Chapter 56: The Anomalous Vein

Zhao Yuying was in charge of a mine that was common across the Eternal Night Continent, producing black stone. However, this mine, which originally belonged to a vampire viscount, was rich in resources, easy to extract, and contained a substantial amount of valuable accompanying black crystals, making it far more valuable than an ordinary black stone mine. But compared to Qian Ye’s small mine, it had a disadvantage in terms of emergency liquidation as it did not produce purple copper.

Qian Ye and Zhao Yuying stood at a high vantage point, watching the Dark Flame warriors escort the mine guards in a single file towards the designated camp. Besides the guards, there were thousands of miners, a significant number of whom were humans. They were not blood slaves or “human beasts” raised for sustenance, but human slaves.

Zhao Yuying fiddled with an irregular piece of raw black crystal, tossing it up and down, saying, “There are too many of them, a big trouble. What do you plan to do?”

“What do you think?” Qian Ye asked back. He enjoyed hearing Zhao Yuying’s opinions first, as this unconventional noblewoman often spoke startling truths, and it was also a good opportunity to understand her better.

Qian Ye had expected Zhao Yuying to suggest executing them on the spot or sealing them inside the mines, leaving their fate to the whims of the elements. In war, especially in occupied territories where one could not afford to station forces, this was a common practice to avoid the burden of prisoners and prevent the enemy from gaining any advantage.

But unexpectedly, Zhao Yuying said, “Keep them all. Station a company to guard them. Continue the mining operations.”

It was Qian Ye’s turn to hesitate, “But this will tie up a large number of our troops. Do you suggest handling other mines like this? My forces are not so abundant that I can afford to spread them out like this.”

Zhao Yuying said, “If necessary, I will contribute more in the future to make up for your manpower deficit!”

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

“No, this is me. The mineral veins here are unique, likely hiding something. We need to occupy as many mines as possible to confirm. Look, this piece of black crystal is proof.”

With a flick of her finger, the black crystal tumbled into Qian Ye’s hand. After examining it carefully and using different senses, even probing it with dark and dawn origin power, Qian Ye found nothing unusual about this black crystal ore.

“You can also appraise minerals and prospect mines?”

“It’s one of the essential skills for a money-grubber, isn’t it?”

“You admit you’re a money-grubber?”

“Qian Ye, if you keep talking about your sister like this, I’ll double my payment for this battle!”

“…You are so generous!”

“What a bad compliment! Go back and learn from Zining!”

After some thought, Qian Ye called over several senior Dark Flame officers to discuss troop allocation and confirmed that they could still spare a company to stay behind. Thus, he made the arrangements.

Having dealt with the military matters, Qian Ye entered his tent and spread out the map, starting to study the next phase of the campaign.

On the route ahead, there were two more viscounts, the werewolf Bulduo and the spider demon Mask. They were roughly equal in strength to Demer, but a real battle would be much tougher.

Dawn flash bombs were particularly effective against vampires, and Qian Ye himself had an overwhelming advantage over vampires of the same rank. However, werewolves and spider demons, with their tough skin and robust bodies, would not be as easily affected. But if Zhao Yuying were willing to exert more effort, the situation would be very different.

At that moment, the tent flap opened, and Zhao Yuying slipped in, asking, “Have you figured out what to do next?”

Qian Ye smiled and drew two lines on the map, saying, “If I were them, I would try to converge here and hold the position, waiting for us to attack. After all, we swallowed Demer whole, and they aren’t fools. How could they dare to fight us separately?”

Zhao Yuying pondered, “It seems we finished off Demer a bit too quickly. If that old spider had also mobilized his forces, and they met, it would be a tough fight.”

“If they combine forces, we will split up. You and I each lead a team. As for the target, hehe, are you interested in raiding a viscount’s castle?”

“Xiaowu, so thoughtful!” Zhao Yuying’s eyes lit up, and she hooked her arm around Qian Ye’s shoulder, nearly kissing him. Her action pressed her chest firmly against his arm, without any hesitation. With his keen senses, Qian Ye immediately felt the full impact of Zhao Yuying’s ample bosom.

Qian Ye took a step back, and Zhao Yuying, noticing the awkwardness, laughed, “What’s the big deal? When you were little, I used to bathe you…”

Qian Ye was speechless for a moment, then said helplessly, “Who knows if that’s true or false? Back then, you were just a little girl… Let’s get back to business!”

“Fine, let’s get back to business. I just questioned the mine’s manager and learned some interesting information. Look, there are five similar black stone mines in the earl’s territory.”

As she spoke, Zhao Yuying marked the five mines on the map. Qian Ye studied it several times but found no special connections beyond the fact that all six mines were located on the same mountain range.

Knowing that Qian Ye was clueless about mineral veins, Zhao Yuying marked a few more points on the mountain range, saying, “In these places, we should be able to find new black stone mines with comparable or even higher yields than the existing ones.”

Qian Ye’s eyebrows rose, “So rich in resources? That makes it a prosperous mining area!”

