Chapter 297: Breakthrough and Cooperation

In the dim woodland, Tangmu and Dawei were jointly besieging that Intermediate Knight.

At the very beginning, although the opponent used a Battle Technique, its effect was limited, only causing Tangmu and the other to suffer some minor injuries.

Later, it must have been because the amount of Battle Qi was insufficient, and the three of them became entangled in close-quarters combat.

By the time Luoning arrived, Tangmu and Dawei showed signs of being faintly suppressed.

"This Intermediate Knight's combat technique is not very high; he is purely relying on his advantage in strength to gain the upper hand."

"Compared to Tangmu and Dawei, Tangmu's performance is slightly better; this should be the advantage brought by him awakening to become a Professional Knight a step earlier."

Luoning watched while analyzing.

Dawei had awakened only a few days after he had transmigrated, and although he had studied for a while with Ruidar and Maiken, he was still a bit inferior to Tangmu.

Perhaps because they knew Luoning was watching the battle, the two sides in the fight had completely different moods.

Tangmu and Dawei were becoming increasingly excited; being watched by the Lord like this, it would be truly shameful if they lost the fight.

As for this Intermediate Knight of the Slaughter Wolf Mercenary Group, he was thinking about how to break away and escape; facing this person who could kill their leader with a single sword strike, there was no way out but death if he did not flee.

Under the influence of these different moods, the balance was instantly broken.

Dawei thrust his sword toward the opponent's heart, and the opponent responded in a rush, his posture unstable.

"Opportunity!"

Tangmu hurriedly followed up, slashing his sword toward the opponent's head.

"Zzzzt—"

Suddenly, purple electric arcs unexpectedly emerged upon the plain-looking longsword.

This sword strike left Along gash directly on the opponent's face, blood sprayed, and Dawei followed up with a sword strike that slashed across the opponent's neck, completely ending the enemy's life.

"Tangmu, this is?"

Dawei turned around in surprise to look at Tangmu; on the latter's longsword, electric arcs were still flickering.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

Luoning clapped his hands and walked over, his face full of smiles: "Congratulations, Tangmu, from now on you are an Intermediate Knight!"

Being able to release lightning-attribute Battle Qi is a very clear proof of a breakthrough.

Tangmu also smiled.

At this moment, the Battle Qi Seed at his heart had already broken out of its shell, and Battle Qi was flowing out from there like running water.

"This is an Intermediate Knight."

Tangmu could not believe it; he had actually broken through.

"Congratulations!"

Dawei congratulated him, his eyes full of envy and pressure.

Having followed the Lord for about the same amount of time, he still had no signs of breaking through.

"An Intermediate Knight needs to draw the Battle Qi out from the heart, branch out within the body, and gradually form a complete Battle Qi system pulse."

Luoning explained the cultivation method for an Intermediate Knight to Dawei and took out a Secret Tome from his Space Ring.

"Inside this is the human body's Battle Qi Pulse Diagram; study it well, and strive to form a system, break through the Qi Sea, and step into the Advanced level as soon as possible."

Tangmu solemnly received the Secret Tome and knelt on one knee, "Many thanks for your guidance, My Lord; Tangmu will certainly not let you down!"

"Alright, the training ends here; you two count the spoils of war and get some rest early."

The battle in the forest had already ended.

The Slaughter Wolf Mercenary Group was not completely annihilated; taking advantage of the night, a large portion of them had escaped.

However, with their Regiment Commander Bauer killed, this mercenary group would surely dissipate very soon.

White and Feili expressed their gratitude to Luoning, and at the same time, they also knew the identity of this young man.

They did not expect that the person wearing the hood in front of them was the Marquis's grandson, and even less did they expect that the other party was truly as powerful as the rumors said.

There is no need to think; for Along time in the future, the matter of Luoning killing an Advanced Knight with a single sword strike will spread in Jianjiao City and even the Wushan Territory, and perhaps as these remarks spread, they might even turn into Luoning killing a Bronze or Silver Knight with a single sword strike.

After a brief disturbance, the camp soon calmed down, though one could still hear someone faintly sobbing.

These people never imagined that friends who were still eating together in the evening had now become cold corpses.

But this world is just like this; slaughter and death have always been the main theme.

In order to soothe everyone's emotions, Rice stood up and indicated that after arriving at Thorn Valley, she would ask Baron Hamete to uphold justice and, at the same time, provide compensation to the victims.

This approach made Luoning think highly of her.

The target of the Slaughter Wolf Mercenary Group was Rice and her son, which meant that those two people died because of their mother and son.

Between standing out and not standing out, Rice chose to take the initiative to stand out and soothe them, which required a certain amount of courage and bravery.

The night passed without further incident.

When the morning sun once again bathed the earth, the team regained a bit of vitality.

White and Feili arranged for two people to transport the companions' corpses back to Willy Manor, and the rest of the people set off again with sadness.

Life must go on.

