Chapter 606: Giant Tree Town

With the commencement of the offensive, the Blue Tiger Allied Forces almost instantly collapsed.

A large number of disorganized soldiers scattered in all directions, discarding their weapons and armor. Although Viscount Garcia was extremely furious, he had no choice but to order his subordinates to join the attack and eliminate all the retreating troops.

However, as soon as the orders were issued, his face turned dark, like the sky before a storm.

Although they were all under the banner of the red lion, he profoundly felt a rift between himself and the opposing side.

Having arrived at Fengying Plains and been made a viscount, Garcia had effectively become a branch of the Highland Lion family. Personal and family interests had developed subtle conflicts.

For Viscount Garcia, since his power was insufficient, he naturally needed to keep the card of Earl Lanshan in his hand, to divide and win over the Lanshan nobles, while at the same time using their strength to strive for control over the greatest power in Fengying Plains.

But the Xiongshi family didn’t need such a strategy!

They had sufficient knights, subordinate nobles, and a large number of soldiers to rule the entire Fengying Plains!

Therefore, the role of Earl Lanshan was suddenly diminished.

There was only so much fertile land, most of which were fiefs of the Lanshan nobles. To make them relinquish it naturally required wiping them out with iron and blood!

Lanshan Earl was just the beginning. What followed would inevitably be slaughter and conquest across the entire Fengying Plains!

“Fengying Plains belong to me! Mine!!!”

Garcia clenched his fist, his nails piercing into his flesh, causing blood to flow.

Unfortunately, no matter how furiously he roared inside, he couldn’t change this fact.

From the moment his family sent out troops, the situation in Fengying Plains had already started slipping out of his control, sliding toward an abyss unknown to anyone…

…

Giant Tree Town.

This was a town located midway between the battlefield and Howling Castle. Originally just a small village, it had a river and dense forest nearby, and belonged to a baron.

This baron was one of the rare shrewd individuals. He had opened several large lumber mills around the village, cutting down thick logs from deep in the mountains, then processing them simply and transporting them downstream for sale, quickly earning a large amount of Geldon.

As more and more lumberjacks settled in the village, the area gradually expanded into a town.

But now, every household in the town had their doors and windows tightly shut, watching the arriving army with fearful eyes.

Although the army also bore the Blue Tiger’s banner, their sharp swords, tall warhorses, and slightly dust-covered armor instilled great fear in them.

“Respected lords! My name is Old Barry, I am the mayor of Giant Tree Town!”

Inside the town hall, Wu Ming and several nobles had occupied the best rooms. Nearby, attendants spread out the tablecloth, bringing roasted chicken and wine.

An old man with white hair and dressed in fine clothes was brought in, greeting them in a humble and respectful tone.

“Giant Tree Town?!”

Baron Terry raised his head, elegantly holding a glass, using its rich wine to numb himself. His face was slightly flushed: “This should be the fief of Baron Shortly, right? I remember him, a very humorous and witty fellow!”

“Exactly!”

Old Barry proudly puffed out his chest, only to immediately hear a shocking message.

“Pity… Shortly was eventually surrounded, may the gods bless him!”

Baron Terry made a prayer gesture.

“Surrounded? Could it be… defeat?”

Cold sweat immediately poured down Old Barry’s face. He knew exactly what his lord had gone out to do, even conscripting many young and strong men from the town. If they were all wiped out… how would he explain it to the angry and grieving townspeople?

“Alright, as you can see, we will rest here in Giant Tree Town for one night!”

At this moment, a young noble sitting at the center spoke up.

His voice was gentle, his appearance handsome, but Old Barry immediately knew he was the real master among these nobles.

“I need you to prepare food and clean water for us, have the residents vacate their houses for the soldiers to rest! Also feed our warhorses with good fodder, add soybeans and eggs!”

Wu Ming spoke slowly: “Of course, we will pay for this!”

He casually tossed out a bag, the heavy weight inside immediately letting Old Barry know it was filled with Geldon.

“Alright, Old Barry will go prepare right away!”

He readily agreed.

After all, they were a thousand soldiers armed to the teeth!

Faced with such a mighty army, even if they didn’t give a single coin, they would still have to obediently submit to their demands. Compared to that, these nobles were actually quite reasonable.

After he left, Baron Wilfer let out a long sigh.

He was a middle-aged man in his fifties, but now looked completely gray-haired, as if he had aged several years in an instant: “The Blue Tiger Alliance is finished!”

“What should we do? Return to our fiefs?”

Baron Terry held his head, knowing that this was the worst possible course of action.

Retreating into their castles would naturally provide temporary safety, but when the red flames of war spread across the entire Fengying Plains, where would he have to retreat?

