Chapter 184: A Test of Strength

At midnight, Lei En heard the rapid clatter of hooves in his ears.

Gradually, the ground trembled slightly, and the residents of the entire Jade Water Street, as well as the silver‑clad knights inside the castle, were awakened by the vibration.

Lei En stepped out of the study onto the balcony and, from afar, saw a massive herd of towering half‑human, half‑horse figures racing along the street, soon reaching the foot of Castle Hill.

Among the more than two hundred in the formation, he spotted Ai Mili Si.

"Open the gate and let them in."

Lei En shouted the order, leapt down from the balcony, and walked to the castle gate to meet them.

When the gate opened, the centaurs surged in, the well‑trained troops dividing into ten squads of fifteen each, like a tide they rushed up the grassy slope, finally arranging themselves neatly on the open ground before the castle gate, displaying superb discipline.

Lei En watched the scene and couldn't help thinking that the mercenaries famed for their laxity could never achieve this.

This is a genuine army!

He observed the centaurs, counting exactly one hundred fifty—no more, no less—matching the number Ai Mili Si had mentioned.

Their upper bodies were robust human torsos and heads, black long hair braided and hanging behind, clad in simple leather armor, bearing long‑bow quivers, with strange massive thick‑bladed curved swords at the waist, arms unusually long, wielding iron spears;

Their lower halves were horse bodies with four sturdy thighs, a perfect fusion, making the phrase "tall as a man, large as a horse" seem tailor‑made for them.

Two‑thirds of the centaurs were male, standing over two meters tall, the females a bit shorter.

Having run a long distance, they stood on the open ground panting heavily, exhaling plumes of white mist in the cold night, chests heaving, the rear half of their horse bodies soaked with sweat.

The area before the castle suddenly grew crowded, spears standing like a forest, the atmosphere ominously tense.

On the backs of some male centaurs rode humans, including more than sixty elite Iron Guard, as well as senior officials of the Dragon Stone Mercenary Corps.

Among them, one centaur stood out the most.

He stood nearly two meters thirty centimeters tall, extremely muscular, weighing at least twelve hundred pounds, far larger than the other centaurs, his face fierce, a black beard on his chin, his upper body bare, displaying massive muscles, a huge horn hanging from his waist, constantly surrounded by other centaurs; he cleared a path and stepped before Lei En.

Ai Mili Si, seated on his back, landed lightly, bowed and said, "Sir, the members of the Dragon Stone Mercenary Corps in Mo Du have all arrived."

Legendary swordsman A Si Tan, Demon sorcerer Ding Laji, high‑rank ranger Bi Ge Bei Er, all leapt from the centaurs' backs and saluted Lei En.

All the centaurs and human mercenaries shouted in unison, "We have seen you, my lord!"

Their voices rose in perfect unison, the momentum impressive.

The Secret Fire Guard and the silver‑clad knights standing behind Lei En showed slight changes in expression; if these centaurs and mercenaries were foes, they would already be surrounded.

Lei En, however, smiled and replied, "No need for formalities, welcome to my castle."

"Indeed a fine castle, humph…"

A rough voice rang out, tinged with slight contempt, sounding especially harsh.

Lei En looked over; the speaker was the centaur leader, his eyes full of provocation. Through his Soul Eye, Lei En saw that this centaur harbored some hostility toward him, for reasons unknown.

"Zhuo Ao, shut up!" Ai Mili Si immediately rebuked.

Centaur Zhuo Ao crossed his arms over his chest; though he said nothing further, he still wore a defiant, unruly expression.

Lei En frowned, instantly realizing that Ai Mili Si had likely subjugated a centaur tribe through this centaur Zhuo Ao. Out of courtesy she could not be overly harsh toward Zhuo Ao, lest it provoke other centaurs; Zhuo Ao, taking advantage of this, remained somewhat rebellious.

The centaur race, for the most part, is naturally cruel and violent, committing every imaginable atrocity; they revere the strong, enslave the weak, and worship an evil deity.

A small minority who worship a righteous god—such as the present Zhuo Ao and his clan—revere the hunting deity Uler, yet remain wild and untamable, flamboyant and reckless.

If we do not give these centaurs a "show of force" to intimidate them, who knows what trouble they might cause inside the castle later.

Lei En used his Soul Eye to assess that Zhuo Ao's strength equated to a human high‑rank berserker, no wonder he could lead a tribe.

Then we'll cut him down, a lesson for the rest.

Lei En did not wish to act personally; it would diminish his stature.

"Ge Long."

The Ma Ku La Ge Ren standing behind stepped forward and replied, "Boss!"

Lei En said calmly, "See to it that you treat Mr. Zhuo Ao properly, so he learns what etiquette is; in my castle, discordant voices are not allowed."

"Yes, the boss's Willpower is my Willpower."

Hearing Lei En's command, Ge Long instantly became excited; he had just received a symbiotic boost, his strength yearning for release, lamenting the lack of a chance to train.

The mercenary corps roared, the centaurs glared at Lei En, and began shouting.

