Dozens of miles away, "Blood Wolf" Karl, who had just finished pillaging a village and was preparing to savor the spoils of war, received the news that his encampment had been attacked and all the personnel left behind had been annihilated.
He clenched his fist so tightly that he crushed the wineglass in his hand, with crimson wine dripping down between his fingers like blood.
Karl's face darkened ominously, his eyes glinting with the cold light of a venomous snake.
He never expected that the seemingly young noble lord would be so resolute and ruthless!
Not only did he dare to execute his messenger, but he also dared to launch a night raid on his encampment!
This was no longer just a provocation; it was a blatant declaration of war!
He had underestimated this opponent.
Beneath Blackstone Town's seemingly frail exterior lurked a ferocious tiger ready to pounce on its prey.
Launching a direct assault on a relatively well-defended town, especially without the support of infantry, would result in heavy losses. Moreover, he couldn't afford to lose his precious knights to the town's sturdy defenses.
Now that his rear encampment had been destroyed and a significant amount of supplies and provisions lost, continuing the siege and pillaging had lost its meaning. Instead, it might give the enemy an opportunity to strike back again.
Karl took a deep breath, suppressing the raging fury within him.
He had built the Blood Wolf Gang from scratch and become a formidable force in the Blackstone Mountains; he was no brute who relied solely on brute strength.
"Pass the order," Karl said in a icy voice.
"Temporarily retreat and leave the territory of Blackstone Estate."
One of his confidants was taken aback. "Boss, are we just going to let this go?"
"Let it go?" Karl sneered, a hint of cruelty and calculation flashing in his eyes.
"Someone wanted me to deal with this young lord, but now it seems the price they offered was too low!"
"After I go back and negotiate a better deal with that pale-faced noble, I'll come back and have another go at this new lord of Blackstone Estate."
The bandit cavalry silently withdrew to their lair in the Blackstone Mountains under the cover of darkness.
Even with his Earth Knight cultivation and keen senses, Karl failed to notice a ghostly white figure stealthily trailing behind them.
The next morning,
Sunlight bathed Blackstone Town, bringing warmth back to the town that had just escaped danger.
Leo was having breakfast while browsing through the newly refreshed intelligence reports.
[Daily Intelligence Refresh]
[1: A small herd of stray Magihorns has arrived in Blackstone Estate. They will stay here for a few days.]
[2: The "Venom Fang" Mercenary Group, active around the Blackstone Mountains, has been unusually active recently. It is suspected that they have accepted a lucrative commission, and the target might be related to Blackstone Estate.]
[3: The usually calm Blackwater River has risen abnormally, flooding farmlands. Fishermen have reported the appearance of a gigantic aquatic magical beast in the river, which is highly aggressive.]
[4: The wreckage of a suspected merchant ship attack has been discovered upstream of the Blackstone River. A force has been dispatched to search the wreckage; some supplies might be salvaged.]
[5: In a patch of dwarf forest fifty kilometers southwest of Blackstone Town and northwest of Blackstone Estate, a wounded dragon once briefly stayed. Infected by the dragon's aura, a large patch of Earth Dragon Grass has grown there.]
[6: ...]
[7: ...]
[8: A detachment of the Serpent's Minions has left the Emerald Swamp and entered Blackstone Estate territory. The leader of the detachment is none other than the Serpent Priest Slark who escaped last time. For revenge, he has brought a tamed third-order magical beast, the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile, this time.]
[9: Tomorrow, a large-scale slave-hunting party will return from the northwest wilderness with their spoils. They will pass through Blackstone Estate for a brief resupply. Among the barbarian slaves captured by this slave-hunting party, there is a barbarian youth named Thor who carries the strong bloodline of the Earth Bear Clan from among the thirteen barbarian tribes. Those with this bloodline are destined to become fourth-order Sky Knights and have a small chance of breaking through to become fifth-order Domain Knights.]
[10: The continuous threats have exhausted your knights mentally. However, due to your recent actions, the young lord has gained the support of the townsfolk. Recruit a batch of knight squires from among your subjects. Grant these young men the opportunity to become knights and leap across social strata. You will earn the sincere gratitude and loyalty of your subjects.]
The Serpent's Minions have invaded again.
Slark, and a third-order magical beast, the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile.
Leo was no stranger to this name.
"A third-order magical beast..."
Blackstone Town's current defensive strength, centered around Ed, the Earth Knight, and supported by a dozen or so well-trained knights, was sufficient to handle ordinary bandits or low-order magical beasts. However, facing a tough, powerful third-order Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile head-on, coupled with the cunning Serpent Priest and his minions, even if they relied on the town's wooden walls for defense, they would suffer heavy losses.
A direct confrontation was a bad idea.
Leo stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the distant hillside where two half-grown Ironhide Rhino calves were chasing each other playfully, oblivious to the danger.
Since being captured last time, these two little guys had fully adapted to life in Blackstone Town and had even become acquainted with some of the more daring townsfolk.
A bold idea gradually took shape in Leo's mind.
"Ed." Leo called out loudly.
"My lord!"
Ed's burly figure soon appeared at the doorway. He had just finished training, with beads of sweat on his forehead and his breath steady and powerful.
"The Serpent's Minions have appeared in the swamp again. This time, there's a third-order magical beast, the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile, in their ranks." Leo said.
"The Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile?" Ed frowned and said, "That's not easy to handle. Although I'm already an Earth Knight, I'm no match for such a gigantic magical beast in terms of raw strength."
"Moreover, with that Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile around, our wooden walls will be easily destroyed."
Leo nodded and said, "So, we can't let that Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile get close to Blackstone Town."
"My lord, what do you mean?" Ed asked.
"Take the initiative to strike and annihilate the enemy outside the town." Leo said with determination.
Ed knew that the lord must already have a plan. "My lord must have a brilliant strategy!"
"A brilliant strategy is too much to say. It still requires you, Captain Ed, to take some risks..."
"Just give the order, my lord!" Ed said.
"Ed, do you remember the Ironhide Rhino cow we encountered last time?" Leo suddenly asked.
Ed was taken aback for a moment before nodding. "I remember. That thing was no pushover. Even now, I'd have to give it a wide berth if it went berserk."
"What if... we could make that Ironhide Rhino cow go after the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile?" Leo's lips curved into a slight smile.
Ed's eyes widened in surprise as if he understood something but still found it hard to believe. "My lord, are you suggesting... luring the cow? But that's too dangerous! Although the cow's territory isn't far from us, luring it to the place we want and making it fight the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile..."
"I know there are risks, but this is the option with the least casualties for now."
Leo interrupted Ed's doubts.
"The Ironhide Rhino is a third-order magical beast, definitely not inferior to the Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile in terms of strength. Moreover, it's equally tough-skinned. Once provoked, especially when its calves are involved, its ferocity will be formidable. The Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile is amphibious, while the Ironhide Rhino is a pure land dominator. On land, the Ironhide Rhino even has a certain advantage."
Leo's plan was simple yet extremely perilous.
By exploiting the Ironhide Rhino cow's protective instinct towards its calves, they would lure it to a预设的战场 (predetermined battlefield) and then find a way to provoke it, directing its wrath onto the equally massive Mud Swamp Giant Crocodile.
In the afternoon, a knight sent out as a scout rushed back with urgent news.
"My lord! We've spotted the Serpent's Minions! There are about thirty of them, led by a priest, and there's a huge crocodile magical beast with them! They're moving upstream along the west bank of the Blackwater River and are expected to enter our predetermined ambush zone in about two hours!"
"They're here!"
Leo said solemnly to Ed beside him, "Proceed as planned!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Ed took his leave and set off.