Chương 91: The Earl’s Secret

After dealing with military discipline, Li Qinwu had Baron Zoao brought before him. At the moment, Li Qinwu was sharpening his sword in the castle's forge. A blow from a musket butt to the knee sent Baron Zoao straight to the floor.

"Ah, you damn Goblins! Do you know who I am? A Baron! How dare you be so insolent!!" Li Qinwu didn't even look at the man, focusing instead on his sword. He simply said, "Before I finish sharpening this blade, show me your value." Baron Zoao's sweat poured down; he was facing monsters who wouldn't care about his status. If he couldn't satisfy them, he would die!

"I... I... I..." Zoao stammered for a long time, unable to say a word. He couldn't think of what value he could possibly have to a Goblin. Li Qinwu's sharpening was fast; he was already wiping the blade with oil as a finishing touch. Zoao shouted in desperation, "Ransom! I can pay a ransom! My cousin is a local noble; he can give 50... no! 100 Kingdom gold coins!" This did not move Li Qinwu. he wiped the greatsword until it shone, then swung it in the forge.

Despite the sword's size, he swung it as fast and effortlessly as a twig, the air whistling as the blade came closer and closer to Zoao's neck. Zoao knew the other was unsatisfied and had to think hard about what else he could offer!

"Spare... spare my life. I... I have ties with the surrounding lords; you will find me useful. I can also have the serfs pay taxes and provide rations for your army. I... I... I also know Earl Kali's past!!" Li Qinwu's blade stopped just in front of Zoao's neck.

"Oh? Earl Kali's past? Tell me." The blade pulled away, and Zoao, drenched in sweat, let out a deep sigh of relief. That was close; he nearly lost his head. He slowly began his story. Earl Kali, the lord of the border stronghold Poloia and Governor of Halyun Province, was Li Qinwu's primary target for this attack. Earl Kali was a tough man who earned his title through military merit. In his youth, he had performed countless feats in battles against other human nations, rising from a Baron to an Earl.

Originally, he had hoped to become a Duke, but because of his lowly birth, he could never fit into the royal court's inner circle. Hearing this, Li Qinwu was also moved to comment: Damn, being born a Baron is considered lowly? Just how rigid and corrupt is the bureaucracy of the Thassos Kingdom? To become a Duke, Earl Kali fought even harder, but no matter how much territory he expanded, he never became one.

At a royal banquet, a prince even openly mocked him to his face, calling him a "country lord" and saying that "Earl" was his limit. Earl Kali also realized that even looking back thirty generations in his family tree, he had no ties to the royal family, whereas all Dukes were royal relatives. He knew he could never become a Duke in his life and began to grow lazy. Once, while the old King was away leading a war, Earl Kali's troops were on the flank.

The King's forces were locked in a struggle with the enemy and needed his support, but Earl Kali used excuses not to intervene! Afterward, the King won, but his forces suffered heavy losses. From then on, the King hated Earl Kali. Because of Kali's great military merit, the King couldn't kill him for fear of the backlash, but there were many ways to ruin a man. The King threw Earl Kali into Halyun Province, which shared no borders with other human nations. This meant no war, and no war meant no military merit.

Earl Kali, a man with the talent of a grand commander, could only guard the vast green fields, his heart filled with desolation. Just as the old King expected, Earl Kali was worn down into depression within a few years. He began to drink heavily and overeat, becoming obese so quickly he couldn't even mount a horse. His personality became extremely tyrannical and greedy. He would beat servants to death on a whim, no longer possessing the sharp edge of a man who once commanded the battlefield.

The generals who had once followed him couldn't bear to watch and urged him to pull himself together—that even if he couldn't take the field, he should at least be a real man and protect the people. Who would have thought this would strike a nerve? Earl Kali actually smashed the counselor's head with a wine goblet! From then on, his confidants gave up and left him. Even his wife took the children back to her family home. Earl Kali became a solitary man. Left alone, Earl Kali became even more debauched.

He drove his carriage at high speeds on the sidewalks of Poloia and shot at pedestrians with a bow for sport. If he saw a beautiful young girl in any household, he would snatch her away for abuse. Later, this man found his "true love," pushing his madness to its peak! One day, a performance troupe from the southern Orc kingdoms arrived in Poloia. In the troupe was a Cheetah-kin dancer, who was incredibly beautiful. How beautiful?