Ai Mili Si instinctively wanted to intervene, opened her mouth, but said nothing.

Demon sorcerer Ding Laji's short frame stepped in front of Ge Long, shouting, "Sir, Zhuo Ao means no harm; please preserve the harmony."

"Little dwarf, get out of my way; I don't need you to sweet‑talk for me," Zhuo Ao licked his lips, a flash of brutality in his eyes, "I want to see how you'll entertain me."

Saying that, he raised his spear and spurred his four hooves forward.

His heavy iron hooves left deep prints on the ground, completely ignoring Ding Laji still in the middle, as if intending to trample him to death.

Ding Laji helplessly shook his head and sighed; his form turned into a wisp of black smoke that flickered to Ai Mili Si's side.

In front of Lei En, Ge Long brandished a massive sword and charged.

Bang!

The distance between them was short; they collided head‑on in an instant. Ge Long ignored Zhuo Ao's spear, letting it pierce his shoulder, and with their heads nearly level, his skull hammered Zhuo Ao's face like a head‑butt.

Zhuo Ao let out a howl, his face blooming with pain, involuntarily dropping the spear, then the massive sword struck his body; a huge hand, like iron tongs, seized his foreleg, delivering crushing force, and both man and horse were thrown.

Ge Long, knowing he could not kill, tossed aside the massive sword, mounted the horse, and began hammering punches down.

He gave no thought to technique or defense, bearing Zhuo Ao's counterattacks and flying hooves, delivering a flurry of blows that pounded the centaur to the ground.

Bang bang bang…

Each punch hit flesh, blood splattering.

Ge Long's Element of Strength was near level five; his fists weighed over ten thousand pounds, and with the Heavy‑Hit Element, even Zhuo Ao's thick hide and flesh, after dozens of blows, his cries grew weaker, he coughed blood, his hooves flailed uselessly, and he finally fell unconscious.

"Enough," Lei En said, seeing that further striking would be fatal, and called a halt.

Only then did Ge Long release his grip, stand up, still feeling a lingering urge, pulling out the half‑pierced spear still lodged in his shoulder; the spear had penetrated only about an inch, the bleeding stopped instantly and was rapidly healing.

"Insults are harsh, but this unscathed beating is boring."

He spat out a mouthful of saliva, looked around, and shouted, "If anyone still defies the boss, step forward!"

Though the centaurs were furious, they were frightened by such a barbaric fighting style, trembling with dread; no one dared to provoke.

A few of Aimeilis were all wearing expressions of disbelief.

They recognized Ge Long; just a few hours ago he was merely a mid‑level barbarian, but suddenly he seemed like a completely different person, his power skyrocketing, almost on par with Xika Liusi!

This kind of strength and defense was simply absurdly strong.

Aimeilis couldn't help but wonder—had she misjudged?

When Ge Long picked up his greatsword and stood behind Lei En, she snapped back to attention and ordered, "Treat Zhuo Ao, let him rest properly; don't let him move around for the next few days."

Two centaur priests hurried over, casting spells to heal their leader's wounds.

Lei En's gaze swept over them; every centaur tribe has priests who can sense the forces of nature, comprehend spells for healing and supporting their kin in battle, and also possess offensive spellcasting, mostly tied to wind or lightning elements.

Among this batch of centaurs there were six priests, whose magical power level was comparable to that of a second‑ to third‑tier caster.

"Lord."

Aimeilis came forward and said, "We will be responsible for the castle's defense; please rest assured, my lord."

Lei En nodded, "Then it's yours. I've already arranged food and lodging; the castle has enough vacant rooms for you all to move in."

"Thank you, my lord."

Aimeilis began to bustle about, but she did not let the centaurs stay inside the castle.

Centaurs are a nomadic people by nature and are unaccustomed to living in man‑made structures; they brought their own tents and, on the hill and meadow outside the castle, erected more than twenty large tents in less than half an hour, each housing seven or eight centaurs, scattered around the castle's perimeter.

The elite iron guard of the mercenary corps also took over the silver‑armored knights' posts, standing on the walls in rotating watches.

Lei En did not intervene; everything was arranged neatly.

Through the Voice of All Things, he sensed the movements inside and outside the castle, confirming that the centaurs had been pacified and each behaved obediently.

Several senior members of the mercenary corps gathered in Aimeilis's room to talk.

Their discussion centered on the castle's defenses and their amazement at Ge Long's transformation.

Among them, the legendary swordsman Astan was mostly silent, the ranger Bigbeier offered little insight, while Aimeilis and Demon sorcerer Ding Laji were negotiating.

This short, deformed human seemed to be the strategist of the Dragon Stone Mercenary Corps.

Lei En listened for a moment, realized the Dragon Stone Mercenary Corps harbored no ulterior motives, and turned his attention back, opening the map of the Glamorgan Domain in his study.

He stared at several key locations on the map and thought, "When Xika Liusi returns, we'll immediately begin reclaiming territory and drive all enemies out!"

It's the beginning of the month, please grant a monthly ticket! This month I won't be a couch potato; I'm going all‑out!

(End of Chapter)