gap on us?"

He glanced at Xiaoli, saying, "Xiaoli, it’s not that I don’t believe in you. It’s mainly that being alone behind enemy lines has too many uncertainties."

Xiaoli nodded, "I also think there’s quite a bit of uncertainty. Who knows, maybe by then, we won’t just be killing one Dylan Hegg."

"....." The bearded man was left speechless.

Cheng Wen coughed a little, "So, after you head to Wolf Fang Cliff, see the situation. If their defenses are lax, then make a move. If there’s no opportunity, forget it."

Xiaoli said, "I have a question. If they have a Prophet, wouldn’t they predict my actions?"

"Their number of Prophets shouldn’t be too many, and the scope of their prophecies is limited. We speculate that they wouldn’t use such limited resources to monitor areas deemed safe from the rear."

The bearded man spoke, reasoning with facts and logic though he thought such an operation shouldn’t be planned.

Cheng Wen added, "I will have Chen Cheng cast a buff on you. As long as they’re not specifically targeting you, they won’t be able to predict."

"Then there’s no problem." Xiaoli laughed, "Expect good news from me."

Under the worried eyes of the bearded man, Cheng Wen took Xiaoli to find a Prophet, who granted him a long-lasting buff for seven days.

[Veil of Obscurity: You cannot be detected by area-based Prophetic Art.]

Cheng Wen gave final instructions, "The reason we’re choosing you for this mission is because, before entering the Secret Realm battlefield, there was very little intelligence on you. They don’t know your name, abilities, skills, or profession, so tailored prophecies are unlikely."

"Completion is not mandatory, and personal safety should be the top priority."

"Understood, expect good news from me."

Xiaoli acknowledged before setting off from Yellow Earth City once again.

.....

Most of Cold Wind State is a plateau, with low temperatures and isolation, having little exchange with the outside world.

Wolf Fang Cliff is a massive barrier beneath this entire plateau. Only by climbing the ten-thousand-foot high cliff standing across the land can one enter the true plateau.

However, trying to climb with brute force is impossible. The cliff’s outer side is filled with biting gales where monkeys cannot climb and birds cannot pass; one can only ascend via a path hidden among the cliffs.

"Sir, are we going up to the plateau?" The Herculean asked, looking at the cliff several miles away.

"Not necessarily."

Xiaoli replied, "We need to first find a tribe that hasn’t been recruited by the enemies, gather information from them about what I’m looking for, and then decide what to do."

It took the group a full two days to reach this place, thanks to the Herculean’s speed in traveling.

Along the way, they encountered a small and impoverished Demon Race settlement with only a few dozen demons. The Western Kingdom didn’t even bother to recruit them. Xiaoli used some prepared dry food to bribe them and learned the entrance to one of the cliff paths from them.

Now, they just needed to find that entrance to ascend to the Cold Wind Plateau.

However, for Xiaoli, there was still a problem to solve, which was that Chen Cheng only provided a vague hint. All he knew was that the target was in the direction of Wolf Fang Cliff but didn’t know what it was or where specifically, which was why he said he needed to gather information.

Yuan Erliang, who had slept the entire way, was quite energetic now and volunteered, "I’ll go! I’ll go!"

Xiaoli lifted him up, "You go scout the situation, but I’ll protect you from the shadows."

"Great, sure!" Yuan Erliang eagerly agreed.

Xiaoli instructed the Herculean to stay put and not make any commotion, waiting for his return.

The main reason was that they were already in the rear defense zone of the Western Kingdom, equivalent to an enemy-occupied area, so he preferred not to expose himself recklessly. If Yuan Erliang alone could gather information, that would be the safest option.

If Xiaoli and the Herculean both showed up, it might alert the Western Kingdom people.

After setting things up, he had Yuan Erliang scout ahead while he used the animal instincts granted by his administrator’s cloak to hide, trailing from a distance. As they neared the continuous cliffs of Wolf Fang Cliff, he also noticed signs of life.