Returning to Flower Territory

"Are you bored? The territory is about to open a school. You can teach there as a water mage and train talent for our territory."

"Would that be all right?"

Aierlan replied with delight. Though she acted more like a man, she had been raised under just as strict a set of rules.

"Won't it cause any problems for the territory?"

"How could it? I'm short on magic teachers right now. The territory may seem strong, but most of its people are warriors or knights. There are very few talented mages. I'd be glad to have your help."

Lin Lei continued.

As the two spent more and more time talking, their shadows stretched longer across the ground, and the weather grew a little chilly.

Worried about Aierlan's health, Lin Lei sent her back to her room early. Then he began cultivating his art.

He had gained a lot of experience during his battle with Furell, learning things he had never considered before. As an opponent of equal rank, Furell had been a capable warrior. His mastery of weapons like the staff had especially accelerated Lin Lei's previously slow cultivation.

The Primordial Heaven Thunder Art had also reached the Silver rank, bringing Lin Lei new insights.

The abilities he'd gained by using the character cards he'd drawn earlier were like duckweed without water or water without a source. No matter how well he used them, he could only unleash eighty percent of their power, and they recovered especially slowly.

Now that Lin Lei had cultivated his art to the Silver rank, he was confident he could beat three versions of his former self at once. Combining the art with his character cards did more than simply add their strengths together; it created a wondrous chemical reaction.

Lin Lei reckoned that if he continued cultivating his art steadily, it would take him no more than three months to reach the Gold rank.

If he had other special opportunities or battles, that time would be shortened even further.

After finishing his cultivation, Lin Lei got to his feet and casually ate the food on the table.

A piece of strawberry cake, a square mung bean cake, a plate of peanuts, and a plate of drunken shrimp.

The Halflings he'd brought back had made all of it. At Lin Lei's request and with his guidance, the Halflings, who were already skilled cooks, had quickly figured out how to make the foods he wanted.

Because the food at the Lord's Mansion was so delicious, the Halflings were popular with the servants. No one looked at them strangely, and after Allen tried the food at the Lord's Mansion once, he often came by to freeload meals. When Lin Lei heard about it, he could only laugh helplessly.

Early in the morning, Lin Lei headed to the warehouse, where Luo Ji and the others had already finished preparing the goods.

Most of the monster pelts they'd brought back the day before were damaged to some degree. As soon as Lin Lei had arrived in the territory, he'd ordered Luo Ji to tan them and increase their value.

After hiring commoners for wages, they'd barely finished processing the goods overnight.

"Is everything ready?"

Lin Lei asked Luo Ji, who was checking the cargo.

"The goods have all been inspected. There are over five thousand items, large and small, and nothing is missing."

"Good. Let's set out."

Lin Lei nodded and ordered the group forward.

"Everyone, check your weapons and gear. We're getting ready to move out!"

Luo Ji shouted.

The short caravan set off at a leisurely pace. Lin Lei rode Red Hare at the back of the group, with Red Fire beside him. This time, he'd brought both of them along.

As soon as Red Fire left the gates of Crouching Dragon Ravine, the whole dog became lively. He raced around the entire way, his four paws never seeming to need a rest.

Red Hare, on the other hand, was much more obedient. He followed the caravan quietly, like a good-natured, well-behaved child.

"Baron, look. This is what Red Fire found in his mouth."

As they traveled, Luo Ji hurried over and handed Lin Lei a mottled strip of cloth.

Lin Lei understood what Luo Ji meant. He suspected they'd been targeted by bandits and wanted Lin Lei to decide what to do.

Lin Lei considered it for a moment.

"Keep moving, but tell the soldiers to stay alert and step up their guard. The territory is counting on this cargo to develop."

"Yes."

After receiving Lin Lei's order, Luo Ji went along the caravan to inform the soldiers one by one. The entire group grew cautious.

Lin Lei also stopped daydreaming and began watching the surrounding woods. But even after straining his eyes, he couldn't spot anywhere the bandits might be hiding.

Looks like we'll have to deal with whatever comes our way.

Meanwhile, at Mang Mountain Head, a well-organized band of robbers lay in ambush on both sides of Mang Mountain Canyon. Every one of them wore black gloves. They were none other than the notorious Black Hand Bandit Group.

The Black Hand Bandit Group was a large Silver-rank bandit group. Unlike small Silver-rank elite groups, they had reached that rank through sheer numbers. Only their three leaders were at the Silver rank; the rest were at the Bronze rank.

The Black Hand Bandit Group's leader was nicknamed Throat-Slitter. The bandits called him Chief Black Hand, and the group was named after him.

The group's second-in-command was Faceless, and its third-in-command was One-Eye. Both had once been mercenaries, but greed had led them to murder a noble. After the town put out a warrant for their arrest, they'd become bandits.

At that moment, One-Eye hurried over to Black Hand and Faceless.

"Big Brother, one of our men is missing."

"What happened? Did he run away?"

Black Hand casually wiped down the sword in his hand.

