Chapter 121: The Looting Expedition for Two (Special thanks to Jiushan Xuanqing Xiangyao Jueze Daoist for the votes! Thank you! Thank you!)

Xiao Hongyu wore the protective suit given to him by Wang Keyue, charging in and out of the Hu barbarian ranks multiple times. Amidst the flashing blades and shadows, he was struck by enemy weapons many times, yet those blades could not even scratch his armor. After a few rounds, the Hu barbarians realized something was amiss and grew increasingly terrified.

To make matters worse, the sky grew darker as thick clouds swallowed the moon, blurring their vision. The Hu army began to retreat rapidly, eventually deciding to pull back altogether.

Xiao Hongyu had no intention of pursuing them; he still had to stay behind with Wang Keyue to collect their spoils of war. With a leap, he vaulted onto the city wall, swept Wang Keyue up into his arms, and jumped back down without a word.

"How was it? Did you find anything?" Xiao Hongyu had collected three loot bags along the way, and he wondered if the young girl had any harvest of her own.

Upon reaching the ground, Wang Keyue stood amidst the piles of corpses. The pungent smell of blood hit her, nearly making her retch. Steadying herself, she promptly pulled out her electric baton, fearful that she might encounter a lingering, half-dead barbarian while looting.

Xiao Hongyu supported her from the side. "Don't be afraid, I'm here!" His voice was deep and steady, offering a profound sense of security. Accompanied by him, the two completed their task in just a minute. The Xiao soldiers on the wall had already begun clearing the battlefield; though curious about the pair's strange behavior, no one was foolish enough to question the General’s affairs.

The two returned covered in dust to the main tent behind the city walls. They each poured a cup of hot tea. Xiao Hongyu emerged from the inner chamber, having changed out of his blood-stained clothes and holding the protective gear Wang Keyue had given him.

"This body armor of yours is truly remarkable. It's impervious to blades and bullets—a fine piece of equipment. By the way, the vests you gave me earlier were this same type of protective gear, weren't they?" Xiao Hongyu recalled that when he first met Wang Keyue, she had gifted him several vests. He had distributed those to his brothers-in-arms, who needed the protection more than he did. But this set, which Yue’er had personally helped him put on today, he would not give away; he intended to keep it and wear it every single day.

"The previous ones were entry-level. This one... was bought specifically for you. The quality is better." Wang Keyue felt a sudden wave of shyness, feeling as though she had been too deliberate.

Hearing this, warmth flooded Xiao Hongyu's heart. Seeing the tips of the girl's ears turn red, his warm heart felt a subtle, restless heat.

"Brother Xiao, should we look at what we gained today... so we can keep track?" Wang Keyue hurriedly changed the subject.

Xiao Hongyu set aside the previous topic and sat down, taking three items from his spatial ring: a primary energy stone, a rocket launcher, and a cloak of invisibility.

Wang Keyue had collected four bags: a smart heavy-duty truck, a primary skill card—Lesser Fireball, a basic supply pack (200 catties each of rice, flour, oil, vegetables, and meat), and 500 bags of cement.

The two reviewed their supplies and selected what was useful, storing them in their respective spatial rings. Wang Keyue chose the primary energy stone, the invisibility cloak, and the 500 bags of cement, leaving the rest to Xiao Hongyu.

Xiao Hongyu was particularly interested in the heavy-duty truck. They headed to the flat land at the foot of the mountain, where Wang Keyue produced the truck on the vast, empty desert. It felt extraordinary to drive such a vehicle across the wilderness. When not in use, it could be tucked away into her spatial ring—far more convenient, comfortable, and faster than riding a horse.

As for the rocket launcher, Xiao Hongyu was a soldier by trade; he knew that such a weapon of mass destruction should not be used in this world unless absolutely necessary. Thus, the reward had to be temporarily shelved in his spatial ring.

They remained on the city walls for two more days, observing as the tents the Qiang-Hu people had pitched outside the walls began to disappear one by one. By the third day, the last of the tribesmen had relocated, heading toward the Qin capital.

Watching the retreating figures of the barbarians, Xiao Hongyu frowned deeply.

"Deputy General Li, send men to follow that group of barbarians. Do not alert them," Xiao Hongyu ordered.

"Yes, General!" Deputy General Li acknowledged and departed.

After settling all military affairs, Wang Keyue and Xiao Hongyu boarded the flying vessel they had arrived in, disappearing into the horizon in full view of the soldiers. The expressions of those left behind were a mix of reverence, worship, and envy, for the Xiao family guards who had arrived on the ship had once boasted and flaunted its capabilities before them.

Upon returning to the main camp, they happened to see the logistics soldiers drawing water from the well. The cool water was pulled up, a sight that brought joy to everyone. A young soldier couldn't resist scooping up a ladleful and gulping it down. The veteran soldiers didn't mind, laughing and scolding him in good spirits.

Xiao Hongyu chuckled and turned his head. "Yue’er, your well water has truly been a tremendous help to us!"

Wang Keyue smiled noncommittally and whispered, "Actually, I have a primary water-element skill card here. Do you have any need for it?"

Xiao Hongyu was stunned. "This kind of thing can be used by others too?"

"Of course," Wang Keyue replied.

"Hmm, it's a good item, but I think we should save it. Perhaps we can take it back one day and give it to our own families." Xiao Hongyu thought far ahead. At the thought of their loved ones suffering in their original world, both were filled with a shared sense of longing and urgency.

The two exchanged a look; though nothing was said, they could see the same resolve reflected in each other's eyes.

After lunch, the luggage of over five hundred severely wounded and disabled soldiers had been packed. Due to the large number, they were to be transported in two batches.

The first group boarded the ship. Deputy Generals Bai and Fang, filled with earnest concern, accompanied the wounded aboard. They were left dumbfounded by everything they saw on the vessel, and after the full tour, they were so astonished they could barely string a coherent sentence together.

Xiao Hongyu decided to accompany Wang Keyue to transport the first batch to the Crescent Sect. He also wanted to see the new face of the sect, and since the round trip wouldn't take much time, it was a convenient plan.

Along the way, Wang Keyue piloted the ship. Though still not entirely proficient, with Xiao Bao's guidance, she managed quite well. She even found the time to instruct Xiao Hongyu, who sat beside her. Whether it was due to a natural talent, under Wang Keyue’s intermittent guidance, Xiao Hongyu had managed to grasp most of the basics by the time they arrived.

Reaching the Crescent Sect, she parked the vessel in a specially constructed parking lot in the backyard. Personnel were immediately on hand to receive them.

Four or five others were responsible for cleaning the ship, seriously and meticulously wiping every speck of dust from its surface with clean cotton cloths. Upon closer inspection, it turned out these individuals were all members of Zhou Mingkai's beast-taming class.