There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

He silently donned his armor, a short sword at his waist, and an assault rifle on his back. He gave me an awkward salute, then added some firewood to the campfire at Shisong Village before striding into the wilderness without ever looking back.

Chapter 373 Nighttime Counterattack

A biting night wind swept in, sweeping across the empty wasteland, howling with strange noises. The eerie, yellowish-brown, pupil-shaped moon hung high in the sky, drifting emotionlessly, casting its limited light upon this desolate land.

A rapid sound of hooves rang out from afar, accompanied by the sound of silent breathing. A large troop of cavalry was intently making their way, raising clouds of dust behind them.

To their great excitement, their simple raider outfits were replaced with desert ghillie suits, which allowed them to silently conceal themselves on the desert surface at any time, and provided sufficient protection to deal with attacks targeting vital areas.

Their original sabers, lances, and homemade hunting rifles have been replaced with well-made assault rifles. The sleek barrels still retain the shine of grease from maintenance, emitting a pleasant smell. The bright yellow, specially made bullets clink and tinkle into their ammunition pouches, a sound as melodious as gold coins clattering.

An inexplicable joy dispelled the gloom in their hearts, because before they arrived, the lord, who was always aloof and ruthless, had for the first time issued an order to preserve their strength and attack cautiously.

As their well-cared-for warhorses exerted their strength, their speed increased rapidly, almost matching the speed of the surrounding gale. The biting wind seemed to disappear from them in an instant, leaving only this cavalry formation advancing rapidly across the boundless land.

Strangely, the privateer scouts leading the way kept sending back messages saying that tracing the footprints along the roadside was becoming difficult, as if someone had tampered with them. This was already within their consideration—as long as the traitors left even the slightest trace, it would be impossible for them to escape the privateers' eyes.

It was a hastily assembled motley crew that would surely band together and gather in one place to prevent them from scattering or attacking. Therefore, the cavalry unit followed the trails with a clear purpose and arrived at a place that was both unexpected and logical.

…………

Shisong Village.

The village, which should have been deserted long ago, now had a huge bonfire burning. The raging fire was pulled about by the wind, but the flames grew even more intense, like a sharp sword waving in the wind, wantonly displaying its power.

Beside the campfire, a solitary figure sat with their back to the fire, motionless except for their hands, seemingly engrossed in making something.

Given the noise they were making, it was impossible for anyone not to notice. But the figure sat with his back to them, completely unresponsive, as if he were an impolite host who already knew guests were coming but was deliberately pretending to be indifferent, pretentiously going about his own business.

As the warhorses trod through the dilapidated gates of Shisongzhuang, the cavalry raiders discovered that there was indeed only one person in the area, and there were no lights or suspicious figures in the surrounding houses.

The figure had a cold and stern face. Strange armor on his arms ejected a scythe-like blade, and his hands moved like afterimages as he rapidly crafted one wooden spear after another.

"You've arrived."

I heard the sounds behind me gradually fade, followed by the faint sound of horses' hooves hitting the ground. I sensed a group of people spreading out and surrounding me from all sides, probably raising their guns and aiming them with serious expressions. Only then did I stop what I was doing and suddenly speak up.

But there was no response from behind, so I continued in a flat, emotionless voice.

“You shouldn’t have come. If you hadn’t come, you could have lived out the rest of your lives in peace, and perhaps even continued your pathetic lives to the next generation, multiplying on the wasteland for generations.”

I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes. With that simple action, I heard a slight commotion nearby; I guessed someone's expression had changed drastically through their scope.

I was hoping someone would fire, giving me a chance to retaliate. But they probably figured out my habit of shooting whoever fires first. Or maybe they're just overly cautious, needing a volley of shots before they dare to act. Anyway, we're stuck in an awkward stalemate, neither speaking nor firing.

"But you came. Did giving up your last chance to survive make you feel relieved? Admittedly, making a choice releases a sense of pressure, but the process of dying is very painful."

I spread my hands to indicate that I had no weapons, and picked up a toy-like wooden spear, weighing it in my hand.

"You...are you ready!"

With a furious roar, the wooden spear in my hand seemed to be imbued with lightning, transforming into a dark afterimage as it chased after the enemy.

