Chapter 149: 149 Giving Gifts

Huitu Village.

Following the conclusion of the first Shanlin Town Knight and Guard Tournament, Ruidar began planning the logistics for attacking the Heiling Tribe.

As the most powerful among the savage tribes, the Heiling Tribe's defensive fortifications were significantly stronger than those of Huitu Village; a direct assault would likely result in heavy casualties.

However, Ruidar had a plan. Starting on the 24th, he arranged for cavalry to cross the median line and head straight for the center of the Heiling Tribe. When the enemy reacted and dispatched cavalry to intercept, he would have his cavalry immediately turn around and retreat.

"Captain, look, they're here again!"

On a hillside, Feilidun's subordinate, Knight Wunai, pointed at the cavalry galloping along the mountain road and shouted indignantly: "Are the people from Huitu Village sick? Do they have nothing better to do than run back and forth here every single day?"

Feilidun sneered, "Their blatant border-crossing behavior violates the agreement. Just wait; once the Baron returns from Wushan Castle, we will settle the score with that Luoning!"

"What about now? Are we just going to let them cross the line like this every day?" a knight asked.

Feilidun pondered slightly. He did not know exactly what the other side was doing, but he absolutely would not allow the enemy to cross the border so wantonly onto the land of Sain Territory.

"Go, find a few cavalrymen and intercept them for me!"

Feilidun decided, "We have nothing to do anyway, so we might as well play along with them and see what tricks they can come up with!"

And so, a comical scene of "you chase, I run; you run, I chase" unfolded along the border line.

Ruidar and Aierlong stood on the hillside where the scout camp was located, looking out at the two groups of people.

"Is this really useful?" Aierlong was somewhat uncertain.

Ruidar was noncommittal. Originally, he had intended to lure Qiaofuli out to talk, but he hadn't expected the Heiling Tribe to have changed personnel.

"For now, just treat it as letting this group of cavalry practice their riding skills. Wait for the 1st to do something big, and then provoke them a few more times. We'll lure out as many as we can; it's still better than attacking directly."

It was somewhat difficult to deal with these professional knights relying on defensive fortifications. Shanlin Town had finally trained so many cavalrymen, so it was better to minimize losses where possible.

While Ruidar was making preparations on his side, Luoning and his party finally arrived at Wushan Castle on the afternoon of the 26th.

Lulansi's birthday was a major event for Wushan Territory. The number of nobles arriving this time was extremely large, and the vehicles and supplies they brought had already blocked the square in front of Wushan Castle completely.

Fortunately, preparations had been made here long ago; a massive number of servants, grooms, and inventory officers were already in place, quickly moving the gifts brought by the nobles.

Luoning wrinkled his nose. At this moment, the smell of horse sweat mixed with the stench of horse manure in the square was quite pungent. After handing the Tayunjv over to Tangmu, he took Maiken into the castle.

"Young Master Luoning, welcome!"

The steward Huoerhuate greeted him respectfully at the entrance, "Greetings to you, Mr. Viscount!"

"Long time no see, Huoerhuate."

Viscount Mawen greeted him casually, "How many nobles have arrived?"

"Basically, almost everyone is here." Huoerhuate smiled and led the two into the castle, "Young Master Luoning, you have your previous residence, and we have already arranged the accommodations for Mr. Viscount. Please follow me."

Although Luoning had left Wushan Castle and become a Baron elsewhere, he was still somewhat different from other nobles; at the very least, he still had a fixed small building and courtyard in Wushan Castle.

"Then you go accompany Uncle Mawen first; I'm going to see Grandfather," Luoning said.

"Very well, Young Master!"

Huoerhuate smiled, "Oh, that's right, Miss Maijinni should also be with the Marquis. If you go over now, you might be able to run into her."

Luoning was slightly startled, a beautiful woman with silver hair flashing through his mind.

