Chapter 580: Viper

“Lord Sir, we have confirmed it. The Viper Bandits are just ahead!”

Goeff wore a leather cuirass made of cured cowhide, reinforced with iron plates sewn onto vital areas, making it far safer than ordinary leather armor. Looking toward the nearby village, his eyes burned with intensity: “This gang numbers fifty men, and they have also taken control of a village of wildlings for supplies, allowing them to move swiftly and making it difficult for the authorities to track their movements…”

“But even the most concealed fortress will eventually be known to others…”

Wu Ming smiled.

As for his decision to lead a military expedition against the bandits, the surrounding noble families were naturally delighted, as they considered it an extremely dangerous undertaking.

Although he had written letters seeking assistance, no soldiers were sent by the recipients. However, they did share intelligence as requested.

With this network, Wu Ming had already gained a thorough understanding of the bandits around his territory and the general locations of the wildlings.

With superior intelligence, equipment, and troop quality, he could hardly imagine any reason for defeat.

Of course, to avoid any extremely unlucky low-probability events, such as a collapse in morale, Wu Ming had still come personally to command the operation.

“Goeff, from now on, you will take command!”

Wu Ming spread his hands, allowing two attendants behind him to help him don his knight’s armor, fully encasing him in steel. Then he mounted his warhorse.

“Sir, you are going to…”

Before Goeff could finish speaking, he looked on in astonishment as Wu Ming rode off swiftly, like an arrow flying toward the bandits’ outpost.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The fierce wind howled, and in an instant, Wu Ming had reached the outpost, even able to see the wooden palisades and sharp chevaux-de-frise atop them.

“For justice and glory!”

He shouted, raising his spear and lifting two sections of the fence, allowing him to charge into the outpost.

“It’s a knight!”

Bang!

A bandit cried out in alarm, only to be struck in the chest by the warhorse and flung backward like a broken sack of cloth.

Pupu!

Wu Ming rode through the enemy ranks, his spear thrusting rapidly, several bandits fell to the ground and were trampled into pulp.

“Shoot!”

On the opposite side, a cold-faced leader emerged, flanked by a dozen robbers armed with crossbows. He roared a command, and a hail of arrows filled the sky like locusts descending.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Wu Ming skillfully maneuvered his horse, dodging most of the arrows. The remaining few struck his breastplate, producing sparks, but only left faint marks.

“Die for me!”

He leapt high, landing amidst the crowd, unsheathing his cross-shaped sword, which flashed like silver light.

The bandits’ bows around him snapped, one after another collapsing into pools of blood. Occasionally, blades struck him, but were blocked by his sturdy armor, leaving no damage. Those bandits who attempted to strike him were killed one by one, leaving corpses strewn everywhere.

At this moment, Wu Ming truly displayed the terror of a knight in this world.

His immense strength, abundant stamina, and the protection of his steel armor transformed him into a dedicated killing machine.

“Blade technique—Thunder Slash!”

Suddenly, Wu Ming dashed forward, arriving before the bandit leader and bringing his longsword down from above.

Bang!

The bandit leader hastily drew a saber to block, but was no match for the sword technique from the church. His saber was knocked aside, and then he was split in two from the middle.

“Excellent! No wonder this killing technique, refined and perfected over centuries by the church, is so effective!”

Wu Ming exclaimed in admiration.

With his mental power and observation skills, even though Adrian had only demonstrated the technique once, he had memorized it completely. Now, with a slight attempt, the effect was extraordinary.

“What are you still waiting for? Follow me in the charge!”

Behind him, Goeff watched in amazement as Wu Ming almost single-handedly breached the entire outpost, immediately shouting loudly and urging his own warriors forward with a whip and spear.

After all, with the enemy’s morale already shattered and their strength greatly diminished, this would be an incredible victory with minimal casualties—an excellent opportunity to boost confidence.

“Charge!”

The militiamen hesitated, then clumsily launched their charge.

Although they had been well-trained, once on the battlefield, they seemed to forget everything they had learned, even losing formation. If the bandits in the outpost had taken the opportunity to counterattack, there would have been heavy casualties.

But at this point, Wu Ming had already wreaked havoc inside the outpost, almost single-handedly defeating the Viper Bandits, leaving no one to resist, which naturally gave them a significant advantage.

“Goeff! Have the men surround all the entrances to this place, take bows and arrows, and shoot anyone who tries to leave!”

Seeing Goeff approach, Wu Ming immediately issued orders and threw a severed head to the ground: “Recognize him?”

Goeff crouched down and saw that the head belonged to a mercenary in his forties or fifties, with a sinister face and an expression of surprise.

“Viper?!”