Out of obsession with class, I would never be a Luck E Lancer, so I threw the wooden spear as a projectile, and it disappeared from my sight like a flash of light.

This move instantly caused an uproar among the surrounding attackers. Assault rifles spat out bright flames, their tongues of fire leaping and dancing, and in burst fire mode, bullets formed a tidal wave of interwoven barrages.

"System notification: Colony under attack detected. Automatic counterattack mode activated!"

The crafting points in the colonist system, which were on the verge of being forgotten, played a crucial role tonight. A large bundle of wooden spears that I had crafted in a short amount of time was now piled up beside me, becoming the closest weapons to me.

So, following the logic of the colonizer system, things naturally unfolded as I expected, and I used the wooden spear at hand to fight back.

The clanging and clattering sounds echoed continuously as bullets streaked across my body, violently colliding with the smooth armor surface before bouncing limply to the ground. Controlling the muzzle in burst fire mode was extremely difficult, rendering their aim largely ineffective. A few bullets heading straight for my vitals were deflected by my arm guards, as if by premonition.

In this chaotic battlefield, with the help of the system, I can instantly take control of the entire situation and appear in the right place with an omniscient and omnipotent attitude.

In the instant after dodging the bullets, a sharp wooden spear would often fly out, piercing through the human body and horse's limbs, before landing on the ground, trembling slightly, dripping with hot blood.

But their dilemma was that standing still would make them vulnerable to monster sniping, while shooting from horseback would render them ineffective. After losing four or five lives and an equal number of horses, the entire field of rifle bullets ran out, and the scene came to a momentary standstill with the clicking sound of magazines jamming.

Seeing that the best opportunity had passed and the attack was still ineffective, the cavalry commander decisively chose to retreat!

With strange shouts and slogans, the cavalry rushed onto the road and mounted their horses, forming a torrent that galloped toward the wasteland, seemingly trying to lure me into a duel in an open space.

But I instantly snapped out of combat mode and stood there watching their performance with a subtle smile.

Now that these people have chosen the path we envisioned, they will no longer be the protagonists on the next stage.

Chapter 374 Laughing Out Loud

I didn't participate in the battles that followed; I only learned about them through the traitor's oral battle reports.

His battle plan was meticulous and complex, and he specifically instructed me not to interfere with it.

...I never imagined that such a powerful external aid as myself would be considered a disruptive factor in his eyes. This has truly shocked my whole family.

However, his subsequent explanation was very convincing: the most important part of the plan is the prediction of the enemy, which is based on the calculation of the surrounding environment and interfering factors. If my strength is too great and my factors are too outrageous, it is easy to put too much pressure on the cavalry sent by the territory, affecting them to make choices different from what was expected, thus hindering the smooth progress of the plan.

Anyway, our goal this time is very clear. It will no longer be me who crushes the enemy's main force. Although I can thwart the enemy's attack, if the cavalry are determined to scatter and flee, I can only catch one or two of them and deal with them. The rest will escape successfully, causing greater trouble in the future.

…………

"The moment the cavalry stepped into the wasteland, they fell into our trap."

Eaton, who said this, was covered in wounds, but his eyes revealed an unusual gleam.

"I deployed ten squads of ten men each in the wilderness, each equipped with ranged weapons. Due to their poor concealment skills, no matter which direction the cavalry flees, there is a very high probability that they will encounter them and launch an attack."

A small group of the most severely wounded slaves helped each other to a corner of the field. Even as they approached the campfire, their eyes still held an unyielding look of terror.

“That’s them.” Eaton pointed. “The cavalry noticed something unusual and surrounded the men in a pocket-like formation. Thank goodness they knew how to fire their guns, though it was useless, it did alert those around them.”

I had instructed Fatty in advance to move all the food out of the warehouse and place it by the campfire for them to use. The aroma of wine and food filled the air.

"Your purpose is just to make a sound?" I asked.

The traitor leader nodded: "After the sound, this loose formation began to operate. The slaves were in front, and the town guards were behind, moving towards the center of the attack in a five-point quincunx pattern. The men with guns were ostensibly there to hold the line, but in reality, they were supervising the troops to prevent the slaves from deserting."

