Chapter 310: Chapter 219: Killers Shall Die, Robbers Shall Be Punished
Fang Zhen, however, gradually slowed his horse.
He had spotted two groups of people clashing about a hundred ters ahead.
They were even using weapons.
Fang Zhen pulled on the reins and took a closer look at the two clashing groups.
One group consisted of fifteen or sixteen n, all soldiers. Their uniforms, predominantly brown, were very different from those of the Ashton Territory soldiers Fang Zhen had seen before. The other group had only six or seven n, who also appeared to be soldiers, and they looked like locals from the Ashton Territory. Five or six farrs stood with them, confronting the soldiers in brown.
’Where did those soldiers in brown co from?’ Fang Zhen watched for a mont, a question forming in his mind.
Logically, Dalia should have had enough ti over the past month or so to consolidate the Ashton Territory’s army, so it was unlikely to be a case of infighting.
Besides, the soldiers under Dalia didn’t wear that kind of brown uniform.
It seed the brown-clad soldiers were outsiders.
’But this is so close to Ashton Castle. Surely enemy soldiers haven’t managed to invade the territory, right?’
’Dalia shouldn’t be that weak. Plus, she has drones. It doesn’t make sense.’
Fang Zhen felt that sothing was amiss.
He spurred his warhorse, and the Red Hare Horse imdiately broke into a gallop, charging toward the conflict.
The hundred-ter distance was covered in an instant.
The soldiers on both sides of the conflict saw Fang Zhen. They all stopped fighting, instinctively stepping back, and stared dumbly—or rather, reverently—at the approaching Knight.
This was hardly surprising. Fang Zhen was clad in full plate armor, instantly identifiable as a true Knight, and the Red Hare Horse he rode was much taller than an ordinary warhorse.
Mounted on his horse, Fang Zhen was nearly twice the height of the soldiers on the ground. Anyone who saw him would be struck by his extraordinary presence.
His re arrival, before he even spoke a word, had naturally brought the fight to a halt. The scene fell silent for a mont, both sides overwheld by his aura, neither daring to make a move.
Fang Zhen hadn’t expected the effect to be so dramatic.
He lifted his helt’s visor, revealing his face.
"What happened here? Why are you fighting?"
"Aren’t you soldiers? Have you no military discipline?"
Fang Zhen asked, his voice stern.
Hearing the accusatory tone in his voice, the soldiers on both sides took another half-step back and simultaneously lowered their heads, not daring to et Fang Zhen’s eyes.
"Is... is that you? Lord Knight Fang Zhen?" a voice suddenly rang out.
Fang Zhen’s gaze imdiately shifted toward the sound.
Soone from the group of what appeared to be local soldiers spoke up, his voice uncertain.
"You know ?" Fang Zhen asked.
"Yes, yes! I once accompanied you and the Viscountess to Baron von Klei’s Territory and back. You may not recognize , but your heroic image has been indelibly etched in my heart. You are the very picture of a hero to !" the man who spoke said, his voice filled with excitent.
Fang Zhen nodded slightly, taking a closer look at the man.
The soldier was in his early twenties, with pleasant features and sharp, intelligent eyes. He looked clever, and from the way he spoke, it seed he had received so education.
"Tell , what happened here? And who are these people you were fighting?"
"How is Viscountess Ashton now?"
Fang Zhen asked.
"My na is Ayo, and I’m a soldier of the Ashton Territory. My ho is right here, and these are my comrades—they’re from here too." The soldier stepped forward, his eyes suddenly turning red. He pointed at the brown-clad soldiers and said, "And these n, they are Count Henry’s soldiers!"
"Count Henry’s n call themselves soldiers, but they’re no better than beasts!"
"On Ashton’s own land, they dare to be so arrogant! Not only did they rob my parents and injure my older brother, they even tried to abduct my sister!"
"My comrades and I were on leave. We ca back and saw this happening, so we started fighting them."
"My Lord! You helped the Viscountess take back the Ashton Territory. You must help us get justice!"
Ayo spoke loudly, his emotions running high.
Fang Zhen heard him clearly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
’Count Henry? Who is that?’
’And why has he brought soldiers to the Ashton Territory?’
Fang Zhen guessed that Dalia was not in danger.
Ayo had said he and his comrades were on leave, not defeated in battle.
