《Starting With a City as a Transmigrator》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Oh, my dear friend from the East, can this bag of liquid really cure my little boy¡¯s illness?¡± Inside an ancient castle, the elderly Miller, titled Earl, gazed at the transparent bag in the hands of a yellow-skinned young man. His eyes were filled with doubt as he confirmed with unease. ¡°Yes, Lord Miller. As you know, our kingdom in the East is amazing. Whenever soldiers are injured, they are treated with this medicine. Don¡¯t worry, your son will soon be standing before you in good health.¡± Wang Lun spoke with a smile, his face brimming with confidence. Upon hearing his words, Miller nodded in astonishment. His eyes also seemed a little more expectant. He had seven sons, and this favorite youngest son of his had gone down with a persistent fever after sustaining injuries a few days ago. He had hired several famous sorcerers, but not only did they fail to cure his youngest son, they even made his condition worse. His son vomited, experienced diarrhea, fell into a coma, and was seemingly on the verge of death. Just when Miller thought there was nothing else he could do, this mysterious man from the East named Wang Lun suddenly appeared before him and claimed that he could cure the illness. This gave Miller a renewed sense of hope, as though a straw for him to clutch at. ¡°Dear friend, please hurry and cure my son. If you save my son, I will keep my promise and give you 100 gold coins!¡± Miller spoke in agitation with a hint of respect. Wang Lun¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. Without delay, he quickly ordered someone to find a stand, hung the fluid bag upside down in his hands, and took out a transparent infusion tube from his satchel. He inserted the needle into the infusion tube and poked it into a blood vessel of Miller¡¯s youngest son. ¡°Oh, God, what are you doing to my son?¡± ¡°Hmph, I think this Easterner is a swindler! How dare he hurt Young Master with a needle!¡± ¡°Lord Miller, please be cautious. How can a bag filled with a liquid that looks like water save someone from an illness!¡± Upon witnessing Wang Lun¡¯s action, Miller¡¯s wife and maids who stood beside him exclaimed. The startled Miller also stepped forth and yelled, ¡°What are you trying to do? Stop right now!¡± Wang Lun couldn¡¯t care less about their reactions. He skillfully stuck the needle into the patient¡¯s blood vessel, before fixing it in place with a strip of white tape. Shortly after, the crowd around him witnessed a miraculous scene. The liquid in the soft, transparent bag dripped down the tiny, transparent tube and flowed into the body of Miller¡¯s youngest son. ¡°Lord Miller, I guarantee that after this bag of medicine has fully entered into your son¡¯s body, he will get better.¡± Wang Lun pointed at the fluid bag and spoke with a determined expression. The reason why he was so confident was because he was actually a transmigrator. In fact, not long ago, he was still an intern physician. After getting drunk one night, he found that he had transmigrated over into this world. This world resembled the era of the west during the early Cold War, during which slavery was practiced and times were extremely backwards. Thereafter, Wang Lun was surprised to discover that he could travel freely between 21st century Earth and this present world. After a few attempts, he soon started a business transmigrating between the two worlds. Cheap, worthless items on Earth, such as ceramics, stainless steel bowls, or glass cups, were regarded as treasures in this world and sold for a considerable amount of gold coins. Just the day before, Miller offered a reward of 100 gold coins to anyone who could treat his son¡¯s illness. After figuring out Miller¡¯s son fell into a feverish coma caused by an infected wound, Wang Lun decisively bought anti-inflammatory medicine from Earth, ready to earn that easy reward. To the people of this world, Miller¡¯s son¡¯s illness was incurable. But for Wang Lun, the illness could be treated with just a bag of medicine. Even after hearing Wang Lun¡¯s assurances, the anxious Miller hesitated, but eventually couldn¡¯t refuse his help. Anyway, he was already at his wit¡¯s end. All he could do was let Wang Lun give it a shot. No one else around him dared to say a word. They stared curiously as the liquid in the transparent bag dripped into the body of their young master. This treatment was unheard of, let alone seen by anyone of them, except Wang Lun. After a long and boring wait, the bag of medicine was finally empty. Wang Lun removed the needle and put everything away. Shortly after, the little blond boy on the hospital bed slowly opened his eyes, rolled over weakly, and called for Miller. ¡°Father¡­¡± Miller responded to his son in exhilaration. After he lovingly checked and confirmed that his son¡¯s forehead was no longer burning, the smile on his face grew wider. ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Oh my goodness. Someone actually brought him back from the dead.¡± ¡°God, what did I just witness? That was amazing.¡± Throughout the castle, the knights in military attire and servants who witnessed this scene cheered and jumped for joy. ¡°Thank you, my dear friend! You are my close companion from now on!¡± Old Miller excitedly patted Wang Lun¡¯s shoulder. Wang Lun gave a plain smile, waiting for the other party to pay his deserved reward. Old Miller realized Wang Lun¡¯s intention. However, the former cunningly swirled his eyes and forced a rather awkward smile, saying, ¡°My friend, you¡¯ve saved my son¡¯s life! In order to show my sincerity, I have changed my mind.¡± ¡°Changed your mind?¡± Wang Lun furrowed his brows. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided to give you a city as a reward instead.¡± Old Miller explained. ¡°You know, this city is worth much more than 100 gold coins. Since you saved my beloved son, I am willing to give it to you. You should know that if you become a city lord, you will not only have absolute control, but also own your own castle, maids, and slaves. People in your city will have to pay taxes to you, too, which is a long-term benefit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your identity as the city lord will be absolutely legal, and I will also award you the title of Baron. ¡°Of course, according to the rules, you need to pay me a tribute of 1000 gold coins every year, which is equivalent to about one tenth of the taxes you collect every year. As for the rest of the amount you earn, they are all yours.¡± Wang Lun¡¯s eyes lit up. Owning a city sounded like a fantastic idea. He would have a home to settle down in and would no longer need to roam around the world like a traveling merchant. Moreover, Old Miller¡¯s talk of a castle, maids, and slaves was a very attractive deal to him¡­ Just the thought about the sort of wonderful life that awaited him instantly made him feel great¡­ However, he didn¡¯t directly agree to it. On the contrary, he resolutely said, ¡°Lord Miller, it isn¡¯t impossible for me to accept the city as the reward. But it is absolutely impossible for me to pay tribute to you every year. If you don¡¯t agree, it¡¯s better to give me 100 gold coins directly instead.¡± Paying tribute to Miller would be as though living under his hedge and working for him. This was something that Wang Lun couldn¡¯t accept because what would be the point of being a city lord in that case? ¡°Oh, my friend, your terms are really too harsh. That absolutely won¡¯t do¡­¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Miller didn¡¯t expect this Easterner to be so astute. He originally wanted to haggle, but Wang Lun didn¡¯t let up. The former finally nodded in agreement to his terms. Wang Lun had no idea that Miller would agree so easily. 1000 gold coins a year wasn¡¯t a small amount, after all. This left Wang Lun feeling a little strange. However, since he had already made a promise to the other party, he couldn¡¯t go back on it. Soon after, Miller signed a transfer document and also gave Wang Lun a medal symbolizing his Baron status. Wang Lun took the items, bade farewell, and left the castle. After Wang Lun¡¯s departure, Miller¡¯s family came forward and complained about why he didn¡¯t reward gold coins, but instead offered a city and accepted no tribute. Miller, however, wasn¡¯t annoyed at all. He scanned the crowd with his cloudy eyes, clarifying, ¡°The reason is simple. Because it was Yale City that I gave him.¡± ¡°Huh, Yale City?¡± After hearing his answer, the crowd became relieved. ¡°Haha! Lord Miller is so wise. Yale City is already abandoned; what¡¯s left of its resources have already been exploited. It¡¯s also located on the border, and for years, conquests have been going on. The whole city has become a gathering place for refugees.¡± ¡°Giving away something of such little value doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡± Miller squinted and stroked his long beard with pride. ¡°Whether that Easterner can manage Yale City or not, it¡¯s good for us. If he fails, we can take the city back and sell it to another idiot. If he ever develops the city, we¡¯ll take it back by force. Gee, I¡¯m kind of looking forward to what he¡¯ll do with it.¡± *** Wang Lun stood at the entrance of the city, clutching in his hands items that could prove his identity as the city lord. His heart pounded in anticipation. Shortly after, he took a quick glance ahead and jumped directly into a carriage that was parked not far away. The driver of the carriage was a middle-aged, bearded man with a deep and hideous scar on his face. ¡°Mr. Wang Lun, all settled?¡± the driver smiled cheerfully and asked. Wang Lun gave a plain smile, nodded, and replied, ¡°Lord Miller¡¯s son is fine now. He will recover completely after some rest.¡± The driver stared blankly. His face was filled with bewilderment. This Easterner before him always brought a lot of surprises. Hallmark was the driver¡¯s name. He used to be a knight, but half a month ago, enemies chased after him with the intent to kill, and he was rescued by Wang Lun. Wang Lun merely used a bottle of white powder and applied it to his blade wounds. In just three days, his wounds had been healed. Just when he thought that Wang Lun¡¯s true identity was a sorcerer, he later witnessed the latter frequently trade with people using mysterious and seemingly valuable items that he had never seen before. He thought Wang Lun was a merchant who specialized in high-end goods. Until one day, they were attacked by a dozen bandits and caught in a desperate situation. The almighty Wang Lun retrieved an unknown weapon and repelled the enemies. According to Wang Lun, the weapon was a shotgun, and it was later given to Hallmark for safekeeping. After witnessing too many miracles, Hallmark decided to follow this Easterner with all his heart and was willing to give up his dignity as a knight to work as a personal driver. ¡°Mr. Wang Lun, where do we go next?¡± Hallmark raised his whip and respectfully waited for instructions. ¡°Yale City!¡± Wang Lun replied. All of a sudden, Hallmark turned pale and stared at Wang Lun as if he had just seen a ghost. ¡°My God, that place has been plagued by war for years and is chaotic and run-down. Why do you still want to go there, Mr. Wang Lun?¡± The smile on Wang Lun¡¯s face froze, and his heart skipped a beat. He immediately urged, ¡°What exactly happened, tell me.¡± Hallmark pondered for a moment, then spoke up. ¡°In the beginning, Yale City was rich and full of resources. But after all the resources were used up, with the effects of the war, it was abandoned and became a city for refugees.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Wang Lun asked with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m very sure. Yale City is on the border of several kingdoms, and I fought there the year before.¡± Hallmark¡¯s words made Wang Lun finally realize why Miller had so readily agreed to his request not to pay tribute. So this was all meant to take advantage of him! ¡°That cunning jerk,¡± Wang Lun cursed. But now, it was too late for regret. Since that sly old fox dared to make such a move, surely he wasn¡¯t afraid even if Wang Lun were to find his way back. When Hallmark witnessed Wang Lun¡¯s exasperated face, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Wang Lun, can you tell me what happened?¡± Wang Lun told him the truth about Miller offering him Yale City to offset the reward of 100 gold coins. ¡°Argh! These nobles are awful!¡± Hallmark also couldn¡¯t help but feel injustice for Wang Lun. He immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing and hastily apologized, ¡°Oh! My lord, I wasn¡¯t referring to you!¡± ¡°I know. Anyways, let¡¯s head over there and check out the situation first!¡± Wang Lun reluctantly commanded. Hallmark hesitated for a moment and didn¡¯t say anything more. He drove the carriage straight toward Yale City. A day later, the two arrived at their destination. Gazing at the city gate that had been burned down, Wang Lun helplessly shook his head. Since he had already arrived at the city, all he could do was to summon his courage. Upon entering the city, looking as far as the eyes could see, there were starving people in tattered clothes everywhere. They looked malnourished and sickly in appearance. When they saw Wang Lun coming in with a carriage, they got up and stared at the horses with eyes that resembled those of hungry wolves. In the next second, a man frantically pounced over, pulling the reins of the carriage and grabbing the horse. The rest also swarmed forward like a tidal wave. Wang Lun was bewildered. He had no idea that the people here were starving to this extent! Without any hesitation, Hallmark stepped in front of Wang Lun, retrieved his double-barreled shotgun and pulled the trigger. In the blink of an eye, the three leading men fell into a pool of blood. When the others witnessed the lives lost, they came to a halt right away and vigilantly stared at Wang Lun and Hallmark. Wang Lun didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone, but at such a moment, one had to be killed to serve as a warning to the others. Or else, even Hallmark and he might be eaten by them. Because at that moment, he also saw many people staring at the three corpses on the ground with a green glint in their eyes, apparently treating them as food. After letting out a sigh, Wang Lun stood on the carriage and loudly announced: ¡°Greetings, I am the new lord of Yale City. I know you are famished, but I promise you that I will manage the development of Yale City well and no longer let you starve!¡± Wang Lun initially thought that those people would, at the very least, cheer or give a response. However, they didn¡¯t react at all as they continued staring blankly at him. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a good reason for their reaction because every new lord who took over the city had made up lies to deceive them. In fact, all of them ended up scavenging the place and fleeing away. In the eyes of the nobles, the lives of these lowly refugees were nothing. Wang Lun didn¡¯t know if it was due to being aware of his identity as the city lord that they didn¡¯t act aggressively toward him anymore. Hallmark guarded himself against them while driving the carriage deeper into the city. On the way to the city hall, Wang Lun noticed that all the stores in the streets were closed. Hallmark also realized the situation and exclaimed, ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s even worse now. The year before the last, there were at least some stores open here. Perhaps they are now too afraid of the refugees robbing them that they no longer dare to do business. ¡°My lord, I would advise you to leave this place. There are no guards here, and not even minimum safety is guaranteed. I¡¯m afraid that¡­¡± However, Wang Lun shook his head. After seeing so many refugees, he had already made up his mind. One had to know that on Earth, labor was the most expensive thing. These refugees¡ªas long as they were given food to fill their stomach¡ªwould definitely be grateful and listen to his orders. They would also have a sense of belonging. When Yale City faced dangers in the future, Wang Lun was certain that these people would step forward to protect their homes. He was confident that these refugees would be at his disposal. Soon after, the two of them arrived at the entrance of a city hall. From the outside, it looked rather atmospheric. Although some parts had been destroyed, it wasn¡¯t hard to see its former glory. Several dents were seen on the tightly-shut door, made by the impact of heavy objects. Hallmark went to the door and knocked, loudly announcing, ¡°The new lord of the city, Baron Wang Lun, has come to take over Yale City. Please open the door.¡± After identifying themselves, the door slowly opened. The person who opened the door was a man in his late fifties. ¡°My name is Bran. Greetings, my lord!¡± The middle-aged man bowed respectfully. Wang Lun glanced at the middle-aged man and asked, ¡°Have you always lived here?¡± Bran nodded and replied, ¡°We came here with the previous city lord, but a month ago, he left us servants behind and fled with his wife and family.¡± Immediately afterwards, several servants appeared behind Bran, both men and women, each with a thin body and a simple bag behind their backs. ¡°What are they?¡± Wang Lun asked with puckered brows. Bran sighed and laughed bitterly, ¡°It is no longer possible for us to stay here anymore. We need to find somewhere else to make a living, or we will starve to death here sooner or later. ¡°Sigh, my lord, you must have offended Lord Miller, or else you wouldn¡¯t have ended up here. Please heed my advice; it¡¯s better to leave now before it¡¯s too late. Yale City will be done for soon.¡± Hallmark frowned and looked at Wang Lun for instructions: ¡°My lord, we¡­¡± Wang Lun had already made up his mind. He interrupted and said to Bran, ¡°You guys know this place very well, so I hope you can stay. Of course, you can leave if you really want to. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± With that said, Wang Lun took out a few loaves of bread and added: ¡°Eat them on your way out. You can treat this as a kind of a ceremony for the city handover.¡± Several of the servants were stunned, and it was only at Bran¡¯s hand gesture that someone cautiously accepted the bread. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡± The servants repeatedly thanked him, albeit having no intention to stay. They eventually left the place. On the contrary, Bran hesitated and didn¡¯t leave in a hurry. Bread was a luxury food passed down among the nobles. And now, the baron before him was so generous as to give it to several lowly servants. He was many times better than the previous city lord. Furthermore, even if Bran were to leave now, he wouldn¡¯t know where to go for the time being and might even end up as a refugee. He could choose to stay and perhaps this generous baron before him would bring hope to Yale City? This sudden thought surprised Bran himself. Is that even possible? ¡°What about you? Do you choose to leave or stay?¡± Wang Lun looked at Bran and smiled plainly. Bran hesitated for a long time before he looked up abruptly and said, ¡°My lord, if you don¡¯t mind my presence, I¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Wang Lun patted Bran¡¯s shoulder and replied, ¡°I won¡¯t let you regret your choice today.¡± Bran felt flattered because no nobleman had ever made such an intimate interaction with lowly servants like them before. In an instant, he had mixed feelings. However, he also became more attentive, taking the initiative to bring Wang Lun around the city hall. The entire city hall was as huge as 10 soccer fields. There was a large garden upfront, while the main building in the middle was divided into many functional areas, such as living rooms, banquet halls, office halls, and so on. There were also several spaces for accommodation, and a large stable was also in the back. After taking a stroll in the city hall, Wang Lun realized that the entire place was very empty, where there was nothing except some rotten food on the table. ¡°Hallmark, head to the nearest city and contact Robinson, the food merchant we traded with last time. Ask him to send over as many grains as possible¡ªimmediately.¡± After some consideration, Wang Lun instructed Hallmark. He was prepared to carry out his plan. Hallmark and Bran displayed horrified expressions, lifting their heads and looking at Wang Lun incredulously. Bran, in particular, asked somewhat stiffly: ¡°My lord, what do you intend to¡­¡± Wang Lun laughed without saying a word, and urged Hallmark to hurry up. On the other hand, Hallmark also didn¡¯t ask any more questions and drove off in the carriage. After a long while, a massive convoy entered the city. They were 20 carriages fully loaded with grains. As soon as they entered the city, all the refugees¡¯ eyes glinted and they subconsciously licked their lips. ¡°Grains!¡± ¡°God, are they really grains? I¡¯ve never seen so many grains in my life.¡± Many refugees crowded over, but didn¡¯t dare to get too close, for beside each carriage were several heavily-armed cavalrymen. The convoy arrived at the city hall, and the refugees followed curiously. Wang Lun had already been waiting at the entrance. Walking ahead of the convoy, a bearded, muscular man named Robinson spotted Wang Lun and shouted affectionately: ¡°My dear friend¡­¡± ¡°Oh, no! I should address you as ¡®my lord¡¯ instead. Knight Hallmark has already explained the situation to me. Hahaha, thank you for doing such huge business with me. But my lord, I advise you to leave this place. Lord Miller is a sly and dishonest man. My friend, there is no oil available here anymore.¡± Wang Lun felt somewhat helpless as Robinson was now the third person who tried to convince him to leave this city. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my friend. I have decided to stay for a while. I may also have to trouble you often in the future. For now, help me unload the grains.¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Lun was determined and didn¡¯t want to dwell on this topic any longer. ¡°What a crazy fella!¡± Robinson smiled and shook his head. Then, with a big wave of his hand, he instructed his men to unload all the grains. ¡°My lord, we may be friends but business is still business. The grains are worth a total of 10 gold coins, so how do you intend to make the payment?¡± Robinson looked at Wang Lun with narrowed eyes and said with a smile. Wang Lun wasn¡¯t surprised by the directness of this Westerner at all. He had gotten used to their straightforward way of speaking over this past month. ¡°Still the same old way; I¡¯ll use something to trade with you!¡± Wang Lun plainly smiled. The corners of Robinson¡¯s mouth lifted into a satisfied smile. This was what he hoped for the most. The last time he exchanged the rare items he had gotten from Wang Lun, he resold them to nobles and earned several gold coins. Without any delay, Wang Lun took out a round, football-sized mirror and pretended to hold it carefully in his hands. Then, he said to Robinson: ¡°This is a treasure that I found in my hometown. It is called a mirror. If you sell this to those noblewomen or royal ladies, you will definitely earn a bag of gold coins.¡± Robinson immediately became thrilled after hearing Wang Lun¡¯s words. The former carefully took the mirror over to take a closer look. After some observation, he was stunned. In this mirror, he could clearly see every part of his face, including tiny hairs! ¡°God! This is incredible!¡± Robinson couldn¡¯t help but gasp in awe. He had been a merchant for so many years and had gone to many places, but all the brass mirrors he saw were only capable of revealing the outline of faces. This was the first time he encountered a mirror that reflected one¡¯s face so clearly. As Wang Lun said, if this mirror were sold to noblewomen or royal ladies, it would definitely fetch a good price! ¡°My lord, I know that this treasure is worth a lot of money. Although I am a merchant who puts profit before everything else, I do understand the win-win principle of cooperation. I¡¯m well aware that my grains are far from being worth the value of this treasure. Quote me a price and I will make up the gold coins for you,¡± Robinson said sincerely, and his tone became even more respectful. As a matter of fact, Wang Lun had kind of anticipated this response from Robinson. He understood Robinson¡¯s honesty and frankness well enough. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have approached him with this deal. However, Wang Lun didn¡¯t make an offer on the spot. ¡°I don¡¯t need gold coins at the moment, and I¡¯m only lacking grains right now. How about this? From now on, you send me a batch of grains every three days until you think it is worth the value of this mirror.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. My lord, I know this is a kind offer to help me earn some extra gold coins, so I¡¯ll keep this favor in mind. But I¡¯m a little curious though. Why do you need so much grain? You are not thinking of¡­ giving them to those lowly refugees, are you?¡± Robinson asked, puzzled. Wang Lun chuckled without saying a word, patted Robinson¡¯s shoulder heavily, and said, ¡°You just need to do your part well. I won¡¯t mistreat you!¡± Robinson shook his head with a bitter smile and replied, ¡°My lord, you have truly changed my opinion on merchants and nobles. However, I still have to advise you that there are a huge number of refugees here. If you really want to help them, you may end up losing a fortune.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something for you to worry about,¡± Wang Lun said with a plain smile. Robinson didn¡¯t continue speaking and changed the subject instead. He asked with a flattering smile: ¡°My Lord, I wonder if you have any other treasures? Don¡¯t worry, I will definitely give you goods of a matching value.¡± ¡°For the time being, no. Don¡¯t worry, when I have something good in the future, I will definitely keep it for you,¡± Wang Lun said in a light-hearted manner. Even though Robinson felt a little disappointed, he didn¡¯t continue pursuing the matter. He knew that this mysterious easterner definitely had more of those treasures. However, he didn¡¯t dare to press too closely for fear of angering the man, which would be equivalent to cutting his own fortune. He had once thought of secretly robbing Wang Lun, but after seeing with his own eyes how the latter killed several bandits with a double-barreled shotgun, he gave up the idea completely. The double-barreled shotgun, to him, was a weapon of mass destruction. It was also one that he had never seen before. After Robinson led the convoy away, Wang Lun swept a glance at Hallmark and said, ¡°Notify all the refugees to come and collect their grains.¡± Hallmark wanted to speak his mind, but eventually shook his head. He had never met such a crazy person like Wang Lun. Refugees were like a bottomless pit. Even the Duke wouldn¡¯t dare to provide relief like this. In fact, the refugees had been coveting the grains for a long time, patiently waiting outside the city hall. As soon as Hallmark told them to collect their grains, they swarmed and surrounded the city hall. Upon seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Hallmark could only retrieve his double-barreled shotgun and fire two shots into the sky. This was the only way to deter these people and make them queue up neatly. Soon after, the mountain of grains were completely distributed, and even the scattered bits and scraps left on the ground were carefully picked up by them. Wang Lun felt touched as he observed the situation. In this era, grains were indeed the most precious thing. Then, he announced: ¡°Everyone, head back to cook your meals and come back to the city hall after you¡¯ve eaten your fill. I have something to announce later.¡± All the refugees who had received the grains were very grateful to Wang Lun. When they heard that he would allow them to return to the city hall later, they nodded without hesitation. Right now, there was only one thought in their heads. This city lord may really be capable of leading us into a better life. Shortly after, the refugees scattered, started a fire, and cooked their meals over it. Wang Lun and Hallmark also consumed their meals in the city hall, and when the time was almost up, they stepped out of the entrance. At that moment, the refugees who had just eaten and drank their fill stood in front of the city hall with emotional faces. For the first time in a very long while, they experienced the taste of a full meal. They were really grateful to Wang Lun, and their gazes were filled with awe. Wang Lun scanned the crowd and loudly announced: ¡°Since I have spent a fortune to buy this city, I will certainly manage it well. I will build a civilized city, ensure that everyone has a house to live in, land to grow crops on, and clothes to wear, as well as stores owned and operated with integrity. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all tired of living in limbo, so as long as you do as I say, you¡¯ll all have a good life ahead of you.¡± As soon as his words echoed, the whole world fell silent for a brief moment, followed by a deafening cheer from the crowd. ¡°City Lord.¡± ¡°God bless my lord¡­¡± The refugees cheered, and their voices resounded throughout the sky. Wang Lun scanned the sea of people as their voices struck his eardrums. He felt as if something had been ignited in his heart and he got goosebumps all over his skin! He waved his hand to signal everyone to calm down and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say the bad things up front: if you want to turn Yale City into a civilized home, you must abide by my rules. Anyone who dares to defy my rules will be severely punished.¡± Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Firstly, I need to register everyone in the city. I need to know the exact population of Yale City. ¡°For one month, the city hall will distribute grains for free. During this period, I need you guys to work and of course, I will pay wages for your effort. After one month, you can use the work income to buy grains.¡± After Wang Lun finished speaking, he squinted and swept a glance at the crowd, smiling faintly. ¡°No problem. It¡¯s the right thing for us to do. We agree!¡± The refugees quickly responded, and all of them agreed with the terms. Wang Lun nodded and continued, ¡°First, I need a group of men who are capable of building houses. We have to build houses on the vacant lots around the city and make sure everyone has a place to live in.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sign up. I¡¯ve built houses before¡­¡± ¡°I used to be a carpenter¡­¡± Upon hearing the passionate responses from the crowd, Wang Lun nodded in satisfaction and added: ¡°In addition, I need a group of strong, young men to serve as guards for the city hall¡­ ¡°The city hall also needs to recruit literates to assist me in running Yale City¡­ ¡°As for the rest of you, I will assign you some land and seeds, and you will be responsible for growing crops. As soon as the crops mature, you¡¯ll need to send a small portion over to the city hall. You can keep the rest of them.¡± After Wang Lun finished speaking, the refugees became even more thrilled. They could see that Wang Lun was sincere in developing Yale City, and that he wanted to give them a good life. In an instant, countless people signed up, and the smile on Wang Lun¡¯s face turned wider. He instructed Bran to check the background and skills of these people, and those who met the conditions were hired on the spot. All of a sudden, a young, blond lady with a pale complexion and clad in ragged clothes carefully walked toward Wang Lun, knelt on the ground, and asked in a soft voice: ¡°My lord, I am literate and wish to join the city hall. Do you think I¡¯m qualified enough?¡± Wang Lun looked at the young lady, whose face was covered in filthy dirt, in surprise. But despite that, she had a great figure. And her pair of azure eyes were also mesmerizing. This young lady, in particular, had a kind of aura that was clearly different from the other refugees, which aroused Wang Lun¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Get up first. Tell me about your background.¡± The blond young lady slowly got up to her feet, but didn¡¯t dare look directly at Wang Lun. She trembled and spoke in a whisper: ¡°My name is Lucy. I used to be the princess of a small kingdom. But the war happened and our kingdom was destroyed, which was how I ended up here.¡± Wang Lun wasn¡¯t surprised. In this era of war and chaos, there should be quite a number of exiled princesses like her. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes, since you used to be a princess, you should be more knowledgeable than the rest. In that case, stay close to me from now on.¡± Upon hearing his words, Lucy was elated. She nodded repeatedly, grateful to Wang Lun for taking her in. At the same time, near the city hall stood several brightly-dressed merchants, former nobles of Yale City. Although their families had fallen from grace, their names still had a bit of legacy left. They continued living in Yale City under the protection of their respective guards. They looked at Wang Lun in disdain, curled their lips, and criticized, ¡°This new baron is interesting. But he is too indulged in his fantasy.¡± ¡°With so many untouchables in Yale City, he will go bankrupt by just feeding them. And yet, he still tries to develop the city and grow crops. How naive of him.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. I think he¡¯s somewhat capable, so I¡¯ll give him a maximum of one month before he flees in disgrace. If he wants to get into the mess that is Yale City, he¡¯ll have to do his homework first.¡± ¡°Haha, my friend, you think too highly of him. I think half a month is enough to take a toll on him.¡± ¡°We shall see then. Whoever loses, hand over 30 slaves and 10 maids, how about that?¡± The several merchants habitually started a wager, all ready to watch as the new baron took responsibility for his ignorance. Wang Lun turned to Hallmark beside him and said, ¡°Hallmark, you are my only knight. You will be in charge of training them. I want a competent army of guards.¡± Hallmark nodded, placed one hand on his chest and bowed slightly, saying, ¡°I will not disappoint you, my lord.¡± ¡°All right. Go to the side and register those who are interested in becoming guards!¡± Wang Lun patted Hallmark¡¯s shoulder. Hallmark immediately lifted and waved that strong arm of his, yelling, ¡°Those who want to join the guards come over here.¡± Some of the stronger men in the crowd followed his lead and moved into position. ¡°Bran,¡± Wang Lun called out. ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re familiar with Yale City, you¡¯ll be in charge of all the general affairs. But right now, you need to finish registering the construction workers first!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Wang Lung turned around and nodded, ¡°Lucy, although you were once a princess¡­¡± At that moment, his words were interrupted. ¡°I understand, my lord! I will obey everything you say!¡± Lucy was so afraid that Wang Lun would go back on his word that she immediately responded. Wang Lun replied, ¡°Good. I shall give you a position as my personal assistant.¡± Since he had promised to keep her around, it was necessary to give her an official position. Wang Lun put his hand on his hip, took a deep breath, and scanned the surroundings. Then, his gaze stopped on a few merchants who were laughing and chatting away. Just by looking at their appearances, Wang Lun could already guess their identities. He nodded subconsciously. One of the merchants pointed in Wang Lun¡¯s direction, turned toward him, and nodded in response. Their eyes ¡®wished¡¯ him good luck in a satirical manner. Hallmark quickly returned to Wang Lun¡¯s side. ¡°My lord, the guards have all been registered.¡± Wang Lun turned around with his brows furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hallmark handed Wang Lun a piece of parchment, on which was apparently a list of future guards¡¯ names. ¡°100?¡± Wang Lun was puzzled, ¡°There are only 100 of them in the whole city?¡± ¡°Most of the able-bodied men have been enslaved.¡± Hallmark explained. I¡¯m afraid 100 guards will be insufficient to even patrol the entire city¡­ The corners of Wang Lun¡¯s lips revealed a hint of self-mockery. ¡°Hey! Bran, how¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°My Lord, the construction workers are here.¡± Bran stretched out his arm and drew a circle at the crowd behind him. ¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry, anyway,¡± Wang Lun whispered to reassure himself. ¡°Listen up, everyone! What I am about to announce is regarding everyone¡¯s monthly allowance.¡± Wang Lun¡¯s words instantly stirred up a wave of voices. ¡°Allowance?¡± ¡°Oh my God, did you hear that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± These people who had difficulty affording grains couldn¡¯t believe that this was real. Not only were they just provided with meals, but they would also be receiving allowance? Is this man sent by God to save us? ¡°Each of you will receive a minimum of 50 bronze coins a month. Of course, you will still receive a separate wage for your jobs.¡± ¡°Quiet, quiet!