I replied noncommittally, "In the formation you set up, there's simply no way for them to escape, is there?"

Eaton nodded again: "Slaves who are numerous and gathered together, and who don't know how to hide, are easy targets and will attract the privateers' caravan at all times. As long as the scouts who stay behind to secretly monitor you, sir, do not give any danger signals, they will treat the wilderness as a huge hunting ground."

Besides drawing enemy fire and delaying the enemy, the slaves with military power also reflected the desperate state of our troops. Sending slaves, who were good for nothing but causing trouble, to the battlefield was just like King Zhou of Shang organizing convicts and Qin Er Shi sending slave laborers to build his mausoleum. Strategically, this reflected the helplessness of a power.

"When we arrived at the battlefield, two squads of ten slaves had already been wiped out, and sixty or seventy cavalrymen were hunting down the fleeing slaves from all sides. But they didn't realize that the privateer scouts I had sent out had been taken in and secretly sniped with crossbows..."

The movements of cavalry units are so large and unpredictable that they can easily be tracked by the enemy, who can then set ambushes and traps to hinder them. Therefore, this massive group must function like an octopus, using small groups of scouts as tentacles to report on the situation ahead and guide its direction. Once those tentacles are severed, the monster can only writhe aimlessly.

"The crossbowmen arrived at the battlefield immediately and split into three groups to fire continuously at the cavalry, aiming directly at the rear of the cavalry formation. From what I know of them, the most difficult thing about shooting from horseback is changing direction; being attacked on the flank is not as bad as being attacked at the rear."

I scooped a glass of beer into a cup and handed it to him, gesturing for him to moisten his throat before speaking.

Eaton downed his drink in one gulp and continued, "This attack took them by surprise. About a dozen men were killed and fell from their horses, and many more horses were wounded and ran out of control from the troops."

"The troops that had escaped the attack at the front of the column immediately formed an arc and circled around, heading towards the crossbowmen's position. The three-volley firing tactic was already highly refined for them in the crossbowmen's era, but their unfamiliarity with firearms was a major weakness. The speed of loading and changing magazines was very slow, and the firing was fatally interrupted."

I counted the number of crossbowmen, and it doesn't seem like there have been any serious casualties. It looks like this guy has a backup plan.

"Relying on armored troops?" I asked.

Eaton smiled proudly: "In the territory, I have conducted tactical drills countless times using cavalry units as the hypothetical enemy. Therefore, the armored soldiers mixed in with the crossbowmen quickly stepped out, formed a loose formation in front, and then raised their crossbows to fire at close range. Subsequently, with the cavalry front line being contained, the armored soldiers covered the crossbowmen's retreat, dispersing into the slave ranks."

"When the slaves saw two squads of ten men being slaughtered, they would instinctively huddle together for warmth out of fear. So the crossbowmen hid among them, like trees hidden in a forest, turning into a huge squad of a hundred men."

The cavalry, facing supply difficulties due to the earlier firing and further hampered by a series of coordinated ambushes, certainly wouldn't stand still to reload and advance. The most likely scenario is that they'll draw their sabers, increase their speed, and launch their usual charge.

But who should they target? The slaves or the armored troops?

Go for it! Go for it!

"Before the cavalry had even reached their maximum speed, I had already given the order to counter-charge! On one hand, the armored soldiers threw down their crossbows, drew their melee weapons, and roared as they charged toward the privateers. On the other hand, the crossbowmen forced the slaves at gunpoint, urging them to also flee toward the privateers."

Brilliant! The best way to deal with cavalry is to prevent them from increasing their speed. Cavalry stuck in place are less agile than infantry. Being unmounted... being without a horse has its advantages!

Eaton's eyes were filled with pride, and he was about to burst into laughter, but I pulled him back and covered his mouth tightly.

"No! Don't laugh! If you laugh now, who knows which of the Five Tiger Generals will pop up! If you dare to laugh at Zhuge Liang for being unwise or Zhou Yu for being lacking in intelligence, I'm afraid I'll be the one who dies here!"

