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

I quickly stopped myself from hitting him and instead patted his shoulder, saying something meaningful.

"Yes, you're absolutely right! I just didn't expect you to have grasped this level of understanding!"

Amid the bald man's expression of mixed surprise and delight, I continued to flatter him: "Although Eton is unparalleled in military affairs, your theoretical awareness is also second to none! You must spare no effort to spread your ideas to everyone, understand?"

The bald man nodded vigorously: "Are you sure this is okay?! Boss, I'll do my best to make it happen!"

"Yes, work hard, a bright tomorrow awaits you!"

Very well, I need to correct my previous statement. My goal is not for everyone to become a dragon, but for everyone to become a Buddha!

Chapter 382 The Day of Rebirth

Amidst the vast yellow sands and the howling wind, two scorching suns hang high in the sky, about to pierce the infinitely high dome and begin their tedious, slow descent.

Beside a deserted dirt road stood a single-story wooden house, a sign above the door indicating it was a tavern. But considering its unique location, the person who opened this bar in the Gobi Desert, if doing it for profit, must have been incredibly shrewd.

What's delightful is that next to this tavern, there is a large patch of lush and vibrant agave, its tenacious leaves pointing straight to the sky like swords, tightly intertwined on the ridges, forming a green ocean.

Not far from the green ocean, there is a truly blue sea. The moist sea breeze blows on people's faces, giving a damp and salty feeling that evokes all sorts of unpleasant memories.

Beneath the tall coconut palms, a man wearing a sun-protective raincoat held a short bow, intently watching the sea and aiming at the blue waves.

With a sharp "bang," the bowstring snapped, and an arrow flew out with tremendous force, skimming the undulating surface of the sea and swiftly disappearing into the water. It grazed the tail of a tuna, and then...

It was a wasted effort.

"What's going on... The boss seemed to be shooting with such ease... How come my shots always go off track? Is it true that featherless arrows aren't suitable for hunting?"

A middle-aged man with a receding hairline took off his hat, and light instantly reflected off his scalp. He scratched his scalp in confusion and muttered to himself.

Suddenly, he heard a leopard roar, followed by the rhythmic sound of wild horses' hooves, and the two groups of animals kept in the tavern suddenly started making a ruckus.

"Another fight? Didn't the Mustang and the Cheetah just fight yesterday?"

Burnett sighed, looking sadly at the two groups of animals. He felt that these guys were really good for nothing but causing trouble. All they did every day was eat, drink, play, and wait for him to serve them. Feeding and washing them couldn't be delayed at all.

When will this nanny career ever end?!

But what worried him more was whether Zoffy... Zoffy, the owner, would return alive from the Loader's Territory with only Alexander, who had shaved his head. Was he destined to spend his entire life guarding this tavern, waiting for someone who was already dead?

However, he soon discovered the anomaly.

Two cheetahs emerged from the rooftop and the house respectively. As they ran, their bodies arched like bows with each leap of their limbs, and they moved at an incredible speed, almost flying parallel to the ground.

The four wild horses, with their unrestrained appearance, put down the dates from their mouths, let out a neigh, and then took off chasing the cheetah. Their movements were devoid of any playful or carefree playfulness; instead, they focused all their energy on running.

"This commotion... could it be..."

Burnett immediately thought of a possibility, quickly threw down his short bow, jogged across the desert bushes, and arrived at the dirt road in front of the tavern, craning his neck to look into the distance.

Before long, a figure emerged from the horizon, its silhouette barely visible against the swirling sandstorm...

…………

"How come I never noticed before? This tavern looks just like the Dragon Gate Inn; it doesn't look very auspicious..."

I took off the hood I used to protect myself from the sand, shook off the sand from my body, and finally pushed open the tavern door.

The first thing I did when I got home was, of course, to treat my stomach, which had been suffering these past few days.

So I immediately prepared a plate of sweet and crisp sun-dried dates for myself and started munching on them one after another. Then I took a sealed barrel of tequila from the shelf in the tavern hall, skillfully popped the cork, poured out a glass of clear, fragrant liquid, sprinkled in a little rock salt, and savored it.

After I finished my drink, I realized that Burnett was standing dumbfounded at the tavern entrance, staring at me blankly, without even going up to greet me.

