In the afternoon, the scorching sun baked the earth, and the air was filled with dust and a faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood.
At the entrance of Blackstone Town, the atmosphere was not as calm as the weather.
Bolin returned, covered in dust, followed by a group of emaciated, hollow-eyed refugees.
These were the people recovered from abandoned villages, their clothes ragged, their steps faltering, as if a gust of wind could blow them over.
Only when they saw the brand-new wooden walls and the faintly visible order of Blackstone Town did a faint glimmer of light appear in their numb eyes.
"My Lord."
Bolin quickly walked up to Lei Luo, his face revealing unconcealed fatigue and solemnity, "All the refugees have been brought back and settled. It's just…"
He paused, lowering his voice a few shades.
"On the way back, near the Deadwood Forest to the west, my subordinate discovered a temporary bandit camp. It's quite large, with many bonfire traces. It looks like there are at least a hundred people."
Bandits!
Lei Luo frowned slightly.
They've come, as expected, but he didn't expect them so soon.
As he was pondering, a burst of arrogant hoofbeats approached from afar, interrupting everyone's thoughts.
A burly man with a hideous scar on his face, dressed in dirty leather armor, rode a scrawny, inferior horse, charging wildly into the town entrance.
He violently reined in the horse, which pawed at the ground restlessly.
The scar-faced man's triangular eyes, filled with malevolence, swept over everyone, finally settling on Lei Luo, whose demeanor was different from the rest, with undisguised contempt.
"Who's in charge?"
He bellowed, spittle flying.
"I'm an envoy from the Blood Wolf Band! Our leader said that the Blackstone Territory, from today onwards, is under the Blood Wolf Band's protection! The annual tax is one thousand gold dragons! If you're smart, deliver it to the Deadwood Forest camp in the west within three days! Otherwise…"
He sneered, making a throat-slitting gesture.
"Don't blame us for slaughtering your wretched town!"
One thousand gold dragons!
The surrounding townspeople gasped, their faces instantly drained of color.
That was almost the Blackstone Territory's entire annual tax revenue!
These bandits were simply asking for the moon!
The knights' faces were ashen, some already gripping the hilts of their swords at their waists.
Lei Luo's expression, however, was unusually calm, without even a ripple.
He looked at the arrogant and overbearing messenger as if he were looking at a dead object.
"Aid, cut off one of his hands," he said indifferently.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Aid responded and stepped forward.
Although the newly promoted Earth Knight's aura was intentionally restrained, with that single step, the solid ground seemed to sink slightly.
He didn't even draw his knight's longsword, merely brought his fingers together like a blade, covered with a layer of solidified earthy-yellow battle qi.
A cold light flashed! So fast that people could barely see the movement!
The symbol of an Earth Knight, battle qi materialized, capable of forming armor for protection or sharp blades to wound enemies.
Everyone looked sideways, not expecting that this Lord's personal guard captain had actually broken through to the Earth Knight realm.
"Ah—!"
The scar-faced messenger's right hand, along with the reins he tightly clutched, was severed at the wrist!
The cut was smooth as a mirror, and blood gushed out like a fountain!
The intense pain instantly twisted his face; he fell from the horse's back, clutching his severed wrist, rolling and wailing on the ground in agony.
"Scram!"
Lei Luo's voice was not loud, yet it contained a chilling coldness and majesty that sent shivers down one's spine, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Go back and tell your master, you want gold dragons? Yes, but you'll have to trade your lives for them!"
The handless messenger was on the verge of fainting from pain, and hearing Lei Luo's words, he was even more terrified, his soul scattered.
He struggled to use his remaining left hand and his severed arm, scrambling like a stray dog, fleeing out of Blackstone Town, leaving behind only conspicuous bloodstains on the ground and the lingering scent of blood in the air.
The townspeople stared blankly at the pool of blood, then looked at the calm Lei Luo, feeling both a slight relief from their fear of the bandits and a hint of confusion and apprehension about the future.
They hadn't expected this newly appointed young Lord to be so forceful.
"Mayor Buck."
Lei Luo turned to the old mayor, who had been silent all along, "How much do you know about this Blood Wolf Band?"
Old Buck, the Mayor, trembled, recovering from his shock.
He hunched his back, the wrinkles on his face deepening, his cloudy eyes holding a hint of memory and worry.
"My Lord, the Blood Wolf Band… they're old bandits who have been entrenched in this area for many years. At first, they were just a group of wandering brigands, but in recent years, their power has expanded very quickly, swallowing up many smaller bandit groups, and even… even rumored to have noble support."
"Noble support?"
Lei Luo raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of amusement, "Which noble?"
Old Buck, the Mayor, shook his head, his expression growing even more serious.
"That… that I don't know. I've only heard some traveling merchants discussing it privately, saying that the Blood Wolf Band could grow so quickly because they always found channels to fence their stolen goods, and the Lords' efforts to suppress them were far less than for other bandits. Plus, the Blood Wolf Band's leader, Karl, nicknamed 'Blood Wolf,' is said to be a ruthless and very cunning fellow, with a group of desperadoes under him, so…"
Lei Luo fell into thought; bandits weren't terrifying, what was terrifying was the power hidden behind the bandits.
If it was just a ragtag bunch, he wouldn't even bat an eye.
But if it really involved nobles… things would become complicated.
"My Lord, what… what should we do now?" Bolin asked with some concern.
Lei Luo looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone calm yet carrying a convincing power: "Do what needs to be done. Refugee resettlement must be implemented as quickly as possible, and the town's defenses must be strengthened. As for the Blood Wolf Band…"
The corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing a cold smile.
"I already have a way to deal with the Blood Wolf Band. You just follow orders."
"They want the Blackstone Territory's money, but they don't know that I want not only their money but also their lives."
His voice was not loud, but it was impactful.
"Aid."
Lei Luo spoke again, "From today onwards, you will personally be responsible for Blackstone Town's defense. Strengthen patrols and closely monitor the Blood Wolf Band's movements. Report immediately if you detect any unusual activity from them."
"Yes, My Lord!" Aid's voice was strong and clear.
Lei Luo nodded and turned to walk towards the Lord's Manor.
Leaving Aid to command the knights and townspeople, who began to systematically arrange defenses.
Bolin continued to settle the refugees, and Old Buck, the Mayor, also tried his best to soothe the townspeople's emotions.
The sun set in the west, the afterglow like blood.
Outside the town, the newly erected wooden fence cast long shadows in the setting sun, like the fangs of a giant beast opening wide.
Lei Luo stood alone by the window, gazing at the setting sun in the distant sky.
Moonlight slipped in from the windowsill and rubbed against Lei Luo's arm.
In the past few days, Moonlight, the Minister of Rat Catching, had done an excellent job, with hundreds of Sand Rats dying under its claws.