Chapter 166

After saying this, he ignored the crowd and turned to leave.

Leaving the whole city with a back that was bloody yet full of hope.

He knew that after today's events.

For a long time, no one would dare to play any tricks in his territory again.

And just at this moment, he suddenly heard the system's notification sound.

【Ding! Detected the host's iron-fisted methods, successfully intimidating the traitors, stabilizing the people's hearts in the territory, and significantly increasing prestige!】

【Special Reward: Territory People's Heart Stabilization Talisman x1 (After use, can significantly increase the cohesion of the people's hearts in the territory within one month, reducing the probability of riots and defections).】

【Special Reward: Golden Grade Treasure Chest x1!】 This book is first published on Tian Tian Kan Xiao Shuo -> ttks. tw, providing you with an error-free and non-disordered reading experience.

The corners of Roko's mouth curled up slightly.

Not bad, an unexpected harvest.

He glanced at the terrified people and the old nobles who were as limp as mud, his heart without a ripple.

He gave his final order to Hart behind him.

"Clean this place up."

"Yes, Master!"

After saying this, he led Zewen straight toward the Lord's mansion.

Zewen followed behind Roko, watching him handle everything with such decisiveness, his eyes filled with shock.

This young man was even more decisive and ruthless than he had imagined.

But for some reason, this made him feel even more at ease.

Following such a strong person was far better than following those hypocritical and weak old nobles.

Returning to the Lord's mansion, Roko immediately had the best wine and food brought out.

"Zewen, I hope you'll excuse the spectacle."

Roko raised his wine glass.

"Not at all, that move of yours was beautiful!"

Zewen laughed heartily and drank it all in one gulp.

"To deal with those turncoats, that's exactly the kind of method that should be used!"

"However—"

He changed the subject.

"You said just now that the supply problem has already been solved?"

"Could it be just by relying on the little bit of stuff I brought?"

Zewen knew very well that the dried meat and herbs he brought were merely a drop in the bucket for a territory of hundreds of thousands of people.

Roko smiled slightly.

"Of course not."

He looked at Zewen and said slowly.

"The solution I spoke of refers to our new trade route."

"I plan to organize the first caravan to set out tomorrow!"

"Setting out tomorrow?"

Zewen was so shocked by Roko's words that he almost spat out the wine he had just drunk.

"So fast?"

He looked at Roko in disbelief.

"That road is not easy to travel; don't we need to prepare for a few more days?"

"Speed is the essence of war."

Roko shook his head, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Those old guys in the West must still be waiting to see me make a fool of myself."

"They think they can force me to submit by using a blockade."

"What I want to do is give them a hard slap in the face before they can react!"

"Let them know that I, Roko, am not someone they can manipulate at will!"

Moreover, although the people's hearts in the city were temporarily stabilized, the panic had not completely disappeared.

Only by bringing back real, large quantities of supplies could all doubts be completely dispelled.

Therefore, this first trade.

Must be fast, and must be successful!

"Good! What spirit!"

Zewen was infected by Roko's passion and slapped the table hard.

"Whatever you say, we'll do! My Red Leaf Forest will cooperate with everything we have!"

"I need you to send a team of hunters most familiar with that mountain road to act as guides."

Roko said.

"In addition, I will send an escort team composed of one hundred Storm Knights."

"And I will lead the team myself!"

"You're going yourself?"

Now, not only Zewen, but even Hart, who was nearby, and Martina, who had just arrived, were shocked.

"Master, this is too dangerous!"

Hart immediately objected.

"The Black Mist Mountains are infested with magic beasts and filled with miasma; you are a person of great importance, how can you easily risk yourself?"

"That's right, Roko."

Martina's face was also filled with worry.

"This matter can be handled by Captain Hart and Chief Zewen."

"You are the backbone of the entire territory; there must absolutely not be any accidents."

Roko felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at their concerned eyes.

But he still shook his head.

"It is precisely because this is the first time that I must go myself."

His voice was unquestionable.

"This trade route is our only hope to break the blockade."

