The desolate wilderness of the cave.
Hundreds of hyena warriors, all equipped with complete bright silver armor, lay hidden in the wilderness. Ahead stood a majestic encampment, with wisps of cooking smoke rising from its tents.
"Shush."
Chen Yu, lying at the forefront, raised a finger.
Instantly, the hyena warriors fell silent, their breathing becoming almost imperceptible.
"What are you up to now?" A miniature demon, its soft, fair feet treading on Chen Yu's shoulder, gazed at the encampment with large eyes. "You're going after this encampment?"
"Mhmm~"
Chen Yu smiled enigmatically, his gaze fixed on the encampment's main gate.
This encampment was not bad!
It was indeed an old tribe of cave dwellers. The encampment was much better maintained than Black Bean's. Such a good encampment probably meant it was quite wealthy.
"No wonder that crocodile was so arrogant; he did have some means."
Chen Yu chuckled softly.
The encampment before him belonged to the crocodile chieftain who had a previous conflict with Chen Yu at the auction. This crocodile had sent many people to provoke him.
Chen Yu remembered all these matters.
He hadn't attacked directly because he had too many other things to attend to. However, he had always kept a close watch on the Great Crocodile's movements.
What they had gained from recent expeditions, what new equipment they had acquired, all of it was within Chen Yu's grasp.
The better the crocodile developed, the more excited Chen Yu became.
It was time to harvest!
If the city-state had no shortage of money, Chen Yu might have let the crocodile enjoy his chieftain status for a few more days. But now that his funds were constrained, it was time for Chen Yu to reap his rewards.
After all, what could be faster at making money than robbing it?
Working diligently on expeditions, even if they explored for half a month, could it compare to the accumulation of several decades or even centuries by the cave dwellers?
Direct robbery!
Simple, crude, and remarkably effective.
Most importantly, it was safe.
Exploring the caves might lead you to a monster plane, where encountering powerful monsters carried the risk of death. Robbing an encampment like this was much simpler, as everything was known.
"You have to be careful."
The little demon also sensed Chen Yu's ill intentions. She didn't particularly care about Chen Yu's high-handed methods. Survival in the caves operated on the principle of the big fish eating the small fish, and the small fish eating the shrimp.
In the past, she too had fought her way across the lands to become one of the greatest demon kings.
Let alone robbing a few encampments,
She had even had her demons raid the royal cities of humans and orcs.
So what?
Was there a problem with "borrowing" some provisions from the wealthy?
The little demon didn't mind the act of robbery; she was just afraid Chen Yu might be too impulsive and get himself killed.
"Judging by the scale of this encampment, their strength should be considerable. With only these two hundred or so hyena warriors, it's unlikely you can break in,"
The little demon reminded him kindly.
"Heh~"
Chen Yu grinned and snapped his fingers.
A rustling sound came from behind him. A familiar crocodile tribesman, hunched over, approached Chen Yu.
"My King."
"Recis, a laborer from the city-state," Chen Yu introduced him to the little demon with a smile. "He was formerly a liaison officer of the Crocodile Tribe and has now abandoned the darkness for the light, joining our city-state."
The little demon: "..."
"Recis, welcome. You will have plenty of opportunities to shine in our city-state in the future."
"I don't need to 'shine'," Recis grinned. "It's enough for me to work in the city-state. I like the atmosphere of our city-state."
This, was a form of cultural infiltration.
Humanistic care!
Chen Yu's city-state adhered to the principle of equality for all. There was no master-slave relationship; everyone in his city-state was equal and possessed their own personality.
Such a concept had a profound impact on the deep-rooted hierarchical rule of the caves.
Who didn't want to live like a human?
Who wanted to be treated like livestock?
No one was born with an innate slavish nature, wanting to be whipped and have their value exploited day and night, only to be discarded without hesitation when they were no longer useful.
However, the deeply ingrained ideology of the caves made it impossible for them to resist even if they wished to.
Chen Yu's city-state offered them hope.
Freedom!
This was the core concept Chen Yu bestowed upon his city-state.
In the city-state, you could do anything as long as it didn't harm the city-state. You could freely choose your work here, or leave the city-state at any time.
There were few restrictions. Those who were capable worked harder and earned more.
Imagine, how could they not love such a city-state?
Formerly slaves, or tribal members, or subordinates, they had no freedom at all. A large portion of the wealth they acquired had to be handed over to the slave owners or their immediate superiors, leaving them with only a meager few copper coins.
Recis was one of them.
He had had enough!
Sent to the city-state for reconnaissance, his initial intention was to complete the mission assigned by his chieftain. However, as he lived within the city-state and interacted with other beastmen and outsiders,
He discovered that this city-state was the haven he often touched upon only in his dreams.
As a result, he gradually forgot the purpose of his mission.
It wasn't until Kailin found him and called him by his original name that he remembered why he had come. But the moment he recalled it, he resolutely chose the city-state of his dreams.
This was the impact of freedom in the caves!
"Even if he defects and can trick the city gates open for you, your current numbers are insufficient to capture it," the little demon on his shoulder said, frowning with her arms crossed.
Based on her experience, the defense of this encampment should consist of at least a thousand men.
"What if their main force has already gone to attack my city-state?" Chen Yu smiled faintly. Before he could finish speaking, Kailin sent him a video invitation.
On the screen, thousands of beastmen warriors stood beneath the city walls of the city-state.
Led by the crocodile chieftain,
He was accompanied by a considerable number of siege weapons.
"Camp Master, they have arrived," Kailin's voice came through the projection. "What should I do next?"
"Tell Xiangcai to activate the Golden Bell Shield, and then you can relax and have some tea."
"Yes."
He tapped the screen, and the image vanished.
Chen Yu, lying outside the encampment, also revealed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. Xiangcai had repaired the Golden Bell Shield. With the crocodile's meager forces, they couldn't break through its defenses even if they attacked for a lifetime.
From the images, it was clear that the crocodile had thrown in all his reserves this time.
The base was empty.
Wasn't this an opportune moment for Chen Yu to harvest?
"What did you say to that foolish crocodile that made him bring all the encampment's forces to attack me?" Chen Yu asked Recis with a smile, then shook his head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Go and tell them to open the encampment gates."
Stretching lazily, Chen Yu took out his magic cloak and whispered in a solemn tone.
"Comrades!!!"
In an instant, those three simple words made the hyena warriors, who had been prostrate on the ground, feel their blood surge with fervor. A surging fighting spirit erupted from them.
"The time has come to bring glory to our ancestors! Put on your cloaks, charge!!!"