The farmers looked alarmed when he stepped into the courtyard.
Zong Shen's lips curled into a friendly smile.
"Your lord really is dead. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to enter the courtyard."
"Now, your only choice is to submit to me and join my territory."
"I have many powerful soldiers and plenty of food. In my territory, I can protect you and provide you with suitable places to live."
Zong Shen's voice was calm, but his words were full of temptation.
He had already learned to pinpoint the farmers' core needs.
They wanted nothing more than food and safety.
Those were the farmers' most fundamental needs.
Sure enough, after hearing the unfamiliar lord say this,
the farmers began to waver.
Unfortunately, Zong Shen hadn't brought back that unlucky fellow's corpse. Otherwise, his words would have been even more convincing.
Zong Shen didn't rush them.
He decided to give the farmers some time
to think it over.
As for himself, he had already made his way to the Territory Storage Box.
He reached out, and a prompt immediately appeared.
[Unclaimed Territory. Do you wish to claim it?]
Zong Shen selected [Yes].
The next moment, the storage box unfolded completely.
[Wood ×87] [Stone ×65] [Iron ×21] [Flax ×32] [Copper ×3] [Complete Forest Wolf Pelt ×1] [Complete Young Boar Pelt ×1] [Crude Roasted Wolf Meat ×3] [Crude Roasted Boar Meat ×6]
There wasn't anything particularly good inside the storage box, just a number of basic resources and some simple roasted meat.
It looked like the fellow had killed wolves and wild boars.
There were enough supplies to keep the territory running.
Two Thatched Sheds had been built inside the courtyard.
There was also a Tier 1 Stove and a Tier 1 Blacksmith Shop.
As far as Zong Shen was concerned, the construction progress was mediocre.
Besides that, there was a package in the storage box.
[Relics of Lord Zhang Song1999312] [Contains nine items. Ensure you have enough inventory space.] [(Click to open)]
Zong Shen checked his backpack and personal Storage Grid. He only had five or six slots left.
To be safe, he decided to inspect it after returning to his territory.
Zong Shen put the package away.
Then he turned to face the farmers.
At this point, the farmers seemed to have received some kind of message, and finally understood that their lord really was dead.
As the saying went, a wise man knew when to yield. These farmers were ordinary, weak natives.
They immediately came over behind Zong Shen and knelt before him.
"We're willing to follow you, my lord!"
"We'll build your territory. Please treat us well."
Zong Shen nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good, very good. You've made a wise decision."
"Boys, take these farmers and start heading back to camp."
"You know the way, right?"
Zong Shen called out to the Wolf Cavalry.
Colby nodded, touching his fist to his chest in a respectful salute.
"Don't worry, my lord. Once we're down the mountain and back at the pasture, I can find the territory!"
Next, Zong Shen turned to Favid and Tasia.
"You two, go with the Wolf Cavalry."
"Tie Zhu, you're coming with me."
"We'll return the way we came through the dungeon. The Old Travel Horse is still tied up by the road at the edge of the woods!"
Zong Shen quickly made the arrangements.
Of the five farmers, three were men and two were women.
They were all sturdy, with thick limbs and healthy, wheat-colored skin.
They looked a bit like people from Southeast Asia, who lived in tropical regions.
The three Wolf Cavalrymen set off with the two mages and the five farmers.
They headed down the mountain on the side of the courtyard.
Zong Shen and Tie Zhu retraced their steps.
They passed through the escape tunnel in the Ruins and returned to the dungeon.
There were many Ruins in the mountains.
This place must once have been part of Azshara, too.
The mountain had once been the city's high ground, while the pasture had been its low-lying area.
There were also plenty of timber resources in the mountains, as well as game to hunt.
By comparison, this place seemed more advantageous than the pasture.
But moving here for that reason would have been throwing away the main goal for a lesser one.
Zong Shen planned to establish an exploration camp here once his main camp was up and running.
That would make exploring these woods more convenient.
The two returned to the dungeon.
They passed through the cells on the left, returned to the central corridor, and followed the underground stairs back to the Temple.
When he stepped out of the Temple, he felt as if time and space had shifted around him.
Zong Shen and Tie Zhu left the Temple and followed the path they had cleared on the way there.
"Tie Zhu, are you, Er Gou, Gou Dan, and the others all from the same village?"
Zong Shen suddenly asked.
Tie Zhu froze for a moment at the question, then nodded.
"Yes, my lord."
"But we didn't come from this kingdom."
"Our kingdom is called Yuelan."
Zong Shen pondered this as he listened.
He still knew nothing about this world's geography, its size, or the distribution of its kingdoms.
All he knew was that this world was many times larger than Earth.
It didn't have much of a technological feel to it. Instead, it was closer to a fantasy world.
There were Wolf Cavalry who charged across the land, terrifying Abominations, and mages who could cast spells with a wave of their hands.
There were even legendary races like the Night Elves.
More importantly, this world seemed to be governed by some unimaginable force.
It had a system of rules much like a game in the real world.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
Zong Shen rubbed his chin, his eyes lighting up.
This world was so much more exciting than his original one!
"Then, Tie Zhu, do you remember why you appeared in the courtyard?"
Zong Shen continued.
At the question,
a confused look crossed Tie Zhu's face.
"Our village was attacked by a gang of vicious bandits. I remember that Gou Dan, Er Gou, and I had all died beneath the bandits' swords."
"But then we entered a white room."
"A voice told us to make a choice."
"We could choose to serve a lord, or choose true death."
"We all chose the first option. Then, following a mysterious guidance, we waited for you to arrive, my lord!"
Tie Zhu spoke as he recalled the events.
"I see."
Zong Shen nodded.
By then, the two had crossed the path they had cleared
and returned to the roadside along the trail up the mountain.
Zong Shen was deep in thought.
Without thinking, he reached out toward a tree beside the path.
But his hand grasped empty air.
"Huh? Where's my horse?"
Zong Shen looked up and glanced around in confusion.
Only then did he realize the Old Travel Horse was gone!
"Damn it!"
"What is this world coming to?"
"Which heartless bastard stole my horse?"
Zong Shen drew his sword and shouted angrily!
At that moment, Tie Zhu crouched on the road and spotted some clues.
"My lord, I found hoofprints leading down the mountain!"
Before you continue