"Its importance goes without saying."

"I must see it with my own eyes to ensure everything is foolproof."

"And—"

He paused, a confident light flashing in his eyes.

"Do you think there is any place on this land that can trap me?"

Hearing this, Hart and Martina fell silent.

They knew that once Roko made a decision, no one could change it.

Moreover, they also believed that with Roko's current strength, as long as he didn't encounter a legendary Golden Grade magic beast, self-preservation would be no problem at all.

"Alright."

Martina sighed and stopped trying to persuade him.

"Since you've decided, let's discuss the specific details."

She quickly regained her composure and took out a simple map from her bosom.

"Chief Zewen, is the secret path you mentioned roughly at this location?"

She pointed to a spot in the Black Mist Mountains on the map.

Zewen leaned over to look and nodded.

"That's right, it's here."

"This road can bypass all the checkpoints and fortresses set up by the Western Sunset Province on the border."

"Coming out from the other end of the mountains, there is a hilly area that no one governs."

"There, there are many itinerant merchants who have traded with our tribe for years."

"We can buy the things we need through them."

"Very good."

Martina nodded and looked at Roko again.

"We need to bring enough 'goods' to exchange when we go out this time."

"I suggest bringing five hundred barrels of our best spirits."

"In the eyes of those merchants, this stuff is even more popular than gold coins."

"In addition, bringing a batch of the ordinary iron weapons we've phased out should also fetch a good price."

"No problem."

Roko agreed.

"You arrange this matter."

"We set out tomorrow morning!"

Meanwhile.

Far away at the Governor's Mansion in Sunset Province.

Marquis Archibald was listening to his subordinate's report with a gloomy face.

"What did you say?"

He couldn't believe his ears.

"The riot in Vanguard Valley has been quelled?"

"That Roko not only didn't beg for mercy but also killed several nobles to establish his authority?"

"Yes, Marquis."

The spy kneeling on the ground replied tremblingly.

"According to our latest intelligence, Roko publicly executed several spies accused of being from the 'Scorpion Society,' and then, on charges of colluding with spies, sentenced the leading troublemaking nobles to hard labor."

"He also assured the people that the supply problem would be solved soon."

"Now, the situation in Vanguard Valley has stabilized again."

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

Archibald was so angry that he smashed the crystal glass in his hand onto the ground.

"Are those nobles pigs? How could they mess up such a good opportunity!"

He had originally thought that this trade blockade, combined with the incitement of the internal nobles, would surely be too much for the young Roko to handle.

At that point, he would have no choice but to obediently send someone to beg for mercy and offer up the spirit formula and the Obsidian Gold forging technology.

But he hadn't expected the other side's methods to be so tough and so swift.

Solving the problem directly in the bloodiest way possible.

"How could he possibly solve the supply problem?"

Archibald calmed down and asked with a frown.

"All roads leading to New Wind Province have been blocked by us."

"Not even a fly can get in!"

"What is he using to solve the food and drink needs of hundreds of thousands of people?"

"Could it be that he can conjure salt out of thin air?"

"This—the subordinate does not know."

The spy lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"Marquis."

Archibald's nephew, Engels, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke up.

"I heard that Roko has a good relationship with a tribe of savages on the edge of the Black Mist Mountains."

"Could it be that he wants to find a path through the Black Mist Mountains?"

"Black Mist Mountains?"

Archibald was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud.

"Engels, have you been scared stupid by that kid?"

"What kind of place is that? A death zone!"

"Let alone a caravan, even Golden Grade knights wouldn't dare to venture deep inside easily."

"He wants to smuggle supplies from there? That's simply wishful thinking! Is he going to deliver snacks to the magic beasts?"

Engels was scolded by his uncle and didn't dare to speak again.

But in his heart, there was always a bad premonition.

That Roko was simply not someone who could be judged by common sense.

"Don't worry about him."

Archibald waved his hand impatiently.

"He's just bluffing, a dead duck with a stiff beak."

"I want to see how long he can hold out."

"Continue the strict blockade! Don't let even a mouse pass through!"

