The winter wind howled and swirled, sporadically bringing with it droplets of cold rain.
Sharp lightning crackled above the horizon turning the sky white while booming thunder roared out and rumbled through the heavens every once in a while.
Under a stone ridge that was being used temporarily as a shelter from the downpour, Hartley was was conducting an interrogation while taking refuge from the elements.
"Talk!" Hartley said unable to disguise the sour disgust in his voice. Spits of cold rain would still invade the improvised shelter landing on commander Haiyuan.
The pitiful commander was laying on the hard rocky ground soaked in a mixture of rain and his own blood, he was missing an arm and had a bloodied stump left for his leg.
Hartley had watched the ape-like creature gnaw on the man's right leg up to the knee. The man had screamed out horrific blood-chilling cries begging Hartley to save him from a horrendous death until his voice was hoarse and his throat parched.
That's when Hartley stepped in and executed the beast with a single punch, sending its broken body flying through a couple trees leaking a trail of blood and rolling to a stop hidden form sight.
Commander Haiyuan resembled nothing like a domineering officer in the 8th layer of the xiantian realm. He now looked like a pitiful homeless vagrant. The man sobbed like a heart broken wife who found out her husband has been cheating as he laid prone on the rocky cold surface enduring gut- wrenching pain. He was unable to even get out his words coherently.
"You have to bring me back first, sob...sob..... if I tell you now you'll kill me."
He mumbled out the words like a baby with tears streaming down his face and snot leaking from his nose.
Even in his sorry handicapped state, commander Haiyuan still wanted to preserve what was left of his life. In a society where the strong preyed on the weak, he would now be seen as an invalid, he would be ridiculed and laughed at by those who once respected and feared him. It was a life Hartley wouldn't wish on anybody, but the commander still seemed determined to survive.
"Whether or not I kill you right here and now will be decided if I believe anything you tell me." Hartley had a serious look in his cold eyes as he spoke, commander Haiyuan shuddered and gulped down his saliva knowing that this didn't bode well for his survival chances but he was still hesitant.
Hartley then suddenly stretched out his hand at snake-quick speed and grabbed the commander by his collar, dragging him up nose to nose with a scowl.
"Do you dare think me stupid? what if you are making things up because you believe I'm young and susceptible to greed? Think long and hard about the next words to exit your mouth commander."
Hartley let him droop back down to the floor again, still sobbing.
The commander had made many decisions during his military career that cost the lives of his men, innocent people or his enemies.
He had made these life and death decisions for others without feeling any guilt or regret, but now when it came to his own life being on the line and in the hand of another, there was nothing he wouldn't do to save what remained of himself.
He wasn't sure if he could take the word of the man who had sneak attacked the count but he had no choice under his current circumstances.
"Do you know about White iron?" the commander eventually whimpered out a question...
Hartley's heart jumped in his chest, Its a metal that not many low level cultivators would have heard about or even seen. Hartley could remember reading a brief description about it when he was at the Lou Clan.
Hartley folded his arms and stared at the man not showing the slightest interest in the subject he had just broached saying "continue."
"White iron can be mixed with other metals to produce outstanding weapons, but when used by itself it can produce rank 5 or above spirit weapons based on the skill of the blacksmith. It can increase the power of a clan overnight," the commander stuttered out between sobs.
"The problem is," sob... sob, " the metal is so expensive and hard to find that only the richest people on the continent or the royal family could even hope to get their hands on enough of it to make even a single dagger, whether sold or used to produce weapons, its value is unimaginable."
"Hmm" Hartley nodded with lines etched across his brows as he contemplated his next course of action.
"Where is this mine? I want to have a look..."
The king rushed to the gates on the return of the army anxious and impatient for news of the count.
Commander Genk told the King that the count had escaped with the opposing commander and was probably on his way to Sasko at this very minute, assuring the king with a straight face that the count will be captured and brought to justice one day.
Only the elites had seen the demise of the count and they were instructed that news of the count was a top army secret, if anyone dared to leak the truth....
The King breathed a visible sigh of relief, it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he ordered another feast in celebration of their comprehensive victory but everyone could tell it was in relief of his little brother maintaining his life, or so he thought.
After weeks of camp living most of the men were ready to leave this affiliate country and reunite with their families. The military coup had been squashed and the rebel army disbanded and scattered.
Hartley had privately informed Commander Genk of the situation with the white iron mine, he knew deep down that the commander didn't play politics and trusted the man, they were also secretly bringing back commander Haiyuan and the captain captured on the river bank, their fates would be decided by the young prince in Aidonia.
Either way Hartley had established himself as a powerhouse, people wouldn't dare cross him lightly, at least not those who have witnessed his prowess in these past weeks...
A week quickly went by and with it came the end of Hartley's first trip outside of his country of birth...
Now stood on the docks of the Cassia province amidst the frantic chaotic movements and sounds of soldiers and civilians, commander Genk's giant palm slapped down onto Hartley's shoulder.
"Hahaha, Hartley this mission turned out even better than expected, I'm sure the prince will be wanting to see you in person very soon." The commander had a bright smile as men busily unpacked the ships and led horses towards the capital.
"I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other soon, I know you can't wait to get back to your fief so I won't keep you long."
"Thank you commander, it was a pleasure working with you." Hartley said with a formal bow.
The commander laughed out again and turned away leading Anguo Chen and the elites towards the horses.....
With a ripping sound the falling snows parted leaven an empty space, ice-blue mist dispersed like smoke then faded away leaving Hartley stood on a ridge overlooking a castle-like manor, on the tip of one of the manor's long spire a black flag with a white bear stood on its hind legs rustled in the cold winds.
The ground was frozen and treacherous underfoot, the wind howled and the naked trees bowed their heads. Flecks of snows swirled through the air reminding Hartley that he was back to the harsh winter conditions in Aidonia. Breathing in a lung full of the cold air Hartley saw his breath condensate and took a smoke-like form as he exhaled, something just looked right about the snow-covered surroundings he thought to himself.
The lord of the western hills had returned.
Even in this weather, people dressed in thick furs moved around the manor talking casually as they executed their tasks and patrols could be seen off in the distance making their rounds on horseback, the atmosphere was a happy one overall, all the residential building for the miner's had been finished and plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the chimneys of the one-story stone buildings.
Hartley couldn't help but to smile, the sight before him pleased his eyes, he couldn't forget that once all that stretched over the scene were shambolic crude wooden structures....