Ayo’s words were trustworthy. He was a soldier from a good family in the Ashton Territory, which gave him a natural air of reliability.
But if that was the case, why were Count Henry’s soldiers here, and why were they allowed to rob and plunder?
Fang Zhen’s gaze sharpened, turning like a sword upon Count Henry’s soldiers.
Most of the soldiers were intimidated by his stare. They either backed away or lowered their heads, not daring to et his eyes.
However, one of the brown-clad soldiers, a man in his forties, seed to be a natural contrarian. Though startled by Fang Zhen’s glare at first, his initial reaction to lower his head was followed by a defiant stiffening of his neck as he forced himself to look back up at Fang Zhen.
The man had a brutish, fleshy face, but his eyes were shifty. He looked like a seasoned scoundrel or a thuggish soldier.
Seeing Fang Zhen looking at him, this thuggish soldier sneered and said, "Lord Knight, you can’t just listen to one side of the story."
"We are acting on the Count’s orders to collect necessary supplies."
"Though you are a Lord Knight, you answer to the Viscountess. But a Count’s status is far greater than a Viscount’s, let alone a Viscountess."
"For the sake of your own future, I advise you not to interfere in our business."
Upon hearing this, Fang Zhen’s expression turned icy.
"My Lord! It was him! He robbed the village before and badly injured one of my uncles. My uncle was already frail, and he died soon after!" Ayo’s eyes were completely red now as he spoke with agitation.
Hearing this, Fang Zhen’s gaze grew colder.
The thug, perhaps feeling secure with powerful backing, was acting surprisingly fearless.
Suddenly, the phantom of a longspear appeared in Fang Zhen’s hand as he sat on the Red Hare Horse. In an instant, the phantom beca real, and he was grasping a solid spear.
Fang Zhen leaned forward and thrust.
"PFFT!"
With no flashy moves, the longspear pierced the thug’s chest, running him completely through.
Fang Zhen swung the longspear up.
The thug’s body was lifted into the air. He let out a scream, but the sound quickly weakened and died out.
The thug on the spear had stopped breathing.
With a flick of the spear, Fang Zhen tossed the thug’s corpse to the ground.
"Murderers will die. Robbers will be punished."
"Anyone who dares to resist will share his fate."
Fang Zhen said coldly.
Instantly, the brown-clad soldiers, who had been on the verge of bristling with anger, were suppressed by Fang Zhen’s overwhelming presence. They mumbled and dared not speak.
"Ayo, disarm all of them. Kill any who resist," Fang Zhen ordered.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Seeing Fang Zhen’s actions, not a single one of Ayo’s companions felt there was anything wrong. Their confidence soared, and their morale was high.
They had long been bottling up their anger. Now, with soone powerful backing them, their spirits surged.
The six or seven of them quickly disard the dozen-plus soldiers of the Count.
As expected, under Fang Zhen’s intimidating pressure, none of the Count’s soldiers dared to resist.
After confiscating the soldiers’ weapons, Fang Zhen had Ayo distribute them to the surrounding Ashton Territory farrs.
Ard with weapons, the farrs’ confidence was greatly boosted. They kicked and punched the Count’s soldiers to the ground, bringing them under control.
Fang Zhen, however, remained mounted on the towering Red Hare Horse, his gaze fixed on the Ashton Territory.
’It seems so things have changed in the Ashton Territory,’ he thought.
Suddenly, from within Ashton City, the deep tolling of a bell began to ring out, its strikes coming in rapid succession.
Ayo’s expression changed slightly.
"It’s the alarm bell!"
"That’s the alarm bell that only rings when the Ashton Territory is under threat!"
"When we hear the alarm bell, all local soldiers of the Ashton Territory must gather imdiately and head toward the castle to prepare to defend against the enemy."
Ayo said.
Seeing this, Fang Zhen’s expression turned grim.
’It seems sothing really has happened on Dalia’s end.’
He spurred his horse forward, grabbed Ayo’s shoulder, and with a single hand, hauled the soldier up onto the back of the Red Hare Horse.
"Co with
to Ashton Castle!"
"Tell
everything that has happened in the Ashton Territory while I’ve been gone on the way!"
Fang Zhen said.
He spurred his horse, and the Red Hare Horse galloped off, speeding toward the castle district of Ashton City.
Reviews
All reviews (0)