Thorn Valley was not far from last night's camp, and by the time it was near noon, the caravan had entered Thorn Valley.

This was a region of low hills, and there was no lack of lush trees on the mountains, but the thorn bushes that could be seen everywhere were even more eye-catching.

These thorny little shrubs were distributed in piles everywhere, and those deep red thorns were very striking, warning humans at every moment not to approach rashly.

Although this kind of plant is dangerous, it also has a certain medicinal value.

Luoning remembered that among the materials Aierlong needed to make herbal medicine and Magic Potion, there was the material of thorns.

Hmm, later I can chat with Baron Hamete to see if I can gather materials from here.

The sound of horse hooves rang out; Dawei, who had gone to report, returned, and coming with him was Baron Hamete.

Only when he saw the person in the flesh did Luoning remember what the other party looked like.

"Hahaha, Count Luoning, I never expected you to come to my territory!"

Baron Hamete flipped off his horse and welcomed him excitedly.

Luoning was currently unrivaled in popularity among the nobility of Wushan Territory; he would likely receive a warm welcome wherever he went. Baron Hamete had only been promoted to Baron due to his military merits in this campaign, and to a certain extent, he had also benefited from Luoning's influence.

"Congratulations, Hamete!"

Luoning dismounted and greeted the other party: "Under your rule, Thorn Valley will definitely be able to become a prosperous, large city."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Hamete led Luoning into his castle—a wooden castle.

Hamete said it was left behind by the person previously in charge of Thorn Valley, and he planned to build a castle himself, though that would take several years.

Upon learning of the encounter Rice and Pike had on the road, Hamete thanked Luoning incessantly.

"This matter is all my fault."

Hamete's tone was quite heavy: "My ex-wife and son were unfortunately killed. During this time, I had to handle their funeral arrangements while also dealing with the affairs of Thorn Valley. My few Attendant Knights were so busy they couldn't stop, and there was simply no time to go to Wili's side to pick up his mother and him."

He looked apologetically at Rice and Pike, who were sitting to the side, and then a flash of anger crossed his eyes, "Count Luoning, do you know who sent the Slaughter Wolf Mercenary Group to do this?"

Luoning shook his head; because it was not his own affair, he did not pay much attention to it, otherwise he would have captured someone last night to ask.

"For this kind of thing, just look at who will ultimately benefit."

Luoning looked at Pike: "If your sons were all dead, who would inherit the position of Baron?"

Hamete was stunned, and then, as if he had thought of something, shock and anger flashed across his face.

"Thank you for the reminder; I think I already know who it is."

He took a deep breath, calming his anger: "My younger brother, Yoni; I really hope it wouldn't be him."

Although Hamete was nearly fifty years old and still had the ability to have children, if there were no male heirs, the position of Baron of Thorn Valley could really be inherited by his younger brother.

Luoning did not care much about other people's family affairs.

"Baron Hamete, besides passing by to drop off Lady Rice, I have another matter that requires your help."

Upon hearing this, Hamete immediately perked up, "Please speak!"

"Thorn Valley is close to Jianjiao City, and you must be very familiar with that place. I hope you can recruit some craftsmen for me who are skilled in building ports."

Hamete was startled; could Wubei Territory even build a port?

However, thinking that the north and east sides of Wubei Territory faced the sea, it seemed quite reasonable to build a port.

But what was the use of building a port in that place?

Opposite Jianjiao City were cities like Wangdu, and the north and east of Wubei Territory were both open sea; without land, where would the trade come from?

Could it be to go around to the Kingdom, or to go south along the eastern coastline to do business with the Vila Principality, which had always had poor relations?

Building a port was an astronomical expense; with that kind of money, it would be better to travel by land.

Although he did not understand, Hamete still agreed.

"Rest assured, I have lived in Jianjiao City since I was a child and have been out to the Screaming Sea I don't know how many times. I am very familiar with seaports; there is no problem with leaving this matter to me."

Luoning thanked him with a smile, and then mentioned the second matter.

"There is an apothecary in my territory, and the materials needed include thorns. However, they are not common in Wubei Territory, so if you are interested, you can send someone to Swamp Town in Wubei Territory to find the great physician Aierlong."

Hamete's eyes lit up; he could tell that this was a business opportunity.

Although he was a Baron, Thorn Valley did not have any special resources, and economic development was a problem that gave him a headache.

Currently, the methods he could think of were to reclaim more fields, plant crops like grain and flax, then increase taxes internally, and sell to the outside to earn money.

The thorns Luoning mentioned opened up a new line of thinking for him.

The area of Thorn Valley was not small; not to mention how much of other things there were, there was plenty of things like thorns.

When reclaiming fields, the thorns would be cut down; if they could be put to waste-to-use, why wouldn't Hamete do it?

"To tell you the truth, I have too many places where I need to spend money right now. Building the castle, recruiting soldiers, forming a Knight Squad, and even purchasing farm tools for the territory all require a lot of money."

