Chapter 116

"Have you heard? The rations in the neighboring third district were withheld again."

A sallow-faced middle-aged man lowered his voice and said to the person beside him.

"Isn't that so! That manager used to be a guard for some minor noble, and now he's suddenly in charge of us."

Another woman holding a child chimed in indignantly.

"We struggled so hard to escape here, isn't it just to find a way to live?"

"Now it's better, we can't even get a full meal."

"I also heard that the Lord's Mansion's granary is almost empty; when that time comes, I'm afraid we refugees will go hungry again."

A sharp-mouthed man walked over mysteriously and said.

As soon as his voice fell, a series of suppressed exclamations and discussions erupted in the crowd.

"Really?"

"No way? Baron Roko doesn't look like someone who would lie to us."

"Who knows? How can we guess the minds of the noble lords?"

"If there really is no food, what will we do?"

Panic spread rapidly through the crowd like a plague.

Just then, a slightly hoarse but resonant voice rang out.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

The crowd followed the sound and saw a burly old soldier wearing simple leather armor, leading several patrol members with similar equipment, pushing through the crowd and walking over.

It was Old Morris.

His weather-beaten face was filled with seriousness at this moment.

"The Lord and Lady Martina are doing everything they can to raise food and improve our housing."

"Vanguard Valley's granary is absolutely not as empty as some people say."

"Instead of listening to rumors and guessing wildly here, you'd better think about how to build our new home with your own hands."

Old Morris still had some prestige among the refugees.

He was once a soldier in the Kingdom's regular army, fought bravely, and was considered fair.

Under his scolding, the discussion in the crowd quieted down a bit.

But those suspicious and uneasy eyes did not disappear completely.

The sharp-mouthed man curled his lips in disdain in the crowd and quietly retreated.

Old Morris's gaze swept over the crowd like a hawk.

He knew things were not that simple.

In recent days, similar rumors had emerged one after another, and they were becoming more and more outrageous.

Someone must be behind this.

He glanced at the team members beside him and gave a few low instructions.

The team members understood immediately, dispersed quietly, blended into the crowd, and began to pay attention to those behaving abnormally.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the refugee settlement area.

Lindsay, the newly appointed head of the Civil Mediation Office, was carefully checking a tattered account book with two assistants.

The account book recorded the distribution of a recent batch of relief supplies.

"Master Lindsay, look here."

A young assistant pointed to several marks on the account book and said.

"The distribution records for these supplies are clearly problematic."

"The quantity received doesn't match the actual number of people registered."

"Moreover, the manager responsible for distribution has been spending much more lavishly than before in recent days."

Lindsay pushed up the glasses that weren't there on the bridge of his nose; this habitual action made him appear more focused while thinking. His gaze moved back and forth between the sloppy handwriting and blurry numbers in the account book.

"Hmm, these places are indeed very suspicious."

He pondered for a moment and said to the assistant.

"You continue to verify other accounts; don't alert the enemy."

"I'll go find some of the people involved to understand the specific situation."

Lindsay took a deep breath, a look of gravity appearing on his face.

He knew that Lady Martina giving him this task was a sign of her trust and also a test for him.

He had to get to the bottom of things.

He used to be an accountant for a small merchant caravan and had a natural sensitivity to tricks in accounts.

He faintly felt that these acts of withholding supplies might not be as simple as personal corruption.

Behind it, there might be deeper issues hidden.

Night fell.

The atmosphere in the refugee settlement area became even more oppressive.

The anxiety and anger accumulated during the day began to ferment under the cover of darkness.

In front of a crudely built temporary shack, hundreds of agitated refugees gathered.

They held wooden sticks, stones, and even rusty kitchen knives in their hands.

"Brothers! We can't wait any longer!"

A tall man with a scar on his face stood on a stepping stone and shouted, waving his arms.

"Those managers withhold our rations every day!"

"The Lord's Mansion's granary is clearly full of food, but they would rather let it rot than let us eat our fill!"

"We are human too! We want to live too!"

His voice was highly inflammatory; every word was like a fire, igniting the anger in the refugees' hearts.

"Yes! We want food!"

"Down with those black-hearted managers!"

"Rush into the granary and grab the food!"

In the crowd, a chorus of agreement immediately erupted.

Some people with ulterior motives moved through the crowd, constantly adding fuel to the fire and inciting everyone's emotions.

"I heard Baron Roko is already preparing to abandon us!"

"He wants to drive us out of Vanguard Valley and let us fend for ourselves!"

"If we don't resist now, we'll only have a dead end!"

Panic and despair completely swallowed the refugees' reason.

They were like enraged beasts, madness flashing in their eyes.

"Charge!"

Someone shouted first, not knowing who it was.

Hundreds of refugees, like a broken dam, rushed fiercely toward the nearby temporary granary.

The granary guards consisted of only a dozen or so patrol members.

Facing the crowd rushing in like a tide, their faces turned pale instantly.

"Stop! You are not allowed to attack the granary!"

A patrol captain gathered his courage, drew the sword at his waist, and shouted sternly.

But his weak voice was soon drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

It looked like a large-scale brawl and looting were about to break out.

Just at this critical moment.

"All of you, stop!"

A cold shout, like ice, rang out suddenly.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty, instantly overpowering all the noise.

The crowd's footsteps stopped involuntarily.

They looked toward the sound in surprise and suspicion.

Under the moonlight, Martina, dressed in a snow-white robe, walked slowly out of the darkness.

Behind her followed dozens of guards from the Lord's Mansion, holding sharp blades and wearing leather armor.

Although these guards were not elite Storm Knights, they all had cold faces and were filled with murderous intent.

Martina's gaze swept over every refugee present like a sharp sword.