¡± The uproar in the crowd gave Wang Lun a massive headache. ¡°I have another point to make, and that is the proportion of currencies.¡± In an instant, the crowd returned to a state of calm silence, waiting for the baron in front of them to continue his announcements. Wang Lun exhaled and added, ¡°Now, one gold coin equals 100 silver coins. One silver coin can be exchanged for 100 copper coins. And five copper coins can afford you one pound of grain.¡± ¡°This means that I can buy 10 pounds of grain in one month, God!¡± ¡°We will also be paid for our jobs, and the wages will definitely be worth much more!¡± While everyone jumped for joy, Bran sized Wang Lun up in amazement. Wang Lun¡¯s management ability had far exceeded his imagination. After being fed by Wang Lun, everyone was willing to work for him. This fact alone couldn¡¯t help but leave Bran lingering in fear. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Lun seemed to have spent all his energy yelling his announcements earlier and now, he placed his hand on his hip to catch his breath. ¡°Next,¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°I will conduct a census of all the households in the city. The city hall will hand out an additional fixed monthly allowance to any household that has young or old members without adults.¡± Wang Lun seemed to be about to say something else, but he chose to stop and instead added, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all we have to announce for today!¡± Wow! As soon as the refugees were finally allowed to speak, they instantly burst into cheers. They had never been treated this well before. They didn¡¯t even dare to imagine or ask for half of what they had received thus far. ¡°Long live the city lord!¡± ¡°Long live the city lord!¡± The people gradually went on their knees and began to worship the amazing man before them. Wang Lun didn¡¯t request for them to rise because this was the way the world should be. ¡°Hmph, just a bunch of untouchables! This city lord sure is enjoying their kneeling and worshiping, huh?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll surely regret his decision!¡± The group of merchants scornfully gazed at the scene ahead. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s nothing more to see here. We¡¯d better head back and watch the slaves fight!¡± One of the merchants gave a long stretch, turned around, and left the scene with his guards. The rest of the merchants left as well. ¡°Hallmark!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Hallmark immediately hurried forward. ¡°Start working on the training of the newly-recruited guards.¡± Wang Lun had begun to feel exhausted. Even though there were seats available for him, he had stood for most of the time. Hallmark noticed Wang Lun¡¯s fatigue and quickly responded, ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Wang Lun turned around and left, yelling: ¡°Lucy, come with me!¡± Without any hesitation, Lucy followed after him closely. There weren¡¯t many guards in the city hall. In addition to Lucy, the only other people there were the odd-job servants, who had followed Wang Lun the moment he entered the hall. ¡°This is Lucy, who is now my personal assistant.¡± Wang Lun sauntered toward a few of the maids and introduced Lucy to them. On the other hand, Lucy knew her manners as she quickly greeted the maids with the most common courtesy. ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Lucy. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Several of the maids smiled and nodded in response. Wang Lun continued. ¡°Lucy used to be a princess. From now on, she will be the one to teach you everything about etiquette.¡± A few of the maids frowned and said in unison, ¡°My lord, why should maids like us learn etiquette? We won¡¯t get to use it.¡± Wang Lun replied, ¡°So what if you¡¯re a maid? In the future, Yale City will be a civilized city. And as personnel of a civilized city hall, who is going to learn etiquette if you aren¡¯t?¡± The maids exchanged looks with one other with smiles across their faces. This baron intends to civilize Yale City? He is underestimating the difficulty of this task and biting off more than he can chew. They had worked in the city hall for many years and had witnessed the many changes of city lords in Yale City. However, they had never met a city lord who truly believed that this city could be rescued. But since this man was the new city lord, it wasn¡¯t like they, as maids of the city hall, had a say in things. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°We¡¯re pleased to meet you, Miss Lucy!¡± Wang Lun grinned. ¡°It sure is easy for women to establish relationships.¡± Wang Lun arrived at his room after being escorted through the largest building in the city hall. At that moment, the maids consciously came to a halt, turned around, and left. ¡°Miss Lucy, let¡¯s go!¡± One of the maids took Lucy¡¯s hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucy wondered. ¡°The lord¡¯s room is off-limits to us. This is as far as an outsider can go,¡± the maid explained. It was also at that moment that Wang Lun reacted to the fact that Lucy was a newcomer. He said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a rule that I set. No one is allowed to set foot in here without my permission.¡± Upon hearing his words, Lucy politely bowed and left with the maids. Wang Lun pushed the door open and entered the room, before securely locking the door. ¡°Phew! There¡¯s no time to lose. Let¡¯s get started¡­¡± Wang Lun soliloquized. ¡°Space¡ªtransmigrate!¡± As soon as his words sounded, thin, shiny threads or rather, cracks, appeared in front of him. If one were to witness the cracks in the air, one would surely be dumbfounded. The shiny threads gradually metamorphosed into crisp, hissing lightning bolts that circled to tear apart a black dot at the middle. The black dot began transforming into a circular surface and at first glance, it resembled a¡­ Black hole. It kept making sounds that didn¡¯t belong to this world. However, Wang Lun wasn¡¯t afraid at all. He leisurely stretched his back and walked into the black hole. ¡°Another world that belongs to me. Here I come.¡± Wang Lun lifted his arm before him and reached into the black hole. His arm was gradually engulfed, followed by his head and entire body. In just a few minutes, a living person disappeared into the other side of the black hole. But of course, there was no end in sight. It was several hours later when Wang Lun returned to his room in Yale City. But just in those few minutes, his room had been filled with many packages that didn¡¯t belong to this world. Wang Lun weighed several packages in his hands. There was the eye-catching word ¡®rice¡¯ written on some of the packages, while the others contained 20 swords, guns, spears, and bows respectively, as well as other weapons. ¡°This training program should be useful, right? After all, this is the ancient method of training soldiers.¡± Wang Lun took out a piece of white paper written with black letters and muttered under his breath. ¡°By now, Hallmark should have returned with the new guards.¡± Wang Lun estimated the time. Pushing open the door, Wang Lun walked out of his room and encountered a male servant outside the meeting room. ¡°Cole, go and get Hallmark to meet me.¡± The male servant responded: ¡°I¡¯m afraid Knight Hallmark isn¡¯t back yet, my lord.¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°What? In that case, find some people to come to my room.¡± The few servants who came to the room didn¡¯t reveal any exaggerated expressions when they saw the weapons all over the floor. The previous city lords had also acquired weapons for the guards. ¡°Move these weapons to the guard¡¯s warehouse,¡± Wang Lun ordered. The servants couldn¡¯t recognize the weapons, but the veteran guards who saw them were instantly stunned. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such weapons before!¡± One of the muscular men exclaimed. ¡°My lord, did you personally procure these weapons? The blacksmith who forged them must be the best!¡± Someone was brave enough to speak his mind. Wang Lun casually replied, ¡°They were indeed made by a master blacksmith and are many years ahead of the weapons you own today.¡± ¡°Try it, Edgar.¡± Wang Lun picked up a sword and handed it to one of the soldiers. The soldier smiled and wiped his hands on his clothes before accepting the sword. ¡°The sword isn¡¯t for ornamental purposes,¡± Wang Lun chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Edgar gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands and brandished the blade at an upright wooden club. Clang! In the blink of an eye, the wooden club was hacked into two parts. The soldiers instantly cheered. Edgar, who held the sword in his hands, stared blankly on the spot. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day. Bran hurriedly entered the city hall, and at that moment, Wang Lun was fishing by the pond. ¡°My lord, this pond has long been empty of fish. Why do you insist on fishing?¡± The puzzled Lucy who stood beside him asked. Wang Lun sat on a small stool with a fishing rod in his hand, patiently waiting for a fish in the pool to take the bait. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m not fishing; I¡¯m imitating Jiang Taigong1. ¡°Jiang Taigong?¡± Lucy furrowed her brows. Lucy thought she would have known who that person was since she was a member of a royal family and had access to countless books. However, she had never seen that name in any book. Lucy asked again, ¡°What does Jiang Taigong do that makes my lord interested in learning from him?¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°He fishes, but not entirely so either. All in all, he is just an incredible person.¡± It was at that moment that Bran arrived at the pond where Wang Lun was at. ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wang Lun didn¡¯t look back as he continued to focus on the movement in the water. Bran approached and stood behind him. ¡°My lord, what are you doing? There are no fish in the pond at all!¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business!¡± It was only then that Bran recalled what he was here for. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve finished counting the city population.¡± He retrieved a piece of parchment from his chest pocket. Wang Lun unhurriedly put down his fishing rod, turned around, and took the parchment in his hands for a cursory glance. ¡°As previously stated, there will be a fixed monthly allowance for the young and old who do not have adults in the household.¡± The census was to understand the population of Yale City, and the other was to facilitate the implementation of his policy. Bran politely took the parchment back from Wang Lun, rolled it up carefully, and tucked it back into his chest pocket. ¡°Here are the seeds. Distribute them and recruit a labor force to cultivate the wasteland and plant seeds in the fields.¡± Bran received the few packets of seeds that Wang Lun mentioned and took a good look at them. ¡°My lord, these are seeds?¡± Bran dubiously looked at Wang Lun. ¡°Yes!¡± Wang Lun answered with certainty. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen such seeds in all the years I¡¯ve lived.¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t seen them before! I found them throughout my years of roaming about. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Its yield is definitely much higher than all the ones you¡¯ve grown before!¡± Bran had nothing to say. He dubiously looked at Wang Lun. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you can go ahead and implement this first.¡± Bran nodded and left the city hall with a look of befuddlement. At the moment, the people in Yale City were each busy with their own affairs. It could also be said that they were doing the best they could. No one was idle, and no one was in the mood to be idle either. Most people were satisfied with the new city lord¡¯s policy. But if there were some who refused to follow Wang Lun¡¯s lead, they would be the merchants. As Yale City got into the swing of things, Wang Lun announced that all merchants would be exempt from taxes. However, misfortune didn¡¯t come singly, and good things didn¡¯t come in pairs. ¡°Any merchant who hires an employee must not pay a wage of less than 30 copper coins a month? Isn¡¯t that tyranny?¡± Someone in one of the shops commented. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say it out loud. If the new city lord were to hear of this, perhaps you couldn¡¯t even save yourself, not to mention your shop.¡± ¡°Yeah. That man killed three people when he first arrived in Yale City, so let¡¯s watch ourselves.¡± ¡°You may not be aware of this, but someone went to the city hall this morning to complain that this was very unfair to us merchants. And guess what the city lord said?¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°The city lord said to him that this is Yale City, and anyone who operates a business here has to obey his rules.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better for us to just obey his orders and not create unnecessary trouble.¡± A man in the store stood up and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be arrogant for long. When the time comes, he¡¯s gonna get it!¡± A wicked smile appeared on the man¡¯s face as he strode out of the store. The remaining merchants in the store looked at the departing man¡¯s back until he was out of sight. They all knew who that man was. He was one of the leading businessmen here. ¡°How is it? What¡¯s been going on in the city these past few days?¡± Wang Lun sat at the table with a teacup in his hand. He blew at the hot tea and lifted the teacup to his mouth. ¡°There still seems to be some objections from the merchants in the city,¡± Bran answered. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk about it after I watch this battle.¡± Wang Lun was now seated on a raised platform, with a ring set up some distance in front of him. He was currently located at a venue dedicated to training soldiers, also known as a training ground. Two strong, bare-chested men stood on top of the ring, signifying that a battle was about to begin. This battle served as an exchange between the new and old guards to show the results of the training. ¡°Hallmark! How do you think this will end?¡± Wang Lun shouted at Hallmark, who served as the referee in the ring. Hallmark, on the other hand, shrugged and said, ¡°My lord, even though I don¡¯t know what rules you¡¯ve set, I¡¯m pretty sure the soldier I¡¯ve trained will win.¡± As Hallmark announced the start of the battle, the two fighters in the ring quickly got into action. At the beginning, the situation was out of line with Wang Lun¡¯s expectations. Neither of the two fighters probed, but directly fought each other instead. As soon as the battle started, they tried to take down each other in a single move. ¡°Look, the soldier trained by Hallmark is doing great. I trusted him from the beginning.¡± Wang Lun smiled and said to Bran beside him. Bran laughed along with him, but responded with a forced smile. ¡°The credit goes to your good taste in choosing a knight like Hallmark as your escort, my lord.¡± ¡°You know, Hallmark is really strong,¡± Wang Lun replied. Bran didn¡¯t respond instantly. This baron is too careless. Even at this point, he still doesn¡¯t know what kind of mentality the merchants in the city have, does he? Moreover, this morning, he still gave the merchants a good scolding. Could it be that he isn¡¯t aware of the consequences to a city without the presence of those merchants? Well, maybe he has his own ways of solving problems, just like what he did with the grains. Despite these thoughts, what else could Bran say? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bran? Is the fight boring to you? Have you watched too many massacres between slaves that you aren¡¯t interested in such a contest? Bran quickly bowed and said, ¡°That¡¯s not true, my lord. I was just¡­¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Wang Lun threw a hard punch in the air. The winner had been determined. It was clear that the new recruit had won the honor. ¡°Oh, what did you say?¡± Wang Lun followed up on Bran¡¯s unfinished words. Bran continued, ¡°I was just worried about what the merchants would do because they are clearly displeased!¡± Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Well, I get it. Emotions are only temporary, and there will always be people who are unhappy about policy reform. But eventually, they will compromise!¡± Wang Lun spoke in a calm manner, as if he had reached the point where he could see through worldly affairs. ¡°But if the merchants leave Yale City, things will go bad, my lord.¡± Bran spoke his mind. Wang Lun replied, ¡°Merchants are important, but it isn¡¯t necessary to have them around in order for a city to prosper. Besides, the city owner isn¡¯t a merchant either. ¡°You know? I¡¯ve been to a country that is people-oriented. They gave far more to the commoners than I¡¯ve ever practiced, and they also reformed commerce right from the start.¡± ¡°Are you curious about the end result?¡± Bran nodded and said, ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± Wang Lun took a sip of the remaining tea, allowing its bitterness to exude in his mouth. ¡°They became prosperous and ended up surpassing other countries. Can you imagine living in peace and prosperity?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Bran answered. Wang Lun leaned against the back of his chair. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t make the effort to learn about the predecessors of Yale City?¡± In an instant, Bran quickly blinked his eyelids and lowered his head slightly. ¡°The poor tend to remember only the ones who offered them the most help. Do you know which groups of people are the most motivated right now?¡± Bran answered naturally: ¡°The commoners and lower-class people.¡± Wang Lun replied, ¡°Yes, they are now our main force. ¡°As for the merchants, the city can still function normally as long as the number of merchants are kept within a certain range. Besides, not every merchant will give up the opportunity to make money. Yale City is the only place where they are exempt from taxation.¡± Wang Lun showed a look of confidence, so much so that Bran couldn¡¯t refute his words. ¡°All right, bring me along to inspect their work!¡± Wang Lun stood up and stretched himself. Bran was in charge of the city¡¯s miscellaneous affairs such as construction and agriculture. Within the city, Bran was considered somewhat reputable, which was why his orders were quickly implemented without delay. ¡°My lord.¡± ¡°My lord.¡± As soon as Wang Lun arrived at one of the construction sites, the workers stopped their work and greeted him one after another. Wang Lun nodded and looked around the place. Everything had just begun. ¡°Welcome, my lord.¡± A strong, bearded man approached Wang Lun and bowed. ¡°Are you in charge of this site?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Wang Lun continued. ¡°How¡¯s everything?¡± The bearded man said, ¡°Everything is running well, though I can¡¯t find any fault as we¡¯ve just started the construction.¡± ¡°Can you show me the designs?¡± Wang Lun asked. ¡°Oh, of course, my lord.¡± The bearded man looked towards one of the workers at the side, and the latter handed over a piece of parchment. The bearded man passed the parchment to Wang Lun. Wang Lun took over the parchment and scrutinized it. ¡°My lord, you sure know everything!¡± The bearded man complimented. Wang Lun lifted the parchment to the face of the bearded man and said, ¡°The house can be built flat without these unnecessary materials. In order to occupy a small area so that we have more space, building one layer will be sufficient. The rest of the materials can be built on top of that one layer instead.¡± The bearded man intently listened, nodding repeatedly. ¡°Got it. Even though this isn¡¯t in style for the masses, as long as it is proposed by you, my lord, we will abide by it.¡± ¡°Are there any carpenters among you guys?¡± Wang Lun asked. The bearded man rolled up the parchment and slotted it into his tattered apron. ¡°Yes. Do you need something built, my lord?¡± Wang Lun instructed, ¡°Gather them to build the bunk beds.¡± ¡°And of course, build me something from this drawing as well.¡± Wang Lun said, retrieving a drawn parchment from his pocket. ¡°My God, what is this?¡± Bran leaned in closer to look at the drawing and cried out in surprise. Wang Lun smiled and explained, ¡°This is a waterwheel, a tool that automates irrigation. I noticed a huge river outside Yale City when I first arrived.¡± ¡°Remember when I told you to gather some people to dig ditches?¡± Wang Lun said to Bran. Bran nodded and replied, ¡°Of course I remember.¡± Wang Lun continued, ¡°The waterwheel will be able to divert the water from the river to the ditch and then to our fields.¡± The people around them cheered when they heard his words, as if the baron in front of them were sent by the gods. The things that he handed them were all unprecedented. After giving out instructions, Wang Lun, led by Bran, headed to the reclaimed wasteland and aqueducts. Most of the wasteland had been reclaimed, and the aqueducts were completed with high efficiency. Everything had gone smoothly, and nothing went wrong. But shortly after, bad news spread throughout Yale City. ¡°Hallmark, the soldiers you trained should now be able to handle combat, right?¡± Wang Lun sat in the exclusive seat of the city lord, and in front of him stood Hallmark and Bran. Just today, someone delivered a letter to the city hall¡ªa challenge letter, to be precise. The name of the person who wrote the letter wasn¡¯t shown, and from the letter one knew that it came from a gang of bandits. They threatened to invade Yale City and that the city lord had better hand over his treasures, otherwise his life would be in danger. Although Wang Lun had a shotgun in his possession, the other party was a gang of bandits, after all, so he would have to shoot them one by one, even if they were standing still. If he didn¡¯t come up with countermeasures, who knew what terrible means the outlaws would resort to. Hallmark placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly, saying, ¡°My lord, the soldiers are ready to fight at any time.¡± As a matter of fact, Hallmark was experienced in fighting against bandits and confident of the soldiers he had trained. Wang Lun said, ¡°Good. The bandits will arrive in Yale City tomorrow so go and get prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Hallmark turned around and left. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my lord?¡± Hallmark stood on the spot. Wang Lun added, ¡°Make all the soldiers use the weapons I gave them!¡± Even though Wang Lun wasn¡¯t too willing to reveal his advanced weapons yet, he didn¡¯t have a better countermeasure to handle the crisis at that moment. Hallmark nodded and quickly left the city hall. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you, my lord?¡± Bran volunteered. Wang Lun said, ¡°I will make you responsible for calming down our people because by now, the news has probably spread throughout the whole city. If anything goes wrong at this juncture, everything will be done for!¡± Wang Lun knew very well what would happen if his people were afraid. But even Bran¡¯s psychological counseling of the people in the streets didn¡¯t have much effect. None of them believed that Yale City would survive tomorrow¡¯s catastrophe, for they too had fled to the present Yale City after the destruction of their previous cities. Back then, their cities were many times stronger than Yale City. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day. Wang Lun stood on the city wall with his soldiers. The bandits had arrived at the bottom of Yale City, just as the letter promised. ¡°Is that the city lord up there?¡± A huge, black-bearded man rode out on a horse and pointed at the city wall above. Wang Lun held the shotgun in his hand and loudly responded: ¡°Yes, I am Baron Wang Lun, the lord of this city!¡± The black-bearded man snorted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of baron you are. You only have two choices: surrender and hand over all your treasures, or perish into ashes along with this city!¡± Instead of being afraid, Wang Lun spoke with a smile. ¡°If you want my treasures, you have to give me something in exchange!¡± The black-bearded man didn¡¯t say another word, but turned his horse around and returned to the massive formation behind him. The bandit seemed to have a high chance of winning the battle, with 500 men assembled and standing beneath the city wall. At a glance, they were like a colony of black ants. ¡°My lord, please seek refuge¡ªthey look like they are about to attack!¡± Hallmark¡¯s instincts as a knight told him that an exchange of blood would soon be inevitable. Wang Lun revealed a smile and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of them attacking the city?¡± Upon hearing this statement from Wang Lun, Hallmark turned to the former with a puzzled look. Has this baron been scared out of his mind? Where did he get this confidence from? The enemies clearly outnumber us by a wide margin. At that moment, the black-bearded man had returned to the square and was speaking to his chief. Soon after, the chief unsheathed a sword from his waist, raised it high, and pointed it at the city wall. He widened his mouth to the max. ¡°It has begun. Archers, don¡¯t be in a hurry to use your bow and arrows yet.¡± Wang Lun said. Wang Lun didn¡¯t purchase a whole lot of arrows. He considered archers to be crucial in this situation, possibly deciding the outcome of the battle. The bandits at the bottom of the city wall flooded forward. The siege weapons used by the bandits were long ladders, and the bandits climbed up the ladders at a fast pace. ¡°Get ready for battle!¡± Hallmark gripped a huge blade in his hand and reminded the soldiers around him. Wang Lun lifted his shotgun in his hand, pointing its muzzle at the bandits who would soon climb over the city wall. He slowly positioned his index finger on the trigger. Bang! He fired a bullet, and his body trembled from the recoil. In the next second, the first of the bandits had fallen. ¡°Nice shot, my lord!¡± Hallmark couldn¡¯t help but exclaim at the sight. Wang Lun, on the other hand, simply chuckled and aimed the shotgun at the rest of the enemies. Bang! Bang! He fired another two shots in quick succession, and two more bandits collapsed. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be displaced again, are we?!¡± ¡°I thought life was starting to get better.¡± ¡°Yeah, why are we still running into bandits?¡± The people of the city weren¡¯t allowed to go up to the city walls and had to watch the city for when the bandits would appear. Their hopes were dashed when they saw some of the bandits on the verge of climbing over the city walls. Some people had already started to put their hands together and prayed for the blessings of God. Others, on the other hand, didn¡¯t care what the outcome would be. They continued eating their breakfast, even taking the time to pull out a chair to sit back and watch the show. ¡°Do those merchants think that nothing will happen to them since they¡¯re rich? When the bandits take over the city, the merchants will surely be robbed of their assets. Let¡¯s see how arrogant they are when that happens!¡± Someone cursed as he observed the nonchalant merchants. ¡°Archers, stop them from climbing up the ladder!¡± Wang Lun yelled. The archers who had been waiting for orders immediately pulled their bowstrings. Buzz! Buzz! The bowstrings trembled with a crisp sound as the arrows flew out. The arrows were shot at the lowermost part of the ladder. It was where the bandits were gathered and preparing to ascend, following those who had climbed ahead. More than 20 arrows swooped down swiftly and only came to a stop after penetrating the bandits¡¯ bodies. None of the bandits survived the arrows, and they all collapsed. At the same time, Hallmark also attacked. One of the bandits had just revealed his head over the city wall and was immediately met with a large blade in front of him. In an instant, an arc of blood sprayed across the air. ¡°Soldiers, show them the results of our training!¡± Hallmark shouted at the soldiers around him. Bandits continued to appear on top of the ladders from other positions, but all of them faced the same ending. ¡°Spear-wielding soldiers, attack!¡± Hallmark gave the order. Soldiers with shorter weapons stepped back, allowing their comrades with long spears to step forward. The spear-wielding soldiers raised their weapons high and fiercely jabbed down with the razor-sharp tip. The bandits who were climbing up the ladder had no time, or rather, no room to dodge at all. They could neither get up nor down. On the other hand, archers were still aggressively firing arrows at the bandits on the surface, while Wang Lun continued blasting his shotgun from above the city wall. The chief of the bandits in the distance revealed a bitter expression. ¡°Where are our original supporters in the city?¡± The chief leaned over and asked the man beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess they¡¯re afraid to show up!¡± The bandit chief didn¡¯t feel good as he watched his men die one by one. ¡°What kind of weapon is that? How is it possible that it¡¯s so powerful?¡± Looking at the archers on the city wall and the shotgun in Wang Lun¡¯s hand, the bandit chief asked in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know! Most of our brothers were killed by it! I think we¡¯d better retreat!¡± The man replied. Retreat? We¡¯re just gonna give up after sacrificing so many men? But if we don¡¯t retreat, we¡¯ll have even more casualties. The bandit chief couldn¡¯t make up his mind. ¡°Retreat!¡± In the end, he made his decision. ¡°They¡¯re retreating already?¡± Hallmark wiped the blood stains away from his face, ¡°My lord, they¡¯re retreating!¡± Wang Lun put down his shotgun, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled, ¡°Yes, my brave knight, they¡¯ve been defeated by our bravery!¡± Intermediately after, all the soldiers in the city raised their weapons high in the air and jumped to their feet. This was the first time some of them had ever won a battle. However, some reacted differently. In a hidden location, a man in bright clothing stared at the retreating bandits with dismay. He didn¡¯t say a word, but turned around and quietly left that place. ¡°Hallmark, lead some men to clean up the battlefield!¡± Wang Lun walked down the city wall. ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± ¡°The few of you come with me!¡± Hallmark hurried outside the city wall with a group of soldiers. ¡°Bran, order all the construction workers to fortify the city walls. This city is still too fragile. We will surely fall the next time the enemy arrives.¡± Wang Lun¡¯s words were like those of a king. The war was won, and not a single one of Wang Lun¡¯s soldiers were sacrificed, which was a great thing for the limited population of Yale City. Since there was no need to replenish troops, the only other thing that could be improved would be their weapons and armor. Wang Lun had noticed the effects of the bow and arrow in the battle earlier. Had it not been for the suppression of the bow and arrow, Yale City would have been taken over by now. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Lun didn¡¯t have the time to hold a big celebration party. On the contrary, he went straight back into his room. Right now, he needed to quickly transmigrate to the real world again to procure sufficient arrows and tough defensive armor. This battle was the first battle of life and death that he had experienced, and it also showed him that he needed to protect his territory. ¡°Space¡ªtransmigrate!¡± Wang Lun¡¯s eyes were slightly closed when he recited those two words under his breath. The black hole that appeared before showed up in front of him again, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to walk into it the slightest. After a while, he once again returned to his room. This time, he came back alone and didn¡¯t bring any purchases like before. Because his trip to Earth this time was just to make a pre-order. ¡°Have you contacted Robinson?¡± Wang Lun sat in the city hall, waiting for the man in front of him to give him an answer. ¡°Yes, my lord, but Robinson said he needs some time to prepare your needs.¡± Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°All right. Now go and get the blacksmiths to build 200 arrows. Here¡¯s the blueprint for the arrows.¡± Since he didn¡¯t have any more arrows from Earth, he could only build some first, just in case. A few days later, he finally received news of Robinson¡¯s arrival in Yale City. ¡°Hallmark, get a few soldiers to follow me to the market.¡± Wang Lun led a group of people out of the city hall. Upon arriving at the agreed upon location in the market, he spotted Robinson. ¡°Hey, my friend, over here!¡± Wang Lun waved his hand from afar. Robinson heard Wang Lun¡¯s voice, turned around, and quickly rushed forward to greet him, ¡°Greetings, my lord.¡± ¡°What? You expanded your team?¡± Wang Lun looked at the convoy at the back and asked. Robinson shook his head and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. It seems that you¡¯re doing quite well yourself in Yale City, my lord.¡± Wang Lun chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve only just started.¡± ¡°By the way, I got a huge sale from that mirror you traded with me earlier. I wonder if you have any more of those because many noblewomen are asking me for it!¡± Wang Lun said: ¡°I will give you any rare items I have when I get them. So where are the war horses I asked for?¡± Wang Lun changed the topic back to the main business. ¡°I just got someone to pull them aside and feed them. After all, I can¡¯t starve them before handing them over to you, my lord.¡± Robinson laughed. More like you¡¯re going to raise their price, making sure that the horses are full before selling them to me for a better price. Wang Lun thought. ¡°Thanks for the trouble, my friend,¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°They are all superior horses, right?¡± Robinson patted his chest and said, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely pick the best for your needs.¡± Robinson was very good at flattering; even the soldiers following behind Wang Lun could see that. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at boot-licking.¡± ¡°Haha. You have a great sense of humor, my soldier friend,¡± Robinson said. ¡°So where are the horses, can you show us?¡± Since Wang Lun was waiting around for the horses, he figured that he might as well go to them instead. Robinson was about to advise Wang Lun to patiently wait for the horses, but he swallowed back the words that almost escaped his throat. ¡°Sure, the horses are just ahead.¡± ¡°In that case, we will follow your convoy,¡± Wang Lun said. It was just as Robinson said. The group crossed the junction and immediately saw the feedlot in the corner. However, it wasn¡¯t originally used for breeding horses, but for farmers raising poultry instead. ¡°My lord, look, the horses are there.¡± Robinson pointed to the thatched hut ahead. ¡°In fact, these horses had arrived in Yale City yesterday, but¡­¡± ¡°But you hadn¡¯t arrived in person yet, so you didn¡¯t inform me for fear I would give you less in exchange.¡± Wang Lun interrupted Robinson¡¯s words, speaking the latter¡¯s mind. At that moment, all Robinson could do was smile. He didn¡¯t want to cut off relations with this wealthy man just because of this matter. ¡°But I believe that you¡¯re a generous man, my lord.¡± Wang Lun held his head high and took a big step. ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± Robinson swirled his eyes and quickly followed Wang Lun. ¡°Oh, my lord, you brought anything good again?¡± Wang Lun raised his hand and patted Robinson¡¯s shoulder, laughing. ¡°Fret not, I¡¯ll absolutely not put you at a disadvantage. After all, we have a long way to go, working with each other.¡± Right now, Robinson was a precious middleman who converted items into gold coins for Wang Lun. If Robinson were to leave, Wang Lun would have no idea who he would find to sell the items from Earth in his possession to. As they spoke, they arrived in front of a large shed where the horses were located. Hallmark made a count; there were indeed 50 horses, no more and no less. ¡°Hallmark, how is it?¡± Wang Lun was apparently inquiring about the quality of the horses and whether or not they could serve as war horses. Hallmark randomly picked out a few of them and inspected for a while. ¡°They are suitable to be war horses, my lord,¡± Hallmark replied. Wang Lun didn¡¯t know much about horses, but as a knight, it went without saying that Hallmark was knowledgeable about such matters. And of course, Hallmark had already gained Wang Lun¡¯s trust. ¡°Good. Thanks for your hard work, my knight!¡± Wang Lun was satisfied with this answer. ¡°Well done. You¡¯re a worthy partner to work with, Robinson.¡± Robinson, for his part, shrugged as if saying, ¡°That¡¯s for sure, my friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three items in exchange.¡± Wang Lun took a cloth bag from the soldier following beside him, which contained items from Earth. Robinson¡¯s eyes immediately widened. ¡°Three? Are they as valuable as the mirror?