Chapter 205: The Scolded Runaway, the Monster Tome

"What? Is there a problem with me?"

Jier watched this man staring at him without saying a word, and he guessed that the man found him too young and was therefore hesitant.

Thus, Jier reached out and summoned, and the Yueshui Skull Two-Handed Axe, specifically for dealing with monsters, flew out from the tent and landed in Jier's hand.

The blue light emitted from the axe face illuminated the faces of the few people there in a bluish hue, instantly alerting the middle-aged man who had been somewhat hesitant.

"Knight Jier, I am the administrative officer of our Cui'erfute Zhen. Please forgive me for disturbing your rest so late. There is truly an urgent matter that requires your help!"

This middle-aged official bowed in a gesture of respect and stated his purpose. Unlike the greedy and ignorant bumpkins in the local area, he came from a merchant family in the county seat and knew what a young Knight represented, especially a young Knight with so many Refining Qi armored Warriors under his command.

"What is it? Speak. To make you come here in the middle of the night, it seems it is no small matter."

Jier leaned the axe in front of him and said, feigning interest.

The middle-aged official looked at the few people around who kept staring at him and coughed lightly.

The meaning was simple: he hoped Jier could find a place with fewer people for a private conversation.

Jier snorted disdainfully through his nose and pointed at Weier and the two guards standing at the entrance of his tent: "It's fine, they are all my trusted subordinates. You can speak directly. After all, since you could find me at this hour, it must be an urgent matter, so let's not waste any more time, shall we?"

Seeing Knight Jier insist, the middle-aged official had no choice but to bite the bullet and say: "It still concerns the monster situation you provided this evening. After receiving the news, the Sweet Fruit Merchant Guild that manages the Shanglu immediately dispatched a professional Tiaofa Dui based on the monster sighting information you provided."

Jier raised his hand to stop the other party: "You mean to say that something happened to them afterward? And it's related to my information?"

The middle-aged official looked at the worsening complexions of the people around him and their fierce, glaring expressions, and swallowed hard: "I didn't say that! The fact is, the information you provided was correct; it's just that those people didn't have the ability to subdue that monster."

The complexions of the people around improved, which made the middle-aged official breathe a sigh of relief.

"A team of nearly twenty people, three carriages loaded with weapons specifically for dealing with monsters, and even Heavy Crossbows that our town doesn't even have equipped! Those useless things, they are truly a group of wretches who just take money for nothing!"

Jier interrupted his cursing: "Get to the point."

"Oh, the point. Just now, half of them fled back after failing to defeat the monster. The monster wasn't successfully subdued, but half the manpower was lost! Especially the carriages and all that equipment were left behind! Truly a bunch of cowardly goblins. Usually, the town has to set aside a not-insignificant amount of money to support them, and yet, for just a single Sludge Monster, they couldn't handle it?"

Jier smacked his lips; this was about the same as what he knew, so he asked: "So that monster, oh, the Sludge Monster. I'm not a local, this is the first time I've heard of this kind of monster. Did the monster chase the fleeing people and kill them?"

Hearing Jier ask this, Weier immediately wanted to wake everyone up from their rest.

But Jier reached out and stopped him: "It's just one monster, not worth disturbing everyone's sleep. If that monster comes, I'll just make a trip."

Weier knew how powerful Jier was, so he nodded and didn't do anything further.

The middle-aged official on the side spoke up: "Although I dare not say for certain, Sludge Monsters generally do not leave the places where they live too far. I hear they only move in damp, rotting, foul-smelling places. After I received the news, I already sent people to keep watch at all the open areas on the west side of the town. If it really chases after them, there will be a loud alarm."

After finishing, he placed his hand by his ear, making a listening gesture: "Look, no alarm. That monster likely won't come to the town side."

Jier didn't know this. Although he had seen the battle between the Tiaofa Dui members and the Sludge Monster through the 'silent film' of the Shadow Bird just now, he himself knew too little intelligence about this kind of monster common to the area.

"So, the monster won't come. At least that's what you think. Then why are you in such a hurry to find me? To have me deal with the monster? Now? Really that urgent?"

Jier's series of questions made the middle-aged official opposite him chuckle awkwardly, and he explained:

"Knight Jier, this is necessary! Why did we immediately dispatch a Tiaofa Dui as soon as we learned the news of the monster occupying the Shanglu? It is because this Shanglu is busy, and every day at dawn, many passing merchants will set out on their journey."

He gestured with his hands: "You see, your team crossed the river and bridge west of the town and will continue to head east of the town tomorrow. But what about the Caravan that is staying in town tonight and plans to head west tomorrow? If the monster isn't dealt with overnight, our Caravans here won't be able to leave, or at least they will have to take a long detour."

