Developing the hidden value of the peasants wasn't Yan Xing's most pressing concern at the moment.
Now that the territory's construction was on the right track, the peasants' efficiency also meant rapid material consumption. A cartload of supplies brought in the morning would be mostly gone in the blink of an eye.
In order not to delay the project, Yan Xing took a stroll around the territory, then drove the truck back to the real world.
Then he kept bringing back construction materials to the territory, load by load.
When Yan Xing brought dinner back, he saw that the peasants had already built the wire mesh fence.
Although it was only 400 meters long, it was all constructed manually with shovels.
The peasants' latent construction mania genes left a very deep impression on Yan Xing.
Now the preliminary defense of the territory had been established. Since there was no sign of the Werewolf Tribe, it was possible to make further use of the wire mesh protective wall as a basis.
As dusk fell, Yan Xing sat on a stool with Gao Sipa, Eddie, and Lao Hansi, eating from their lunch boxes.
Next to them stood the newly erected wire mesh protective wall, and outside it was a trench. This offered a much greater sense of security compared to their previous exposure in the open wilderness.
In the ground between the four of them, a defensive map of the territory was drawn.
Yan Xing ate while occasionally using a piece of wire to outline his ideas on the ground.
"Although our defensive wall is now established, our numbers are ultimately too few and our combat power too weak. Tomorrow, we must hurry to strengthen the construction of our defenses.
I was thinking... we dig three staggered trench segments between ten and thirty meters away from the protective wall.
We shall also lay barbed wire nets inside.
The trenches don't need to be too deep, but they must be wide enough to prevent werewolves from jumping over. Hans, later on, go get a werewolf. Have it jump as far as it can, and measure the distance. When digging the trenches, make them an arm's length longer than that."
With that, Yan Xing drew three circles on the ground around the territory's defensive wall, leaving gaps at intervals in each circle—these were places where no trenches would be dug.
"As you command, my Lord!"
At this, Eddie looked at Yan Xing's layout with confusion and asked, "My Lord... our trenches are discontinuous, with gaps for passage. I'm afraid they won't stop the werewolves."
Yan Xing replied, "I left these gaps intentionally for the werewolves to pass through. Haven't you noticed? The ring of trenches closest to the protective wall has six narrow passages that I've specifically left for them.
As werewolves penetrate the defensive trench layers, they will be continuously dispersed. This will prevent them from managing to charge.
Ultimately, when they attack our defensive wall, they can only emerge from these six passages I've prepared for them. At that point, we only need to concentrate our defenses on those six points."
Eddie, Gao Sipa, and Lao Hansi quickly understood the purpose of Yan Xing's defensive strategy.
If no passages were left in the trench zone, attacking werewolves would find other ways to cross the trenches, and the choice of attack direction would be theirs.
By leaving scattered passages in the trenches, they could effectively disrupt the attackers' rhythm.
At the same time, it would funnel the attacking werewolves along designated routes, allowing for targeted defense at specific points.
The three peasants exclaimed in unison, "The Lord is wise!"
"I'm brilliant in far more ways than that!" Yan Xing boasted shamelessly, then added, "If we have time after digging the trench zone, we'll dig traps between the trenches and the protective wall. Every werewolf we manage to trap is a bonus.
Eddie, are Steeltooth and those werewolves behaving? Have they thought about escaping?"
Eddie was responsible for guarding the captive werewolves. Hearing Yan Xing's question, he immediately replied, "My Lord, those werewolves are relatively well-behaved. After lunch, they all waited obediently for dinner. Once all our people have eaten, I'll go serve them their meal.
However, Steeltooth keeps pacing in his cell; I reckon he's thinking of escaping."
Yan Xing also felt that this Great Werewolf would be difficult to handle.
But to understand the threat from the swamp, this powerful and intelligent Great Werewolf was a good breakthrough point.
After finishing his boxed meal, Yan Xing tossed the container aside and stood up.
He said to Eddie, "Don't rush to serve them their meal. They need to learn that my food—the Lord's food—isn't so easily obtained... Come on, let's go see those werewolves."
The territory within the protective wall wasn't very large. Soon, Yan Xing, Eddie, and a few farmers carrying dinner arrived beside the prison.
The werewolves had long since smelled the aroma of the farmers' meals. When they saw Eddie, who distributed the food, approach, they all stood up and gathered around the prison gate.
The accompanying farmers set up a chair outside the prison door. Yan Xing sat down before telling Eddie, "Go, bring a werewolf out. Pick one that doesn't look too clever..."
Eddie, slightly worried, said, "Wouldn't it be dangerous to bring a werewolf out?"
Yan Xing brandished the werewolf flail and a steel pipe, laughing. "With so many people in the territory, and the protective wall, what danger can one werewolf pose? If I tell you to bring one out, just do it. Stop the nonsense!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Eddie walked to the prison gate, looked at Steeltooth and the numerous werewolves, then pointed to one of them, saying, "You, come out. The rest of you, step back."
Steeltooth intervened, "What are you trying to do?"
Eddie answered, "The Lord needs him for something. If you want to eat sooner, step back! Step back!"
Faced with Eddie's threat, Steeltooth whispered to the selected werewolf, "No matter what they ask you about the Werewolf Tribe, you are not to answer. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Leader," the werewolf acknowledged with a nod.
"Go on, be careful."
Steeltooth and the other werewolves retreated, and the chosen werewolf was led out of the prison and brought before Yan Xing.
Yan Xing first glanced at the nearby prison. Steeltooth and all the other werewolves were standing just inside the prison fence, watching intently.
"First, give him a steamed bun," Yan Xing told Eddie.
Eddie took a steamed bun from the insulated container and threw it to the werewolf. The werewolf caught it, swallowed it in a few bites, and then looked at Eddie, waiting for another.
Without Yan Xing's command, Eddie did not continue to feed the werewolf.
At this, Yan Xing asked the werewolf, "Do you know where the food you just ate came from?"
The werewolf shook his head.
Yan Xing told Eddie, "You tell him."
Eddie declared loudly, "The food you ate was a gift from Lord Yan Xing! Without Lord Yan Xing, you would never in your life eat such fine, white flour steamed buns. And these delicacies, prepared by master chefs, are things even your Swamp Lord might rarely taste!
You should be thankful for Lord Yan Xing's generosity."
Yan Xing then asked the werewolf again, "Now do you know where the food you ate came from?"
The werewolf replied, "It was a gift from Lord Yan Xing."
"Good that you know. Give him a chicken leg," Yan Xing said, very pleased.
Eddie took another chicken leg from the pot and threw it to the werewolf. The werewolf caught it mid-air and bit into it. KARRUNCH! KARRUNCH! Meat and bone alike were crushed as he devoured it.