“It’s more than just a prosperous mining area! Come, remember this place.”

Zhao Yuying pointed to a spot on the map. Qian Ye’s expression changed slightly; her finger rested on Green Peak Mountain, the location of the Fangtooth Tribe.

“Is there something special about this place?”

“If my judgment is correct, there may be something hidden in this area that affects the entire region’s mineral deposits. According to the vein’s pattern, this is a key point where we might find clues, or even a completely new vein.”

Qian Ye frowned in silence, thinking about the mysterious formation he had seen on the peak of Green Peak Mountain.

Zhao Yuying, recalling the same thing, said, “Didn’t you say the dark race activities in this area were unusual? Maybe they’ve noticed it too. Once we decipher the array components you brought back, we’ll know if they were surveying new veins or searching for something else.”

Qian Ye nodded, “Alright! I’ll take control of that place as soon as possible.” He pondered how to adjust his plan, as the Fangtooth Tribe alone was not a significant obstacle.

At that moment, a messenger entered the tent, saluted, and said, “Sir, this is the latest intelligence. Please review it.”

Qian Ye took the intelligence, scanned it, and his expression turned strange. He then passed it to Zhao Yuying.

Zhao Yuying read it and was stunned, “Viscount Bulduo, the werewolf, did not send out his forces but recalled all his warriors to defend the pass? This…?”

Bulduo’s decision to hold his ground and not engage was usually a good thing, but now it posed a problem because the Fangtooth Tribe was behind the pass. Two of the mines Zhao Yuying wanted to occupy were also in Bulduo’s territory.

The fierce and renowned wolfman actually retreating? This was indeed surprising.

Qian Ye quickly composed himself. Regardless, this was not a bad development, as it meant Viscount Mask would be isolated.

Qian Ye made a swift decision, calling in the messenger and pointing at the map, issuing orders, “Prepare the entire army for battle. We leave in an hour. Our destination is here, and we’ll set up a position on this ridge. Send someone to find Duan Hao, have him march south and watch the werewolves. If there’s any movement, he doesn’t need to hold the position. Just retreat and delay them.”

Qian Ye’s position cut off Stuka’s possible reinforcements and Mask’s forces, preventing them from uniting. The initiative on whom to attack was in Qian Ye’s hands.

After the messenger left, Qian Ye looked at the map and said, “The only trouble is, what if Mask also refuses to come out? We might face enemies from three directions.”

“If that little spider also hides, we’ll go ransack his lair!” Zhao Yuying’s eyes gleamed at the thought of ransacking a lair.

“That won’t be easy, right?”

The spider demon castles were notoriously difficult to assault, a headache for anyone.

But Zhao Yuying gave a chilling smile, “Mask’s so-called castle is just a small mound. What’s hard about that? We have a lot of mined black stone. We can stack it at the foot of the mound and set it on fire for days and nights. Whether he’s a viscount or an earl, we’ll burn him out!”

Qian Ye couldn’t help but feel a chill.

Seeing Qian Ye’s uneasy expression, Zhao Yuying smiled seductively, “Do you think your sister is wise and powerful again?”

“Um… yes.” Qian Ye realized he was saying more insincere words lately.

Zhao Yuying burst into a boisterous laugh, “Learn from your sister, and you’ll handle the dark races with ease!”

Qian Ye sighed, at a loss for words. Yellow Springs and Red Scorpion emphasized elite individual combat, and although he had learned some strategy and military tactics, it was to support larger operations.

Qian Ye, while commanding Dark Flame, would repeatedly deliberate and simulate, often consulting with senior officers. Meeting Zhao Yuying had broadened his horizons. Her suggestions were ruthless and unexpected, such as burning the spider demon lair with black stone, a tactic not taught in Imperial military schools.

Yet, this devious tactic was highly effective. The spider demon viscount, seeing this, would have no choice but to come out and fight. Otherwise, a multi-day fire would kill low-level soldiers, civilians, and spider eggs.

Lady Yuying’s strategy boiled down to four words: exterminate without mercy. Qian Ye wondered what experiences Zhao Yuying had to become such a terrifying force.

After adjustments, the army set off, like a sharp blade piercing the heart of the earl’s territory.

At that moment, Werewolf Bulduo, with bloodshot eyes, stared at the map, drinking cup after cup of wine.

A timid werewolf warrior entered, “Viscount, the earl and Viscount Mask’s messengers are getting impatient.”

Bulduo turned, his bloodshot eyes filled with menace, his red mane bristling. The warrior retreated, almost tripping.

Bulduo’s nostrils flared, his teeth grinding, a chilling sound. After a moment, he growled, “Let them wait!”

The warrior, though scared, managed to ask, “How long should they wait?”

“As long as they want. If they can’t, tell them to leave!”

The warrior didn’t dare to say more and left.

A sigh echoed in the hall, followed by a gentle voice, “Speaking like this means you want to break with the spiders. Have you thought about how to deal with them later?”

Bulduo turned to the corner, where, in the shadows, a human woman sat calmly.