Enraged

Crouching Dragon Ravine was beautiful at night. Stars dotted the sky, and a crescent moon peeked out, bathing the world in silver light. Compared with the world of old, so often shrouded in smog, it had a touch of ethereal beauty.

The streets were brightly lit. There were no electric lights, but there were magic lamps, which came in varying qualities. The bronze-grade ones gave off about as much light as a torch, while the silver-grade ones shone as brightly as incandescent bulbs.

These were little inventions that mages had come up with almost by accident. Each lamp had a circulating magic array inscribed by a mage, and the magic it absorbed from its surroundings during the day was enough to keep it running all night.

Lin Lei walked along the cobblestone road. It wasn't just the military camp that had been paved with stone anymore; Crouching Dragon Ravine's main streets and even some of its narrow lanes had been paved, too.

Using stone on such a large scale had caused a severe shortage of building materials. Even the bodies left behind by dead Granite Golems were being used to build roads. One such road was Construction Road in front of the Lord's Mansion, which ran from one end of the territory to the other.

Since the stone roads had been built in Crouching Dragon Ravine, the streets were cleaner and the residents were more satisfied. More importantly, everyone in the territory could get around and work far more efficiently.

Otherwise, even a light rain would turn every dirt road into a muddy mess. People would sink into the mud with each step, and sometimes they would slip and fall without warning.

"Not bad. It may not be as lively as a modern city, but it has its own charm."

Lin Lei was pleased. He rubbed his chin as he spoke.

He spotted a barbecue shop that was still open. He had already eaten, but he digested food quickly, and by now he was feeling a little hungry again. He strode inside.

The owner was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, with traces of a slave brand still on his face. He had little facial hair, and his hair was graying at the temples.

His hands moved frantically over the grill. The glowing coals roasted the red-and-white meat until it turned golden. But when he reached for the seasonings, Lin Lei noticed that he was lame and struggled to move around.

"Boss, give me a hundred skewers of barbecue. Make them extra spicy!"

Lin Lei called out loudly.

"Coming right up! What kind of meat would you like? We've got goat, snow hare, and demon boar."

"Anything's fine. Give me a bit of everything."

"Sure thing. Have a seat and wait a moment."

The shopkeeper replied without turning around.

Only then did Lin Lei look around the shop.

At a table near him sat three young men in their twenties, all with youthful faces and Engineering Department armbands on their sleeves. From their manner of speaking and their behavior, Lin Lei could tell at a glance that they were junior workers involved in construction.

They must have come to Crouching Dragon Ravine only recently. If they had been here since the territory began developing, they would have become senior workers by now. Still, judging by the smiles on their faces, they seemed quite happy here.

Eight more men sat closest to the window. Every one of them was exceptionally strong, and each had some kind of injury on his face, hands, legs, or elsewhere. Their barbecue had already been served. Judging by the number of skewers and the prices on the wall, they had ordered about five gold coins' worth.

A jug of rice wine sat on the table, too. It was a mild, slightly bitter country liquor that the shop didn't sell, so they had likely brought it themselves. With the alcohol and meat, the men were getting louder by the minute. Lin Lei frowned as he watched them.

"Your skewers are here. Enjoy."

As Lin Lei was thinking, the shopkeeper limped over with the skewers and set them down in front of him.

"Thanks."

Lin Lei thanked him with a smile, and the shopkeeper smiled back.

Once the shopkeeper had left, Lin Lei got to work on the skewers, picking them apart one by one.

Crack! Crash!

Suddenly, loud arguing broke out in the shop—or, more accurately, someone began berating the others in a high-handed manner.

"So what if I don't pay you? I'm in the cavalry. The meat you get comes from us, so don't you dare get uppity!"

The speaker was one of the men by the window. His face was flushed, and he was clearly drunk. He had started making a scene.

"Sir, this is a small business. It's not easy to make a living."

The lame shopkeeper looked helpless. When dealing with thugs like these, all he could do was hope they would have a sudden change of heart and pay him.

"Exactly! The owner's got it tough, too. You're actually eating without paying? Aren't you afraid of the territory's laws?"

One of the young men from the Engineering Department couldn't stand it any longer. He stepped forward to speak up for the owner.

"The law? I am the law! And I'm not just eating for free—I'm going to beat up you meddling bastard, too!"

They had barely exchanged a few words before the drunken soldiers moved to surround the Engineering Department workers. The owner watched anxiously and shouted,

"Sir, forget it! I don't want the money! Just go, and don't hurt them..."

Lin Lei had lost his appetite as soon as the argument began. He stared at the soldiers, his gaze turning cold.