¡± Robinson said while eagerly leaning closer to Wang Lun. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is perfume, my friend.¡± Wang Lun explained, ¡°Put it next to your nose and give it a sniff.¡± Robinson did as he was told, and the next instant he exclaimed, ¡°Oh my God, what did you put in it? It is just an ordinary-looking bottle of liquid and it has such a strong fragrance!¡± ¡°Not only that, but the fragrance will also last for several days after spraying the liquid on one¡¯s body.¡± Wang Lun leaned closer to Robinson and whispered, ¡°If you were to sell this perfume to those noblewomen, it would definitely be worth more than the mirror.¡± ¡°What about these two?¡± Wang Lun explained, ¡°Face cream and nail polish. They are both great stuff. Face cream makes people more beautiful, while nail polish changes the color of nails. ¡°I guarantee that you¡¯re in for a huge profit if you sell these three items to noblewomen.¡± Robinson didn¡¯t doubt Wang Lun¡¯s words at the slightest. After all, this wasn¡¯t their first time working together, and every single time, Robinson made a killing. Both sides finally closed their deal. Not only did Wang Lun receive superior horses from Robinson, but in exchange, he had also gotten some gold coins, silver coins, copper coins, etc.. These currencies would come in handy during an emergency. There were only a small number of soldiers in Yale City, so Wang Lun headed elsewhere to secretly recruit soldiers at high prices. In a short period of time, not only did the number of soldiers grow, but the people in Yale City also felt safer. If Miller knew about the great development of Yale City, he would certainly be annoyed for not extorting Wang Lun for a huge sum. [System mission activated!] Wang Lun was napping in his room when he was woken up by a voice ringing in his head. ¡°System mission?¡± Wang Lun was puzzled. ¡°What mission?¡± [Increase the population of Yale City to 10,000. Reward: Spatial storage bag.] A spatial storage bag? Does that mean that I will be able to purchase more and larger items in the future? Wang Lun was immediately overjoyed. I may be able to bring over an aircraft too! Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Currently, the top priority was to quickly increase the population of Yale City. Population was extremely important for a growing city. Only when the population was sufficient could there be more labor force, and only then could the city¡¯s facilities fully develop. At that moment, Wang Lun was writing a notice in the city hall, preparing for his men to distribute it. He wasn¡¯t afraid of being hated by the lords of other cities, and it also wasn¡¯t up to anyone but the people themselves to decide where they should relocate to. The current Wang Lun was equivalent to the existence of a local power. However, he was still being held back by others. ¡°My lord, what do you think of this?¡± Lucy put the pen away and picked up the paper on the table with both hands. Wang Lun smiled, stood up from the chair, and stepped toward the young lady. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Wang Lun reached for the paper in Lucy¡¯s hand. He scanned the paper, word by word. ¡°I expected nothing less of a princess who has lived in a royal family. This notice totally highlights the theme in a clear and simple manner.¡± Wang Lun continuously nodded, very satisfied with the notice written by Lucy. Lucy smiled, slightly lowering her head. Her fair, delicate cheeks instantly reddened like rose-tinted clouds hanging in the sky at dusk. ¡°Thank you for your compliments, it is Lucy¡¯s honor to please my lord!¡± Lucy softly said. Wang Lun looked at her and suddenly, a thought came up in his mind. This princess is pretty shy. Wang Lun smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m satisfied, very satisfied.¡± ¡°Servant!¡± Wang Lun shouted at the door. At the next moment, a male servant entered his room and gave a respectful bow ¡°Yes, my lord? What can I do for you?¡± Wang Lun handed over the paper in his hand, saying, ¡°Copy these words onto a large stack of paper and have them distributed.¡± There were no electronic devices in this world, let alone the internet. This was the only way to spread news, in a method similar to a newspaper, in order for the most number of people to hear about it. ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± The male servant bowed again and turned around to leave. ¡°My lord, is this really going to work?¡± Lucy asked. Wang Lun looked up at the ceiling, crossed his arms, and said, ¡°It will work. I¡¯m probably the only person who can give the kind of life most people need right now.¡± Wang Lun was confident in what he was doing. Shortly after the notice was sent out, the response of the people around Yale City turned out as expected. One after another, people migrated over from other cities. At first, Wang Lun was glad, but problems arose in Yale City with the arrival of outsiders. Every city had an optimal population limit, and now Yale City clearly exceeded it. The problem of insufficient foodstuff once again occurred in Yale City, and the rice that was planted before hadn¡¯t fully grown yet. Currently, he could only spend money to import food from other places at high prices. Wang Lun hadn¡¯t really thought about these problems beforehand. After all, this was his first time as a city lord. He had to improvise many situations through trial-and-error. He had to quickly find a solution to resolve the issue of insufficient food. He procured some crop seeds from Earth that had a shorter growth cycle compared to the previous crops. As soon as he handed the seeds to Bran, they were quickly distributed to the farmers. Not only that, but Wang Lun also used simple materials to build greenhouses to let the crops mature at the fastest speed. ¡°My lord, it seems that the lack of food isn¡¯t the only issue in the city!¡± Bran looked anxious. ¡°I know.¡± Wang Lun sat on the chair, supporting his chin with one hand. ¡°We have enough population now, but things are getting increasingly harder to manage.¡± Wang Lun had long realized the dilemma that Yale City faced. ¡°Earth uses identity cards. But in this world, identity cards won¡¯t have photos and fingerprints, so they are basically useless.¡± Wang Lun was overwhelmed with worry. ¡°Bran.¡± All of a sudden, Wang Lun jerked his body upright. Bran immediately replied, ¡°Yes, my lord?¡± Wang Lun asked, ¡°Do we have any painters in the city?¡± ¡°Painters?¡± Bran paused, smacked his lips repeatedly. ¡°I think we do!¡± Bran finally gave an answer. A smile suddenly appeared on Wang Lun¡¯s face as he slammed the table. ¡°Good. Go and gather the painters now. Also, have the carpenters make small, rectangular wooden cards. Get the painters to paint everyone in Yale City on the wooden cards.¡± ¡°The wooden card will serve as an identity card for everyone in the city.¡± ¡°Identity card?¡± Bran hadn¡¯t heard of this word. Wang Lun said, ¡°An identity card is a symbol of someone¡¯s identity, so that we know who our people are. Not only that, but the identity card can also get many things done with half the effort.¡± Bran seemed to understand what Wang Lun meant. He bowed and immediately went to prepare as Wang Lun instructed. Meanwhile, Wang Lun stepped out of the city hall and walked in the direction of the training ground. ¡°Lucy, you don¡¯t need to come with me.¡± Lucy, who walked behind Wang Lun, came to a halt and nodded, ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Go and give the servants and maids a lesson about etiquette. They are idling, anyway¡± Wang Lun turned around and said to Lucy with a smile. Lucy nodded and said, ¡°Got it, my lord. It just so happens that they asked me out yesterday.¡± Wang Lun had unintentionally helped them achieve their desires. The two separated. Wang Lun put his hands behind his back and sauntered toward the training ground, arriving soon after. As usual, Hallmark was training the soldiers. As guards, it went without saying that they were always training. They were responsible for protecting the entirety of Yale City. ¡°My lord!¡± Before Wang Lun spoke a word, Hallmark had spotted him. ¡°Is everything going well, my knight?¡± Hallmark hurried over to Wang Lun and gave a perfect knight¡¯s bow. ¡°Everything is going well. The soldiers are highly motivated. As you can see, we have a huge army of soldiers now!¡± After the last recruitment, the number of soldiers had indeed exceeded the previous count of a few hundred. ¡°Now that we have more people in the city, I want some of them assigned to maintain law and order. Well, you know how important security is to us right now,¡± Wang Lun said. Hallmark replied, ¡°No problem, my lord. They are all qualified soldiers now!¡± Wang Lun patted Hallmark¡¯s shoulder and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you, my knight!¡± ¡°Edward!¡± Hallmark shouted. The soldier whose name was called hurriedly stopped his actions and quickly came to Hallmark¡¯s side. He first bowed to Wang Lun, before turning to Hallmark and saying, ¡°Edward, reporting!¡± Hallmark ordered, ¡°Your squad will be responsible for maintaining law and order in the city from now on!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± After receiving the order, Edward turned around and trotted off to assemble his men. ¡°He is my best soldier!¡± Hallmark pointed at Edward and said. Wang Lun nodded and smiled. ¡°I can see that, my knight. Now, follow me to inspect the situation in the city!¡± Wang Lun also wanted to carry out some urban planning. But before that, he needed to thoroughly understand the layout of Yale City. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°My lord, our population is really huge now!¡± Looking at the main streets and alleys bustling with activity, Hallmark unconsciously sighed. Wang Lun nodded in response and carefully swept his eyes over every place in front of him. When walking through the city gates, one could still see outsiders walking in with their luggage. Some were alone, while some were an entire family. Those who sat in carriages should be the merchants. Wang Lun was delighted that the state of Yale City was gradually improving and at least for now, the situation was still manageable. ¡°Hallmark, let¡¯s check out somewhere else!¡± Wang Lun led Hallmark around and after spending the entire day, they finally understood Yale City¡¯s layout. It was getting dark, and it was already dinner time when Wang Lun returned to the city hall. ¡°My lord, everyone is waiting to serve your dinner!¡± A maid called out to Wang Lun, who was about to enter the room. Wang Lun stopped in his tracks, turned around, and pretended to yawn. ¡°Oh, got it, ma¡¯am. But I¡¯m exhausted right now. Can you postpone my dinner time until a little later?¡± Wang Lun showed a regretful expression. The maid smiled and had to do as she was told. ¡°When would be a better time for dinner then, my lord?¡± Wang Lun curled his lips and shrugged, saying, ¡°Any time, as long as it¡¯s not too late.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord, I will speak to the kitchen. But I hope you won¡¯t sleep for too long because skipping dinner will be bad for your health.¡± The maid was almost 50 years old, and her words had a sense of motherly love to them. ¡°Thanks for the reminder!¡± Wang Lun smiled, pushed open the door of his room with both hands, and walked in. He didn¡¯t really want to sleep. As a matter of fact, he just wanted to travel back to Earth again. The city was developing. It needed a proper city design plan. And Wang Lun wasn¡¯t a designer, much less a politician or economist. So how would he know what kind of design plan the current Yale City needed? Wang Lun closed the door, walked toward the wine rack, and picked a bottle of 82-year-old Lafite. This was what he got in exchange for the gold coins he earned here. Uncapping the bottle, he poured the wine into a clear goblet. Holding the goblet in one hand, he swirled, patiently waiting for the wine to exude its aroma. During this process, Wang Lun¡¯s eyes were dazed, albeit his mind still operating at high speed. After a few moments, he finally returned to his senses and focused his attention on the goblet in his hand. He slowly lifted it up and gently sipped it, before drinking it down in one go. ¡°Space¡ªtransmigrate!¡± These were his first words after putting down the goblet. The black hole appeared. And Wang Lun entered with ease. *** ¡°Ma¡¯am, is there any more dinner?¡± Two hours had gone after Wang Lun traveled back and forth the two worlds. What he didn¡¯t expect was that the maid had been waiting for him. The maid bowed and said, ¡°Yes, dinner is always ready for you, my lord!¡± ¡°Good job on your etiquette!¡± Wang Lun walked past the maid and couldn¡¯t help but praise her. The corner of the maid¡¯s mouth lifted into a smile. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, my lord. It is all thanks to Miss Lucy!¡± Upon arriving at the dining room, Wang Lun sat down. ¡°Can you serve the food now, ma¡¯am?¡± Wang Lun turned around and asked. ¡°Please wait a moment; I will go inform the kitchen now!¡± Wang Lun didn¡¯t have the habit of using a knife and fork, and chose to use two chopsticks instead. He picked up a clean rag and carefully wiped the chopsticks. Shortly after, dishes were served one after another. Wang Lun once told them that as long as he was eating alone, just three dishes and one soup would be sufficient. Anything more would go to waste. He began digging in. ¡°Is Hallmark still around?¡± ¡°He should have headed back by now!¡± The maid answered. Only Wang Lun and the maids and servants lived in the city hall. Hallmark would only be at the city hall¡¯s training ground during the daytime. This time, Wang Lun had not only brought back a design plan, but also other things from this trip to Earth. He thought he wouldn¡¯t take too much time. But in the end, there were some special circumstances that caused him to exceed his estimated time. The next day. Hallmark didn¡¯t go directly to the training ground, but came to Wang Lun instead. However, Bran was also present, standing in front of Wang Lun right now. ¡°My lord, what is this?¡± Bran asked in confusion, holding the drawing in his hand. ¡°This is the city¡¯s design plan. The other one teaches you the method to make bricks. Cement can also be manufactured and of course, marls can be mined,¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°What are they for?¡± ¡°Building houses. Now that our population is getting larger, not only is there a food crisis, but also a housing crisis. ¡°Hallmark and I looked into it yesterday. Most of the houses in the city are about to collapse and are prone to problems. We need to expand the city as quickly as possible, and bricks and cement can help us achieve it.¡± Bran looked carefully at the other piece of paper, which was a map of the city¡¯s layout. The middle was the central area with public facilities and residential buildings. Large greeneries were required to be built around the surroundings, while the periphery was a circular residential belt with mainly panelized houses. In the outermost part, there were garden houses. ¡°This is the layout map?¡± Bran looked at Wang Lun. What kind of design plan is this? It looks so complicated. ¡°With such a design plan, not only can we accommodate a large number of residents, but we can also divide the residents according to class. With the greeneries dividing each housing area, it also ensures the health of the city.¡± Wang Lun added a final statement with authority: ¡°This design perfectly suits Yale City.¡± To other people, this was a customized design plan specifically for Yale City. Bran was dumbfounded. Did the baron come up with such a complex plan within one night? He has once again brought out his mysterious side. No wonder he said at the beginning that this city will start to change. ¡°Amazing!¡± Bran lost control. ¡°My lord, your management ability is definitely one of the best in this world. No, the one and only in this world.¡± Bran gesticulated with joy. ¡°What about me, my lord?¡± It was Hallmark who spoke this time. ¡°Lead the soldiers to gather materials. The marls that I mentioned earlier are essential for building houses. ¡°Think of this as adding an unusual training program for the soldiers.¡± Although Wang Lun told Hallmark to consider this a training program, Hallmark didn¡¯t agree. But even so, what else could he say? ¡°As you wish, my lord!¡± Hallmark bowed. He disliked procrastination, so he went ahead and did what Wang Lun instructed. ¡°But there is another problem I think you should solve, my lord!¡± Bran said after calming himself down. ¡°What problem?¡± Wang Lun frowned. ¡°Many immigrants are citizens of the lower class. Almost none of them are literate and merchants will not employ them. ¡°Even if most of them are assigned to do construction or reclaim wasteland, there are still some who can¡¯t find work.¡± Having no culture was a fatal problem. The problems that came one after another caught Wang Lun off guard. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Lun frowned and immediately felt a little out of breath, struggling to hold his forehead with one hand. ¡°My lord, are you all right?¡± Bran anxiously asked. ¡°My lord, you should get some rest. These things aren¡¯t in a hurry to complete.¡± Wang Lun didn¡¯t expect a tough man like Hallmark to say such heartwarming words. He shifted his hand to his temple and gently rubbed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. This happened probably because I didn¡¯t pay much attention to my body these few days.¡± The pressure he put on himself these few days was indeed too much. He finally realized how difficult it was to be a qualified, high-level official. ¡°Regarding this problem, I will come up with a good solution at noon today.¡± Wang Lun nodded. ¡°It will be solved!¡± ¡°You guys, go ahead and implement what I¡¯ve explained. At noon, come here for lunch, and hopefully you¡¯ll have already come up with a good solution as well.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± The two men bowed, turned around, and left the city hall. ¡°Isn¡¯t this about starting a cultural revolution?¡± Wang Lun¡¯s complexion finally improved and he looked much better now. ¡°In that case, I shall study it!¡± He revealed a hint of confidence in his expression. From morning to noon, he locked himself inside his room. He didn¡¯t transmigrate to Earth again, but read books instead. It was only when the clock struck noon that he slowly pushed open the door of his room and walked out. Bran and Hallmark also arrived as promised and stood outside the courtyard where Wang Lun was. The two of them were chatting, or so it seemed, as Wang Lun stepped out to the courtyard and saw their smiles. ¡°You guys are already here?¡± Wang Lun said as he approached. The two men immediately stopped their conversation and bowed respectfully. ¡°We have been waiting here for a while.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together!¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time the three of them shared a meal together. Hallmark and Bran followed Wang Lun into the dining area. The kitchen chefs immediately prepared the meals, and the servants sent them to the table. During the meal, Wang Lun told them his ideas for solving the cultural problem. There was a place in the city that was dedicated to the announcement of major events. The tall platform was used for the announcer, while opposite it were rows of low-lying, sitting steps. As Wang Lun had something important to announce, he had every household send at least one person to listen to his speech. The people responded positively. Right now, Wang Lun was the materialization of the faith in their hearts. ¡°My lord, your people sure are enthusiastic!¡± Upon seeing the sitting platform filled with people, Bran exclaimed. Wang Lun witnessed this scene and felt pumped up. The three of them stepped onto the platform. Bran and Hallmark stood to the left and right of Wang Lun like two guardian angels. Upon seeing the city lord standing on the tall platform, the clamoring crowd gradually became quiet. Because it was the city lord¡¯s turn to speak. Wang Lun nodded, and a feeling of being in command spread throughout his body. ¡°Greetings, everyone. Today, I have an important announcement.¡± Wang Lun¡¯s voice was so loud that everyone sitting on the steps could hear him. ¡°I heard that a lot of you guys can¡¯t find jobs now, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Those merchants don¡¯t want to hire us at all!¡± The crowd vented their frustrations. ¡°I know that, but if I were a merchant, I wouldn¡¯t want to hire you guys either!¡± Wang Lun¡¯s words led to a wave of uproars among the people. Did the man who held their faith think of them in this way too? Did they come to the wrong place? ¡°But,¡± Wang Lun added. ¡°Do you know why none of the merchants want to hire you?¡± Wang Lun raised his hand. ¡°Because knowledge¡ªyou don¡¯t have it. ¡°And what I am going to tell you today is that you should start gaining knowledge.¡± The crowd thought the city lord had gone crazy; they simply couldn¡¯t gain any knowledge now. They didn¡¯t have any time for that. They needed to work for survival. ¡°Keep it down! ¡°I know what¡¯s on your mind. Don¡¯t worry, I will provide study materials for all of you and also build locations for you to study at. ¡°During the time of your study, all expenses will be paid by the city hall. ¡°But don¡¯t be too happy yet. If any of you don¡¯t grow within the period I set, the city hall will no longer provide financial support. Moreover, from today onward, the wages of those who have gained knowledge will be increased in response.¡± Wang Lun believed that no one in this world would give up the opportunity to receive a high wage. This meeting today would certainly lay a stronger foundation for the future development of Yale City. On Earth, cultural revolutions had been experienced many times, which better explained that knowledge was money. In the week after the meeting, the city was all about learning. The fragrance of books could be said to permeate the entire Yale City. [Mission completed. The population of Yale City has reached 10,000!] [The reward has been sent to the warehouse. Please collect it!] The voice sounded from the system. Wang Lun was inspecting the streets when the system mission was completed. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see the ones who make up the last few of the 10,000.¡± Wang Lun was overjoyed. He hurriedly walked towards the city gate. These people were the key for Wang Lun to receive the reward, though the earlier people were also equally important. When Wang Lun arrived at the city gatea, he saw a group of refugees walking into the city. They were dressed in rags and seemed to have fled from other places. However, Yale City welcomed a lot of people like them. It could also be said that most of the citizens were refugees. Suddenly, Wang Lun frowned as a group of the refugees immediately drew his vision. ¡°Half-beasts?¡± Wang Lun muttered under his breath. The refugees were followed by several half-beasts. The half-beasts had a human body and the head of the bull. Not only were their bodies much sturdier than ordinary humans, but they also had a towering height. ¡°They are minotaurs.¡± The voice came from Lucy. Upon seeing Wang Lun rush out of the city hall, she hurriedly closely followed him. It was at that moment when they saw the minotaurs who walked into the city. ¡°I had seen minotaurs at Earl Miller¡¯s residence before. But the minotaurs over there were slaves back then.¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°The minotaurs are strong and powerful half-beasts. Their strength is said to be as terrifying as hell!¡± Lucy spoke with some fear in her words. Wang Lun turned around, narrowed his eyes, and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as they are good citizens. We need a labor force exactly like them for the construction of the city.¡± Lucy¡¯s complexion instantly turned bleakm ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will be disappointed, my lord. Minotaurs are hot-tempered and if the situation isn¡¯t handled properly, they will even cause harm to others!¡± Wang Lun didn¡¯t expect this reaction at all. He always thought that half-beasts would behave just like ordinary humans. Back then, he had only seen them, but didn¡¯t personally interact with them. If they were to cause trouble in Yale City, things would certainly turn chaotic. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Half-beasts generally live in the southern part of the continent. There are many more species apart from the minotaurs.¡± Lucy continued to introduce the half-beasts to Wang Lun. ¡°Oh, really? What other species are there?¡± Wang Lun¡¯s curiosity was immediately piqued by Lucy. Lucy pursed her ruddy and tender lips. They trembled as if about to break open. ¡°Other species include the tiger-headed, fox-tailed, cat-eared, rabbit-eared, and so on. ¡°Originally their lives were separated from humans. But due to the expansion of power and endless wars, the relationship between half-beasts and humans became hostile. ¡°As a result, half-beasts who are in a vulnerable position are slaughtered at will by humans. ¡°Most half-beasts were caught by the nobles to serve as slaves, while some of the more beautiful ones became playthings.¡± Wang Lun raised his hand to his jaw and hissed, ¡°Since half-beasts possess extraordinary strength, why don¡¯t they simply stand up against humans?¡± Perhaps Wang Lun had watched too many movies. He thought that half-beasts possessed special abilities that allowed them to compete against humans. Lucy shook her head and said, ¡°Half-beasts have flesh and blood like humans. But humans have weapons which half-beasts don¡¯t own, so how would they dare to retaliate?¡± Wang Lun shrugged and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t they have any kind of abilities? Such as the ability to heal themselves, fly over walls, and so on?¡± ¡°Oh, my lord, that¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m sure only God possesses such abilities! ¡°But, my lord, half-beasts will never be accepted by humans. You should send them away!¡± Lucy kindly reminded Wang Lun. Wang Lun said to her with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think of it that way. Since half-beasts are also partially humans, they are allowed to live in my city. ¡°They also have their own difficulties. I believe that as long as no one provokes them, they will not hurt anyone. ¡°And don¡¯t forget. At the beginning, you were also in such a predicament!¡± Upon saying those words, Wang Lun sauntered ahead. ¡°My lord!¡± Of course, Lucy knew what Wang Lun was about to do, but she couldn¡¯t stop him in time. The appearance of the half-beasts terrified the young lady. But since Wang Lun had already gone ahead, she couldn¡¯t possibly stand on the spot. She gnashed her teeth, clenched her fists, and shivered as she followed Wang Lun. ¡°Hey, my friends! Welcome to Yale City!¡± Wang Lun spread his hands apart and enthusiastically walked towards the minotaurs. In an instant, all the minotaurs looked at him, and a murderous glint shone in their eyes. Wang Lun wasn¡¯t a fool either. It went without saying that he sensed their intentions. He quickly came to a halt. He forced a smile. He held his hands flat in front of him and tried to calm the minotaurs. ¡°Take it easy, mates. I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I am the lord of this city.¡± Wang Lun¡¯s mind was clear. He knew that due to the hostile relationship between half-beasts and humans, he needed to be on guard all the time as if he were suffering from paranoia. Upon hearing from the man who introduced himself as the city lord, the leader amongst the minotaurs stepped forth and held back the other minotaurs. ¡°Greetings, city lord!¡± The leader of the minotaurs bowed. Wang Lun was instantly surprised that the minotaurs actually knew their manners. What was happening in front of him was unbelievable. He didn¡¯t expect a day where hot-tempered minotaurs would be polite as well. ¡°We are half-beasts from other cities. We heard that there is a wonderful city lord here, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet him in person right after entering Yale City.¡± There was a hint of tenderness in the words of the leader of the minotaurs. Even though his words didn¡¯t match his appearance, it was apparent that he wasn¡¯t malicious. Wang Lun took the initiative to extend his arm to shake hands with the other party. Meanwhile, the minotaur leader also did the same. ¡°Yale City welcomes you. I hope you can find a new life here!¡± Wang Lun said with a smile. ¡°Lucy!¡± Wang Lun turned to look at Lucy who approached him from behind. Lucy quickened her footsteps and came to his side. ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Lucy softly whispered. Wang Lun puffed out his chest and said with a mellow voice. ¡°Register them, and when the time comes, get their identity cards done too.¡± ¡°You are no longer slaves here. I will let you live like civilians!¡± Wang Lun turned to the minotaurs and said. He didn¡¯t intend to enslave minotaurs like the nobles did. Yale City was to be a civilized city, so how could the word ¡®slave¡¯ exist here? Of course, it was impossible to remove slaves completely. But the least he could do was to reduce the number of them. ¡°Oh, thank you so much, city lord!¡± Upon hearing Wang Lun¡¯s remarks, the minotaur leader hurriedly bowed. He was apparently thrilled and didn¡¯t expect what he had seen from that announcement paper to be true. ¡°My lord, how shall we assign their work?¡± Lucy was taking notes in a book when this question suddenly occurred to her. ¡°There may not be anything they can do in Yale City right now!¡± Wang Lun replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t there still a shortage of people in the city¡¯s expansion team now?¡± ¡°The quota was filled a few days ago, my lord.¡± Lucy flipped through the notes she had recorded before. Wang Lun frowned. Was he about to go back on his word as soon as he promised them? I must save my reputation. Wang Lun quickly pondered and very soon, came up with an idea. ¡°What about Hallmark¡¯s team?¡± Wang Lun recalled that Hallmark was in charge of leading his soldiers to mine marls. Mining was a job that required a lot of strength. Even though soldiers were physically strong, their strength was still limited. Not to mention, if Yale City were to encounter any enemies, the soldiers would have to participate in the battle. In that case, Yale City¡¯s combat power might be greatly reduced. Although the minotaurs were irascible, their strength was indeed terrifying. Wouldn¡¯t that make them the perfect candidates to mine marls? Lucy turned over a few pages in the book and found the recorded page. ¡°The mining team does need more manpower. We can send them to work there,¡± Lucy replied. Wang Lun lifted his head and looked at the face of the minotaur leader. Goosebumps uncontrollably raised from his entire body. ¡°That settles it then. You guys will work in the quarry. I will send someone to inform you of the details when the time comes. ¡°And now, you guys need to find a place to settle down first!¡± The minotaurs looked at each other, nodded in unison, and said, ¡°Thank you, city lord!¡± They had been slaves almost all their lives, and for the first time, their existences were recognized by someone. ¡°No need to thank me. You work in exchange for food, so the more you work, the more food you will have. This too, is up to you, so I can¡¯t help you much!¡± Wang Lun tilted his head and shrugged. ¡°Oh, no need to worry about us, city lord. We are a self-reliant bunch!¡± Wang Lun didn¡¯t mention the matter of wages. Of course, he thought that the minotaurs didn¡¯t need wages either. There still needed to be some differences between humans and half-beasts. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°My lord, when will Knight Hallmark be notified?¡± Lucy recorded everything and closed her notebook. Wang Lun waved his hand airily and said, ¡°I will send someone to inform him later. If you are free now, bring them to find a place to stay!¡± ¡°Me?¡± Lucy froze and pointed at herself. Wang Lun laughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Lucy leaned close to Wang Lun, and an aromatic fragrance struck his nostrils. The hormones in Wang Lun¡¯s body instantly surged, and he quickly turned his head away. ¡°My lord, I¡¯m scared!¡± Lucy said in a soft, shaky voice. She didn¡¯t dare let the minotaurs hear her, afraid that she would be torn apart by them. Wang Lun chuckled. ¡°Why? They are not that scary. Or do you expect me to go instead?¡± Wang Lun didn¡¯t show a little compassion at all. Lucy shrank her head, pouted her lips, and whispered, ¡°All right¡­¡± ¡°My people, this young lady will bring you around to find a place to stay!¡± Wang Lun grabbed Lucy¡¯s shoulders with both hands and pushed her out. The minotaurs looked at Lucy with frightening eyes. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, young lady!¡± Lucy had no choice but to brace herself and take up the job. Upon seeing that the minotaurs had secured jobs, fellow refugees were instantly discontent. ¡°We came to Yale City together, but why did those lowly half-beasts find jobs before us!¡± ¡°Yes, we were here first!¡± ¡°These low-born half-beasts are only worthy of being slaves. How could they be given jobs?¡± The refugees stood near Wang Lun, so naturally, he heard their complaints. ¡°My people, welcome to Yale City!¡± A welcome ceremony was necessary and Wang Lun didn¡¯t want to leave a blemish on his reputation in their impression. ¡°Greetings, city lord!¡± Among the newly-arrived refugees, a white-haired and bony old man stood out and bowed at Wang Lun. ¡°Head to the Security Bureau and register your identity cards first!¡± Wang Lun pointed to a building not far away and said. As there would be immigrants, Wang Lun set up the Security Bureau not far from the main city gate. Although the people still held some ambiguity towards Wang Lun¡¯s attitude with the half-beasts earlier, how would they dare to go against the city lord¡¯s will? Wang Lun followed up by explaining. ¡°You may not have heard of what an identity card is. It is something that the people of Yale City use to prove their identity. With the identity card, you are officially permanent residents of Yale City. In the face of danger, Yale City will protect you!¡± ¡°Permanent residents?¡± A middle-aged man among the refugees was puzzled. Wang Lun nodded. These refugees had been displaced almost all their lives and didn¡¯t dare hope for a fixed residence at all. ¡°Go register yourselves first. The people in the Security Bureau will tell you the next steps to take in Yale City.¡± Without asking any more questions, the refugees bade farewell to Wang Lun and headed to the Security Bureau. The refugees were used to seeing the terrible attitude of nobles toward half-beasts. So now, such a huge contrast in treatment toward the half-beasts would inevitably be unacceptable to them. However, they didn¡¯t know that the reason why Wang Lun did that was for the construction of Yale City. He needed the minotaurs to work even harder for that purpose. The population had already exceeded 10,000, which was beyond his original plan. Despite that, he didn¡¯t give the order to stop accepting refugees. With the increasing number of refugees, the food problem still hadn¡¯t been effectively solved. Bran had advised Wang Lun several times to stop sheltering refugees. If he kept going on, Yale City would eventually revert to its previous state where everyone had no food. By then, not only would the people have no access to food, but the city hall would also be affected. Even if there was food for the city hall, the people would certainly rob it like a bunch of madmen. When a life was at stake, one wouldn¡¯t care if the food belonged to the city lord. One would do everything one could to survive. But Wang Lun didn¡¯t have much reaction at all. He simply remarked that this was the beginning of the development of Yale City, and labor was the primary force. Without labor, the city wouldn¡¯t be able to grow. At that point, building a civilized city would simply become empty talk. It was already late autumn. The air was so cold that it was able to penetrate bones. Wang Lun sauntered out of the room in a coat. He squinted at the sky. The weather wasn¡¯t too great, with thick layers of clouds covering the sky. ¡°It¡¯s getting colder!¡± Wang Lun wrapped his coat tightly against his body. He couldn¡¯t stand this cold temperature. If he were on Earth right now, he wouldn¡¯t need to wear a coat. However, this world was too counterintuitive. Although it wasn¡¯t to the point of freezing yet, the cold air was still unbearable. It was early morning, so Wang Lun headed directly to the dining hall. Before arriving at the dining hall, he encountered Bran and Hallmark. Wang Lun felt too lonely dining alone, so he gave an order for the two of them to dine at the city hall every meal if they didn¡¯t have to attend to any urgent matters. ¡°My lord, did you just wake up?¡± Hallmark spotted Wang Lun and spoke first. Wang Lun turned toward him and smiled. ¡°Yeah. You guys as well, huh?¡± ¡°My lord, I need to talk to you about the current situation of Yale City. Now that winter is approaching, I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have enough food in the city to support the people.