Several bald, brawny men sat around a huge stone table, drinking strong liquor and tearing into richly scented roast meat in the dead of night. Beside each of them lay enormous sabers, greatswords, and battle-axes. Judging by the strange gleam and demonic patterns flashing across those weapons, they were clearly divine armaments at the demi-divine artifact level!
A group of terrified maidservants pressed tightly against the walls in the corners of the room, staring fearfully at those hulking men, who resembled savage beasts. Several younger girls, their faces still full of childish innocence, were so frightened that tears dripped down their cheeks, and they nearly burst into loud sobs.
One of the men swallowed a huge mouthful of strong liquor with a gulp, then impatiently glared at the maidservants. "What are you crying for? We're only robbing you of money, not your virtue. What's there to cry about? Keep crying, and we'll rob you of both money and virtue! Just so happens that my youngest few little grandsons still need women to warm their beds. Taking you back with us would save us the trouble!"
Another man casually wiped his greasy hand on the trousers of the burly fellow beside him, then shouted, "Enough, quit scaring the little girls! Mm, go check whether those people are tied up tightly enough. Don't let one or two escape to spread the word, or we'll be utterly humiliated!"
One of the men rose to his feet and strode down to a large room on the lower floor.
Men, women, old people, and children lay scattered haphazardly across the spacious room. They had all been bound tightly with ropes, with hemp walnuts stuffed into their mouths, leaving them unable to move or make the slightest sound. When they saw the man enter, they all