Courtyard House: Report enemy agents at the start, and you'll take off immediately.

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Zhao De listened attentively, his gaze focused on the marked areas. "So what should we do now?"

Eileen took a deep breath. "First, we need more patrol teams. I want you to lead an elite group to conduct reconnaissance at night. Make sure you figure out the enemy's true intentions and report back promptly."

Zhao De's eyes were firm as iron. "Understood! I will assemble an elite team as soon as possible to ensure the mission is completed smoothly."

"Also, how's the situation at the medical tent?" Eileen asked, her tone full of concern for her comrades.

"The wounded are receiving treatment, and the doctors are doing their best to help them recover soon," Zhao De replied.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the night, and a servant rushed into the house, panting, "Chief! The medical tent urgently needs some special medicinal materials; the existing medicines are insufficient to treat the seriously injured..."

Eileen's expression immediately tightened. "Send people to search immediately. We must find these medicinal herbs as soon as possible!"

Zhao De immediately stepped forward. "I can take a few people to find the necessary medicinal herbs. Please tell me their exact locations."

Chapter 1290 Three Rare Medicinal Herbs

Chapter 1290 Three Rare Medicinal Herbs

"Alright, it's settled then. Without further ado, you should set off immediately!" Eileen decisively gave the order.

"Yes, mission accomplished!" Zhao De responded loudly, and then left the command post.

The musician arrived at that moment, saying, "I sensed some unusual fluctuations at the edge of the forest just now. There might be danger ahead. Be careful and don't venture out recklessly."

Zhao De nodded slightly, "Don't worry, I won't let my guard down. We'll discuss the next steps together when we get back."

Zhao De, leading several elite team members, quickly left the command post and headed towards the medical tents. The camp was brightly lit under the night sky, and the soldiers were busily working. Zhao De secretly vowed to find those special medicinal herbs to help the wounded recover as quickly as possible.

He entered the medical tent, where doctors were still busy treating the wounded, and the air was filled with the aroma of various herbs. "Doctor, what medicines do we need to take out now?" Zhao De asked.

An older doctor looked up, sweating profusely. “We need three rare medicinal herbs: Ganoderma lucidum, gentian, and purple ginseng. These are essential for treating severely wounded patients.” He handed over a slip of paper. “This shows their specific origins.”

Zhao De took the note, read it carefully, and then said to his team members, "Brothers, the mission is urgent, let's set off immediately!"

They quickly stepped out of the medical tent, and Zhao De looked up at the dark forest in the distance. The musician approached and said softly, "These places are extremely dangerous; you must be extra careful. I will pray for you here, hoping everything goes well."

"Thank you." Zhao De nodded, then turned to his team members and ordered, "Follow me!"

Under the cover of night, the team quietly passed through the camp and arrived at the edge of a dense forest. Zhao De glanced back at the camp, took a deep breath, and stepped into the darkness first.

The forest was exceptionally quiet at night, save for the occasional low growl of wild animals. The team members gripped their weapons tightly, remaining highly vigilant. After walking for a while, the scout leading the way suddenly stopped and signaled for everyone to take cover.

In a clearing not far away, a group of people dressed in black robes were gathered together. They sat around a campfire, seemingly discussing some plan.

"It looks like a small enemy squad," Zhao De said in a low voice. "Let's go around them and try to avoid unnecessary conflict."

They carefully bypassed the danger and continued towards their destination. Although they encountered several minor dangers along the way, they overcame them one by one.

Finally, in a remote valley, they discovered traces of the Ganoderma lucidum. Clumps of red, mushroom-shaped plants grew on the rocks. "This is Ganoderma lucidum!" one of the team members exclaimed excitedly.

Just as everyone was preparing to pick the fruit, a sudden gust of cold wind blew by, and the atmosphere became eerie. Rustling footsteps and faint whispers echoed from all around, as if something was approaching…

"Hurry! Move faster!" Zhao De urged hastily, while drawing his longsword in preparation.

Just then, a cold voice echoed through the valley: "Who dares to disturb this place?"

Several people dressed in black robes slowly emerged from the shadows, wielding long swords and shields, their eyes filled with hostility.

Chapter 1291 Lingzhi

Chapter 1291 Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum).

"This is bad, these people don't look friendly," one of the team members whispered.

"Who are you people?" asked the man who was in charge, his gaze sweeping over the group.

Zhao De remained calm and replied in a deep voice, "We are just ordinary herb gatherers and do not want to cause trouble."

"Oh?" The man narrowed his eyes slightly. "This valley is our secret hiding place, and no one may enter without permission. Now, hand over everything you have, and perhaps you can leave unscathed."

Zhao De sneered, "What if I don't want to?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a battle inevitably broke out. The two sides immediately engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Relying on their superior martial arts skills and excellent teamwork, Zhao De and his companions gradually gained the upper hand.

Finally, after eliminating the last enemy, the valley returned to peace. "Luckily, we weren't seriously injured," one team member remarked. "Let's quickly gather the necessary medicinal herbs!"

After packing all the herbs into bags, they hurried back to camp. Just as they reached the edge of the forest, they encountered the musician who was searching for them. "Thank goodness, it's so good to see you back safe and sound," the musician said with a relieved smile.

"Fortunately, we haven't let the clan leader down." Zhao De patted the musician on the shoulder. "However, the situation is complicated and unpredictable now, so we need to be careful on the way back."