Her white eyes flashed with a chilling cold light under the moonlight.

"Who gave you the guts to attack the granary?"

Her voice was cold, without a hint of emotion.

Swept by her gaze, those agitated refugees subconsciously lowered their heads, not daring to look her in the eye.

Martina's prestige had long since spread throughout Vanguard Valley.

This young but iron-fisted Chief Administrative Officer was Baron Roko's most trusted right-hand woman.

Her wisdom and ability had also won the admiration of countless people.

But at this moment, the cold aura emanating from her made everyone feel terrified.

"Lady Martina! We have no malice!"

The scarred man who led the riot said, trying to stay calm.

"We are just too hungry! We just want a little food!"

"Yes! Lady Martina! We are about to starve to death!"

Someone in the crowd immediately chimed in.

Martina sneered.

"Hungry?"

"How come I heard that you receive full rations every day?"

"Could it be that someone is obstructing and withholding your food?"

Her gaze drifted toward several panicked old management personnel in the crowd.

Those people's bodies trembled slightly.

"Lady Martina, please investigate!"

The scarred man immediately chimed in.

"It's those black-hearted managers! They withheld our food!"

"We were forced to take this desperate measure!"

He tried to push the responsibility onto those managers.

The corners of Martina's mouth curled into a mocking arc.

"Is that so?"

"Lindsay."

She called out softly.

Lindsay immediately walked out from behind the guards, holding a thick account book in his hand.

"Lady Martina."

"According to my investigation, in recent times, some management personnel have indeed existed who withheld the refugees' rations."

Lindsay's voice was clear and steady.

"I have already obtained conclusive evidence."

"None of those involved will be able to escape."

As soon as his voice fell, those panicked old management personnel collapsed to the ground.

A commotion also broke out in the crowd.

"So it's true! Those sons of bitches really were withholding our food!"

"Kill them! Kill these parasites!"

The refugees' anger was ignited again.

But this time, their target turned to those corrupt elements who had been exposed.

"Quiet!"

Martina spoke again; her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a powerful shock.

The agitated crowd quieted down again.

"For those who are corrupt and derelict in their duties, the Lord's Mansion will naturally punish them severely."

Martina's gaze turned to the scarred man, her eyes becoming sharp.

"However, this cannot be an excuse for you to attack the granary and disrupt order."

"I will ask again: who is inciting you from behind?"

The scarred man's face changed slightly.

"Lady Martina, we..."

"Captain Bake."

Martina ignored him and turned to the other side.

Scout Captain Bake appeared from the darkness like a ghost.

In his hands, he was dragging several people who were tied up tightly.

One of them was the sharp-mouthed man who had been spreading rumors in the crowd earlier.

"Lady Martina."

Bake said in a deep voice.

"According to my investigation, these people have been spreading rumors unfavorable to the Lord's Mansion in the refugee area recently, inciting the refugees' emotions."

"Moreover, I also discovered something more interesting."

Bake's gaze fell on the sharp-mouthed man.

"This person is not just an ordinary agitator."

"He has the mark of the Poison Scorpion Society on him."

Poison Scorpion Society!

As soon as these three words were spoken, the crowd fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's face showed expressions of horror and disbelief.

Even the scarred man's body trembled violently, a flash of panic in his eyes.

Martina's gaze instantly turned like ten-thousand-year-old ice.

"Poison Scorpion Society..."

She said word by word.

"Very good, very good."

"It seems tonight's riot is not as simple as it looks on the surface."

She walked up to the sharp-mouthed man and looked down at him.

"Speak, what exactly does your Poison Scorpion Society want to do in Vanguard Valley?"

A fierce light flashed in the man's eyes; he gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Martina snorted coldly.

"Being stubborn is useless."

"Bake, take him down and 'interrogate' him properly."

"I want to know how many people the Poison Scorpion Society has deployed in New Wind Province and what their goal is."

"Yes, Lady Martina!"

Bake responded, dragging the man into the darkness like dragging a dead dog.

Piercing screams soon came from afar, making one's hair stand on end.

Martina's gaze returned to the scarred man.

"Now, it's your turn."

"What is your relationship with the Poison Scorpion Society?"

Cold sweat dripped down the scarred man's face.

He knew that tonight, he was likely in for a bad time.

A sudden riot was quickly quelled under Martina's thunderous measures.

Dozens of refugees who participated in the smashing and looting and attempted to attack the granary were captured on the spot.

Several old management personnel suspected of withholding supplies were also taken down together.

And the Poison Scorpion Society spy who was ferreted out became the biggest "surprise" of the night.

The next morning.

A simple trial platform was temporarily built on the square in front of the Lord's Mansion.

Martina personally presided over this public trial.

Lindsay, as the prosecutor, stated in detail the crimes of those corrupt management personnel and presented conclusive evidence.

Old Morris led the patrol team to maintain order at the scene.

Thousands of refugees and residents of Vanguard Valley packed the square.

They witnessed with their own eyes how those parasites who once threw their weight around lowered their arrogant heads in the face of ironclad evidence.

For those refugees whose crimes were lighter and who were only incited to participate in the riot, Martina dealt with them leniently at her discretion, punishing them with a period of hard labor as a warning to others.

As for those old management personnel who withheld supplies and lined their own pockets, she showed no mercy; not only were all their illegal gains confiscated, but they were also sentenced to heavy penalties.

As for the scarred leader and several other core agitators, after overnight interrogation, they also confessed to their crimes of colluding with the Poison Scorpion Society, attempting to create chaos in Vanguard Valley, destroying the stability of the territory, and probing the reality of Vanguard Valley.

Their end was naturally a dead end.

When the cold blade fell, blood stained the stone slabs of the square.

All the people present felt an unprecedented shock.