Lord of the Myriad Worlds

Chapter 349: Thinking Alike

As the picture took shape in Li Wei's mind, a rough outline emerged.

"The real truth is probably this: he came here on a mission in cooperation with the Frost Duke, conducted a comprehensive survey of my territory along the way, and attempted to strike and damage it."

"Over the past month, Zhao Xuanxuan has had multiple clashes with the Frost Duke's Ability User squads near the great bridge to the east. That's almost certainly connected."

"So what mission did the Frost Duke give him? Does the Frost Duke fully trust him? Does he have accomplices? On the south bank, south of the great bridge — are there more of the Frost Duke's Ability Users?"

"Ha. A gift demands a gift in return."

"Javier — I'm appointing you temporary commander of Riverside Fortress. Seth as deputy. Hold the fortress and protect the farmland."

Li Wei issued the order through the Prestige Card, then woke Adai from his lazy sleep. He stepped outside, produced a Four-Star Pet Card, and activated it. A black Four-Star warhorse appeared — tall, powerful, magnificent, already equipped with light armor and full tack.

Li Wei vaulted onto its back. The proud horse wasn't pleased — it bucked, neighed, and bolted into a full gallop. Within moments, it was pushing eighty kilometers per hour. Fast as a gale.

A Four-Star Warhorse, indeed.

But Li Wei didn't pull hard on the reins. He didn't clamp his legs around its flanks. He just sat there, relaxed, and no matter how the horse bucked, accelerated, jolted, swung its tail, or drifted, he remained perfectly balanced — moving in complete harmony with every motion.And the horse felt no drag from him whatsoever.

What could he say — a top scout's essential skill set.

His Agility of 51 was no joke. The Three-Star Rare Scout Card's Mounted Archery talent was no joke. And the hidden bonuses of the Second-Order Night Ranger profession were no joke either.

He even had time to appreciate the horse's wild, untamed spirit. When it was about to step into a dip, Li Wei would redirect it a beat before it happened.

Spirited and defiant?

That's exactly the kind of horse he wanted to ride.

Breaking that spirit was the whole point.

After nearly half an hour of full gallop, the Four-Star Warhorse finally relented and submitted. A fine horse.

Li Wei dismounted, stored it in the Pet Card, waited about five minutes, then summoned it again — fully recovered. Now it nuzzled him affectionately, pressing its large head against him in submission.

He smiled slightly and set off again at full speed. Every half hour, he stored the horse to let it rest. After a little over an hour, he reached the small city base.

And there he found Li Yue — and a strangely animated Thomas.

Well. If that wasn't thinking alike.

"Thomas — well done."

Li Wei vaulted off the horse and gave Thomas a firm clap on the shoulder, then turned and pulled Li Yue into a warm embrace. It had been a long time. He had genuinely missed her.

Nothing complicated about it. No strange thoughts. Just the feeling of a teammate who could actually carry her weight being back.

Yes — Li Wei acknowledged that after nearly six months, Li Yue looked slightly better, more vivid. But that was beside the point.

They had fought side by side in life-and-death situations and built a rare, wordless understanding. That was worth more than anything else.

A single glance, or sometimes nothing visible at all — just the crossing of each other's Perception, knowing the other was there. That kind of trust was irreplaceable.

It was woven together with shared interests, mutual respect, and the hope of a shared future. Nothing grand — but completely grounded.

"I believe there are more Neanderthal accomplices on the south bank, along with an Ability User force of unknown size. I'm planning to strike before they receive word — hit them hard and finish them."

Li Wei spoke first. That was his assessment. A capable scout had to be able to analyze intelligence.

"Aunt Liang and I thought the same. I already suggested having Zhao Xuanxuan take three squads and move out immediately to seize strategic ground on the south side of the great bridge — make some noise while they're at it. Aunt Liang holds the main base. No matter what, the main base can't fall. As for me — I came here to meet up with you. I knew you'd come. And after I arrived, Thomas showed up too. Do we bring him?"

Li Yue spoke quietly, her expression composed.

Thomas looked over hopefully. He was still riding the high of killing a Five-Star scout — the slow-reaction-time drawback meant that once he got excited, it took a while to cool down.

"No need. Thomas — you've done excellent work tonight. But I need you to understand: the territory's daily operations can't stop. We need more high-quality iron ore. Don't worry — there will be plenty of chances for you to shine. I'm actually looking forward to seeing you lead the charge when the Frost Duke's army arrives at our gates."

Li Wei said it with a grin. He meant it. With him and Li Yue working together, plus Zhao Xuanxuan's three squads of sixty soldiers — what kind of force on the other side could actually take them down?

He had that much confidence.

