Chapter 22
Two days later, in the morning.
Gray, Caroline, Elise, and Bernal rode their horses and left the castle, followed by Lord Linde and more than ten elite soldiers.
Gray rode a black warhorse and wore a grey-white riding suit.
The jacket was made of leather and had two buttons. It was tight to the body and had the Fergus family emblem on the cuffs.
The trousers were also made of leather and were very loose at the crotch and thighs, but gradually tightened below the knees. This design was very convenient to ride.
This set of riding suit was made by the tailor in the castle in the past two days. With his current status in the castle, as long as his request was not too excessive, he would be able to satisfy it.
Caroline was riding a white warhorse, wearing a pale white riding suit. The tight top showed her beautiful curves, and her two slender legs looked even more slender against the backdrop of the breeches.
Elise rode a black and white warhorse and wore a golden riding suit. Bernal rode a brown warhorse and wore a black riding suit. Both of them had long blonde hair and a handsome face. The temperament of a noble son was immediately apparent.
The group of more than ten people left the castle and followed the streets in the city that were wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. They arrived near the city gate of Fergus.
There were already dozens of people waiting here.
Among these dozens of people, the ones at the outermost periphery were soldiers in charge of protecting the safety of these people.
In the middle, there were twelve young men and women in the same riding suit. There were seven men and five women. The men had a noble temperament and the women had a graceful temperament. Under the contrast of the riding suit, the nobility was very threatening.
Seeing the arrival of Gray's group, the twelve people were led by two people to welcome them.
One of the two people in the lead was a young man with light brown hair and a height of 1.7 meters. It was Ian Ricardo of the Ricardo family.
The other person also had light brown hair, but it was a young girl.
The young girl was about 1.6 meters tall and should be about the same age as Gray. Her skin was fair and her light brown hair was tied behind her head with a hair clip, hanging down to her waist.
Under the sky-blue riding suit, she had a chest that was beginning to take shape and a pair of very attractive long legs.
This was a girl whose beauty was not inferior to Caroline's.
"Young Master Bernal, Young Master Elise, and Miss Caroline, you're here."
Ian greeted Bernard and the other two and introduced them to each other.
"Let me introduce you. This is my sister, Sia Ricardo."
"This is my younger brother, Gray."
Bernal also introduced Gray and these nobles to each other.
"Gray, this is Ian Ricardo of the Ricardo family. This is Sia Ricardo of the Ricardo family. This is Jeff Ward of the Ward family. This is …"
When Bernal introduced Gray's identity, the dozen or so nobles couldn't help but look at Gray with inquisitive and curious gazes.
Although they hadn't seen Gray before, it was obvious that they had heard about Gray. Although he was an illegitimate child, Viscount Fergus had taken a fancy to him.
Some time ago, after the assassination attempt, Viscount Fergus flew into a rage and wiped out all the rats in his territory. It was enough to see how much Viscount Fergus valued him.
In particular, some of the nobles who had faintly heard of some "speculations about his title" were extremely enthusiastic because this person in front of them might be the one they would "pledge loyalty to" in the future.
"Greetings, Young Master Gray."
"Greetings, Young Master Gray."
Therefore, when Bernal introduced them, they all greeted Gray very politely.
"Greetings!"
Gray smiled and responded to them one by one.
After meeting up, the group started to move towards their destination, the Stone Slope Forest.
The Stone Slope Forest was a forest that extended for more than ten miles within Viscount Fergus' territory. It was about seven to eight miles away from Fergus City by foot.
Within the forest, one could occasionally see some small rocky hills, which was why it was called the Stone Slope Forest.
Before the Fergus family was bestowed this territory, they would often encounter large wild beasts such as tigers and bears. During the winter, there would often be hungry wild beasts that would leave the forest and attack the nearby villages.
However, after the Fergus family took over this territory, they had already cleared out this forest many times. The large wild beasts had basically all been cleared out, leaving only a few wild hares, pheasants and other small animals.
The group rode on horses for a leisurely stroll for a full half an hour before arriving at the Stone Slope Forest.
After arriving at the Stone Slope Forest, the group dismounted and tied their horses outside the forest. Including Gray and the other three, a total of sixteen nobles began to hunt in groups of three to five.
There were more than ten people in the group, including the guards. Moving together would cause too much commotion, so they had to split into groups.
Bernal and Elise were invited and had already formed groups with the nobles they were familiar with. The remaining Gray and Caroline decided to form a group as well.
"Miss Caroline, Master Gray, may I join your group?"
At this moment, a beautiful young lady walked over and greeted the two of them.
The young lady was wearing a light blue horse outfit. She was Sia Ricardo of the Ricardo family.
"Sure, there are just a few people."
Caroline nodded in agreement. Gray naturally had no objections. Thus, the three of them formed a group. With quivers on their backs and bows in their hands, they chose a direction and began to enter the forest.
At the same time, Lin? Za? Ge? Panai Huang Kan? Lu? Lu? Shuo? Lu?
Seeing Lord Lynd leave, some of the nobles were slightly surprised.
Lord Lynd had blended in with the soldiers. Even his attire was no different from an ordinary soldier. Thus, at the very beginning, they did not recognize this person as Lord Lynd.
However, many of them had met Lord Lynd before and quickly recognized him among the soldiers. Some of them wanted to go up and greet Lord Lynd, but were stopped by Lord Lynd with a wave of his hand.
They guessed that Lord Lynd was probably carrying out a guard mission, so they gave up. However, their eyes were secretly paying attention, wanting to see who Lord Lynd was protecting.
Now, seeing Lord Lynd leave with Gray and the other two, they could not help but have guesses in their hearts.
It was obviously not possible that he was protecting Miss Caroline. That meant that Lord Lynd was sent to protect Master Gray.
"Could it be that the Viscount values this illegitimate son more than Master Bernal?"
Some of the nobles could not help but secretly think.
Although there was the incident of the assassination attempt last time, to actually have a high-ranking Blood Warrior with a title of nobility as a guard, wasn't this stance a little too grand?
Bernal had also noticed Lord Lynd's departure. His eyes flashed, but no one knew what he was thinking.
"I heard that Master Gray is now a lower-level Blood Warrior?"
Gray's group of eight went deeper into the forest. Sia showed a strong interest in Gray, and asked Gray softly as they explored the forest.
Because they were too close, there was even a faint fragrance coming from her body. It was unknown whether it was the fragrance of a woman or some kind of perfume.
"Yes, I reached it not long ago!"
Gray nodded and replied casually.
If it was any other time, he would be quite happy to be shown interest by such a beautiful girl. However, he did not have the slightest bit of happiness now. This was not the right place.
If one paid close attention, they would notice that his gaze was vigilantly looking around.
Vigilance, that's right, vigilance. He was not looking for prey, but for possible danger.
Since two days ago, he had been on high alert. From his point of view, Bernal's invitation to hunt this time did not have any good intentions. Therefore, he had rejected the invitation the moment he heard it.
Unfortunately, Viscount Fergus had made the final decision, and he could only follow.
Fortunately, there was Lin? Zhe? Zhe Zhe Zhe? Zhe Zhe? Zhe? Zhe Zhe? Zhe Zhe Zhe?
Unless the target was a Ferocious Blood Warrior or several upper-level Blood Warriors, otherwise, Lin? Zhe? Zhe Zhe Zhe Zhe? Zhe? Zhe Zhe Zhe?
"He actually became a lower-level Blood Warrior in a year. He's much more powerful than my elder brother. My idiot elder brother actually used a full three years to become a lower-level Blood Warrior."
