Liang Lidong realized that this Rex seemed to be trying to provoke him, but he didn't know why. Now, he actually wanted to use words to make fun of him and use him as a subordinate. This was already another form of mockery. Due to the talent of "noble temperament," most people would treat Liang Lidong as a noble without a doubt. If there wasn't a subordinate relationship, and if there wasn't a huge difference in nobility, a noble being treated as someone else's subordinate for no reason was a great form of discrimination in itself.
Liang Lidong looked at Rex, and the corners of his mouth curled up. His eyes were also curved as he smiled, like a fox with bad intentions. "Oh, Your Excellency Emma, how do you want me to cooperate with you?"
"There are also a few professionals in my family. They are clan guards that have been trained since young." Rex leaned his body forward slightly, as if he wanted to pressure the other party. "If you can cooperate with our clan guards, it won't be difficult for me to eliminate the enemy's assassins."
The so-called clan guards were actually warriors that had been trained since young by a family. They were absolutely loyal to the family, and if their contributions were high enough, they could even become a part of the family, turning from a servant to a master. The hidden meaning behind Rex's words was that Liang Lidong would become his clan guardian. Anyone with a bit of pride would not be able to accept such a suggestion that seemed to be perfectly fine on the surface, but was actually filled with evil intentions.
As expected, City Lord Uther's expression turned ugly when he heard this. It wasn't that he was siding with Liang Lidong in his heart, but that they were facing a great enemy now. If they were still fighting among themselves, it would be the same as having lost half of their forces. The other two nobles looked rather excited, as if they were watching a show.
Liang Lidong was even more certain that this triangular-eyed man seemed to be trying to provoke him. He smiled, and said, "Your Excellency Emma's suggestion is not bad, but there's a small part that needs to be modified. In terms of status, your clan guards should be under my command. As for you, you just need to stand at the back and watch the show. I'll think of a way to deal with the enemy's assassins. What do you think? "
Since the other party had bad intentions, the more Liang Lidong didn't want to let him get what he wanted. Since the other party wanted to make him angry, he had to be calm. Also, he noticed that when Rex said those words, the guard behind him moved his hand back a little, as if he wanted to do something. However, seeing that Liang Lidong wasn't angry, he stopped.
Since the other party wanted him to be his assistant, Liang Lidong would deprive him of his right to command. Because Liang Lidong was a player, his worldview was very different. He did not have the so-called dignity of a noble, so using this method to anger him was no different from igniting a fire in the mud. It was simply impossible. Seeing that Lidong wasn't angry, Rex was a little angry himself. "Hmph. Since when did an outsider have the right to command my clan guards?"
"Hehe. Since when did I, a spellcaster, have the right to assist a few clan guards?" Liang Lidong said this casually. He even had a smile on his face, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his words. "As far as I know, the highest noble title in a border city should be an earl. However, Mr. Rex's behavior is so imposing that even the mayor can't compare to you. I think you should be a duke."
Rex jumped up in anger, and his finger trembled as he pointed at Liang Lidong. Then, Liang Lidong continued, "I heard that people are prone to strokes when they get old. The hands and feet of people who have strokes will tremble non-stop … Mr. Rex, since you're already old, don't come out anymore. Go home and have a good rest. Can't you just let the juniors in your family do the hard work for you? Or do you think that the position of the clan leader is comfortable and you don't want to give it to me? "
Liang Lidong's words were a little vicious … but the others in the room smiled when they heard it. It seemed that Liang Lidong's words had hit their funny spot.
Rex's reaction was even more exaggerated. He yelled with a red face, slammed the table, and cursed, "Beta, you're too much. Do you really think the Emma Family is easy to bully? Don't think that you have the mayor's support … "
City Lord Uther coughed, and interrupted, "First of all, Mr. Rex, I won't ask about the personal feud between you and Beta."
Liang Lidong continued with a smile, "Since it's personal feud, Mr. Rex, why don't we have a duel of honor?"
