Chapter 1019: Chapter 1119: Reinforcement Chapter 1019: Chapter 1119: Reinforcement Bang!

The dull roar suddenly shattered the tranquility of the prairie.

The left eye of a wild ox grazing near the riverbank suddenly burst into a vivid spray of blood, and its huge body instantly lost balance, crashing heavily to the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before the other wild oxen could even become alert, similar roaring sounds rose and fell in succession.

One by one, the oxen either died on the spot or, injured and in pain, frantically darted about, plunging the entire herd into utter chaos.

However, the hunters on swift horses closed in from different directions, and the firearms spewed out puffs of white smoke, firing lethal lead bullets that took down the surviving wild oxen one by one.

These wild oxen were a specialty of the West Sea Great Prairie; they were huge and robust, with adult bulls even weighing over a thousand kilograms. Their charging power combined with a pair of sharp horns meant that even black bears would turn tail and run upon encounter.

Since wild oxen always moved in groups and each individual was strong, only a few clever and skilled Hunters dared to hunt them, risking their very lives if not careful.

Yet, before the hunting team equipped with heavy firearms, this prairie’s territorial tyrant became no more than lambs to the slaughter!

They fell, whining in the blood pools, with only a few cows and calves deliberately overlooked by the hunters, fleeing in terror towards the distance.

“Wan Sheng!”

Cheers of victory rang out among the hunters.

Wang Chen cracked a small smile, tossing his now-empty long gun to a personal guard by his side.

To welcome and settle the impending flood of refugees, the situation in West Sea Prefectural City had just calmed down, only to become tightly wound again as it started to operate with extraordinary speed and efficiency.

On the one hand, Wang Chen sent out trading caravans to purchase livestock and grain from the herders everywhere, and on the other hand, organized hunting teams to hunt wild oxen and sheep on the West Sea Great Prairie.

The wild ox herds on the prairie were vast in number, and a wild ox was a treasure from head to toe: their fur could be used to make fur coats, their tendons for bowstrings, and their beef, needless to say, was an excellent source of nutrition.

Including the horns, bones, and hooves, each part had its use, even ox dung could be used to fertilize fields.

To quickly obtain these valuable resources, Wang Chen personally led the hunting team deep into the prairie to hunt the herds of wild oxen.

Accompanied by sharp whistles, the hunters dismounted one after another, pulling out the daggers they carried and began to process their spoils.

Oxhide, beef, and bones were quickly separated, wiped dry of blood, then smeared with salt and crushed herbs before being loaded onto different wagons.

These spoils would be sent at the fastest speed to the outskirts of West Sea Prefectural City and cooked before the meat could spoil, then chopped up, mixed with flour, ghee, and dried wild vegetables, and pressed into balls to be smoked dry.

Made into fist-sized military rations.

Only two of these rations were needed to give an adult the strength to walk for a full day and night!

A single wild ox could spare hundreds of refugees from hunger and starvation.

In fact, wild oxen on the prairie were not easy to deal with; their thick fur could withstand the damage from arrows, and their inherent immense strength made them truly frightening when enraged.

However, faced with the bombardment of heavy firearms, they could only be reduced to ingredients.

But to prevent the extinction of wild oxen, Wang Chen specifically ordered some cows and calves to be spared to ensure they had a chance to reproduce and that their utilization could continue in the future.

Screech~
At this moment, a loud eagle cry came from the sky.

Wang Chen looked up and saw a black shadow diving towards him like lightning.

He raised his arm, and a falcon alighted steadily upon it.

Wang Chen removed the bamboo tube tied to the falcon’s leg, crushed the beeswax on top, and then poured out a scroll of silk.

He unfolded it to look, and his expression shifted slightly.

After some thought, Wang Chen wrote a reply on the paper, stuffed it back into the bamboo tube and sealed it, then tied it back onto the falcon’s leg.

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And a royal guard nearby sliced off two tender cuts of beef and fed them to the eagles. The eagles, satisfied after eating, screeched twice and immediately spread their wings and soared into the sky.

“Let’s go!”

Wang Chen said in a deep voice, “Follow me to greet our guests!”

He patted the Yellow Fatty Horse beneath him, and the horse immediately galloped forward, hooves pounding.

The sound of the whistle started, and dozens of elite cavalry followed closely behind.

With these royal guards, Wang Chen headed north, galloping across the vast grasslands like a flying arrow.

By 11 a.m. the next day, he and his royal guards had reached the northern border of West Sea Prefecture.

To the north of West Sea Prefecture lies Jichuan Prefecture, which, although only half the size of West Sea Prefecture, is much wealthier, and its population is several times larger. It is also one of the few prefectures that had chosen to pledge loyalty to Emperor Yuanjing.

However, towards the rebellious West Sea Prefecture, Jichuan Prefecture showed no hostility, even allowing refugees to pass through their land into the West Sea Great Prairie.

Of course, this might not necessarily be out of goodwill; after all, Jichuan Prefecture lacked the ability to feed so many migrants and were more than happy to hand over this big problem to Sect Master Qingyun.

The day before, Wang Chen had received a falcon message from Qin Qingxuan, informing him that the first batch of migrants was about to reach the border between the two prefectures, so he took his royal guards to respond.

The arrival of this group of migrants had significant implications for both the West Sea and Han Sea Prefectures, which was why Wang Chen took it upon himself to personally lead the reception.

“Grand Tutor sir, this is Wild Mountain Slope.”

One of the royal guards, after checking the map, said, “Just beyond this is Jichuan Prefecture territory. Would you like me to take some men over to scout ahead?”

“That would be good.”

Wang Chen replied, “Take two men with you and be careful.”

Meanwhile, Wang Chen stayed with the other royal guards to set up camp on this gentle and open slope, awaiting the arrival of the migrants.

He had already sent people to notify the Prefectural City in West Sea Prefecture to immediately assemble personnel and materials to come over.

Wang Chen observed the surrounding environment and terrain and felt that building a temporary encampment here, specifically to receive the migrant convoys, was very appropriate.

His biggest issue now was the lack of competent individuals who could take charge on their own; otherwise, he wouldn’t need to personally attend to many matters and could instead entrust them to his subordinates.

Ultimately, it was the poor drawing power of Princess Qingyun.

To sweep across the entire world, relying solely on Wang Chen was obviously insufficient.

Therefore, he deeply hoped that accepting these migrants would bring more talents to his side.

By sunset, a troop appeared on the distant plain, and their numbers kept growing.

The migrants have arrived!

“So many people!”

The royal guards standing with Wang Chen on Wild Mountain Slope were astounded.

Because the number of migrants that arrived in the first batch far exceeded their expectations!

This group of migrants was of an overwhelming size; the long procession seemed endless, with most of them on foot, surrounded by a multitude of wagons, spreading far and wide across the hills and fields.

Seen from afar, their presence brought a heavy pressure upon everyone.

Immediately afterward, several knights charged out from the group of migrants and rapidly headed toward Wang Chen’s location.

The royal guard who had earlier been sent to scout in Jichuan Prefecture territory returned.

And Qin Qingxuan was with them!

—–
The first update is here.

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