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"You stole my property, you have no right to negotiate with me."
"If you want forgiveness, come out now and submit."
Luo De did not compromise despite the other party's retreat, calmly saying, "I can spare lives, but you must be punished."
In places like the Northern Wasteland, compromise often signifies weakness.
Luo De can grant mercy and then punishment, but he cannot relent over a few words from the mob.
As the saying goes, a Lord can give, but you cannot seize.
"Fine, we are willing to submit."
With these words, seven hunters including Rein finally emerged from the innermost wooden house.
Luo De waved his hand, and the soldiers quickly advanced to confiscate their weapons.
Then Durant entered the wooden house to search and indeed found a secret passage leading outside.
This passage lay beneath the cellar of the wooden house, passing through it led straight outside the village.
If it weren't for some hunters having family members captured, they would have escaped through the passage by now.
The secret passage is truly a fine thing, Luo De liked it.
The castle ought to have one in the future.
It can store items at ordinary times, and at critical moments, save lives.
"We have already submitted; you don't need to treat us like this."
Rein looked at the surrounding guards and spoke proactively, "We will not resist anymore."
"This is your treatment."
Luo De looked at Rein, "As punishment, all your property will be confiscated, and you must work for me like slaves for five years, during which I will provide you with food and shelter.
After five years, I will grant you some property based on your performance, and you will regain freedom to become residents of Frost Leaf Town."
Rein and the others exchanged glances and nodded in response, saying, "We accept, but we will only hunt, not farm."
"I will arrange it, your skills won't go to waste."
For Luo De, the Desert People's so-called ability to farm or not is the same.
He temporarily lacks the energy to deeply explore the Black Stone Mountain Range and only wants the iron ore from the mountains.
Some people can be arranged to guard here, but most people must settle in Frost Leaf Town.
The area around Frost Leaf Town has mountains, water, and farmland, and the population has not reached its carrying capacity.
As for others who submitted first, Luo De only confiscated eighty percent of their property as punishment.
As night fell, the village gradually calmed down.
Durant followed Luo De's instructions to administer bandages to the injured, while the soldiers organized the women to cook food.
After a day of rushing around, everyone was ravenous.
Luo De wandered through the village, counting his spoils.
These Black Stone Mountain People were wealthier than Luo De imagined, as the wooden house was packed full of cured meats, with various dried mushrooms, wild vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits inside.
Additionally, Luo De found a large jar of honey.
In this era where sugar intake is troublesome, especially in the Northern Wasteland, honey makes everything delicious.
What pleased Luo De even more was a pile of ore under the shack.
Luo De conservatively estimated it to weigh three thousand pounds.
There were also over ninety various animal skins, mostly wolf and deer skins, with some old and some new.
The least was the grain like rye; after searching most of the village, there was less than five hundred pounds, and the villagers would not last ten days if they rationed carefully.
"Lord Baron, I trusted you so much, yet you used me!"
While Luo De was immersed in the joy of his harvest, Man Xiu walked up to him indignantly,
"You have gone too far!"
"Is your head made of wax, or has it been transplanted to your backside?"
Luo De turned leisurely, facing Man Xiu's questioning without any guilt, but instead frowned inquisitively:
"These mountain people are foolish and ignorant, don't you understand?"
"What, what's wrong?"
Confronted with Luo De's cold and displeased expression, the furious Man Xiu suddenly became puzzled.
"They illegally occupied my land, mined my ore, and hunted beasts in my mountains, endlessly pillaging my property like robbers, forcing me to assemble troops to suppress them during busy farming seasons."
"And you, as my friend, traded with these robbers, trampling the Empire's laws and the dignity of a Lord."
"However, not only did I not blame you, but I also welcomed you warmly."
"Now, I am merely using your convoy to eradicate these robbers and reclaim my land."
"You call me excessive?"
Luo De looked at Man Xiu,
"Mr. Man Xiu, now please tell me, in what way am I excessive?"
"Have I ever asked for more than one Gold Coin or occupied more land from the start?"
Luo De's voice was calm yet powerful, with a tinge of suppressed grievance released, which not only Man Xiu heard but also the soldiers and mountain folk busy nearby.
They couldn't help but stop and watch, and the small village plunged into silence.
Indeed, the Lord only wants his land back, what's wrong with that?
Despite being noble, he was just sent to the Northern Wasteland upon coming of age and now has to rack his brains to defend his land.
Is this excessive?
In that moment, Durant and others felt that Loo De was the one most wronged.
He was not wrong.
Man Xiu sighed softly.
"I apologize for my earlier words; I am sorry."
Man Xiu walked forward and whispered, "I didn't know they rebelled against you as a Lord, otherwise I wouldn't have traded with them."
"Precisely because of that, I haven't pursued your crime, and still wish to trade with you."
Luo De's expression eased, saying calmly, "I won't implicate you because of this, your convoy can continue trading. I can sell you the animal skins and herbs, as well as the cured meats and mushrooms."
Strategic materials like ore, Luo De is currently unable to sell.
"You truly are a generous Lord, Lord Baron,"
Man Xiu sighed in relief and hesitated slightly before speaking, "I also ask you… not to be too harsh on their punishment."
"Am I an untrustworthy Lord?"
Luo De spoke irritably, "I said just now, if they dutifully work for me, I won't make things difficult for them."
"You can also communicate this well to them."
"That's wonderful!"
Man Xiu was relieved, smiling happily, "I also hope today's events won't affect our friendship."
"Of course, we are still friends, and don't forget your promise about the slaves."
Luo De responded swiftly and cheerfully, finally showing a smile on his face.
The importance of merchants to the territory is undeniable.
Towards Man Xiu, Luo De still had some goodwill.
As long as Man Xiu didn't mind, Luo De wished to maintain a good relationship with him.
"No problem, next time I will certainly bring slaves for you."
Man Xiu confidently assured Luo De, then suddenly remembered something, bent closer to Luo De and whispered,
"There is a surprise here that you will absolutely like!"
"A surprise?"
Luo De was a bit taken aback.
What surprise could there be here?
"Follow me, although you would discover it later, I want to show it to you now."
Man Xiu turned towards the wooden house storing the Two-legged Flying Dragon Egg, Luo De hurriedly followed.
"Ow!"
At that moment, an awe-inspiring roar suddenly came from the rear forest.
Luo De halted immediately, instinctively looking towards the source of the sound.
Under the faint moonlight, a giant shadow flapped its wings as it hovered in the air, gradually approaching the village.
"Man Xiu, is this the surprise you mentioned?"