Sia's beautiful face was filled with amazement as she spoke.
Being born into a Baron's family, although she did not lack basic necessities, she did not have the opportunity to practice blood techniques.
After all, to learn blood techniques, one would need to use the essence of blood fiends as well as medicine to implant the bloodline. The essence of blood fiends and the accompanying medicine were extremely precious. The Ricardo family obviously did not want to invest so much on a woman.
"Your elder brother is already very good!"
Still maintaining his vigilance, Gray opened his mouth and spoke.
There was no flattery in his words. To practice blood techniques, one's aptitude and resources were indispensable. Moreover, resources accounted for a large portion of the total.
The Ricardo family's practice conditions were naturally not as good as the Fergus family's. For example, it was impossible to supply blood fiends once a month.
Bernal became a lower-level Blood Warrior in two years when he was rich in resources. Ian Ricardo was able to become a lower-level Blood Warrior in three years when he was not rich in resources. Their talents should be similar.
Rustle!
Suddenly, there was movement in the bushes in front of them. Gray's gaze focused and he was on guard.
He saw a brightly colored pheasant running out of the bushes in a panic. It must have been alerted by the movements of Gray and the others.
This pheasant was covered in red, blue, and green feathers. It was rather plump, probably because it lacked natural predators and had sufficient food.
Although there were hidden dangers, they were here to hunt after all. Naturally, it was impossible for them to not attack after seeing their prey.
Swoosh!
Gray took out an arrow and drew the bow. The arrow shot out like a black shadow.
Poof!
The arrow pierced through the pheasant's back forcefully and went straight down. Part of the arrow even pierced the ground.
Chapter 23
"Amazing!"
Sia looked at Gray in surprise. She had wanted to make a move just now, but she did not practice blood arts, so her reaction was not as fast as Gray's. That was why Gray beat her to it.
"Cough, cough, it's alright!"
Gray blushed at the girl's praise. That arrow probably had a lot to do with luck, because before this, neither he nor the original owner of this body had ever used a bow.
However, there was a kind of excitement in his heart, not because of the girl's praise, but because this was the first time he had hunted 'prey' in both his previous and current lives.
In his previous life, firearms and bows were strictly controlled, and there were many regulations to protect wild animals. There was once a university student who was sentenced for stealing a nest of bird eggs. Naturally, he did not dare to hunt, as he did not know what kind of nationally protected animal he had hunted.
However, he had heard of some artificial hunting grounds where there were all kinds of wild animals for people to hunt. There were even wild boars, but those were only for the rich. It was naturally impossible for an office worker like Gray to do so.
Chi!
He walked over and pulled out the arrow. He lifted the pheasant and weighed it in his hand. It was probably three to four kilograms, and was very plump.
Gray passed the pheasant to a guard beside him and threw away the arrow. The arrow was covered in blood, and Gray did not want his hands to be stained with blood.
Rustle! Rustle!
Rustle! The group set off again, searching for wild animals in the forest.
Whoosh!
Not long after, the bushes in front of them moved, and a gray-furred rabbit quickly jumped out and fled. Its speed was obviously faster than the pheasant from before.
Gray, Caroline, and Sia all took out arrows from the quiver on their backs and shot.
Chi!
Gray's arrow stabbed into the ground beside the rabbit. Two-thirds of the way in, and it was accompanied by a slight tremor.
His strength was sufficient, but he did not manage to hit the rabbit. Obviously, the arrow from before was mostly due to luck, and now he had recovered his true strength.
Pu!
Just as Gray was about to take out another arrow to continue shooting, he saw an arrow accurately hit the wild rabbit.
The arrow pierced through the hare's back and came out of its abdomen. It was the same as the arrow Gray shot at the pheasant. It also penetrated the prey and went into the soil. Obviously, the strength of this arrow was very strong.
"It wasn't me, it was Miss Caroline!"
Sia quickly walked over and glanced at the symbol on the arrow. She was slightly disappointed. Like Gray, she had missed as well. She had thought that she had hit the target.
"Hehe, it's your turn next time …"
Caroline walked over and pulled out the arrow. She lifted the hare and weighed it like Gray before handing it to the guard.
It was obvious that she enjoyed hunting as well.
The group continued to move forward and encountered other wild animals one after another. Not only were there wild rabbits and pheasants, there were even wild ducks and large birds with green feathers.
The three of them gained again. Sia finally gained something, and Gray gained something again.
Sia had practiced archery before and had a certain foundation in archery. Although Gray did not have any foundation in archery, he had the observational skills and insight of a low-level Blood Warrior. He could also hunt with some difficulty.
However, among the three of them, the one who gained the most was Caroline. With the observational skills and insight of a low-level Blood Warrior, coupled with a certain foundation in archery, Gray and Sia were naturally not as good as her.
After shooting so much prey, it was obvious that she could not hide the smile on her face.
This young lady who usually liked to quietly read books was also very interested in such an 'elegant' activity like hunting.
Looking at the prey in the hands of the other four guards, apart from Lord Lynd, most of which she had hunted, Caroline smiled again and said.
"Let's go back!"
"Okay."
Gray and Sia both replied. They did not know how the other groups had gained, but their group had gained a lot. Of course, most of it belonged to Caroline.
"What kind of books does Sister Caroline like to read?"
"I read all kinds of books, but I prefer biographical books like 'The Count of Cristo'."
"'The Count of Cristo'? It's in my family's library. I've read it before. Sigh, the love between the count and that commoner girl is really poignant. "
"Indeed, it's poignant …"
…
Due to the bountiful harvest, the few of them were in a good mood. They chatted as they returned, especially Sia and Caroline. They chatted quite happily. After a while, they addressed each other as "Sister Caroline."
Gray quietly listened to the conversation between the two. He would occasionally chime in, but most of the time, he was paying attention to the situation around him.
In his heart, he had a feeling that this hunt would not be peaceful, so he was extra vigilant.
After passing through a bush, they came to a place full of tall trees.
Suddenly.
Swoosh!
A black shadow shot out from the dense foliage of the tall trees at an unimaginably terrifying speed, shooting toward Gray.
Because he had been on guard and had never let his guard down, Gray noticed the black shadow shooting toward him. However, because it was too fast, he did not see what it was.
"Assassin!!!"
He dodged to the side by reflex.
"Gray, be careful!"
Caroline exclaimed.
Because she was chatting with Sia, she noticed the black shadow later than Gray. When she saw it, the black shadow was already one meter away from Gray.
"Not good, I can't dodge it!"
Gray, who had been dodging for a long time, was pale.
It happened too suddenly. He did not have time to mobilize Blood Force. For him, who had just become a Low-level Blood Warrior, it was impossible to mobilize Blood Force quickly. This was a common disadvantage of Low-level Blood Warriors.
Clang!
At this moment, just as the black shadow was about to hit Gray, a flash of light appeared, and the crisp sound of metal colliding rang out.
The black shadow was ejected, shooting toward the ground beside it. It was a completely black arrow.
After being ejected, the entire arrow had sunk into the ground, leaving only the arrow feather outside. One could imagine how fast this arrow was, and how powerful it was.
And the figure of the light could be seen clearly. It was the body of a sword, and the hilt of the sword was in the hands of a man with a black mustache. The man with the black mustache was none other than Lord Linde.
At the critical moment, he used the sword in his hand to knock away the arrow that was flying toward Gray.
"Protect the young masters and young ladies!"
After knocking away the arrow that was flying toward Gray, he ordered loudly with a serious expression.
The other four guards quickly abandoned the prey in their hands and pulled out the weapons at their waists, protecting Gray, Caroline, and Sia in the middle.
