Chapter 827: The Advancing Baron Heir Bell

By the middle of last night, the team's wagons had already returned.

However, the direction they returned from was not the southeast town gate they had entered through previously; after the riots and friction that occurred there last night, even with the intervention of the Church Priest Bata'er Jiaoshi of the Agricultural God to calm things down, the resentment of the people outside the southeast wall of the town still remained.

Therefore, the drivers who were operating the wagons and donkey carts in the middle of last night all unloaded their goods from the southwest gate of the town.

When they came out, not only did the gate open and close quickly, but at least one hundred guards escorted the caravan to the area controlled by Jier's team, and only after returning the empty wagons did they line up in a dense yet disorganized formation and trot back into the town.

The next morning, just as the sky was brightening, Jier had just finished breakfast with his subordinates when the area controlled by the team welcomed two groups of people coming from the southwest of the town.

One group consisted of a smaller number of people, but they were merchants from within the town carrying a significant amount of goods and supplies.

These people were led by a capable official from the Government Office, with five core members of the town's Merchant Guild as the main body, directing over twenty shop assistants from various merchant guilds, carrying various goods packed in wooden boxes on their shoulders and poles.

These people did not directly enter the area controlled by Jier's team, nor did they approach the area where the nearby villagers were temporarily residing; right by the wall, under the protection of a dozen town guards holding crossbows and looking down from above, they pinched their noses, endured the environment reeking of years of excrement outside the wall, and began the material exchange that Jier had agreed upon with the town's ruling family yesterday.

Jier entrusted this matter to Mr. Bafute and the old merchant Nobi-Fentijia, with the Swordsman Weier responsible for maintaining safety and order. They aimed to exchange the surplus, useless supplies in the team for various materials useful to everyone for the time being today.

Additionally, considering that the other party might not generously accept the things the team did not need, Jier took a jar of coins from his own wagon and handed it to Mr. Bafute, letting him use the money in the jar to purchase supplies as he saw fit, discussing everything with the old merchant.

The money in the jar was basically the wealth captured from bandits along the way after Jier took charge of the team. Because it was coins rather than the merchants' supplies found in the bandits' lair, this money had not been spent while they were in Dorn Town.

While this money could be called Jier's own property, it was obtained through battles with bandits after the team was formed; although he, Jier, was the main combat force in the battles, the armed civilians in the team also undertook a lot of work, so a portion of this jar of coins also belonged to the entire refugee team.

Jier was not a greedy miser, so when the need arose, he generously took it out. Of course, Jier still whispered to Mr. Bafute and the old merchant that they should try not to spend this money if possible.

Regarding Jier's instructions, Mr. Bafute patted his chest to guarantee he understood the meaning, while the old merchant stroked his beard and squinted his eyes, smiling without saying anything, merely nodding.

Besides the merchants from the town who came to trade, the other group that arrived early in the morning was an empty caravan consisting of twenty merchant cargo wagons.

It should be explained here that the merchant cargo wagons organized by the merchant guild were not only made of solid materials, but their volume and load capacity were also greater than the wagons and donkey carts under Jier's command. The length and width of the cargo wagons were both greater, and each wagon was pulled by two pack horses, which was far stronger in power than the wagons in Jier's team pulled by a single horse.

In addition to the twenty empty cargo wagons and the drivers operating them, Jier also saw one person standing in the open carriage of each wagon.

This made Jier squint his eyes and carefully size these people up.

At the same time, as the caravan came to a halt, these people also got off the vehicles, likewise sizing Jier up.

Jier noticed that the people who jumped off the first ten wagons were the refining qi soldiers of the Sasi Baron Family he had seen before, while those who slowly climbed down from the latter ten wagons were church personnel wearing robes.

Just as the merchant guild emblems painted on these twenty wagons were all different, the ten church personnel who got off later were likewise priests from the four different major deity churches in the town.