¡± Bran came to Wang Lun¡¯s side with an anxious look. ¡°He¡¯s right, My lord. We¡¯re slowly running out of food in the city.¡± As Hallmark managed the soldiers, he had noticed that there were some changes to his soldiers¡¯ food recently. Wang Lun chuckled. ¡°I know that, but there is no need to worry. Although the food we grow has almost been finished, don¡¯t forget that we can still import them. ¡°When I first came to Yale City, I relied on the grains I bought to feed the people in the city.¡± The two of them, both of whom had followed Wang Lun for quite a while, were deeply aware of this matter. ¡°If the city hall doesn¡¯t have enough funds, don¡¯t forget that there is more than one store in Yale City. Will those merchants give up such a good opportunity?¡± Wang Lun shrugged. ¡°As capitalists, their hearts will never allow them to do so.¡± One after the other, they entered the dining hall and saw that breakfast was already prepared at the table. Lucy came to the dining hall early. Upon seeing Wang Lun and the other two men, she got up and pulled out a chair. ¡°My lord, please take a seat.¡± Wang Lun sat down on that chair. Hallmark and Bran didn¡¯t receive the same special treatment, so they each found a seat and also sat down. Lucy was also a diner at this meal. The three of them held knives and forks, while Wang Lun was the only one who held a pair of chopsticks. They were puzzled by his dining habits. ¡°Lucy, how much money is left in the treasury?¡± Wang Lun asked. Upon hearing his question, Lucy put down the knife and fork in her hands and answered, ¡°The treasury is almost empty. Most of the money had been used to purchase food!¡± Wang Lun nodded, responded with a casual ¡®oh¡¯, and continued eating his breakfast. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Lun didn¡¯t take this matter to heart because the rice planted before was only a month away from maturity. As long as the treasury could still support until then, the food issue could be improved to some extent. Besides, it wasn¡¯t only rice that they planted. There were also foods such as vegetables, which would be completely sufficient for them. The simple greenhouse that was constructed back then would play a huge role. ¡°My lord, I know you¡¯re not the kind of person who fails to realize the seriousness of matters. But why does it feel like you are turning a blind eye to this crisis?¡± Bran stopped moving his knife and fork and said. Wang Lun lifted his head and wiped his mouth with a napkin. ¡°I am not turning a blind eye to the situation because right now, we still have available capital.¡± ¡°Capital?¡± Bran was a little puzzled. Wang Lun looked around and said, ¡°Have you forgotten that we still have rice that hasn¡¯t matured yet? According to my projection, in a month, we will be able to harvest them. ¡°Also, remember the greenhouse I had someone build earlier?¡± Bran nodded and said, ¡°Of course, I do. It was an incredible sealed building.¡± Bran certainly knew about the greenhouse as he was the one who had supervised its construction. He understood its design inside out as well. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it ensures that we have sufficient food to consume all year round. Although it looks rather simple and crude, it will supply us with enough food.¡± Hallmark, on the other side, finally finished his meal and joined in the conversation, ¡°Has such a thing always existed in this world?¡± Hallmark¡¯s expression was no less than that of a bewildered person¡¯s. Wang Lun laughed. ¡°Yes, my knight. It is commonly used in my hometown.¡± ¡°My lord, I heard that you came from the East?¡± Lucy also joined in. ¡°Yes, the East has a great kingdom.¡± ¡°You guys were unaware of this. Back then, when Earl Miller¡¯s youngest son was on the verge of death and none of the doctors were able to cure him, our baron stepped in and the son recovered! It was like a miracle!¡± Hallmark couldn¡¯t help but reveal Wang Lun¡¯s previous heroic deed. Wang Lun immediately humbled himself and kept repeating a few words: ¡°Keep a low profile. Keep a low profile¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really? There must be a God living in the Eastern kingdom, my lord!¡± Bran heard Hallmark¡¯s narrative and said in some surprise. ¡°Bran, God will never go to the East,¡± Wang Lun chuckled. After finishing their meals, the group lay down the cutleries and several servants went up to carefully clean up the table. Hallmark continued asking Wang Lun about the Eastern world. On the other hand, Bran put up a worried frown. Wang Lun answered Hallmark¡¯s strange questions while paying attention to Bran. ¡°Bran, what¡¯s wrong? Are you still bothered by something?¡± Wang Lun asked. Bran quickly blinked and sucked in a breath of air. ¡°I¡¯m worried about something, but I¡¯m not sure if I should say it.¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°Let us hear it. We can discuss it together.¡± Bran¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change the slightest, but became increasingly heavier instead. ¡°We are in for a long, cold winter, which means that almost no crops can survive at our location on this continent. When the time comes, I¡¯m afraid it will lead to trouble. ¡°That¡¯s true. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been wars all year round. The half-beasts will also give in and be at the mercy of the nobles just because of the lack of food.¡± Hallmark made a significant statement. Perhaps no one in Yale City truly understood the meaning behind wars, not to mention these people around the dining table. The perennial wars were the cause of the scars on Hallmark¡¯s face, and the cause behind him being on the verge of death in the past. Hallmark couldn¡¯t be clearer on what exactly caused the wars. Wang Lun arrived on this continent only a short time ago, so it went without saying that he didn¡¯t understand the state of the world. He also had no idea that crops wouldn¡¯t be able to survive this long, harsh winter. It was at that moment that Wang Lun had a thought. It was only late autumn and yet, the temperature was so cold that it wasn¡¯t exaggerated to compare it to that of the winter season on Earth. Wang Lun subconsciously grabbed the coat on his body and looked up at the sky, saying, ¡°After you said so, I¡¯ve come to realize why it¡¯s already so cold even before winter arrives.¡± ¡°If news of the rice spreads, Yale City will definitely be attacked by bandits in a frenzy. They are a group of desperate men who are willing to do anything to survive.¡± Bran continued to talk about his worries. It could also be said that not only would the bandits go crazy for food, but ordinary people would also do unexpected things for survival. ¡°Hallmark, what¡¯s your opinion?¡± Wang Lun turned around and looked at his knight. Hallmark rubbed his hands together, placed them by his mouth, and blew a breath. He had been sitting there without moving, so he felt the chilliness that swept his body. Upon hearing Wang Lun¡¯s words, Hallmark sat upright and said, ¡°I¡¯ll say a few words then. Yale City¡¯s population has exceeded 10,000, but the problem is that there are less than 500 people who joined the army. ¡°In short, we¡¯re seriously lacking soldiers.¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°Don¡¯t we have advanced weapons? 500 soldiers should be enough to deal with any dangers.¡± ¡°My lord, you¡¯re underestimating them. There aren¡¯t only just one or two bandits,¡± Bran said. ¡°I have spent more time in Yale City than you, so I know this place well. Last time, those bandits weren¡¯t worth mentioning at all. I¡¯m not the only one who knows and has experienced the chaos in Yale City.¡± This statement reminded Wang Lun of Robinson¡¯s caution to him. However, he didn¡¯t give up. It could also be said that he wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°What if we further upgrade our weapons?¡± Wang Lun continued. ¡°With upgraded weapons, one of our soldiers can go up against 10 bandits at once. We will then be able to render any attack useless, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°What do you think, my brave knight?!¡± In the end, Wang Lun gazed at Hallmark. Hallmark was definitely more experienced in battles than Wang Lun. And now, the latter was seeking insight and advice as to whether the plan was feasible. Hallmark was apparently put in a tough spot. He rested his chin on his hand and clicked his tongue. ¡°Even with the advanced weapons we have now, I¡¯m still not certain that we can completely withstand their attacks.¡± He raised his head and said, ¡°But if we do equip our soldiers with stronger weapons as you suggested, the battles can still be won, my lord. ¡°At least we will be able to survive this winter.¡± Hallmark added one last sentence. ¡°But what kind of weapons are you going to bring in again, my lord?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time comes!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the previous discussion with Hallmark and the others on how to improve the city¡¯s defense against future attacks over breakfast, Wang Lun thought that upgrading weapons was simply not enough. It was common for backward equipment to still defeat newer equipment on Earth. But before that, Wang Lun needed to do one thing. ¡°My knight, I need your help!¡± Wang Lun came to the training ground and called out to Hallmark, who was training the soldiers. Hallmark put down the sword in his hand that he had just polished. The sword wasn¡¯t an advanced weapon brought by Wang Lun, but one that had followed Hallmark into conquest for many years. Although it was well preserved, signs of age could still be seen from its appearance. ¡°My lord, it is always my pleasure.¡± ¡°Your soldiers are using the advanced weapons I brought over earlier, but I don¡¯t see you using one. Do you not take a fancy to them?¡± Wang Lun asked. Hallmark stepped in front of Wang Lun, gave a knight¡¯s bow, and said, ¡°That sword is my old buddy.¡± ¡°But my lord, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re going to research more advanced weapons? I¡¯m surprised to see you here.¡± Wang Lun lowered his head, kicked a stone off the ground, and said, ¡°I came for an on-site observation. I can¡¯t just research without any basis, right?!¡± Hallmark smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Please come with me, my lord.¡± Hallmark walked ahead. The two of them strolled toward the soldiers who were undergoing training. ¡°Hey, brothers! Look here!¡± Hallmark clapped his hands to attract their attention. At that moment, the soldiers quickly stopped all actions, and in unison, turned to Hallmark and greeted Wang Lun. Wang Lun narrowed his eyes at Hallmark, before smiling at the soldiers and saying. ¡°Keep up the good work.¡± ¡°My lord, won¡¯t you give instructions to the soldiers?¡± Hallmark asked. ¡°No, my purpose here is to understand how they train.¡± Wang Lun said. Hallmark replied, ¡°In that case, I can simply send you the specific training plan. You didn¡¯t have to trouble yourself by coming here personally.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s fine. I can get more insight this way and also see if anything needs to be changed.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not doubting your training methods, my knight.¡± Wang Lun lifted his hand and tapped Hallmark on the shoulder a few times. He knew that not being recognized for his hard work was the most deadly attack on a knight¡¯s pride. Hallmark didn¡¯t mind at all. He shrugged and said, ¡°No worries, my lord.¡± ¡°All right, show me the training of the cavalrymen.¡± Hallmark nodded and led Wang Lun in the other direction. The training ground was where the infantry trained. However, the place they were heading to now was the arena. The arena was where the former city lord used to watch slaves massacre one another. But since Wang Lun took over Yale City, he turned the arena into a training ground for cavalrymen instead. The training ground and arena weren¡¯t far apart. The two of them arrived at the latter after a short while. At that moment, the soldiers rode on warhorses in the arena, carrying out their training. Wang Lun instructed Hallmark to not disrupt their training. The two of them stood on the raised platform and observed them. There are no more cavalrymen left on Earth. I should let them continue their training using the same method for now. Wang Lun narrowed his eyes and softly muttered. Hallmark wasn¡¯t able to hear him clearly. He cast a puzzled look at Wang Lun. ¡°Hallmark,¡± Wang Lun suddenly called out after a moment of silence. ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± He, as a personal escort, was ready to be ordered even in danger. ¡°The cavalrymen will continue training in the same way. I will arrange for more powerful weapons for them when the time comes.¡± Hallmark bowed and said, ¡°Understood.¡± Wang Lun stretched, ¡°Well, that¡¯s it for today. I¡¯ll head back first.¡± Wang Lun sauntered back to the city hall alone, while Hallmark stayed behind and trained his soldiers. It didn¡¯t matter whether Wang Lun was making changes to the training method. At the very least, the training session had to be carried out. Winter was approaching and potential dangers didn¡¯t allow even a moment of slack. Wang Lun entered his room, followed the sequence to summon the system, and transmigrated over to Earth through space. After some research on the computer, he finally found some suitable training methods for the soldiers. Although the training methods weren¡¯t quick fixes, their effects in a short period of time were still enough for them to deal with unexpected events. Wang Lun hadn¡¯t brought back the weapons he pre-ordered on Earth the last time he returned. And now, with the spatial storage bag in his possession, he could collect all the weapons at once after going through the training methods in detail. Things got really convenient with the spatial storage bag as he could carry so many weapons at once. After he returned to Yale City, he immediately asked Hallmark to distribute the new weapons. The ones he brought back this time were mainly crossbows and halberds for the cavalrymen. Of course, there was also another rather special gift. This gift was purchased for none other than Wang Lun¡¯s personal escort, Hallmark. ¡°This sword is yours.¡± Wang Lun handed the sword over. Meanwhile, Hallmark was distributing the weapons and was instantly surprised by Wang Lun¡¯s action. ¡°M-My lord, what do you mean by this?¡± Staring at the sword in Wang Lun¡¯s hand, which looked the same as his aged sword, Hallmark stuttered. Wang Lun laughed. ¡°A knight¡¯s sword will always be his proud companion. But sometimes, it is still necessary to acknowledge the new. You can keep that sword of yours as a souvenir. From now on, this new sword will replace it as your companion on the battlefield.¡± Perhaps a tough guy like Hallmark had never imagined that it would be another man who cared for him such for the first time in his life. But even so, the gratitude in his eyes couldn¡¯t be concealed. Hallmark laughed, displayed a wide, ugly smile, and accepted the sword from Wang Lun. ¡°Thank you so much, my lord. I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± Hallmark became instantly speechless. Wang Lun patted his shoulder. ¡°You just need to do your own thing, my knight!¡± Wang Lun showed a look that wasn¡¯t visible in other nobles. Hallmark wondered if this baron was really a person sent by God to save mankind. The soldiers were dumbfounded, staring blankly at the two of them until Hallmark¡¯s voice pulled them back to their senses. The weapons that Wang Lun brought back this time were definitely a notch above the previous ones. In terms of the damage they could cause, it was needless to explain. A soldier with a crossbow involuntarily cried out after shooting a bolt through half of the wall, which was enough to prove that Wang Lun¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t unreasonable. With the introduction of new weapons, the overall strength and defense of Yale City had improved a lot. Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Time gradually passed, and the state of Yale City turned out as Wang Lun had planned. The original Yale City ceased to exist and also stepped up from poverty to wealth. The first batch of buildings had also been constructed. At that moment, Wang Lun was heading to its ribbon-cutting ceremony with Hallmark, Bran, and Lucy. Wang Lun was the one who ordered the ribbon-cutting ceremony to be carried out, though it wasn¡¯t a custom that the inhabitants of this continent originally had. The people didn¡¯t understand exactly why the city lord asked for it. Even so, the venue was still neatly decorated to suit the occasion. According to those in the know, this building had been constructed in a completely different way, which was why the ribbon-cutting ceremony was being held. But then again, who even cared about such things? The venue was filled with a vast crowd. There were also several new and strange things that the people had never seen. They gathered here with the mood to learn more about these things. Soon after, Wang Lun arrived, leading the rest of the group from the city hall. The crowd instantly gave way to pave a spectacular path for Wang Lun¡¯s group. After they walked through the vast crowd, they finally arrived at their destination. Two of them pulled a red strip of cloth and promptly stood to Wang Lun¡¯s left and right. Everything happened according to the process. One of them carried a bucket of water towards Wang Lun. After Wang Lun washed his hands, he picked up the scissors and slowly approached the red cloth. Click! The complete red cloth was cut into two. With a smile on his face, Wang Lun handed the scissors in his hand back to the person next to him, before taking a deep breath. ¡°Today, we have officially opened the buildings that we built for a long time, and you can finally start moving in. This is worthy of a celebration because Yale City has taken its first step: a very successful first step¡­¡± However, Wang Lun was interrupted before he finished his sentence. ¡°City lord, is it true that we will be able to earn the right to occupy the building today?¡± Someone among the crowd loudly asked. ¡°Yeah, is that even possible?¡± Another person added. Wang Lun looked in that direction and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. But this batch of buildings have limited capacity, after all, so I hope you have the qualifications to move in.¡± At the beginning of the construction of this first batch of buildings, Wang Lun had already planned who exactly would move in. After all, if he wished to manage a city well, it was best that he removed the existence of class division among the people. Even though everyone could be equal, they were still differentiated with the reality of capital. Otherwise, the currently-undeveloped Yale City would soon revert to its original state. ¡°Then exactly who can move in?¡± Wang Lun had just finished his sentence when someone immediately asked. ¡°That is a good question, so I will now tell you exactly who can move into this first batch of buildings.¡± Many of them were anxious to move into the new buildings as soon as possible and starting to get a little restless. Wang Lun took a deep and long breath, one that was enough for him to finish his words in one go: ¡°The people who can move into this first batch of buildings are the ones who contributed the most. That is, those who were expropriated out of their houses before.¡± His statement drew a wave of murmurs that sounded with a mix of joy and disappointment. ¡°Those whose houses were expropriated, bring your identity cards and register yourselves at the building whenever you are available.¡± At that moment, Bran finally understood the reason why Wang Lun had created identity cards, which really came in handy in such a situation. The people in the city had also long been familiar with the various new institutions that Wang Lun created, so naturally they knew what kind of procedures they should go through. ¡°Those who don¡¯t get to move in, don¡¯t be disappointed because our other buildings are under construction and will be completed soon. ¡°Of course, today, in addition to allocating housing personnel, I will continue to acquire land and build up our city. ¡°Those of you who have land can choose to sell it to the city hall by way of sale. You may register now and the city hall will send someone to your residence to complete the purchase.¡± ¡°City lord, in that case, after our land is bought, will we be able to move in after the buildings are constructed over it?¡± Wang Lun smiled and said, ¡°Of course, everyone in the city will be able to live in the newly-constructed buildings.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve really made the right choice to come to Yale City. The city lord is truly like a heavenly God compared to the other nobles.¡± The refugees finally had a vision of the life they wanted. In order to achieve wealth, he had to make a group of people rich first. This was the essence of Wang Lun¡¯s realization. With this successful experience, the speed of the ensuing construction also got a huge boost. It could be said that Yale City had stepped into the right track from its budding stage. This also meant that the previous promise of tax exemption for merchants came to an end. Wang Lun was serious and never ambiguous in his work. Since the deadline was up, he wouldn¡¯t postpone it. This was the nature that a leader should have. ¡°My lord, this may cause the merchants to object collectively, right?¡± Bran took the notice written by Wang Lun, and a spurt of coldness surged from his heart after reading its contents. Profit was the most important thing in a merchant¡¯s life, so much so that they would go crazy for it. Wang Lun replied: ¡°What should be done must be done decisively. How can you manage an entire city if you don¡¯t even have a strong reputation? ¡°Say no more. Just go and implement it!¡± Wang Lun stopped Bran who was about to continue speaking. Bran had no choice but to take the notice and leave the city hall. Shortly after, all the notice boards in the city were posted with a notice of taxation on merchants. This notice had no effect on ordinary people, but it was a bolt from the blue for the merchants. They had long been used to not paying taxes and fees, so how would they be suddenly willing to fork out the money that they earned? They were already somewhat dissatisfied with the previous increase in workers¡¯ wages. And now, the tax exemption was no longer in effect and their income would become even less. For these people who regarded money as their life, how could they accept this? ¡°Benny, you are the most authoritative merchant in Yale City. The city lord has repeatedly screwed us over. Can¡¯t you do something about him?¡± The merchants in the city gathered once again, but in secret. The merchant named Benny held a cigarette in his mouth, pacing from side to side. ¡°I know, but the defensive force in the city is very strong now. That is what my spy said, and I always trust him.¡± Benny continued. ¡°The group of bandits last time couldn¡¯t even do anything to the people of the city hall. We certainly can¡¯t take them on this time either.¡± ¡°Then why did you summon us here?¡± ¡°Hurry up and speak if you have a solution. Don¡¯t waste my time!¡± Some of them were already getting impatient. Benny took the cigarette off his mouth and turned around to face the merchants sitting in a row. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°As long as you dare to do it, we will be able to force our dearest city lord to restrain us no more.¡± As long as you dare to do it? Since they didn¡¯t choose to go into battle, how could they still be beheaded as a punishment? Suddenly, a few of the merchants stood up as if they were inspirers of the masses. ¡°What¡¯s there still to discuss? As long as you say the word, we will definitely do it. Right, guys?¡± All the merchants had lingering fears, but after such a strong, inspiring statement, the concerns in their heads were completely forgotten. Some of them slowly raised an arm, but didn¡¯t follow the example of those merchants who stood up. Gradually, the rest also raised their arms. Soon after, all of them stood up and shouted their slogan in unison. ¡°Boycott the city hall! Return our freedom to run our businesses!¡± ¡°Boycott the city hall! Return our freedom to run our businesses!¡± Since their meeting place was rather secluded, they weren¡¯t heard by any outsiders though their voices were loud. Benny saw the sight in front of him and the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but lift into a treacherous smile. ¡°City lord, I thought you wouldn¡¯t last more than a month and didn¡¯t expect you to be so admirable. But you shouldn¡¯t have come to Yale City. This isn¡¯t a stage for you to perform clown tricks.¡± The crowd quietened down and began asking Benny the plan he had. Benny once again brought the cigarette in his hand to his mouth, saying, ¡°Since the city lord mistreats us, we shall collectively stop recruiting workers. Even as we do so, we will not give the corresponding high wages. We will close our stores as soon as we sell a certain amount of our goods every day. We will also raise prices and see how long Yale City can last without us.¡± ¡°Is this really okay? The city hall has the right to seize our stores.¡± There were some merchants who quickly calmed down despite loudly yelling the slogans before. Benny replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that we¡¯ve spent more time in Yale City than the city lord? ¡°Besides, if we resist him altogether, do you think he will chase all of us merchants out of Yale City? You are too naive, my friend. He isn¡¯t capable of that. ¡°You should know how a city ends up without merchants. He would not dare to take such a huge risk. Moreover, he¡¯s just a baron; Earl Miller doesn¡¯t even dare to offend us merchants, so how will a mere baron dare to?¡± Benny¡¯s words were brimming with confidence as if the outcome of this plan was already set. ¡°You¡¯re right. How will he dare to confront so many of us merchants?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. When the time comes, let¡¯s wait for the city lord to come knocking on our doors and beg us for help. Hahaha!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the bet this time? I bet he will beg us within five days of our plan being implemented.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bet three days, and whoever loses will give up 30 slaves as compensation.¡± Several merchants who were on good terms with Benny echoed one after another and began betting. At the end of the meeting, Benny also didn¡¯t forget to let the merchants sign the agreement to prove that they were all willing to fight against the city hall together. Thereafter, various stores in the city began laying off staff overnight, raising prices and giving less wages than originally stipulated. The residents of the city stirred up like ants on a hot pot. Some of them believed that it must have been due to the notice posted by the city hall a few days ago, causing the merchants to make such a move en masse. It was already winter. How could they survive without the food supply from the merchants? Furthermore, prices of goods also rocketed, while some faced unemployment. Citizens were instantly knocked back to their original shape despite just stepping into a good life. The discontentment in them exploded. Continuous riots erupted in the city, where at almost every moment there were people robbing food supplies. ¡°My lord, there is a crisis in the city!¡± Such situations increasingly happened. It took three days before the city hall finally got news of it. At that moment, Wang Lun was in the city hall, while Lucy was imparting some knowledge about this world to him. Upon seeing Bran scurrying into the city hall, Wang Lun frowned and asked, ¡°Bran, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you all panicky?¡± Bran arrived in front of Wang Lun, nearly tripping over. Fortunately, Wang Lun extended his arm in time to support him. ¡°My lord, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± If someone else had said such words, Wang Lun might still think that the situation wasn¡¯t that serious. But since it was Bran who said it, Wang Lun couldn¡¯t help but pay attention. Wang Lun immediately widened his eyes and said, ¡°What? Tell me all about it!¡± ¡°There is chaos in the city!¡± ¡°Chaos?¡± There was no greater chaos that Wang Lun had encountered since arriving in Yale City than almost being killed. ¡°The merchants in the city have started to act in rebellion.¡± ¡°What kind of rebellion could they show?¡± Wang Lun became agitated. Bran gasped for air and tried to calm his breath. ¡°The merchants laid off some of the workers and also raised the prices of goods considerably. The people in the city have started to riot.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wang Lun turned red. ¡°How dare they mess with me!¡± ¡°Get Hallmark to see me immediately!¡± He yelled at the guard standing outside the door. The guard heard his order and hurriedly ran off. Shortly after, Hallmark arrived in front of Wang Lun. ¡°My lord!¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°Gather the soldiers and follow me to the city.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Hallmark didn¡¯t ask for the reason. He could see that Wang Lun was serious. ¡°Bran, do you know who is leading the charge? A collective one-time revolt must have been instigated by a leader.¡± Bran nodded and said, ¡°Someone in the city reported that it was the biggest merchant, Benny.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°There should be no mistake. He is the only one who can drive the merchants in Yale City because he is an authoritative presence among them.¡± ¡°Very well. No matter what his status is, the moment he goes up against the city hall, Yale City will never tolerate it.¡± Wang Lun, Bran, and Hallmark stepped out of the city hall and went straight to Benny¡¯s store. The soldiers smashed open Benny¡¯s store entrance and stormed inside. Sure enough, Benny and a few merchants were happily discussing something. ¡°My lord? Welcome, your arrival sure brings light to my humble dwelling!¡± The person who spoke was precisely Benny. ¡°The first time we met, we were looking at each other from afar. Never have I expected us to be so close to each other in our last meeting,¡± Wang Lun spoke. ¡°Capture him.¡± Without any hesitation, the soldiers arrested Benny. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Benny looked as if he didn¡¯t know what was going on. ¡°Perhaps you know better than me. Confiscate all of his properties. His guards will join the city hall.¡± ¡°I protest!¡± Those were Benny¡¯s last words before he was escorted out of the store. Wang Lun shifted his gaze to the few other merchants. ¡°As for the few of you, you will face the same consequence and be expelled along with Benny!¡± ¡°My lord, it has nothing to do with us. Benny forced everything on us!¡± ¡°My lord¡­¡± ¡°What about the other merchants, my lord?¡± ¡°We will make an example of you and they will not be up to no good anymore.¡± Chapter 20 Wang Lun and the others walked out of Benny¡¯s store. As it was in the center of the city, the streets were crowded with many onlookers. Of course, not all of them were ordinary citizens. There were also some merchants who followed Benny to rebel against the city hall. Upon seeing Benny and the rest being escorted out by the soldiers, the merchants were terrified. Some didn¡¯t even dare to stay there any longer, turning around to leave for fear they would be implicated. ¡°Good job! Those guys are asking for death by recklessly altering the prices of goods!¡± Some merchants acted saintly, criticizing Benny and the others who were escorted away. ¡°City lord, what are you going to do with them?¡± Someone in the crowd asked. Wang Lun turned to look at the crowd and said, ¡°They have broken the rules of Yale City, so their fate is to have their properties confiscated and identity cards canceled. They will be banished from Yale City forever.¡± ¡°Hallmark!¡± Wang Lun turned around and shouted. Hallmark, who had been following closely behind, immediately ran ahead. ¡°Yes! What are your orders, my lord?¡± ¡°I order you to lead the soldiers to their homes and confiscate all their properties. As for their family members, they will also be expelled from Yale City.¡± Wang Lun deliberately raised his voice as loudly as possible. ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Hallmark turned around and headed in another direction with a group of soldiers. ¡°Wang Lun, you will regret this. Do you know who you have captured?¡± Benny reluctantly yelled. Wang Lun took a few steps forward to catch up with Benny. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know who you are and what kind of background you have. I just want you to know that I am in charge of Yale City!¡± Wang Lun gave a dominant response. Before one was expelled from the city, one had to follow the procedure to go through a vote from the people. However, Wang Lun didn¡¯t intend to go through it. ¡°You can¡¯t just expel us like this!¡± When they reached the city gates, Benny and the others were still making a last struggle. ¡°According to the rules of Yale City, you should let the people decide to deport us. You have no right to make such a decision!¡± Wang Lun coldly snorted and said, ¡°Trying to spin the truth? You can consider me merciful in simply expelling you. Do you really think the people will agree to let you continue living in Yale City after all that has happened? ¡°You¡¯re too naive, my friend. Yale City will be more harmonious without you.¡± Wang Lun stood at the entrance of the city and looked at the several merchants who were dragged out by the soldiers. ¡°Have a good day!¡± The soldiers returned to the city and began closing the gates. Benny and the other merchants watched as the city gates slowly closed on them. ¡°By the way, I will arrange to move your families out of Yale City, so when the time comes, you have to greet them yourselves!¡± Wang Lun said to Benny and the gang right before the city gates fully closed. ¡°That man is crazy! How can he do that!¡± a merchant frantically said. Another merchant exclaimed, ¡°Benny, your plan has failed!¡± Benny sulked and said in a harsh tone, ¡°I know, my friend. I didn¡¯t expect him to do something like this. I¡¯ve indeed belittled him.¡± ¡°I have long known that he isn¡¯t an easy person to deal with!¡± one of the merchants complained. ¡°Well, let¡¯s come up with another way. I don¡¯t want to just let this go,¡± Benny spoke. ¡°You mean you still have a way to deal with the city lord?¡± Benny replied. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Do you still remember the bandits who attacked Yale City the last time?¡± ¡°Of course I remember. Back then, I thought we were done for. But in the end, Yale City won.¡± ¡°You mean to tell me that you were the one who hired those bandits?¡± The merchant who spoke looked at Benny in bewilderment. Without hiding anything, Benny nodded and spoke with his head held high. ¡°We can go to them now and get them to help us attack Yale City again.¡± Benny¡¯s eyes glinted. He was confident of his chances. ¡°My friend, you need to stop having that look in your eyes,¡± a merchant said with lingering fears. ¡°It¡¯s winter. If we inform the bandits of Yale City¡¯s situation, do you think they won¡¯t be willing to take over the city?¡± The merchants had no place to go, so they had to follow Benny to the bandit¡¯s residence. If there was really a chance to get back what they had lost, they naturally wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡°But how much time will it take us to get there now?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long, probably about three days.¡± Several merchants traveled in a group and gradually moved away from Yale City. ¡°My lord, are we just going to let them go?¡± Wang Lun and a few others stood on the city wall, watching the backs of several people finally disappear into the horizon. Wang Lun turned around and walked down the stairs. ¡°What we are doing right now is the biggest punishment for them.¡± After punishing them as an example to others, the remaining merchants in Yale City returned to following the city hall¡¯s rules to operate their business. Yale City also became harmonious as a result. Benny and the others didn¡¯t enter the bandit residence of their own will, but were captured into it instead. ¡°You are that merchant from before?¡± On a seat high up, a bearded, black-faced man grimly asked. Benny didn¡¯t seem to have any sense of guilt about what happened last time. Instead, he laughed and said, ¡°My friend, please don¡¯t be angry. I have come with more important news.¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Drag them down and kill them!¡± ¡°W-Wait! Listen to me. The news I am about to say will surely make you appreciate me!¡± Benny shouted so loudly that his voice almost filled the whole area. ¡°Fine. I shall listen to what you have to say,¡± the bearded, black-faced man said. ¡°Y-Yale City has grown very prosperous now¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± The bearded, black-faced man growled. Benny trembled and hurriedly said, ¡°Yale City¡¯s treasury has thousands of gold coins at the very least. The development of the city has also been prosperous. If you successfully take down Yale City, you can imagine how much money you will get! ¡°Besides, you also need more resources for this cold winter. Yale City¡¯s supplies are definitely enough to last you for several months.