"Yes,"
Alya answered blankly, "we have nothing else here besides it."
"Fool! The mine is only two kilometers away from us, it will find its way here by scent!"
"No way..."
Slap!
Rein slapped Alya across the face angrily, "No way? What if it comes here?!
You're risking everyone's lives!"
Alya was stunned by her father's slap, and even Man Xiu was startled by the sudden slap.
He wanted to speak up to persuade them, when a sudden shout came from outside,
"Enemies!"
"Damn it!"
Rein's heart sank instantly!
No time for anger, he quickly turned around and rushed out of the wooden house, his mind full of friends being torn to pieces by Two-legged Flying Dragons.
Rein quickly raised his head to search for figures in the sky, but found nothing.
"Where are the enemies?!"
Rein shouted loudly, hurriedly searching for the target.
The next second, he saw through the village gate figures approaching in droves from the valley below!
Not Two-legged Flying Dragons?
Who are they?
Rein was filled with suspicion.
Who else could find this place?
Time didn't allow Rein to think more, he immediately ordered loudly, "Close the gate! Prepare to meet the enemy on the watchtower!"
Two villagers immediately followed the command and ran to the gate to close it, but as they pushed the gate, guards in brand new chain armor suddenly rushed up and knocked them down!
"Man Xiu! What are your guards doing!"
Rein shouted in shock and questioned, while the just-arrived Man Xiu looked equally bewildered!
Before they could react, other guards nimbly climbed up the watchtower and swiftly knocked the mountain people on top to the ground!
"Man Xiu, you actually colluded with the enemy to betray your friends!"
Rein roared and drew his short knife towards Man Xiu, only to be struck down by Durant who jumped in!
"It's not me!"
Man Xiu shivered with fear, quickly arguing loudly, "I don't know anything!"
At this moment, Man Xiu felt bitter at heart, understanding that all this was planned by Luo De in advance!
"It has nothing to do with him, he doesn't have the right to command me."
Durant said calmly.
Before coming, Luo De had instructed to protect Man Xiu's life as much as possible, not to let him be harmed.
"I follow the command of Baron Rod, Lord of Black Pine Ridge. You give up resistance, submit to Lord Baron, and I won't harm you."
"You're the pawn of the evil lord?!"
Rein shouted, "This is our land, we will never submit!"
"Courting death."
Durant took the initiative, his steps swift, charging in front of Rein within a few steps, and slashed down!
Durant's speed was beyond Rein's imagination, he had no time to dodge, only barely turned his body to avoid critical parts, reluctantly using his back to block!
Screech!
The leather armor was easily cut open, with blood splattering everywhere!
The force and pain from the sword made Rein's body lean forward, nearly losing balance and falling to the ground, eventually stabilizing himself with agile movements!
However, at this moment, Durant's next slash was already in front of him!
Whiz!
At that crucial moment, an arrow flew towards Durant!
Durant retreated to dodge, and Rein took the opportunity to pull away.
The owner of the arrow was Rein's daughter, Alya.
Durant stood calmly watching the two of them,
"You can't escape, give up."
At this time, behind him, the soldiers led by Luo De had already rushed into the village.
"I am Lord of Black Pine Ridge, Rod Tulip. You illegally occupied my land and hunted my prey, violating the Empire's laws!
Now drop all your weapons and come out to submit to me, I will spare your lives!
Otherwise, my army will flatten this place!"
Luo De's voice was loud, with soldiers full of vigor, instantly intimidating everyone in the mountain village!
"Don't kill me! I am willing to submit!"
"I am from Frost Leaf Town! Master!"
...
The Black Stone Mountain People were not as tough as Luo De imagined, in a moment more than a dozen people hugged their heads and knelt on the ground.
Luo De waved his hand, soldiers quickly advanced to the sides of the village, tying up all these people.
But there were also tough characters, who directly raised their bows and shot fiercely at Luo De!
"Raise shields!"
Several arrows flew with a sound of breaking through the air, only to be "thunk thunk thunk" nailed into the round shields, causing no substantial harm.
"You unruly thugs!"
Luo De's expression remained calm,
"Attack!"
The soldiers quickly pressed forward under the cover of shields, with Durant leading the charge, subduing enemies in a blink.
These Black Stone Mountain People were far from being as fierce as imagined.
Most were ordinary people, untrained and unequipped, unable to fight retired soldiers like Gang Le in close combat.
When seeing the sword fall in front of them, many panicked and could only obediently lie down on the ground.
Only a few skilled hunters managed to evade capture with agile movements, quickly fleeing deeper into the village, as if there were secret passages inside.
Luo De understood that there were likely escape routes in the village.
At night, soldiers would not be a match for hunters in the forest, no need for unnecessary sacrifice.
He waved his hand, ordering Durant and others not to pursue.
"You may escape, don't worry about your family and friends, I will take good care of them."
Luo De shouted loudly to the deepest wooden houses.
He was not lying, truly intending not to harm those who had surrendered.
On one hand, Black Pine Ridge desperately lacked manpower, on the other, Luo De had no deep grudge with these people.
The harshest punishment he could impose was half rations, working twelve hours a day, with no holidays.
Massacre?
Impossible.
Those willing to submit were timid, honest people, good workers.
The territory no longer needed intimidation for the disobedient, senseless slaughter was loss Luo De wouldn't commit.
Only he knew this clearly.
In others' eyes, Luo De's "taking good care" had another implication.
That was a threat.
Sure enough, after a brief silence, Rein's voice came from the deepest wooden house,
"Why do you come here to harm us? We just want to live peacefully!"
Luo De stopped Gang Le who wanted to rush forward, loudly responded, "You're occupying my land and asking for peaceful life?"
"This is not your land! We've lived here for thirty years! This is our home!" Rein retorted.
"If living somewhere long enough makes it yours, then the entire ocean belongs to turtles."
For Rein's words, Luo De understood but did not accept.
If everyone thought like Rein, there would be no need for Lords.
Not in Luo De's current era, nor in times a thousand years ahead of Broken Rock Empire civilization was there such a concept.
"None of this matters; what matters is, the emperor granted Black Pine Ridge to me, so it's mine!"
"If you're dissatisfied, I can send you and your family to the emperor, you reason with him, if he says it's yours, I will return it!"
"But now, this is my land, the territory of Rod, Lord of Black Pine Ridge!"
The emperor's grant, blame me?
If it weren't for this lacking place's shortage of iron, grain, and people, would I need to come here and fight?
Luo De felt resentment himself, having to personally reclaim the territory.
The village fell silent instantly.
After a long while, Rein's voice sounded again,
"Forgive our transgressions, and we will submit to you."