“Lord Baron William, what do you think?”

Tana stretched lazily. Among all present, she was the most relaxed.

After all, without any fief or family business, it meant she could leave at any time. Although it was a pity to lose her title of baron, compared to her life, this woman always knew how to choose.

The only reason she hadn’t left yet was because she saw a greater opportunity.

“I think we can temporarily rest here and inquire about the Earl’s situation!”

Wu Ming placed his hands on the table, interlacing his fingers slowly as he spoke.

At the mention of this, the faces of the nobles present all showed some discomfort. Although the situation had been urgent at the time, abandoning their lord and fleeing alone was still looked down upon by other nobles.

But by now, the nobles who had remained loyal to Earl Lanshan were probably already completely annihilated, and there wouldn’t be many left to gossip anyway.

“Milord!”

At this moment, the door opened and Sir Jack entered, bowing to Wu Ming: “Our scouts have found another group of people. Their leader claims to be Viscount Baler!”

“Oh?”

Wu Ming stood up: “Gentlemen… let’s go welcome them together!”

At the entrance of the town, they quickly saw Viscount Baler.

Wu Ming’s impression of this middle-aged man with a firm expression had been left at last night’s warning.

The current Baler looked somewhat disheveled, with over a hundred people following behind him in a scattered manner, clearly having suffered heavy losses during their breakout.

“Baron Terry, Baron Wilfer… and Baron William!”

Viscount Baler’s eyes swept around the group: “It’s truly fortunate to meet you all here. I bring bad news!”

He said in a heavy tone: “Earl Lanshan… has fallen in battle!”

“What?”

Terry and Wilfer exclaimed in unison.

Viscount Baler’s face showed grief, nodding: “My scouts saw it clearly. Those Highland knights gave our Earl not a single chance, shamelessly surrounding him. Our Earl fought bravely to the very end, until his head was severed!”

The sorrow on his face was not feigned, with obvious signs of panic.

Wu Ming knew what he was afraid of.

For the Xiongshi family of the Highlands, to gain control of the entire Fengying Plains, they must seize the land from the Lanshan nobles.

As members of the resistance faction, Earl Lanshan and Viscount Baler undoubtedly held the largest shares of land. After already accepting one viscount, the likelihood of accepting another viscount would be very small, since it would mean dividing the original interests! The knights and nobles below would not agree either.

In contrast, knights and barons like Wu Ming and Tana, if they sincerely pledged allegiance, might still have a chance of being incorporated.

In ancient times in the human world, there was a saying that all officials could surrender except the emperor. The same applied in this otherworld.

“My noble blood brothers…”

Viscount Baler’s gaze swept over Baron Terry and Baron Wilfer before settling on Wu Ming: “The glory of our Lanshan nobility has reached its most dangerous moment! If we cannot drive these greedy lions out of the plains, our fiefs will be confiscated, our wealth plundered, and our lives and families taken from us! Do not harbor any illusions about the enemy anymore. This is a battle to the death!”

He took a deep breath: “I must immediately return to my fief and summon all the armies! And to all the Lanshan nobles, we must unite and give our utmost strength!”

As one of the three core figures among the Lanshan nobles, with Viscount Eagle Castle having betrayed and Earl Lanshan having perished, Viscount Baler would undoubtedly become the natural leader of the alliance.

“But… My Lord Viscount, we don’t have time…”

Baron Terry murmured: “The enemy has five thousand men, perhaps more, with continuous reinforcements coming from the Highlands and Eagle Castle, and they have occupied Howling Castle…”

He had a bitter smile on his lips: “But our elite forces have already been mostly defeated, leaving only these few!”

“Then what can we do? Surrender? Let them give you the same fate as Earl Lanshan, or imprison you for life?”

This terrifying prospect immediately made Baron Terry shudder.

“One thing Baron Terry said is correct!”

Baron Wilfer pondered: “We don’t have much time left. We must quickly retake Howling Castle!”

Viscount Baler frowned, sensing the difficulty.

These small nobles before him had clearly formed an interest group, possessing hundreds of cavalry and nearly a thousand soldiers, representing the last elite forces of the Lanshan nobility.

Without convincing them, his plans would be extremely difficult to implement.

He fixed his gaze on Wu Ming, keenly sensing that this person was the true leader of the group.

Wuwu!

At that moment, a loud horn suddenly sounded outside, causing the entire town to stir.

“An army is coming! Several thousand strong!”

Baler’s scouts hurried in to report: “They bear the banner of the Karlos territory!”

At this news, the previously panicked nobles exchanged uncertain glances toward Wu Ming, their faces filled with horror.