At this moment, in the direction where the arrow was shot, a figure jumped down from the dense foliage of the forest and pounced towards them.
It was a man with a bow on his back. The one who shot the arrow was probably him.
He wore a green battle suit, and his face was covered with a black cloth. Only a pair of brown eyes could be seen, and they were filled with cold killing intent.
Kacha!
He pulled out two short knives from his left and right legs, one in each hand, and rushed toward them.
Whoosh!
Holding a long sword, Lord Linde slashed at the man.
Clang!
The man who suddenly attacked blocked Lord Linde's sword with both knives in front of him.
The two men quickly exchanged blows. Lord Linde's movement speed was extremely fast. He appeared on his opponent's left and right, and the long sword in his hand stabbed at his opponent.
As for the man who suddenly attacked, although he was not as fast as Lord Linde, he was as agile as a monkey, jumping up and down.
He either blocked Lord Linde's sword with both knives, or twisted his body to avoid Lord Linde's sword.
For a moment, Lord Linde was not able to take down his opponent, and was instead being held back by him.
To be able to hold back Lord Linde, this man's strength was very likely that he was an upper-level blood warrior.
At this moment, from the other side of the forest, another man rushed out and attacked Gray and the others.
He was also wearing a green battle suit, and his face was covered with a black cloth. However, his body was much more muscular than the previous one. From Gray's estimation, this man was at least two meters tall.
Thump, thump, thump!
When the man ran, he was like a moving heavy tank. Every step he took left a clear footprint on the ground.
Two of the four guards guarding Gray and the other two immediately went to meet this man, and the standard long knives in their hands slashed at him.
Facing the long knives of the two guards, the burly man did not dodge. Instead, he clenched his hands into fists and punched out.
Clang!
The two fists collided with the two knives, and an ear-piercing metallic sound rang out.
On each of his hands, there was a metal glove.
Bang!
After swatting away the incoming weapons, the two metal gloved fists did not lose their momentum and fiercely hammered the bodies of the two guards.
The two guards were instantly sent flying backwards, and fell to the ground. They writhed in pain, and blood flowed from the corners of their mouths. Who knew how many of their ribs were broken.
The soldiers who could be selected as guards by the castle were obviously the best among the soldiers. However, they were just ordinary people who had undergone training after all. In addition, the burly Blood Warrior in front of them was obviously not an ordinary Lower Blood Warrior. Therefore, two of them had already been defeated in the first exchange.
"Young Master Gray, Miss Caroline, run!"
Seeing that two of their companions had been defeated in an instant, the other two guards hesitated for a moment, but had already rushed towards the burly man without hesitation.
Although they knew that they were no match for him, they were still elite soldiers, and did not retreat because of this.
"Split up and run, his target is me!"
After saying this, Gray turned and ran.
The burly man's strength was obviously not that of an ordinary low-level blood warrior, and he had no intention of fighting with the burly man at all.
However, after running a few steps, he realized that there was someone following behind him. It was Caroline. She did not run separately, and instead planned to run together with Gray.
"We can take care of each other!"
She opened her mouth to speak in response to Gray's strange gaze.
The two of them did not say anything more, and quickly ran in the direction of the dense forest. There should have been many groups returning from outside the forest, and there should be quite a number of guards. As long as they could escape there, the burly man should not be able to do anything to them. After all, there were so many ants that they could even bite an elephant to death.
Thump, thump, thump!
However, the two of them had not run more than a hundred meters when a rumbling sound came from behind them.
Chapter 24
Thump, thump, thump!
The burly man looked clumsy, but his movement speed was not slow. With a body of over two meters, every step he took was close to two meters. The distance between him and the two of them was quickly closing. Soon, the distance between them was less than ten meters.
"There's no escape!"
Understanding that there was no time to escape from the dense forest, Gray decisively turned around and pounced towards the burly man.
Since there was no escape, then he would fight!
His heart pounded, as if it would burst like a balloon at any time. However, Gray suppressed the fear in his heart and pounced towards the burly man.
As an adult, at this time, he displayed a strong mental fortitude. Although it was very likely that he would not be a match for his opponent, even if it meant death, he would at least try to put up a fight.
If he did not even put up a fight, then he really would not have the slightest chance of survival.
As he ran, he bent down and pulled out a dagger that was twenty centimeters long from his left boot.
Because he was on guard, he had made some preparations. This dagger was what he had prepared to deal with any unexpected situations.
This was already the limit of what he could prepare. After all, he was only an illegitimate child. Even if he had been favored, it had only been in the last three months. Naturally, he did not have anything like soft armor with strong defense.
Pulling out the dagger and holding it in his right hand, Gray's heart pounded wildly, but at the same time, he could not help but tremble slightly. There was nervousness, but also a trace of an inexplicable emotion similar to anticipation.
At this moment, the body that Gray had fused with, the original owner's innate combat talent was extremely active, thirsting for battle.
"Hmph, your courage is commendable …"
Seeing Gray pouncing towards him with a dagger in hand, the burly man's face under the black cloth revealed a trace of a sinister smile, as well as a trace of contempt.
An illegitimate child of a small noble family who had not even had his coming of age ceremony actually dared to resist him, an upper-level Blood Warrior who had experienced hundreds of battles. He did have some courage, but it was futile.
He stomped on the ground, leaving a heavy footprint on the ground. His burly bear-like body shot out like a cannonball, leaping high into the air. Then, he punched down from above, fiercely hammering at Gray who was charging at him.
"Phew …"
Gray's heart pounded even more fiercely as he looked at the huge fist that was as big as a sandbag, bringing with it a terrifying whistling sound as it descended from the sky and pounded towards him. However, the trace of desire in his heart became even more intense, spreading out and actually suppressing most of the nervousness in his heart.
Battle talent was born for battle. Only in a real battle would it be fully unleashed.
Unlike the battle with Elise, there was nothing to worry about in that battle.
He knew that Viscount Fergus wouldn't let him be injured or killed. However, things were different now. There was no Viscount Fergus here, only an enemy who wanted to kill him.
In such a desperate situation, his combat talent was stimulated to the greatest extent.
Whoosh!
Gray channeled the Blood Force into his legs and moved horizontally like a gust of wind.
Rumble!
The sandbag-sized iron fist smashed into the ground.
The ground trembled violently. Mud, weeds, and leaves flew everywhere. A shallow pit appeared on the ground. The burly man was half-squatting beside the pit. His fist, which was wearing a metal glove, was embedded in the pit.
Whoosh!
Behind him, a figure appeared. It was Gray.
Different Blood Arts could cultivate different Blood Force. Gray's Blood Art, which was cultivated through the Wind Wolf, had a mediocre increase in defense and strength. However, the increase in speed was extremely great.
Relying on this short burst of speed, he dodged the burly man's fist and circled behind him.
Whoosh!
Holding the dagger in his hand, Gray's face flashed with a rarely seen ruthlessness. He channeled the Blood Force into his right hand and ruthlessly stabbed towards the burly man's exposed neck.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary office worker. In this life, he had no experience in killing people. However, when forced into a dead end, even a rabbit would bite, let alone a human.
In this kind of situation, it was either you die or I die. Gray naturally didn't want to die, so killing his opponent was his only choice.
Whoosh!
The dagger quickly approached the burly man.
The physical fitness of a Low-level Blood Warrior wasn't bad to begin with. In addition to the slight increase in strength from the Blood Force, the power of his dagger was extraordinary. Gray estimated that as long as he could stab him, the burly man would die without a doubt.