Maijinni, his own sister by the same father and mother. After their mother passed away, Luoning received quite a bit of love and care from Maijinni, and their relationship was very good.

However, six years ago, Maijinni married, wedding Sir Kabier of Cuican City.

Kabier was the Regiment Commander of the Second Knight Order of Wushan Castle. He possessed strength comparable to a Golden Knight and had achieved significant military merit in multiple wars.

It was just a pity that his parents were merely free citizens; his background was very ordinary, and he had no connections. Even with high strength, he was still only a Conferred Knight to this day.

The main reason Maijinni married him was that it was a free-choice marriage, and both Lulansi and Weijinsi valued the other's potential.

But regardless, Maijinni was considered to have married down, and there were quite a few people who opposed it openly or secretly at the time.

Luoning arrived at the back courtyard with ease; the guards along the way knew the identity of this young master and did not stop him.

While waiting for the guards to announce him, a noble young woman dressed in a gorgeous long dress walked out quickly from inside.

She wore a pale blue long dress with a corset over it, a gorgeous sash tied around her waist, and jewelry adorning the neckline.

Besides that, the small hat she wore on her head was decorated with various gems and feathers, which, combined with the glittering necklace on her fair neck, displayed a luxurious and noble temperament.

"Luoning~"

Maijinni strode forward and pulled Luoning into a hug, "Long time no see!"

"Long time no see, Sister!"

The two separated, and Luoning smiled and greeted her.

Only then did Maijinni look Luoning up and down, saying with gratification: "You've grown taller, and your body has become much sturdier."

She looked up at Luoning, her eyes misting with worry: "It's just that Shanlin Town is too bitter; can you get used to living there?"

Since crossing over, this was the first time Luoning had felt such genuine concern.

Maijinni was different from Lulansi; the latter's emotions were always restrained, but she expressed herself quite directly.

Perhaps, even though the predecessor's character wasn't very good, as biological siblings, this did not affect their relationship.

"Don't worry, Sister, the situation in Shanlin Town isn't that bad; everything is fine for me there."

As he spoke, he looked at the handsome, blonde-haired man behind Maijinni and greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see, Kabier. You look just as handsome as before."

Kabier walked forward. His appearance was somewhat refined, not as burly and upright as a typical knight, "You too, Luoning. The you right now gives me a completely different feeling than before!"

To be honest, Kabier had once looked down on Luoning; the other's performance was not like that of a qualified heir, especially after losing the right of succession, which even made Kabier feel annoyed.

After all, as Maijinni's husband, he could to a certain extent be said to be destined to stand on Luoning's side in the future. It was just that now the heir had been changed to Buleidun, and there was Earl Haide behind him, which made him somewhat worried.

However, the few things Luoning had done recently were not bad, which had slightly changed his impression of Luoning.

The three exchanged pleasantries outside for a while, mostly Maijinni worrying about Luoning's food and daily life; she really was like a mother to him.

After a while, the three of them were led into the house by Moste.

The fireplace was lit in the room, making it very warm. At this time, other than Lulansi, there was no one else.

"Luoning is here."

Lulansi's face was glowing; he looked to be in much better spirits than before, though it was hard to tell if it was because his health had recovered or because a happy occasion makes one feel refreshed.

"Grandfather, happy birthday!"

Luoning offered his well-wishes and took the package from Maiken's hands, "This is a gift I prepared for you; I hope you like it."

"Oh?"

Surprise flickered in Lulansi's eyes, "Let me see what this is?"

Maijinni and Kabier also cast their gazes over.

Luoning took out the coat and draped it over Lulansi, "A Storm Magic Beast wolf appeared in the territory, and this coat was made for you using its hide."

Lulansi stroked the coat; the texture was excellent, and wearing it immediately brought him warmth, "Not bad! Now that you all can kill a Storm Magic Beast wolf, I don't have to worry about your safety in Shanlin Town anymore."

