Chapter 547: Niya Town

Under the moonlight, several pairs of green eyes glimmered in the distance like ghostly flames.

Accompanied by the howls of wolves, the scene was enough to make anyone’s hair stand on end.

“Wargs?”

Wu Ming gazed solemnly at the giant wolf gradually revealing itself under the moonlight, tightening his grip on the longsword in his hand.

Before him stood a massive wolf nearly half a man’s height, its fur gleaming and its body large and robust, like a half-grown colt.

Those hard claws, sharp fangs, and thick fur all spoke of the terrifying nature of these killing machines.

“It’s normal to have wild wolves nearby, but why come looking for me when there’s a battlefield nearby?”

Wu Ming briefly lamented his bad luck: “Come then!”

He gripped his sword with both hands, letting the broken tip point to the ground, drawing a curved arc as he prepared himself.

“Wu wu…”

Three wargs let out low growls, beginning to circle around Wu Ming, clearly recognizing the prey wasn’t an easy target.

They roared threateningly and growled menacingly, hoping the prey would panic and flee, allowing them to chase behind, wearing down the prey’s stamina with pressure and pack tactics, minimizing the risk.

But Wu Ming would not give them that chance.

Instead, he stood ready, his eyes calm and clear, as if seeing through everything.

“Awooo!”

The standoff continued for who knows how long, when suddenly, accompanied by nearly simultaneous howls, the three wargs attacked from different directions, perfectly coordinated.

“Now!”

Wu Ming dragged his sword and suddenly spun around, the iron blade tracing a graceful arc through the air, landing on the neck of one of the wargs.

Pfu!

The iron sword showed no rust, clearly polished before battle. Though the blade had chips, it was still sharp enough to painfully pierce the warg’s neck, slicing through its tough, thick fur, only to be caught by steel-like bones.

Blood gushed out!

Two gusts of wind rushed from behind, carrying the stench of a wild beast. Clearly, Wu Ming’s preemptive strike could only manage to kill one wolf before facing the others.

At this critical moment, he calmly withdrew his sword and turned, blocking sideways! His whole body moved backward to absorb the impact.

Bang!

A tremendous force surged through, causing Wu Ming to stagger backward, feeling as if his iron sword had been caught in a vise.

Twisting his wrist, his hand brushed against something rough and warm, and he kicked out in response.

Peng!

A soft sensation came through, like kicking a thick piece of leather. Using this force, Wu Ming hastily leaped back several steps, regaining his stance, his breathing slightly heavier now, staring intently at the wargs before him.

One lay on the ground, bleeding from the neck, while another snarled, revealing a visible blood trail from its muzzle.

The last warg licked its fangs, which bore traces of blood.

Wu Ming glanced at his sword-wielding arm, seeing his torn clothes and a shallow wound on his skin—if not for his quick reflexes, he might have lost the entire arm.

“Without the support of supernatural forces like internal energy or true qi, this kind of hunting and fighting technique emphasizes speed above all else! Life and death must be decided in just a few swift moves; there’s no possibility of battling for days on end…”

Wu Ming adjusted his breathing, flipped his blade, and aimed at the remaining two wargs.

If one’s strength isn’t extraordinary, a knight going into battle must bring three horses: one for riding, one as a spare, and the last specifically for carrying armor.

Even then, a squire must help don the armor, and the knight can fight for no more than twenty minutes before exhausting himself.

The same applies in nature.

William’s untrained body, under such intense mental stress, could only manage a few more strikes before completely collapsing, leaving himself vulnerable.

But Wu Ming seized the opportunity, eliminating one warg with a single strike.

The difference between life and death lay in that single moment!

“Awooo!”

The standoff between man and wolf continued for who knows how long.

Finally, the two wargs let out a roar, seemingly realizing they had no chance of capturing their prey, and slowly retreated.

Wu Ming maintained his sword stance until the green glow vanished into the darkness before finally exhaling in relief, half-sitting on the ground, deeply grateful in his heart.

“Thankfully, there were only three lone wolves. If it had been a whole pack…”

With his current strength, even handling three wargs was extremely difficult. Facing a wolf pack, there was no doubt he would end up as a pile of bones.

At that point, the great effort his true self had invested to send him into this universe would be entirely in vain.

Moreover, this attack served as a reminder to Wu Ming.

“Right now, I’m no longer that immortal being… I should find a safe place first and travel during the day!”

