Chapter Sixteen: The Ultimate Solo Operative Project

“How many of you are there?”
“Including you, that’s only six people!”
“Six men, and you want to infiltrate the barbarians’ main camp to carry out a decapitation strike? Isn’t that madness?”

Li Pangzi quickly shook his head, his voice filled with excitement.
“Little brother, I can see you are a talent. As long as you live, Daliang will one day mount a true counterattack.”
“That’s why I can’t let you take this risk!”
“The rest of us might die in battle, but not you!”

Sumu smiled wryly, waving his hand.
“Don’t worry. Since I dared to take on this mission, I have a certain confidence.”
“Besides, it’s not like the six of us are going to clash head-on with the barbarians. I have a plan, and I’m sure we’ll return safely.”

“Then it’s settled. Just remember, no matter who it is, don’t tell anyone about this operation.”
“If it’s exposed, hoping to come back alive would be nothing but a luxury.”

Li Pangzi looked at Sumu and bowed deeply in respect.
“Little brother, whether you succeed or not, on behalf of the people of Qinghe Town, I express our deepest gratitude!”

Sumu rolled his eyes at Li Pangzi, annoyed.
“With that attitude, one would think we’re already dead.”

Li Pangzi scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile.
“I just want to thank you for your efforts!”

Sumu rubbed his fingers, a playful smile appearing on his lips.
“If you’re truly grateful, then prepare fine wine and dishes for when we return!”
“Of course, the more silver coins, the better.”

Li Pangzi’s eyes suddenly widened and he clenched his teeth tightly.
“You need silver, huh?”
“I have three thousand taels of silver saved from years of hard work!”
“Take it. Qinghe Town is entrusted to you.”

Sumu stared at the three thousand taels of silver in his hands, momentarily stunned.
He hadn’t expected Li Pangzi to be so resolute.
He had handed over all his savings to him.

Given Li Pangzi’s salary, this amount would surely be a heavy blow to him.

“All right, what are you all hiding back there for?”

At Sumu’s words, Jiang Hongluan scratched her head and looked at him awkwardly.
“Captain, we’re just curious—how do you plan to infiltrate the barbarians’ main camp?”

“Even if their forces are weak, it’s not something six of us can handle.”
“Whether we succeed or fail, I’m afraid none of us will come back alive.”

Nearby, Guan Qing stretched his wrist and spoke with righteous fervor:
“Captain! Just give the orders!”
“I’ve been waiting a long, long time for a chance to fight these barbarians.”
“As long as we can kill them thoroughly, even if we die in battle, what is there to fear?”

Sumu gave them a sharp look, annoyed.
“What are you thinking? Your lives are mine now!”
“No one is to sacrifice themselves without my permission!”

“As for the infiltration plan, I’ve thought it through.”

Looking seriously at the five of them, Sumu said,
“There are two ways to reach the barbarians’ rear.”
“One is to disguise ourselves as barbarians and sneak in.”
“The other is to take a detour by water, circling around Qinghe Town and entering the barbarians’ main camp by river.”

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged bewildered glances.

By water?
How is that possible?

“Captain, you don’t realize that the river flows downstream from the barbarians’ camp to Daliang, but going upstream from Daliang back is nearly impossible.”

A faint smile curled Sumu’s lips as he crossed his arms.
“That’s exactly why we’ll use it.”
“To catch them completely off guard.”
“Only then can we make them lower their guard and create enormous value for our mission.”

Jiang Hongluan scratched her head, still unable to comprehend the plan to use the river.

Faced with such a brain-twister, she yawned.
“Captain, you don’t need to explain the principles to us.”
“We just need to follow your orders and set off.”

Sumu was momentarily speechless.
“Fine. Then everyone gather at dawn tomorrow. We set out for the barbarians’ water route.”

Li Pangzi looked at Sumu’s confident expression and felt moved.

At this moment, the only thing he could do was to trust Sumu.

The next morning, at dawn.

Jiang Hongluan and the others had long since packed and stood before the training ground, eager and ready.

Each one rubbed their hands anxiously, as if they were about to face the barbarians in a decisive battle rather than carry out a covert strike.

Sumu, carrying his spear, approached them.

Seeing the five brimming with fighting spirit, a smile crept across Sumu’s face.

“I know what you’re thinking: this is an impossible battle, yet I’m leading you to risk your lives.”
“But this operation is also a test of your teamwork.”
“As long as you reach the level I expect, everyone will return victorious.”

Jiang Hongluan nodded and tightened her grip on her spear.
“Captain! It’s our honor to undertake this mission with you!”
“If we can kill a few more barbarians along the way, that’s a great gain!”

Hearing this, Sumu chuckled softly and snapped his fingers.

A figure dressed in plain clothes entered, carrying a bundle of strange weapons.

Jiang Hongluan was taken aback upon seeing these weapons.

Though she had considerable experience in weaponry research, these odd items left her baffled.

Ropes paired with grappling hooks—apparently for climbing dangerous terrain.
Some looked like sharp blades, but neither edge was sharpened.

“Take all of these, without exception.”
“When we reach the place, you’ll understand the purpose of these tools.”

Sumu said solemnly.

A plan relying on individual skill—at present, the only way to surprise the barbarians and infiltrate their main camp.

As for escaping, it was not that difficult.

Because the barbarians feared nothing more than losing their supplies.

If they could find the right opportunity to burn the barbarians’ food stockpiles to the ground, everything would be far from over.

If they could hold out for a few months, Sumu was confident he could train an invincible army.

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