Maijinni walked up to look Lulansi over from front to back, sighing at the quality of the coat while also lamenting the danger of Luoning's territory.

After all, a territory with Magic Beast invasions—no wonder no one was willing to become the lord there in the early years.

Luoning then took out a pale blue scarf, "This is a scarf I made using the special silk thread from Shanlin Town; you should like it."

Special silk thread?

This sentence immediately drew the attention of everyone in the hall, and they all looked over with curiosity.

"It's actually this light and soft!"

Lulansi took the scarf into his hands to stroke it, unable to help but exclaim in wonder.

The sensation it gave him was completely different from scarves made of other materials, and as he put it on, the warmth it provided was no less than that of wool or goose-down scarves.

Maijinni also couldn't help but touch it, and the moment she made contact, a look of delight appeared on her face.

Although this scarf didn't have any complex patterns embroidered on it, she could still feel its uniqueness; with just a little processing, it would definitely bring out an elegant and noble temperament.

"What kind of silk thread is this exactly?"

Luoning smiled and introduced it: "This is fabric made from silkworm silk. I named it 'Silk'. Compared to traditional Linen Cloth and Wool Cloth, it has extremely strong softness, comfort, breathability, and moisture absorption. At the same time, it has a brilliant luster and a delicate touch. If there hadn't been a shortage of time, this scarf would have been even more gorgeous and elegant."

Luoning spoke professionally; it sounded like an introduction, but in reality, it was also a promotion.

Having heard his introduction, the few of them had already defined Silk as a high-end textile material.

Maijinni's eyes shone even brighter, "Luoning, I want a scarf like this too. No, I want a dress made of this; it must be especially cool to wear in the summer!"

"Of course you can!"

The promotion of silk fabrics would have to rely on the nobility to drive it, so Luoning naturally didn't mind giving Maijinni one.

"However, I won't have new materials on hand until August or September of this year. When the time comes, I will definitely make a beautiful dress for you, sister."

"What kind of material is it exactly? Can I produce it?" Maijinni asked.

"Probably not, right? This might be a specialty of Shanlin Town?"

Luoning wasn't quite sure if other places had silkworms, but even if they did, without mastering technical means like silk reeling, they wouldn't be able to process it.

"I never realized it, but Shanlin Town really is a blessed land!"

Lulansi smiled and tied the Silk scarf around his neck, then lay back down while draped in the Storm Magic Beast wolf coat.

Although compared to the gifts from other nobles, these two items from Luoning were a bit lower in value, they were already enough for him.

Sometimes people care less about the type of gift and more about the person giving it.

"I heard you have a follower who can defeat a Bronze Knight. Just how many things are you hiding from me, you brat?"

To be honest, when he heard that Luoning's subordinate, the Knight Ruidar, had defeated Leisen, even Lulansi couldn't help but be surprised. He hadn't expected that besides Maiken, Luoning had another powerful Knight under his command.

If the Letter Bird hadn't yet connected Wushan Castle and Shanlin Town, he would have wanted to ask Luoning long ago.

Kabier, who was to the side, also said: "Although Leisen's strength isn't top-tier, he isn't someone an average Advanced Knight can defeat. Did that Knight named Ruidar come this time?"

"Ruidar has other things to do, so I didn't bring him along this time."

Luoning added: "However, his combat techniques and strength are indeed quite strong; I have learned quite a few things from him as well."

"That's a pity then~"

Lulansi suddenly laughed, "If he had come, perhaps the champion of this Martial Arts Tournament would be him."

"There's a Martial Arts Tournament activity at the birthday banquet?" Luoning was surprised.

"Isn't this just to make Grandfather's birthday banquet more lively?"

Maijinni smiled and introduced it: "Anyone under thirty can participate. The champion can get one thousand gold coins at once. Many Knights have been preparing ever since they heard the news these past two days."

Luoning's eyes lit up. Why did he feel like Old Master Lulansi was specifically sending money his way?

(End of chapter)