However, at this moment, just as his dagger was about to stab the burly man, the burly man suddenly turned around and looked at him with contempt.
Then, the burly man's thick arm punched out with a thunderous momentum towards Gray's dagger.
His glove was made of metal, so he wasn't afraid of the dagger's sharpness.
However, an unexpected scene occurred again.
Whoosh!
Gray's figure flickered again and quickly moved to the burly man's side. The dagger changed from a stab to a slash, cutting towards the burly man's neck.
He had used the last trace of the Blood Force. At this point, his Blood Force was completely exhausted.
Moreover, this movement just now was also within his calculations. He was already prepared to mobilize the Blood Force. Otherwise, under the burly man's fist, he wouldn't have the time to mobilize the Blood Force.
That's right, he had already guessed that the burly man would be able to react and block his attack from behind. The previous attack was just a feint. This was his "killer move".
"Not good …"
Gray actually changed directions midway and appeared on his side. This indeed shocked the burly man.
It was too late to turn around and block. The burly man twisted his body, causing his neck to be forcefully displaced to a certain extent.
Poof!
The dagger slashed across the burly man's body. However, because of the twisting of his body, it slashed the shoulder of the burly man's combat armor, leaving a deep scratch.
Boom!
Then, the burly man's fist immediately turned around and punched Gray who was on his side.
Whoosh!
The attack he had pinned his hopes on was dodged. With the Blood Force exhausted, Gray had no time to dodge. He could only sweep his dagger out to block the punch.
Clang!
The iron fist collided with the dagger. The terrifying impact transmitted from the dagger to Gray's right hand, causing his right hand to become completely numb. The dagger in his hand flew out, and he staggered to the ground.
"You're not bad. You actually almost hurt me …"
The burly man turned around and looked at Gray with a slightly surprised gaze.
There was a gap of two levels between a high-ranking Blood Warrior and a low-ranking Blood Warrior. Under normal circumstances, it would be a completely one-sided situation.
However, he didn't expect that he would almost be hurt by his opponent. If not for the protection of his combat armor, he would probably have been injured by now.
Although he was surprised, the movements of his hands didn't stop because of this. After turning around, he immediately smashed his fist toward Gray's head. The grayish-black metal gloves quickly enlarged in Gray's eyes.
"Gray …"
Caroline, who was rushing over, shouted anxiously. She wanted to attack the burly man and force him to give up on attacking Gray, but it was already too late.
When Gray had rushed toward the burly man, she had hesitated for a moment.
Gray might not be clear about the difference between a low-ranking Blood Warrior and a high-ranking Blood Warrior, but she, who had received the most orthodox training from the Ferguson family, knew that two low-ranking Blood Warriors would never be a match for a high-ranking Blood Warrior.
Although she had only hesitated for a moment before immediately rushing toward the burly man, this short moment had created a gap between her and Gray and the burly man. She could only watch helplessly as the burly man's fist struck toward Gray.
"Is this the difference between a high-ranking Blood Warrior and a high-ranking Blood Warrior?"
The fist continued to enlarge in his eyes. Gray frantically tried to save himself, but the blood power in his body had already been exhausted. Even if it hadn't been completely exhausted, it was already too late to mobilize it in such a short period of time.
He could only try his best to lean his body to the side, but this movement seemed to be in slow motion against the burly man's fist.
It was obviously too late. The fist was about to smash into his head. His skull would shatter and his brain would explode.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of wind rustling could be heard in the mountain forest that had been completely silent.
"Hah —"
Following that, a loud shout rang out. It was like a sharp wolf's howl. The sound carried a terrifying penetrating power, spreading out and spreading throughout the entire Stone Forest.
Then, a green blade-shaped light appeared, shooting out at an unimaginable speed. In the blink of an eye, it struck the burly man's body.
Poof!
The green armor on the burly man's body, which Gray's dagger had previously been unable to penetrate, was torn apart like paper, revealing a clear crack that spread across the entire torso.
Blood spurted out from the crack, splattering several meters away. Quite a lot of it splattered on Gray, who was sprawled on the ground, staining his light gray riding attire red.
The burly man, on the other hand, was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree with a thud. He slid down weakly.
The black cloth covering his face fell, revealing a boorish, square face. His square face was filled with fear, confusion, and realization.
"Blade … of … Wind? That's … how … could it be? "
Because of his heavy injuries, his voice was intermittent. Even Gray, who was rather close to him, couldn't clearly hear what he was saying.
Pa, pa, pa!
A figure walked out from the dense forest. He wore a light yellow noble robe with a wolf symbol embroidered on the sleeves. He had a head full of golden hair and a chiseled face.
"Father …"
Caroline cried out in alarm, her face filled with disbelief. She really didn't expect Viscount Fergus to appear at such a crucial moment.
"Father …"
Gray, who had already stood up, was also filled with shock.
Although he had already guessed that it was Viscount Ferguson when he heard the shout and the green blade of wind, he still couldn't help but be surprised when he saw him appear in front of him.
"Mm, you did well!"
Viscount Ferguson nodded at Gray and Caroline before walking towards the burly man who was paralyzed on the ground.
Gray only now noticed that there was another figure behind Viscount Fogus. He also had a head full of golden hair, but he wore a black riding attire. Although his face was similar, he was much younger. It was Bernal.
"Big … brother … Bernal …"
Gray called out with a slightly dazed expression.
He originally thought that all of this was Bernal's plan, but what was going on now?
Chapter 25
"Are you alright?"
Bernal showed his usual warm smile as he greeted Gray.
"I'm, I'm fine."
Gray shook his head. When the dagger had been knocked away by the burly man, his right hand had been sprained a little, but it wasn't serious.
On the contrary, the thick smell of blood on his body made him very uncomfortable. However, after taking the blood of a blood fiend twice, he had a certain level of resistance to the smell of blood.
However, he still didn't understand what was going on. What kind of power was behind the scenes that wanted to kill him?
To be able to send out two high-ranked blood warriors, their power was definitely not small. At the very least, an average baron's family wouldn't be able to afford two high-ranked blood warriors.
On the other side, Viscount Fergus had already walked to the burly man's side.
"Leiden Heck, it really is you."
The burly man's figure was too obvious. The moment he saw the burly man, Ferguson had already guessed his identity.
"Fergus … Viscount, what a scheme. And that person … He's not an ordinary person either. To actually be able to resist … the temptation of a noble title."
The burly man was bleeding profusely, and there was a large puddle of blood under him. The soil had already been dyed red. He looked weakly at Viscount Fergus as he spoke.
Evidently, he had already figured out why Viscount Fergus would appear here.
"Then you can only blame yourselves for finding the wrong person. The Fergus family would never betray their own people."
Viscount Fergus said with a cold expression.
"Indeed … I didn't expect …"
The burly man laughed self-mockingly.
"Did the Oliver family instruct you to do this?"
Viscount Fergus didn't want to discuss this matter any further and directly asked in a cold voice.
"No … it's …"
The burly man shook his head with difficulty.
"Do you think you can fool me? What, you want to take the blame for the Oliver family before you die? "
Viscount Fergus snorted coldly, clearly not believing the burly man's words.
"Cough, cough. Since you know … I'm about to die, then don't … waste your energy."
The burly man coughed a few times and spat out a few mouthfuls of blood. He grew weaker and weaker until he finally stopped breathing.
Wind Blade was a powerful skill that could only be used after one's strength had reached the level of a Ferocious Warrior after practicing Wind Wolf.
