028 Visiting the Horseshoe Mountain Heights
Southern Northen Plains
Guided by Scar Johnny, Xia Rong and her entourage set out towards the highlands of Horseshoe Mountain. Scar Johnny sent a subordinate ahead to report their arrival, while he took Xia Rong’s group on a tour.
“Do you see it? That protruding highland in the distance is our headquarters—the Horseshoe Mountain Highlands!” Scar Johnny began to introduce his tribe to Xia Rong, his voice spirited and full of pride.
“Is your tribe the only one on this plain?” Xia Rong asked, her mind filled with questions. But she was careful not to appear too naive, restraining herself from bombarding Johnny with queries.
“Yes! You are the second group to set foot here,” he replied. “To the west lies our mother river—the Tam River. Three thousand kilometers to the north is the insurmountable Andes Snow Mountains. The east is bordered by the entire Fagon Forest; the pointy-eared folk there have a trade agreement with us. Their bows and arrows are of excellent quality, and they are our allies as well. The south is the direction you came from, the Chakarak Grasslands—you must be familiar with them.”
“I’ve sent someone to inform the chieftain; we still have quite a journey ahead of us,” Johnny continued.
Xia Rong gazed at the vast, fertile plain stretching out before her, unable to suppress her envy. If only she could claim such rich land for herself...
After half an hour of walking...
Lost in her reverie, Xia Rong was jolted when the one-eyed guide leading the way stopped abruptly and turned to address her: “We’re about to enter the defensive trap zone of the highlands. Please stick close to me and don’t wander.”
She nodded, noting that the closer they got to Horseshoe Mountain, the more frequent were the appearances of the ratfolk.
“Hey, Johnny! Are those three big lizards behind you today’s catch?” called a tall farmer rat, carrying a wooden yoke, greeting Scar Johnny enthusiastically.
“No, my friend, you mustn’t say that. They are the chieftain’s friends, from the south,” Johnny replied.
“Hey, Johnny, off to patrol again? Try some watermelon I just picked from the fields.”
“Johnny, long time no see! Heard you’ve been promoted to captain!”
“Oh! Look who I’ve spotted—the great hero of our ratfolk, Johnny!”
“Johnny, what’s up with them? Those three big lizards look pretty nervous.”
The ratfolk grew more numerous along the way, calling out to Johnny with warmth.
...
On the Horseshoe Mountain Highlands, Yang Jie sat in the meeting room with Old Jill and Old Sha, discussing matters concerning the school.
---
“The school has begun construction, and we’re busy laying the foundations. It’ll be finished in at most half a month,” reported Old Sha.
Though the tribe had been abuzz with rumors about Old Sha lately, Yang Jie was well aware of his efficiency. As long as there were no major conflicts, Yang Jie turned a blind eye, valuing results above all.
“Our next step is to expand the ranks. With the conscription system in place, our only training ground is running at full capacity. We need to speed things up,” Old Sha added.
Yang Jie nodded sincerely. Old Sha, for all his cunning, was no brute; his ability to assess situations ahead of others was rare.
“Go find Wendy directly after this. The new training ground project must be implemented quickly,” Yang Jie instructed before turning to Old Jill.
Old Jill instantly understood and responded, “Here’s how things stand—we’ve finalized the school’s curriculum. Team operations, wilderness survival, and weapons training are included. Agricultural production will be a separate subject. The only gap is in teaching staff. Many have applied, but few meet the standards. I spoke privately with Victor recently, hoping he could send some ratfolk talent our way.”
“Approved!”
At that moment, Wendy pushed open the door. As the tribe’s administrative secretary, her presence was familiar and she dispensed with formalities.
“Chieftain, the southern sentinels report that a group of lizardfolk have entered our territory without permission...”
“Lizardfolk? From the southern grasslands?” Yang Jie interrupted, questioning her.
“Yes,” Wendy confirmed.
Yang Jie sprang to his feet, his gaze icy. “Entering the Northen Plains without our permission is a serious provocation!”
“Grab your gear, assemble! Rouse the rats! Let’s get moving!” Yang Jie slammed the table, making his decision.
“But, the lizardfolk say she’s your friend... Someone you’ve met before,” Wendy hurried to finish what Yang Jie had cut short.
“Friend? I don’t have any friends... Wait, could it be that person from last time?” Yang Jie wondered aloud.
“Where are they now?”
“Their leader and two attendants are being led here by Scar Johnny—about ten minutes away,” Wendy replied.
Yang Jie’s rat-like eyes darted around the room as he considered the situation.
---
“Tell her I’m busy—see her in an hour. Let Scar Johnny show her around the territory. Remind Johnny to ensure their safety.”
“Understood,” Wendy said, turning to leave.
...
Not far from the entrance to Horseshoe Mountain Highlands
Xia Rong was surrounded by a group of young rats. In the ratfolk tribe, nearly every household had many young ones, who were left to roam freely during the day, playing in the fields.
At this moment, Xia Rong felt like a preschool teacher, encircled by the children.
“Make way, make way! Go play elsewhere—don’t block the path,” Scar Johnny barked, showing little patience for the youngsters. After kicking the backsides of two, the gathered young rats quickly dispersed, scampering off to play elsewhere.
“Don’t mind them, my friend. These little ones lack discipline—the adults are busy all day, so the children run wild,” Johnny explained.
“Look over there—that’s our mother river, the Tam River!”
Xia Rong wasn’t bothered by the children’s enthusiasm; she felt a tinge of reluctance as she watched them scamper away.
Following Johnny’s gesture, she saw a wide river come into view.
“Up ahead is the gentle slope of Horseshoe Mountain. That’s where our camp is. The chieftain is busy right now, so he asked me to show you around.”
“Let’s go to the riverbank first.”
Xia Rong followed Johnny towards the river, curiosity about this leader’s camp piquing her interest.
One of the lizardfolk officers crouched down, grabbed a handful of soil, sniffed it, and remarked, “The soil here is even richer than on the grasslands. What a good place!”
“Of course—it’s all the territory of us Andes wild ratfolk,” Johnny said proudly, overhearing their conversation.
“Look over there—a vast stretch of farmland,” pointed out the lizardfolk officer, indicating the outskirts of Horseshoe Mountain, where a large field of rice swayed in the breeze.
Since the irrigation canal was built, the ratfolk had cultivated a great area around their camp for rice, and groups of farmer rats bent over in the fields, creating a scene of prosperity.
Standing by the Tam River, Xia Rong took in the entire riverside landscape, silently calculating her own plans...