A Child of Noble Birth Does Not Stand Under the Eaves

Li Xiaoxiao, standing beside Zhang Guangmu, felt speechless towards this wolf rider who had decisively surrendered.

Was it really that funny to act out like that?

He almost smashed this guy's dog head!

Regarding Zhang Guangmu poisoning everyone in Wolf Fortress...

Li Xiaoxiao didn't know if it was true or false, nor could he understand if there was any deeper meaning behind it, but he still insisted on standing by the Young Vice Fortress Lord's side.

Not for the antidote, but because of the phrase "little brother."

He believed that this Young Vice Fortress Lord, being the only one with eyes in the entire Wolf Fortress, was definitely ten times better than those blind fools!

"I don't accept you!"

The second wolf rider who jumped out was different from the previous one. He was clearly not just messing around, but genuinely disliked Zhang Guangmu.

His face turned red, veins bulged on his forehead, and his voice boomed like a bell: "You're not acting honorably! Poisoning people, what kind of hero are you!"

"I... I, Wang Ergou, will teach you a good lesson today!"

With that, he lunged towards Zhang Guangmu.

This time, Zhang Guangmu, Li Xiaoxiao, and the two newly defected Cub Wolf Guards didn't make a move. The wolf rider Wang Ergou was pinned to the ground by the people in the mess hall, unable to move at all, leaving him full of confusion.

"Why are you stopping me? Let me beat him up! Force him to hand over the antidote!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone threw a cold question at the brute: "What if he doesn't hand it over?"

Wang Ergou froze on the spot, his face turning from red to black.

After a long while, he mumbled, "Then fight! Fight him hard! Beat him until he hands it over!"

"What if he refuses to hand it over even if you beat him to death? Or, let me put it another way, what if he hasn't made the antidote yet?"

"..."

The brute wolf rider fell silent.

It turned out that the only chance a stubborn person had against a debater was to shut the other person's mouth with their fists.

Among the wolf riders present, someone suddenly realized a terrifying thing: when "Tian Guang" said he had poisoned everyone's food with a poison called the Ten-Day Death Potion, very few people actually doubted its authenticity. At most, they just grumbled a few words and tacitly accepted that he was telling the truth!

In this process, the Young Vice Fortress Lord's identity as "Tian Guang" was the first layer of guarantee.

His identity as the inventor of the "Flame Artifact" was the second layer of guarantee.

A young person in a high position would normally be looked down upon by their subordinates due to their youth and inexperience, even being met with superficial obedience or being easily fooled. However, this Vice Fortress Lord exuded a mature aura that didn't belong to his age. Every action, every word seemed to carry an inexplicable depth, making people feel awe and fear, daring not to approach, let alone act recklessly.

It's worth noting that "Blood Thorn," who is quite famous within Lin Xuan's team, is now by the Vice Fortress Lord's side, looking like he's ready to follow his lead!

Whether it was through charisma or coercion and enticement, the result was something any observant person could see!

Therefore...

These reasons, combined, have built the Young Vice Fortress Lord's credibility.

Upon hearing that they had been poisoned, some were furious, others were annoyed, but very few thought he was joking.

"Alright, judging by everyone's reactions, the emotions have calmed down now."

Zhang Guangmu smiled slightly and announced loudly, "Congratulations to everyone for passing my test."

"The poison formula, of course, won't be written down."

"I have it all in my head."

"Furthermore..."

"It's worth mentioning that the antidote for the Ten-Day Death Potion is not yet ready."

After speaking, Zhang Guangmu pointed outside the door: "While I was speaking just now, some people turned a deaf ear and left directly, while others tried to take advantage of the situation and chose to go inform Lin Xuan."

"I am a magnanimous person, and I will not dwell on their actions, nor will I settle scores later."

"But I will not repay kindness with enmity either, and give them the antidote free of charge."

At this point, Zhang Guangmu paused, his tone calm: "Of course, if I am still alive after the duel with Lin Xuan, all civilians will receive the antidote for free. There's no need to worry about this."

"As for the Wolf Riders and Flame Artifact users..."

He said meaningfully: "Only warriors who fight for me will have the qualification to obtain the antidote."

Zhang Guangmu suddenly turned his head, his gaze falling on Li Xiaoxiao: "Perhaps everyone doesn't know, but this little brother Blood Thorn, without any guidance, researched the Flame Artifact at almost the same time as me."

"People often say, the capable can do anything."

"In my opinion, in the entire Wolf Fortress, besides myself, only he has the potential to concoct the antidote through his own intelligence and resourcefulness."

"But... reverse-engineering the formula takes time."

"I can guarantee that even if he can reverse-engineer the antidote, the time required will absolutely exceed ten days!"

After this speech, the Wolf Riders who were still skeptical about whether the poison was real were completely shaken.

They felt that if this were a scam, it wouldn't have been possible to execute it to this extent!

Besides, many people understood the underlying meaning of Zhang Guangmu's words.

Either help him defeat Lin Xuan, or stand by and watch, and then be poisoned to death!

Even if this Young Vice Fortress Lord is defeated and killed, the others will have to be buried with him!