"Yes, Marquis!"

The spy received the order and retreated.

In the study, only Archibald and his still-worried nephew remained.

However, neither of them expected.

Just as they were still waiting to see Roko make a fool of himself.

A mysterious caravan, composed of one hundred heavy-armored knights and dozens of elite hunters.

Had already quietly disappeared into the dense, year-round mist of the Black Mist Mountains.

A lifeline destined to change the landscape of the entire western part of the Kingdom was being quietly opened.

And not long after the caravan set out.

A scout responsible for monitoring the movements of the Black Mist Mountains rushed into Archibald's study with a panicked expression.

"Marquis! It's bad!"

There was a tremor in the scout's voice.

"We—we discovered the trail of a caravan on the edge of the Black Mist Mountains!"

"What did you say?!"

Archibald stood up abruptly from his seat and grabbed the scout by the collar.

"Caravan? Black Mist Mountains? Are you sure you saw it clearly!"

His face was filled with shock and disbelief.

That kid, he actually dared!

He actually dared to lead a caravan into that death zone!

"It's—it's absolutely true, Marquis!"

The scout was so scared by him that he couldn't even speak clearly.

"Our people found a large number of cart tracks and hoof prints extending deep into the mist of the mountains."

"Judging by the tracks, there are at least one hundred and fifty people, and they are carrying a large amount of cargo."

"Moreover, we also found some—some very strange footprints nearby."

"Like those left by some kind of savage who doesn't wear shoes."

Savages!

Hearing these two words, Archibald's pupils contracted sharply.

He remembered his nephew Engels' earlier warning.

Red Leaf Forest tribe!

Damn it!

That Roko actually colluded with those savages in the mountains!

Using their familiarity with the mountains to open up a smuggling route he knew nothing about!

"Bastard!"

Archibald was so angry that he kicked over the table beside him.

He felt his face burning with pain.

As if Roko had slapped him hard from hundreds of miles away.

He was still here, smugly waiting to see the other side make a fool of themselves.

As it turned out, the other side had already thought of a countermeasure and put it into action.

He had been played like a fool!

"Uncle, what do we do now?"

Engels' expression also became very ugly.

He hadn't expected that his casual remark would actually become reality.

That Roko was simply a madman who didn't play by the rules!

"What do we do?"

Archibald paced back and forth in the study, his expression shifting.

He couldn't let him succeed!

Absolutely not!

If he really managed to open up this trade route, then his trade blockade would become a huge joke!

At that point, it would be he who lost face!

The dignity of his position as Governor of Sunset Province would be gone!

"We cannot let him walk out of those damned mountains alive!"

A flash of ruthless killing intent crossed Archibald's eyes.

He stopped pacing and turned to look at Engels.

"Engels, I remember that the 'Blood Wolf Mercenary Group' in our province has always boasted that they are very familiar with the Black Mist Mountains, right?"

"Yes, Uncle."

Engels nodded.

"The leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, 'Blood Wolf' Barton, is a long-established Silver Grade Peak warrior."

"In his early years, he made his name by hunting magic beasts on the outskirts of the Black Mist Mountains."

"Under his command, he has over three hundred desperadoes, all of whom are experts in tracking and jungle warfare."

"Very good!"

The corners of Archibald's mouth curled into a cruel arc.

"Contact Barton immediately!"

"Tell him I'm offering 200,000 gold coins for the lives of Roko and everyone in that caravan!"

"Tell him to take his men into the Black Mist Mountains immediately and intercept and kill that caravan inside!"

"Remember, do it cleanly and neatly; don't leave any evidence that could be linked to us!"

"Yes, Uncle! I'll go do it right away!"

A flash of excitement and resentment also crossed Engels' eyes.

He had long wanted to kill Roko, who had made him lose all face.

Black Mist Mountains.

Just like its name.

Here, it is shrouded year-round in a layer of thick, impenetrable black mist.

Visibility is extremely low.

The air is filled with a mixed smell of rotting plants and unknown miasma, which makes people feel very uncomfortable.