Chapter 183 A Family Gathering

"Uncle Liu, is there something fun happening?" Ye Tao asked.

Knowing Liu Yong, Ye Tao knew he rarely got so excited. As he aged and fought less, his reputation had faded. He had, however, proven himself in the military, in training and commanding operations. Liu Yong now rarely had a chance to act, though he stayed by Ye Tao and Tan Weixin's side. But his current expression was clearly that of someone who had just enjoyed a satisfying and victorious battle.

"Some petty thieves tried to blend into the crowd to assassinate you. I took care of them," Liu Yong said without any change in expression.

"Were there any experts?" Ye Tao continued.

"There were two with decent skills," Liu Yong replied casually. He was confident enough to stand here because he'd already made sure those skilled individuals wouldn't cause any more trouble. Liu Yong added, "Judging by their strength, their master probably wasn't naive enough to think they could harm your family. But their movements were slippery; they were likely there to sabotage and incite unrest. They were so elusive that I almost didn't catch them. Jin Ze lent a hand."

Ye Tao fell silent. Although the fighting on the Dongping-Northern Liao front had temporarily subsided, the covert struggles intensified. The mutual probing and counter-probing, skirmishes between small units, elite scout troops, and experts in the military increased. Ye Tao didn't know the details of these conflicts, but reports arrived every few days, hinting at the battle's ferocity.

Dongping currently held the advantage in this regard. The Special Operations Battalion, in particular, had recently conducted several high-profile operations behind enemy lines, including the audacious annihilation of a transport convoy. Disguised as the convoy, they infiltrated the enemy's main camp and assassinated their commander in a short time before retreating. The enemy didn't realize what happened until over an hour later, by which time the Special Operations Battalion was long gone. That incident infuriated the Northern Liao, but they couldn't catch the Special Operations Battalion. The timing, location, and personnel arrangements were always cleverly executed. The planning and design of each operation was a fascinating brainstorming session for the battalion's officers, a challenge to their tactical skills, combat prowess, and understanding of the subtle psychology of both sides. Now, the Special Operations Battalion increasingly loved these dangerous yet challenging operations, maintaining their open discussions where everyone could point out superiors' mistakes and improve together without holding grudges. Their collective experience made the plans increasingly perfect. Ye Tao sometimes felt an urge to publish these wild plans, at least an internal version.

But those thoughts quickly passed, and he focused on the descending airship.

Dai Yun's relaxed expression as she disembarked relieved Ye Tao. This campaign against Western Ling was the Northern Frontier Pacification Commission's first failure to achieve its planned objectives in years. Dai Yun, always ambitious, was bound to be dissatisfied. But her calm and determined expression told Ye Tao she had understood. She knew the difference between her and Tong Bingwen and would strive to improve herself to better command the army for the future advance into Western Ling.

Ye Wenji excitedly rushed to his mother, and Dai Yun cheerfully picked up Ye Wenxuan, ruffling his hair. The Ye family always traveled far and wide, and even the children were used to cherishing the limited time they had with their parents. When they were separated by various matters, they learned to entertain themselves. Of course, in Yunzhou and throughout the Northern Frontier, they never lacked for amusement.

"Was it tough this time?" Ye Tao greeted her, walking alongside Dai Yun. The guards and attendants spread out, securing the perimeter. Tan Weixin, Tan Weishi, and the others remained under the awning, enjoying tea and snacks. This family didn't always display etiquette and affection outwardly.

Dai Yun smiled and said, "I was defeated this time. I didn't realize Tong Bingwen was so formidable."

"The older the warrior, the more cautious. Back then, we were ready to fight to the last drop of Xuelin blood, but today, we hope to minimize casualties... it's truly different," Ye Tao said casually. They knew they couldn't fight wars like that. But Dongping's entire army had a problem: they were too professional, too elite, too expensive... They were instinctively inclined to prioritize minimizing losses.

"Mother, you lost?" Ye Wenji asked in his childish voice. "Even with Grandpa and the others? How could you lose?"

Ye Wenji didn't understand war; he was fascinated by the world of crafts and technology his father created. But in his heart, his parents and elders were always trustworthy, making this situation seem impossible.

"Yes, we didn't hurt the enemy enough," Dai Yun admitted with a smile.

"Oh, I understand. I tried building a ballista that could shoot far, but it couldn't even break a wooden board... it's the same principle. Don't worry, Mother, just win next time!" Ye Wenji encouraged, waving his fist.

Dai Yun ruffled Ye Wenji's hair again, her eyes full of love. Compassion doesn't make a good commander... perhaps it was true. But having something you must defend was a good feeling. "What's planned for today?" Dai Yun turned to Ye Tao, asking curiously. Since the family had gathered in Northern Liao and prepared to celebrate, Ye Tao had surely made arrangements.

"It's still early, how about hunting?" Ye Tao asked with a smile.

"You?... You want to watch me hunt?" Dai Yun teased.

"I've got some weapons I'm used to. It's a good day to play with them," Ye Tao shrugged. When it came to archery, Dai Yun was the best in the family, having mastered equestrian archery from a young age. Tan Weishi could handle a short bow with decent accuracy, but its power was lacking. The princesses in the palace learned archery for fitness, not because they were expected to be skilled. And Tan Weixin was exempt from such lessons.