This was the killing move that Viscount Fergus relied on. Even a Ferocious Blood Warrior could be seriously injured or even killed by this attack, let alone an upper-level Blood Warrior.
"Dead …?!"
Looking at the dead burly man, Gray's face turned pale. Something was churning in his stomach, but he forced it down.
This was the first time he had seen someone die in front of him. However, it was the soul of an adult after all. He forced himself to endure, and in the end, he managed to endure it.
He shifted his gaze to the side. In order to divert his attention, he thought about the conversation between Viscount Fergus and the burly man.
He was quite concerned about the content of their conversation. Firstly, from the burly man's words, the other party seemed to have found a mole in the Fergus family to assist them in completing this assassination.
Listening to the two of them, this mole did not become their mole as the burly man had thought. Instead, he reported this matter to Viscount Fergus, and Viscount Fergus took the opportunity to set a trap and lure the burly man and the others out.
Gray already had some guesses about the person who had been chosen as the mole. Although he did not understand why it involved a noble title, he had come to hunt because of Bernal's invitation. Therefore, Bernal was definitely the mole.
Now that he thought about it, Viscount Fergus had forced him to participate in this hunt. His actions could be said to be rather strange. It turned out that he had such a plan in mind.
"I can clearly feel that Bernal has a deep enmity towards me. I just didn't think that he would actually make such a decision at such a crucial moment …"
Gray's impression of Boral had changed quite a bit. He had originally been on guard against him as the mastermind behind the scenes, but he had suddenly discovered that Boral was not the mastermind behind the scenes. Furthermore, he had actually thwarted an assassination attempt on him. Gray's feelings were inexplicably complicated.
"Listening to the burly man's words, Bernal and I seem to be involved in a noble title. Could it be that Viscount Fergus intends for me to inherit the title?"
Gray was surprised by his own conjecture. He had read many books in the library during this period of time, and knew that illegitimate children did not have the right to inherit. If he wanted to pass the title to an illegitimate child, there would definitely be a lot of resistance. He did not think that Viscount Fergus would actually intend to do so.
"Putting aside whether or not Viscount Fergus intends to pass the title to me, why would the Oliver Family target me?"
He could not come to a conclusion about the title for the time being, so Gray did not think too much about it for now. In fact, he had never considered inheriting the title. He was thinking about the 'mastermind behind the scenes' he had heard from the two of them.
"Is it because the Oliver Family has an old enmity with the Fergus family, or is it because of some other reason?"
"Moreover, why would the assassination attempt be on me, an illegitimate child, and not Bernal, the first successor to the title?"
Gray thought hard.
"My greatest advantage over Bernal is probably my talent for cultivation. In other words, the Oliver Family is targeting me because of my talent for cultivation."
"It's very likely that the Oliver Family does not want me to mature, and is preparing to kill me before I can mature? But is the reason really so simple? "
Although he had already guessed the reason why the Oliver Family wanted to assassinate him, Gray felt that it was not that simple. He kept feeling that there was a deeper reason, but with the amount of information he had, it was not enough to make a judgment.
He looked at Bernal and asked.
"Brother Bernal, what kind of family is the Oliver Family?"
"The Oliver Family is a viscount family in the east of our territory. Like us, they were also enfeoffed by the Sidney Marquis family."
Bernal looked at Gray with a complicated expression and explained.
"This man is a lord enfeoffed by the Oliver Family. That's why Father is certain that the Oliver Family is behind the assassination attempt."
"Is the relationship between our family and the Oliver Family very bad?"
Gray asked with a frown.
"It's not good or bad. The various families often work together, but they are also often enemies. This is very common among noble families."
Bernal nodded and then shook his head.
"I see …"
Gray did not fully understand, but he could roughly understand the meaning.
The relationship between nobles was sometimes close, but sometimes it was as if they were mortal enemies. Everything was driven by benefits, so it was very difficult to come to a conclusion about the relationship between two noble families.
However, with the information he had, it was still not enough for him to determine the deeper reason why the Oliver Family wanted to assassinate him.
* Rustle rustle rustle! *
Following the sound of bushes being pulled apart, a man with a small mustache walked over. When he saw Viscount Fergus, he bowed respectfully and greeted him.
"Lord Viscount."
This man was Lord Lynd, who had been stopped by a high-ranked Blood Warrior. He was not surprised by Viscount Fergus's appearance. Evidently, he had already heard of the plan.
"Mm."
Viscount Fergus nodded slightly and asked.
"He escaped?"
"Yes. After hearing the sounds of fighting here, he turned and fled. I was unable to stop him."
Lord Lynd replied, and then his gaze turned to the corpse of the burly man beside him.
"It really is Leiden Heck …"
He quickly recognized the burly man's identity and turned to the viscount, asking, "What's the matter?
"Lord Viscount, how should we deal with this matter?"
"Tell all the families in the fief to gather at the castle tomorrow and follow me to the Oliver Family. They actually dared to assassinate a member of the Fergus family. We must make the Oliver Family give us an explanation for this!"
A dangerous aura emanated from Viscount Fogus as he snorted coldly like an enraged lion.
"Young Master Gray, Miss Caroline, that's great! You're both fine!"
Not long after, Sia, who was in the same group as Gray, came over with a large group of guards along with the other nobles.
After parting ways with Gray and Caroline and discovering that they weren't being pursued, Sia immediately ran to the rendezvous point outside the Shattered Stone Forest to call for reinforcements to save Gray and Caroline.
Hearing her words and knowing that Gray and Caroline were being pursued, all the nobles present were extremely worried. After all, if anything happened to Gray and Caroline, they would definitely be implicated. Thus, they brought their own guards to rescue them without any hesitation.
Ian Ricardo, in particular, was extremely worried. He was the one who had initiated this hunt. If anything happened, he would definitely bear the responsibility.
"Greetings, Lord Viscount …"
Someone with sharp eyes saw Viscount Fergus and hurriedly bowed.
The others also hurriedly bowed when they saw him.
Knowing that Gray and Caroline were being pursued, all their attention was on the two of them. Instead, they didn't immediately notice Viscount Fergus.
"Thank you for coming to rescue Gray and Caroline. But don't worry, the assassins have been killed."
Fergus restrained the anger on his face and maintained his usual dignity as he spoke.
"It's what we should do …"
The nobles all said respectfully.
Chapter 26
The hunt ended abruptly and an assassination attempt occurred. Even though only four of the Fergus family's guards were seriously injured, no one was in the mood to continue hunting.
On the other hand, Gray and the others ate many delicious wild animals that night.
The hunted animals were brought back and meticulously cooked by the castle's chefs. Because these animals were not force-fed, the taste was much more delicious than usual.
After dinner, Viscount Fergus called Gray alone to the study.
The purple moonlight was outside, and the oil lamp in the study emitted a bright light. Bursts of incense wafted out.
There was a small brown round table with four brown wooden chairs nearby. At this moment, Viscount Fergus was sitting on one of the chairs, while Gray was sitting on the other. There was a cup of milk tea in front of the two of them, and the servants had already been dismissed.
Viscount Fergus took a sip of the milk tea. After putting it down, he looked at Gray and spoke.
"You have a lot of questions in your heart, don't you?"
"Yes."
Gray did not deny it. He did have too many questions.
Was Bernal the spy?
Why did Viscount Fergus want to pass the title to the original owner of this body and not to his eldest son, Bernal?
Why did the Oliver family want to assassinate him?
"A few days ago, someone found Bernal and bewitched him to lure you out of the castle to assassinate you. However, Bernal was not bewitched by them. Instead, he reported this matter to me, and I formulated a plan to uncover the mastermind …"
Viscount Fergus said slowly. From his words, he confirmed Gray's previous guess. Bernal was indeed the spy the Oliver family had found.
