We all understand

  Maiden's armor and weapons shone brightly in the sunlight as he rode his fine horse into the square in front of the temple, immediately drawing everyone's attention and causing a stir of whispers. The mayor of Teqi Town stepped forward quickly, bowing politely and saying: "Foreign knight, have you come to help us rescue Princess Xiao?"

  "My name is Mei Danzuo, I'm from Wangdu, a fourth-level warrior. I love traveling all over the continent, admiring legendary heroes and dreaming of establishing my own achievements one day. I heard you're recruiting brave warriors in town, so I've come to offer my services."

  The town's ji girls also squeezed into the crowd to watch the excitement, and several flower-like girls proudly said to the people next to them: "Look quickly, that handsome hero is the one we accompanied last night."

  Meadenzo was dressed like a great warrior, but he introduced himself as only a 4th rank warrior, which was somewhat disappointing. However, Teiki was still delighted, the more people the better, and the more refined the weapon, the stronger the combat power. He himself was a 5th rank warrior, the only mid-ranking warrior in town, and now there was another Meadenzo.

  The mayor of Tequi himself held the reins and said: "I, this town, the city-state and the entire kingdom will thank you. ... Did this brave warrior also come with you?" As he spoke, he did not forget to lead another horse walking behind Medanzo, Amun.

  "He is my friend, a fifth-level intermediate warrior, but he has a gentle temperament and doesn't like to show off. This time, he also took the initiative to come and rescue Princess Xiao Yan."

  If he hadn't introduced him like that, people might have thought Armon was his servant. Knights often travel with more than one horse, and Armon, who was leading a horse while carrying a branch, looked very much like an attendant. Medanzo was dressed in bright armor, and the attire of his attendants wasn't shabby either - they wore soft leather boots and beautiful fur coats. The idea to have Armon pretend to be a servant had been Medanzo's, but he hadn't actually said that Armon was his servant, instead changing his mind at the last minute and saying he was a friend.

  There was even a fifth-level warrior, Teiki, who unexpectedly welcomed Armon with great enthusiasm: "Your demeanor is like that of a noble hermit. Thank you for your help. Our town and the Kishu City-State will express our deepest gratitude... Please, both of you, rest in the temple, my secretary will explain the arrangements in detail, and there will be someone to take care of the horses."

  Meadowsweet suddenly changed his tone, and Armon just smiled and didn't say much. Together with Meadowsweet, he entered the Marduk Temple in Akkad Town. The clerk arranged for them to rest well and eat their fill while waiting for the evening departure, while the recruitment on the square outside continued.

  Amon sat in the temple's rest hall, sipping meat soup and eating flatbread, chewing slowly, while listening to the town's clerk, Dek, introduce the action plan. He and Maidanzo were both mid-level warriors, exceptionally respected and valued among the group, and the clerk was basically introducing them. Amon was about to interject with a question when he suddenly froze, because he saw a "familiar face" - or rather, not exactly a familiar face, but a god he had been familiar with since childhood.

  The main hall of the temple enshrines Marduk, and on one wall of the side hall are carved many gods' reliefs, among which is a goddess who was once the guardian deity of Du Ke Town, Mu Yun. There is a special temple in Du Ke Town dedicated to the worship of Goddess Mu Yun, and Amun has long been familiar with her statue, but after experiencing that devastating disaster, he no longer wants to recall too many memories.

  He suddenly saw the relief of Mu Yun Goddess here, and he suddenly realized something. Why did he feel so familiar when he met Yinnana for the first time? It turned out that her appearance was similar to the solemn and majestic statue of Mu Yun Goddess. The image is difficult to associate with a lively girl, but her face and figure really look like Mu Yun Goddess.

  Amon is going to save Yinnana, and after some thought, he reacted immediately, but then he was a little puzzled. Why did Princess Xiaojing of the Kingdom of Balen look so much like Goddess Muyun? Was it just a coincidence? The royal family of Balen claimed to be the descendants of gods in the mortal world, so Goddess Muyun might also be an ancestor of Princess Xiaojing, which could explain everything.

