"Not yet, I want to see what choice Raymond will make under such a threat."
Link's gaze was fixed on the situation in the field, his expression calm, and he spoke slowly.
One must know, Raymond was someone he personally promoted.
If he easily compromised and gave in to the threats of these hooligans, then this person was clearly incapable of great responsibility and untrustworthy.
Such a person, if he could betray the interests of others for his own safety today, he could betray the interests of him, the Lord, for greater benefits tomorrow.
Over time, he might well become a second Orlando, stabbing him in the back for personal gain.
After all, people's appetites grow with eating.
It was precisely for this reason that Link intended to seize this opportune moment to thoroughly test Raymond's true nature, to see whether he was a promising talent or a spineless coward of no great use.
However... Link did not step forward immediately. Instead, a group of children, like arrows released from a bow, rushed to Raymond's front, shielding him completely.
"You're not allowed to bully Uncle Raymond!" A tender but firm child's voice rang out.
Standing at the very front was a little girl who looked no older than twelve or thirteen, her figure slender, but her eyes showed fearlessness.
The other children huddled tightly around her, like young wolves, glaring fiercely at the hooligans, as if endless courage was contained within their small bodies.
"Those orphans Raymond mentioned, are you little brats? Why should you little bastards get houses first? I'll grab you and sell you as slaves!" The leading hooligan yelled viciously.
These children were no match for these adult hooligans. In just a moment, they were all pressed to the ground, but even when they fell, they struggled stubbornly, refusing to give in.
"If you have guts, come at me, you bastards!"
Raymond's eyes were bloodshot. Dragging his inconvenient body, he lunged forward, desperately hugging the hooligan leader's leg, shouting hoarsely.
"Let go of me, you damned cripple!"
The hooligan leader, enraged, kicked Raymond hard in the stomach. Raymond grunted in pain but still gritted his teeth and refused to let go.
The hooligan leader threatened viciously: "Either promise to build houses for us tomorrow, or I'll grab these little bastards and sell them as slaves!"
"Impossible! Sarah, run! Go find Captain Lina!"
Raymond screamed hoarsely, trying to buy the children a glimmer of hope.
"Trying to run? No way! This little bastard is quite pretty, maybe she can even fetch a gold coin!"
The hooligan leader said, a greedy and ferocious smile on his face, and reached out to grab Sarah.
Just as his hand was about to touch Sarah... Whoosh!
A sharp, cold light shot from a distance like a meteor, instantly piercing through the palm of the hooligan leader's hand.
The cold light, its momentum undiminished, shot fiercely into the ground, creating a shallow pit in the hard earth and scattering some light blue gravel.
"Ah-- It hurts!"
The hooligan leader let out a bloodcurdling scream, writhing on the ground in pain, blood gushing from the wound on his hand.
His hand was ruined; struck by the glowstone gravel, half of his palm was gone.
"Damn it, who is it!"
The other two hooligans were terrified by this sudden turn of events, their faces pale, and they looked in horror in the direction from which the cold light had flown.
The next second, beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on their foreheads, and their legs trembled uncontrollably.
"Lord... Lord Link..."
"Drag these villains to the central plaza. In front of all the city's residents, each of them will receive a hundred lashes! If they are lucky enough to survive, they will be expelled from Winterfell City and never allowed to enter again!"
"Yes, sir!"
The City Guards behind him responded and moved, striding forward. Their iron-like arms instantly seized the hooligans.
These hooligans, who usually ran rampant, were now powerless to struggle under the control of the City Guards, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
"Lord Link, spare us! We know we were wrong, please have mercy--"
The hooligans were scared pale, tears and snot streaming down their faces, screaming hoarsely for mercy.
However, no matter how much they cried, wailed, and pleaded, it was all in vain.
A hundred lashes, let's see if they can survive that.
"Raymond, if you encounter such ruffians again in the future, there's no need to be polite or negotiate with them. Go directly to Lina and have them severely punished according to the law!" Link said as he quickly walked to Raymond's side, reaching out to help him up, and asked with concern: "How are you feeling? Do you need me to find a doctor to come and check on you?"
"Lord Link, don't worry, I'm sturdy, thick-skinned, these minor injuries are nothing!"
Raymond grinned, waving his hand dismissively, but then his face filled with guilt: "Sigh, I really made a fool of myself today. If it weren't for this leg of mine being uncooperative and making movement difficult, those three hooligans wouldn't have gotten an inch out of me!"
Link felt a wave of speechlessness at his words.
This guy, still stubbornly claiming he's tough.
If he had acted even a moment later, who knows what trouble might have erupted.
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