However, the Oliver family did not expect that Bernal was not bewitched. Instead, he reported this matter to Viscount Fergus, and there was a follow-up plan to 'lure the snake out of its hole', uncovering the mastermind behind the Oliver family.
After explaining the general situation, Viscount Fergus asked.
"What else do you want to ask?"
"Why is Big Brother Bernal so hostile towards me?"
This was a rare opportunity, so Gray decided to ask the question that had been bothering him.
He wasn't afraid that Viscount Fergus would be unhappy. Since Viscount Fergus said so, he must have a plan to say it.
"Because I'm preparing to pass my title to you, and it should have belonged to him."
Without avoiding this rather sharp question, Viscount Fergus looked deeply at Gray and said.
"Why?"
"Because you're more suitable than him. You can bring the family to greater heights."
"A step further?"
Gray keenly sensed that this word had an unusual meaning.
"Yes, go one step further."
Viscount Fergus nodded. He did not know if it was an illusion, but Gray seemed to be able to see a trace of passion in his eyes.
"The Fergus family is now a viscount family. If we go one step further, wouldn't it be a count family?"
Gray suddenly recalled that he had once read in a miscellaneous book in the library. In order to prevent the weakening of the overall strength of the kingdom, the kingdom issued a general decree on the enfeoffment and inheritance of titles.
There was a hard rule that the title of count could only be conferred to the rank of Berserker or above. Moreover, if the three successive successors of the title in the family did not reach the rank of Berserker, the title would be downgraded.
Viscount Fergus's strength clearly had not reached the rank of Berserker, and at his current age, if there was no special opportunity, the possibility of further advancement was not high.
And with the talent displayed by the original owner of the body, it was possible to become the first Berserker of the Fergus family. Then, thinking that the Fergus family wanted to pass the title to the original owner of the body, everything made sense.
Viscount Fergus wanted to let the strength of the original owner of the body reach the rank of Berserker, and through accumulating military merits, let the family go one step further and push the family to the position of count.
"There's actually such a reason …"
The reason for Bernal's enmity towards the original owner of the body, and the reason why Viscount Fergus wanted to pass the title to the original owner of the body, had already been clarified.
Of course, the one in this body was no longer the original youth, and he had not thought about whether or not he wanted to inherit the title. At least, he did not want to consider this question for the time being. Gray asked another question that he urgently wanted to know.
"Then why does the Oliver family want to assassinate me?"
"Because of the fight for the title of count."
"Fight for the title of count?"
Gray's face was full of shock, understanding, puzzlement, and doubt.
He suddenly understood why the Oliver family deliberately wanted to kill him. It turned out that the original owner of the body was actually involved in the fight for the title of count between the two families.
He did not understand why the Fergus family and the Oliver family would have a fight for the title of count. Wasn't the title of count awarded according to military merits? The two families were both viscounts of the Marquis family of Sidney. They should not be able to fight for the title of count, right?
Without rushing to answer Gray's question, Viscount Fergus asked instead.
"Do you know how many counts and viscounts there are in total in the Marquis of Sidney?"
"Two counts and six viscounts."
This was what Gray asked Caroline on the way back after the assassination attempt today.
The two count families were the Smalley family and the Ford family. The viscount families were the six families including the Fergus family: the Fergus family, the Oliver family, the Rychens family, the Shelley family, the Rock family, and the Bessemer family.
"Then do you know how many counts a Marquis family can have?"
Viscount Fergus continued to ask.
"Three …?!"
After saying this, Gray's face froze for a moment. Then, he revealed a look of realization. He finally understood why the Fergus family and the Oliver family had a fight for the title of count.
"Yes, there is only one count left, but there are six viscounts. Do you think the Oliver family wants to see you grow?"
Viscount Fergus said with a smile.
"No."
Grey shook his head. He finally understood why the Fergus family and the Oliver family had fought so fiercely, to the point that even their lords had died in battle. It was all for the sole remaining count's position.
If he could not kill the other side's descendant with the potential to become a berserker and let the other side cultivate a berserker first, then even if his own family cultivated a berserker later, it would be useless. No wonder the Oliver family tried to assassinate him.
"Alright, I've told you everything you need to know. Come with me to the Oliver family tomorrow. We must make the Oliver family give us an explanation for this assassination. Otherwise, similar assassinations will continue."
Viscount Fergus clearly wanted to kill the Oliver family as an example to others.
… …
On top of a steep hill, a majestic green-gray castle stood.
Three sides were steep cliffs. The only side that could be passed through was a tall and sturdy wall and an arrow tower.
This was the Oliver family's castle.
The Purple Moon Kingdom had a lot of hills. There were many similar steep hills in the kingdom. Therefore, most of the Purple Moon Kingdom's noble castles were built on steep hills. It was very easy to defend and hard to attack.
A man with a pair of brown-yellow eyes wearing a green battle suit hurriedly entered the Oliver family and was led to an elegantly decorated living room.
The room was decorated elegantly and had a noble taste. There were carvings, murals, and runic lamps. Every item was expensive, but the man in the green battle suit was not in the mood to appreciate them. Instead, he had an anxious look on his face.
He was the high-ranked Blood Warrior who had fought with Lord Lynd today. He had heard the commotion on Viscount Fergus' side and fled.
* Clap clap clap! *
The sound of footsteps approached, and a brown-haired man in purple noble robes walked over.
The man had a brown beard and an ordinary face. He was not very tall, but he stood upright and gave off a dignified feeling.
"Lord Viscount!"
Seeing the brown-haired man, the man in the green battle suit hurriedly stood up and bowed. The brown-haired man was Viscount Oliver, Waters Oliver.
"Mm, why … are you the only one back? Where's Layton? "
Seeing that the man in the green battle suit was alone, Waters frowned slightly and asked.
"My Lord, we failed. We fell into Viscount Fergus's trap. Layton is most likely dead."
The man in the green battle suit had an ugly expression.
"Fell into Viscount Fergus's trap?"
Waters raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Yes, Viscount Fergus suddenly appeared in the middle of the assassination. Although I did not see him in person, judging from the commotion of the battle, it should have been him."
The man in the green battle suit hurriedly said.
"Is there a problem with Bernal's part?"
Waters asked as he gestured for the man in the green battle suit to sit down.
"That should be the case. We used trustworthy people in all aspects. The only one who might have a problem could only be Bernard, the spy."
The man in the green battle suit said with certainty.
"Then we underestimated him. To be able to resist the temptation of a noble title, that fellow Emerson is quite lucky. All his children are so outstanding. Bernal is like that, and that bastard called Gray is even more so."
Waters sighed slightly.
"My Lord, what do we do now?"
The man in the green battle suit asked with a serious expression.
This time, the Oliver family had assassinated a member of the Fergus family and was even discovered by the Fergus family. A territorial war was probably unavoidable.
"Inform all the nobles in the territory to gather the troops at the castle tomorrow. It won't be easy to quell Emerson's anger this time."
Waters leaned on his arm as he pondered.
"Yes, I'll go inform them now."
Chapter 27
he next morning, more than 300 cavalrymen gathered outside of Viscount Fergus's castle.
Their neat formation and their temperament, which had been baptized by the battlefield, made them appear majestic and imposing.
At the front of the 300 cavalrymen were 16 men in battle attire. Some of them were middle-aged, while others were young.
These were the two barons, six lords, and their heirs. Lord Linde was in charge of the castle's defense, so he wasn't present.
