Volume 1: Entering the Mortal World Chapter 14: Calamity by the Water's Edge

  In the middle of the night, the entire camp had fallen asleep, and the wilderness was quiet. On this silent night, I, lying on the ground, suddenly heard a faint vibration sound coming from the north, and was startled awake. I, who had always been on high alert, had never fallen into a deep sleep, fearing that we would be pursued again, which is why I reacted so quickly.

  The sound of horseshoes is coming from afar, with over 300 horses approaching from thirty miles away. Could it be horse thieves again? No, the sound of their horses' hooves is heavier than that of the horse thieves', indicating that the riders are wearing armor, which the horse thieves do not wear. There can only be one explanation - the current King Alsto of Mosan has sent pursuit troops! It seems he couldn't find me in the city and guessed I would leave Mosan to hide in another country. I reckon this is not the only batch of people he's sent, probably a large number of cavalry have also been dispatched to the western border of Dekster Empire.

  If they came here, things would be bad, and a solution had to be found. Concentrating my mind, I pressed my ear tightly against the ground and listened seriously to the various sounds coming from the ground, even the smallest sound was included. Finally, I heard the kind of sound I wanted to find, hehe, Alstot's henchmen, you didn't expect such a grand welcome, did you?

  I struggled out of the tight grip of Celine's limbs, and she was awakened by my movement. With a drowsy look in her eyes, she asked me: "Where are you going so late?"

  "Go pee, you can keep sleeping, baby." She then buried her head into the pillow and continued to fall asleep.

  A team of galloping cavalry was rushing across the dark night on the Mohe grassland, with every rider's face filled with determination. The armor they wore was covered with dew from the night, and the cold wind blowing in their faces made their cloaks flutter loudly, but their resolute eyes remained unchanged.

  With this cavalry was the deputy captain of the palace guard, Ramar, who still had anger and humiliation in his heart. He was also present at the battle of the palace that time, watching in horror as the man slaughtered his subordinates, while he could do nothing but watch him escape from the palace after the massacre, that humiliation had already been etched into his heart.

  But that night, even Queen Celine was kidnapped, and from all the signs, it seemed to be done by that monstrous man again. This was an eternal shame for him as a palace guard, and the flames of anger in his eyes couldn't be weakened even by the slightest bit of cold wind.

  He suddenly pulled hard on the reins of his horse, which reared up and pawed at the air with its front hooves. The cavalrymen behind him also came to a stop. Rama's pupils constricted as he saw a figure emerge from the darkness like a ghost, its familiar black hair and eyes as dark as the night sky making it clear that the person he was looking for had appeared before his eyes.

  "Welcome, I wonder what's the hurry? If you need to, I don't mind sending you off." I stood calmly in front of this cavalry team, looking at these doomed warriors.

  Rama was enraged by me, shouting: "You damned bastard! You dare to appear in front of me, this time you must be killed!" The voice was so loud that even his fine horse couldn't help but neigh.

  "Hmph!" I sneered with disdain: "You useless bunch, can't even protect your own queen, yet you dare to be so insolent here."

  "Despicable, it's you indeed!" Rama's teeth were about to shatter with rage. If she didn't kill the other today, she'd rather die here.

  "Men of Mosan! The man before us is the one who brought shame to our entire nation! He conspired with other assassins to murder our old king and crown prince! Countless tribal leaders were also slaughtered, including some from your own tribes! And now, this fugitive has even kidnapped our beloved queen! Shouldn't we chop him into pieces to avenge the humiliation he brought upon Mosan?! Speak loudly and answer me!!"

  "Kill! Kill! Kill!" The Moors' cavalrymen were frenzied with emotion, and if looks could kill, I would have been torn to pieces by their angry gaze.

  I didn't expect Alsto to pin the crime of killing the king on me, I suppose those warriors who died at the banquet are my so-called accomplices, their corpses after death still have to face countless angry people, even I sympathize with them.

  "Kill!!" The thunderous sound of horseshoes shook the air, and the cavalrymen roared with anger as they charged towards me, their curved knives reflecting cold light in their hands, their bright armor forming an iron-clad ocean. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have been intimidated by this momentum, but I instead advanced forward, charging head-on into those frenzied cavalrymen. The two sides clashed fiercely after a brief charge.

  Even the horses that were galloping at full speed and collided head-on with my brutal charge were blown away like light leaves, along with their riders, who crashed heavily into their companions behind them. The sound of steel clashing and the dying screams indicated that they had lost their lives under this extremely violent impact.

  I ducked my head and dodged a saber that was swung at my neck, then counterattacked and split the knight and his horse in two with one swing of my sword. This was already the twenty-seventh person I had killed, but those cavalrymen, still fueled by their emotions, continued to surround me and fight recklessly, over three hundred horses and men encircling me, blocking off all escape routes. Meanwhile, Rama, who was directing the battle, had a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, as if he could already see the scene where this formidable enemy would finally exhaust himself to death.