¡± Benny¡¯s words were targeted at the interest of the bandits. The temptation of money to them was absolute. Moreover, the bandits also had to get through winter. ¡°Yale City isn¡¯t that easy to take down. We suffered a huge loss last time.¡± The bearded, black-faced man was starting to feel tempted. The other merchants who followed Benny and had hearts almost jumping out of their throats finally felt relieved. Benny added a suggestion: ¡°What if we seek the help of the other chief?¡± ¡°You mean, Bronx?¡± The bearded, black-faced man said, ¡°You¡¯re saying that I, Nick, have to work with him again?¡± Benny didn¡¯t know who Bronx was. But if he could get him to join forces with Nick, the hope of victory would be much greater. ¡°Yes, Chief Nick. Chief Bronx will be of wonderful assistance,¡± Benny said. After Benny¡¯s repeated enticements, Nick finally made his decision to attack Yale City, and wrote a letter to the other bandit chief, Bronx. Chapter 21 Not long after, a large group of bandits advanced towards the territory of Yale City. Thanks to the additional guards recruited from the expelled merchants, Yale City now had sufficient manpower for patrolling. That was how news reached the city hall so quickly. Wang Lun hurriedly gathered soldiers from various posts back into the city to withstand the enemy¡¯s attack together. As Wang Lun brought back a large number of crossbow bolts from Earth through his spatial storage bag, the soldiers didn¡¯t need to use them sparingly. ¡°My lord, you don¡¯t need to be on the city wall this time, do you? Right now, we are well-equipped, and there are enough of us.¡± Hallmark advised Wang Lun not to participate in this war. Wang Lun, on the other hand, didn¡¯t want to do as Hallmark suggested. He laughed, ¡°My knight, although we are much stronger now, there are more enemies outside our city this time around too. ¡°They must be eyeing the supplies in the city. You see, they have prepared weapons for siege too. It seems that they are determined to win this time. I must participate in this war.¡± Wang Lun¡¯s voice sounded resounding and powerful. Hallmark knew that it was redundant to say anything else and firmly nodded. ¡°Please be careful, my lord.¡± Shing! Buzz! He quickly unsheathed the sword hanging on his waist and held it with both hands in preparation for the war. ¡°I will be responsible for your safety at all times.¡± Wang Lun rested his shotgun on his shoulder, patted Hallmark¡¯s shoulder, and said, ¡°My knight, just focus on killing the enemies!¡± The army of bandits gradually approached the city wall from the outside, and the soldiers above the city wall also boosted their spirits. ¡°Soldiers, slot the bolt on your crossbow now. You are aware of the range of the bolt, so as long as the enemy comes within range, fire away. ¡°Don¡¯t conserve your bolts!¡± Wang Lun shouted. There were many bandits reaching the foot of the city wall, almost several times as many as those soldiers above. ¡°The enemies are about 100 steps away from range!¡± ¡°90!¡± ¡°50!¡± ¡°30!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± As soon as the command was given, hundreds of bolts instantly flew out of the crossbows at a rapid speed, ripping through the air in a sharp, high pitch. The bandits charged ahead, while the catapults were placed relatively closer to the rear due to their heavy weight. The bandits also carried ladders as they rushed forward. When they saw the bolts raining from above the city wall, they instantly lifted their shields. ¡°Wahaha, does he think he can defeat us again this way? This strategy has already been used once. This city lord sure is naive.¡± Gazing at the bolts shot out from above, Nick disdainfully said. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just gonna rely on a shield like that?¡± Wang Lun said. Dang! Dang! Dang! The bandits thought that the bolts would be deflected as soon as they came into contact with the shield. But to their horror, the bolts punctured the shields and at the next moment, bandits collapsed one after another. The bolt penetrated the shield and pierced the body of the wielder. It didn¡¯t make sense at all. As the order was given by Wang Lun, bolts were continuously fired as if there were an unlimited supply of them. The war lasted for a whole hour, finally ending with the bandits retreating. It was at that moment that the people of Yale City witnessed the city lord¡¯s ability to guarantee their safety as he promised. A month later, the coldest of winters finally arrived, which also meant that more wars would soon occur in Yale City. Wang Lun couldn¡¯t help but feel lonely in the city. He stepped out of the city hall and went for a stroll in the city with Lucy. Before fully immersing himself in the relaxation of the walk, he encountered something that left him in a dilemma. According to the report of the soldiers on the city walls, a group of refugees seemed to be heading toward Yale City. Wang Lun received the news and immediately went up the city wall. He grabbed a pair of binoculars from one of the soldiers. ¡°How is it, my lord?¡± Lucy asked. Wang Lun put down the binoculars and said, ¡°They are indeed refugees, and there shouldn¡¯t be a doubt that they¡¯re heading toward Yale City. ¡°In this harsh winter, coming here is their only choice.¡± ¡°They¡¯re coming here?¡± Lucy cried out, ¡°But we have enough population in the city already. If they were to join us, we will face another crisis with our food supplies!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But still, we have to take them in,¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°My lord, are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, soldier. Open the city gates and let them in,¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Lucy. I will think of a solution for the issue with food.¡± ¡°Well, it would be great if one consumes less food, but is still satiated.¡± At that moment, Wang Lun suddenly looked at Lucy in excitement. ¡°You are truly a smart and beautiful young lady!¡± The weather was chilly, and tiny snowflakes started drifting across the sky. Wang Lun wrapped his coat tightly around his body and walked down the city wall. Lucy¡¯s words instantly reminded Wang Lun of Earth¡¯s compressed biscuits, which was a type of food that looked small but was packed with a lot of calories. After Wang Lun went back to Earth and brought compressed biscuits back to Yale City, they were highly sought after by the people. The temperature gradually decreased, but some residents of Yale City seemed to be lacking dry wood to burn and warm their homes. ¡°So is there dry firewood available?¡± The soldier who Wang Lun sent out to scout returned to the city hall. The soldier shook his head, took his hat off to pat away the snow on it, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The snow has covered the trees, so it is impossible to tell which ones are dry.¡± ¡°My lord, perhaps we can use the dry firewood, which was originally left for people who weren¡¯t in a condition to gather for warmth together.¡± Bran stepped forward and said after some thought. Wang Lun carefully pondered, nodded, and said, ¡°But we must have a shelter that can accommodate so many people.¡± ¡°Is there such a place when we first constructed the buildings?¡± Bran shook his head and said, ¡°There isn¡¯t!¡± Bran was in charge of the construction of the houses, so he was very familiar with the style and type. There was no shelter that could accommodate a large number of people. In that case, it was impossible to use a small amount of dry wood to keep all of them warm. ¡°We can¡¯t just start building one right away because by the time it is completed, it may be too late for the people.¡± The soldier knew that he shouldn¡¯t interrupt, but he spoke up anyway. ¡°Hmm?¡± Wang Lun looked at the soldier. The soldier subconsciously withdrew a few steps and timidly looked at Wang Lun. ¡°My lord, my apologies for interrupting!¡± The soldier hurriedly admitted his mistake. ¡°What did you say?¡± Wang Lun asked with a tight frown. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Wang Lun clapped his hands together. ¡°We can build a large, temporary dormitory!¡± ¡°Temporary dormitory?¡± Bran was puzzled. ¡°Bran, you are still in charge of this matter. Gather the architects and build a temporary dormitory.¡± Bran said, ¡°But my lord, even a temporary dormitory requires several weeks!¡± Wang Lun waved his hand and said, ¡°There is no need for any material. Just build the structure with wood, and I will give you something that can keep you warm.¡± ¡°Build it according to this plan. I give you three days, so see if you can finish it.¡± Bran did some calculations in his mind, before replying, ¡°No problem, my lord.¡± Wang Lun, on the other hand, returned and procured special items from Earth that could retain heat in the enclosed space and equipped them directly on the structure of the dormitory. And just like that, the problem with heat was solved. Chapter 22 During this period of winter in Yale City, the streets were almost devoid of people. Most people hid in warm indoors as the thin clothes on their bodies didn¡¯t support them to head outdoors at all. One couldn¡¯t imagine what one would do if there wasn¡¯t enough food. Thankfully, Yale City made it through the entire winter rather peacefully. As the temperature turned warmer, Wang Lun woke up at dawn for the first time. After tidying the room, he pushed open the door and walked out. ¡°What great weather!¡± Wang Lun looked up at the sky and caught a glimpse of the marble white color of the dawn sky. The rays of the sun had begun to shine. The sun is definitely going to shine brightly across the land today. Wang Lun didn¡¯t stay for too long. He lifted his feet and headed out. Winter was over and this meant that the trivialities of Yale City were going to occupy him again. He made an appointment with Bran. However, it was too early and there was no one else in the city hall except for some servants. Wang Lun rubbed his stomach and a bout of hunger came. ¡°I shall grab something to eat; hopefully the chefs are already at the kitchen, waiting for breakfast orders!¡± Wang Lun prayed to have hot food in his belly soon. ¡°My lord, why are you so early today?¡± A servant was carrying a bucket of water and when he saw Wang Lun, he came to a halt, just in time for him to take a break. ¡°The chefs are there, right?¡± Wang Lun asked. The servant shook his head and said, ¡°Yesterday the head chef, Oliver, went to purchase food. He may take a little longer today so breakfast may be delayed.¡± Wang Lun nodded. ¡°That¡¯s not good. I¡¯m famished!¡± ¡°Do you need some compressed biscuits, my lord? I still have some here.¡± The servant took out several packs of compressed biscuits from his bag. Wang Lun waved his hand and said, ¡°No, keep them. I¡¯ll go and check out the dining hall now.¡± Wang Lun said nothing more to the servant, turning around and heading to the dining hall. When he arrived at the dining hall, he was surprised to find that he wasn¡¯t the only one waiting for the chefs to serve the meal. ¡°Hey, Bran!¡± Wang Lun saw the man clearly from afar. ¡°It seems I¡¯m not the only one who woke up much earlier today!¡± Bran heard Wang Lun¡¯s voice and turned around to see him approaching in large strides. Bran immediately bowed and said, ¡°My lord, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve been waiting!¡± Wang Lun paused, frowned and said, ¡°You were waiting for me? Weren¡¯t you waiting for the chefs?¡± Bran spoke with a smile. ¡°Winter is just over and you see, the sun has shone over the land again. Everything is back to normal and there are many things waiting for your approval.¡± From the front fold in his clothes, Bran took out a pile of yellowish paper that wasn¡¯t parchment. This pile of paper was made using the paper-making techniques Wang Lun taught them. Not only was the paper used in Yale City, but it was also used to trade with outsiders. Wang Lun flipped through the papers and put them back into Bran¡¯s hands, saying, ¡°These are trivial. I believe you can make the right decisions. I¡¯ll leave them to you.¡± The day became brighter as the sunlight splashed across the ground. Wang Lun finished his breakfast, made a trip to Earth, and returned with some purchases again. The previous purchase of seeds had been completely used up. This time, Wang Lun increased the amount he bought. Not only that, but he also procured additional cotton seeds. Bran knew most seeds, but still had no concept of this new type of seeds. ¡°My lord, is this a new type of crop?¡± Bran asked as he looked at the new seeds. Wang Lun shook his head and said, ¡°They aren¡¯t crop seeds.¡± ¡°Then what are they?¡± Bran was eager to hear the answer. ¡°Cotton seeds!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen cotton seeds before, but they don¡¯t look like this!¡± Bran reacted with blazing eyes and said. ¡°Oh, I know! My lord, you must¡¯ve brought back an even better type of cotton seed!¡± After being with Wang Lun for so long, Bran¡¯s knowledge had also increased a lot. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°Yes, this type of cotton will not only increase our yield, but the quality is also several times better than ordinary ones. ¡°The next winter will be even colder. We need to plant enough cotton seeds to make cotton clothes in order to withstand the cold when it comes. With cotton clothes to keep our people warm, they will not need to waste the entire winter doing nothing.¡± ¡°In that case, I will distribute the seeds and have the people plant them into the fields.¡± Wang Lun brought back more than a handful of seeds, so it was impossible for them to be transported by hand. Bran asked a few residents who owned carriages for permission to use them to transport the seeds out of the city hall. Thereafter, the residents who provided the carriages were paid accordingly. Now that Yale City had become more developed, crop seeds were no longer given to the residents for free. On the contrary, they had to purchase them at the price merchants sold them for. Of course, merchants were also allowed to purchase the seeds directly from the city hall. The whole industrial chain could not be chaotic. Now that the crop seeds were replenished, Wang Lun was also looking to import poultries. There had to be a balance in the food consumed, so simply consuming soil-grown food wasn¡¯t acceptable. Although the merchants purchased some meat from outside the city, residents with lower income simply couldn¡¯t afford them. Wang Lun found the time to drive the carriage out of Yale City with a few guards. The carriage driver was no longer Hallmark since he became the commander of the soldiers in Yale City. Although Hallmark requested to follow Wang Lun, the latter instructed him to continue training the soldiers. Wang Lun and Robinson agreed beforehand to meet in a city not far from Yale City. Robinson estimated the time of Wang Lun¡¯s arrival and prepared to welcome him. ¡°Hey, my friend! You¡¯ve been waiting here for a while, huh!¡± Wang Lun entered a restaurant and coincidentally spotted Robinson sitting at a corner table. Robinson had been staring out the door and noticed Wang Lun as soon as he came. Robinson stood up and hugged Wang Lun. But at the next moment, Robinson frantically took a step back as though he were pricked by a needle. ¡°Oh, how forgetful of me that you¡¯re a city lord now!¡± Robinson thought that his behavior was inappropriate. Wang Lun airily waved his hand and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s still the same, isn¡¯t it? Having a pair of eyes and a nose makes me an ordinary person. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Besides, we¡¯re not in Yale City, my friend!¡± The two of them looked at each other and burst into laughter. After sitting down, Wang Lun spoke. ¡°The batch of goods I asked for are ready, right?¡± Earlier when Wang Lun contacted and asked Robinson whether he owned any cows, sheep, or poultry, the latter hesitated with his answer. It was at that moment that Wang Lun knew that Robinson didn¡¯t own any. But later on, Robinson took the initiative to contact Wang Lun again, expressing that the animals were ready for his inspection at any time. Wang Lun knew that this fella must have bought the animals off from someone else at a low price, just to sell it to him at a higher price. But so what if that was the truth? Robinson was still a legitimate business partner, after all. Robinson also wasn¡¯t in a hurry. After their meal, he took Wang Lun and the guards to inspect the animals. Not only were there the cows and sheep that Wang Lun wanted, but there was also poultry meant to be cooked as food. As usual, Wang Lun happily traded with Robinson using items from Earth. After Wang Lun returned to Yale City, he established a specialized farm to produce milk and wool. The edible poultries were likewise kept in captivity, improving people¡¯s living standards. Chapter 23 It was early spring and everything was on track in Yale City. Some of the seeds that Wang Lun brought back from Earth were bought by merchants and farmers. Thereafter, the farmers got busy in the farmlands, planting all the seeds. The surrounding cities heard of the great development of Yale City and the city was also described by some as a paradise. Many people came to Yale City after surviving winter, ready to become its residents. Most of them were of the lower class, including despised half-beasts who hoped to get a job to feed themselves. As Yale City continuously expanded, Wang Lun accepted anyone who came to the city, making them residents and arranging work for them. For that reason, Yale City¡¯s labor force increased greatly and the speed of construction had also become much faster. Every time Wang Lun went to the streets, there were always people offering him gifts with gratitude. However, as the city lord, he had to refuse their kindness. ¡°These are earned by your hard work, so I cannot accept them. The city hall isn¡¯t short of them too, so please keep them for yourselves!¡± This was what Wang Lun said the most in recent days, so much so that he stepped out of the city hall less often now. But the greater the development of the city, the more jealous people were. There were some who began coveting Yale City. ¡°Baron Wang Lun¡¯s city is developing well. What do you think of that, Theodore?¡± Miller was discussing Yale City with one of his subordinates in his city hall. The man named Theodore was Miller¡¯s right-hand man who often offered advice to the latter. Theodore spoke with a frown. ¡°I totally didn¡¯t expect Baron Wang Lun to be able to develop an otherwise lifeless city into this current state. ¡°Back then, it was a careless judgment by me!¡± After Theodore said the last sentence, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh, slightly lowering his head as if he were repenting for his mistake. ¡°It was your idea to give Yale City to him in the beginning. And now that Yale City has developed so quickly, aren¡¯t we missing out on lots of taxes with the previously stated terms in our contract?¡± Miller stood up with a wine glass in his hand, ambled to the window, and looked up at the sky, ¡°My mind is like the night sky right now¡ªdark and heavy to the core!¡± Like a sorrowful poet, he lifted his hand to bring the wine glass to his mouth, gently sipping it and letting the bitter taste emanating from the wine reverberate around his mouth. ¡°My lord, as our subsidiary, Baron Wang Lun has to do whatever we tell him to!¡± Theodore showed a treacherous smile at the thought of Miller regretting his decision to give Wang Lun a hopeless city. ¡°Oh?¡± Miller turned around and looked at Theodore, ¡°How so?¡± Theodore took a few steps in Miller¡¯s direction, but didn¡¯t approach the latter too closely. ¡°My lord, just think about it. Since we were the ones who proposed the tribute tax, it also means that we can change it entirely. Now that Yale City is prosperous, we can collect taxes as a percentage, which means that we get more benefits, don¡¯t we?¡± After stating his opinion, Theodore¡¯s expression became even more exaggerated, like a blood-sucking bat ready to attack its prey. Miller pondered and after a moment, nodded. ¡°You are right. If he doesn¡¯t agree to our terms, we can simply take back the management of Yale City and he will be left with no choice.¡± Miller thought about it and agreed that Theodore¡¯s idea was splendid. Soon after, Miller sent his emissary toward the direction of Yale City. Wang Lun was so bored that he went to the training ground to observe Hallmark train the soldiers. However, a servant came to the training grounds in the afternoon. ¡°My lord, a man who claims to be Earl Miller¡¯s emissary wants to see you.¡± Wang Lun was surprised and very puzzled as to why Miller sent someone to Yale City. However, Wang Lun was clearly aware that the emissary definitely wasn¡¯t here to deliver a gift because he knew how stingy of a person Miller was. ¡°My lord, do you need me to go with you?¡± When Hallmark heard that Miller¡¯s emissary had arrived, he had some unpleasant thoughts. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°All right, go with me!¡± The emissary waited inside the city hall for Wang Lun¡¯s arrival. He sat there and watched as Wang Lun headed for the seat at the taller platform. Wang Lun sat down, looked at the emissary, and asked, ¡°What did Lord Miller send you for?¡± Wang Lun naturally didn¡¯t speak in a nice tone. The emissary finally stood up. He tilted his head in an arrogant and domineering manner, saying. ¡°Lord Miller orders Yale City to pay the tribute tax.¡± Pay the tribute tax? Wang Lun didn¡¯t overreact. He signed a contract at the start, so even if he was obligated to pay the tribute tax, it would start only after a year. Wang Lun said: ¡°I think Lord Miller has been mistaken. The contract clearly stated that the tribute tax will be paid after one year. It hasn¡¯t even been a year, so what¡¯s with this arrangement?¡± The emissary replied, ¡°My lord, you may be mistaken. Lord Miller has the say as to when the tribute tax should be paid. Besides, the amount of tribute tax is now percentage-based. ¡°This is the new contract made by Lord Miller. Please sign it!¡± The emissary took out a contract and passed it to Wang Lun through Hallmark¡¯s hands. ¡°Are you trying to intimidate me?¡± Wang Lun uttered these words after reading the contents of the contract. The emissary laughed. ¡°My lord, I advise you to sign it without question!¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± Wang Lun replied with a snicker. The emissary snorted coldly and said, ¡°Then Yale City will be destroyed, and you will definitely be enslaved. When that happens, it will be too late for regrets! Hahaha! ¡°Do people like you think you are capable of fighting against Lord Miller if you don¡¯t do as you are told? ¡°The contract has been delivered to you. Whether you sign it or not is your business.¡± The emissary turned to leave. ¡°If Lord Miller doesn¡¯t hear an answer within three days, wait to be destroyed!¡± Wang Lun clutched the contract in his hand. How is this damn thing even a bloody contract?! ¡°Hallmark, capture him!¡± Wang Lun roared, his eyes blazing with rage. Upon hearing Wang Lun¡¯s order, Hallmark swiftly leaped forward and grabbed the emissary¡¯s arm, using an over-the-shoulder slam to restrain him to the ground. ¡°What are you trying to do?!¡± Not only did the emissary not beg for mercy, but he also gave an interrogative look. Wang Lun slowly walked over, crouched down, and held up the ¡®contract¡¯. Bam! Wang Lun slapped the emissary on the cheek, immediately leaving a red palm mark. The emissary was instantly dazed; he didn¡¯t know what had just happened. The only thing he felt was the stinging and burning sensation on his cheek. ¡°H-How dare you hit me!¡± The emissary shouted hoarsely. Wang Lun stood up, ¡°Not only will I hit you, but I will also beat you up. You make my blood boil.¡± After saying those words, Wang Lun lifted his foot and viciously stomped on the emissary. Along with several consecutive kicks, all that was heard throughout the entire city hall was the emissary¡¯s miserable scream echoing. Wang Lun was panting for air as he finally lay his foot down. ¡°Go back and tell Lord Miller to stop daydreaming. I¡¯ll be waiting for him!¡± Wang Lun tore up the so-called contract on the spot. You want me to sign this unreasonable clause in my home? I developed this city and you¡¯re trying to destroy it? Do you think you can take advantage of me? Chapter 24 ¡°You bast*rd, how dare you treat me this way!¡± Hallmark lifted the emissary over his shoulder like he was a helpless fledgling. Wang Lun hurled the shredded paper at the emissary¡¯s bruised face. ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°Hallmark!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Hallmark answered. Wang Lun ordered: ¡°Expel him. Don¡¯t let a scum like him stay in Yale City for one more second.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Hallmark flung the emissary out of the city hall and followed up with a thrust of his foot. The emissary crashed to the ground with a loud thud. ¡°Men! Get rid of this scum!¡± Hallmark shouted at the two guards standing outside the city hall. The two guards immediately lifted up the powerless emissary from the ground and dragged him away. ¡°My lord, you were really cool just now!¡± Hallmark gave a thumbs up to Wang Lun, his eyes overflowing with admiration. ¡°Just hurry up and get him out of Yale City. ¡°Come meet me here after it¡¯s done!¡± The moment Hallmark crossed the threshold, Wang Lun said. Offending Miller was by no means Wang Lun¡¯s intention. He had been quietly running Yale City, but Miller¡¯s conditions were truly intolerable. Since Miller was bent on being so ruthless, Wang Lun was also willing to fight him until the end. You want to destroy Yale City? It¡¯s not that easy. Wang Lun had led Yale City through several wars and won every single one of them. He was extremely confident in his army, which was also the reason for his boldness. If it were someone else, that person would have been taken advantage of already. Of course, it was necessary to gather all the important ministers in Yale City over such a big event. Thereafter, more and more people arrived at the city hall and sat down for a discussion. First, Wang Lun gave a cursory account of everything that had happened, and asked them for any good advice they might have. After all, there were always flaws in one¡¯s brain, so gathering a crowd to discuss a strategy together would result in a more comprehensive outlook. Of course, there were some who suggested spending some money to apologize to Miller to avoid unnecessary wars. ¡°I have made it clear enough that a war between Miller and me is already inevitable. If we solve the problem in a peaceful way as you say, Yale City will only be greeted with a treaty¡ªan unequal one. ¡°And do you know what that means? It means that the people of Yale City will be slaves again. Are you willing to go back to that life of slavery again? Do you think the people are willing?¡± Upon seeing that there were still people raising their hands to speak, Wang Lun frowned and held his head with one hand, while waving the other to make those who suggested a peaceful solution stop. It was at that moment that Hallmark returned in a hurry. ¡°My lord, fight! My advice is to fight!¡± The eyes of the crowd shifted to Hallmark who walked into the meeting room. Wang Lun finally heard a positive voice. ¡°All settled?¡± Wang Lun asked. ¡°Yes. That scum still seemed a little too lively, so I gave him another beating.¡± Hallmark spoke with an air of satisfaction. ¡°I have faith in my soldiers; we won¡¯t lose this battle! So my advice is to fight!¡± Hallmark walked to his seat and sat down. ¡°Well, that¡¯s it for today. No matter what it is, we¡¯ll fight.¡± Wang Lun stood up and left the meeting room. He didn¡¯t expect this meeting to yield nothing at all. But despite that, he already had a plan in mind. He returned to his room and immediately left for Earth. No one could predict when this war would occur, so Wang Lun could only prepare beforehand¡ªthe sooner the better. Based on his understanding of Miller¡¯s personality, he believed that heavy troops could start attacking Yale City as early as tomorrow. This upcoming war would be different from the previous one. Its destructive nature would definitely be much worse. When Wang Lun arrived on Earth, he asked an online friend who was a military doctor in the army what kind of supplies he needed to prepare for a large-scale war. After receiving the answer, Wang Lun began to purchase supplies. Fortunately, he brought enough gold coins. After exchanging the gold coins for paper currency, he had enough to pay for the supplies. With the guidance of his online friend, he first bought medical supplies, gauze bandages, tourniquets, and so on. These supplies would probably be equivalent to life-saving equipment in the Cold War era! Not only that, but Wang Lun also procured a variety of medical manuals, ready to groom a group of exceptional doctors while at the same time developing Yale City. After resisting the wave of bandits during last winter, Wang Lun became further convinced of the importance of long-range weapons. Among the purchased supplies, weapons were also inevitable. Moreover, he once read how a certain emperor conquered almost the entire continent. That was why he used the soldiers of that time as his reference and obtained some books on the formation of troops. Wang Lun returned to Yale City from a rewarding journey. Although no one knew where he got those things from, none of them dared to have a discussion over it. ¡°My lord, what are they this time?¡± Hallmark curiously asked. Wang Lun said, ¡°Gather the soldiers first. I¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Wang Lun couldn¡¯t resist keeping him in suspense. Hallmark scratched his head. Without a choice, he obeyed the command and assembled the soldiers. Shortly after, Wang Lun stood on the tall platform, looking at the military formation in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but feel astonished. Hallmark marched forward from the military formation to Wang Lun¡¯s side, and performed a standard salute. ¡°My lord, all the soldiers have been assembled. Please give your instructions!¡± Wang Lun nodded and asked: ¡°How many men in total?¡± Hallmark said, ¡°More than a thousand men, my lord.¡± ¡°Good job, my knight!¡± Hallmark stood upright beside Wang Lun. ¡°All right, brave soldiers. We are about to face a war, but we don¡¯t know when it will start. So now, I will make a systematic division of you!¡± Wang Lun¡¯s words drew murmurs from the soldiers below. ¡°Division?¡± ¡°War is happening soon, do we still have the time to regroup?¡± ¡°Stop talking; listen well to what the Baron Lord says!¡± Wang Lun smiled and said, ¡°My soldiers, your worries are absolutely unnecessary. The adjustments I will make are just to organize you into different types of soldiers. It will not affect your usual training. ¡°Now everyone, listen to my command!¡± Wang Lun took a deep breath and yelled, ¡°Soldiers who have used crossbows in the two previous wars step forward!¡± Some of the soldiers in the formation stepped out and were eventually split into another formation. Wang Lun added, ¡°Those who didn¡¯t kill more than 20 with crossbows return to the formation. I just need 50 soldiers.¡± The remaining number of soldiers who stepped out of the formation apparently exceeded 50. The soldiers followed Wang Lun¡¯s orders and were finally split into a brigade of 50. Shortly after, Wang Lun divided the soldiers further, grouping them into brigades of 200 infantry, 100 heavy infantry, and 100 lancers, as well as a brigade consisting of 50 cavalrymen and 50 crossbowmen. Chapter 25 After the army was divided, Wang Lun immediately got the soldiers to practice with their corresponding weapons. Wang Lun also split them according to their expertise, allowing them to maximize their adaptation to the new training. The strength of Yale City¡¯s army had once again grown. But this wasn¡¯t enough to defeat an Earl yet. Although his weapons were advanced, they were still cold weapons. Wang Lun had to recruit more soldiers again. In a cold weapon war, he ultimately had to rely on the number of his troops to secure the victory. Wang Lun got Lucy to prepare a notice and asked a few guards to post it on notice boards in various places in the city. The notice attracted countless people, with young men making up most of the numbers. Yale City was now a city with a population of more than 10,000 people. After the notice was posted, people came to the city hall one after another to sign up for the army. Wang Lun was very satisfied with the result. But due to the age difference among the people who signed up, he separated the young men and placed them as reserves for the war. Miller was an earl, and a baron was naturally below its rank. Wang Lun knew that this time, he wasn¡¯t only battling Miller, but also going up against other barons. The newly-recruited soldiers simply didn¡¯t have the time to train, so Hallmark let the experienced soldiers take over the training of the new soldiers according to their corresponding classification. Not only did the soldiers receive efficient training, but the camaraderie between the veterans and newbies was also greatly improved. This was something that Wang Lun highly praised Hallmark for. Wang Lun gave Hallmark books on various formations, requesting him to do further research and execute them in actual battle. ¡°My lord, are these formations even useful?¡± Hallmark had participated in a lot of wars, but never used any formations. ¡°What? You haven¡¯t used any formations in the wars you participated in?¡± Wang Lun asked with a puzzled face. In his opinion, the use of formations in war was a most normal thing. However, it seemed like this knight standing before him didn¡¯t know anything about formations. Hallmark always spoke the truth. He shook his head and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t, my lord.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if you haven¡¯t used one. Maybe you guys are too strong for the enemies. Anyway, go on and properly study the various formations before the war happens.¡± Wang Lun patted Hallmark¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My knight, this is a book written by a victor in war!¡± Hallmark nodded, looking as if he was determined to study the book down to its very last contents. ¡°All right, now that the army is settled, I will also take this time to use the other books and teach other aspiring people.¡± What Wang Lun was referring to was medical knowledge. Despite the fact that various medical supplies were now available, there was still a need for people to know how to use them. Yale City¡¯s preparations for the war were in full swing and the entire city did its best to help Wang Lun¡ªor to be precise, they were actually helping themselves. Soon after, an enemy army was spotted in the distance. All the soldiers in the city came to the city walls to prepare for the war. As soon as Wang Lun was notified, he hurriedly rushed to the city walls. After looking through the binoculars, Wang Lun knew that it wasn¡¯t Miller¡¯s army. ¡°It seems that Miller has mobilized the barons of other cities,¡± Wang Lun said. ¡°Barons?¡± Hallmark took the binoculars and checked out the situation. ¡°This army should be from the baron whose city is closest to Yale City. ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re afraid of one army, but we don¡¯t know if the armies of other barons will be joining in later as well.¡± Hallmark put the binoculars away. Wang Lun frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this later. What we have to do now is properly entertain the enemy in front of us.¡± There wasn¡¯t the slightest fear in Wang Lun¡¯s eyes. On the contrary, he seemed rather excited. This war would undoubtedly impact his reputation. ¡°Soldiers, get ready.¡± Hallmark walked on the city walls, constantly boosting the soldiers¡¯ morale. The enemy army in the distance seemed to be growing in size, which was simply a step up from the bandits they faced previously. This could even be treated as the first official battle of Yale City. ¡°Emperor Qin[1], I will be using your way of the soldiers,¡± Wang Lun whispered. He puffed out his chest and loudly announced, ¡°Soldiers, from now on, you will receive 10 copper coins for killing one enemy soldier.¡± This military merit system had been proven through history, and it was apparently effective. The image of that small country gradually becoming a huge kingdom appeared in Wang Lun¡¯s mind. He took a moment to compare it to Yale City. The soldiers clearly heard Wang Lun¡¯s words. And their battle spirits ignited into a blazing flame. ¡°My lord, how do I prove that I killed an enemy?¡± Someone among the soldiers asked a question that everyone wanted to get an answer to. Wang Lun continued, ¡°Cut off the heads of the enemy soldiers, and use them to exchange for money.