On a scale where 1 is human and 6 is a pure animal, this Cheetah-kin dancer was roughly a 2—the kind that hits the spot perfectly, a delight for any "furry" fan. Clearly, Earl Kali was a closet furry fan. He fell in love with the Cheetah-kin dancer at first sight and pursued her madly. But by then, Earl Kali had let himself go into a filthy, obese mess with a terrible reputation. Naturally, the Cheetah-kin dancer refused. Earl Kali's animalistic side took over, and he possessed her by force.

He didn't just want her body; he wanted her heart! The Cheetah-kin dancer would rather die than submit. Earl Kali began to torture her brutally and even publicly executed the members of the troupe with horrific punishments. This incident caused an uproar in Poloia, once sparking panic among the populace; everyone feared being snatched up and tortured to death by their lord. However, after this incident, people were surprised to find that Earl Kali rarely showed his face anymore.

The Cheetah-kin dancer was never seen again, and Poloia actually found peace in this strange way.

"Rumor has it that Earl Kali locked the dancer in the basement of the Governor's Mansion and tortures her every day. Soldiers on patrol claim to hear screams. Others say they've seen mages entering and leaving the basement, and that Earl Kali is using dark magic to torment the dancer." If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Baron Zoao finished his story and looked cautiously at Li Qinwu. Li Qinwu was overjoyed.

The people of Poloia were seething with resentment, their top official was a tyrant who hadn't appeared in public for a long time, and the administrative system was in chaos. The old guard of capable officers had been driven away, and those left in the border city were incompetent fools with terrible military abilities. Isn't this a guaranteed win?! The advantage is mine! Li Qinwu was in a good mood, and his gaze toward Baron Zoao softened quite a bit.

"Have your trusted men find your relatives for the ransom. Once the 100 gold coins are in place, I'll release you." Zoao was ecstatic. He immediately knelt and kissed Li Qinwu's armored boot, even using his tongue. Li Qinwu kicked him right in the face, sending Baron Zoao flying out of the forge. God damn it, is there something wrong with human nobles? Do they like kissing people's shoes? Did the "Zhouba" culture reach the other world?

Li Qinwu had someone call Master Lance over to ask for the former noble's opinion. Lance knew that to live peacefully under Li Qinwu's rule, he had to cooperate, so he thought it over seriously.

"Sir, I know Earl Kali. He is quite famous in the kingdom, hailed as the most talented strategist in a century, though he suffers from his lowly birth. He is tyrannical by nature. I heard that during a spring hunt, he intentionally shot and killed a noble's eldest son. The local nobles dared not seek revenge due to his status and could only swallow their anger, but the seeds of hatred have been sown.

Sir, I suggest you release some prisoners to bring a message to the surrounding lords: that we only attack Earl Kali of Poloia and then leave. Many would be happy to see him dead and certainly won't answer the call to war. This will reduce their troop numbers!" Li Qinwu thought this was a great idea and released a dozen prisoners to deliver the news. He continued to stay in the forge to work the iron. For the next few days, he had no major tasks, so he could relax and grind his skill proficiency.

Smithing had become one of his hobbies. Along with the duang-duang-duang of the hammer, his smithing proficiency reached 80, unlocking his third 2-choice skill. This time, Li Qinwu chose Complex Craftsmanship, which gave him an understanding of the properties of various metals and taught him incredibly complex forging techniques, allowing him to create sophisticated industrial products. A vast amount of knowledge poured into his mind, invigorating his spirit. With so much knowledge, his desire to create exploded.

He immediately prepared a large amount of materials and began smithing. He worked from day until night, and from night until dawn. After all that effort, he produced three swords. These three swords were exquisite. The hilts and blades were decorated with complex patterns in gold and silver, and the pommels were set with rubies looted from the castle. They were true works of art!! Li Qinwu put the three swords into the warehouse and checked their stats through the system. Name: Ornate Treasure Sword Weight: 2.

