Chapter 127: The Sixty-Four Villages East of the River

The NPCs hired by Chen Hao drove over a hundred horses to the Xu family estate. As Xu Wenhuai was already in the horse trading business, their arrival did not raise any suspicion.

Xu Wenhuai’s stables could not accommodate so many horses, so he had his servants take some to be boarded elsewhere before hosting a banquet to thank Chen Hao and his group for avenging his family.

Chen Hao could not take the 100-plus horses back with him, nor could he afford to keep them, as he lacked the player base to develop a cavalry unit. During the banquet, he voiced his dilemma. Xu Wenhuai patted his chest, promising to buy the horses and offering to sell him twelve superior steeds at cost.

After the banquet, Chen Hao returned to the guest room, collapsed onto the bed, entered "sleep mode" in-game, and drifted into a deep sleep in his real-world nutrient pod.

Upon logging back in, Xu Wenhuai brought out a chest filled with shining silver dollars. He smiled and said, "The horses you captured were of inferior quality, worth 40 silver dollars each on the market. For 112 horses, that comes to 4,480. The fine steeds I’m selling you are priced at cost—40 silver dollars each. Here is the 4,000-dollar difference."

Chen Hao thanked him repeatedly, "Many thanks, Master Xu."

Chen Hao’s cavalry had killed nearly a thousand players and over a hundred NPCs in Langfang, and he had converted all the looted items into silver dollars. Combined with the 4,000 dollars from the horse sale, the team had earned over 12,000 dollars—a massive sum.

After breakfast at the Xu residence, the cavalry unit, each person riding one horse and leading another, rode out of the gates and galloped north. They ignored the scattered players they encountered along the way unless they showed hostility. If a player reached into their saddlebags for a gun, all twelve would pull their triggers simultaneously, turning the opponent into a sieve.

Crossing the railway to reach Langfang Station, Chen Hao dismounted at the military camp gate. After showing his token to the sentries, the group headed toward Nie Shicheng’s main command tent.

Nie Shicheng walked out with a broad smile, reaching out to steady Chen Hao. "You ventured deep into the tiger’s den and slew thousands of enemies; you are truly the pillars of the nation! I shall host a feast to welcome you back."

Chen Hao cupped his hands in a salute. "It is my duty to serve the country; you are too kind, sir."

Nie Shicheng looked on with admiration. "To be accomplished without arrogance—'Banxian,' you possess the spirit of the ancient sages. Your use of cavalry while deep behind enemy lines was decent, yet still lacking. I have some expertise in cavalry command; we shall discuss it after the banquet."

[Player Chen Banxian, your performance in the railway and telegraph line defense mission was excellent. Nie Shicheng intends to instruct you in cavalry tactics. After receiving his guidance, your Cavalry Mastery will be upgraded to B-rank.]

Nie Shicheng continued to the others, "You are quite familiar with Western firearms, but your horsemanship is average. My camp is full of warriors excellent in mounted archery. If you are willing to stay in the camp for three days, I will have my men teach you, and you will surely see improvement."

[Player Chen Banxian, your performance in the railway and telegraph line defense mission was excellent. Nie Shicheng allows you to train with the Wuwei Front Army. After three days, your horsemanship will be improved.]

(Similar notifications followed for the rest of the team.)

The primary reward for the railway defense regional mission was experience points. Chen Hao’s group of twelve received the extra reward because their total kill count exceeded a thousand. Nie Shicheng’s mission reward was the improvement of their horsemanship. As the captain, Chen Hao received the additional benefit of his Cavalry Mastery being upgraded to B-rank.

Everyone was satisfied with the reward. They had all experienced the benefits of cavalry mobility during the fighting on the southern railway line, and improved horsemanship would only increase that edge.

After collecting the rewards for killing players, Chen Hao had "Fishing Passerby" take down the saddlebag from his back. "Sir, while operating behind enemy lines, we encountered eight Boxers' ringleaders. We led the team to execute them and have brought their heads here."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Nie Shicheng said "good" three times, sighing in admiration. "To think you could slay the Boxer ringleaders—this is an unexpected delight! Once I have my scouts identify them, I shall not be stingy with the rewards."

A short while later, the scout captain identified the heads one by one. Nie Shicheng ordered the remains to be buried and mused, "Chen Banxian, slaying the Boxer leaders was a surprise. Tell me what reward you desire!"

Fishing Passerby had been looking forward to this for a long time. Excitedly, he said, "Sir, I have always loved heavy firearms. Could you grant us a Maxim heavy machine gun?"