However, unlike the Bataer Jiaoshi who was armed by the Agricultural God parish church in Mengtuosa Cheng, these local priests of Yemei Town did not have special protective equipment or the conspicuous metal long staff with special abilities. Like when Jier first met Bataer Jiaoshi, they wore priest robes of various styles and colors, and basically held a simple metal long staff in their hands. The difference was that, perhaps knowing the enemy was not human, each of them also carried one or two new or old single-handed lumberjack axes at their waists.

To be honest, priests carrying a lumberjack axe on their bodies was quite incongruous, and perhaps they themselves felt awkward, as several priests directly placed the single-handed lumberjack axes they had brought onto the wagons they had just stepped off from.

While the two sides were sizing each other up, the person leading this caravan, which was of a much higher standard, jumped down from a wagon in the middle of the convoy. As soon as this person got down, the refining qi soldiers of the Sasi Family and the middle-aged official from the Government Office surrounded him.

Jier saw at a glance that the visitor was the eldest son of the Sasi Baron he had seen yesterday, the actual manager of Yemei Town at this time, an heir to a title in his twenties. This made him feel somewhat surprised.

Obtaining fuel for the town, while important, was not something that required the highest leader to personally step in to solve, right?

He felt that the riot that occurred outside the southeast gate of the town last night was more in need of this young man to calm and resolve, rather than personally stepping in, running to the dangerous area outside the town, and risking fighting against parasitic monsters to solve a secondary problem facing Yemei Town at this time.

Thinking no more, Jier strode over to see what the visitor's intentions were.

The Baron Heir was named Bell-Sasi, and he claimed to have undergone knight training just like Jier, and was likewise an Apprentice Knight.

When Jier went to the Baron's Mansion to see him yesterday, the other party was wearing standard noble attire, but seeing him again at this moment, what he was wearing was very different.

A set of standard knight steel armor, with extra decorations made on the surface of the knight armor using what looked like brass or gold; overall, it was steady yet ornate, achieving both defensive and decorative qualities.

However, Jier noticed that unlike the heavy steel armor worn by Knight Kela and Knight Lumi, the armor on this heir to the title was more similar to what the garrison knights he had seen at the Noisy River checkpoint were wearing.

That is, its defensive capability far exceeded the armor an ordinary person could wear, but it was far weaker than the knight armor worn by Knight Kela and the others.

Moreover, Jier took an extra look at the decorations on the other party's armor, feeling that the weight of the decorations on the armor alone was likely at least ten kilograms. It is well known that steel is far superior to copper and 'soft' precious metals in hardness and toughness.

But if the knights of the Southern Province liked to dress this way, it was a matter of personal preference, and Jier had no opinion.

"How is it? My armor? This was custom-made at the Da Tie Fang in the Province Capital of Jun'gu Bao, and it is the most popular knight armor among young knights in recent years." Bell held the steel helmet of the armor in his hands and said loudly to Jier, who was walking over.

Jier replied perfunctorily: "Looks very nice, much better looking than mine."

"That goes without saying, the techniques of the forging masters in the Province Capital are very famous. Especially when they make armor for knights of noble families, they can always find a balance between decoration and practicality that satisfies everyone."

Jier caught the word 'noble family' that the other party emphasized, raised an eyebrow, and after walking closer, asked directly: "I am not very concerned about this; I just want to understand, you, and these people you brought. The soldiers and the priests of the various churches, why would they come along with the wagons prepared to transport firewood?"

Jier looked at the refining qi soldiers guarding Bell, who stood in the capacity of the Baron Heir and the actual manager of the town, as well as the ten church priests who had walked over silently, and asked in succession: "I don't remember there being these things in the content we discussed yesterday, right? I provide you with material exchange, and you bring me enough firewood. It's that simple, and now that you've brought these people, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Bell lifted his chin and waved his left hand: "The situation in Yemei Town is difficult now. As the heir to the family and an Apprentice Knight, I have the ability and the necessity to do something for my people. Young 'Apprentice' Knight from the north, I know you don't like my previous approach; in fact, I don't like it myself either."

Jier squinted his eyes and did not speak.