He knew that wherever there was light, there would be darkness, and wherever there were people, there would be filth. But he hadn't expected something like this to happen so soon—to see it with his own eyes so soon.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three figures went flying, and Lin Lei appeared before everyone.

"Another busybody! Brothers, let's get him!"

"Bah! Have you gone blind? Take a good look at who I am!"

Lin Lei spoke through gritted teeth. He hated people who abused their power to bully others, especially when they were his own subordinates.

"Ah, Lord... Lord! We were wrong!"

The soldiers were drunk, but not so far gone that they would dare attack Lin Lei.

The moment Lin Lei appeared, the alcohol seemed to leave them. Their faces turned deathly pale, and they dropped to their knees.

"Hmph. You two, tie them up."

Lin Lei gave a cold snort.

"Yes, Lord!"

The two Engineering Department workers happily took the rope from Lin Lei and tied up the men kneeling on the ground, one by one.

"Shopkeeper, do soldiers often come here to eat without paying?"

"Yes, my lord."

The shopkeeper wasn't afraid to speak up in front of Lin Lei. He told him everything the soldiers had been doing.

"Since last month, soldiers have been coming to our shop to eat. Every time, they say they'll pay later. We even have to pay for the liquor they drink. They're soldiers, and we ordinary folk don't dare tell them to stop coming here.

"It's not just my shop. Peter Tailor Shop across the street and Luoxia's Fruit Shop get the same treatment. They go there all the time, too, and never pay. They eat, drink, and take whatever they want."

"I'll make sure this is dealt with. Here's payment for my meal."

The more Lin Lei heard, the more shocked he became. This wasn't some one-off drunken outburst. It was a serious problem that had been going on for a while. He could hardly believe something like this had happened.

After paying half a gold coin, he marched the soldiers straight to the military camp.

"Lord, has something happened?"

Lin Yu stood respectfully beside Lin Lei. After speaking, he glanced at the few drunks nearby.

"What happened? Let me ask you this: did everyone attend the military conduct classes I set up? The lessons said not to take even a needle or a thread from the people. So why are there scoundrels here who bully men and women and rob people of their money?

"I've heard from others that these idiots I caught aren't the only ones doing this. There are other rotten elements in the army who need to be rooted out and disciplined."

Lin Lei spoke furiously. Every word made Lin Yu beside him tremble.

"Lord, the soldiers thought the conduct classes were boring. After the first one, only a handful attended the later sessions. I was negligent in this matter, and I ask you to punish me.

"But I only just learned that they were going out to drink and eat without paying. I was planning to report it to you tomorrow. Most of the soldiers involved are veterans whom you brought with you from Flower Territory, my lord.

"The new recruits like us were promoted later and came up under them. They have no respect for us at all, and they don't listen when we speak.

"When Centurion Allen and Centurion Luo Ji were here, they could keep the veterans in line. But ever since they left on a mission, those veterans have been staying out all night."

Lin Yu explained with a troubled expression.

"Then what did I promote you to be an adjutant for? To sit around doing nothing? You can't even control a few veterans who rank below you.

"Now I order you to investigate this matter thoroughly. Whoever is involved, arrest them first. If anyone refuses, you have the authority to decide whether they live or die. Can you do that?"

Lin Lei said coldly.

"Yes, Lord!"

"Lock these men up. Once you've caught the rest, we'll deal with them all at once."

"Yes!"

Lin Lei left the rest to Lin Yu. Although he had scolded him harshly, he had faith in Lin Yu's ability to get things done.

"Whew."

When Lin Lei returned to the Lord's Mansion, he let out a deep breath. Even after all this time, he was still furious.

"Darling, what's wrong? Is something troubling you?"

Aierlan held a tea set decorated with a flying bird and poured Lin Lei a cup.

Lin Lei explained the whole story to Aierlan again, from beginning to end. She listened carefully and thought it over.

"Darling, I think you should punish them severely."

"Why? They're the subordinates who have been with me the longest. Almost all of them know Allen and Luo Ji well. If I deal with them this way, won't the others resent me?"

"No. Precisely because they're your veterans, you need to punish them more severely. That way, everyone else will obey the territory's laws. It'll show that you value justice and set an example for others.

"Think about it: if someone breaks the rules and puts himself above the law, do you think that law will still mean anything?

"I know you're working to establish laws across the territory. This is a perfect opportunity."

Aierlan spoke calmly. The woman who had always been gentle and refined now seemed stern and resolute.

Lin Lei had calmed down by then. Aierlan's words helped him settle completely.

"You're thinking the same way I am. I also believe they need to be punished severely. We have to make an example of them and show everyone that even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people."

"We still need to straighten out the conduct across the territory this time. We have to set an example ourselves, and even these minor offenses must be taken seriously."