Not every Baron made money as quickly as Luoning.

Although Hamete had some savings after serving as an Honorary Knight for these years, these savings were clearly not enough to manage the territory and form a Knight Squad.

He needed to make money.

Therefore, after Luoning mentioned that waste thorns could also be a business, his eyes became eager.

"After the autumn harvest in the territory is over, I will personally go to Wubei Territory. If I can reach a cooperation with you, that would be an honor for me and Thorn Valley!"

"Wubei Territory welcomes your arrival at any time."

Luoning smiled, "Additionally, you just mentioned purchasing farm tools and forming a Knight Squad; I think there is room for cooperation on this matter."

"Oh?"

Next, Luoning transformed into a salesman.

He had now taken over Chishan Town, the Chishan Iron Mine had officially entered the channel of mining, and the craftsman Fengsi had also been taken under his command.

Once Kalesi moved the technology of Iron Smelting to Chishan Town, they would be able to produce farm tools rapidly.

Such farm tools, once produced, would be much cheaper than forging, and ordinary families would have the chance to use them.

Once the technology for refining pig iron was realized later, making weapons would also be simple, and the price of weapons would naturally be lower.

Of course, Luoning would not reveal the technology of Blast Furnace Iron Smelting to the outside world; he simply used the tactic of a "friendship price" to sell weapons, armor, and farm tools at a relatively lower price.

If Hamete could not afford to buy too many iron products, Wubei Territory also had an Ironwood Workshop, and the armor, Shield, and other items produced there were also good choices.

In the battle against the Bolante Bandit Group, Hamete had witnessed the effectiveness of Wubei Territory's Iron-wood Equipment, thinking that if he didn't have enough money in the future, settling for the next best thing and getting some Iron Wood Studded Armor for his soldiers seemed not bad.

Actually, there was a Silk dress and a few exquisite porcelain bowls in Luoning's Space Ring, but seeing that Hamete did not look like he had the money to buy these two types of goods, he did not find it necessary to promote them.

Luoning had never worked in sales, but this negotiation with Hamete was still very pleasant; the reason was that the client had a subjective intention to purchase.

Luoning believed that as long as both sides cooperated on thorns and the prices for farm tools and weapons were reasonable, Hamete could become Along-term client of Wubei Territory.

Now Luoning only hoped that the other party could earn more money so that he could buy more goods from Wubei Territory.

Time passed quickly; after Luoning had lunch in the small castle of Thorn Valley, although he was strongly urged to stay by the host, he still continued on his way with Dawei and Tangmu.

Although there is plenty of time to reach Golden Feather City, they cannot afford to stop and spend time everywhere.

With the steeds galloping, two or three hours is enough for them to travel from Thorn Valley to Jianjiao City.

This is a city comparable to Wushan City; because of the prosperous economy brought by the busy port, the population within Jianjiao City already exceeds one hundred thousand.

It is just that, perhaps due to being near the sea, the air here is much worse than in Wushan City, making Luoning wish he did not have to breathe at all.

"My Lord, do you need me to go and notify Viscount Weituolinuo?" Dawei asked.

When nobles go to the castles of other nobles, they all need to notify them in advance, just like going to Thorn Valley at noon, which Dawei also informed Hamete of a step ahead.

Luoning thought for a moment and shook his head: "No need, we will just find an inn near the pier to stay at tonight. Tangmu, you go and arrange a ship for tomorrow morning; we will cross the sea directly tomorrow morning."

Going to the other party's castle would inevitably involve another round of hassle.

Luoning would rather spend that time sleeping a bit more in his room or crafting two Spell Scrolls.

However, even though he did not intend to go to Sharp Horn Castle, Viscount Weituolinuo had long ago instructed the city Guards to report immediately upon seeing a Tayunjv or a silver-haired youth.

Although Luoning was keeping a low profile by wearing a hood, the Guards could see the distinctiveness of the Tayunjv as long as they were not blind.

On the bustling street, a troop of men and horses came galloping toward the three of them, Luoning and his companions.

Pedestrians and vehicles on the road dodged one after another, fearing they might collide with the other party and invite trouble.

"Lord Lisi is in such a hurry; it looks like he is going to fight again!"

"I wonder which poor wretch provoked Baron Lisi; they are probably going to be in for some bad luck~"

"Bad luck is still the best-case scenario; last time, someone without eyes hit Baron Lisi's attendant, and it is said that person was beaten to death by the Baron directly!"

Many people recognized the identity of the person on horseback, and one after another, they began to speculate.

Lisi Danisi, the eldest son of Weituolinuo, a genius Knight among the younger generation of Jianjiao City, arrogant and overbearing in character.

He pulled on the reins, and the steed stopped in front of Luoning.

"You are the Count of Wubei Territory, Ronin Wushan?"

Luoning frowned slightly; there was a hint of provocation in the other party's tone, but he did not know the other party's identity.

"What business do you have with me?" (End of this chapter)