Chapter 108: Preparation

The rain had stopped, and the two cushions, having served their purpose, were discarded under the bed. Pear Blossom asked, “Should I bring Fubao over?”

At this moment, Dong Yun was being attended to so thoroughly that she didn’t want to lift a finger. With her eyes closed, she replied, “Bring her over, so that when I wake up tomorrow and find myself sleeping on the other side alone, I might cause a fuss.”

Pear Blossom got up to bring the little bundle over, placing it in the innermost part of the bed. She then lay down again, holding Dong Yun.

“Are you sleepy? If you’re tired, just sleep,” Pear Blossom said, reaching to touch Dong Yun’s hands and feet. They were warm, likely from the recent activity, which reassured Pear Blossom.

Dong Yun was actually fine and even wanted to talk to her about the issues that Xia Xunyan had raised earlier during the day, to share some thoughts from her heart. But then she remembered that this person had stayed up all night to save people, and then went to raid He Village in the afternoon to deal with those thugs. Just now, she had also taken care of her and was worried about her health. So, she said, “You’re tired, sleep now.”

Pear Blossom hummed in acknowledgment and lowered her head to kiss her cheek. Dong Yun sensed her intention and turned her head, her lips meeting Pear Blossom’s kiss briefly, before she closed her eyes and lay down.

Pear Blossom wasn’t particularly tired, especially after another passionate night together. Although Dong Yun hadn’t said much, the few simple words she had spoken had a calming effect on her heart, like a tranquilizer that brought her peace.

Once her heart settled, she felt the urge to do even more for the other person.

Suddenly, she remembered that she still had a lottery chance left. Since the other person had closed her eyes and fallen asleep, she quickly accessed the system, hoping to draw something good that might please her.

No. 9 said, “Host, you saved Liu Youtie’s father and son yesterday, and today you cleverly defeated Wei Hu and the others in He Village. These people are all wicked, and you acted courageously to rid the world of harm. You have earned 20 reward points, with 10 fixed in reputation. Please distribute the remaining 10 points.”

Pear Blossom was overjoyed when she heard about the point distribution and immediately decided to allocate them to her physique.

No. 9 said, “Host, your current attribute distribution is as follows: Wisdom 76, Physique 68, Reputation 59, Pleasure 21, total 224. You still have one lottery chance left. Would you like to proceed with the lottery now?”

Pear Blossom quickly replied, “Draw now!”

No. 9 quickly brought up the lottery panel.

Pear Blossom eagerly pressed the lottery button, and soon, a small cloth bag appeared in her hand, bulging slightly. The oil lamp had gone out, and the cave was pitch black, so she couldn’t tell what was inside.

No. 9 said, “Congratulations, Host. You have drawn a military-grade 7x telescope.”

“7x telescope? What’s that?”

“It’s something similar to the ‘Eyes of the Sky.’ With it, you can clearly see things at a far distance.”

“How far is far?”

“A telescope doesn’t just allow you to see far; it lets you see things clearly within a certain distance. For example, you can clearly see a person or a large set of words within a mile, and with this telescope, you can also see them clearly from seven miles away.”

Pear Blossom wasn’t very excited upon hearing this and said, “I already have your system, which can sense everything within ten miles. Is this thing more powerful than your system?”

No. 9 replied, “The telescope is indeed inferior to the system’s scanning function, and it can’t hear sounds, but once the mission is complete and the system is no longer available, this telescope will not be retrieved. It will still serve the Host.”

Pear Blossom felt a moment of emptiness upon hearing this. Most of her actions were now supported by the system, and without realizing it, she had begun to treat the system’s capabilities as a part of her own abilities.

Hearing that it would leave, she felt a sudden sense of unease.

She asked, “When the mission is complete, will my attributes be reset to their original values?”

The system replied, “The attribute points are now a part of your body, and they will not be retrieved.”

Pear Blossom let out a relieved sigh. Though these attributes weren’t overwhelming, she was naturally slow-witted. Without the boosts, she wouldn’t have achieved the changes she had today.

But remembering that the mission target was still far off, she decided not to worry about things that hadn’t happened yet.

Although the telescope wasn’t much use to her, it might come in handy when deceiving others. In the future, it could help her gather information without being seen as a monster.

“No. 9, can this telescope be used or seen by others?”

No. 9 responded, “Aside from not revealing the existence of the system, as long as the Host can explain it, you can decide how to use it.”

Pear Blossom felt reassured upon hearing this.

Thinking about how her new attributes had arrived, the lottery she had won, and the improved relationship with her sister, Pear Blossom was very happy. She casually placed the telescope near her pillow and hugged Dong Yun’s soft body, feeling content as she drifted off to sleep.

That sense of contentment continued into the next morning.

She woke up early.

Now that the raid team had been formed, even with warmth and softness by her side, she couldn’t afford to lie in bed.

After getting up and washing, she found that Fubao had also woken up. Sitting on the bed with messy hair, Fubao was puzzled about how she had ended up on the inside when she clearly slept between her mother and Pear Blossom. Her mother had said she moved around in her sleep and ended up on the inside, but Fubao hadn’t believed it. Yet, every time she woke up, it was true.

Seeing Pear Blossom standing at the door, Fubao immediately stretched out her arms to be carried.

Pear Blossom went over, picked her up, and sat her on the edge of the bed, changing her into another set of clothes for the day.

At this point, Dong Yun also opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around Pear Blossom’s waist from behind, asking lazily, “Do you have to leave so early today?”

Pear Blossom felt her warm body against hers, and her heart fluttered, like a stone thrown into a pond, sending ripples outward. She softly hummed in response, “I formed a raid team yesterday, and today is the first day we’ll team up. I can’t keep everyone waiting. I’ll wash the clothes later when I come back in the afternoon. I’ll try to come back early today.”

