Chapter 163: Preparing for War

The chief of the Blue Sea Oasis was an orc with the head of a lizard, robust and powerful. Unfortunately, he had been gravely wounded in a recent battle and was still unable to stand. For now, the entire oasis was under the full authority of the great shaman, Abner.

Aware of the urgency, Abner immediately convened a council of leaders, with Sun Licheng and his group in attendance.

Listening to Sun Licheng’s detailed briefing, everyone’s brows furrowed deeply.

“I know the choke point His Holiness the Deity mentioned. It’s called the Giant Stone Mountains, one of the rare mountain ranges in the sea of sand. All the mountains there are massive blocks of stone. It takes ten days by camel to travel from Blue Sea Oasis to the Giant Stone Mountains,” Abner explained.

“The journey from here to the Giant Stone Mountains is incredibly perilous. Even a hundred or so people can’t pass through safely,” added Hong Sunayb.

Upon hearing this, Sun Licheng’s brow tightened, and he began to tap the table absentmindedly with his fingers.

Seeing him deep in thought, the others fell silent, and soon the great tent of the oasis was enveloped in quiet contemplation.

At last, Sun Licheng made a decision.

“Caroline, I need the full support of the Scarlet Flame Tribe. Of course, the desert will compensate your tribe in due time. Do you agree?” he asked his wife.

Caroline nodded and said, “As long as it does not harm the interests of the Scarlet Flame Tribe, we will give you our full support in every way.”

“Thank you,” Sun Licheng said gratefully, pressing a kiss to her before addressing the assembly. “Based on the information from His Holiness the Deity and Hong Sunayb, we must press on to the Giant Stone Mountains to open the hidden river. This will require a large number of troops; the forces of Blue Sea Oasis alone won’t suffice. Therefore, we must mobilize everyone.”

He then found a branch and drew a map on the ground—a topographical map of the desert based on his memory from when he first arrived.

“First, we need to gather water and food and establish a reliable supply line to meet the demands of this military operation,” Sun Licheng pointed to the map, indicating his plan.

“Food is manageable. The desert folk can endure hardship and save some reserves. But how do we solve the fresh water problem?” Clarke asked.

Sun Licheng already knew this minotaur was not only highly skilled but also experienced in many battles, with strong military acumen. Clarke had quickly pinpointed the critical issue.

“Good question, Clarke. The current water and food supplies in the desert cannot sustain such a large number of people. We must relocate the elderly and children to prevent unnecessary casualties. Too many have already died in the desert; every life now is precious—the hope for rebuilding the desert’s future. We cannot afford more losses,” Sun Licheng nodded in approval before continuing, “I will try to build more wells along the route from Stone Bridge Fort to Blue Sea Oasis. The elderly and children will follow this path to Stone Bridge Fort to temporarily avoid the war. I trust the Scarlet Flame Tribe’s caravans there can ensure everyone’s basic sustenance.”

“Then we will attract nearby desert folk to join us—young and strong to stay, elderly and children to be sent away—as we strive to expand our forces,” he paused briefly to let everyone absorb the plan, then resumed.

“But these desert folk might not obey us,” Hong Sunayb expressed his doubts.

“Then we will make them obey through force if necessary. Before our army advances to the Giant Stone Mountains, we must ensure sufficient manpower and a secure rear,” Sun Licheng slammed his hand on the table and shouted to rally the leaders.

“Yes!” the gathered chiefs immediately stood and pledged their support.

Under the banner of reviving the desert, Blue Sea Oasis sprang into action.

Squads of camel cavalry dispersed in all directions, tasked with gathering desperate desert folk and bringing them to Blue Sea Oasis, where hope of survival awaited.

Takmu had already departed. He would return to Stone Bridge Fort via Date Palm Oasis, preparing the Chibuman waiting there to receive refugees. To prove his identity, old Takmu carried Sun Licheng’s token—a bronze vegetable knife.

Ruthmary stood at the edge of the desert, watching the camel riders disappear into the distance, tears streaming down her face. “Lord Sun Licheng, why did you not come sooner? If you had arrived earlier, my family would still be alive.”

Seeing his grieving wife, Hong Sunayb sighed deeply but said nothing. Instead, he turned to prepare the camels, ready to accompany Sun Licheng to the now parched oases to build more wells.

As Hong Sunayb arrived at the council tent, he saw the half-elf Solomon mounting a camel and greeted him. “Solomon, getting ready to head out?”

“Yes. Sun Licheng assigned me to scout the surroundings and protect the retreating elderly and weak from attacks,” the half-elf nodded in response.

Hong Sunayb understood, then turned to a companion nearby. “Oksbar, protect Lord Solomon at all costs.”

“Don’t worry, big brother. Even if I sacrifice myself, I won’t let Lord Solomon get hurt,” the lion-headed man replied loudly.

Thus, under Sun Licheng’s leadership, the entire Blue Sea Oasis operated like a finely tuned machine, drawing in scattered desert folk.

Sun Licheng kept the able-bodied warriors while sending the elderly and children to Stone Bridge Fort.

Desperate desert folk, learning of Sun Licheng’s mission to revive the desert, submitted willingly, and no disturbances arose—contrary to prior fears.

Meanwhile, in a cavern within the Giant Stone Mountains, a necromancer sat on a throne of bones, listening to a skeleton soldier’s report.

The necromancer stood over five and a half feet tall, his flesh and muscle wasted away, skin tight against his bones like a mummy. His eyes burned with eerie ghostly flames, terrifying to behold.

According to the skeleton’s update, Sun Licheng had already gathered over fifteen hundred desert warriors, and numerous wells had been dug. With food steadily transported from Stone Bridge Fort and Date Palm Oasis to Blue Sea Oasis, it was clear the day of his march to the Giant Stone Mountains was drawing near.

“Finally, it’s coming,” the necromancer sighed heavily after hearing the report.

“But I will not let you succeed. That hidden river must never be opened again!” he roared within the cave, his voice grating like metal scraping, harsh and piercing.

“Bone Eagle, go! Gather more troops for me. I will make their rear a place of endless turmoil!”

At the necromancer’s command, a skeletal eagle burst forth from the cavern, soaring swiftly toward Blue Sea Oasis.