"Hey, Burnett! What are you doing over there? Your reaction is less affectionate than that of a pet!"

I patted the head of the spotted big cat rolling on the ground, watching them cuddle on the ground with their bellies showing, completely lacking the dignity of desert predators, just waiting for me to feed them salmon as usual.

Four wild horses gathered outside the tavern, excitedly raising their hooves and shaking their heads to greet me, frolicking happily in the yard.

So, men who see too many dogs will develop a liking for them, and women who see too many hands will develop a liking for... well, mobile games. We racers don't need women.

Burnett then realized what was happening and said to me, "Boss! You're finally back! Do you know how I've been these past few days?!"

I instinctively replied, "You're not going to tell me you're playing the Greedy Moon Trap, are you?"

Burnett, looking completely bewildered, continued, "What are you talking about! I've been living in fear these past few days, constantly afraid that another group of privateers will show up and come to take my boss's head..."

Tsk, what a loser. I'm not stupid. One second I'm going into battle full of confidence, and the next I'm cut down on my horse. That's just too humiliating!

Unless I'm General Pan Feng, and I accidentally got the script for Marquis Wen, Lü Bu, and appeared on screen.

"What's there to be afraid of! I've already learned a lot about the loader's faction this time, and I've taught them quite a lesson..."

Burnett, looking dejected, muttered to himself, "Oh...they taught me a lesson..."

I continued, "I also fought a great battle with the territory's guards and kept them at the city gate!"

Burnett repeated absentmindedly, "Oh...we were stopped at the city gate..."

I proudly declared, "The next day, I went deep into the enemy camp to negotiate, capturing and freeing a considerable number of slaves from their territory."

Burnett muttered in a low voice, "Oh... he was captured and enslaved while negotiating in the city... and later released..."

I continued, "In the end, we turned many enemies against us, so the loader's leader can forget about threatening us anymore!"

Burnett repeated dejectedly, "Oh...too many enemies...I never want to go to the Loader's Territory again..."

I flew into a rage: "What nonsense are you spouting! If you don't believe me, go ask the bald guy! Don't keep twisting my words!"

Burnett's eyes filled with tears as he said sorrowfully to me, "What! The bald man has become a ghost and can no longer speak! No!!!"

"Fine, whatever makes you happy..."

I really don't know how to communicate with this loser; it seems like every word I say will only plunge him into a deeper level of self-doubt.

Just then, a cloud of dust rose into the sky in the distance, and troops could be seen marching from a great distance. Burnett jumped up alertly, chased away the wild horses, and hid inside the house, barring the door shut. He said to me nervously.

"Boss, escape through the back window! I'll stall for time here, you get out of here!"

Chapter 383 A Command

As the footsteps outside grew louder, the crowd approaching the tavern made no attempt to conceal their presence, their heavy footsteps echoing through the air, their armor clanging against each other in a chaotic and noisy cacophony.

The despair in Burnett's eyes was almost overflowing. He could imagine, even with his eyes closed, a large group of fully armed people surrounding the tavern, gathered at the door, waiting for the order to attack.

"Boss Zoffy, you have to get out of here! They must be after you! Alexander is already dead, you can't die here meaninglessly!"

Burnett, his eyes bulging with anger, gritted his teeth and said to me, pressing his body firmly against the thin door panel, urging me to escape as soon as possible.

"Get out of my way."

Without any politeness, I shoved him aside and then pushed open the tavern door, saying to him irritably, "Look for yourself what's going on outside."

I strode out of the tavern, where twenty-seven armored soldiers, clad in armor and wielding weapons, simultaneously unleashed a deafening roar.

What is it like when a king of soldiers returns?

When the king of soldiers returned and saw his daughter with disheveled hair, he gave an order, and 100,000 iron cavalry returned to give him a haircut.

When the king of soldiers returned and saw his daughter covered in dust, he gave an order, and 100,000 iron cavalry returned to wash his face.

When the king of soldiers returned and saw his daughter starving, he gave an order, and 100,000 iron cavalry returned and ate all his jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes).

When the king of soldiers returned and saw that his daughter's fingernails were covered in black dirt, he gave an order and 100,000 iron cavalry returned to help him trim his nails.

