Chapter 290 - 292: Conspiracy

Chapter 290: Chapter 292: Conspiracy

Although the Island was shielded by a thick mist, that could only serve as the first line of defense.

If the Xuan Bird Clan attacked forcefully, they might break through their defenses and reach the Island. Therefore, she had to be ready for battle.

Su Luoluo quickly analyzed the Island’s terrain. It was long and narrow, its surroundings and the sky above shrouded in a dense, watery mist. Visibility was poor from a distance, which would make it difficult for anyone to pinpoint their location.

This gave them a natural advantage, allowing them to set up an ambush and create a favorable situation where the enemy was exposed while they remained hidden.

Ideally, the Xuan Bird Clan would come under attack the moment they arrived.

As the saying goes, speed is the key to victory in war.

Su Luoluo glanced up at the misty rain, then surveyed her surroundings before picking up a stick and drawing a simple topographical map in the dirt.

She turned to Su Yang, who was eating an octopus nearby, and said, "Father, the Xuan Bird Clan is numerous and powerful. We can’t match their strength head-on, but we can set some traps to cleverly defeat them."

Hearing this, Su Yang knew Su Luoluo already had an idea. He quickly looked up at her. "You have a plan?"

Su Luoluo nodded, using the stick to point at a high point on her map. "We can set up Catapults here. The moment the Xuan Bird Clan arrives, we can rain stones down on them. It’s sure to leave them battered and bloody."

"Catapult? What’s that?" Bai Meng asked curiously from the side.

"It’s a device made of wood that can launch stones into the air."

"Launching stones into the sky to shower them with a rain of rocks... Luoluo, you’re a genius!" Fu Feng’s eyes lit up as he heard this, and he praised her wholeheartedly.

Mo Xuan, who had been listening, thumped his chest. "Then I’ll handle splitting the stones."

The one thing the Island wasn’t short on was rocks. He only needed to split a few to have more than enough.

Su Luoluo was always full of ingenious ideas. Once Su Yang had a general idea of what a Catapult was, he didn’t press for details. He knew she would guide the clan members in building it.

He nodded. "It’s a good plan, but we Land Beastmen aren’t as agile as the Bird Clan. If they change tactics and fly elsewhere, the stones won’t be very effective."

After all, the locations Su Luoluo had pointed out were all on high mountains. Away from the peaks, the stones probably wouldn’t travel as far.

Hearing this, Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow. "How is that a problem? I can fly too. I’ll just find a way to lure them to the mountains."

"Me too! I can fly, so I can do the same," Fu Feng added.

Fu Feng had barely finished speaking when Xi Yi scoffed at the two of them. "With all this mist, are you sure you two will be able to see anything?"

"We just need to give them a signal. We can light a bonfire," Su Luoluo said immediately.

’If we arrange the fire in an SOS pattern, Xiao Ye and Fu Feng should be able to spot it easily.’

"This might be enough to deal with low-level Xuan Birds, but Gu Wanyi and her people can use fire. If they set the forest ablaze, the entire Island could easily be engulfed in flames," Luan Ting said after a moment of thought.

"That won’t happen. It often rains at low altitudes in this part of the sea. Any fire they set would be immediately doused by the downpour."

Nantu, who had emerged from the sea at some point, heard Luan Ting’s words. He flicked his tail and said nonchalantly.

Su Luoluo had considered this issue before, but seeing the Island constantly shrouded in mist, she knew the air was too damp for a fire to spread.

"Besides the Catapults, it would be great if we had Bows and Arrows," Su Luoluo said with a hint of regret.

"That’s easily arranged."

Nantu gave Su Luoluo a cool smile, then whistled sharply across the surface of the sea. Instantly, several mermaids appeared, holding piles of Bone Arrows.

Seeing the sturdy Bows and Arrows, Su Luoluo’s confidence surged. "With these, everyone can join the fight."

A smile played on Nantu’s lips. "Besides these, my people can also help. My father, the king, has already told me that the entire Mermaid Clan is at my disposal."

"When the Xuan Bird Clan arrives, we can sing to bewitch their minds, then attack them with the Bows and Arrows."

"On land, we Mermaids are no match for you Land Beastmen, but in the water, the Bird Clan is no match for us."

With Nantu’s declaration, the Wolf Clan Beastmen’s confidence swelled.

Su Luoluo was a bit surprised to hear Nanyao had told Nantu the mermaids were his to command. She recalled that when they had met yesterday, his father hadn’t seemed very pleased with her.

He hadn’t been overtly hostile, but she had caught the coldness in his expression toward her.

’With this in mind,’ she looked at Nantu. "Did your Father say anything when you returned?"

Seeing Su Luoluo’s slightly awkward expression, Nantu’s eyes curved into smiling crescents. "Is Luoluo worried that my father, the king, doesn’t like you?"

"No. I just thought that since you haven’t been back in a long time, your father might have had something to say to you."

’Luoluo was just trying to save face.’ Nantu knew she didn’t want to admit it, so he didn’t press the issue.

He took her hand and smiled. "No, my Father didn’t say a thing to me. In fact, he was the one who personally offered to send our people to help."

Su Luoluo was about to respond when Nantu, his eyes full of mirth, said, "It’s all thanks to Nannan. Her grandpa is so smitten with her he’d probably pluck the moon from the sky if she asked."

Hearing this, Su Luoluo was at a loss for words.

’She never expected the little female she’d given birth to would be so charming. How long had it been since Nannan met her grandpa, yet she had already completely won him over.’

"Alright, that’s enough catching up for you two," Xiao Ye cut in, unable to watch Su Luoluo and Nantu’s tender moment any longer. "Why are you holding hands for so long? Luoluo, shouldn’t you be telling us how to build these Catapults?"

"I’m coming."

’How childish.’ Su Luoluo knew Xiao Ye was doing it on purpose, but she didn’t say anything and walked over to him. Building the Catapults was the priority, after all.

The most important factor for the Catapult was positioning it on high ground. Su Luoluo picked up a stick, drew a simple diagram of a Catapult in the sand, and pointed it out to Xiao Ye.

"Find the highest point on the peak. Then, drive heavy wooden stakes into the ground on both sides to form a triangular A-frame, like this. Add a crossbeam in the middle. Carve a notch into the center of that beam and insert another long piece of wood. The top end of this lever should be flattened to hold the stone, and the bottom end should be wider so it’s easy to stomp on."

At first, Xiao Ye didn’t quite follow, but the moment he saw Su Luoluo’s drawing, he understood instantly. "So you use the height of the terrain, and a stomp of a foot sends the stone flying? Is that what you mean, Luoluo?"

Su Luoluo had been worried her rough sketch was too crude for him to understand, but he’d gotten it at a glance. She nodded. "Exactly."

"Simple enough. I’ll build the first one, and the rest of the clan can copy the design."