Hehe, I'm Back Again

Hehe, I'm Back Again.

To solve the shortage of manpower, Luo Ning thought it over and came up with two main options.

The first was to spend money buying slaves.

The Slavery System had not been abolished in this world. On the contrary, nearly every city had a slave market.

Luo Ning took out a map from the carriage and studied it. The route from Wushan City to Mountain Forest Town passed through the territories of many nobles. If he truly wanted to buy slaves, he should be able to find some in quite a few of those territories.

But if he had to name the most suitable cities, there were only two. The first was Pasture City, the largest city near Mountain Forest Town.

The second was Wushan City, which he had just left.

"Should I buy them in Pasture City, or go back to Wushan City?"

Luo Ning tapped on the carriage wall and sank into deep thought.

Of course, besides buying slaves, there was another way to expand his manpower: spending money to recruit people.

Luo Ning could pay people to go to Mountain Forest Town.

However, recruitment was not something he could do in just any city. First, he needed the consent of the other lords.

After all, the subjects of a territory were, in essence, part of a lord's wealth. If Luo Ning recruited them without permission, he would be violating the Lord's Law. If matters became serious, the other side could even use it as an excuse to start a war.

After turning it over in his mind, Luo Ning fixed his gaze on Wushan City once more.

Whether he was buying slaves or hiring commoners, returning to Wushan City was the best choice.

He believed that even if he privately recruited a group of people from Wushan City to Mountain Forest Town, Rulans probably would not inquire about it. Wiggins would be even more likely to turn a blind eye, hoping only that Luo Ning would take his people and get as far away as possible.

But if they turned back now, today's journey would have been for nothing.

"If I'm really going back, I could consider asking the count for a little more."

To put it bluntly, he wanted manpower without spending money.

What else could he do? He could only shamelessly "borrow" some from Wushan Castle.

"Simple sob stories and playing the sympathy card clearly won't work. Is there any other way?"

Luo Ning pondered for a long time.

First, the nine guards Wiggins had assigned to him had betrayed him. It was only reasonable for him to go back and ask for replacements, wasn't it?

Once the idea arose, it would not leave his mind. In the end, he decided to return to Wushan Castle.

Who said a good horse did not eat the grass behind it? As long as the grass behind it was good, what did turning back matter?

After the guards had fed the horses and everyone had hastily finished eating, Luo Ning waved his hand. "Chahar, tell the caravan to turn around. We're going back to Wushan City!"

"Huh?"

Chahar froze. "My lord, aren't we going to Mountain Forest Town?"

"Of course we are. I just remembered there's something important I haven't taken care of!"

Though Chahar was still confused, he did not ask any more questions and quickly passed along the baron's order.

The moment the five traitors heard they were returning to Wushan City, they immediately became uneasy. If Luo Ning went back and handed them over to Wushan Castle, wouldn't they be finished?

But when they saw Knight Macken riding a warhorse, they completely abandoned any thought of escape.

The carriage rocked along for another four hours or so. The caravan passed through Wushan City and arrived outside Wushan Castle.

Luo Ning had not chosen to buy slaves in the city. Instead, he chose to return to the castle first and try his luck. If he could get some resources there, wouldn't that save him money?

The guards watching the castle gates were instantly dumbfounded when they saw him.

"My lord, what is this?"

The gate guard was full of confusion. Hadn't this young master left in the morning? Why had he returned that same evening?

Luo Ning's face darkened as he snorted. "Go tell Count Wiggins that the 'elite soldiers' he assigned to me were all traitors. They actually tried to assassinate me on the road!"

"What?"

The gate guard thought he had misheard. There were traitors among the guards of Wushan Castle, and they had even tried to assassinate the Wushan Family's Legitimate Grandson?

The five traitors whom Luo Ning had temporarily spared felt as though they had fallen into an Ice Cave upon hearing those words. Their expressions suddenly changed.

Sure enough, the worries they had harbored on the way back had become reality. The baron had not let them off after all.

"Mercy, my lord! Please spare us, my lord!" They dropped to their knees and begged without stopping.

Luo Ning did not spare them another glance. He would not kill them; he would only hand them over to Wushan Castle.

As for how Wushan Castle would deal with them, that was no longer his concern.

"Macken, Chahar, come with me to see my marquis."

As Luo Ning spoke, he walked into Wushan Castle. "Guards, these traitors are yours. Don't let them escape."

"Don't worry, my lord!"

The gate guards immediately restrained the five traitors. One of them quickly ran into the castle, presumably to report the matter to Wiggins.

Luo Ning did not delay for even a moment, hurrying to Rulans's small residence as fast as the wind.

"Grandfather! Grandfather!"

He shouted as he walked, his expression growing increasingly panicked.

"Young Master Luo Ning?"

The old steward, Most, came forward in surprise. "Didn't you leave this morning? Why have you come back?"

Luo Ning's acting was in full swing as he urgently asked, "Where is my grandfather? I need to see him!"

"Uh... the lord is inside." Most stepped aside, preparing to let Luo Ning enter.

But at that moment, Marquis Lulance had already emerged from the house, leaning on his cane as he entered the courtyard.

"I could hear you shouting from inside. What happened? Why have you come back?"

The marquis wore a robe and looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.

Luo Ning hurried forward. "Grandfather, the guards Father assigned to me actually tried to assassinate me on the road!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Rulans's hand and began to tremble uncontrollably. "I suspect... I suspect they were acting on Father's orders. Father wants to kill me!"

Rulans's expression changed. Had Wiggins truly become so muddle-headed that he wanted to kill his own son?

"Bullshit!"

Before the man arrived, his voice did. Count Wiggins, who had rushed over in a hurry, heard from afar that Luo Ning was slandering him. His furious roar seemed ready to blow off the roof.

"I may wish you would die outside, but I'm not so idle that I'd arrange for someone to kill you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wiggins entered the courtyard.

Though he was only an Advanced Knight, a level that did not amount to much in the eyes of great nobles, the surging Battle Qi around him still put considerable pressure on Luo Ning.

"Stop!" Macken stepped forward, blocking Luo Ning.

Wiggins snorted angrily. "Get out of my way!"

He raised his leg and kicked at Macken. Macken did not dodge, raising his own leg to strike back.

With a bang, their legs collided solidly. The tremendous force threw both of them off balance, and they staggered backward together.

"Are you all right?"

Luo Ning quickly supported Macken. It was clear that Wiggins had gained the upper hand in that One Blow.

That was not surprising. Wiggins was, after all, an Advanced Knight, while Macken was only a Beginner.

If Wiggins had used his full strength just now, or even used Battle Qi, Macken would probably have been bedridden for months after taking it head-on.

"Who are you?" Wiggins asked coldly with a frown.

An unusual gleam flashed through Rulans's eyes. Why is there a knight beside Luo Ning? And judging by his performance, although his rank is not high, his foundation is quite solid.

His grandson had surprised him once again.

"Come inside and talk."

The old marquis turned and walked into the house. "Fighting in the courtyard like this—if word gets out, those nobles outside will think the Wushan Family has turned against itself!"

"Hmph!"

Wiggins angrily flung his robe and followed him inside.

After having Macken check himself and confirming that there was no serious problem, Luo Ning followed them in as well.

Once the three sides had taken their seats, Rulans finally said, "Luo Ning, explain clearly what happened today. Why do you suspect your father wants to kill you?"