"The elders of the family proposed doing so, claiming that it could protect the family's people in chaotic times and prevent them from suffering additional violent harm. In fact, that is indeed the case; when facing external dangers, they gathered under the protection of the family's wings and preserved their lives and wealth."

"It doesn't look like that to me." Jier raised his finger and pointed to the gathering place of the people outside the town on the west side of the crowd, where it was dilapidated and chaotic; the old, weak, and sick people who came out to bask in the sun after dawn were gathered outside the burrows, looking over here in a messy and timid manner.

"At least they are alive, and as for wealth—I mean the land that constitutes the main body of wealth—they have not lost it. I have seen these current situations, and there are indeed some problems, but this is exactly what I am going to solve now." Bell was a bit embarrassed, reluctantly brushed past the topic of the living conditions of the people outside the town, and shifted the matter to himself.

Jier gave a light hum: "You didn't say that yesterday. Hmm... I remember you rarely spoke during the discussion yesterday?"

Bell squinted his eyes, a dangerous light flashing in his gaze: "I rarely make decisions; you know my status, this is necessary. In these chaotic times, there is no problem with listening more to some seasoned, experienced advice."

"Then what are you here for now? And whose seasoned experience is it?"

Jier mocked him, which made Bell's expression look unpleasant. The other party walked forward a few steps, approached Jier, and at the same time waved his hand to tell the refining qi soldiers behind him who wanted to follow not to come over.

He leaned into Jier's ear and whispered: "I was very unhappy about what happened last night. After the incident occurred, I personally rushed to the wall at the southeast gate and saw the resolution of the riot of the people outside the gate."

"So what?" Jier also whispered: "Did you only discover then that you were actually a blind man? Is it because there were countless hands covering your eyes, and what you heard in your ears all year round were just the pleasant flattery of many people?"

Jier mocked: "Don't tell me you're a good person; I'll laugh."

Bell was a young man after all, and being mocked by Jier like this, his expression was very unpleasant. He glared fiercely at this arrogant young man from the north: "I argued with two elders of the family for half the night..."

"That's your business. Your sudden addition, especially with so much force, makes me very unhappy."

Jier's gaze swept over the knight armor on Bell's body, as well as the surrounding refining qi soldiers and local church priests.

"Apprentice Knight Qiao-Jier, whether you are happy or not is not important. Today, I am going to take people to do things for the town and solve the problems that the town must solve now." Bell's words were solemn and firm; one could tell it was a decision made after reaching a major resolution.

Blinking his eyes, a smile appeared on the corner of Jier's mouth: "Alright then, you lead the team today, and you take charge of these caravans; I'll just be responsible for my lumberjacks, how about that? In addition, I require that the firewood my team transports back at the end, the Yemei Town Government Office or the Sasi Family needs to pay with coins to purchase it. As for the price, let's calculate it based on the current fuel acquisition price in the town, hmm, double that, how about it?"

Bell took a step back and stared at Jier: "Wasn't it agreed yesterday that all the firewood would belong to the town for free, and the town would invite merchants to provide supplies for exchange as a condition of payment?"

Jier crossed his arms: "But it wasn't said yesterday that you were going to bring people to join in, right? You go back to your town and rest; I'll lead the lumberjack caravan, and the firewood will be transported back for free. Since you've changed the conditions on the fly and intervened, the firewood transported back by my team will have to be paid for."

"You..." Bell glared at Jier in anger.

"These are my terms. Or are you saying you think you can change what we've already agreed upon at will? Just because you think you have more people on your side? Are powerful? Or because of your status as a Baron Heir? Let me be clear: either pay the extra money, or go back to your town and shrink away inside your mansion. Hmph, close your eyes voluntarily and cover your ears with your hands, so you don't have to see the depression and chaos inside and outside Yemei Town, and don't have to hear the complaints and grievances of your so-called subjects. Sasi Family heir, what is your choice?"

Jier pronounced the word "heir" syllable by syllable, raising his volume for emphasis to sting the young man opposite him.