  ……

  Just as Amun was staring blankly at the statue, another group of five people arrived on the square in front of the temple. The leader was a divine technique master holding a staff, followed by a young divine technique master and three warriors equipped with weapons.

  Before they could get close, the mayor of Deqi Town had already separated from the crowd and came forward: "Honorable divine technique masters, please forgive this town mayor's discourtesy for not knowing that you have arrived in our town. ...Are you all here to help after hearing about what happened in our town?"

  They were just a group of travelers staying at the inn, and no one had exposed that there was a divine magician among them until now. The middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader nodded slightly and said: "You are the town mayor? You're doing a great job. I am Jieke, a 6th-level divine magician from the Imperial Capital, this is my student, Eriet, a 3rd-level divine magician, and these three are my companions, all mid-tier warriors. We heard that Princess Xiao Yan was in danger, and the town mayor recruited brave warriors to go rescue her, so we should offer our services."

  Jie Kai spoke as he revealed a special plaque, which although did not have his name written on it, was enough to prove his identity and origin. It was the emblem of the Balen Divine Technique Academy's teachers, and also served as proof for entering many areas within the academy. On it was a divine technique mark that could be used for identification.

  Deqi Town Lord's head was filled with wild joy, and he almost jumped up in excitement. Yesterday, he thought he was the most unlucky person in the world, how could he have unexpectedly encountered such a disaster? But this afternoon, he almost thought he had become the luckiest person in the world. When Zhang Biao recruited him, he only found out that Akade Town was hiding dragons and tigers. Suddenly, two divine masters appeared, and five mid-level warriors were added.

  Originally, Akkad Town only had one mid-tier warrior, Diqi, and the temple had only one third-class divine spellcaster and one first-class divine spellcaster. Even gathering all the town's strength would only add a few dozen low-tier warriors. This afternoon's recruitment greatly increased their team's strength, especially with the noble Lord Jieke, who is a mentor at the Royal Capital's Divine Academy, his identity is completely different from that of ordinary divine spellcasters.

  Sixth-level divine spellcaster, already capable of casting high-level divine spells, just one step away from becoming a great divine spellcaster. According to Jieke's self-introduction, he heard about Gilgamesh and Enkidu beheading Humbaba in the capital city, and brought his students and several friends to hurry to the battlefield of Uruk, to visit the remains of that great war. This divine spellcaster didn't lie, their group indeed came with this intention, and happened to pass by Akkad town.

  ……

  At sunset, a strange convoy departed from Akkad Town, loaded with all sorts of supplies as if for a long-distance migration. The coachmen and the guards of the convoy were all warriors, holding various weapons. Behind the convoy followed camels and horses, the procession moved quickly, everyone's expression was very solemn, some warriors even looked excited.

  It is said that transporting so many materials should use a wider double-hulled large cart, but most of the cars in this team are very light and sturdy, with a narrow body and only one horse pulling it, so there are many. There are also several very light double-hulled carts in the team, equipped with the best horses that can run very fast, leaving one every certain distance along the way, with special personnel guarding them and no longer advancing with the team.

  This is where the mayor of Dejiko Town carefully considers the problem. If they rescue Little Red Riding Hood and conflict with the giant tribe, they need to escort her to escape in the first time. Knights can change horses, but noble princesses need to take a carriage. In case of injury, they also need to receive treatment in the carriage. Changing carriages along the way can guarantee the fastest speed, so prepare all the carriages in advance.

  Amun silently observed all of this, and in his heart he had a certain degree of admiration for the town mayor. This sudden event was like a bolt from the blue to the town mayor, but Emperor Zuo handled it calmly and did his best under the current conditions.

  The "key figures" in this team, the most mysterious and precious are certainly Jie Ke and others, the most powerful and coolest is certainly Mei Dan Zuo, and the lowest-key is Amon. As for the leader Di Qi Zhou, apart from worry and tension, he also has a thread of excitement and impulsiveness, originally he didn't know Princess Xiao Yan's identity, but that beautiful and charming girl made him infatuated, even thought about pursuing her.