The musician nodded, a hint of worry flashing across his face. "Indeed, this mission is more complicated than I imagined. Have you found it?"

Zhao De held up the bag full of herbs. "Yes, we've got the Ganoderma lucidum. We encountered a few minor problems, but we've resolved them."

The musician took the bag, examined it carefully, and a relieved smile appeared on his face. "This is wonderful! This batch of Ganoderma lucidum is extremely important for our treatment work. Thank you for your efforts."

Zhao De patted the dirt off his hands and said to his team members, "Let's go back to camp first, and then we'll give you a detailed report."

The group traversed the dense forest and returned to camp. Inside the dimly lit medical tent, several medical personnel were busy at work, and they all smiled with joy upon seeing the group return safely.

“The chieftain is already inside waiting for you,” a nurse said.

Upon entering the tent, they saw the chieftain sitting solemnly at the table. Seeing Zhao De and his group enter, the chieftain's eyes lit up slightly, and he stood up to greet them.

"How is it? Is the mission complete?" the clan chief asked anxiously.

Zhao De handed the bag of Ganoderma lucidum to the clan chief, saying, "This is the Ganoderma lucidum you requested, but the journey has indeed been quite turbulent."

The chieftain took the bag, opened it, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Very good, well done. But I've also heard some rumors that some unknown forces have been active in this forest recently. Have you encountered any danger?"

Zhao De nodded and briefly explained what had happened. "We encountered a group of men in black robes in the valley and there was some fighting, but fortunately we were all unharmed."

The chieftain frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "It seems the situation is much more complicated than we anticipated. We must find out the purpose of those unknown forces as soon as possible to prevent them from posing a threat to our people."

Just then, the musician rushed in from outside. "Chieftain, we just received news that the enemy has increased their forces around the camp."

Chapter 1292 Don't Take Risks

Chapter 1292 Don't Take Risks

The chieftain's expression grew even more grave. "It seems they don't intend to give up this territory easily. We must prepare our defenses."

Zhao De said in a deep voice, "I can organize an elite squad to conduct reconnaissance and find out their movements."

The chieftain nodded. "Alright, but be careful. I will deploy other teams to strengthen the defenses."

"Understood!" Zhao De replied, then turned and left the tent.

Stepping out of the tent, the cool night breeze dissipated some of the tense atmosphere. Zhao De called over a trusted team member, "Summon everyone immediately. We need to form a new reconnaissance team. We'll set off tonight."

"Yes, Captain." The team member quickly left.

The musician walked to Zhao De's side and whispered, "Take care."

Zhao De smiled and glanced at her. "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

As the two were talking, a commotion suddenly arose from a corner of the camp. Zhao De immediately became alert, gripped his sword hilt, and quickly walked towards the direction of the commotion.

Upon arriving at the scene, Zhao De saw several tribesmen surrounding a wounded scout. Zhao De went to check on him, and the scout, panting, said, "Captain, I just discovered a small enemy group that has infiltrated the forest. They're not many, but they're well-equipped. Their target is likely our camp."

Zhao De frowned and asked in a low voice, "Can you pinpoint their exact location?"

The scout nodded. "They set up a temporary camp about two miles to the north."

“Very good,” Zhao De turned to look at the team members behind him, “Immediately notify the clan leader that we need to deploy defensive measures urgently. At the same time, prepare for the upcoming battle.”

The team members sprang into action, and the atmosphere immediately became tense.

Zhao De and the musician stood to one side, their eyes filled with determination. "No matter what, we must protect this land."

The musician nodded, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, "No matter the outcome, I will always be by your side to support you."

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves broke the silence of the night, and several mounted messengers galloped in. The one in the lead stopped his horse and shouted, "Chief! Chief! Urgent military news!"

The clan chief and Zhao De immediately went to meet him, and the messenger dismounted, panting, and reported: "The enemy is gathering and may launch an attack soon. They seem to have received some new reinforcements."

Zhao De said in a deep voice, "We can't delay any longer. We must act immediately. Everyone, go on high alert!"

As soon as Zhao De finished speaking, the entire camp sprang into action. Some tribesmen picked up weapons and equipment, while others went to their assigned areas to reinforce defenses. A tense atmosphere filled the air. Zhao De turned to look at the musician, a flicker of worry in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"Musician, stay in a safe place and don't take any risks," Zhao De said softly.

The musician gently shook his head, his eyes flashing with determination. "I am not just your supporter, I am also a member of my people. I will fight alongside everyone."

Zhao De sighed. He knew the musician's personality; once she made up her mind, it was impossible to change it. He reached out and gently patted her shoulder, whispering, "Then be careful. I'll protect you."

The musician nodded and smiled. "I know, you feel the same way."

Chapter 1293 An Ambush

Chapter 1293 An Ambush

Just then, the clan chief's voice came from not far away, "Zhao De, how are your preparations going?"

Zhao De strode towards the clan chief and replied solemnly, "We are already organizing reconnaissance teams, and we will ascertain the enemy's specific situation as soon as possible. Furthermore, defensive measures are being rapidly deployed."

The chieftain nodded, his expression grave. "Very good. We cannot let the enemy succeed so easily; we must defend this land."

“Yes, clan chief!” Zhao De replied.