“Yes, he was the leader of the Viper Bandits, and I have already killed him. Using his head to intimidate the wildlings would be perfect.”

Wu Ming looked around and saw the militiamen beginning to attack the remaining bandits, finishing off the defeated, and also extending their hands toward the ordinary wildling houses behind the outpost. Faint cries of distress could be heard, causing him to frown: “Go down there and restrain them!”

Although allowing the soldiers to plunder could quickly replenish supplies and boost morale, Wu Ming did not want to lead an army that was uncontrollable.

“No burning, no indiscriminate killing… Gather all the wildlings to the central square and identify the members of the bandit gang!”

Wu Ming’s lips curled into a cold smile: “If any of our soldiers violate my orders, no matter who they are, kill them immediately!”

“At once!”

Goeff shuddered, but seeing Wu Ming, fully armored and covered in blood, looking like a demon from hell, he dared not utter a word of protest and rushed out directly.

With Goeff going down to relay the orders, the chaos quickly subsided.

As for the resisting wildlings, Wu Ming naturally had no mercy for them, killing everyone regardless of age or gender.

Eventually, some prisoners were gradually driven out from their homes and brought to the square in front of the outpost, a sea of heads numbering over a hundred.

“Listen to me! I… am the lord of the Karos Territory, a knight ennobled by Lord Baron Lanshan, and the guardian of the Tack Mountains—William Wallace! I have already killed the leader of the Viper Bandits, and his head is right here!”

Wu Ming held up Viper’s head to intimidate them: “You now have two choices. First, submit to me and become my serfs, and I will guarantee your safety. Second, resist me and go to the hellfire to repent!”

Under absolute military suppression and after many resisters had been killed, the wildlings looked terrified and fearful, but no one dared to voice opposition.

“Excellent! From now on, you are all the subjects of my Karos Territory!”

Wu Ming immediately announced, then ordered them to disperse by family unit and assigned soldiers to guard them.

Subsequently, the remaining single men were brought before him one by one for identification.

After separating men from women, Wu Ming slightly extended his perception and couldn’t help but smile as he sensed a large amount of fear, malice, and hidden murderous intent.

Fear and malice were normal; Wu Ming naturally didn’t expect his invasion to be met with flowers and applause. However, those with murderous intent could not be spared.

As for families, they were the favorite of slave owners, having concerns and being large in number, making them the most obedient and contented laborers.

“This one! This one! And that one! Kill them all!”

Wu Ming pointed casually, identifying several individuals harboring murderous intent. These were either escaped bandits or sympathizers, not worth wasting effort on.

“Ahh!”

These prisoners had their hands bound, and beside them stood fully armed soldiers. Several soldiers thrust their spears, killing them instantly.

Goeff looked at the fallen bandits and then at Wu Ming, feeling a chill in his heart.

From his experience, after separating these people, he had indeed identified a few who might be bandits, but he never expected the lord to be even more certain. Such decisiveness in killing was something he had never seen before.

“Perhaps this lord possesses the ability to see into people’s hearts…”

He thought silently, involuntarily increasing his respect and fear toward Wu Ming.

“Bring out all the loot and severed heads!”

After identifying the slaves, Wu Ming continued to issue orders.

Although the Viper Bandits were not particularly wealthy, they had still gathered a batch of leather armor, bows and arrows, swords and spears, as well as a large amount of grain.

Seeing the pile of supplies stacked like a small hill in the square, many of the wildlings couldn’t help but weep softly.

They knew that without these supplies, even if Wu Ming did not take them away, they would have to leave this place, or they would not survive the winter.

“Not bad. Register everything and prepare to transport the prisoners and supplies back later!”

Wu Ming picked up a bag of golden coins and looked at his soldiers: “Today… apart from me, who among the soldiers was the bravest and killed the most enemies?”

“It’s Dean!”

Many of the militiamen shouted, pushing forward a young man with a few freckles on his face.

“He’s a good lad. He took down two bandits, showing great bravery!”

Goeff added from the side.

“Excellent! I will now establish a system: anyone who kills an enemy and brings back a head will be rewarded!”

“As for you, Dean!”

Wu Ming drew his sword: “Kneel!”

“Sir!”

Dean’s face flushed with excitement as he knelt on one knee.

“In the name of the lord of Karos, I grant you the status of a freeman! In addition, for your brave actions in battle, you will be rewarded with ten golden coins!”

He tapped Dean on the shoulder with his sword and threw him a pouch of money: “Furthermore, the plot of land your family is currently farming is now yours! The official documentation will be processed upon our return to the territory!”

“I swear that I will forever remain loyal to you, offering my loyalty and life, my lord!”

Dean’s face was filled with excitement as he kissed the ground at Wu Ming’s feet.