Ruthless!

So ruthless!

Only someone utterly devoid of morals could do such a thing!

Although they didn't quite understand why this person wasn't using poison to threaten Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan, those minor details weren't important at all.

"I am willing to defect to you, I only hope you will keep your promise and give me the antidote afterward."

"I am also willing to serve the Vice Fortress Lord with all my might!"

"Willing to be the Vice Fortress Lord's lackey!"

Humans are herd animals. Once the first person spoke, the other Wolf Riders also spoke one after another, expressing their willingness to fight for Zhang Guangmu.

"Very good."

Zhang Guangmu knew very well that loyalty was a luxury. There were definitely many insincere individuals among this group. When most of them actually fought, it would be considered full of integrity if they didn't immediately flee or betray him!

One must know that even in business wars, there are many instances of bribery, betrayal, and undercover agents, let alone in the arena of power involving life and death.

As the plot of "Wolf Fortress" has progressed to this point, the main focus is now solely on the struggle between the two major forces: the Vice Fortress Lord "Tian Guang" and the Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan.

At this juncture, every bit of additional strength is equivalent to adding a weight to one's own side of the victory scale.

Zhang Guangmu didn't care about the loyalty of the two Double Dealer Cub Wolf Guards behind him, nor did he care if the Wolf Riders in the mess hall were truly on his side.

As long as these people could stand behind him and support him, it was enough.

Suddenly, the sound of boots stomping on the ground could be heard from outside.

Just by the sound, they knew that there would be quite a few people coming.

Li Xiaoxiao's ears twitched, and his expression immediately became tense. He lowered his voice and said, "At least two hundred Wolf Riders! Lin Xuan has mobilized his entire force!"

Zhang Guangmu raised an eyebrow, his tone as calm as ever: "Understood."

After speaking, he walked out of the mess hall at a leisurely pace.

The Wolf Riders who had just pledged their allegiance could only brace themselves and follow, fearing that this person would be engulfed in flames the moment he stepped outside and die on the spot, thus implicating them and forcing them to be buried with him.

Leaving the special mess hall, the view suddenly opened up!

Surrounded by two hundred people and two hundred Flame Wolves, the Wolf Riders of the Vice Fortress Lord's faction immediately felt the disadvantage in numbers. Their hands and feet went soft, cold sweat broke out all over their bodies, and their legs trembled uncontrollably. If it weren't for the loyal Flame Wolves protecting them, they would have probably knelt down directly.

Zhang Guangmu, however, was like a youth out for a spring outing, showing no trace of nervousness on his face. Every movement he made exuded an unhurried confidence.

He even extended a finger and made a few imaginary points in the air, as if calculating the enemy's numbers.

A moment later, Zhang Guangmu lowered his hand and said to Li Xiaoxiao beside him, "You are correct."

"Exactly two hundred and one Wolf Riders."

For some reason, upon hearing Zhang Guangmu's words, the Wolf Riders of the Vice Fortress Lord's faction, who had been so nervous they could barely stand, subconsciously straightened their backs and held their heads high. As long as they weren't immediately forced into combat, they looked quite imposing from a distance.

"Such courage!"

Among the Wolf Riders surrounding the mess hall, the youth at the forefront spoke, "The Vice Fortress Lord is indeed a talented youth!"

"This is our second meeting, isn't it?"

The youth's attire was almost identical to that of the late Fortress Lord Lin Yan. He was spotless from head to toe, with an exceptionally handsome face. Beside him was a small Flame Wolf with black and red dual colors.

If it wasn't the Plot Protagonist Lin Xuan, who else could it be?

Zhang Guangmu noticed that compared to their last meeting, although less than two months had passed, the other party had undergone earth-shattering changes.

Currently, Lin Xuan habitually wore a stern expression, appearing unsmiling and making it difficult to discern any emotional fluctuations from his facial expressions. Overall, he seemed to have become more calculating.

Lin Xuan's starry eyes locked onto Zhang Guangmu, his sword-like eyebrows rising slightly. "We parted not long ago, yet it feels like just yesterday."

"The argument I had with you on the street last time feels like something that happened in a past life."

Speaking of which, Lin Xuan said expressionlessly, "Last time, I was at a disadvantage in the argument and couldn't out-debate you."

"This time, you are the one who will lose."

"Originally, I intended to wait for a while, fully digest the technology of the Flame Artifact, and apply it to every Warrior before settling the score with you."

"Who would have thought you would be foolish enough to put yourself in danger?"

"A child of noble birth does not stand under the eaves. I will learn from your experience and lessons."

"As for you..."

"You will not have another chance to make a comeback."

With that, Lin Xuan tilted and put on a pitch-black custom-made Wolf Bone Mask, covering only half of his face.

He raised his hand with full confidence and casually swung his forearm.

The words "Kill them all" were about to escape his lips when they were choked back by Zhang Guangmu's sudden question.

"Young Fortress Lord, I'd like to ask you a question."

Although Lin Xuan felt a bit annoyed, he showed no outward sign, merely saying calmly, "Given that we've met once, I'll allow this one question."