  Hehe, this is exactly what I wanted. They've all lost their momentum because they're surrounding me, which makes it easier for me to carry out my plan.

  Suddenly, the war horses under the cavalrymen began to get restless**, they neighed in terror and raised their front hooves, from time to time some of the cavalrymen were thrown off their horses, making it difficult for them to control those frightened mounts, and for a while they could no longer launch an attack on me.

  It seems like it's already here, I revealed a successful smile.

  "A pack of wolves!!" A terrified shriek rang out, and following the direction of his pointing finger, the crowd saw a sea of wild wolves surging towards them.

  The knights who couldn't escape in time collided with the ferocious wolves, their warhorses were knocked to the ground by the frenzied wolf pack, and the cavalrymen who desperately swung their blades were bitten through the throat by the howling beasts. The fresh blood stimulated them to become even more frantic, and in an instant, all the knights were surrounded by the wolves, the cries of men and beasts mixed together, making it seem especially tragic.

  "Warriors, do not be afraid! Gather around, take up your weapons and send these damned things to hell!" Ram shouted loudly as he struck down a massive wolf with one slash of his knife.

  Those frightened war horses were completely unable to move in the midst of a pack of ferocious wolves with sharp fangs, and riding on them made it even harder to resist the wolf bites from under their feet. Under Rama's command, the remaining cavalrymen dismounted and gathered together, back to back, defending against the constantly attacking wolf pack. With the defense of their armor, they managed to hold off the surging tide for a moment, while those poor war horses didn't even last a second before being torn to shreds.

  However, the wolves surrounding them were too numerous. As soon as one wolf was repelled, two more with razor-sharp teeth would pounce over, biting onto the metal armor and producing a sharp scraping sound.

  "Ah!" A soldier was caught off guard and knocked to the ground by a wolf that pounced from the side, and was then dragged into a pack of wolves. His agonized screams and the sound of the hungry wolves devouring his flesh struck the fragile nerves of the remaining people, causing some to collapse and become food for the ravenous wolves.

  Standing afar, I silently mourn for those knights surrounded by tens of thousands of wolves, hoping that their flesh can be eaten a bit cleaner.

  All of this was within my plan. First, I found the wolf pack's den in a distant place and shot an arrow through the wolf king's cub, then led the enraged wolf king and its pack here, attracting Mo San's cavalry to stay put, and finally flashed out quickly from among the chaotic cavalry before the wolf pack surrounded them, letting those cavalrymen take the wolf king's wrath for me. Even if someone finds their corpses later, they will only think that they were attacked by wolves. What a vicious plan of borrowing a knife to kill, I couldn't help but admire my own cunning.

  The cavalry leader who had been standing till the end was finally knocked to the ground by a hungry wolf, his golden armor losing its luster under the wolves' dull fur. I knew it was time for me to leave, or else I would be discovered again and that wouldn't be fun.

  I sprinkled some odor-removing powder on my body, so those wild wolves wouldn't be able to smell me again. I identified the direction and ran towards the campsite in big strides. It's better to leave this place as soon as possible. If those wolf packs still haven't had enough, they might attack the campsite. In case of danger, it's best to avoid it as soon as possible.

  Back in the tent, I woke everyone up. At first they were all drowsy and didn't know what was happening, but as soon as I said "the wolf pack is coming", they quickly got ready with their gear and set off. The wolf pack, a nightmare of the grasslands, is something that no one traveling here wants to encounter.

  Watching the camp gradually move away, I don't know if they can escape the attack of the nearby wolf pack. If not, then it's their bad luck.

  However, they were indeed unlucky. When we had already walked a long way, I vaguely heard the miserable cries of humans in my ears. It seemed that the angry wolf pack was not satisfied after eating those Mosan cavalrymen and attacked that camp again. Although it was unexpected, but after all, it was a large tribe, so the wolf pack would eventually be repelled. This also solved a worry for me, at least I didn't have to worry about having a wolf pack hanging around the convoy.

  After being attacked by horse thieves, everyone on this road is walking in fear, and even a little wind blowing through the grass makes them tense. Even Kol's face, with his rich experience, has a few points of solemnity, while Lifman hides in his carriage all day, not showing his face at all. After all, he knows that someone wants to harm him on his way home, and no one will be relaxed.

  Perhaps it was good luck that had come, all the way to the border of the Weldon Kingdom, no one came to attack us again. Looking at the towering Nathis border fortress in front of him, everyone let out a sigh of relief from the bottom of their hearts, especially Liveman, as long as they reached the territory of Weldon, Baron Peter would not be able to openly attack this team anymore.

