Lin Xia stepped out of the shadows with a cold sneer, moonlight casting across his youthful face.
Antonio's eyes widened in shock, his voice trembling. "Impossible! How could you know?!"
"Know what? That you were bought off by William? Or that you were planning to strike tonight?" Lin Xia spoke slowly, twirling the bronze die in his fingers.
Scarface finally reacted, gritting his teeth. "Kid, so what if you're prepared? We outnumber you! Brothers, kill them!"
The mountain bandits howled and charged.
But Lin Xia had already prepared for this.
"Lain, now."
Old butler Lain moved in a flash, unleashing the power of a Silver-tier Three-Star warrior. His sword gleamed like lightning, piercing through the first two bandits instantly.
The other knight guards were no pushovers either—though only Bronze-tier, they were well-trained and coordinated.
In contrast, the bandits were a ragtag mob, completely caught off guard by the counterattack.
Seeing the tide turn, Scarface tried to flee—only to have his path blocked by Lain's sword.
"Trying to run? Too late."
Within less than fifteen minutes, all the bandits were dead—except for Antonio.
Antonio fell to his knees, trembling. "My Lord! I was wrong! It was Lord William—he offered me too much money, I lost my mind! Please spare me!"
"Spare you?" Lin Xia squatted down, looking him in the eye. "Do you know the price of betrayal?"
"I—I'm willing to make it up to you! I can be a double agent, help you fight Lord William!" Antonio said in a rush.
Lin Xia shook his head. "No. You've disappointed me too much. A man who can betray his own lord—what can't he betray?"
Before the words had even fully left his lips, Lain's sword had already sliced across Antonio's neck.
Blood sprayed. Antonio collapsed, eyes wide open in death.
Lin Xia stood up and addressed the knight guards. "Dispose of the bodies. At dawn, we move out again."
"Yes, my lord!"
The guards responded in unison, a new layer of respect in their eyes as they looked at Lin Xia.
A lord who could foresee danger and decisively deal with traitors—this was someone worth following.
…
Three days later, the group finally arrived at Lin Xia's territory—Desolaterock Town.
It was called a town, but in reality, it was nothing more than a barren patch of land with a few dozen dilapidated wooden huts scattered about.
The population was under two hundred, mostly refugees and a few original inhabitants.
The land was barren, resources were scarce, and nearby orc tribes eyed it hungrily.
This was the fief the kingdom had granted to Lin Xia—a classic wasteland.
"My lord, the conditions here truly are harsh," Lain said with a frown.
But Lin Xia didn't seem disheartened. Instead, he smiled. "Harsh conditions make for exciting challenges. Besides, I've got an edge—intel."
He recalled the information revealed by the Dice of Fate—there was a mineral vein beneath this land.
"Lain, gather everyone in the town square. I have a few announcements to make."
Before long, the residents of Desolaterock Town had gathered.
Men, women, and children—all dressed in rags, emaciated and malnourished.
They looked nervously at the young new lord, uncertain what kind of change he would bring.
Standing atop a large rock, Lin Xia addressed the crowd loudly, "Everyone, I am your new lord, Lin Xia Henry! Starting today, Desolaterock Town will begin a new chapter!"
The people below whispered among themselves, skeptical.
"First, I declare that starting tomorrow, all men over the age of sixteen may join the mining effort—daily wage: one silver coin!"
The crowd erupted.
One silver coin a day was a considerable income for these impoverished folk.
"My lord, are you serious? Is there even a mine here?" a middle-aged man asked, mustering his courage.
Lin Xia pointed to an empty field east of the town. "Right there—three meters below the surface is a magestone vein. Tomorrow, I'll lead the prospecting myself."
The people were still doubtful, but Lin Xia's confident tone gave them some hope.
"Second, I'm forming a town guard. Recruiting strong young men—ten silver coins a month, with food and lodging included!"
Another wave of excitement rippled through the crowd.
Ten silver coins per month was a great wage for a border town.
Soon, more than a dozen young men volunteered.
"Third, I need volunteers to gather herbs from Dragon's Nest Mountain. It's a dangerous mission, but the pay is generous—fifty silver coins for a successful return!"
Dragon's Nest Mountain? Wasn't that where a dragon was rumored to dwell?
Gasps spread through the crowd.
"My lord, Dragon's Nest Mountain is too dangerous!"
"Yeah! They say there are dragons and all kinds of magical beasts there!"
Lin Xia waved his hand. "I only need you to fetch a single Rainbow Dewflower from the mountain—not to slay a dragon. And I'll send guards along to ensure safety."
In the end, a few brave young men still stepped forward.
The reward was too tempting—enough to feed a family for months.
Once all tasks were assigned, Lin Xia returned to his temporary manor—which was really just a slightly larger wooden hut.
Lain followed him inside. "My lord, are you truly certain there's a mineral vein below? If there isn't…"
"Don't worry. You'll see tomorrow," Lin Xia said confidently.
The Dice of Fate had never failed him.
Late at night, Lin Xia sat alone at his table and took out the Dice of Fate once more.
It was a new day—time to roll again.
The die tumbled across the table and came to a stop—five points!
Five pieces of intel appeared before Lin Xia:
[The magestone vein is of excellent quality, worth over 100,000 gold coins—enough to sustain the fief's early development (4 points)]
[The Rainbow Dewflower is guarded by a wounded unicorn. Heal it, and you may gain its loyalty (3 points)]
[In three days, the orc tribe will send a hundred warriors to probe Desolaterock's defenses. You can set up an ambush in advance (5 points)]
[The town's blacksmith, Old Tom, is actually a master craftsman of the dwarf race, living under a false identity (2 points)]
[William has received news of Antonio's failure and is now plotting a bigger scheme (1 point)]
Lin Xia smiled.
With this intel, he could lay his plans in advance and turn crises into opportunities.
Especially the orc attack—that was the perfect chance to establish authority.
"Lain," Lin Xia called.
The old butler entered at once. "My lord, what are your orders?"
"Tomorrow morning, you'll personally lead a team to Dragon's Nest Mountain. Remember—there's a wounded unicorn there. Heal it first, then collect the Rainbow Dewflower."
Lain looked puzzled but nodded. "Yes, my lord. But… how do you know about that?"
"I have my sources," Lin Xia replied with a mysterious smile. "Oh, and make sure the team brings healing potions and bandages."
After Lain left, Lin Xia continued refining his plans.
Mining, recruiting the unicorn, winning over the dwarven master, preparing for the orc attack…
Every step had to be carefully orchestrated—no room for error.
And most importantly, he had to show everyone that this young lord was no pushover.
In a world where the strong devoured the weak, information alone wasn't enough.
One also needed power—and the will to use it.
At dawn, Lain set off toward Dragon's Nest Mountain with five knight guards and three local guides.