Nie Shicheng was surprised. "Few people know how to use a Maxim. You actually know how? Our Wuwei Front Army only has four in total; I fear I cannot give you one just yet."

Fishing Passerby’s heart sank, but just as he felt disappointed, Nie Shicheng added, "You have performed a great service for the country. I will apply for a brand-new Maxim for you; you may collect it in one month. Fishing Passerby, my camp is currently lacking a machine gunner. Would you be willing to serve in my camp for this month and help me deal with the Boxers?"

Fishing Passerby agreed instantly. If he stayed with the Wuwei Front Army for a month, he would receive a brand-new Maxim—which meant it would be at least a standard-edition model.

Training with a heavy machine gun consumed more ammunition than a rifle, and it was harder to raise one's shooting attributes with it. Practicing with the NPCs' ammunition while earning rewards for service was a bargain. Though he was eager, Fishing Passerby looked at Chen Hao first; only after Chen Hao nodded did he accept the request.

Chen Hao did not want Xia Weiwei to be around Fishing Passerby. After finishing their horsemanship training, the others were heading to the Northeast, and it would be inappropriate to exclude Xia Weiwei. With Fishing Passerby staying behind, they would be separated for a while, preventing any friction.

Three days in the game passed in a flash. Under the instruction of the elite cavalry of the Wuwei Front Army, everyone’s horsemanship improved. Chen Hao, Baihuhu Yaonie, and Chen Feng reached the Grandmaster level; Yu Die, Liu Zixuan, Lin Xiaofeng, and Fishing Passerby reached the Advanced level, with only more training needed to reach Grandmaster; Xia Weiwei and the other two, who had joined later, also reached the Advanced level.

Once horsemanship hit the Advanced level, players could swing swords or fire guns while charging on horseback, rather than having to rein in their horses to shoot as before. Previously, they had only been able to use standard broadswords and slash while stationary. Now, the team could equip specialized cavalry sabers and utilize the momentum of a charge to strike, adding a powerful new combat method to their repertoire.

Chen Hao gathered his teammates in a small tavern in Langfang. "We looted over 12,000 silver dollars from the southern railway line. Divided equally, that’s 1,000 each. I have a grand plan for the Northeast. If you trust me, take only 100 dollars as pocket money, and we will use the rest to fund this plan. I believe the returns will satisfy you all."

"Brother Chen, just make the arrangements yourself. I’m sticking with you for the long haul," Fishing Passerby said, quick to show his loyalty.

"Boss Chen, we’ve been together for a while. I trust you; just arrange it as you see fit," Lin Xiaofeng added.

"Brother Chen, you led us to this money. Without you, we wouldn't have earned any of it. I’ll fight anyone who doesn’t agree," the youngest, Chen Feng, said excitedly.

Baihuhu Yaonie squeezed his money bag. "Brother Chen, it’s not the first time you’ve swindled me. Do as you will, but stop being so mysterious—tell us your plan!"

Xia Weiwei blinked her beautiful eyes. "Brother Chen, you love keeping people in suspense too much. You're just like a guy I know in real life..."

Chen Hao was startled and quickly changed the subject. "You all should know that the most lucrative rewards in the game come from plot missions. If you can change the plot, the rewards are even greater. It’s not easy to participate in plot missions early on, and changing them is even harder because the AI controls all kinds of NPCs to prevent players from altering the story."

"I once met an NPC who told me a special circumstance where the AI won't interfere—and will even give the green light."

"There have been many massacres throughout history. Such inhumane acts exist in the game as well. 'Genesis' wants players to cherish peace. If players go all out to stop such events when they arise, the difficulty is lower than changing other types of plots, and the rewards are far more generous."

"In three months, the events at Hailanpao and the Sixty-Four Villages East of the River will occur—you all know what that is. Ever since I met that NPC, I’ve been trying to figure out how to change this plot. The game hasn't been running long, and the NPCs are far stronger than us; even with the system's green light, the difficulty remains immense."

"This mission is a shame to the Chinese people. Many players want to change it, but we are facing the Russian Cossack cavalry. Relying on player power alone is difficult, so I intend to use money to pave the way and join forces with the bandit leaders in the Northeast to fight together."

"If we unite with the local bandit leaders, we have a great chance of changing the plot. And if we can lead a large number of high-level NPCs, we can secure the command. If we succeed, we won't just get generous system rewards; we’ll win massive fame, which will help us establish a base later."

Hearing Chen Hao’s explanation, everyone’s face showed excitement. Chen Feng even clenched his fists. Even if the money were to go to waste, none of them would oppose it, for they all shared a patriotic heart.