Dong Yun lazily said, “Okay.” While Fubao wasn’t paying attention, she pushed her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck before lying down again, as if nothing had happened.

Pear Blossom felt the damp touch and her heart raced. She didn’t dare turn her head to look, and she cleared her throat before asking Fubao, “Are you going to stay here with your mother, or come downstairs with me?”

Fubao hesitated. She thought her mother might be lonely in the cave and should be kept company. But they had also agreed yesterday to meet Sister Magpie today.

Dong Yun noticed her little furrowed brow and laughed, saying, “Look at how troubled you are. If I read while you’re on top of me, I’d just end up staring at you instead.”

Fubao giggled, leaned over, and kissed Dong Yun.

Dong Yun hugged her, giving her a gentle squeeze before letting her go and saying, “Alright, go with Pear Blossom now.”

Pear Blossom finally carried her to wash her face before heading down the mountain with the little one on her back.

…

The training ground for the raid team was chosen at a dry field at the foot of Wuyin Mountain, near the village entrance. The area had a slight slope, but it wasn’t steep. Previously, the land had been abandoned due to the rocky terrain, which made it unsuitable for farming.

After Pear Blossom confirmed the location, the group cleared the area, cutting down the reeds and filling the lower sections with stones and soil. In no time, it became a space large enough to hold three to four hundred people, with room to expand up the slope—perfect for training.

Daniu, now fifteen, had also stopped attending school. He was already restless and unwilling to sit down and study. If it weren’t for his parents and Pear Blossom insisting he learn a few characters, he wouldn’t have gone to school at all.

Now that he could recognize a few words and with the recent events in the village, he had the perfect excuse to quit entirely.

Since his interests lay elsewhere, neither Pear Blossom nor their parents could say much. Now that he had joined the raid team, Pear Blossom appointed him as her assistant. First, it was convenient to relay orders among family; second, over the past year, Pear Blossom had been teaching him martial arts since returning from the escort agency. The siblings often practiced together in the mornings, so Daniu had a solid foundation.

Looking at Daniu, whose stature now rivaled Dagen’s, with broad shoulders and muscular arms, no one dared voice any objections.

When it came to training the team, Pear Blossom had a plan.

The bandits were approaching aggressively and could attack as soon as tomorrow or the day after. The immediate priority was a short-term crash training program.

However, from the broader perspective of national unrest, this chaotic situation would likely persist for a long time. After the bandits of Eagle’s Nest Ridge, there would be others preying on the people, so preparing for prolonged combat was essential.

Additionally, her duties as the consort of the Crown Prince required capable personnel, so long-term training was equally important.

As for training methods, Pear Blossom had gained some experience training with Murong Jin at the escort agency. However, their focus had been on strength training and individual combat techniques, with little emphasis on team coordination.

Although Dagen had spent years in the military, he was a mere grunt and often sent to farm fields. He had no grasp of strategy or coordination.

Pear Blossom soon thought of someone else.

Murong Jiutian looked at his young apprentice in surprise. “You want to organize your village to fight bandits?”

Pear Blossom nodded and said, “Master, didn’t you say that martial artists should uphold justice? The bandits are so brazen, harming my fellow villagers—I can’t stand by and do nothing.”

Before opening the escort agency, Murong Jiutian had been a military commander. However, he retired after losing an eye in battle.

He was well-versed in training soldiers in teamwork and coordination.

That was why Pear Blossom bypassed her own father and came straight to him.

“Did I say you shouldn’t uphold justice?” Murong Jiutian glared at her. “I’m just surprised that your village is willing to entrust their lives to a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl. And you, a little lass, actually have the guts to challenge those ruthless bandits!”

Pear Blossom grinned and said, “Isn’t it because I have you backing me up, Master?”

Murong Jiutian raised his hand as if to flick her forehead.

He did admire his apprentice; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken her under his wing. But relying on a village of farmers to fight bandits? That seemed uncertain.

Still, since his apprentice had already provoked them, there was no turning back.

The only option was to prepare for battle!

He wanted to go help in person, but his household was full of responsibilities: a wife who couldn’t defend herself, three mischievous children who needed constant attention, and the families of the escort guards who had gathered at the agency for protection. The bandits and refugees could riot and attack the city at any moment. His capable daughter was never around, and he couldn’t even take on escort jobs anymore, let alone leave the city.

All he could do was impart everything he knew.

Given the time constraints, he focused on the most important lessons. Fortunately, Pear Blossom was quick to grasp what he taught.

Before leaving, Pear Blossom said, “Master, our village still lacks weapons and horses. Can you help me acquire some blades and spears? I have the money; I just need you to connect me with the right people.”

Murong Jiutian considered her request and replied, “Horses are not an issue. With enough money, getting twenty or so is doable. Our agency replaces horses every year, so we have contacts for that. I’ll have Jin handle it. As for bows, those need to be custom-made. Spearheads and large blades will require coordination with the blacksmiths. Small quantities shouldn’t be an issue, but large orders might be too much for them to handle. Go back and wait for news; I’ll have Jin notify you once there’s progress.”

Pear Blossom was overjoyed. Her trip to the city had been incredibly fruitful. Not only had her master refrained from scolding her for taking on too much, but he had also imparted his knowledge and was now helping with weapons and horses.

Grateful beyond words, she knelt and bowed deeply, saying, “Thank you, Master, for your generosity and for resolving my worries. On behalf of the villagers of Daliushu Village, I thank you for your kindness and virtue.”

Murong Jiutian, though sharp-tongued, was full of admiration as he helped her up. “What you’re doing is a righteous cause. How could I, as your master, stand idly by?”

Besides, there was someone hiding in Daliushu Village now. If anything happened, his older brother would certainly hold him accountable!