The next morning, as dawn was just breaking, the sentries on the outskirts of Blackstone Town issued an urgent alarm.
On the horizon, rolling dust clouds rose.
A bandit troop of about forty riders appeared in the wilderness south of the town.
They did not approach the town's newly built crude fence, but merely patrolled and roamed from a distance, the bandits on horseback looking arrogant, occasionally letting out arrogant strange cries, brazenly surveying the weak little town.
The townspeople's hearts, which had just settled, instantly jumped to their throats, and panic spread like a plague.
They hid behind doors and windows, peering through the cracks, staring in terror at the bloodthirsty cavalry outside, their palms slick with cold sweat.
However, to everyone's surprise, these bandits did not immediately launch an attack.
"My Lord, they... they don't seem to be planning to attack the town?"
Aide stood beside Lei Luo, looking at the cavalry wandering in the distance, his face filled with confusion and unease.
Lei Luo stood on the temporarily reinforced wooden watchtower, his expression grim.
"They are demonstrating."
Just as Lei Luo expected, the Blood Wolf Band's cavalry did not forcefully attack the prepared defenses of Blackstone Town.
Over the next few hours, suffocating bad news kept pouring in.
The Blood Wolf Band's cavalry, like a swarm of locusts, bypassed Blackstone Town and began to frantically plunder the smaller, less protected villages nearby!
Screams, the crackling of burning houses, and desperate messages brought by messengers for help, like a cold tide, continuously battered the taut nerves of Blackstone Town.
The townspeople's faces were drained of color; although they were temporarily safe, hearing the tragic news from neighboring villages, a fear and anger of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' spread among the crowd.
"My Lord! We cannot just sit by and do nothing! Those villages..."
Old Buck, the town mayor, knelt before Lei Luo, his cloudy old eyes filled with pleading and indignation.
Lei Luo remained silent, his tightly clenched fists turning white at the knuckles.
How could he not want to immediately send troops to rescue them?
But Blackstone Town's own defenses were weak, and the number of knights was limited; once the main force attacked, the town would become an empty shell, and Karl might take advantage of the void.
He could not gamble the fate of the entire Blackstone Town.
The Blood Wolf Band cavalry's early morning demonstration outside Blackstone Town had this very purpose.
To frighten Blackstone Town, and then calmly plunder the surrounding villages to vent their anger.
"Mayor Buck, the most important thing now is to defend Blackstone Town," Lei Luo's voice was low, "If we lose Blackstone Town, we lose all our foundation."
Old Buck's lips moved, finally turning into a long sigh.
He knew that the young Lord's decision at this moment was the most correct choice.
"Bolin, appease the townspeople and strengthen the defenses!" Lei Luo ordered.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Watching Bolin and the old mayor leave, Lei Luo's gaze turned to Moonlight, who was lazily licking its paws at his feet.
It seemed completely unaffected by the tense atmosphere outside.
"Moonlight."
Lei Luo crouched down, gently patted Moonlight's soft back, then pointed in the direction where the bandit cavalry had disappeared, "Go see where those guys without horses are hiding."
Moonlight's pale golden pupils looked at Lei Luo, seemingly understanding something, and it let out a light meow, its figure flashing as it disappeared into the shadows.
Its small body and agile movements made it the best scout.
Time passed bit by bit, every minute and every second seemed exceptionally long.
Outside Blackstone Town, the arrogant aura of the Blood Wolf Band cavalry kept everyone awake.
At dusk, a white shadow, like a ghost, darted back into the town; it was Moonlight.
It jumped onto the table, rubbed against Lei Luo's arm, then tilted its head, letting out a few low "meows," and even gestured with its paw.
There seemed to be a peculiar understanding between Lei Luo and Moonlight.
He listened intently, his brows gradually relaxed, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
"You mean... those on horseback have gone far, they left a camp, and there aren't many guys on foot inside, probably... this many?"
Lei Luo held out four fingers, then added one more.
Moonlight nodded affirmatively, then licked its paw again, as if savoring something.
Forty to fifty infantry!
The main cavalry force was plundering outside, leaving only a portion of the infantry to guard the camp!
This was an excellent opportunity!
Lei Luo suddenly stood up, cold light flashing in his eyes.
"Aide!"
"My Lord!" Aide, who had been standing respectfully by, immediately responded.
"Immediately gather all knights! Prepare for a night raid!"
Lei Luo's voice was decisive, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Night raid?"
Aide was slightly stunned, then a light of excitement ignited in his eyes, "Yes, My Lord!"
The night was as dark as ink, one could not see their hand in front of their face.
More than twenty knights, excluding Bolin who stayed behind to manage the defense, including Aide, gathered silently at the back gate of the town.
Their horses' hooves were wrapped in thick cloth, and all metal parts were muffled.
They were like a group of leopards lurking in the darkness, waiting for Lei Luo's command.
Lei Luo mounted his horse, and Moonlight lightly jumped onto his shoulder, acting as a guide in the darkness.
"Depart!"
There were no superfluous words, only a chilling killing intent permeating the air.
More than twenty riders, like ghosts, merged into the night, galloping towards the direction indicated by Moonlight.
About half an hour later, a temporary bandit camp appeared ahead.
The camp was not large, with scattered campfires, and the guards seemed somewhat lax, clearly not expecting anyone to dare to launch a proactive attack at such a time.
There were not even proper lookout posts on the outskirts of the camp.
"Kill!"
Lei Luo's voice was low and cold, like the whisper of death.
The next moment, more than twenty knights, like arrows released from a bow, suddenly accelerated, and the earthy yellow Battle Aura light first lit up on Aide!
The Earth Knight's Battle Aura transformed into a giant hammer, and his warhorse charged at full speed.
"Enemy attack!"
Finally, someone in the camp noticed the anomaly, and a terrified shout pierced the night sky.
But it was all too late!
Aide took the lead, crashing into the camp gate like a cannonball!
The solidified earthy yellow Battle Aura transformed into a violent shockwave, instantly tearing the crude wooden gate and the few bandits behind it, who couldn't react in time, into pieces!
The knights who followed closely, like tigers entering a flock of sheep, their longswords glinting with deadly cold light under the firelight.
They were well-trained and coordinated, every swing precise and efficient.
Most of the bandits in the camp were infantry, almost all knight squires or apprentices, with only a few captains being official knights.
With the main force of the bandit group's knights taken away by Karl for raiding, the remaining bandits in the camp were virtually no match for Aide.
Under the knights' storm-like assault, they barely managed to organize any decent resistance.
Screams, the clang of weapons, and the crackling of burning flames intertwined, forming a bloody symphony of death.
Aide, moreover, was like a human beast, no one could stop him as his Battle Aura transformed into a sharp blade, sweeping across!
The might of the Earth Knight struck terror into the hearts of those ordinary bandits, making them wish their parents had given them two more legs.
The battle began suddenly and ended even faster.
In just a quarter of an hour, the entire camp was completely cleared, bodies lay scattered everywhere, and the air was filled with the strong smell of blood and char.
"Count the numbers, check for any survivors, and collect all usable supplies!"