Viscount Fergus rode his crimson horse, which was as fast as a blood fiend, towards this group of people. Behind him, Gray, Bernal, and Elise were all in battle attire and riding their horses.
This territorial battle was an opportunity for actual combat, so Viscount Fergus brought along Gray and the other two, with the exception of Caroline.
Although women could also practice blood techniques, they would rarely follow their masters into battle. Those who did follow their masters into battle were usually people with outstanding talent.
Viscount Fergus obviously didn't think that Caroline was such an outstanding talent, so he didn't plan to nurture Caroline's battle experience.
"Greetings, Lord Viscount!"
Seeing the arrival of Viscount Fergus and the rest, the 16 men in battle attire at the front of the 300 cavalrymen all dismounted from their horses. They held the reins in their left hands and placed their right hands in front of their chests. They bowed to Viscount Fergus.
"Mm, not bad. Let's go!"
Viscount Fergus sized up the 16 men, especially the young faces. He nodded in satisfaction when he saw that these people were full of fighting spirit and didn't seem to be uneasy about going to the battlefield.
The 16 men mounted their horses and the entire group moved in unison.
Dust and dirt flew backwards like yellow smoke. The horses galloped like an unstoppable flood towards the east of the territory. That was the direction of Viscount Oliver's territory.
Gray rode on the black warhorse he had ridden before. Now, this horse had become his personal horse, but of course, it was only temporary.
According to his agreement with Viscount Fergus, once his strength reached the level of a middle-rank blood warrior in two years, Viscount Fergus would gift him a crimson horse that was as fast as a blood fiend. At that time, this horse could be retired.
His current cultivation speed was still very fast due to the fact that the transformation had yet to disappear. Up until now, he was able to maintain the first posture for the third time for eight minutes. In a few more days, he should be able to completely complete the first posture for the third time.
Based on this speed, Gray estimated that his strength would increase to that of a middle-rank blood warrior in three months.
Right now, he was rather hesitant about whether or not he should tell Viscount Fergus about this matter after his strength had risen to middle-level Blood Warrior. After all, this kind of speed of advancement was really too terrifying, far surpassing the talent that the body's original owner had displayed before.
Although he wanted to display his talent so that Viscount Fergus would think highly of him, wouldn't it be too much to show everything?
At the same time, he had been thinking about the metamorphosis of his body these past few days.
The metamorphosis had appeared because of the blood fiend's blood, so the metamorphosis must be related to the blood fiend's blood. His strength was rapidly approaching that of the wind wolf, which provided the blood fiend's blood. Could he have the ability to absorb the characteristics of other creatures and then use them as a blueprint to reforge his body?
Simply put, if he swallowed the blood of other creatures, his body would be able to grow to the same level of strength as the creature in a very short time.
Of course, this was only Gray's own conjecture. Whether or not this was the case would require further training to confirm. At the same time, he also wanted to know what would happen if he swallowed the blood of other blood fiends other than the wind wolf.
"Young Master Bernal, Young Master Gray, Young Master Elise."
A young man dressed in brown battle attire rode his horse towards Gray and the others. The man had light brown hair, a medium build, and a somewhat handsome face. It was Ian Ricardo of the Ricardo family.
Riding on their horses, Gray and the other two nodded to the other party. The other party continued to ride his horse and approached Gray's side before opening his mouth to speak.
"Young Master Gray, I'm truly sorry about yesterday's matter. I didn't think that the hunt I organized would be used by the Oliver family to assassinate you, Young Master Gray."
Ian had an apologetic expression as he spoke.
"Big Brother Ian, you don't have to blame yourself. Even if you didn't organize this hunt, the Fergus family would still find other opportunities to assassinate me."
Gray shook his head.
In fact, the most unfortunate person in this matter was probably Ian Ricardo. He had spent a lot of effort to organize a hunt out of goodwill, but in the end, he was met with an unexpected calamity and encountered an assassination attempt.
Not only did he not gain any benefits, but he also caused the other nobles to feel some resentment towards him. After all, the assassination attempt happened during the hunt he organized. No matter what, he had a certain degree of responsibility.
"Many thanks for Young Master Gray's understanding."
Ian heaved a sigh of relief.
If it was before yesterday, he probably wouldn't treat Gray so seriously.
But from the fact that the Viscount knew that the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Gray was the Oliver family and brazenly launched a territorial war against the Oliver family, he could already see that Viscount Fergus valued Gray more than Bernal. The rumor that Viscount Fergus wanted Gray to inherit his title was very likely true.
"It's fine. In fact, apart from encountering the annoying assassination attempt yesterday, I also had a lot of fun."
Gray smiled. This was the truth. This was the first time in both his previous and current lives that he had enjoyed the pleasure of hunting. He inexplicably liked this matter that didn't have a Wildlife Protection Order.
"Mm, you had a lot of fun. It's a pity that I was called over by my father as soon as I arrived at the Stone Slope Forest yesterday. I didn't have a chance to hunt at all."
Bernal joked from the side.
"Then let's have Big Brother Ian organize another one!"
Because of yesterday's matter, Gray's impression of Bernal had changed quite a bit. Seeing Bernal joking, he couldn't help but smile.
"Okay, no problem. I'll organize another one when we return this time."
Ian also smiled and said.
"I'm in favor of organizing another one, but please don't attract any more assassins …"
Bernal said with hidden bitterness. After saying this, the three of them couldn't help but laugh.
Three hours later, the group had already left Viscount Fergus' territory and entered Viscount Oliver's territory.
Viscount Fergus' territory wasn't considered small. It was a full 3000 square kilometres, and the roads were rugged. However, it was still traversed within three hours.
Not only were there extraordinary creatures like blood fiends in this world, but the endurance and running speed of ordinary horses were also much more valiant than in his previous life.
Traveling a thousand miles in a day was no longer a legend, but a reality. For example, Viscount Fergus' Crimson Blood Horse could achieve this, and even surpass it.
"Da da da!"
After entering Viscount Oliver's territory, the group would occasionally pass by some fields and villages.
The group of more than 300 cavalrymen brimmed with killing intent. As they passed by, they kicked up a cloud of dust.
The commoners in the fields were so frightened that they threw away their hoes and fled. As for the villages that they passed by, they hid in their simple wooden houses and secretly observed Gray's group through the gaps in the wooden boards.
Their gazes were filled with fear, curiosity, surprise, doubt, and worry.
As lowly commoners, any action of the nobles that ruled them could bring disaster to them. Just like now, if it was a nobleman with a more vile character, he might have already tortured and killed these commoners in the Oliver Family's territory.
Fortunately, Viscount Fergus didn't. Although he was unhappy that the Oliver Family had tried to assassinate Gray, Viscount Fergus clearly didn't intend to vent his anger on these commoners. The group of cavalrymen passed by the fields and villages, heading towards the central region of Viscount Oliver's territory.
However, after half an hour, the group was forced to stop. This was because another group had appeared in front of them.
This was also a group of cavalrymen. They were slightly more numerous than Gray's group, around 400 people.
At the front of this group of cavalrymen, there were more than ten men in battle attire riding tall horses. They were brimming with killing intent as they looked at Gray's group.
The leader was dressed in brown metal battle attire. His face was ordinary, and he had a brown beard. He wasn't very tall, but he looked rather capable.
He was sitting on a horse with pure black hair. Compared to the black horse that Gray was riding, it was longer and taller at the shoulders.
Chapter 28
"Waters, I thought you would hole up in your castle."
Viscount Fergus rode his horse to the front of the group and snorted coldly.