Ye Wenxuan was already eager to try. He was addicted to hunting. Although too young to handle a heavy bow, he had thoroughly studied the art of hunting and knew the habits of various animals. However, the Northern Frontier Pacification Commission had strict regulations on hunting. Annual hunting quotas were auctioned to preserve the natural ecosystem. Hunting outside the quota was severely punished. Ye Tao only purchased a small hunting quota each year, and even with the quota purchased by the Dai family and the fun he could join at Uncle Ge Lan's, it wasn't enough for him. Now that Northern Liao had just been acquired, most of the Northern Frontier Pacification Commission's laws didn't apply here. Knowing that Dai Yun and Ye Wenxuan liked this, Ye Tao took advantage of the loophole. And testing something of his own was also an important reason.

Whenever the Ye family went hunting, it was time for the strange individuals recruited by the Guard Battalion to showcase their skills. Like any high-ranking official, after reaching a certain position, people sought to join him, especially with an expert like Liu Yong by his side. Some martial artists specifically sought out Ye Tao, wanting to join his ranks. Ye Tao had previously entrusted this matter to Liu Yong. Liu Yong treated these martial artists well, accepting them as long as they didn't make excessive demands. But as the number grew, the Guard Battalion expanded too much. Although Ye Tao was incredibly wealthy, Liu Yong worried about the extravagant expenses of the Guard Battalion and eventually discussed some solutions with Ye Tao. Some veteran Guard Battalion soldiers, based on their abilities, joined the Intelligence Bureau, while others became guards for military officers in various armies. The battlefield was unforgiving, and the Northern Frontier Pacification Commission's officers had a habit of leading the charge. Considering the scarcity of talent, this close protection was quite necessary. Others formed the Northern Frontier Pacification Commission's Security Department, organized into squads to protect officials on official duties, especially those combating corruption. With these experienced martial artists, powerful and representing the authority of the Pacification Commission, the officials were much more confident. This arrangement not only solved the Guard Battalion's expansion problem but also allowed many martial artists to develop in other areas, earning praise from some. But the most elite warriors, the most distinctive individuals, remained in the Guard Battalion. Ye Tao was unpretentious and mingled with these people, often dining with them or organizing various activities. The Ye family's children had grown up with these guards, and everyone knew about Ye Wenxuan's love for hunting. With this opportunity in Northern Liao, everyone naturally obliged. Over a hundred guards, divided into groups of five, entered the forest to drive out prey. This wasn't arrogance; the Guard Battalion's warriors were basically capable of killing lions and tigers with their bare hands. Even those specializing in agility and reconnaissance could at least outrun wild beasts. These experienced and daring warriors quickly found a tiger and a small pack of wolves, excitedly driving them out.

"Father, the tiger is yours, I can't beat it. Can I have all the wolves?" Ye Wenxuan asked happily.

"Sure," Ye Tao said with a smile. They were in a small clearing in the mountains, and Ye Tao had spread out a blanket on the ground. Dai Yun helped him carry a heavy case, opened it, and took out the complex components, assembling a sophisticated sniper rifle. Firearms were still some distance from widespread use, but that didn't stop him from conducting generations of technical research and creating fun things. "I'll fire first, then the rest is yours," Ye Tao instructed. Ye Wenxuan nodded seriously. Ye Tao treated them like adults, and they had always lived up to that treatment.

Ye Wenjun wasn't interested in hunting, but a guard quickly caught a cute squirrel, chained it, and handed it to her. She happily took it, teasing the little creature with snacks. Ye Wenji lay excitedly beside Ye Tao, watching him adjust the scope, focusing intently, and placing his finger on the trigger. Liu Yong put noise-canceling headphones on his ears, but he didn't even notice.

Ye Tao put the crosshairs on the tiger's head and pulled the trigger. He clearly saw a small blood flower erupt on the tiger's head... This was a success. Everyone, from the guards driving the animals to those protecting Ye Tao, was shocked. It was magical. Ye Tao was undeniably beyond the maximum range of bows and arrows. Although Ye Tao was strong, his strength wasn't well-suited for drawing a bow. But now, Ye Tao was able to kill a tiger from such a distance with one shot.

Looking at the admiring gazes, Ye Tao smiled wryly. He stood up, shrugged, and said, "The effect is pretty good, but... this thing is too heavy."

The sniper rifle Ye Tao brought out wasn't a very mature version. He didn't have much experience in firearm design. The previous firearms were just research he had presided over. This sniper rifle was very inconvenient to use, employed many immature processes, and was basically impossible to mass-produce. All the parts were crafted one by one by master-level artisans, repeatedly tested and corrected, adjusting the accuracy to the best. It was thanks to Ye's Workshop's ample experience in precision machinery manufacturing that they could make one. Even each bullet was custom-made by hand... It would probably take two or three years before this thing could be mass-produced.

Ye Tao testing the sniper rifle didn't affect Ye Wenxuan's interest in hunting. He excitedly took a small team to surround the wolf pack. Ye Wenxuan's archery was already excellent, and Zhe Luo and Dai Yun, who were his lieutenants, were a disaster for those wolves. In minutes, Ye Wenxuan easily annihilated the entire wolf pack. The inner and outer spiral formation he used was the military's standard way of encircling and annihilating small units. Seeing him use it so skillfully, Ye Tao couldn't help but nod in admiration.

"This child, he'll be a remarkable general in the future, right?" Liu Yong also praised.

"No... I'm afraid not..." Ye Tao said with a wry smile. Tan Weixin and Tan Weishi chuckled beside him. From a family perspective, neither Ye Tao nor they, nor Tan Xiaopei and others, would want to see them go to the battlefield. And based on Ye Tao's current organization of the war, by the time Ye Wenxuan grew up, there probably wouldn't be any battles to fight.