Jier and the others nodded.

The middle-aged official continued: "That would still be the better outcome. The Caravan setting out from Sichakou Cun to the west, they don't know there is a cruel, man-eating Sludge Monster by the bridge. At dawn, the team setting out from Sichakou Cun will be walking straight to their deaths!!"

Jier raised his hand: "Alright, enough, I already understand what you mean. Let's set off now, solve that monster early, and come back early."

He said to Weier: "It's not that I'm being arrogant or overconfident, I can just use the Yueshui Skull here. You help me pack up the Tianxuecao, no need to armor up, just prepare the saddle and bring it to the west gate of the town. I will go with this... oh, I don't know your name yet?"

"Knight Jier, I am Fulesi-Bulaike, the administrative officer of the town."

"Good, I will go ask Mr. Bulaike about the specific situation from those who fled back, and once your horse is ready, I will go deal with that monster."

Having said that, Jier shouldered the Blue Axe and followed the middle-aged official toward the town.

The open space where they camped was not far from the town, and they arrived quickly.

The Tiaofa Dui members who had fled back were listless, sitting slumped on the ground one by one. Many had been injured multiple times by the Sludge Monster's peculiar abilities, and their faces were covered in blood.

At this time, a sturdy middle-aged woman brought over a Wooden Basin filled with warm water and was using a clean Linen Cloth to carefully wipe their faces.

Many of the guys, in order to flee, had actually discarded their own weapons and run back empty-handed. This made a middle-aged man wearing bright, luxurious clothing nearby very unhappy, pacing back and forth irritably while pointing at these people and cursing.

Nearby, even the mayor of this town was actually fawning with a smile, his fat body carefully following behind this man, echoing the man's insults with a sycophantic expression.

This was the garrison Yingdi inside the west gate of the town; in the middle of the night, it was brightly lit.

The lighting Torch that had only been lit a short while ago made a crackling sound as the Grease burned, and one could still smell some blood and a hint of urine in the air.

"What a bunch of useless things! There's actually someone who was so scared by a Sludge Monster that they wet their pants? Who wet their pants? Stand out for me!"

The middle-aged man in bright clothes covered his nose with his hand in dissatisfaction, looking at these deserters with an expression of disgust. Especially when he heard that these people had actually abandoned their Captain and just fled back like that!

That Captain of the Tiaofa Dui was his direct subordinate and could be considered a reliable confidant he had used for many years. And yet, he had been abandoned by this bunch of spineless fellows! This was a disgrace!

"You bunch of guys! You should know that in the army, if subordinates abandon their direct leader and flee, the entire team would be hanged!! Hanged!"

Hearing this, these Tiaofa Dui members, who were still in a daze, were all terrified. Don't look at the fact that the town mayor was watching from the side; if this big shot from the Sweet Fruit Merchant Guild said he wanted to hang them, they had no better outcome.

On these three Shanglu in Ke'er Shan Jun, the residents of the villages and towns along the Shanglu, even some low-level officials appointed by a Baron, all had to do things and take orders from these big shots who maintained and organized the Shanglu.

Including executing some people whom the big shots deemed worthy of death.

Just then, Jier, shouldering the axe emitting blue light, walked in accompanied by a town official.

Because the weapon on Jier's shoulder was too conspicuous, everyone looked over immediately.

"I am a Knight camping with a caravan outside the town, Qiao-Jier. This town official beside me says you seem unable to handle the Sludge Monster by the bridge to the west?"

As soon as Jier walked into this small garrison Yingdi, he saw the current situation. In fact, before he even entered, he had heard the cursing of someone here and the pleas for mercy from those fleeing Tiaofa Dui members.

The middle-aged man standing in the middle of the crowd, wearing bright-colored clothes, looked at Jier, and the expression on his face instantly shifted from furious to a smile: "It is truly a disgrace to Ke'er Shan Jun that Knight Jier has to see this. I am deeply sorry, and I personally feel exceptionally apologetic for this."

This middle-aged man walked forward and performed a bow with an elegant Noble etiquette.

Jier also casually tapped his chest with his fist, returning the gesture perfunctorily.

This middle-aged man looked at the middle-aged official beside Jier, his eyes full of inquiry.

Jier took the initiative to explain the situation: "Don't exchange glances with him, I'll say it. I came over to ask these people about the specific situation of that monster. After all, don't look at me as young, I have dealt with many monsters, including Magic Beasts. However, a monster that seems to only exist in your local area... I should at least know the intelligence details before fighting it, right?"

Only then did everyone realize that this passing Knight invited by the middle-aged official was not a local, and not even a local Knight from the nearby Baron's county or Viscount's territory.

