57: Chapter 57 Discussing Countermeasures

Having finished this, she lowered her eyelashes slightly. Her fair cheeks seemed to flush with a very faint blush under the fading twilight, but she quickly masked it with a calm expression.

Lin Tian was busy placing bowls of rice in front of everyone and didn't notice this small movement. Seeing that all four were seated, he was the first to pick up his chopsticks, a relaxed smile on his face as usual.

"Sit down, everyone, don't be formal. This meal today is, first, to reward you all. The territory's achievements today are entirely thanks to you leading our brothers to fight for it with blades and spears. Second, while we eat, I want to hear the details of your excursions today. Let's eat and chat; just relax, like family members talking."

His tone was sincere, without the slightest air of a Lord. The four quickly responded: "You flatter us, Lord. This is all within our duty." "Your kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain, Lord; serving the territory is our bounden duty."

Lin Feng was the most straightforward. He took a sip of water to moisten his throat, set down his chopsticks, and began to report on today's reconnaissance in the north.

He started from the discovery of Minotaur hunting tracks, then moved to tracking, ambushing, and interrogation, followed by trailing the deserters to find their large tribe, and finally, his hour-long observation while lying in wait.

His narrative was clear and highlighted the key points, particularly the estimates of the Minotaur tribe's scale and combat power distribution, as well as the sense of oppression brought by that 9-star Silver-rank leader, which he described in great detail.

"...In summary, Lord," Lin Feng concluded, his brow furrowed slightly, "this 'Kamo' Minotaur tribe's strength is far beyond the Goblins from yesterday. Their organization and combat power cannot be underestimated. With our army's current strength, if we fight with everything we have, we might have a chance of winning, but..."

After a brief moment of thought, his voice lowered, "The casualties would likely be unpredictable, especially those twenty-plus experts whose auras are no weaker than Commander Lin Yin's, and that unfathomable leader. I wonder what your plans are, Lord?"

Lin Tian listened while picking up a piece of tenderly stewed meat and chewing slowly. However, his gaze became sharp and contemplative as Lin Feng's narrative progressed.

When he heard that the opponent actually had over five thousand troops, over a hundred high-end combatants, and a 9-star Silver-rank leader, his chewing paused briefly before returning to normal, though the ease in his eyes was completely replaced by gravity.

"Five thousand strong, mostly Bronze-rank, over a hundred high-end combatants, and a 9-star Silver-rank combatant..." Lin Tian set down his chopsticks, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the rough wooden tabletop. "Indeed a tough nut to crack, much harder than the Goblins."

He quickly weighed the options in his mind. Although his side currently had an army of five thousand three hundred, the proportion of new recruits was high, and the overall level and coordination still needed improvement.

In terms of high-end combat power, Lin Yin was 2-star Silver, Lin Feng was 1-star Silver, Lin Yan was at the peak of 9-star Bronze, Commander Lin Yu was 2-star Bronze, and with himself at 2-star Silver, facing over twenty 'quasi-Silver' or 'low-level Silver' captains and a powerful enemy whose strength was unknown but likely 9-star Silver or even higher, a frontal assault was indeed extremely risky.

"Lin Feng, you did an excellent job this time!" Lin Tian first acknowledged Lin Feng's contribution with an appreciative look. "Intelligence is the foundation of decision-making. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

Now that we understand them, they are out in the open." His tone shifted, becoming steady and decisive. "However, as you said, now is not the time to move against them. This bone is too hard; it could easily break our teeth. Let's continue to accumulate strength first. After tonight..."

Before he could finish, Lin Yin, who had been listening quietly and eating in small bites, suddenly looked up. Her clear eyes, reflecting the light of the campfire, showed a hint of worry as she softly interjected, "Lord, do you mean... tonight, we will still rely on the protective shield to go out and hunt those nocturnal monsters?"

"Yes." Lin Tian nodded firmly, his gaze sweeping over the four of them. "We can't waste this opportunity for rapid improvement. However, last night's situation reminded us that we shouldn't be reckless. Tonight we'll be conservative; the activity range is set within two hundred meters outside the territory's outer wall. We'll use the city walls and Great Ballistae as support to steadily clear them out, and absolutely no going deep. Safety first, leveling second."

Hearing this relatively safe plan, Lin Yin visibly relaxed. The terrifying sense of being watched from the depths of the darkness last night still left her with lingering fear. She nodded gently: "That is for the best. With our current strength, we are more than capable of handling that area."

The topic seemed to have reached a conclusion, and a brief silence fell over the table, with only the crackling of the campfire and the faint clamor of soldiers in the distance.

Lin Tian started another topic, turning to Lin Yan and Commander Lin Yu to ask about the training they led today, the special monsters and terrain they encountered, and the performance of the new recruits. Lin Yan was concise, while Commander Lin Yu softly added details.

Lin Tian listened intently, occasionally asking questions or making comments. He was completely immersed in the military discussion; the rice bowl in front of him had barely been touched again, and the food had cooled slightly.

All of this was quietly observed by Lin Yin, who sat beside him.

She took small bites of rice, but her gaze frequently drifted toward Lin Tian's almost untouched food, then to his slightly furrowed brow and bright eyes as he spoke with focus. A complex emotion welled up in her heart: admiration for his exhaustive efforts, and a faint heartache seeing him so neglected of food and sleep.

"The Lord is so busy for the territory that he can't even eat properly... how can this be?" This thought circled in her mind. She wanted to do something, like... reminding him to eat? Or... something more direct?

As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Yin's heart rate inexplicably quickened. Putting food in his bowl? The idea made the tips of her ears heat up slightly. Would this be too... intimate? Lin Feng and the others were watching... would it look strange? She was the Holy Envoy of the Profound Moon, a general commanding thousands...

An intense "battle" waged within her. On one side was a young girl's shyness and concern for others' gazes; on the other was her care for Lin Tian's health and an indescribable urge to be close to him.

She quietly stole a glance at the other three at the table: Lin Feng was listening seriously to the conversation between Lin Tian and Lin Yan, his expression solemn; Lin Yan was eating in silence as usual, as if the outside world had nothing to do with him; Commander Lin Yu was blinking her curious eyes, looking at Lin Tian one moment and her the next.

"Lin Yin, what are you hesitating for? The Lord works day and night. As his subordinate, caring for his health and giving him some food—isn't that perfectly normal? Yes, that's it, it's very normal!" She cheered herself on internally, trying hard to convince herself it was purely a subordinate's concern for a superior.

Finally, in the gap when Lin Tian stopped talking again to pick up his cup and drink water, Lin Yin seemed to make a decision.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to make her movements look natural. Then, she extended her chopsticks and carefully selected a piece of meat that was a perfect mix of fat and lean, looking the most tender and flavorful, from the bowl of stew in front of her. With a gentle but swift motion, she placed it into Lin Tian's almost untouched rice bowl.

Having completed this simple action, she felt as if she had accomplished a great feat. A subtle sense of achievement and relief surged in her heart, accompanied by an even stronger wave of shyness.

The moment that piece of meat landed in the bowl, Lin Tian's voice stopped. He looked down at the extra meat in his bowl with some surprise, then followed the direction of the withdrawing chopsticks to look at Lin Yin beside him.