The so-called duel of honor was an extreme solution when two nobles had irreconcilable conflicts. The two families would send one person each, and it would be a fair duel under the witness of many nobles. The loser would have to offer one-third of their land to the winner, and they would have to avoid the winner if they met him in public.
"This is an outdated custom. I don't have to agree to it," Rex said, clenching his teeth.
"Alright, let's put our personal feud aside for now." Uther clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention. Then he said, "Because there are many assassins in the Church of Life, I suggest that everyone stay in our mayor's residence in the future. This place is heavily guarded, and Mr. Beta is in charge, so I think it should be very safe here. Of course, if anyone has a better idea, feel free to tell us, and we'll take a look. Anyway, we just need to hold on for another three months or so. When summer comes, victory will be ours. "
Liang Lidong listened to Uther and looked at Rex. He saw that Rex's face was red and green. He must be extremely angry, but he still held it in and didn't leave in a huff. This made Liang Lidong feel that this guy had an ulterior motive. But what exactly was it that he had to be provoked to the point of anger for it to work? Liang Lidong couldn't figure it out no matter how much he thought about it.
It was also feasible for Uther to let everyone live in the castle first. Although the assassins were a threat during the day, their home ground was at night. As long as one was human, there would always be times when they dozed off at night. Although Liang Lidong could see through all illusions, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't let his guard down. One could only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thief for a thousand days. But here, because it was a military fortress, it was heavily guarded. Even if the assassins wanted to sneak in, it would be extremely difficult.
Besides, Barbara was going to contract a magic pet soon. Felines were nocturnal animals, and they were good at stealth and anti-stealth. They were also very territorial, making them very suitable as night guards.
So Liang Lidong naturally agreed with this suggestion. He didn't know how much of an advantage the Church of Life had in the open and covert battle with the mayor, but as the weaker party, it was a very wise decision to stick to the resources and formations that they had.
"Since everybody agrees with my judgment, please choose the floor you want to live on." Uther stood up. "After the decision is made, I'll bring your families to the castle immediately. Of course, your private soldiers will have to live in the barracks. "
The middle-aged fatty of the Guelph family smiled and said, "That's reasonable … I don't know much about commanding in battle. Since my private soldiers will live in the barracks later, how about we temporarily let the mayor command them?"
Uther's eyes glittered. He liked such tactful people the most. "Okay, I promise that I'll treat everybody equally."
"Then I'll choose the fourth floor." The middle-aged fatty stood up. "Now, I'll check where I'll stay for the next three months. Is that okay?"
"Please." Uther stood up and gestured.
The middle-aged fatty nodded and slowly left with his hands behind his back. After that, Rex and Wood chose the fifth and sixth floors respectively, but they didn't say that they would let the mayor command their private soldiers. After they left, Uther snorted and asked Liang Lidong, "Where do you plan to live, sir? There are only the fifth and the seventh floor now."
"Where did Karl live when he was here?"
"The seventh floor. He built a magic experimental model there."
Liang Lidong replied, "Then I'll live there."
"That's not very good. Isn't it too unlucky?" Uther seemed to be in a dilemma.
Liang Lidong smiled and said, "The soul is just a kind of energy. When he was alive, Karl was no match for me. Even if his soul wandered in this world after he died, I wouldn't be scared of him. Without the protection of a body, the combat ability of a soul will be reduced by at least half."
"Suit yourself." Uther shrugged his shoulders lightly.
Liang Lidong didn't want to be alone with Uther for too long. He left the room and walked up the stairs, but he didn't go to the seventh floor directly. Instead, he went to the fourth floor without a sound. Then, on the walkway of the fourth floor, he saw the middle-aged fatty standing in front of the window, looking down at the scenery.
"Why did you ask me to come here?" Liang Lidong walked over and asked.
The middle-aged fatty turned around. "You do understand the secret signal of the Guelph family."
"Of course. I was the one who came up with the secret signal …" Liang Lidong was suddenly stunned. He didn't pay much attention to it because he was thinking about Rex's question, but he felt that something was wrong now. The secret signal that he came up with should only exist in the game. Why was the Guelph family using it in reality too?