In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar!

The road from Huacheng Guo to Xumi City is not in good condition.

It's just an ordinary dirt road.

If it weren't for the occasional wooden railings on both sides, Wang Yan would have thought that this was a road worn out by people walking on it so much.

To be honest, the Order of the Fathers clearly possesses the most advanced technical talent pool in Teyvat.

It also possesses the most comprehensive knowledge system of Teyvat.

Theoretically speaking, Mount Sumeru should be a paradise on earth.

But they seem to have absolutely no skills in economic development and people's livelihood.

The fruits, spices, and some meat produced in Daocheng Forest are one of the important logistical sources for Sumeru City.

The only transportation route was a dirt road, with only slight signs of repair.

This was utterly incomprehensible to Wang Yan.

The Order of the Fathers isn't without people who are good at civil engineering!

With so many people in the "Wonderful Theory" faction, why don't a few of them go and build magnificent buildings, and instead have a couple of them pay attention to infrastructure?

Thinking of this, Wang Yan pounded his aching thigh and couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Starting from Huacheng, the caravan traveled for five or six hours. As the setting sun dyed the sky a magnificent crimson gold, Liam, the leader, blew the bone whistle hanging around his neck.

The long, deep whistle echoed through the gradually darkening forest.

"Stop—! We'll camp here today!" Liam's booming voice came from ahead.

The massive caravan slowly came to a stop.

The workers stopped the pack animals and began working methodically.

They skillfully untied the harnesses and straps from the pack animals and worked together to unload the heavy carts from the backs of these docile giants.

The carts loaded with goods were pushed to the center of the camp and arranged in a loose semicircle on the open ground.

The pack animals, relieved of their heavy loads, snorted softly and, guided by their riders, walked with slightly weary but still steady steps to the open space outside the camp. They then slowly lay down, forming a large circle.

Their bodies naturally form a thick and warm barrier.

The caravan's crew unloaded large bundles of fragrant hay and soybean meal from a specially prepared cargo wagon and scattered them evenly in front of each pack animal.

These giant beasts, having toiled all day, lowered their heads and began to quietly chew their dinner, a soft rustling sound filling the air.

After settling their most important partner in, the men began preparing dinner for everyone.

They quickly cleared a space in the center of the camp, which must have been used as a campsite before. They used stones to build a makeshift stove, set up an iron pot, and took water bags, rice bags, dried meat, and vegetables from another vehicle.

The flames quickly flickered, and a reassuring "bubbling" sound came from the pot, filling the air with the aroma of food.

Meanwhile, the five-man gilded mercenary group did not rest for a moment.

Their captain, a wiry man with a scar on his face, quietly assigned tasks.

Armed with spears and scimitars, the two began to cautiously patrol the woods within a radius of several dozen meters around the camp, their sharp eyes scanning every bush and shadow.

The other three took out thin ropes, bells, and small animal traps from their bags and set up simple yet effective warning traps along several possible approach routes, taking advantage of the terrain and vegetation.

Their movements were swift and highly professional, clearly indicating that they were already accustomed to this.

The only ones who weren't working were Wang Yan and three other scholars.

They sat around the central campfire, warming themselves by the fire while waiting for the food prepared by their companions.

Tina had previously mentioned that food and lodging would be provided if one joined a caravan.

Wang Yan had originally planned to ask these scholars about the Academy, but the three scholars kept discussing topics like earth vein elements, and Wang Yan couldn't get a word in edgewise.

The crackling of the campfire mingled with the scholars' discussion about the "seasonal shift of the leyline nodes." Wang Yan was staring absently at the bubbling meat soup in the pot not far away when a sharp whistling sound suddenly came from the edge of the dense forest in the distance!

That was an alarm sounded by the patrol post of the Gilded Brigade.

"Something's wrong—!"

A soft shout exploded like a pebble thrown into water.

"Grab your weapons! Quickly!" Liam, like a startled and enraged tiger, leaped from beside the pack animals, his voice booming, "Use the carts as walls! Stack the goods securely! Quickly!"

The caravan crew members were well-trained, and their relaxed expressions were instantly replaced by seriousness.

Without hesitation, they dropped what they were doing and rushed toward the carts loaded with heavy goods.

With shouts and heavy scraping sounds, the carts were quickly pushed to the outskirts of the camp, one end to the other, forming a rough but sturdy wooden and iron defensive line.

The men pulled out machetes, spears, and even a few crossbows of varying lengths from under the carts or in the cargo compartments, quickly taking up positions behind the cart walls, holding their breath, their eyes fixed on the dark forest from which the alarm was coming.

Although they can't compare to professional gilded troupes, the guys aren't without fighting power.

Wang Yan and the other scholars were also hurriedly but forcefully pushed to the very center of the defensive line by the men.

The scholars' faces drained of color, their previous academic enthusiasm vanished, leaving only tension and unease.

Wang Yan's heart pounded, and his palms were sweating. He subconsciously looked around, searching for anything he could use as a weapon. In the end, he only found a thick, hard piece of firewood at his feet, which he used to stir the fire. He gripped it tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

He knew very well that he was not one of the player characters he used to play, and he was powerless against the monsters of Teyvat.

At this moment, the gilded brigade squad responsible for patrolling the perimeter and setting traps retreated from the forest like cheetahs.

All five of them were covered in grass clippings, and their faces were flushed from running.

The scarred captain, who was leading the group, rushed straight up to Liam, his expression extremely grim.

"This is bad, Boss Liam. It's not just stray monsters." He spoke very quickly, his voice low but clearly audible in the tense silence. "We've discovered traces of a sizable Hilichurl tribe's temporary camp. They must have already caught a whiff of our food and living creatures."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his men who were on high alert and the deepening twilight outside the car wall, and added, "Given their habits, the attack will come soon. Ordinary Hilichurls are manageable, but there are likely shamans or thugs in the tribe... Be prepared, this won't be easy."

"Damn it, Tinari just cleared this area two days ago... What bad luck." Liam's face darkened, and his thick eyebrows furrowed.

He didn't complain that Tinari hadn't cleaned it properly, because he knew that Tinari must have cleaned it.

It must have been yesterday or today that another Hilichurl tribe from another region migrated here.

The caravan was truly unlucky.