  Knowing she was Princess Asuna, he had originally given up on any possibility of getting close to her, but now there was an opportunity right in front of him. If he could successfully rescue Princess Asuna with this team, he might even gain the favor of the beauty, which would be a heroic achievement. Although he wouldn't be foolish enough to compete with Kirito for his fiancée, nor did he have any delusions of grandeur, gaining the princess's goodwill and approval was an honor in itself, not to mention the rewards from the city-state and the royal capital.

  Actually, many warriors in the team have similar ideas, so amidst worries, there is also an inexplicable excitement. At this moment, they may all imagine themselves as Enkidu who went to slay Humbaba.

  Amon and Medanzo had two horses, both good ones. The horse for pulling carts and the one for riding into battle were different, but in this case of rushing on the road, they could barely cope. The mayor of Deqi Town also gave them another horse to ride on the way, so three horses were ridden by two people, and one was always resting. People can rush overnight, but animals may not be able to withstand it, and the whole team needs to maintain its best state.

  Amon also noticed that among the group led by Jie Kai, there was a young man with a particularly special identity, who was obviously more noble than the others. Although he seemed to be just a follower, the other four people's attitude towards him was extremely respectful and cautious, whether it was changing horses or drinking water, they always took care of this young man first.

  This young man claimed to be named Youle Du, a noble warrior from the imperial capital, and his identity seemed far from simple. After Amun discovered this, he also quietly reminded Medanzo that his own identity was similar, and if Medanzo didn't change his words, it would be like letting him pretend to be a servant following him, and an unintentional detail might reveal their true identities, depending on whether anyone noticed or not.

  The team set out overnight, stopping briefly at dawn to rest and eat their fill before continuing on. As they journeyed deeper into the mountains, Ah Mon realized why most of the vehicles in the convoy were lightweight, narrow carts - because the roads became increasingly rugged and only these types of carts could barely pass through, sometimes requiring the warriors' help to push them through treacherous sections.

  At noon, when the sun was warmest, the team took another break. By now they had entered deep mountains. This was a valley path between steep mountain peaks, gradually getting deeper and higher. The surrounding peaks seemed like mighty objects, bringing an indescribable sense of oppression. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and everyone stopped talking, gripping their weapons and remaining vigilant at all times.

  The weather on the Xuya Plateau is much colder than in the Yu Di River Valley, and as one climbs higher into the mountains, the wind feels even more biting. The warriors couldn't help but wrap their clothes tightly around them. The barbarians living here are mostly tall and powerful, with strength greater than that of ordinary people. They do not have no contact with the outside world, and many plateau giants have even been recruited by nearby kingdoms as mercenaries. Gabriel was once ambushed by the governor of Xiao Mo Prefecture in Xuya City-State, among whom were two plateau giants who had received specialized martial arts training.

  The residents of the Highland Giant Tribe are not all so-called giants, just like the dwarves in Link's tribe are not necessarily dwarves, but the particularly tall and strong ones are indeed like giants. The Assyrian Kingdom north of the highlands even has a special giant warrior array, which is recruited and selected from this type of person for specialized training, with a small number being absolutely elite.

  Years ago, some of them were scattered in the war and escaped back to the tribes in the deep mountains, passing on the martial arts they had learned to their people. So there are also warriors practicing martial arts in those powerful plateau giant tribes, plus their innate superhuman strength, which is indeed not easy to deal with.

  Princess Xiaoyan's guard was not weak, but she just came out to play and not fight. She couldn't possibly bring a powerful wizard with her. There were two mid-level wizards by her side, as well as a level 7 great warrior who had rushed through the siege to report back injured. The other eight people were also mid-level warriors. However, the warriors of the Plateau Giant Tribe used bows and swords, which were very powerful and had a long range. Even if the wizards were surrounded, it was still very dangerous.