  Maybe it's because they've been on that monotonous grassland for too long, but now everyone can't help but feel a little restless, especially those mercenaries. They gaze at the taverns by the street with eyes shining brightly, their mouths watering so much that drool is about to drip down. If they hadn't yet received their wages, they would have already rushed in.

  Xī Lín Nà was here for the first time, curiously scanning the various ornaments on display at the merchants' stalls around her. Although they were not high-end goods, a woman's nature is to be attracted to things that shine and sparkle.

  Under the urging of the crowd, the carriage arrived at the Silver Sword Chamber of Commerce where Lifeman belonged at an extremely fast speed. Then, under the accompaniment of the chamber's accountant, a whole load of spices and jewels were registered into storage.

  As he watched the goods he had labored to transport being registered and carried away in an endless stream, Lievman's mood was exceptionally good. A large sum of money would soon be transferred into his own name, and this journey's hardships were finally getting their reward. In high spirits, he promptly paid the Windstorm Mercenary Corps the compensation they deserved, and these men who had been stifled for so long let out strange cries as they swarmed towards the brothel tavern like a hive of bees. Getting drunk on wine today was their lifestyle, after all, no one knew whether they would still be alive in the next battle.

  "Really, you don't want to join us?" This was the thirty-second time Koro asked me, and I also firmly told him for the thirty-second time: "I won't join!"

  This guy has been pestering me to join the Storm Mercenaries ever since he saw my skills last time, but this kind of hard work that doesn't pay much, how could I possibly agree, so I firmly refused him. However, he still wouldn't give up and kept persuading me, boasting about how great life would be after joining the mercenaries, pestering me until I got a headache, if he weren't an acquaintance, I really wanted to leave some marks on his already not-so-good-looking face with a punch.

  "Alas, you've rejected me so many times, it seems like you won't change your mind. However, if one day you suddenly come to your senses, you can leave a message for me at the Mercenary Guild, and the Whirlwind Mercenary Team will always keep its doors open for you." Knowing that parting was imminent, and seeing that he couldn't persuade me after all, Koro stopped his attempts to dissuade me.

  He shook his head and walked dejectedly in the direction of the tavern, that desolate back view was hard to look at, but I wouldn't be fooled by his pitiful appearance, all of this was just a pose he put on to elicit sympathy, if you believed it, he'd have reason to smile secretly.

  Levman, who had already checked the goods, came to my and Celine's side with a dancing gait, his face full of joy as if he had lost 100 pounds, apparently this time he would make a handsome profit.

  "Oh, lovely couple, I'm really happy today, come on, let's go to the best restaurant in town and have a big feast." His words made Celine's face flush. Since we arrived at Weiton, I didn't ask her to wear a veil anymore. When everyone first saw Celine's stunning beauty, they were all stunned, even Colonel, who couldn't help but stare for a moment. It was the same on this trip, people passing by would often be mesmerized by her face and some even tripped over without noticing the road ahead.

  Liefman couldn't help but be attracted to the beauty in front of him, but he was relatively calm and composed, only momentarily stunned before regaining his composure. In a merchant's eyes, no matter how beautiful a woman is, she can't compare to the solidity of gold.

  The banquet under Lievman's arrangement was held in a three-story building near the center of the fortress. We arrived at a private room on the third floor, where Lievman had already informed the hotel to prepare a sumptuous feast. Unlike Mosan's all-meat dishes, Wighton's agriculture is very developed, so the food here is diverse and abundant. Vegetables like eggplants and cabbage that are hard to find in Mosan are everywhere, and there are also some unknown vegetables that taste extremely fresh and delicious. When I saw so many fresh vegetables, I couldn't help but throw away my usual elegant demeanor and eat them up big mouthfuls, and Lievman was no exception. Watching us eat like this, Lievman was stunned for a while, until he realized that the food on the table was getting less and less, then he joined our ranks and started eating enthusiastically. This meal was eaten with great satisfaction, and when we were full, our stomachs couldn't hold anything else.

  After finishing our meal, at Liveman's suggestion, we strolled along the street. The people coming and going from the Nathis fortress were mostly merchants, some selling livestock, others smuggling jewels, and even some trading slaves. I was impressed by Liveman's extensive connections, as many of these people knew him, and when they saw us, they would give him a warm hug. However, when they tried to hug Cielina in the same manner, my large sword made them quickly change their minds.

  Xīnlíng's beauty was really eye-catching, especially in this mixed dragon and snake border area. Every man who passed by seemed to have his soul hooked away by her. Some bold ones even came forward to flirt with her, and it was hard to drive them away. It made me furious, and I kicked one of them. Hehe, the person I kicked probably won't be able to think about women for a while. No choice, who let him dare to pester my woman? My jealousy is very strong after all.

  However, when the trend of encountering more and more suitors became increasingly obvious, even Serena had already started to frown, and in the end, she could only continue to wear a veil for us to get some peace and quiet. It seems that a woman's beauty can sometimes be a trouble too.