Transformation

Seeing Nord's puzzled expression, Harlen looked at the emblem on Nord's chest, his gaze complex.

"Every Amon Eagle is untamed; they are the overlords of the sky. No other bird dares to challenge their majesty. Legend has it that eagles drop their young in various places, and only those who can fly to Monhere Peak, the highest peak in the Amon Mountains, are truly recognized by their kind."

It was the first time Nord had heard about the origin of his family's emblem, even if it was from a stranger. Nord wanted to ask Harlen why he knew so much, but before he could speak, Harlen cut him off.

"Benny's father went hunting. I, an old man, still have some reputation. I'll go tell the Mountain Dwellers this good news now, so they'll suffer a little less."

Harlen avoided Nord's gaze, slowly walking towards the other Mountain Dwellers' homes, leaning on his staff. Nord watched, feeling somewhat helpless, deciding he would have to find another opportunity to probe him later.

Nord followed Harlen, notifying every Mountain Dweller household. Most of the adult men had already gone hunting, leaving only women and children at home. Nord had Ryman, Old Mor, and the others take these hungry women and children to dig for wild yams near the Mountain Stronghold, while Nord himself wandered around the Mountain Stronghold.

As dusk fell and the sky gradually darkened, the men who had gone hunting returned to the Mountain Stronghold one after another. Some of the men who had no catch looked a bit dejected, unsure how to face their wives and children waiting at home. They returned home with a sense of guilt, only to find an unexpected surprise.

Nord remained in Benny's home, hoping to uncover Harlen's background, but Harlen was, after all, an old fox, and Nord gained nothing.

Benny's father was named Wagner, in his forties, similar in age to Old Mor, but much stronger than Old Mor. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; his increasingly thin body still showed glimpses of his former robust build. The first thing he did upon entering was stare at Ryman in the crowd, as if he knew who among Nord's group was the strongest fighter.

Especially after learning that Ryman had once saved Benny's life, he burst into laughter, slapping Ryman's sturdy chest and saying, "So you saved my son's life! Good lad, your build reminds me of myself back in the day. If I were still young, I'd definitely spar with you today, unlike my son Benny, who's so thin and weak!"

He then glared at Benny, who was still watching the scene unfold, and Benny immediately shrank his neck in fear, his eyes filled with grievance.

Nord looked at Benny's unruly father with a wry smile. He was still like this at such an old age. Nord couldn't help but inwardly complain about Benny's family: the elder was learned and wise, the middle one was unruly, and the youngest was timid and weak. He wondered how they managed to be a family.

Nord stopped his wild thoughts. Since he had found the Distant Mountain Stronghold, the plan to develop the mountains could begin. So, Nord turned his gaze to Harlen, the oldest and wisest elder of the Distant Mountain Stronghold.

"Elder Harlen, do you know the locations of the nearby Mountain Strongholds?"

Harlen sized up Nord, a glint flashing in his cloudy eyes, and said with a half-smile, "Viscount Nord, I'm just a bit old, not some 'elder.' There are still quite a few Mountain Strongholds around. The Distant Mountain Stronghold is the southernmost Mountain Stronghold in the Amon Mountains. Past South Boundary Mountain, the Mountain Strongholds start to become more numerous."

Nord's face showed a puzzled expression. Was there any significance to the location of South Boundary Mountain?

"Why do the Mountain Strongholds become more numerous after South Boundary Mountain?"

Harlen's gaze was somewhat profound, making Nord feel a little unnerved. After a long silence, Harlen sighed and said meaningfully, "It's been so many years that not many people remember clearly. But the Mountain Dwellers in the Amon Mountains have lived north of South Boundary Mountain for generations, never having stepped across South Boundary Mountain."

Hearing Harlen say this, Nord seemed to guess something, so he tentatively asked Harlen, "So, can we try to change things now?"

Harlen looked at Nord with a chuckle, as if he had heard something very interesting, and his tone changed.

"Viscount Nord, how do you plan to change things? Do you think changing the rules that the Amon Mountain Stronghold has upheld for a thousand years will be as easy as you say?"

Nord looked directly at Harlen, his eyes filled with sincerity and confidence, persuading Harlen word by word.

"In my hometown, there's an old saying: 'When poor, change; when changed, prosper; when prosperous, endure.' If it weren't for my arrival, who knows how much longer the Distant Mountain Stronghold could have lasted, or how many people would starve on cold nights each year. The time for change has come. Can you truly bear to see your descendants suffer the taste of poverty and hunger every year?"

Perhaps something in his words moved Harlen. The elderly man looked at Nord with vacant eyes, his expression somewhat dazed. Looking at the sincere Nord, Harlen seemed to remember something, sighed, and his gaze gradually hardened. He slowly began to speak.

"Speak, Viscount Nord, what do you plan to do? I will do my best to help you. This old man still has some influence among the surrounding Mountain Strongholds."

Nord's heart swelled with joy. He hadn't expected the seemingly stubborn Harlen to agree so easily. A smile unconsciously spread across his face. Nord thought carefully and cautiously explained his plan to Harlen.

"This is what I'm thinking: first, I'll disseminate news of the wild yams to the surrounding Mountain Strongholds in my name, so they can safely get through the frost and cold seasons."

Harry's eyes flashed with approval. He admired Nord's actions in spreading the news of wild yams to the surrounding Mountain Strongholds. Not all nobles were so selfless. In Harlen's memory, nobles were all selfish vampires, even if Nord also had some cleverness about him.

"I will spread this good news to all Mountain Strongholds in the Amon Mountains in your name, Viscount Nord Isaac. For the sake of the Amon Eagle, I will do my best to help you."

Nord lowered his head again to look at his family emblem. Could Harlen have a connection with his family? It seemed he would have to investigate thoroughly later. But then, remembering that he was the only remaining heir of the Isaac Family, Nord felt a headache coming on—there was nothing much to investigate. Soon, Nord pushed this thought aside and began to explain the rest of the plan to Harlen.

"I plan to first establish a trade relationship with the Distant Mountain Stronghold, using my resources to exchange for some medicinal herbs, furs, and other resources from the Amon Mountains. Then, I'll gradually expand to the surrounding Mountain Strongholds. I believe you are also very eager for outside resources."

Harry was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the young Viscount Nord to be so composed, not drastically changing the rules of the Mountain Stronghold directly, but instead slowly breaking down the dams in the Mountain Dwellers' hearts with such a gentle approach.

Harlen also greatly approved of this method. Undoubtedly, such a way of doing things was more seasoned, which made Harlen think even more highly of Nord. It seemed this young Viscount was even more outstanding than he had believed.

"We will temporarily use the Distant Mountain Stronghold as a pilot, slowly pushing our transformation. I believe this will be like a great flood—once it gains momentum, it will surge forward irresistibly!"

The immortal phoenix, forging a new dynasty. I won't even mention the MV for the punch. Congratulations to FPX for their rebirth! I hope next year it's called "Golden Rain." Xiaotian is truly fierce; the ones from YM are all monsters. So the question is, who is scamming my Piao Laoshi? There's an insider, terminate the transaction.