  Not all highland giants are well-trained, and only a few have achieved physical accomplishments. Most of them will use bows and arrows, but generally won't cooperate like an army. But this time is special, with several of the strongest giant clans in the area joining forces to take action, making people feel a bit strange.

  Don't get into a fierce battle with them, don't be in a position where you can be shot by arrows from all directions, pay attention to the terrain, and don't be forced into a desperate situation. —— Emperor Chi explained the situation to everyone in detail and arranged various countermeasures. However, nothing else happened on this road, not even a single giant was seen.

  In the afternoon, the convoy struggled to climb a steep mountain road and finally reached an open area on the plateau at the top of the mountain. They saw people coming to greet them. They were a group of tall men, almost every one of whom was as big as Enqi, whom Amun had met before. They held heavy weapons such as clubs, hammers, and iron forks in their hands, wore messy animal skin clothes, and when they saw the convoy climbing up the mountain, they suddenly let out a chaotic cheer, looking very happy.

  Deqi? Zhou got off the carriage, and Meidan Suo also dismounted his horse. They stood on either side of Ah Meng, escorting the town master as they walked forward. The 6th-level divine spellcaster, Jie Kai, followed closely behind Deqi Town Master, maintaining a very cautious formation. The others remained by the convoy, keeping watch.

  "Are you the tribe that has been besieging the Kingdom's princess?" Di Qi shouted loudly, "I've brought everything you asked for. Who is your leader? Call him out to speak with me."

  The group of people who came forward had a stiff accent, and their voices were loud and disorderly as they shouted: "We are all leaders, just bring the things we brought with us, hand them over to us quickly."

  "Even if it's a kidnapping, there's no ransom demand here. This is your territory, I've traveled far and wide to bring everything, showing complete sincerity. You should at least let me see the princess and know she's safe before handing over the goods."

  "Princess?" "He wants to see the princess?" "No, he's here to negotiate." "Aren't we already prepared for negotiations?" "Oh, then let's talk." These dozen or so highland giants whispered among themselves for half a day, then shouted at Chidi: "Kidnapping and negotiation, right? We all understand... Come on, the tents are all set up ahead."

  Not to mention Ah Mon, who was seeing this scene for the first time and was confused, even Deqi Town Mayor, who had dealt with the Plateau Giants before and knew their temper, was also puzzled. Was there something else? Since everyone has arrived, let's go talk about it. The four of them walked over, and that young man named Youledu wanted to go "negotiate" together, but Deqi and Jieke both told him to guard the convoy.

  On the road, Lord Teqi assigned tasks to everyone. The young man named Youledu was mainly responsible for rescuing the princess and quickly escorting her away after the rescue. The other two mid-level warriors and a divine artist followed to protect her, while the fully armed Maidanzo and others covered the rear. It seems that this lord also saw that Youledu's identity was extraordinary, even more noble than Jieke.

  Not far ahead, on the open ground outside a forest, there was indeed a tent, very large and magnificent, actually sewn with expensive snow leopard skin from the plains. It looked very beautiful. Such a tent stood in the mountains, even fierce beasts dared not to approach when they saw it from afar, but upon closer inspection, it appeared very rough and sloppily stitched.

  As I entered the tent, a table and stools were already set up inside, made of solid wood. A short figure came forward, bowed and said: "Are you Emperor Teqi from Akkad Town? My name is Yuxi, representative of the United Tribes here. Have all the things we asked for been sent?"

  This person was actually quite eloquent, not at all like the other highland giants who were simple-minded and physically strong. He wasn't short either, about the same height as Teqi, but standing among a group of tall tribal people made him look like a little dwarf. Yuxier's round head, round eyes, and round nose gave him a perpetually smiling expression, looking very comical.

  Amon noticed that Yuxi had a stick-like object hanging from his waist, which looked like a magic wand. After careful sensing, it was indeed a magic wand, although it wasn't impressive to Amon, but for an ordinary divine master, it was still a pretty good thing.