Black Hand was an absolute dictator within the bandit group. Anyone who dared leave without permission would be hunted down until the day he died.

Anyone who tried to leave openly was killed on the spot, and their corpse tossed into the wilderness to rot.

"He can't have gone far. Let me go kill him."

Faceless spoke coldly from beside them. As a leader, he was responsible for executing anyone who left without permission.

"No, Second Brother. Some scraps of clothing turned up where he was last seen. I suspect someone killed him, then the beasts in the woods ate him."

"Oh."

Black Hand's reaction was indifferent, as if the dead man hadn't been one of his own.

"But, Big Brother, I'm worried that a scout from the caravan we've been watching spotted our man and killed him."

"Impossible. The scout I sent told me that not one person in the caravan had left the group. They're making their way toward our Mang Mountain in plain sight."

Faceless coldly interrupted One-Eye's speculation.

One-Eye had nothing to say. Just then, Black Hand feigned sorrow.

"Then a monster must have killed my brother. If this big score weren't so urgent, I'd go avenge him myself."

"Exactly. The chief has always treated his men like family. That monster really is a bastard."

One-Eye eagerly picked up Black Hand's cue and chimed in.

Faceless watched coldly from the sidelines, keeping himself apart. Black Hand and One-Eye were used to his behavior and paid him no mind, continuing their shameless act of crocodile tears.

"By the way, if something killed a Bronze-rank warrior without making a sound, it had to be at least a Silver-rank monster, right?"

Black Hand suddenly changed the subject.

Monsters were an important source of income for bandits, too.

"Someone's coming."

Black Hand cut off One-Eye before he could speak, sheathed his sword, and gazed at the figures appearing on the horizon. It was Lin Lei's caravan.

"Three wagons. This really is a big haul. That woman actually brought us good news for once."

Black Hand lay on the hillside, muttering to himself.

"But the man at the back looks like trouble."

"Big Brother, should we attack? The caravan's about to enter the canyon."

Black Hand, still weighing the pros and cons, gritted his teeth.

"Attack. We can't let a meal slip away when it's right in front of us. Everyone, wait until the caravan reaches the middle of the canyon. At my signal, charge down together."

"Now! Charge!"

Black Hand led the others out of their hiding place. Many of them charged while firing arrows at the caravan below.

"Bold of you to try robbing me! I'll show you what it means to take on a lone rider who can defeat a thousand!"

Lin Lei snarled. He'd spotted them as soon as Black Hand and the others appeared. Urging Red Hare forward, he charged at them alone.

"Good!"

Riding Red Hare, Lin Lei was like a tank. Half a dozen Bronze-rank bandits failed to last even one exchange before his blade cut them down.

Luo Ji, who had stayed by the wagons, saw this and couldn't help shouting. The whole caravan's morale surged.

"Whoosh!"

Black Hand noticed how formidable Lin Lei was and quietly shot an arrow at him.

Lin Lei was cutting through his enemies like vegetables, and though most of his attention was on those around him, Black Hand's Silver-rank bow had too little power. Lin Lei caught the arrow in one hand and tossed it to the ground in a taunt.

"Ahhh!"

Black Hand had never suffered such humiliation. He immediately shouted to Faceless and One-Eye.

"Second Brother, Third Brother, we'll attack together! So what if he's Gold rank? It's not like we've never killed one before!"

Black Hand wielded a sword, Faceless a dagger, and One-Eye a heavy hammer. The three approached Lin Lei from different directions, hoping to reenact the tale of three heroes fighting Lü Bu.

Unfortunately, Black Hand and his men lacked Liu Bei and his brothers' skill and unity, while Lin Lei's strength far surpassed all three of theirs.

As soon as they clashed, Black Hand and the others were clearly on the back foot. If not for their years of combat experience, they might have been defeated in a single blow.

But things were going badly for them. Lin Lei's experience was growing rapidly, and he was getting closer and closer to their execution threshold.

"Big Brother, I'm going on ahead!"

One-Eye, who'd been loudly proclaiming his loyalty, turned and fled as soon as things went wrong, abandoning Black Hand and Faceless.

"Idiot. The faster you run, the faster you die."

Black Hand cursed under his breath. Turning his back on Lin Lei meant certain death.

"Riiip!"

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade sliced through One-Eye's waist, splitting him in two. His intestines and organs spilled across the ground.

"Damn it!"

Black Hand was also about to make a run for it. He'd tried to slip away while Lin Lei pursued One-Eye, anticipating that One-Eye would die, but he never imagined it would happen so quickly. It had been as easy as slaughtering a pig.

"I surrender! I can tell you where I hid my treasure. There's a lot of money there..."

"Crack!"

Lin Lei had no interest in hearing him out. He ended the blood-soaked villain with a single slash.

"Your turn."

Lin Lei walked up to Faceless. Looking at the man's expressionless face, devoid of fear, he suddenly grew interested. He lowered his raised blade, took out a rope, and tied him up.