Five days later.
Luo De's team stepped into the territory of Black Pine Ridge.
The vast land was covered with wild grass and brambles.
In the distance, the hillside was dense with Black Pine Forest; below it was a frozen river, still covered with unmelted snow.
Luo De took out a telescope to look far ahead, seeing everywhere desolate, without a trace of cultivated land.
But it's okay; everything would change with Luo De's arrival.
In the future, this place will surely be flourishing.
Now everything is ready, only lacking seeds and pioneering serfs.
Luo De had done his homework, the serfs were in the Frost Leaf Town ahead, which would also be his future base.
And the seeds were in the Golden Sand Trading Team a kilometer away.
"It's time to collect taxes."
Luo De had been slowly following for five days, and now entering Black Pine Ridge, there was no need to wait any longer.
"Everyone except Hammer, speed up and intercept the Golden Sand Trading Team."
Hammer was the blacksmith from Border City.
On the morning Luo De set out, Hammer came to find Luo De leading a mule, dragging various tools, and carrying a Blacksmith's Hammer on his back.
Luo De didn't have time to change horses for Hammer, so he let him ride the mule with the team; his speed wasn't fast.
"Yes, Lord Baron."
The crowd responded in unison, just adjusting and preparing to charge, when the scout sent out suddenly ran back.
"Lord, it's the Bandit Group!"
The scout reported steadily, suppressing his breath: "The Golden Sand Trading Team is surrounded by the Bandit Group!"
Luo De frowned, hurriedly asked, "How many people? What's their equipment like?"
"Nearly a hundred people, weapons are chaotic; swords, long spears, and all sorts are there. Five or six people are wearing chain armor and leather armor; the others are wearing linen clothes."
The scout finished reporting in one breath before starting to pant heavily.
Luo De exchanged a glance with Durant and said, "Sounds like a ragtag group of refugee hooligans."
Durant nodded.
"Can we handle them?" Luo De asked.
"Definitely!"
Before Durant could speak, a man bearing a giant axe and as burly as a bear spoke up first.
The man was named Gang Le, the captain of the ten-man squad hired by Luo De.
"If we can't handle such riffraff, your twenty gold coins would be spent for nothing?"
Gang Le said confidently, "You and your guards don't need to lift a finger; we and the brothers will hack them all down directly!"
Luo De agreed.
Durant and the guards are elite in the regular army, and Gang Le and others hired are all retired from the corps and well-equipped.
However, Luo De was not careless and commanded Gang Le, "I'll go with Durant to the right wing; you wait in the left wing for orders.
Once I initiate the charge here, you follow up immediately and make sure none of them escape!"
"As expected of the noble Sir, well thought out, no problem!"
Gang Le carried his axe on his shoulder, holding the reins with one hand, "With your word, we'll do them in!"
"Alright, Hammer waits in place, everyone else sets off!"
Luo De issued the order, and the team split into two like two silver giant pythons, with Gang Le leading his side through the Black Pine Forest forward, while Luo De approached the Golden Sand Trading Team directly.
As the scout reported, it was indeed a group of insurgent mobs attacking the Golden Sand Trading Team.
The team had over ten guards, but they were not as well-equipped as Gang Le, with only four wearing chain armor and the rest in ordinary leather armor.
They used the carts to form a circle, surrounding the goods and people, and then set up defense lines to protect them.
It looked professional, but such defensive measures only led to them being trapped inside by over a hundred violent mobs.
Now, as soon as Luo De's two teams charged in, these mobs would fall apart.
Battle experienced Durant naturally saw this too, and he proactively said, "Leave two guards to protect you, I'll lead the others to drive them off."
Luo De smiled, "No rush, let's wait a bit longer."
In this feudal era of slavery, one could not distinguish the so-called justice of modern society.
Luo De did not dare to label these mobs as evil because many of them were peasants too poor to eat or slaves escaping unbearable torment.
And the nobles and merchants who enslaved and exploited ordinary people could not be called kind, for every gold coin in their pocket might be stained with blood.
So after arriving in this world, Luo De discarded the moral shackles of his previous life, living solely for himself.
At most, when it does not affect his interests, he would minimize killing.
Originally, Luo De only wanted to collect taxes, but now he wanted everything.
Therefore, waiting is the best choice right now.
Durant understood Luo De's intent, did not speak further, and awaited while stroking the mane.
As Luo De had foreseen, simple defense affected the Team's guards' prowess, and soon under the siege, four or five guards fell.
The cracked line immediately collapsed; the mobs dragged and plundered the goods from the carts, stabbing a merchant employee dead as he attempted to block them.
"Mustn't let them take my goods."
Luo De drew his Steel Sword, pointed ahead,
"Scatter them."
"Charge!"
Durant roared loudly, clamping his legs to the horse's sides, and the warhorse sprang out like an arrow!
"Kill!"
The guards also rushed out screaming, while Gang Le, on the other side, initiated a charge as ordered!
Both teams were like blades slicing through the mob, and within a moment, several heads soared, drawing crimson arcs in the air!
The mob's formation instantly split into three, swiftly followed by Durant and others turning their horses, charging again!
Limb fragments scattered, blood flowed copiously!
Luo De hadn't even had the chance to join the battle; within just two rounds, the recently aggressive mobs broke apart, scattering and fleeing!
At the onset, Gang Le and Durant had slain the horseback leader in chain armor, and the remaining ones were powerless.
"Capture these people; don't let any escape!"
Luo De fiercely commanded, "Shoot anyone who dares run!"
These mobs are ready-made serf labor; once captured, Luo De won't need to spend any labor cost, and they'll have to work for him as long as they don't starve to death.
Naturally, Luo De wouldn't let them go.
Half of the guards are proficient in archery, while Durant was among the best before losing his left hand, restricting him from holding a bow.
The guards shot down a few fleeing mobs, seeing which, the others quickly dropped their weapons, knelt on the ground, surrendering deftly.
"Gang Le, tie them up with ropes!"
"No problem!"
Gang Le readily responded, jumped off the horse with his brothers, threw the mobs together like little chicks, and tied them up one by one.
Luo De called Durant over and whispered, "Check all the wounded, save those you can, and relieve those you can't from suffering.
Remember, all the wounded."
Durant stared blankly at Luo De, surprised by the sinister lord's sudden kindness.
"What are you doing staring? Hurry up!"
"Yes, Lord!"
Durant hurriedly fetched cloth and hemostatic powder, started saving lives with the guards.
Actually, Luo De understood Durant's confusion but explained no more.
Combat is a means of seizing interests, and now that all the interests belonged to Luo De, there was no need for further loss of life.
After all, how many individuals educated for over ten years on Blue Star like Luo De could be truly cruel?
Luo De did these merely to survive in this primitive and savage era.
"Thank you, noble sir."
As Luo De watched the guards cleaning up the battlefield, a middle-aged man with a potbelly stepped forward, respectfully bowed,
"I am Lawrence Golden Sand, the chief of the Golden Sand Trading Team. Thank you very much for saving my team."
Lawrence bowed again.
"Hmm, what did you say? Your trading team?"
Luo De did not introduce himself, frowned while staring at Lawrence and said, "Before the robbers came, you said this team was yours, I took no issue.
Now, whom do you say this team belongs to?"
Lawrence was dumbfounded, "It's mine, indeed..."
Slap!
Luo De slapped Lawrence hard across the face!
"You're lying!"
Luo De's gaze was sharp, he said in a deep voice, "This trading team was seized from the robbers by me!"
"It's mine!"