Chapter Sixty-Two: A Meaningless War

Following Sun Licheng’s suggestion, Martin prepared two signal trees on a mountain peak. If both trees were felled, it would mean the mission had succeeded; if only one was down, it meant failure. Now, seeing both trees toppled, Adolf was overjoyed.

“Send the order: beat the war drums and inform the entire army—the enemy’s champion has been slain!”

With a wave of his hand, Adolf issued his command. Soon, the pounding of great drums echoed from the rear of the goblin lines, and the news of the goblin hero’s death spread rapidly through the ranks. In battles of the cold steel era, morale was everything. With spirits soaring, the goblins not only held their ground but began to push back against the goblins, launching a counterattack. Conversely, as word reached the goblins that their champion had fallen, their morale plummeted.

After a while, when Calvin’s group spell reached its cooldown, the goblins’ offensive faltered; their spirits sagged. Seizing the moment, led by the bear goblins, the goblin army launched a full-scale counterattack. When a batch of ogres and goblin leaders were slain, the enemy lines could no longer hold.

At last, as the retreat horn sounded from the rear of the goblin host, their formation collapsed. Panicked goblins hurled their weapons to the ground and fled in wild disorder, exposing their backs to the goblins—thus began the pursuit.

The battle raged until sunset. The goblins’ relentless pursuit drove the goblins out of the Full Moon Gorge entirely; they didn’t even return to their camp. Thus, this great battle ended in a resounding victory for the goblins.

“What a tragedy,” Sun Licheng, astride the wolf king, sighed as he surveyed the field strewn with corpses. Not far off, a carrion bird was pecking out the eye of a goblin, while a flock of its fellows feasted nearby.

“Yes, in the final battle, the Moon Alliance lost over eight hundred warriors, especially in the early stages, when casualties were dire,” Vol replied.

At this moment, he stood beside Sun Licheng, his arm in a sling. He had been struck on the left arm by an ogre during the fighting; thankfully, the bone was intact and would heal with rest.

“At least we won. Otherwise, most of the bodies here would be ours,” Vol added with a wry smile.

“Yes, it’s a victory. I’ll be going to see Adolf soon—will you join me?” Sun Licheng returned the smile and asked.

Vol shook his head. “I need to tend to the troops, so I won’t go. Go early and come back soon.”

Bidding Vol farewell, Sun Licheng rode the wolf king toward the Star Moon Tribe’s encampment.

When he arrived, he found the goblins there in high spirits, busy hauling spoils and weapons into their camp. The goblins’ rout had been complete; they had abandoned their entire camp, and as the alliance leader, the Star Moon Tribe claimed the lion’s share.

He found Adolf examining a massive iron axe with great interest. Though crudely made and not as fine as the long sword Sun Licheng had captured, it was impressive in its size and weight—a prized weapon in these parts. Sun Licheng guessed it had belonged to some ogre, now in Adolf’s fortunate hands.

Seeing Sun Licheng, Adolf greeted him warmly and ushered him into the command tent.

“Sun Licheng, you are our great hero!” Adolf said with a smile.

The goblins had achieved victory, though at a heavy cost, mostly borne by other tribes. The Star Moon Tribe’s greatest loss was among their deer cavalry. Still, those survivors, hardened by battle, now possessed enhanced combat prowess; the loss was not without gain. Of course, Martin still harbored resentment toward Sun Licheng and gave him no friendly looks.

“Thank you, Chieftain. I have slain their champion. May I ask how my request to form a new tribe is progressing?” Sun Licheng stated his purpose directly.

“Come, Sun Licheng, let’s eat first,” Adolf replied, dodging the question as he led Sun Licheng to a table laden with fruit and dried meat—a feast by local standards.

As they ate, Adolf said, “I’ve spoken with the elders who fought with us. Once we return, I’ll bring it up with the rest. Rest assured, I will do my utmost to see it through. However, you must continue to distinguish yourself in the battles to come.” He patted Sun Licheng’s shoulder encouragingly.

Inside, Sun Licheng could only smile bitterly; this was nothing but an empty promise, but he had no choice—the power lay in their hands.

After an unsatisfying dinner, Sun Licheng took his leave. As he was about to depart, Martin approached, face grim.