¡± Upon hearing his words, all the soldiers raised their weapons high and shouted, ¡°Long live the lord!¡± The enemy army was closely approaching Yale City. They had no idea that the soldiers guarding the city were targeting their heads as a reward to exchange for money. At that moment, the enemy army at the foot of the city wall attacked. ¡°Seems like they are a seasoned army!¡± Wang Lun looked at the formation of the enemy soldiers swarming forward and couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Crossbowmen above the city wall fired their crossbows at the enemies and the bolts flew out in air-ripping screeches. The shield-wielding enemy soldiers covered their comrades who carried the ladders. This strategy might be useful in other places, but this was Yale City, after all. Bam! Bam! Bam! The bolts pierced the shields as expected before penetrating the soldiers¡¯ bodies. ¡°Catapults incoming!¡± Hallmark shouted. Wang Lun shifted his gaze over and saw three catapults slowly being pushed ahead. ¡°They are determined to win, huh!¡± Wang Lun revealed a devilish smile. ¡°But Yale City¡¯s catapults are specially modified.¡± ¡°Catapults, destroy them!¡± Wang Lun had long ago gotten the catapults on the city wall modified according to the design plan. Their attack power and range were several times that of ordinary catapults. ¡°The enemy soldiers are starting to climb up the city wall!¡± a soldier shouted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that better? Their heads are worth a lot of money!¡± another soldier yelled. At that moment, the soldiers on the city wall didn¡¯t look like they were desperately resisting. Instead, they were competing with one another to hack down enemies. Some even stood directly at the top of the ladder waiting for the arrival of the enemy. The battle didn¡¯t last long as the enemy¡¯s aggression gradually weakened. The enemy army below the city wall failed to break through for a long time and fled in a disastrous defeat. The soldiers above the city wall had their belts full of hanging skulls. ¡°My lord, let¡¯s go after them!¡± Some soldiers had even requested to leave the city because they weren¡¯t able to get a satisfactory number of heads. Wang Lun didn¡¯t want them to take unnecessary risks and had to preserve his forces. ¡°Soldiers, you may do so when you clean up the battlefield later!¡± [1] Founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China (18 February 259 BC¨C10 September 210 BC). Chapter 26 The army outside the city had retreated out of sight. Wang Lun stood still with his shotgun in hand, and Hallmark, who was beside him, spoke. ¡°My lord, the enemy seems to have withdrawn!¡± What Hallmark meant was that the enemy had withdrawn to their own residence. Wang Lun narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. ¡°My knigh¡ªno! You¡¯re a general now!¡± Wang Lun turned to look at Hallmark. ¡°Lead the soldiers to clean up the battlefield!¡± Wang Lun gave a serious look in his eyes. General? Hallmark was stunned. He didn¡¯t know when he had become a general. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Wang Lun added. Hallmark¡¯s scarred face twitched. He slowly nodded, turned around, and led his soldiers out of the city. Wang Lun thought that Miller¡¯s army would come attacking soon after, but it didn¡¯t happen. Yale City had a short respite. The residents seemed to have gradually put the matter of Earl Miller leading troops to Yale City behind them. Wang Lun also seized the time to expand the military as Miller would surely arrive one day. Perhaps it was because the baron who attacked the city reported the battle result to Miller, so the latter didn¡¯t dare to recklessly send troops over. However, this was all Wang Lun¡¯s speculation. Good times didn¡¯t last long. Wang Lun woke up early in the morning and coincidentally heard someone yelling. He got prepared, pushed open the door, and walked out of his room. The person shouting was a white-haired old man who he immediately recognized. ¡°Bran, what is it?¡± Standing at the courtyard entrance was precisely Bran. When Bran saw Wang Lun, his anxious hands trembled as he spoke, ¡°My lord, something happened outside!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is Miller here?¡± Wang Lun hurriedly asked. ¡°No, you¡¯d better head out of the city hall to see for yourself!¡± Bran followed behind Wang Lun. ¡°The merchants are in trouble.¡± Wang Lun instantly felt a little relieved, ¡°You should be able to handle the merchants! Why do you look so flustered?¡± Bran showed a bitter expression and let out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t explain the situation clearly.¡± After seeing Bran¡¯s helpless look, Wang Lun didn¡¯t pursue this matter any further. The moment they arrived at the entrance of the city hall, they spotted dozens of soldiers blocking the gates as if a group of people were forcing their way into the city hall. Wang Lun strode over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wang Lun frowned and loudly asked. The soldiers heard Wang Lun¡¯s voice and instantly gave way. Wang Lun walked up, only to see the merchants gathered outside, demanding to see him. After noticing Wang Lun, the merchants became silent one after another, while some began to speak to him. ¡°My lord, you must help us!¡± A merchant standing in the forefront wiped his tears and stepped forward. Wang Lun saw him and asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°A few days ago, our goods were robbed by a gang of bandits during transportation. We lost a lot of our money!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you all have guards with you?¡± Wang Lun had always been clear-headed in handling political affairs. ¡°We only have so many guards, and the bandits were much stronger than them!¡± Another merchant stepped forward and waved his hand, saying, ¡°Those bandits have already robbed my goods more than once. I don¡¯t dare to import goods anymore.¡± Merchants were crucial to the city¡¯s economic development. Furthermore, merchants were taxpayers, so Wang Lun had an obligation to help them stabilize their operations. If merchants couldn¡¯t operate their business in Yale City, and how else could the city function? Wang Lun let out a sigh, took in a deep breath, and loudly spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The city hall will resolve this matter for you. The residents of Yale City are protected by the city hall.¡± ¡°Were your goods robbed in the same place?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°It happened in Red Canyon, the northern territory of Yale City.¡± ¡°That is one of the necessary roads leading to other cities.¡± The merchants spoke one after another. Both sides received the answer they were looking for. Soon after, the merchants left the city hall. Wang Lun returned to the city hall, called Hallmark over, and recounted what the merchants had encountered. ¡°Hallmark, do you understand the situation now?¡± Hallmark nodded and said, ¡°My lord, this sounds too fishy!¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°I also feel that things aren¡¯t right. But the fact is that the merchants¡¯ goods have been robbed, and the city hall must step in to solve this matter.¡± Hallmark said, ¡°In that case, we can send someone to find out what¡¯s going on and see if it¡¯s true.¡± After the last war, Yale City seemed overly calm and now that a problem occurred again, it became all the more suspicious. Wang Lun also agreed with Hallmark¡¯s suggestion. ¡°All right, send some sharp soldiers to check on the situation in Red Canyon. Although that place is the territory of Yale City, it is very suitable for enemy ambush. Make sure the soldiers pay attention.¡± Wang Lun had seen the entire map of Yale City and Red Canyon left a deep impression on him. Hallmark nodded and quickly left the city hall. Not long after, the soldiers sent out returned to Yale City. Hallmark hastily rushed to the study, and he almost collided with Lucy. ¡°Oh, General, watch out!¡± Fortunately, Lucy had a small stature and she dodged him, otherwise she would have been knocked down to the ground. ¡°Sorry, Miss Lucy, I was in a hurry to find the baron,¡± Hallmark hurriedly apologized, before quickly walking in the direction of the study. Upon entering the study, he saw Wang Lun sitting at the desk with a large book covering his entire face. ¡°My lord, the soldiers have returned.¡± Hallmark stood still and saluted. Wang Lun slowly put the book down. ¡°How was it?¡± Hallmark spoke. ¡°It was indeed the bandits. Some soldiers lived in that area before and reported that bandits often showed up, though not too many of them at once.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, send a brigade of 200 soldiers to exterminate them.¡± ¡°Do I lead them, my lord?¡± Hallmark asked. Wang Lun shook his head and said, ¡°What you see is not necessarily real. For safety¡¯s sake, you will handle other missions.¡± Hallmark frowned and wondered, ¡°What other missions are there, my lord?¡± Wang Lun laughed, ¡°Confidential. For now, send our soldiers to wipe out the bandits!¡± Hallmark didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further. He left the study, arrived at the military drill ground, and sent out a brigade of 200 soldiers as instructed by Wang Lun. The soldiers patrolled the street and made no qualms about it. This was to let the merchants know that the city hall had taken a corresponding action. The soldiers marched out of the city gates in a path fenced off by the people. At that moment, a dubious man among the people hastily turned around, entered an alley, and disappeared from the crowd. He grabbed a gray pigeon from the small iron cage, rolled up a piece of paper, and tied it to the legs of the pigeon. Then, he tossed the pigeon into the sky with force. Flap! Flap! Flap! The pigeon flapped its wings and just like a sad song, it vanished among the many buildings. Chapter 27 Hallmark followed Wang Lun¡¯s words and returned to him after dispatching the soldiers. Wang Lun was still waiting in the study as Hallmark re-entered. ¡°My lord, all settled!¡± Hallmark saluted. Wang Lun nodded in response. ¡°Can you give me the mission now?¡± Hallmark asked. ¡°I order you to lead a brigade of 100 infantry and 50 cavalrymen. You will secretly leave the city from the other direction and take a detour to Red Canyon. As soon as the soldiers ahead engage in a battle with the enemy, you will charge out with your brigade and kill the enemy. I want none of them alive.¡± Wang Lun read the books he brought from Earth and learned a lot about strategy. ¡°What kind of strategy is that?¡± Hallmark chuckled. Wang Lun said, ¡°The art of diversion!¡± Hallmark led his soldiers quietly out of the city from the other direction. ¡°General Hallmark, we should be getting a lot of military merit for fighting the bandits this time, right?¡±a soldier asked. Hallmark was promoted to general, and many soldiers were looking forward to the time they could earn enough military merit to seek a high official position. There was no soldier who didn¡¯t wish to become an officer worthy of admiration. But to do so, one had to kill enough enemies. This time, wiping out the bandits would be a great opportunity to increase their military merit. Not only that, but they could also earn additional money. Over the winter, even a soldier supported by the city hall spent almost all his money. ¡°As long as you are capable enough to hang the enemy¡¯s head around your waist, you¡¯ll certainly earn military merit,¡± Hallmark sat on his horse and said. ¡°Right now I¡¯m still a recruit, but I¡¯ll become a private soon. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be promoted after this battle.¡± The soldier named Bruce said as he patted his chest. ¡°Oh, give me a break! I¡¯ll snatch the head of the man you kill and hang it on my own waist,¡± the tall and stout Griffin beside him laughed. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s not good, mate. It¡¯s against the rules set by the baron.¡± ¡°Be careful or I¡¯ll get rid of you too, so I don¡¯t have to pay back the money I lost to you the last time we played cards,¡± Bruce said in an annoyed tone. ¡°Yeah but you can¡¯t die! Or else I¡¯ll lose a lot of money,¡± Griffin stepped forward and wrapped one arm around Bruce, who was thinner than himself. ¡°Stop saying such things before we¡¯re even on the battlefield. Although the enemies are bandits, you¡¯d all better return safely and not bring me shame,¡± Hallmark turned around and said. ¡°Okay, General, I will protect him well,¡± Griffin made a swearing gesture. Hallmark glanced at the soldiers behind him and didn¡¯t say another word. Thereafter, no one spoke for the rest of the trip. Soon after, the troops led by Hallmark reached Red Canyon and stayed hidden. They didn¡¯t show themselves in plain sight. ¡°It seems that the advance party hasn¡¯t yet arrived,¡± Hallmark said, sitting down on the ground. Right now, Hallmark and his soldiers were in a high location, where there was enough dense forest to serve as a cover. Of course, they could clearly see half of Red Canyon. If any situation were to occur down there, they would be able to see it at a glance. ¡°Bruce, take over for me! I want to take a break.¡± Griffin, who was on guard duty, turned and said to Bruce, who was sitting on the ground and polishing his weapon. Bruce slowly lifted his head to look at Griffin, shook his head, and said, ¡°Is that all a huge boulder like you is capable of?¡± Griffin said, ¡°Mate, I didn¡¯t sleep well last night. We are gonna have a battle later, so I have to recharge!¡± Bruce rolled his eyes, stood up, and walked toward Griffin, saying, ¡°You¡¯d better not lie to me, or I¡¯m gonna give it to you.¡± Not long after, movements were spotted in the direction of Red Canyon. Thick smoke and dust billowed in the air like a gigantic dragon shuttling across the air. Soon, it would reveal its true identity. Bruce witnessed everything. He didn¡¯t inform the other soldiers who were currently resting, but continued to fix his gaze on the movement of the smoke and dust. Bruce said his prayers so softly that no one heard him. At the next moment, the maker of the smoke and dust finally weaved out of the canyon. It was a gang of bandits riding horses. There were also a lot of them walking on foot at the rear. ¡°My God. How can we possibly defeat them with 100 of us here?¡± Looking at the bandits that kept appearing, Bruce let out a gasp of surprise. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, soldier?¡± Hallmark heard Bruce¡¯s voice. Bruce turned around and stammered, ¡°General, the bandits are here!¡± ¡°What?¡± Hallmark hurriedly stood up and went to Bruce¡¯s side. ¡°These bast*rds. They are most likely here to intercept the merchants,¡± Hallmark guessed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right! General, they are heading in that direction,¡± Bruce said, pointing to the distance. Hallmark looked over and his eyes suddenly widened, ¡°No good. They must be waiting to ambush our advance party. This is terrible, soldier.¡± Hallmark turned around and woke the sleeping soldiers. The cavalrymen moved off first, followed by the infantries. Hallmark finally understood why Wang Lun let the advance party march out of the city in plain sight of the people. It was apparent that Wang Lun had already figured things out. However, Hallmark was also aware that Wang Lun had placed the key to this victory on him. If the advance party was wiped out by the enemy¡¯s ambush, this battle would certainly end in defeat. When Hallmark¡¯s troops arrived at the scene, the advance party was already engaging in a battle with the bandits. Fortunately, the advance party didn¡¯t crumble thanks to the efficient training they received. With a command from Hallmark, the soldiers behind him charged ahead. ¡°Kill them all!¡± Hallmark yelled, raising the sword in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s for sure, General!¡± ¡°They are already dead to us!¡± Not only were the soldiers charging out from the back in high spirits, but the ones who fought the bandits on the battlefield were also pumped up. Hallmark stabbed his sword into the chest of a bandit and thrust his foot forward. Before the bandit even saw who he was, he had flown to the back. ¡°Be careful, soldier!¡± Hallmark gazed and yelled at the soldier standing in place. One couldn¡¯t afford to blank out on the battlefield. If one weren¡¯t careful, one might lose one¡¯s life at any time. The soldier firmly nodded and raised his lance high, thrusting it forward. ¡°Hey, Bruce! Come with me!¡± Griffin yelled at Bruce who stood behind him. ¡°Cut the crap. You¡¯re just gonna be a burden to me.¡± Bruce hung a head around his waist and cursed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so strong in combat,¡± Griffin said as he looked at Bruce¡¯s waist. Bruce grunted. ¡°Of course. I told you I¡¯m definitely becoming a private after this battle!¡± Bruce was confident in himself. ¡°Get out of my way, bast*rd.¡± Bruce darted ahead. Chapter 28 Splash! A red arc of blood sprayed in the air and onto Griffin¡¯s face. He was dumbfounded. He had been joking around with Bruce just a few seconds ago, but what in the world just happened? His mind kept buzzing as if he were about to go insane. ¡°Griffin, what are you doing?!¡± A soldier yelled. Griffin was like a statue insulated from the outside world. ¡°John, stop him!¡± Another man shouted at the top of his lungs. John left the man he had just killed at his feet. He gripped his sword with both hands, lunged forward, fiercely swung his blade. The bloody knife was instantly stained with even more blood. ¡°Hey, pull yourself together!¡± John punched Griffin in the face. Griffin didn¡¯t have any defense at all. The stout man crumbled to the ground and finally returned to his senses. He immediately stood up, picked up the sword he dropped on the ground, and charged ahead. Slash! Slash! Slash! Griffin continuously brandished the sword at the unconscious bandit lying on the ground. The badly mangled bandit was instantly soaked in a pool of his own blood. One could no longer recognize him as a person. ¡°Bast*rd, damn you! Damn you!¡± Griffin cried out with snot hanging from his nose. ¡°Griffin, pull yourself together!¡± John didn¡¯t have time to say anything more. ¡°He was going to be a private!¡± Griffin broke down. ¡°Bruce has succeeded! He was a brave soldier! If you don¡¯t want to hurt him again, lift that sword in your hand and hack the bandits that are hurting our brothers!¡± John rushed out and re-entered the fight. Griffin turned to look at Bruce who lay unconscious on the ground. ¡°You rascal. Who needs your protection?¡± But despite what he said, Bruce could no longer hear him. Griffin stayed by Bruce¡¯s side until the end of the battle. This time, the bandits took a huge hit, while most of the soldiers led by Hallmark were only wounded. There were less than 10 dead. Meanwhile, on the other side, an army appeared in the near distance from Yale City. Through the binoculars, Wang Lun found them to be rather familiar. ¡°The same baron¡¯s army as before?¡± The sergeant beside Wang Lun also looked into the distance using a pair of binoculars, ¡°Yes. I still remember their banner. Looks like this defeated army is back to attack Yale City again.¡± Besides Hallmark, who was the general in Yale City, the highest ranking soldier was this sergeant named Clive. He had also served as a soldier in other cities and participated in wars. ¡°We don¡¯t have many soldiers in the city right now. These guys sure know how to pick their timing.¡± ¡°Clive, I¡¯ll leave command here to you. I¡¯ll lead the catapults.¡± There weren¡¯t many soldiers in the city now. The only advantage they had was that they were well-equipped. Since that was their advantage, then they should make full use of it. ¡°Soldier, keep me informed of the enemy¡¯s distance.¡± Wang Lun arrived at the catapults and spoke to the soldier beside him. The soldier nodded. No matter who was controlling the catapults, he would constantly report the position and distance of the enemy army. This was supposed to be his duty. ¡°My lord, leave it to me!¡± Soon after, as the enemy troops outside the city wall closely approached Yale City, the crossbows above the city wall started firing. ¡°Directly ahead. At a distance of 500 steps.¡± The soldier shouted, looking at the direction where the largest number of people had gathered. Wang Lun heard the report and adjusted the direction and height of the catapults. Swish! Swish! Boulders blazing with flames were blasted into the sky. It was at a height that the rain of arrows couldn¡¯t reach. Boom! Boom! The boulders smashed onto the land and flames spread on the battlefield, igniting the enemy troops. The enemy formation scattered and was completely out of shape. ¡°Well done, soldiers!¡± Wang Lun praised after seeing the results. The soldiers replenished the boulders in the catapults and ignited the oil on them. But even with the catapults, it was still a struggle without many soldiers left in the city. The enemy army came prepared this time with a large number of ladders set up on the city wall. Due to their numerical advantage, there were constantly soldiers climbing over the ladders, one after another. ¡°Soldiers, prepare to fight the enemy to the death!¡± Clive growled. ¡°Sergeant Clive, General Hallmark is back! Our reinforcements have arrived!¡± A soldier on the wall pointed at the army on the other side of the city and shouted. ¡°General Hallmark is back! The crisis in Yale City has been averted!¡± the soldier standing beside Wang Lun cheered. Hallmark led his army into Yale City at a rapid pace. Not only did the soldiers on the city wall see them, but the enemy army outside the city wall did too. At that moment, the enemy¡¯s aggression instantly weakened, and they also began to retreat. Finally, the battle ended. Wang Lun and Hallmark analyzed the battle in the study. ¡°You mean the bandits set up an ambush beforehand?¡± Wang Lun asked. Hallmark lifted his cup of tea and took a sip, saying, ¡°Yes, my lord. It¡¯s like they already knew that our soldiers would appear from that direction.¡± Wang Lun frowned, clicked his tongue, and said, ¡°When you were fighting with the bandits, Yale City was also under attack. These two events may seem unrelated, but they are inseparably linked.¡± ¡°So you suspect that this matter is related to those merchants, my lord?¡± Hallmark asked. The start of the war originated from the merchants, and it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for Hallmark to think of the merchants in the first place. Wang Lun nodded. After connecting the two situations, the merchants were indeed the most suspicious parties involved, though he knew that it was just a minority of the merchants. Most of the merchants were truly robbed; just a few of them had ulterior motives. Moreover, only some merchants were banished from Yale City earlier, so no one could guarantee that there weren¡¯t any moles left in the city. ¡°I think this definitely has something to do with the merchants. Although it will take a lot of time to find the individuals, it is certainly necessary. Otherwise, Yale City will not be in peace, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Hallmark said, ¡°So shall we arrange some people to secretly investigate this matter?¡± Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Not only do we have to do this, but we also have to plant eyes among the merchants, so it¡¯s easier to investigate who has been causing trouble.¡± Hallmark stood up and saluted, ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements now.¡± ¡°Oh. One more thing, my lord. I¡¯ve brought back the soldiers who died in battle. May I grant them the rank they deserve?¡± Wang Lun immediately nodded and said, ¡°That is a must. The city hall will send monetary compensation to their families. After all, they fought bravely for Yale City.¡± Hallmark received his answer and left the study. Chapter 29 Even though Yale City already sent troops to exterminate the bandits, the merchants in the city continued to crowd outside the city hall, interrogating them over the past few days. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to describe them as interrogating. Since the city hall had promised to help them, they should be responsible until the end. The last expedition didn¡¯t entirely stop the bandits from robbing merchants of their goods. On the contrary, the merchants lost even more. At that moment, the merchants were unable to import and export any goods at all. Without goods, the merchants couldn¡¯t obtain any benefits. Their living condition became even worse than that of ordinary residents. Wang Lun sent out soldiers to deal with the bandits several times, but when they arrived at the destination, they couldn¡¯t find any trace of the bandits, let alone wipe them out. These bandits were as though able to read Wang Lun¡¯s mind. As soon as the army was dispatched, the bandits vanished from the face of the earth. But whenever the merchants imported goods, the bandits appeared out of nowhere again. It was yet another day to eliminate the bandits. In the city hall, Wang Lun patiently waited for news from the returning soldiers. In recent days, this matter made him anxious. As the city lord, it was embarrassing for him to fail to resolve this issue. However, he was increasingly sure that one of the merchants was tipping off the bandits. ¡°Is the baron available?¡± a masked man in a shadowed corner asked the guard by the city hall entrance. ¡°Yes,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°Okay, take me there!¡± The masked man followed the guard¡¯s lead. The route led them to the courtyard where Wang Lun lived. Wang Lun was currently sitting in the courtyard and drinking tea. ¡°My lord, the man has been brought in,¡± the guard reported. Wang Lun turned and looked at them. He nodded and said, ¡°All right, you may leave!¡± The guard saluted, turned around, and left. At the same time, the masked man took off his mask. It was a middle-aged man who had the appearance of a merchant. ¡°Take a seat!¡± Wang Lun pushed his tea cup aside. The merchant nodded, bowed, and sat down. ¡°My lord.¡± The merchant lowered his head and gazed at the tea cup, afraid to face Wang Lun. ¡°How is the situation?¡± Wang Lun asked. The merchant remained unmoved. ¡°Still no clue?¡± Wang Lun knitted his brows. The merchant nodded and whispered, ¡°Yes, my lord. All the merchants are behaving normally and haven¡¯t given the game away.¡± Wang Lun swallowed the tea in his mouth, sighed, and said, ¡°It seems that the suspect also knows that we are looking for him.¡± ¡°My lord, please forgive me. I have given my best,¡± the merchant said with his head bowed. Wang Lun patted the merchant¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. This isn¡¯t something you can influence. It seems that I¡¯m trapped in an endless cycle.¡± ¡°My lord, perhaps you can solve this matter by giving the merchants back their benefits!¡± the merchant lifted his head, looked at Wang Lun, and boldly said. He knew that there was a high chance that Wang Lun would berate him. However, the fear in his timid eyes seemed to be prepared for it. But if he succeeded, he would also be able to receive the corresponding benefits. This risk that he took didn¡¯t involve death, and that was the source of his courage. Wang Lun looked at the merchant. The former, who should have been angry, laughed. ¡°Nothing needs to be changed as long as the merchants¡¯ benefits are enough. We need to consider the interests of the public to be able to survive.¡± Wang Lun stood up, patted the merchant¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°Head back first! Be wary to not reveal your identity to them.¡± The merchant also stood up. He had long been used to such a simple conversation after countless times. Wang Lun walking inside the room meant that the merchant¡¯s hope of regaining previous benefits came to naught. This baron is too stubborn. Does anyone in this world still care about the life and death of the untouchables? Do you really think you are God? The merchant shook his head with a helpless expression. Then, he wore back the mask and returned the way he came. A while later, Wang Lun stopped outside the room and headed in the direction of the main hall. ¡°My lord, where are you going?¡± Wang Lun was lost in thought when a man called him. The former looked up and saw a stout soldier standing in front of him. Wang Lun said, ¡°You are? Oh, I remember you.¡± ¡°My name is Griffin, my lord.¡± ¡°Of course I know your name, soldier.¡± Wang Lun wasn¡¯t perfunctory. This soldier was highly regarded by Hallmark. In the last battle against the bandits, Griffin¡¯s comrade sacrificed himself to save him. For the following expeditions, Hallmark didn¡¯t let Griffin participate. ¡°This time, I have come to seek permission to participate in the expeditions against the bandits,¡± Griffin said with a pleading tone. Wang Lun spoke. ¡°I understand how you feel, soldier, but since you have violated the rules, you need to accept Hallmark¡¯s punishment. For that, not even I can call the shots.¡± ¡°Then what if I say I have a way to locate the enemy, my lord?!¡± The moment Wang Lun walked away, Griffin yelled out. Wang Lun¡¯s reaction was exactly as Griffin imagined. Wang Lun came to a halt and turned around. ¡°Really?¡± Wang Lun said. Griffin approached Wang Lun. ¡°Yes, my lord. I have a way to deal with the bandits.¡± ¡°Follow me,¡± Wang Lun said and stepped away. Griffin closely followed, walking through several buildings before entering one of them. They entered Wang Lun¡¯s study. ¡°Sit, soldier!¡± Griffin gazed at Wang Lun and sat down. ¡°Speak. What kind of plan do you have in mind?¡± From his chest pocket, Griffin took out a piece of paper that looked like it hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. ¡°This is what I have researched in the past few days.¡± Wang Lun carefully analyzed the content on the paper and said, ¡°Deal with the bandits in the dark?¡± Wang Lun read. Griffin nodded and said, ¡°Yes, my lord. The bandits know that when we send out our soldiers, we will disguise ourselves as merchants and have some crossbowmen hide in the shadows. When the bandits appear and rob the goods, the crossbowmen will fire their bolts and destroy them in one fell swoop. And with the other soldiers in the shadows, even if a bandit gets away, we will be able to track their nest in time.¡± ¡°What do you think, my lord?¡± Wang Lun pondered, before excitedly slamming the table. ¡°Now I finally know how I entered an endless cycle. Soldier, you¡¯ve done a great job!¡± Griffin was puzzled. ¡°So, my lord, you agree to my participation in the next expedition?¡± Wang Lun stood up and headed out of the study. ¡°When Hallmark returns, I¡¯ll make him agree to your participation in the expeditions. But now, I have something very important to do.¡± At the next moment, Griffin was left alone in the study, and silence returned. What¡¯s wrong with the baron? What endless cycle is he talking about? Chapter 30 Wang Lun exited the study and went into his room. After hearing Griffin¡¯s idea, Wang Lun recalled a type of soldier. Sniper. The suggestion of crossbows was good, but the current ones weren¡¯t strong enough to support this plan. Besides, field combat was more disadvantageous to the soldiers of Yale City. This time, what Wang Lun purchased from Earth was still a crossbow, but the difference was that it was a repeating crossbow. The repeating crossbow¡¯s combat ability in the battlefield was much more powerful. In terms of suppression alone, it would make it very difficult for the bandits to even move an inch. When Wang Lun returned to Yale City, he handed the repeating crossbows over to Hallmark and had Griffin train the soldiers as a junior squad captain. Wang Lun also had notices posted for merchants to try not to travel through the northern trade routes. The city hall expedited the training of stronger soldiers, improving the shooting accuracy and concealment ability of the crossbowmen. In addition to training crossbowmen, Wang Lun also selected another group of soldiers. He increased the intensity of their training and trained their skills as assassins, forming a unit with strong, individual combat ability. ¡°Lucy, pass down the order to improve the quality of the soldiers¡¯ food.¡± Since the soldiers were now training much more intensely than before, the quality of their food also had to be improved. On the other hand, the informant that Wang Lun planted in the merchants finally returned. And this time, he found the mole. Finding the mole was simply a joyous event for Wang Lun, in addition to owning a more powerful army. This war could finally end. ¡°My lord, do I let him in now?¡± Wang Lun was called to the corner by a soldier. Not many people knew about the informant. Some of the soldiers used to be the guards of the banished merchants and might have dissenting thoughts. That was why Wang Lun made an exception and let the informant into his residence. ¡°Tell him to wait for me there. I will head over immediately.¡± Wang Lun hurried to his residence after explaining some trivial matters to Hallmark. He was thrilled beyond words right now. This news could decide the end of the war and prove to the bandits that he was the strongest. ¡°Have you really found the mole?¡± Wang Lun met the merchant and urgently confirmed with him once again. The merchant hurriedly bowed when he saw Wang Lun and said, ¡°Yes, my lord. The mole has been found and is now locked up in my mansion. But I¡¯m incompetent and can¡¯t get any useful information out of him at all.¡± Wang Lun laughed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a problem. When he arrives at the city hall, he will have no choice but to come clean.¡± ¡°Soldier, pass my order to Sergeant Clive to bring that man to me.¡± ¡°My lord, this time the problem will be solved, right?¡± the merchant asked. ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Wang Lun asked. The merchant said, ¡°No, my lord. I¡¯m just excited to be able to continue trading again.¡± Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, you should be. What happened this time has brought about a considerable impact on the whole of Yale City.¡± Shortly after, Clive led a few soldiers to escort the mole into the city hall. ¡°So it is you who colluded with the bandits?¡± Wang Lun asked. ¡°Do you know the magnitude of the crime you committed?¡± The mole disapproved. He lifted his head and puffed out his chest, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I have never done anything to harm Yale City.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Clive rushed forward and kicked the mole in the chest. The mole fell to the ground with a stifled grunt. Clive went up and kicked him several times, while Wang Lun watched and didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°If you don¡¯t admit to your crime, what awaits you later isn¡¯t just this simple beating. Do you know what it¡¯s like to be worse than dead?¡± Wang Lun provoked the mole using words. ¡°Sergeant, he seems to think that I am telling lies.¡± Clive stopped. ¡°My lord, I know what to do with him.¡± Clive quickly unsheathed his sword from his waist, pointed it at the mole¡¯s ear, and raised the blade high in the air. ¡°My lord, do you think blood will stain my blade after I cut off his ear?¡± Clive looked at Wang Lun and asked. Wang Lun shrugged and said, ¡°I believe in your ability, Sergeant. I still remember you once cut a tree as thick as his neck with one slash.¡± During the conversation between the two, the mole began to shudder, and cold sweat kept dripping down his forehead. ¡°I-I¡¯ll speak,¡± the mole swallowed his saliva and said. ¡°It¡¯s true that I tipped off the bandits. B-But I can also contact them and lure them to Red Canyon. Then, your army will be able to wipe them out in one fell swoop.¡± Wang Lun snorted and spoke with a chuckle. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve already drawn up a battle plan for us. What a decent helper you are.¡± ¡°Sergeant, you heard it too.¡± Clive saluted and said, ¡°My lord, I will gather the soldiers now.¡± Wang Lun immediately sent out assassins and crossbowmen to hide in the shadows, before asking Hallmark to lead his men to pass through Red Canyon disguised as a merchant¡¯s convoy. Hallmark¡¯s convoy departed from Yale City and took half a day to reach Red Canyon. ¡°Griffin, cheer up.¡± Hallmark raised his hand and patted Griffin¡¯s shoulder. Griffin laughed. ¡°General, don¡¯t worry. Bruce will watch me wipe out all the enemies.¡± Griffin was a genius. Sometimes, Hallmark thought that if he were of the same age as Griffin, the latter would absolutely crush him in terms of brains. Not only Hallmark, but Wang Lun also approved of this private. ¡°Pay attention. The bandits will run out at any moment.¡± Hallmark reminded the soldiers. The convoy gradually approached the canyon. All of a sudden, bandits rushed out from one side, and war cries immediately echoed throughout the place. ¡°Wahaha, leave your goods!¡± ¡°Fools, tremble!¡± Gazing at the bandits wielding weapons and riding on their horses, Hallmark finally gave the order to attack. The ¡®merchants¡¯ transporting valuable goods instantly turned into a hunting wolf pack, drawing weapons from their carriages. The bandits were already right in front of the ¡®merchants¡¯ when they realized that they were ambushed. ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± Hallmark snarled. A great battle in Red Canyon was about to take place. ¡°Get down, bast*rd!¡± Griffin tugged a bandit off his horse. After only a few moments, the bandits showed their declining strength. But the more they fought, the more courageous the soldiers of Yale City became. Some of the bandits started to escape, while their companions were caught in the massacre. But they didn¡¯t expect a sudden wave of bolts to stop them in their tracks. Some of them were lucky, not to be hit by the bolts. However, they were eventually killed by the same assassins who had ambushed them earlier and hid at a corner. Those who ran off weren¡¯t able to survive. The bandits were scattered and even trampled on each other. The war finally ended with Yale City taking the victory. Chapter 31 The issue with the bandits was solved and the mole also gave up his accomplices. ¡°How did it go?¡± a young prison soldier asked. ¡°That guy can¡¯t stand any torture. He pissed himself in fear before I even started,¡± the older prison soldier said. The young soldier handed a cigarette to the older soldier, who lit it. Both of them took a deep puff almost simultaneously. At the next moment, smoke enveloped their faces, before slowly rising higher into the air. ¡°Do you have the list of names already?¡± the young soldier asked. ¡°No, Damien is still finishing it up. Don¡¯t worry, that guy can handle it himself. I¡¯ll just wait here!¡± ¡°Why do you think those merchants are still retaliating against the baron? I think the baron is a lot wiser than many other people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. When the time comes to give you a sentence, you will know the reason.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth. ¡°Do you think I say that because I¡¯m the son of a merchant? You¡¯re wrong. My useless dad abandoned me a long time ago.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, mate.¡± The cigarettes in the two men¡¯s hands ran out as they spoke. ¡°Hey, why are you two blabbering about?¡± ¡°Damian, is the name list sorted?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done. Who¡¯s going to give it to the baron?¡± ¡°Jamie, you go! Young men should meet more big shots in their life.¡± Jamie threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped on it a few times, saying, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never met one.¡± ¡°At least take a trip to the city hall! Staying in this damn jail for too long isn¡¯t good for a young man like you!¡± Jamie grabbed the list from Damien¡¯s hand. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go then.¡± *** Bran led the young soldier into the plaza inside the city hall. This was the soldier¡¯s first trip to the city hall, so it went without saying that he was a little curious. Despite that, he was able to suppress the excitement in him. ¡°Go in! The baron is waiting for you inside.¡± Bran stood in front of the door of the study and said to the soldier behind him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going in with me?¡± the soldier asked. Bran shook his head and turned away without saying a word. The soldier looked at Bran¡¯s departing back and shook his head. He muttered a few words before stepping inside the study. The study didn¡¯t have the crisscrossing bookshelves he had expected. Or perhaps it did, but he hadn¡¯t seen them yet. As soon as the soldier entered the study, he saw a table already set up not far in front of him. A man sat there, reading a book. The soldier had seen the city lord, so he could tell the man¡¯s identity at a glance. ¡°Greetings, my lord!¡± The young soldier bowed. Wang Lun put down the book, looked up, and asked, ¡°Got the names?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Jamie, my lord.¡± ¡°Okay, Jamie. Give me the list!¡± Wang Lun sat straight up and put his hands on the desk. Jamie took out a list from his chest pocket and respectfully put it on the desk. Wang Lun took the list and scanned the names on it. ¡°Is that all?¡± Jamie nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s all, my lord.¡± ¡°Good job, soldier. When the time comes, head to the office to record your military merit.¡± No matter what the soldier¡¯s role was, they could claim any military merit. The only difference was a matter of how much. However, military merit wasn¡¯t important to a prison soldier like Jamie who didn¡¯t need to go to war. Although their job was lackluster, they were glad enough to be able to survive. The merchants who colluded with the bandits had surfaced, and Wang Lun had no intention of banishing them from Yale City. Banishment was too kind for the merchants. Not only did Wang Lun send men to raid their homes and take in their guards, he also ordered for those merchants to be executed according to the law. Moreover, the execution table would be set up in the market for a public execution, so more people would know that Yale City was a civilized city and also one of principle. This would be the consequence to someone who harmed the interests of Yale City. At the same time, the defeated baron of the other city ordered their gates to be closed and no one was allowed to enter or leave. Meanwhile, he expanded his army and prepared for a comeback at any time. The war in the territory of Yale City temporarily stopped, which meant that things could enter a short period of stability. Wang Lun wasted no time. From Earth, he brought a large number of vegetable seeds, which included potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and so on. These vegetable seeds weren¡¯t available in this world. He distributed them to the people. He ordered his men to put up notices telling the residents that the vegetables grown from these seeds could be sold freely. Not only that, but if they were also to trade with the outside world, a new and large trading system would be in place. ¡°Bran, who are these guys that you found?¡± Wang Lun frowned at the big men in front of him. The puzzled Bran asked, ¡°My lord, aren¡¯t you looking for a labor force? Are they too fit for the job?¡± Wang Lun was caught between laughter and tears, saying, ¡°Of course, their physique is the best for a labor force. But I want a female labor force.¡± Bran wanted to comment, but eventually swallowed his words. ¡°Do you guys have female family members at home?¡± Wang Lun¡¯s words were apparently addressed to the several big men. The men exchanged looks with each other and said, ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°All right. In that case, inform the women in your families to report to the city hall tomorrow.¡± After Wang Lun made himself clear, he walked out of the humble meeting room, followed by Bran a moment later. ¡°Bran, come with me to see how the construction of the hothouse is going!¡± Bran nodded and said, ¡°Yes, my lord. The construction is a few days ahead of schedule and shouldn¡¯t take much longer to complete.¡± ¡°But what is that about raising silkworms you mentioned, my lord?¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°It is a kind of amazing worm. You will be shocked when you see it.¡± As Bran re-employed the same workers who had built the greenhouses, the construction of the hothouse went much faster than expected. While waiting for the hothouse to be built, Wang Lun personally taught the women how to raise silkworms, harvest the silk, and eventually make whatever they desired. The women¡¯s learning ability exceeded Wang Lun¡¯s expectations. They were able to skillfully complete each step after being taught once, and the results were better than Wang Lun¡¯s. Wang Lun felt a little ashamed of his skills, but that was apparently not a bad thing. Time passed day by day, and Yale City was a peaceful scene. The growth of food and agricultural products was wonderful. The farmers rejoiced at the sight of the ripe products. Many merchants saw the business opportunity and bought a lot of products from the farmers. The merchants then traded the products with the outside world. It was always true that novelties sold better and this time, the merchants felt the thrill of making a lot of money. Some of the merchants began to develop a good impression toward the city hall. Chapter 32 ¡°Check this out! The city hall has put up another notice!¡± A group of workers sitting on the ground in the market waiting for job opportunities immediately gathered around the notice board. ¡°Hey, stop pushing. What are you guys doing?¡± the two people who were posting notices impatiently said. But the attention of the people was all on the notice board, so they didn¡¯t hear the complaints. ¡°Man, hurry up and post it, or you¡¯ll turn into meat pie soon.¡± The other person who posted the notice looked very experienced. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Soon after, those two men took a lot of effort to squeeze their way out of the crowd. It was only a small distance, but their heads were already full of sweat. ¡°Phew! I was almost dead, mate!¡± ¡°Hahaha, look at you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what I look like, but you gotta buy me a drink!¡± ¡°Sure, it just so happens that I haven¡¯t had a drink these last few days!¡± After the two finished their work, they walked toward the restaurant. The position of the notice board attracted more and more people. ¡°The city hall is looking for a lot of workers? I don¡¯t know how to read. Read it to me.¡± ¡°Man, knowledge determines everything. This is what the baron said.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to learn right now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what it means then. It says that the city hall will build a marketplace and also has plans to move small vendors who don¡¯t have fixed stalls on the street inside the marketplace.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot, man. You don¡¯t have to read the last sentence for me, I know it means that interested parties have to head to the labor office for registration.¡± Soon after, the labor office was crowded with people who queued up there after seeing the contents of the notice. After the previous incident, not only were the merchants affected, but ordinary residents were also impacted to some extent. They needed money, so as long as there was an opportunity to earn money, they would definitely not let it go. ¡°What a really busy day you have!¡± A staff member in the labor office placed a glass of water next to the desk of the middle-aged staff member who was in charge of the registration. ¡°Stop gloating over there!¡± the middle-aged staff member said. ¡°There are so many new buildings and many of them are still empty, so why not turn the empty ones into this marketplace?¡± ¡°Do you think that the city hall wouldn¡¯t come up with what you just thought, Jack?¡± The man named Jack gave the middle finger to the middle-aged staff member and said, ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯re the smartest around here. So according to you, I might actually become the city lord?¡± This statement was clearly intended as an airing of his grievances. ¡°How about you shut your mouth? Talk some more and I¡¯ll make you do what I¡¯m doing now, you bast*rd!¡± Jack shrugged and said to the other worker who was also registering the new workers, ¡°That¡¯s just the way this guy is. You just can¡¯t figure out when he¡¯s swallowed a pack of gunpowder.¡± The worker didn¡¯t say anything, but smiled politely. ¡°Hey, Gerald, I hear you¡¯re the lead architect for this project?¡± Jack saw a man walk in and smoothly turned the conversation around. Gerald, who had just entered, didn¡¯t answer immediately, but walked over to the kettle and poured out a glass of water. He gulped down the water like a buffalo that hadn¡¯t drunk water for a long time. But this guy had always been this way. ¡°Man, every time you come here, you finish a big kettle of water.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t keep his mouth idle. ¡°You¡¯re so full of crap. If you put that energy into doing the same things as Donald, you could also be the head of the labor office!¡± Gerald didn¡¯t hold back in his words. Jack was indifferent. He had been used to this, anyway. ¡°President, I will not fight with Donald for the job. We are friendly colleagues, so why would I compete against him?¡± ¡°On the contrary, Gerald, why is a new marketplace being built when we have so many empty buildings?¡± ¡°Why should I know?¡± Gerald found a seat and sat down. ¡°We¡¯ll just do whatever the city hall tells us to do. We¡¯re not politicians, to begin with.¡± Jack said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the lead architect?¡± Gerald said, ¡°Man, the lead architect is only responsible for managing the team, not the city hall.¡± ¡°Hey, hurry up and give Donald a hand. I need the list soon!¡± In fact, Gerald wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He was just lazy to hear Jack buzzing in his ear like an annoying fly. Jack curled his lips and seemed to be finally tired. He obediently sat beside Donald to help organize the list. Gerald took out a pack of cigarettes from his tattered pocket, lit a cigarette up, and puffed on it. The smoke he exhaled formed different shapes in the air, which really matched his identity. ¡°I have to tell you¡ªsmoking isn¡¯t allowed in the labor office,¡± Jack said as he sorted the documents. Gerald, surrounded by smoke, squinted and said, ¡°All right, tell me when your president is here!¡± Gerald couldn¡¯t care less about the rules and regulations. As a roughneck, he only knew how to put a building up. ¡°But I want to tell you that those buildings are reserved for the refugees who come afterwards!¡± Gerald said after finishing a cigarette. ¡°Who can guarantee that there will be refugees coming here later? There are already too many people in Yale City now!¡± Jack said. Jack grew up in Yale City, and in all these years he had never really seen the population of Yale City as large as it currently was. After all, the former Yale City was hell materialized. But soon after, refugees once again arrived in Yale City. And they happened to bump into Wang Lun, who was going to the marketplace to check the construction progress. ¡°My lord, it looks like Yale City is going to have new residents again!¡± Bran, who was walking behind Wang Lun, instantly saw refugees walking through the city gates. Wang Lun turned his head in the direction of the city gates. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out!¡± ¡°You must be the city lord, right?¡± Before Wang Lun could say anything, someone among the refugees recognized his identity. Bran introduced, ¡°He is indeed the city lord of Yale City.¡± Wang Lun smiled. ¡°Welcome to Yale City. You are part of us from now on, and I hope you will have a good life in Yale City.¡± Wang Lun scanned the refugees in front of him as he spoke. This time, the refugees gave Wang Lun a different feeling that he couldn¡¯t decipher. Some of them seemed to be avoiding his eyes, quietly shrinking their bodies, while some looked in other directions. Wang Lun forced out a smile and said, ¡°All right, I need to attend to other matters.¡± ¡°Lucy, bring them to register their identity cards!¡± Soon after, Wang Lun, Bran, and Hallmark headed toward the marketplace. Before reaching the destination, Wang Lun had an image in his mind that he couldn¡¯t get rid of. Chapter 33 Hallmark departed from Wang Lun¡¯s group. A moment before that, Wang Lun sent a message to Hallmark through hand signals, asking him to pay attention to some people among the refugees. Thereafter, Hallmark followed the group of refugees with four soldiers and secretly observed them. ¡°Everyone follow me after registering!¡± It took a long time to register their identity cards, but it was finally done. Lucy followed Wang Lun¡¯s instructions and took the refugees to the shelter and settled them down. Hallmark quietly followed with the soldiers until Lucy came out of the building alone. ¡°Lucy, come here!¡± Hallmark and the others hid in a quiet corner and called out in a low voice. Lucy looked around, but couldn¡¯t find anyone for a while. Without any choice, Hallmark waved his hand. ¡°Here!¡± Lucy finally saw him. ¡°Come here! Don¡¯t be seen!¡± Hallmark pulled Lucy to the hidden corner with one hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucy asked with a puzzled look. Hallmark said, ¡°Is there anything different about the refugees you sent in just now?¡± Lucy shook her head and said, ¡°Nope! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hallmark shook his head and said, ¡°Nothing. You head back first!¡± Lucy looked at Hallmark¡¯s eyes and seemed to understand what he meant. She nodded and quickly went back in the direction of the city hall. ¡°General, are we just going to continue waiting here? ¡°How about we charge in and catch them all? We can then interrogate them one by one. Imagine how much time it will save!¡± Hallmark said, ¡°Calm down, and don¡¯t be so impatient. What do I always tell you? You guys are assassins. Don¡¯t you have any patience at all?¡± The four soldiers looked at one another and shook their heads. ¡°Jill, where are your cigarettes? Mine¡¯s done; give me a stick.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The man named Jill responded plainly and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. It was a brand new packet, which he probably just bought. ¡°Nice one, you actually bought another pack!¡± Jill laughed, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m getting more and more addicted to smoking now. I need a minimum of one pack a day.¡± ¡°Although I envy you, I have to advise you to smoke less.¡± ¡°George, you say one thing and mean the other. You want him to smoke less and yet you¡¯re still reaching for a stick.¡± George laughed. ¡°Hahaha, just kidding. Say, Baker, did you manage to get that girl?¡± Baker took Jill¡¯s cigarette and shook his head in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it. That woman broke my heart. She disappeared after that night!¡± Dale, the strongest of the four soldiers, brought the lit cigarette to his mouth, took a puff, and said, ¡°I think that kind of woman just wants to spend a night with you!¡± Baker lightly punched Dale in the chest, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Although it seems like that, she¡¯s also the woman I gave my first time to.¡± ¡°Screw you!¡± The other three men spat a thick cloud of smoke at Baker. ¡°Say, soldiers, have you guys forgotten about your general?¡± Hallmark, who was isolated on one side, decided to insert himself into the conversation. Jill reacted, hurriedly pulling out a cigarette from the pack and handing it to Hallmark. Hallmark took the cigarette, and Jill lit it. ¡°General, I thought you didn¡¯t smoke this kind of cigarette?¡± Dale said. Hallmark exhaled and said, ¡°Who said that? It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t find this kind of cigarette!¡± The atmosphere around them instantly turned colder. ¡°General, this cold joke is awesome!¡± Baker couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter. Gradually, the sky turned dark and night fell. Hallmark and the soldiers became alert and kept their eyes on the building in front of them. Just when they thought that the people in the building wouldn¡¯t take action, things took a turn. Several people dressed in black came out of the building in a sneaky manner. ¡°They¡¯re here. Wake up!¡± Hallmark hurriedly woke up the soldier behind him who had fallen asleep. ¡°Where are they going?¡± Jill asked. Hallmark looked in their direction and said, ¡°The city hall.¡± ¡°Could they be attacking the city hall? They¡¯ve got a lot of nerve!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re here waiting, or else there might be big news in Yale City tomorrow!¡± Hallmark said, ¡°Stop talking and follow them!¡± The men followed under Hallmark¡¯s leadership. As expected, the men in black didn¡¯t stop until they reached the city hall. And now, they seemed to be discussing their options. ¡°General, are we not going to do anything? They¡¯re going in,¡± George said with some concern. Hallmark, on the other hand, raised his hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We don¡¯t have as many people as they do, so it¡¯s easy to let them escape if we hastily attack.¡± ¡°What should we do then, General?¡± Dale asked. Hallmark spoke, ¡°After they enter the city hall, we will surround them. Then, they will not be able to escape even if they grow a pair of wings.¡± The group in black started making their move. As the wall of the city hall was relatively high, they were able to climb up with the help of grappling hooks. Counting the number of people who kept going up the wall¡­ There were about a dozen of them. After the last person entered the city hall, Hallmark and his men threw stones inside the city hall. At the next moment, the patrols shouted and lights instantly illuminated the entire courtyard. From the outside, one could hear people inside the city hall shouting to capture the assassins. Hallmark and his men didn¡¯t immediately rush in. On the contrary, they remained in place, fearing that an assassin might escape from the chaos. Hallmark waited for the clamors in the city hall to fade before leading his four soldiers inside. The guards held the assassins on the ground, and they couldn¡¯t break free no matter how they struggled. ¡°General!¡± ¡°General!¡± The guards greeted Hallmark one after another when they saw him. Hallmark took a look at the assassins and said, ¡°Take them to prison. I¡¯ll interrogate them myself.¡± The guards received his order and escorted the assassins out of the city hall. They walked into the main city street and turned right until they reached the prison at the end. ¡°General! Are they to be interrogated by us?¡± the prison warden came forward and asked. Hallmark waved his hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need, prison warden. They will all be interrogated by me.¡± ¡°What did they all do wrong to warrant the general¡¯s personal interrogation?¡± The prison warden wondered, looking at each of the men in black who were escorted into the prison. Hallmark patted the prison warden¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You can go on with your beautiful dream now!¡± Hallmark walked straight into the interrogation room. ¡°General, do you need me in there with you? I¡¯m afraid this is a bit dangerous for you,¡± the warden asked as he poked his head into the interrogation room. There was only Hallmark and an assassin inside. Hallmark said, ¡°There¡¯s no need, prison warden. You just have to do your thing!¡± ¡°Dale, watch the door!¡± Hallmark loudly commanded. Dale swiftly responded. ¡°Understood, General. Leave it to me!¡± Thus began Hallmark¡¯s interrogation. The assassins were all unanimous at first, not admitting where they came from or what they were instructed to do. After a few rounds of interrogation, they finally realized that Hallmark wasn¡¯t an easy man to deal with, so all of them told the truth. Chapter 34 Creak! Hallmark opened the door of the interrogation room, wiping his fist with a cloth and walking out. Dale immediately poked his head into the interrogation room, before quickly retracting it and pretending to be calm. ¡°Sure enough, this bast*rd can¡¯t avoid it either.¡± ¡°Hurry up and drag him out. It will not be easy to clean up after his blood dries up!¡± The prison warden was distressed by the state of the floor. It had been clean and dry, but was now covered in blood stains. Other prison soldiers rushed into the interrogation room to drag out the delirious assassin. ¡°Hey, put him on the rack!¡± the prison warden shouted. Subsequently, two soldiers, each with a mop, went into the interrogation room to clean up the blood. ¡°General, what do we do with the other assassins?¡± Dale asked as he followed Hallmark. Hallmark flung the cloth out and it landed into the trash can. ¡°Drag them to the execution ground and execute them!¡± Hallmark¡¯s determined voice had a hint of chilliness. Dale nodded. ¡°Understood, General.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you in charge. I¡¯m going to report this matter to the baron now!¡± Hallmark walked out of the prison gates with his hands behind his back, down the street and into the city hall. ¡°Are you going to see the baron, General?¡± Lucy asked. Hallmark nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Miss Lucy.¡± ¡°The baron is in his study right now. You can find him there.¡± Lucy left after she finished speaking. Hallmark also didn¡¯t stay around any longer. He turned around and headed straight to the study. When he entered the study, Wang Lun was seated by the desk, reading books. ¡°My lord, the assassins have confessed!¡± It wasn¡¯t possible that Wang Lun didn¡¯t know about the huge commotion in the city hall earlier. That was why Hallmark didn¡¯t explain the situation from the start. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°What did they say?¡± Hallmark said, ¡°They are assassins sent from Baron Hawks of Seron City!¡± Wang Lun seemed to have expected this result and indifferently said, ¡°Kill them and send them back to Baron Hawks.¡± Hallmark bowed, saying, ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± In fact, Wang Lun didn¡¯t know that those people had already been ordered to be executed by Hallmark just now. Hallmark chose the same night to send the corpses back to the enemy. He personally led and drove the carriage and parked it at the bottom of Seron City under the disguise of a merchant. It wasn¡¯t until the second night that the carriage was discovered by the soldiers on guard. The city gates opened and several soldiers came out and smelled an odor as they approached the carriage. Although the smell wasn¡¯t too strong, it was still too much for them as they had to cover their mouths and noses with their hands. The carriage was slowly pulled into the city. ¡°What is this?¡± A junior captain walked over. But when he reached a certain distance from the carriage, he immediately covered his mouth and nose. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside the carriage, but it sure stinks!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never smelled such a foul smell in my life!¡± the soldiers on the side complained. The junior captain slowly approached the carriage and carefully lifted the huge cloth. The scene that appeared in front of him made him jump backward subconsciously. His face turned pale and weak in a flash. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The soldier who didn¡¯t see what happened asked in confusion. But the junior captain was frozen in place, where even the instinctive action of covering his mouth and nose was no longer done. Upon seeing such a scene, some soldiers took a few more steps backward. Only a few bold ones went forward and lifted the cloth on the carriage. ¡°C-C-Corpses!¡± One soldier yelled in a trembling voice. Upon hearing these words, almost all the soldiers gathered around, but regretted it the next moment. Inside the carriage were indeed corpses. They were bloody and some of their internal organs had spilled out and could clearly be seen. Blech! Blech! Blech! The soldiers instantly threw up their breakfast. ¡°Hurry up, report to the baron!¡± The junior captain who finally returned to his senses shouted. He knew the identity of the men inside. They were the assassins sent to Yale City, disguised as refugees. *** ¡°Bast*rd. He is clearly taunting me!¡± The man¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and full of anger. His face turned red. He was Baron Hawks of Seron City. ¡°My lord, calm down. Now isn¡¯t the time to go to war with Yale City yet.¡± The one who spoke was an old man, the right-hand man of Hawks. ¡°Murphy, what do you think we should do?!¡± Hawks suppressed the anger inside him. Murphy pursed his lips and said, ¡°My lord, Yale City is now far above us in strength. What we can do now is wait for news from Lord Miller and see what happens.¡± After this incident, Wang Lun sent someone to scout the news in Seron City. He learned that Hawks didn¡¯t dare act rashly and thereafter, Yale City had a great period of development. In just half a month¡¯s time, the overall appearance of Yale City changed entirely. This was probably the most developed time since the construction of Yale City. Wang Lun personally went to see the results of the construction. Stepping into the street was a novel feeling. Not only were the old districts no longer paved by gravel, but the new districts were also paved by slate. Wang Lun didn¡¯t order the demolition of the original buildings apart from the ones that were about to collapse because the original buildings seemed more charming as they were interspersed among the modern ones. ¡°Bran, this is all your hard work!¡± Wang Lun walked along the street, looking at the surrounding buildings. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration. Bran followed closely behind, saying, ¡°My lord, you should take the main credit, followed by the construction workers. I am just a supervisor who didn¡¯t make anything!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re too modest.¡± Wang Lun laughed. Wang Lun raised his hands flatly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your hard work, how would these buildings be built? ¡°By the way, the construction of the marketplace has been completed, right?¡± Bran bowed slightly and said, ¡°Yes, my lord. It has begun running.¡± Looking at the city he built up, the worries in Wang Lun¡¯s mind dissipated in a flash. Apart from the stores, all the small vendors had already moved to the marketplace and set up their fixed stores. Due to the expansion of the city, there was more than one marketplace. Yale City continued to develop in a good direction. But it was also due to that reason that refugees constantly arrived at the city. Wang Lun didn¡¯t refuse them. Although they arrived batch after batch, he didn¡¯t need to care about the number of people with this level of development in the city. Merchants and the outside world traded with them more frequently. With the new types of crop seeds brought back by Wang Lun, they earned a lot more money. For the time being, no one plotted anything against the city hall. Although the number of people in Yale City increased, they were able to provide for themselves with a large number of farmlands growing vegetables. Moreover, the vegetables were also being traded with the outside world. Chapter 35 Looking at the thriving scene of the newly-built marketplace in Yale City, an idea arose in Wang Lun¡¯s mind. And that was to open a store himself. The official city lord opening a store to sell goods in the city? Not only did Lucy feel ridiculous, but Wang Lun also mocked himself. On Earth, Wang Lun once fantasized about one day being able to own a business studio. Competition was so fierce that he was defeated by reality countless times. He kept climbing up, but was often washed down to the valley by the waves of the flood. Now in Yale City, he actually had the idea of going back to his old idea. But judging from the goods he imported, he seemed to just want to retain the same feeling, that¡¯s all. Bran¡¯s eyes were full of surprise as he watched Wang Lun carry boxes to the courtyard. ¡°My lord, how many more of those boxes do you have?¡± Wang Lun placed the box on the ground, stood up straight, and said, ¡°There are still 10 more or so!¡± The corners of Bran¡¯s mouth twitched. First of all, not to mention where Wang Lun got so many boxes, but he also didn¡¯t look tired. ¡°If you are tired, you can always get them to do it, my lord!¡± Bran pointed to the people behind him and said. Wang Lun had been so busy carrying the boxes that he didn¡¯t even notice the several carriages that arrived here. Wang Lun waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just tell them to load all the boxes onto the carriages. Anyway, these boxes aren¡¯t heavy, so I can carry them over to the courtyard alone.¡± Bran had no choice but to do what Wang Lun said. ¡°Hurry up and load the boxes onto the carriages.¡± The several people behind him nodded and quickly stepped forward to carry the boxes. ¡°Huh? Are the boxes filled with things?¡± A man knitted his brows and asked in confusion. ¡°Yes, they are!¡± Another man said in certainty after shaking the box a few times. ¡°Hey, be careful. You¡¯ll be done for if it¡¯s something expensive and you break it!¡± someone reminded him. Soon after, Wang Lun finally finished carrying the boxes to the courtyard. He clapped his hands. ¡°Bran, transport these boxes to the storefront that I bought earlier.¡± Bran looked at Wang Lun and asked, ¡°My lord, are you really opening a store?¡± Wang Lun puckered his brows and said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember mentioning it to you!¡± Bran said, ¡°It was Miss Lucy who told me.¡± ¡°But, my lord, how can you as a nobleman, degrade yourself to do what merchants do?¡± Wang Lun had already guessed what Bran was going to say and deliberately looked at the carriage people. ¡°Hey, are all the boxes loaded?¡± ¡°All done, my lord. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Wang Lun looked at Bran again and said, ¡°These are some small goods. You may not understand now, but when the time comes, you will know if I¡¯m right or not. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Wang Lun and Bran got on the carriage. When they arrived at the storefront Wang Lun bought, there were already many people gathered here. They had all heard that today was the opening day of Wang Lun¡¯s store, so they wanted to come and see what it was really like. After all, this was probably the most novel news they had ever heard. The city lord is also in business? Wang Lun got out of the carriage, and the chatter of the people around him intensified. ¡°My lord, what are you selling?¡± one of them asked. ¡°You will know tomorrow,¡± Wang Lun replied with a smile. He understood the mood of the people right now. People were invariably interested in something that had never happened before. Even though they asked a lot of questions, Wang Lun only said the same thing. Soon, all the boxes in the carriages were moved into the store. Wang Lun opened the boxes and let several carriage drivers help carry out the items inside and set them on top of the pre-built frame. As Wang Lun said, they were small items. But even so, when they were displayed, they attracted a lot of attention. The people scrambled to enter Wang Lun¡¯s store, only to be refused by him. ¡°My lord, let us have a look!¡± the people standing in the street curiously said. Wang Lun spoke, ¡°Hahaha, the store isn¡¯t officially opened yet. I¡¯ll definitely let you in for a tour tomorrow!¡± These items were just common gadgets to Wang Lun, not worth mentioning at all. But they were indeed unheard of, let alone seen before, in the eyes of the people. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ll pre-order these items of yours!¡± A merchant among the crowd stepped forward. ¡°Sure!¡± Wang Lun readily agreed. Two carriage drivers carried a signboard out from inside the store, and hung it right above the store. Transmigration Wholesale. ¡°You¡¯re visionary, man!¡± Looking at the signboard, Wang Lun couldn¡¯t help but praise that merchant. But only Wang Lun knew that he was boasting about himself. ¡°My lord, I want to pre-order them too!¡± Another merchant stood out and said after seeing his peer¡¯s action. Wang Lun smiled and said, ¡°Okay, the rest of you interested merchants come to me tomorrow to stock up. ¡°I know what you guys are thinking. ¡°All right, you guys stop crowding around here. Move along and do what you need to!¡± Not only did the crowd cause a traffic jam, but they also took up a lot of space in Wang Lun¡¯s store, so much so that he couldn¡¯t do some preparation work. The crowd looked at one another and left since there was no way around it. The next day, Wang Lun¡¯s store was officially open for business. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was indispensable, of course. No one knew when it started, but the people of the city learned the custom of performing acts that represented festivities before officially doing anything. After the ceremony, the merchants loaded their pre-ordered items onto the carriages. The merchants were smart. After earning a fortune selling the newest and latest crops to the outside world, they began selling everything new outside the city as much as possible. Because when it came to the outside world, the price would be much higher. ¡°Hey, my lord! You will have more stock next time, right?¡± A merchant boarded the carriage and said to Wang Lun. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I have everything, though they were just sold out. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I will replenish the goods in time.¡± The merchants led the convoy out of Yale City in a great deal of haste, and they were all aware that the goods couldn¡¯t go in the same direction. Because it would only create competition among them, and the goods would definitely have an inconsistent price then. Even if the price when the goods were purchased wasn¡¯t high, this would only make them feel like they were losing a lot of money. This practice of the merchants not only maximized their own interests, but also improved the reputation of Yale City even further. Many foreign merchants also wanted a piece of the pie and came to Yale City. Although the marketplace was well organized, it seemed really chaotic. That was when Wang Lun developed the idea of building a commercial street. Chapter 36 Ding! ¡°New Mission!