When the king of soldiers returned, he found his daughter living in a doghouse. He gave an order, and 100,000 iron cavalry returned to build the king of soldiers a doghouse.

The King of Soldiers, bored and looking for some fun, gave an order, and 100,000 cavalrymen returned once more. Each soldier stabbed the King of Soldiers, saying, "Damn, so much trouble!"

I never imagined that one day I would be playing the role of this elite soldier.

"Long live Lord Seven! Long live! Long live!"

The shouts of "Long live the emperor!" shocked everyone present. Even the cheetah looked at them as if they were idiots, then turned around and disappeared into the house, refusing to come out again.

Burnett followed me blankly, and when he saw a large group of soldiers kneeling in front of him, and then looked at me posing in front of them, he said in a daze, "Ah... what... what's going on..."

Without any hesitation, I used the "Big Dipper's Affectionate Face-Breaking Fist" to send this comical guy flying. I said with exasperation, "Look carefully! This time, our battle with the Loader's Leader was a resounding victory! We not only broke through their city walls, captured their slaves, and divided their army, but also seized a place in the wasteland!"

Burnett exclaimed in shock, "No way! Then why do these soldiers look so familiar, and why are they out of breath? Are they really not a bunch of defeated soldiers?"

I glanced at them, panting heavily, sweating profusely, their armor askew, weapons used as walking sticks for support, barely keeping them from collapsing. From their labored breathing, they seemed like candles flickering in the wind, about to choke and suffocate with the next breath…

"Ahem, this is just physical training I give them. As my personal guards, running ten kilometers in full gear is just basic training. They're already exhausted. Looks like they still have a long way to go!"

After I reprimanded them, the twenty-odd armored soldiers all showed expressions of shame.

I brought them back to the tavern to begin the next phase of our free territory development plan. If they can't even handle such a light warm-up, how can they keep up with me?

The most important thing in training is to share weal and woe. After leaving Silent Valley, I started cross-country running with them. As a result, I got faster and faster, while they got slower and slower, and could only follow behind me, watching me disappear from their sight in a flash.

"I'm sorry... sir... we... huff... we'll definitely try our best!"

The armored soldier at the front, panting heavily, said to me with resentment.

At first, this guy probably thought I was nothing special and wanted to use his superior stamina to leave me behind. But not long after the start, his goal degenerated into just overtaking me once, even if it was only by one centimeter. Then it became about keeping up with me and not letting me fall behind.

In the end, he probably only had one goal left: to run to the finish line I mentioned, alive, under the scorching sun...

"Let's keep up the good work tomorrow and go to a tavern to escape the heat."

I casually gave an order, my mind racing, preparing to set up even more severe challenges for these people.

"Boss! Did they really run all the way from Silent Valley?! How is that possible?!" Burnett asked in utter shock.

I shook my head: "What's impossible about ten kilometers? I can do several round trips in one night. Besides, they all walked the second half, which is why I've fallen so far behind. They're far from qualified."

Burnett looked at me and them with the eyes of a monster, and couldn't help but say, "Boss, I think you might have some misunderstanding about humans..."

After talking with him, I learned that when Burnett saw me return alone, covered in dust and grime, with all my armor and halberd gone, my camel nowhere to be seen, and the bald man's fate unknown, he immediately assumed that I had fought with all my might to escape from the loader's clutches and that was why I was all alone.

Indeed, my current situation doesn't look like that of someone who's made a fortune. But I intend to keep my strength hidden, actively building up the Reverse Lightning Legion's base while continuing to manage the tavern area, aiming to achieve...

Two flowers bloom, two flowers bloom.

"There are many things I can't tell you, but the situation is definitely better than you think. I was just too lazy to bring the armor and weapons back, so don't overthink it."

I took out a barrel of tequila and gave it to my panting men. Then I looked at the smoked salmon in the pantry and found that only half of it was left.

"You idiot, you haven't been working properly at all? Don't you know how to restock the fish after you've finished eating it?"

Burnett wore a bitter expression: "Boss! I can't learn your way of catching fish at all! I've been watching all day and I haven't caught a single fish. How am I going to restock?"