Chapter 113

“Master, we’ve captured a total of forty-two Firehorses, not a single one escaped—your servants have fully accomplished the task you assigned!”

When Gervas arrived in the canyon, Pik immediately rushed forward excitedly to report.

The thrill of capturing prey worth over two thousand gold coins stirred their hunter hearts, filling them with surging emotion.

At this moment, the Firehorses still struggled, their fierce nature unyielding despite being bound by three deep ropes.

Roar!

At that moment, Zuiyue beneath Gervas let out a low growl.

The Firehorses, which had been thrashing violently, instantly fell silent.

“Zuiyue is mighty!” Pik and the other hunters stared wide-eyed, their gazes filled with awe toward Zuiyue.

Zuiyue tilted its head slightly, looking utterly smug.

Gervas finally spoke, “Slave hunters, you’ve done excellently in today’s canyon hunt!”

“And as I’ve said before: punishment for faults, reward for merit—I, Gervas, am a man of clear justice!”

“Given your consistent good conduct and today’s great achievement, I’ve decided that in a few days, I will restore your status as serfs!”

“This…?” Pik and the others froze.

“What, don’t you like it?”

“M-Master, but we haven’t yet fulfilled your earlier requirement—to capture five thousand large wild beasts…” Pik lowered his head.

“I did set the requirement of five thousand large wild beasts for your redemption, but I, Gervas, am not a greedy landlord who hoards wealth—so that is not the sole condition for restoring your status!”

“Now that the value of your captured prey equals that of five thousand large wild beasts, I grant you restoration as serfs!”

“Of course, not just you—henceforth, all slaves in Stormhold will be treated the same!”

Upon hearing this, the hunter-slaves’ eyes shimmered with tears of excitement; they all fell to their knees with thuds.

“Master, you are the most merciful and greatest master in the world—we will work even harder to serve you from now on!”

Gervas nodded with a smile, “Rise, all of you. Your status restoration will take a few more days—so celebrate properly when the time comes!”

“Yes, Master!”

Soon, the ropes around the Firehorses were removed; each horse was gathered and tied together in long chains.

Gervas approached several mares and their foals, feeling even more satisfied—these were the seeds of hundreds, even thousands, of future Firehorses.

…

With all the Firehorses secured, the party began its return journey.

However, after passing Tianehu, Gervas ordered fifty guards to escort the hunters and their Firehorses back to the castle, while he and the knights headed southeast.

About an hour later, a modest hill over a hundred meters tall appeared ahead.

“My Lord, that is Bingxiong Mountain—beneath its cliffs lies the Ice Beast Cave… but it’s extremely dangerous; it has swallowed many people. My Lord, you must be careful!”

The guiding serf pointed to Bingxiong Mountain several hundred meters away, his face filled with fear.

Though the cave may have claimed only one or two lives, word of mouth had turned it into a demonic pit that devoured hundreds.

“Mite, your task is complete. Return to Magistrate Thomas and claim your reward of three black bread loaves. Now, just wait here for our return!”

“Thank you, My Lord’s mercy! My Lord is benevolent!”

Gervas wasted no time and led Lei Meng and the others toward Bingxiong Mountain.

As they neared Bingxiong Mountain, the temperature dropped noticeably.

Mi Gen and the others couldn’t help shivering.

“This… this place is really this cold? It’s the Heat Season—could there really be a fearsome beast here?”

Mi Gen and the others were filled with doubt.

Though it was already late summer, the temperature remained high, and everyone sweated in their short tunics.

Yet here, the icy wind sent a chill straight to the bone.

For Mi Gen and the others, who had never known refrigerators or air conditioning, this was nothing short of a “heavenly anomaly.”

“There’s no beast—Zuiyue reported that beneath Bingxiong Mountain lies an underground cold spring, creating a cave perpetually frozen!”

“So, feeling this chill as we approach isn’t strange at all!”

“So Zuiyue already scouted this? Then we’re reassured—My Lord, Zuiyue is incredible! Even such a hidden place was found!”

Mi Gen and the others turned to look at Zuiyue, their eyes brimming with admiration.

Zuiyue: “???”

Yet despite the confusion, Zuiyue was well accustomed to the worshipful glances of these two-legged creatures.

‘Two-legged creatures, worship! I, a divine being, am rarer than dragons—your privilege to gaze upon my glorious visage is already your honor!!’

The doubt vanished from Zuiyue’s eyes; it lifted its head high, turning its face left and right to let the two-legged creatures admire its majestic countenance from every angle.

“My Lord, the cave is right there.”

As they spoke, the group circled a quarter of the way around Bingxiong Mountain’s base.

As the cold intensified, a black opening appeared in the shaded hollow ahead.

Gervas immediately dismounted and approached with his subordinates.

At the cave entrance, a shrill whistling sound filled their ears.

The icy wind blowing from within was colder than falling into an ice cellar.

“Clack-clack-clack, M-My Lord, this is as cold as the Frost Season!”

Mi Gen and the others were not titled knights; now, the biting wind made them shiver so badly they could barely speak!

“You wait outside. Lei Meng and I will go in and take a look.”

After briefly channeling his battle aura, the cold receded significantly; Gervas and Lei Meng wrapped their shoes in linen for grip, lit torches, and entered the cave.

The cave was not deep—after walking twenty meters along a two-meter-wide passage, the space opened abruptly into a seventy-square-meter cavern.

The vertical drop inside the cavern matched the system’s description: over ten meters.

The cavern walls were steep and coated in thick ice; if one slipped, without stairs or handholds, escape would be impossible.

Especially for ordinary people—in such low temperatures, they’d freeze solid within minutes.

“It really is an ice cave, My Lord—this is incredible!”

Staring at the thick ice layers, Lei Meng couldn’t help exclaiming.

Indeed, even Gervas, the transmigrator, hadn’t imagined such a miraculous natural ice cellar could exist.

“It truly is miraculous—henceforth, Stormhold will never lack ice again! Hah!”

Gervas burst into laughter.

As in ancient times of his past life, ice was a precious commodity in this world outside the Frost Season.

Especially in the relatively warm southern regions.

Only the highest nobility could afford the resources to dig ice cellars.

Most minor nobles couldn’t enjoy ice during summer.

As for commoners—forget it.

Thus, this endless ice source was no different from a miniature treasure basin!

For example, selling ice blocks to other nobles in summer—seven or eight silver coins per block isn’t unreasonable, is it?

If each noble in the region contributed three or five gold coins annually,

and you secured twenty to thirty steady customers, you’d earn over a hundred gold coins a year, minimum.

It’s not a fortune, but it’s steady, like a slow-flowing stream.