“Father, do you really intend to let him form his own tribe?” Martin asked angrily, still unable to let go of his resentment.

“For now, yes. As for the future, well, that depends on the alliance council. Martin, remember: you may be confused about minor things, but on matters of principle, you must never lose your clarity. We are still at war—everything must serve the war effort. Whether or not you like him, he is formidable. Don’t cause trouble with him for now. Understood?” Adolf, picking his teeth with a small wooden stick, spoke calmly but with steely resolve.

Martin nodded. “I understand, Father.”

The next day, scouts returned with news: the goblin army had retreated.

Soon, the goblins regained all the key positions along Full Moon Gorge, and the front stabilized at last. The month-long war was over.

In this campaign, including the Full Moon Tribe, the goblins suffered nearly three thousand casualties! The goblins, as the defeated, had left behind more than four thousand corpses!

“Do you lose this many every time you fight?” Sun Licheng asked Vol in disbelief at the eight thousand casualties.

“More or less. Ever since I can remember, there’s been a war every few years. My own father died in one,” Vol replied after some thought.

“But why?” Sun Licheng pressed.

Vol shook his head, unable to answer.

“What a strange war. It brings only death and devastation, yet both sides have fought for thousands of years, draining the Moon Alliance’s every ounce of potential. Why?” Sun Licheng wondered to himself.

Suddenly, he recalled the knowledge the Earth God had granted him. Among those teachings, the gods were highly wary of goblins.

“Could it be that this senseless war is the gods’ way of controlling the goblins?”

With this thought, Sun Licheng speculated further. But soon, he shook his head with a wry smile. He had no energy to worry about others. His primary task was to find the Earth God’s divine shard and return home. Whether the goblins and goblins slaughtered each other was none of his concern.

Four days later, thanks to the goblins’ efforts, the defenses of Full Moon Gorge were restored, and Adolf ordered the reformation of the Full Moon Tribe. Each tribe had to send warriors to join the new unit.

According to the quota, the Silver Moon Tribe left behind twenty able young men and supplied an extra fifty sets of weapons and equipment.

With these duties fulfilled, Vol led his people in bidding farewell to the other tribes and set off for home.

As they departed, Adolf sought out Sun Licheng. “Be patient when you return to the Silver Moon Tribe. We’ll discuss your matter as soon as we get back to Star Moon. You know, this is a significant affair—it takes time. Don’t be anxious.”

There was nothing Sun Licheng could say to that, so he could only follow Vol in resignation.

Because of their losses and the wounded, the Silver Moon Tribe’s return was far slower than their march out. After eight days, they finally came home.

Upon their return, the Silver Moon Tribe was steeped in grief. They had sent out one hundred and eighty healthy warriors; twenty-three had fallen, and ten were left permanently disabled—a loss of one-sixth. Counting the twenty left in Full Moon, a third of their men were gone.

“It’s all thanks to you, Sun Licheng. Otherwise, who knows how many of them would have come back,” the elder chieftain, Eve, said warmly, holding Sun Licheng’s hand.

The war had been perilous—sent out as the vanguard, facing not only the enemy but also a goblin hero. Without the weapons and equipment Sun Licheng had provided, their losses would have been far greater.

Fortunately, casualties were not overwhelming, and Vol’s group had brought back many spoils. With the newly developed salt mine and bronze production, the tribe’s outlook was cautiously optimistic.

Xiaobaicai was especially overjoyed at Sun Licheng’s safe return. She had worried for him the entire time.

“What? You say you met a goblin hero?” she exclaimed, stunned by Sun Licheng’s account of the battle.

She wanted to protest, but seeing the long sword on the table, she held her tongue. Such a weapon was not something that could be found in these remote lands.

“That’s odd. Heroes are the backbone of the Goblin Kingdom. Why would one appear here? And this weapon—it’s a treasure, not something an ordinary family could possess,” she muttered quietly, gazing at the sword.

“What did you say? What Goblin Kingdom?” Sun Licheng had sharp ears and caught the crucial words.

Seeing he had overheard, Xiaobaicai’s expression changed, and she hurriedly changed the subject, glancing away.

Watching her flustered manner, Sun Licheng mused, “She’s a woman with secrets. How did rescuing a slave girl lead to such a mysterious companion? I wonder whether her presence will bring me fortune or disaster.”