"Understood! No problem at all. Ha — I'm just too happy right now. Can't help it. I'm a brick — put me wherever I'm needed."

Thomas grinned, eyes crinkling, and turned to leave. The man was practically a stone person now and he was still playing at human drama.

Li Wei turned. Li Yue stood there in her black clothes, blending into the night, expression utterly calm. Completely unbothered.

Li Wei produced a Five-Star Hunter Card, a Five-Star Woodcutter Card, and a Five-Star Mountaineer Card and held them out.

"Aunt Yue — pick one. You're still short a card, aren't you?"

She was. That was why her mercenary rate had only been 2,000 gold. A Second-Order Night Knight with a Rare Cavalry Card — how could she possibly be worth so little otherwise?

Li Yue didn't stand on ceremony. She took the Five-Star Hunter Card directly. She and Li Wei were on similar paths — prioritize Perception-boosting card combinations. Just as Thomas would be wasted on a Woodcutter or Mountaineer Card, Li Yue needed something that fit her build. Only a Blacksmith Card or similar would suit Thomas.

Li Wei watched her calmly activate and bind the card without any visible discomfort. He still thoughtfully passed her food and supplies. They rested at the location for about half an hour. Li Yue nodded — she was ready.

"Aunt Yue — this Pet Card is for you. Four-Star Warhorse."

"I don't need it. Give it to Xuanxuan — her mount is slightly weaker. I already have a Four-Star Warhorse. Shall we go?" Li Yue shook her head slightly. She was already in the zone.

In that moment, Li Wei noticed something different about her. A faint, almost ethereal quality — not in any strange sense, but because her Perception had risen in a short time.

"My Perception is +6. I'll take point."

"Same here. But you can take point — my equipment isn't complete." Li Yue was wearing a simple black cloth armor. Her old armor was gone. The blue-glowing greatsword was gone too.

Li Wei didn't ask. But through the Prestige Card system, he had seen that ten Two-Star Warhorses had appeared at the main base — critical strategic assets, expensive to acquire. They didn't appear from nowhere. Real gold had been spent.

Li Yue had left most of her settlement gold with him. Then she'd had to buy those urgently needed Two-Star Warhorses. What else could she do? Sell her gear.

But this wasn't something to feel sorry about. In the end, it was a form of perfect, razor-sharp mutual trust. Li Yue had been confident enough that Li Wei would recruit her back into the mission world within a few months. That kind of confidence was worth more than any equipment.

They said nothing more. No horses. One ahead, one behind, gradually spreading to two or three hundred meters apart, they moved directly toward the river.

At the bank, Adai was circling overhead — visibly irritated. He had lost over a dozen subordinates tonight. Unacceptable.

Adai signaled: clear, safe to cross. Li Wei stripped off his armor in short order, dove in, and cut through the water like a fish. The channel was about three hundred meters wide — not a raging current, but seven or eight meters deep. In winter when it didn't freeze, it was a genuine small natural barrier.

Li Wei reached the middle of the river. Adai had already crossed to the far bank.

Behind him, Li Yue said nothing — she nocked five enchanted armor-piercing arrows to her bow, held it at half-draw, and provided cover.

Only when Li Wei had crossed, donned his armor and boots, and taken up his own Enchanted Strong Bow on the far bank did Li Yue put away her weapon, change out of her wet clothes, and cross quickly.

A brief rest at the bank. Then the two moved deeper into the hilly terrain of the south bank — one ahead, one behind.

Li Wei was still in front. He had put away the bow and held only a dagger, moving through trees and undergrowth with the agility of a monkey.

Li Yue followed about three hundred meters back, strong bow in one hand, five enchanted armor-piercing arrows in the other, ready to provide ranged support at any moment.

Adai had flown ahead roughly five kilometers, holding altitude at about a thousand meters. On a night like this — clear moon, sparse stars, no cloud cover — he was the perfect scout.

Occasionally, Li Wei would stop and examine what looked like ordinary grass. A moment later, he would find a few bent and broken stems.

The Neanderthal scout's unavoidable traces.

If the scout were still alive and had succeeded in his mission, following these signs would have been walking into traps and a chain of ambushes. But now, that possibility was vanishingly small.

Using these minute details, he and Li Yue could track all the way to wherever the Neanderthal scout's temporary camp might have been.

Of course, this took time — and it was necessary. Li Wei's +6 Perception wasn't omniscient. He was wary of traps. Bold but careful, calm and deliberate, always thinking two steps ahead — that was the most basic requirement of a scout.

So by the time the two of them had safely covered fifty to sixty kilometers through the south bank's hilly terrain and finally located the Neanderthal's temporary camp, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

But they had arrived too late. The camp was empty. Not even a single trap had been left behind.