After my intimidation, Eaton finally calmed down and, suppressing his emotions, said, "The cavalry's charge distance was doubly compressed, leaving them with less than fifty meters before they clashed with the main force. Because we attacked from both sides, the enemy chose to charge into the slave ranks first, while the armored troops took the opportunity to launch a flanking attack. In close combat, we achieved a situation where we outnumbered the enemy! The advantage was so great that even the slaves had the courage to charge into battle!"

"After cleaning up the battlefield, we found 61 cavalrymen dead, 24 warhorses, and a number of rifles and other equipment. Our own casualties numbered 32, 23 of whom were slaves!"

"A resounding victory in this battle!"

Chapter 375 Knows More Than Me

Of the 23 people who were ultimately injured or killed, eleven did not survive.

In particular, among the ten-man squads of slaves caught up by privateers, a few were shot in vital areas by rifles and died on the spot, while others were trampled to pieces by horses' hooves because they were too slow to escape, and could not be pieced back together.

For the remaining people, I used the colonist system's medical skills to simply bandage their external wounds without any medicine, treated their injuries, put the captured warhorses on the ground, and after they had eaten and drunk their fill, we slowly began our march. Under the cover of night, we headed east, our footsteps stretching into the distance, making the most of the cooler time before dawn to make our way to our designated settlement.

…………

The outline of the Silent Valley mountains was already appearing on the horizon, and the traces of the blazing sun were gradually emerging from the horizon. Two suns, one large and one small, were about to unleash their intense heat, baking this land once again.

As the group approached their destination, many wore expressions of relief, eager to settle down in the designated place and live a stable and peaceful life. This kind of carefree life was a dream that most people longed for but could never attain, because the vast majority of them had to constantly fight against hunger, disease, bandits, natural disasters, and war in their short lives, until one defeat caused them to close their eyes forever.

Unlike his men's cheers, the fat man and Eaton, who were walking at the front of the group, unusually put aside their past grievances and came over to me in a strange tone to ask, "Sir, are we really going to settle down here from now on? This famous Silent Valley."

I retrieved my steel halberd and led the way, clearing a path for the team and horses. Hearing their words, I said matter-of-factly, "This place is lush with vegetation and abundant with resources. It is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, sheltered from the wind and gathering energy. It has both dragons and tigers, a table and a support. The people living here will prosper and their homes will be safe and sound!"

"But sir..." they still hesitated.

I pretended to look around at the surroundings, continuing my rambling: "You don't understand! I was a feng shui consultant in Shining City for two hundred years, I know all about these things better than anyone. As the saying goes, 'When the seal star resides at the water's mouth, descendants will prosper for generations.' 'When there's an official star outside the case, there will be noble people in the family.' 'When there's a high protrusion in the northwest, the husband will live to be a hundred.' 'When there's a high protrusion in the northeast, descendants will be numerous and plentiful.' This environment is exactly the most auspicious! There's also a saying, 'When water gathers in front of the grave, generations will have plenty of food and clothing...'"

"Sir! There are no graves here..." Eaton, exasperated, exposed my lie.

"Shut up! If you keep nitpicking, I'll bury you here. There will be a grave right here!" I retorted without any politeness.

The traitor finally found an opportunity to speak and tried to argue, "Sir, the reason why no one lives in this Silent Valley is because strange things happen here. People who live here often mysteriously disappear. The merchants told us in town that four or five groups of residents have lived here, but each time they passed by, the people who lived here were different... Over time, after one of the residents completely disappeared, no one has lived here since."

Of course I know that. The night I first arrived here, Burnett also heard that strange sound, and he even thought it was me making it. But I can still tell Burnett that the sound that attracted him that day wasn't from me, but from other creatures existing in the Valley of Silence…

"do not be afraid."

I walked down the slope in the valley, where the trees on both sides grew more lush, finally showing a glimmer of life—unfortunately, there was no sound or trace of any birds, beasts, or insects here.

I demarcated an area at the edge of the valley, skillfully planning it using the colonist system's blueprint pattern, and explained it to the people behind me.

“We won’t go into the core area below the radar station; we’ll stay here on the periphery. Following my designated positions, spaced fifty meters to the left and right and one hundred meters long, everyone begin clearing the area by felling trees!”