"Viscount Fergus has graced us with his presence. Of course I have to come out to welcome him!"
The man in brown armor was the head of the Oliver Family, Waters Oliver. He had a faint smile on his face, as if he didn't see the 300 or so ferocious cavalrymen led by Viscount Fergus at all. It was as if they were really here to welcome guests.
"Waters, put away your hypocrisy. You actually dared to send people to assassinate a member of the Fergus family. This time, you will pay the price for your actions!"
Viscount Fergus said coldly.
"Assassinate? I think you're mistaken. The Oliver family has never sent people to assassinate a member of the Fergus family. "
Waters had an innocent expression.
"Then how do you explain Leiden Hecht?"
Viscount Fergus snorted coldly.
"That's his personal behavior. It has nothing to do with the Oliver family."
Waters said, trying to distance himself from the matter.
Although many noble families did assassinate members of other families with potential, they would never admit it. This was because noble law did not allow it.
"Hmph, do you think I'll believe such words?"
Viscount Fergus's expression was cold.
"I know it's hard to convince you, but that's the truth. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."
A trace of ridicule appeared at the corner of Waters's mouth.
"On the contrary, I want to remind you. Is it really good to start a territorial war so lightly? After this battle, the strength of both our sides will definitely be damaged, and the strength of the other four viscounts will probably surpass ours. "
"Hmph, I know that even if you don't say it. However, there's your Oliver family this time. Next time, there will be the Rychens family, the Shelley family … …"
Viscount Fergus's eyes were cold.
"If I don't do something, you'll really think the Fergus family is easy to bully!"
"Looks like you're determined to start a Territory War. Very well, let's see if your Wind Wolf Blood Technique or my Fire Lizard Blood Technique is stronger."
Waters withdrew the smile on his face, and his expression turned completely cold. His gaze met Viscount Fergus' gaze, and there seemed to be invisible lightning flashing in the air.
Tap, tap, tap!
Almost at the same time, two warhorses, one red and one black, galloped towards each other.
The terrifying burst of speed was like two streaks of light rapidly approaching each other. The speed of the two horses was actually about the same. The black warhorse that Waters was riding was actually a precious warhorse that was comparable to a Piercing Blood Horse.
Crack!
Both of them drew their weapons. Viscount Fergus held a cyan longsword in his hand, while Waters held a fiery red machete.
Clang!
The two weapons, one green and one red, collided together, and a terrifying sound effect spread out from the center of the collision.
Pa, pa, pa!
Hit by the terrifying impact, the two warhorses could not help but take a few steps back, leaving a few deep and shallow hoofprints on the ground. But in the next moment, under the urging of the two, they closed in on each other.
Fortunately, the two warhorses were not ordinary warhorses. If they had been ordinary warhorses, even if they did not die on the spot, their legs would have been broken.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Cold light flashed, and in a few moments, the two had already exchanged more than ten blows.
Either you attack and I block, or I attack and you block. Every time the two made a move, there would be a terrifying sound in the air. The power and speed of the two's attacks surpassed the martial arts masters in Gray's previous life, and the limits of the human body in his previous life.
If a martial arts master from his previous life appeared in front of these two, he might not even be able to block one of their attacks.
"Charge …"
"Kill …"
When Viscount Fergus and Waters charged towards the other side, the cavalry behind them also charged forward. Like two torrents, they charged towards the other side.
Gray, Ellis, and Bernal were also among the charging troops. Only, there were people wearing battle armor faintly circling around them. Clearly, this was to protect them.
Clang, clang, clang!
The two torrents collided, and the sound of weapons clashing could be heard. At the same time, there was the muffled sound of flesh being struck.
From time to time, people would fall from their warhorses, their bright red blood spilling onto the ground, dyeing the world red.
"Kill!"
Before Gray could recover from this shocking scene, an enemy cavalry was already charging at him.
Swish!
This cavalry was riding a yellow-and-white horse and wearing leather armor. He wielded a spear with a wooden handle and an iron spearhead, and he thrust it at Gray.
The people protecting Gray's group had intentionally let him in, with the goal of training Gray's combat skills.
Seeing the spear coming at him, Gray inexplicably felt his blood boil. He had inherited the fighting talent of his body's original owner, and at this moment, he was active again, clearly stimulated by the atmosphere of battle.
He pulled out the weapon hanging on his horse with a swish. It was a longsword about 1.5 meters long, the color of white iron. Viscount Fergus had given it to him before leaving the castle.
Like him, Elise had also been given such a longsword, which should be some kind of standard weapon.
Swish!
As the spear came at him, Gray's longsword swept out diagonally, chopping at the wooden shaft behind the spearhead, and then easily cutting the spear in two.
Even if it was a standard weapon, given by Viscount Fergus, it must be the best of the standard weapons. It was indescribably sharp, and one slash was enough to cut through a sturdy wooden handle.
Then, his longsword did not stop, sweeping at the cavalry who only had the handle left in his hand, and the longsword directly cut through his neck.
Puff!
A head flew into the air, spinning a few rounds in the air before falling down.
It smashed into a cavalry, fell from his body onto the horse, and finally fell to the ground. Coincidentally, the horse stepped on its face, and it was immediately badly mutilated.
Blood spurted out from the neck of the headless torso, splattering more than a meter high. Then, the entire torso went limp, no longer having the strength to sit on the saddle, and tilted down, falling to the ground.
As for the horse that had lost its master, it was affected by the atmosphere of the battlefield, panicking and rampaging, and was directly stabbed to death by a cavalry with a spear …
"Wah …"
Gray's face turned white in an instant. Such a scene was too shocking. Just like yesterday, his stomach started to churn again.
However, after all, he had already experienced it once, and had a certain degree of adaptability. In addition, his fighting talent gave him an extremely strong immunity to this kind of bloody battle, so his face only turned pale.
Another enemy cavalry was released, and charged towards him. He did not hesitate to ride his horse to meet it.
After the same set of movements, another head flew into the air.
The strength of a low-level Blood Warrior had a crushing advantage when facing ordinary cavalry. It should be known that when the original owner of this body had just arrived at the castle, he had already completed the magnificent feat of one against five. Even if he did not have much experience in horse battles, it was impossible for him to lose in a one on one battle.
Slowly, with the help of his fighting talent, he adapted to this kind of atmosphere. The churning in his stomach had long since disappeared, and he even understood how to kill his opponent in the most effortless way. His longsword gently swept across the opponent's neck. The neck did not fly up, but the person was already dead.
On the other side, Elise had the same experience as him. She had also purposely let a cavalry enter for him to practice his skills.
However, he obviously did not have Gray's fighting talent, and it took him a lot of effort to kill this cavalry. When he saw the bloody scene after the cavalry's death, he failed to live up to his expectations and vomited.
The difference between the two of them was obvious. Moreover, Gray's performance could be said to be extremely stunning. This could be seen from the looks of surprise on the faces of the people protecting Gray and the other two.
When they first entered the battlefield, although most of their performances were slightly better than Elise's, they definitely did not reach Gray's level. The other's fighting skills were improving at a terrifying speed, and they could not help but feel a wave of fear when they saw them.
Fortunately, this person was a friend and not an enemy. If such a combat genius had appeared among the enemy, they would definitely strangle him in the cradle at all costs.
Of course, among Gray and the other two, the one who performed the best was not Gray, but Bernal.
The other's expression did not change at all when he killed someone, as if he was already used to it. Obviously, Gray's previous guess was correct. Bernal should have already had experience in killing people before this, and most likely had killed quite a number of people. Otherwise, he would not have been so unperturbed.