The words, laden with obvious sarcasm and reproach, bypassed the protection provided by the ornate and thick Knight Armor worn by the young man Bell, causing his expression to shift constantly. This was the first time in the young man's life that he had been mocked to his face like this without being able to retaliate.

Although he was confident that he was far more skilled in Knight Training than the young man several years his junior before him, he knew intuitively and in terms of presence that he was no match for his opponent. The deep murderous intent surrounding the other person, though not directed at him, was something he could still feel. Even though the other person was young, their knightly skills were weak, and their armor was not as sturdy as his own, he felt that if they really fought, he might actually be the one who was not the opponent.

This was something invisible and intangible, yet both could feel it.

Just as the two were deadlocked with cold faces, a middle-aged Government Office official from the caravan wiped the sweat from his forehead, scurried over with quick, small steps, and took the initiative to hunch his thick, fat waist, constantly uttering apologies to ease the atmosphere and divert both their attention to himself.

This middle-aged official wore a fawning smile and said to the Baron Heir: "Young Master Bell, in fact, the Government Office has a sum of money that was prepared in advance precisely to deal with the shortage of firewood fuel for the whole town."

"Oh?" Bell looked at the man in confusion.

Beside them, Jier squinted, a mocking smile on his lips, watching the man perform.

"When the mansion issued the call for the people of Yemei Town to take refuge, we small figures estimated that we might encounter a situation like today's, so when the town's situation was still stable, we prepared a sum of money to deal with the shortage of firewood fuel. Although it wasn't much, we thought at the time that we would use this money to buy some useless, dilapidated houses in the town, tear them down, and collect the wood for use."

"That... is a solution, but it can only last for a while. Besides, the Government Office's money must be questioned by me; where did you squeeze out a sum of money from? Hmm?" Bell turned and asked.

The middle-aged official wiped the sweat from his head with a silk handkerchief; even though the sky had only just brightened and the temperature was cool, there was no telling why he was sweating.

"The town is taking in refugees from the surrounding villages, and the Shanglu trade is gradually becoming impassable. The town's pigment trading post happens to still have a sum of money intended for this year's operation of the trading post. Since the trading post cannot open for the time being, we discussed moving this money over first to maintain the town's stability." While saying this, the middle-aged official did not look directly at the Baron Heir Bell, but shifted his gaze downward, staring only at the Sasi Family Noble Emblem decorated in gold on the chest of Bell's armor.

Jier wanted to laugh upon hearing this, but knowing that although the middle-aged official was lying, he was ultimately providing a way out for the conflict between the two, so he kept his disdain to himself and did not laugh out loud.

His expression did not change at all.

"We were originally going to use this money early on, starting by purchasing and dismantling unoccupied houses in the town, buying only the houses themselves, not the land. So we calculated that this money could still last for a while." The middle-aged official continued, his words becoming more and more fluent, as if such a sum of money really existed, and as if they really intended to do so.

Bell, however, trusted this official from his family's Government Office. Hearing this, his originally stiff face revealed a smile: "I see. Because of the previous Bandit attacks on the southern part of the town, a fire destroyed quite a few houses, so it provided a lot of wood that could be burned, right? I know about this. Although your plan didn't come in handy, the method was correct, and I will waive your guilt for misappropriating the trading post's funds. In that case."

Bell said this, turned his head, and said to the expressionless Jier: "Use this money to buy the firewood your carriages are transporting back today. So, Apprentice Knight Jier, take your Lumberjack and the caravan that traveled the route yesterday, and lead the way. I and the people I lead will be responsible for my carriages, and you will be responsible for yours. Set—off!!!!"

The Baron Heir Bell's voice was high-pitched, full of energy and triumph.

Jier pursed his lips, turned to call over his Lumberjack and the drivers of the caravan, and had the Groom in the team feed the horses and donkeys of the caravan, and even brought over his warhorse—Tianxuecao—to be outfitted with Horse Armor.

He muttered to himself: "Considering the coins provided by an idiot."