4 kg Swing Speed: 120 Swing Damage: 90 Thrust Speed: 110 Thrust Damage: 80 Length: 82 cm Attribute: Sharpness +10 Description: Forged with extremely complex and exquisite craftsmanship, adorned with gold, silver, and gemstones. It is a true masterpiece; even elves would pay a price for such a sword! Li Qinwu was satisfied, saying "As expected of me," and hurried out of the forge with the three swords. He gathered the troops and brandished the swords before them, making the Goblins' eyes go wide.

Goblins were naturally greedy, and these three swords were so exquisite and clearly valuable that they were nearly drooling. If they could hang such a sword at their waist, they could look at everyone through their nostrils from then on! Once Li Qinwu was done showing off, he shouted, "Gobu-Spear, Gobu-Bow, step forward!" The two strode out of the ranks. Li Qinwu said to them, "The two of you have performed outstandingly in battle.

From the old 10th Company to the new 10th Company, you have participated in all the founding battles of the Alliance. I award each of you one treasure sword. May you continue your hard work!" He handed the swords to the two, who trembled with excitement. Tears flowed from the corners of their eyes. Why has the Boss become like a sun again! Li Qinwu still had one sword left.

"Tsk, tsk, I still have one sword here. What should I do? Who should I give it to?" As Li Qinwu asked, the soldiers were all red-eyed with envy. They all wanted to say "Give it to me," but not a single person dared to shout it out. Li Qinwu was a bit disappointed. Damn it, how can soldiers have no courage at all? If you want it, just shout. Maybe if you shout 'Give it to me,' I'll actually give it...

"GIVE IT TO ME!!!" A shout pierced the sky, startling Li Qinwu. He looked toward the one who had shouted. It was actually Gobu-Gallop, sitting on the back of a Mount Spider. This fellow had been promoted by Li Qinwu to Cavalry Captain, temporarily commanding 20 riders. Cavalry was a new unit for Li Qinwu, and no one knew how to train or use them yet. Li Qinwu had simply chosen a new captain to see if he could find his own path. Li Qinwu beckoned with his finger.

Gobu-Gallop jumped off the spider, ran to Li Qinwu, and knelt.

"Boss! Give this sword to me!!" His face was filled with greed and desire, and he was even drooling. This treasure sword was the shiniest object he had ever seen; he truly wanted it. Li Qinwu actually handed him the sword, patting his shoulder in encouragement.

"Good! If you want it, say so! No hiding or holding back; that is the true character of a soldier!" He pointed at the others, who were full of regret.

"As for you lot, you all need to learn from him. When something good is right in front of you and you don't even try for it, how can anything good ever happen to you? Stupid!" The others wailed in grief, thinking to themselves: If they had been the ones to shout 'I want it,' would the Boss have awarded the treasure sword to them? Why didn't they dare to speak up then? Their cowardly selves were truly damnable!! Li Qinwu smiled proudly. With just one treasure sword, he had mobilized the troops' initiative.

In the future, these fellows would definitely fight for opportunities themselves instead of moving only when whipped like an old ox plowing a field. Gobu-Gallop was very proud, laughing "ga-ga-ga." Li Qinwu gave him a kick.

"Since you took the item, you have to do the work. Take your cavalry and scout the way toward Poloia. Remember the surrounding terrain and the distribution of villages. Remember, I'm only telling you to scout. Do not engage the enemy; if you encounter them, just run."

"Boss! Guaranteed to complete the mission!" With the treasure sword at his waist, Gobu-Gallop mounted his spider in high spirits and led the 20 riders to scout toward Poloia. Li Qinwu had nothing to do, so he continued to work the iron to grind his smithing proficiency. He forged himself a set of gleaming gold-plated plate armor, featuring extremely complex gold and silver patterns and gemstone accents. In the sun, it sparkled and shone; from a distance, one would think he was the king of some country.

It was grand indeed. He also used special techniques to fuse gold, silver, and gemstones onto the surface of his greatsword, also creating extremely complex patterns, then polished the blade until it was as reflective as a mirror. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a holy sword. Li Qinwu was having a blast smithing when Miss Hana found him and reported something that nearly fried his brain.

"Sir, the serfs have come to pay their taxes, and they ask you to deliver justice for them?" With a clang, the hammer hit the floor.

"What's that? Paying taxes to me? Wanting me to deliver justice?"