After a while, hearty laughter erupted from a stone room deep within the cave.
"Haha! An alchemy furnace? And the *Qingyun Alchemy Scripture*! This is truly a windfall!"
Li Mufan couldn't help but grin as he held up a weathered, yellowed book and a towering alchemy furnace that seemed to radiate a powerful aura.
"Master, there's another copy here!" Aqiang's voice rang out, filled with excitement.
"*Qingyun Xuandao Jue?* What is this?"
Curious, Li Mufan opened the book and found it filled with ancient texts he couldn't decipher immediately. He tucked it under his arm, planning to study it later.
"Aqiang, Cuihua! There must be more treasures here. Let's do a thorough search!"
The two nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
An hour later, Li Mufan stood in shock, staring at a massive pile of pills stacked high in the cave's open space.
"*Tiger Wolf Pill!* *Peiyuan Pill!* Oh my god, there must be five thousand pills here! These are all elixirs meant for advanced races!"
The incredible discovery had been made in a stone room filled with shelves, though those were sadly empty.
"Aqiang, pack them all up! Not a single one must be left behind!"
The journey down the mountain was smooth, as if Li Mufan and his companions had received some form of divine recognition. When they first entered the fog, their surroundings darkened, only to brighten again as they strangely emerged at the foot of the mountain.
Looking back at the misty shroud, then up at the sky, Li Mufan noticed the pale light of dawn beginning to emerge in the east. Reflecting on their surreal experience, he felt as if he had just awakened from a dream.
As the sun rose, bathing the earth in golden light, Li Mufan gathered everyone early.
He pointed at a pile of gourds in the open space and called out, "Everyone! Last night, while exploring the camp to the east with Generals Aqiang and Cuihua, we discovered a cave abandoned by our ancestors, which contained a vast number of elixirs!"
"*Elixirs?*"
Most of the soldiers, hailing from humble backgrounds, had no concept of what elixirs were.
"I know many of you don't understand what a pill is, and I can't explain it in detail right now. Just know this: it's a good thing!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"What kind of leader has what kind of soldiers?" Li Mufan mused, recognizing that he was no different from them in many respects.
"After discussions with the generals, I've decided that, in addition to our regular meals, every soldier will now receive these elixirs. We'll detail how to use them later."
Everyone performed a military salute and responded in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"The captains of each team, please stay behind. The rest of you are dismissed!"
Once the soldiers dispersed, Li Mufan climbed a nearby hillside with a few core members. He pointed to the camp below and asked, "What do you all think about the camp's layout?"
The rough-and-tumble group exchanged glances before Liu Long spoke up. "Young Master, please, you decide."
Li Mufan rolled his eyes, wishing he had someone more politically savvy by his side.
"Cuihua, the campground is in the south, surrounded by shrubs and close to a water source. You can designate a planting area there and cultivate various crops."
"Yes, Master!" Cuihua replied enthusiastically.
"The southeastern corner of the camp has open terrain and is secure in the rear. It's ideal for troop training."
"Aqiang, your construction team should start building the barracks immediately!"
"Yes!" Aqiang confirmed, his expression serious as he took in the tasks ahead.