…

The next day, Wu Ming rose early, setting off while dew still covered the ground. Finally, at dusk, he caught sight of the outline of Nia village.

The lords of the Windfly Plains chose their battlefield very close to home, right at their doorstep.

Otherwise, marching thousands of troops over long distances would create a logistical nightmare.

Nia village was built along a small river, surrounded by a low wooden wall and several watchtowers, from which archers could be seen keeping watch.

News of Baron Terry’s defeat had arrived early, casting a sense of unease over the entire village.

Looking at the village gate, Wu Ming did not enter directly but instead quietly waited nearby for another day.

Only after seeing several somewhat familiar faces rush into the village in a panic, apparently unharmed and not mistreated, did he casually stroll up to the village entrance.

“Who goes there? Huh?”

The patrolling soldiers examined Wu Ming, suddenly breaking into sincere smiles: “Isn’t this little William? We heard you were stabbed with a spear on the battlefield. Poor Auntie Roa even cried for you!”

“That spear didn’t actually hit me; I just fainted from fright… Anyway, thank you for your concern, Lane!”

Wu Ming recalled the name of this freckled patrol guard from memory and smiled.

“Soldier!!!”

Just then, a loud shout came from behind the village, making Wu Ming’s ears ring, and Lane instinctively straightened his posture: “Sir!”

“Return to your post!”

A middle-aged man slowly stepped out from behind the gate, eyeing Wu Ming up and down.

He had golden curly hair and eyes like a vast blue sea. His beard was not fully shaved, giving him a rugged appearance. The man resembled a golden lion wearing half-leather armor, his leather boots polished to a shine, and a guard-equipped rapier hanging at his waist.

“Good day, Instructor Lori’an!”

Wu Ming instinctively flinched, narrowing his eyes slightly.

From memory, this man was Baron Terry’s martial arts instructor, who had also trained their militia group. He was very strict, and William had once been whipped for being late, a memory still fresh.

“William, you’re back?”

Lori’an clasped his hands behind his back, pacing like an impatient lion: “I’ve heard about your situation from others. You’re not a deserter, nor were you captured. Good! You haven’t disappointed me!”

Seemingly an illusion, but in his eyes, Wu Ming thought he saw a glimmer of approval.

“Of course… Some things are beyond our control right now. Come with me… Someone at the town hall wants to meet you and hear more news…”

Lori’an walked ahead directly, leaving Wu Ming no choice but to follow, cautiously asking: “Has the Baron returned?”

“According to old Pete, he hasn’t!”

A faint, ambiguous smile curved Lori’an’s lips: “The Baron was very brave, charging at the front… so after being wounded, he was captured!”

Wu Ming immediately recalled Baron Terry’s image.

Whether that frail, perpetually pale-faced Baron was truly brave aside, whoever captured him would certainly recognize him as a valuable prisoner due to his armor inlaid with gold and silver, and thus would not harm him.

“Instructor… What will become of the Windfly Plains after this?”

Wu Ming couldn’t help but ask.

Lori’an looked back strangely at William.

In the past, he wouldn’t have asked such a question.

“Probably… it will be the same as before!”

After a while, Lori’an couldn’t give a definite answer and could only guess: “According to the sacred covenant, nobles cannot be completely eradicated. Therefore, after paying a price and swearing fealty to Viscount Garcia, our lord should be released… Of course, maybe some territory will be ceded, and a few hostages sent… but so what?”

The implication was that the hostages and territory weren’t really theirs anyway.

But Wu Ming inwardly rolled his eyes: “If the ransom is too high, the Baron will surely raise taxes upon his return, and none of his subjects will escape…”

Of course, there was no need to voice this now.

The Terry family should originally reside in the castle.

As a symbol of rule, the baron’s castle should be built in a strategically defensible location, its thick brick and stone walls capable of withstanding the assault of thousands of troops.

However, under current conditions, even though such a castle might be safe, it would also be cold and damp. Therefore, the luxurious and pleasure-loving Baron Terry preferred to live in Nia village with his family.

At this moment, as Wu Ming and Lori’an approached the mansion, he was surprised to find carriages being hastily prepared. Nurses and maids carefully carried fox fur coats and dresses, clearly in a state of bustle.

Obviously, at this time, the Baroness had sensed the village’s unease and decided to move back to the castle.