The town mayor standing to the side immediately whispered to explain the situation of Knight Jier to the middle-aged man wearing brightly colored clothes.

"So that's how it is, here from the Northwest Province to support this battle. Someone, quickly bring the nearby Monster catalog from the Merchant Guild to Knight Jier. Knight Jier, you actually don't need to ask these useless fellows; hmph, I don't even need to guess to know that in order to shirk responsibility, they certainly won't give you the Monster intelligence you truly need."

"They will exaggerate the Monster's abilities, as if their own fleeing had some rationality to it. Ridiculous, despicable human nature."

Jier ignored this person's complaints about human nature and morality and found a Tiaofa Dui member who looked relatively composed to ask questions.

"Tell me, how did you all end up fighting that Monster? Tell me the specific process of the engagement," Jier asked.

Seeming to find safety and familiarity in Jier's calm tone, this member who operated the Heavy Crossbow on the third carriage stammered out what he had seen.

This person was quite honest, and the content of what he said was about the same as what Jier had seen through the Shadow Bird.

It was just that this person had actually seen the scene where Jier had the Shadow Bird save their Tiaofa Dui Captain at the critical moment.

Because this person was responsible for operating the Heavy Crossbow, even though the lighting at the scene was poor, he still saw something unexpectedly attack the Rot Mud Monster, and thus save their Captain's life.

But his account did not match up with the others who had fled back.

"N-nonsense! I saw with my own eyes the moment the Captain was sucked onto that thing's mud body! I saw it with my own eyes! Duowa'er and Taji and the others died just like that! After they were sucked onto the Monster's body, no matter what they did, they couldn't survive. Damn it! I watched them get eaten bit by bit by the Rot Mud Monster during the battle! The Captain, the Captain must have sacrificed himself just like that! Sob sob sob."

A tall Tiaofa Dui member nearby started crying after finishing his sentence.

Regarding this person's account, many Tiaofa Dui members gave their approval, and many were even reminded of the battle on the riverbank earlier because of it.

Seeing these people shrink back just from recalling the scene at the time made the middle-aged man from the Merchant Guild very unhappy again.

The appearance of these Tiaofa Dui members who maintained the safety of the first half of the Shanglu had clearly looked decent before, but he hadn't expected them to be in such a pathetic state after suffering a defeat.

At this time, a subordinate of the middle-aged Merchant Guild man ran over holding a thick book and respectfully handed the volume over.

Jier took it and flipped through it casually, discovering that it contained records and descriptions ranging from local crazy rabbits and slime-type Monsters to the powerful Magic Beast at the end of the book that had been named by the locals.

This book had no table of contents; Jier carefully flipped through it by the light of the surrounding Torches and found the Rot Mud Monster in the latter part of the volume.

【Rot Mud Monster】

【Physical description: Three meters tall, five meters tall after hunting and expanding, width the same. Generally, before feeding, it takes the shape of the pitch-black rot mud that its prey usually consists of. After feeding, it has an irregular fluid shape.】

【Artist's depiction】

【Activity environment: Likes rotting, damp places; where it is born, there is inevitably an accumulation of biological remains. Legend says it is formed from rotting corpses, dark energy, and damp soil. It has a strong sense of territory, will not leave the area where it was born too far, and will not approach hot areas or areas without rivers or Swamps.】

【Activity characteristics: Similar to lower-level slime-type Monsters, the body has no physical weaknesses; it needs to be destroyed by continuous burning with fire or fuel. Special attention is required: it possesses a special ability to generate spherical Funei Nengliang Chongji centered on itself, which will affect the life force of surrounding living beings.】

【Countermeasures: One can apply defensive Divine Art to offset the Funei Nengliang Chongji, or wear personal extraordinary protective gear. At the very least, please carry an emblem of a righteous church; the majesty of the gods also has an effect.】

【The Rot Mud Monster has no further long-range attack methods, and its detection ability is also limited; please try to use powerful long-range methods to weaken the Monster during the crusade.】

【Wishing you victory in the crusade.】

After reading, Jier realized two things.

First, the methods of the Tiaofa Dui members basically copied the suggestions in the book. Whether it was the weapons and equipment prepared or the tactical methods used during the battle, they were basically identical. They only added some supplements based on combat experience.

Second, what was written in this book was a bit too simple. Apart from the images drawn by the artist being very realistic, the intelligence regarding the Monster was still too little.

For example, the book mentioned the similarity in appearance and activity between the Rot Mud Monster and slime-type Monsters, but it completely failed to mention that the Rot Mud Monster could drive surrounding slime-type Monsters to fight, or even stand guard and keep watch!

And this was also an important reason why the Tiaofa Dui members did not realize their crusade had failed.