¡± A mechanical voice woke Wang Lun up from his sleep. Wang Lun was too familiar with this voice. It was apparently from the system. He quickly sat up. ¡°New Mission?¡± Wang Lun rubbed his dazed eyes and said. ¡°What mission?¡± [Expand the population of this city to 100,000!] ¡°What?¡± Wang Lun¡¯s eyes instantly gleamed. ¡°100,000? What kind of joke is this? The current population of Yale City is only 20,000 to 30,000!¡± A moment later, Wang Lun calmed down and asked the system. ¡°What is the reward?¡± It didn¡¯t matter what the mission was. The reward was the most important. [Mission success reward: Increase spatial storage bag size to 10 cubic meters!] ¡°10 cubic meters?!¡± Upon hearing that the spatial storage bag could be expanded in size, Wang Lun was stunned. The more things the spatial pouch could store meant the more things he could bring from Earth to Yale City. Not only would he be able to give Yale City a quick replenishment of food resources, but also respond to unexpected events. ¡°Not bad!¡± ¡°System, I didn¡¯t expect you to know me the best!¡± Wang Lun pleasely nodded. But although the reward was tempting, the mission was still difficult to complete. Yale City had been accepting refugees, and the number of people had just reached three-tenths of the mission requirements. The main issue was that the buildings built in Yale City were only enough for its residents to live in. If he wanted to reach a population of 100,000 people, it would apply a lot of pressure on the city. Wang Lun was woken up by the system. Coupled with the difficulty of the task, his sleepiness was completely gone. ¡°Even if it¡¯s difficult, I still have to complete it!¡± There were still people quietly watching the changes in Yale City, and Wang Lun was also preparing for what was bound to happen in the future. ¡°Hey Lucy, is Bran here yet?¡± Wang Lun called out to Lucy, who was also going to the dining hall. Lucy turned around at the sound of his voice and saw him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake, my lord. I haven¡¯t seen Bran yet, but I heard he spent the night drinking with the workers yesterday.¡± Wang Lun frowned and asked, ¡°Drinking?¡± Lucy nodded, saying, ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Wang Lun said, ¡°That old man still has the passion of a young man. Isn¡¯t he afraid of running out of steam? Sooner or later, he will get himself into trouble.¡± Lucy said, ¡°Bran said he used to be a God of alcohol. I think it¡¯s still the same now!¡± Wang Lun caught up with Lucy. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s just you and me dining together today!¡± Lucy nodded. Bran was definitely not joining them. As for the guards, they headed out for training early in the morning. Hallmark ordered them not to return to Yale City until noon. After breakfast, Wang Lun decided to head to Bran¡¯s residence. Since he had to expand the population to 100,000, Yale City would first have to be able to accommodate people in residences. And these aspects had always been Bran¡¯s responsibility. Wang Lun had no choice but to personally visit him. ¡°My lord, Mr. Bran is still sleeping. Should I wake him up?¡± A servant came to Wang Lun and said. Upon arriving at Bran¡¯s residence, Wang Lun didn¡¯t wake him up. Instead, he walked to the pond and sat down at the pavilion. The pond wasn¡¯t large, and the pavilion was located in the middle of it with only one access path. Sitting here gave him a transcendental feeling, as if he were far away from the world. ¡°It¡¯s fine, let him sleep. I¡¯ll just wait for him here!¡± Wang Lun plainly said. He picked up the tea cup from the stone table, placed it near his mouth, and gently exhaled a few breaths. ¡°Who designed this place? Why didn¡¯t I see it the last time I came here?¡± The reason why Wang Lun was fond of this place was because the layout seemed familiar. The servant bent down and said, ¡°This place was built by Mr. Bran not long ago. He said he wanted to experience the culture of your hometown, my lord.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Wang Lun placed the tea cup on the stone table. ¡°No wonder it feels so familiar!¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t remember mentioning my hometown to him, huh?¡± The servant said, ¡°Mr. Bran has gotten many drawings from your place, among which is such a drawing. Maybe you¡¯ve forgotten so you have no impression.¡± Wang Lun looked at the structure of the pond and nodded. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve really forgotten about it. But it does have a bit of the flavor of my hometown.¡± Looking at this scene, Wang Lun imagined himself as a certain river swimmer, and standing beside him was none other than the book boy. Time slowly passed. Wang Lun didn¡¯t send anyone to call Bran, waiting for him to wake up. ¡°Damn it!¡± Bran¡¯s thin, elderly stature appeared by the pond. ¡°My lord, since when were you here? Why didn¡¯t any of you wake me up?!¡± The last sentence was apparently targeted at the servants. Wang Lun said, ¡°I was the one who told them not to. I heard you went drinking with your workers last night?¡± Bran slapped his forehead and said, ¡°Last night, the workers finished the construction of the commercial street. I was ecstatic, so I drank a few glasses with them.¡± ¡°The construction of the commercial street is finished?¡± Wang Lun asked. ¡°I should find time to go and see it.¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong with celebrating, but Bran, you have to take care of your body!¡± Bran laughed and said, ¡°Hahaha. My lord, although I look old, I¡¯m in wonderful health!¡± ¡°Come and take a seat!¡± Bran nodded and sat on the stone chair next to Wang Lun. ¡°My lord, did you personally come to my mansion to give me another task?¡± Wang Lun nodded and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s right. There is indeed an important task for you!¡± ¡°Bran, at your service!¡± ¡°This is my plan.¡± Wang Lun took out a few sheets of paper and placed them on the stone table. Bran glanced at Wang Lun, before reaching out for the plan with his hand and putting on his old-fashioned glasses. ¡°Yale City¡¯s expansion plan?¡± Bran was stunned by the large, eye-catching words. Wang Lun firmly nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Yale City needs to be expanded again.¡± Bran asked in confusion: ¡°But after the previous expansion, there are still many places that haven¡¯t been used. Isn¡¯t it too hasty of us to expand the city again, my lord?¡± Wang Lun said: ¡°For now, it is indeed hasty. But Yale City is slowly developing and even foreign merchants have started to apply for permanent citizenship. ¡°Yale City will only get better and better. You just need to be responsible for completing the tasks in the plan.¡± Bran finished reading the plan and said, ¡°But the workers have been working continuously for too long and some of them have already started to show signs of burnout. Wang Lun said, ¡°That¡¯s okay. Raise their wages.¡± On the other hand, since the city was expanding again, food production also had to keep pace. Wang Lun arranged for a large number of people to open up more fields and plant more crops to increase food production. In order to prepare themselves to deal with a population of 100,000. Chapter 37 As expected, the construction workers¡¯ enthusiasm for work greatly increased under Wang Lun¡¯s policy of increasing wages. The second expansion of Yale City was in full swing. But as Bran said, there were still many empty buildings in Yale City that weren¡¯t being used. In order to effectively increase the city¡¯s population, Wang Lun made a move. This time, he didn¡¯t post a notice in the city, but posted a discount announcement in his store. ¡°Is it true?¡± Several merchants who had arrived at Transmigration Wholesale in the morning stared at the announcement on the wall and discussed it skeptically. ¡°I don¡¯t think the baron would play such a joke with us!¡± A merchant said as he stroked his short beard back and forth. ¡°Let¡¯s help him promote it so that more people will come to live in Yale City. But then again, Yale City already has a lot of residents!¡± ¡°What do you know? You think the city lord is the same as those former barons who weren¡¯t interested in developing the city to a high level?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Yale City isn¡¯t under the control of Earl Miller anymore. Baron Wang Lun has become independent, so Yale City won¡¯t develop as it did before.¡± ¡°Anyway, these aren¡¯t important. We can ask the baron about it after he arrives.¡± Shortly after, it was time for Wang Lun¡¯s store to be opened for business. And Wang Lun, who only showed up when transporting goods to the store, came to the store today. ¡°Guys, you must have been waiting for a long time!¡± Wang Lun said with a smile. ¡°My lord, we know that your goods are in short supply, so if we don¡¯t come early, we may run out of business today!¡± one of the merchants teased. ¡°Hahaha, there are plenty in stock!¡± Wang Lun said while walking into the store to count the merchants¡¯ early purchases. ¡°But my lord, is the announcement on your store true?¡± Someone hadn¡¯t forgotten about the offer on the announcement. That was the nature of merchants! Wang Lun lifted his head, looked at the merchants, and said, ¡°It is true. You will definitely have discounts if you are willing!¡± ¡°But how are you going to confirm that we have made the announcement?¡± Wang Lun stood up straight, pointed to the merchant who spoke, and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good question. When the time comes, you tell your names to the people who want to migrate to Yale City. ¡°When they arrive in Yale City, we will do the statistics. By then, we will know which one of you did the publicity, won¡¯t we?¡± Once the merchants heard his words, they nodded and agreed that his method was good. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll look forward to it, my lord.¡± Wang Lun shifted his gaze to them. The people in Yale City knew that he was a man of principle. However, these merchants were from out of town and had only worked with him a few times. That was why he was understandable about their doubt. ¡°Everyone in the entirety of Yale City knows that I¡¯m the most trustworthy. As long as I make a promise, I never go back on my words.¡± The merchants carried the goods to their carriages in an orderly manner, and one by one, they left Yale City. A few days later, Yale City welcomed several groups of immigrants, and among those were of course refugees without permanent residence. The registration showed that all of them had been advertised to by the merchants. They didn¡¯t know that a city like Yale City existed before. The merchants were also rewarded accordingly. However, such a wave of immigration didn¡¯t last for too long. Some merchants came back reporting a matter that was enough to create a stir in Yale City. Wang Lun also hurriedly reacted to this matter and told the merchants temporarily not to head out for business. ¡°Hallmark, has the scout I told you to dispatch returned with a report yet?¡± Inside the main hall, Wang Lun gathered the important people in Yale City and discussed how to deal with the upcoming calamity. Hallmark stood up from his seat, bowed, and said, ¡°My lord, the scout has returned. Baron Hawks of Seron City has indeed begun his march to Yale City, though their pace is really slow.¡± Wang Lun asked, ¡°Have you gone to investigate yet?¡± Hallmark said, ¡°Yes, my lord. Hawks has also joined forces with two barons from other cities¡ªBaron Oliver and Baron Mason.¡± ¡°Heh. It seems like this guy is going to take us on head-first this time. Is he prepared to attack Yale City in one fell swoop?¡± Wang Lun asked. Although he heard that the enemy army was advancing towards Yale City from three places, he didn¡¯t have any sense of nervousness at all. On the contrary, he felt like a win was within reach. ¡°What do you think, Sergeant Clive?¡± Upon seeing that the seated Clive was waiting for an opportunity to speak, Wang Lun decided to give him a chance. Clive stood up and said, ¡°My lord, I was thinking that the enemy army is gonna attack Yale City from three sides. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s necessary for me to be concerned, but I think we should prepare sufficient boulders to pile up on the city walls beforehand. We should also prepare barrels of oil as they will be useful in unexpected situations.¡± It was true that oil could be effective in unexpected situations during war. Wang Lun had witnessed its usefulness the last time. He had also read a book about a general who used fire to overwhelm the enemy army, leaving them with no solutions but to retreat. ¡°General Hallmark, what do you think?¡± Hallmark said, ¡°I think that Sergeant Clive¡¯s suggestion is perfect. We will be able to establish an advantageous position for ourselves. We must do it.¡± Wang Lun nodded, also affirming Clive¡¯s plan. ¡°Do we still have time to prepare the materials?¡± Hawks replied, ¡°Yes, my lord. Baron Hawks¡¯s army, who is the closest to us, should take three days to reach Yale City according to their current pace.¡± ¡°My lord, leave this matter to me. I will definitely get everything ready before the enemy arrives!¡± It was Griffin who spoke. Wang Lun looked at him. Ever since Griffin was promoted to a private, he became the commander of the first lancer battalion. This was the only time an exception was made in the army¡ªhaving a private as the commander. That was why Griffin had the qualification to discuss military affairs in the main hall with these important people. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°Good. Griffin, you will be in charge of this matter.¡± ¡°Also, I want both of you¡ªHallmark and Clive¡ªto split the soldiers into three big camps. When the time comes, they will respectively defend the city against the three enemy armies!¡± In addition to the soldiers in the city busy preparing to defend against the oncoming enemy, the commoners also helped carry boulders and other necessities up the city walls. Three days later, Hawks¡¯ army first appeared in the far front of Yale City. However, they didn¡¯t attack. Instead, they set up camp directly outside the city. ¡°He isn¡¯t attacking. It seems like he wants to wait for the other two armies to arrive before attacking us together!¡± ¡°My lord, how about I lead some of the soldiers out of the city to fight him in the field?¡± ¡°No, our army¡¯s ability to fight in the field hasn¡¯t yet reached the appropriate level. Besides, we must aim to reduce our losses. Even though there are enemy troops attacking from three sides, there¡¯s nothing for us to be afraid of!¡± Chapter 38 Hawks¡¯s army camped outside the city wall in the distance and didn¡¯t act rashly. Meanwhile, the army inside Yale City didn¡¯t pay too much attention to them. Two days later, the armies of Barons Oliver and Mason arrived at Yale City, one after another. ¡°Hey, soldier! What¡¯s wrong? Why are your hands shaking so much?¡± Clive passed through the rows of soldiers on the city walls and stopped in front of a soldier. The hands of the soldier who was called were trembling. Upon looking at Clive, the soldier couldn¡¯t say a word at all. ¡°Do any of you know where this guy is from?¡± Clive gave up on asking the shivering soldier and turned to speak to the soldiers around him. ¡°He was a prison soldier, Sergeant,¡± one of the soldiers said. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°J-Jamie, Sergeant!¡± the soldier stammered out his name. Jamie was indeed a prison soldier, a position that by definition would never join the front lines of a war in his life. But now, he was undoubtedly standing on one. ¡°Do you know why you are standing here?¡± Clive asked. Jamie blinked and softly answered, ¡°Yes, Sergeant!¡± ¡°Then hold on tight to that crossbow in your hand. Terrified soldiers like you will be killed in the battlefield!¡± ¡°I know, Sergeant. But I¡¯m just a prison soldier. I don¡¯t know how to fight at all.¡± ¡°Do you expect your enemies to teach you? This is a battlefield. Muster your courage, soldier.¡± Clive looked to the swordsmen and lancers. ¡°They are your comrades and you, as a crossbowman, need to protect them from losing their lives! And to do that, you must hold your crossbow tight. Stop acting like a coward, you hear?¡± Clive placed his hands on Jamie¡¯s shoulders and continuously shook him back and forth. ¡°Yes, Sergeant!¡± At that moment, there were enemy soldiers outside the three walls of Yale City. Due to the expansion of the city, the soldiers defending the city on the three sides couldn¡¯t see their allies, so they didn¡¯t have time to look at one another. They could only hold their ground. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t be afraid. War is scary, but it also helps you improve as a person,¡± a man holding a short sword said. Improve as a person? Perhaps that man was the only person who thought so. Jamie ignored him and headed for his own crossbow squad instead. Yesterday, the city hall gave an order that each unit needed to select at least one person to participate in this war. The person selected from the prison was Jamie. ¡°Hey, brother, don¡¯t be down. I also have a leisurely job like yours, and this damn war has destroyed it!¡± a soldier beside Jamie said. ¡°Thanks for the reassurance, buddy!¡± Jamie softly said. ¡°My name is Jack. I used to work in the labor office. I can¡¯t believe that guy, Donald, wasn¡¯t elected!¡± Jack grumbled. Although it was his first time on the battlefield, he acted much calmer than Jamie. Suddenly, the armies outside the city, on all three sides, launched an attack on Yale City together. Bugles sounded and bounced off the city walls, echoing into the distance. The enemy catapults near the foot of the city walls were the first to attack. Countless boulders flew from ground level to the sky in an arc, heading for the city walls. ¡°Everyone, stay close to the walls!¡± Soldiers on the three walls leaned toward the walls in unison, but some who didn¡¯t take cover in time were met with misfortune. ¡°These bast*rds. I swear that I¡¯ll tear them alive!¡± On the other side of the wall, Hallmark gnashed his teeth and raged. ¡°General, if we keep hiding from the boulders, we will be done for after the enemies climb up the ladders!¡± A soldier shouted beside Hallmark, but he couldn¡¯t be heard clearly as boulders slammed harshly into the city walls. After a wave of bombardment, the catapults below the city walls began to slow their attacks. Perhaps they thought that the people on the city walls had been crushed to death! ¡°Proceed as planned!¡± Hallmark ordered. At the next moment, some of the soldiers on the city walls started moving out, trotting toward where the catapults were set up on the city walls. With the commanders¡¯ command, the catapults on the city walls began to launch a counterattack on the enemy army. The difference between the two armies¡¯ attacks was the presence of fire. What flew out from the city walls didn¡¯t look like boulders, but gigantic fireballs instead. In just a blink of an eye, there were many more suns in the sky. ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± Some enemy soldiers screamed in fear and retreated. But the speed of the fireballs didn¡¯t give them any chance to escape. Boom! Boom! Boom! The fireballs smashed into the ground one after another. Flame sparks splashed in all directions and onto the soldiers¡¯ bodies. Due to the overwhelming number of enemy soldiers, the flames quickly spread and abruptly scattered the army formation. A sea of fire enveloped the ground outside of Yale City, and the wind blew the burning stench into the city. ¡°Damn, this is brutal!¡± Some of the soldiers on the city walls raised their heads to witness such a spectacular scene on the battleground. ¡°Soldier, how¡¯s the situation on the baron¡¯s side?¡± Hallmark asked. A soldier said, ¡°The same situation as here. The enemy has scattered and their fighting spirit has seemingly been severely hit.¡± The three sides of the city walls were led by Wang Lun on the front, Hallmark on the left, and Clive on the right. According to the plan, the three sides of the city walls would attack the enemy almost simultaneously using fire. And as expected, the result was very successful. ¡°Crossbowmen, slow the enemies down! We can¡¯t let them reach our walls!¡± Clive yelled. Although the fire boulders caused great damage to the enemy soldiers, there were some who continued carrying ladders on their shoulders and running headfirst to the city wall without looking back. The crossbowmen on the city walls received the order, hurriedly loaded their crossbows, and aimed at the enemy soldiers who were running toward the foot of the city walls. ¡°Fire!¡± Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Bolts instantly flew out of the crossbows, aimed straight at the enemy soldiers at the bottom. The enemy soldiers who were charging toward the city walls instantly collapsed upon being penetrated by the bolts. ¡°Lancers! Stab those bast*rds!¡± The crossbowmen swiftly retreated, and the lancers came forward, standing in front of the top of the ladder and gripping a lance tightly in their hands. ¡°Hey! Save a head for me!¡± The lancers on the city walls attempted to distract themselves from the fear deep inside them. But at the sight of the enemy soldiers appearing over the top of the ladder, the lancers defending the city walls forgot all of their fears. They mercilessly brandished their weapons at the enemy soldiers who were climbing the ladders. The enemy soldiers seemed determined to win as they kept pushing forward even though many of their companions fell in a pool of blood. The defending soldiers changed their attacking style, picking up the readied boulders. They threw the boulders down the city walls, and no enemy soldier climbing the ladders was spared. They were instantly struck by the boulders. Their blood splattered in the air as they slipped and crashed onto the ground. In the face of Yale City¡¯s soldiers¡¯ perseverance, the enemy took a huge blow and became somewhat exhausted. Chapter 39 ¡°The enemies are retreating!¡± Soldiers above the three walls shouted at almost the same time. The enemy soldiers were starting to fall back. The foot of the city wall was strewn with corpses, so much so that one couldn¡¯t find a gap among them at a glance. The scent of blood got carried along the breeze, filling the air of Yale City. The peaceful city instantly turned into hell. No one dared to approach it. The battle eventually ended with the defenders securing victory. Both sides had different degrees of casualties. The military doctors waiting in the city had rushed up to the city walls to treat the wounded soldiers. ¡°Hallmark, how are the casualties?¡± Wang Lun arrived at the city wall where Hallmark was¡ªthis city wall had been attacked by the strongest of the three large armies. Since that was the case, the number of casualties should be the highest here. Hallmark held his sword in one hand. Trails of blood trickled down his arm, dripping down the tip of the blade and falling to the ground. Turning around and seeing Wang Lun, Hallmark sheathed his sword into the scabbard. ¡°My lord, are you all right?¡± Hallmark asked with concern. Wang Lun shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, but you¡¯re not.¡± Wang Lun shifted his gaze to Hallmark¡¯s arm. Hallmark looked down at his blood-stained arm, looked up, and smiled, ¡°This is probably the enemy¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°My lord!¡± All of a sudden, Wang Lun heard a loud scream. ¡°There are too many casualties. We need more military doctors!¡± It was at that moment that Wang Lun noticed that many soldiers on the city walls were seriously wounded and yet, no military doctor was available to attend to them. However, it wasn¡¯t because no one was caring for them. Instead, it was because the doctors were already overwhelmed. ¡°Send some men to the city hall to bring my medicine here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to Clive¡¯s side to check the situation!¡± Wang Lun said to Hallmark. Although Wang Lun¡¯s body was also stained with blood, he hadn¡¯t been hurt at all. Arriving at the wall where Clive was, there seemed to be fewer casualties than expected. ¡°Hey! Clive!¡± Wang Lun shouted from afar. Clive was dressing a soldier¡¯s wound. ¡°My lord, are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right. Are your men badly hurt?¡± Wang Lun looked at the soldiers sitting on the ground. All of them looked pale and weak. Some were smoking to calm their trembling bodies, and others who had suffered minor injuries fixed their wounds themselves. ¡°We are fine, my lord!¡± Although they were already breathless, they still answered him. ¡°Good. Soldiers, be strong!¡± Clive bandaged a soldier¡¯s wounds and patted the latter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How did the battle go?¡± Wang Lun asked. ¡°We were attacked by the enemy¡¯s catapults. My severely wounded men who weren¡¯t able to hold on were sacrificed. We¡¯re trying to rescue the ones who are still breathing!¡± Clive looked at the bodies lying on the ground and said. Wang Lun prepared to leave, but spoke at the last moment. ¡°The soldiers can clean up the battlefield once they are rested!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need heads this time. We just need the vocation badges on those enemy soldiers to claim military merits.¡± Many days had passed since the war, and Wang Lun had been writing a post-war summary. ¡°Lucy, what do you think we are still missing in this war?¡± Wang Lun sat at his desk, put down his pen, and raised his hand to gently rub his eyes. Lucy turned to look out the window and said, ¡°I think we¡¯re missing reinforcements!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Wang Lun became interested. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Because I have personally experienced isolation and helplessness. Although I didn¡¯t know much about this back then, I deeply felt it.¡± Compared to theory, real experience was indeed more convincing. Wang Lun nodded and said, ¡°This kind of reason does exist.¡± He thought that this was a war against Earl Miller, but it ended up becoming a war with Baron Hawks instead. This showed the benefit of having reinforcements. But what Wang Lun wanted to emphasize wasn¡¯t this point. He picked up his cup of tea, took a sip, and said, ¡°I think the medical aspect is our biggest weakness.¡± Because Lucy hadn¡¯t participated in wars, Wang Lun could understand why she hadn¡¯t thought of this point. ¡°Medical aspect?¡± Lucy puckered her brows. ¡°This is what I have concluded after this war. Many soldiers end up dying not from the enemy¡¯s weapons, but from agony.¡± Wang Lun continued. ¡°The cruelty of a huge war far exceeded my imagination, but it also gave me a wake-up call.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you skipped breakfast to come to the study to work until now, my lord?¡± In Lucy¡¯s memory, Wang Lun had never missed breakfast. Today was the first time. Wang Lun laughed. ¡°You are very attentive to have discovered this. ¡°You see, I want to build a hospital and train more medical personnel. Not only will the soldiers get the treatment they deserve, but the people will also benefit!¡± Wang Lun showed his results, which weren¡¯t only accompanied by pictures, but also a plan consisting of words. ¡°Future wars will definitely be more brutal. We haven¡¯t fought the final opponent yet!¡± Wang Lun looked out the window and at the blue sky. The construction of the hospital was naturally handed over to Bran. Meanwhile, the city hall took out funds to recruit people who knew the art of medicine and train them into proper medical personnel. Not only that, but Wang Lun also wanted to bring medical expertise to the military. Wang Lun¡¯s intention wasn¡¯t only for the present, but also for the future. It wasn¡¯t possible for Yale City to always be in the defensive during war. If it did come to a field battle, the soldiers would have the ability to use the medical skills they learned to save their comrades. ¡°Hey! Your name is Jamie, right?¡± Hallmark asked as he arrived at the crossbow battalion with an identity tag. The soldier nodded and said, ¡°Yes, General. I treated all the prisoners who were injured after being tried in prison when I was working there before.¡± Jamie hadn¡¯t heard that he would be transferred back to his original post after he was transferred to the front line. Hallmark nodded and affirmed. ¡°Very well, soldier. This is an order from the baron.¡± Hallmark handed a piece of paper to Jamie, saying: ¡°The baron wants you to temporarily serve as the leader in teaching basic medical skills to soldiers.¡± Jamie took the paper, looked at what was on it, and was a little overwhelmed. ¡°You mean, the baron¡­¡± ¡°Yes, soldier! Just do your job, and don¡¯t think about the rest!¡± Not only did Wang Lun arrange these matters, but he also wanted to increase the number of soldiers again. The battle this time let him see the real strength of the other barons. If it weren¡¯t for the advanced weapons on his side, perhaps his army wouldn¡¯t have lasted even a few minutes. Wang Lun held some lingering fear at that thought. It wasn¡¯t difficult for Yale City to increase the number of soldiers. As long as the notice was posted on the noticeboard in the marketplace, it would attract a lot of young and capable men to join the army. Not only must the strength of the troops be replenished, but the weapons used to defend the city also needed some improvement. Wang Lun activated the system and transmigrated over to Earth, ready to customize a batch of larger weapons¡ªballistas! Chapter 40 ¡°Jack!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sergeant?¡± Jack was called out by Clive. ¡°Bring some soldiers to the baron¡¯s residence to move some stuff!¡± Upon hearing the need to do manual work, Jack instantly deflated. As one who was even too lazy to walk about in the labor office, he absolutely refused to do so. ¡°Yes, Sergeant!¡± He knew what would happen if he refused, so it was better to be sensible. ¡°Get the soldiers from your crossbow battalion!¡± Clive added. Jack had a grim expression and said, ¡°Why the crossbow battalion only?¡± Clive said, ¡°Cut the crap and do as you are told.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Looking at Clive¡¯s Hades-like eyes, Jack instantly curled up and walked in the direction of his battalion after giving a timid reply. Currently, they weren¡¯t in the training ground inside the city hall. Due to the army¡¯s constant expansion, Wang Lun had built a huge military camp. Soon after, Jack brought dozens of soldiers from the crossbow battalion to Clive. Clive nodded and gathered air in his chest which came out as a strong, intimidating voice. ¡°The reason I asked for you guys is because what you are asked to do today is related to your unit! And it¡¯s not what came out of this guy¡¯s mouth!¡± Clive¡¯s words were precisely targeted at Jack. Upon hearing Clive¡¯s words, Jack slightly shrunk. He didn¡¯t expect Clive to accurately guess what he had just grumbled to his comrades. Clive glanced at Jack one last time and led the soldiers in the direction of the city hall. Earlier, Clive received an order from Wang Lun that another batch of new weapons had arrived and asked him to send a few soldiers to the city hall to collect it. Clive knew what kind of weapons they were, which was why he asked the soldiers of the corresponding unit. When they arrived at the city hall, they patiently waited outside Wang Lun¡¯s courtyard. ¡°The baron¡¯s not asleep, right?¡± ¡°The gate is tightly shut, so definitely not.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going to wait here forever, are we?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any choice but to wait. Or do you want to walk back by yourself?¡± Looking at the closed courtyard gate, the soldiers who had been waiting for 10 minutes began to get impatient. But at the next moment, the gate slowly opened with a creak. And it was opened by none other than Wang Lun himself. Wang Lun opened the gate and saw a dozen soldiers standing there. He was immediately taken aback. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re all here! Come on in!¡± Wang Lun turned around. The soldiers were stunned and didn¡¯t react at first. Wang Lun had never let anyone into his courtyard; not even Hallmark had ever entered. But now, he actually let them in? ¡°My lord, this wouldn¡¯t be nice of us, would it?¡± Clive said. Wang Lun didn¡¯t turn around. He simply waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Come on in!¡± ¡°Yes, my lord! Soldiers, follow me!¡± Clive led the soldiers into the courtyard, and that was the farthest they went. ¡°My lord, what is this?¡± The curious Jack asked when he saw something covered by black cloth in front of him. Wang Lun shook his head and said, ¡°You guys, go and remove the black cloth and check it out yourself!¡± The soldiers looked at each other and stepped forward. They pulled the black cloth back and saw the object inside. A gigantic crossbow. It wasn¡¯t only bigger than ordinary bows in size, but it was also supported by a bed frame. Looking at its domineering appearance, the soldiers couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. Some soldiers put their hands on the giant crossbow and stroked it. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen such a crossbow before!¡± ¡°The enemy will be scared to death after seeing this on the battlefield. We can surely win without fighting!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s too heavy and bulky. It¡¯s more for defending the city!¡± Someone suddenly interjected a discordant comment. ¡°Jack, you always love to shoot your mouth off and now, you¡¯re still trying to when the facts are right in front of you?¡± Jack shrugged and tilted his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the baron!¡± The soldiers looked at Wang Lun in unison, their eyes full of expectation. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right.¡± Wang Lun leaned into Clive¡¯s ear. ¡°How come I¡¯ve never seen this guy before?¡± Clive softly said, ¡°My lord, his name is Jack. He was previously working in the labor office and was drafted by us to participate in the war.¡± Wang Lun nodded and took a few steps forward. ¡°As Jack said, this weapon is indeed used to defend the city, but it still has to be manned by your battalion.¡± They had never imagined that Jack, who loved to talk big, would happen to be right. But it was just a coincidence in their opinion. They wouldn¡¯t change their attitudes toward him because of it. Wang Lun ordered Clive and the others to install the ballista at the best positions on the city walls. As for where the locations should be, Wang Lun didn¡¯t mark out for them. After all, the soldiers in front of him were the most experienced in war. During these peaceful days, Yale City was a busy scene. The city walls were severely damaged in the previous war, so the construction workers and soldiers came together to repair them. Not only did the refugees who came to Yale City not return to where they came from, but they also had a deeper longing for this city. As immigrants continued to come to Yale City, Wang Lun took the time to take Lucy to the city to investigate the adequacy of food. The population kept increasing, and so far, Yale City had reached a population of 50,000. The surveyed food was sufficient. Not only that, but there was also an excess amount. This was all thanks to the foundation of the development of Yale City. At the same time, Wang Lun also increased efforts to expand recruitment into the military, offering lots of beneficial policies. Many people actively enrolled in the army and the huge military camp instantly welcomed more recruits. With an increase in soldiers, Wang Lun also carried out a military merit exchange. Many soldiers who had participated in the war brought their vocation badges to record their military achievements. A lot of them hoped that they could be promoted in rank and the final result was as they had thought. As the veterans rose in rank, they were sent to the boot camp to lead new recruits in training. After a month of intense training, the new recruits were fully transformed. Wang Lun¡¯s plan was being carried out step by step, and he frequently visited the barracks these past few days to observe the soldiers¡¯ training process. ¡°Hallmark, the new recruits are doing well!¡± Today was the day that Wang Lun inspected their training results. He was very satisfied after seeing the soldiers train in warfare exercises. Wang Lun sat in the center on the high platform, while Hallmark and Clive sat on his left and right. Hallmark said, ¡°My lord, it is all thanks to the training program book you¡¯ve given me that the soldiers were able to reach this level!¡± ¡°My lord, you are truly a strong leader. Be it the military or economy, you solve every problem efficiently!¡± Clive said. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time to launch our counterattack!¡± Wang Lun exhaled a deep breath and looked to the sky. ¡°My lord, you mean that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we must take down Seron City as soon as possible!¡±