Lord of Rot

”Yes!” Qiao nodded. He understood his mission.

If Kuai Ren was the happiest about forming the cavalry, then Qiao’s joy was second only to his.

The Lord had promised him he could take revenge on Pig Head Mountain. Now that the army was being formed, that day would surely come soon.

”When I return, I’ll arrange for people to investigate Pig Head Mountain,” Leech said.

Qiao nodded emphatically. ’Just as I thought, the Lord hasn’t forgotten.’

”As for you, Gelan, I couldn’t finish discussing your tasks even if we talked all through dinner.”

Gelan smiled and nodded. ”Indeed, my Lord.”

Gelan was the one who managed the most affairs in all of Porcupine Territory. Although the young apprentices under him were fast learners and could already help him with the vast majority of trivial matters, there were still far too many issues that were reported to him.

Minor things, like pest infestations in the fields, chicken thieves at the farm, and someone in Beekeeping Village getting stung while trying to steal bees.

Then there were the masons’ further research into lime, the discovery of strange creatures during seaside foraging, disputes over land allocation for new houses, and craftsmen slacking off on the job.

On top of that, Ark would also report to him about the management of the slaves.

Slaves falling ill, feigning illness, fighting over work points, and those who had earned enough points but were unwilling to work, engaging in passive resistance.

And then there were the heinous incidents of rape.

This last matter was easier to handle because the Lord had already given orders. Rape was classified as the most serious type of incident. Upon discovery, Kuai Ren’s soldiers were to intervene and investigate immediately. Furthermore, the various minor officials from the town hall and other departments were required to participate to ensure fairness and impartiality.

Then came the investigation. If the allegations were true and the perpetrator confessed, the victim could be consulted. If the victim agreed to accept compensation and forgive the offender, payment would be made. In addition to the victim’s compensation, a fine had to be paid to the Lord, and the criminal would also be whipped.

It could be said that Porcupine Territory had a zero-tolerance policy for rapists.

If an investigation revealed a false report, the accuser could have their tongue cut out, be imprisoned, or be demoted to a slave.

When Leech had proposed that this area must be handled strictly, he and Gelan had discussed more than thirty basic conditions for judgment, but it still wasn’t rigorous enough.

There was too much room for manipulation in areas like evidence collection and potential bribery.

Leech was also unwilling to enforce a one-size-fits-all punishment, as he knew there could be many wrongful convictions.

Another point Leech specifically emphasized was that rapists weren’t just men; they could be women too.

Children, the elderly, women, and men were all under protection. It shouldn’t be assumed that only men could be perpetrators; men could also be victims.

No matter how strange human fetishes get, it’s never truly surprising.

As the ”grand steward” of Porcupine Territory, Gelan had to be involved in everything, process these matters, and then submit them to the Lord.

For this reason, Gelan was already considering training more than a dozen new apprentices and having his own two apprentices train apprentices themselves.

At the same time, the Lord had also proposed a novel teaching method to him: instructing apprentices in large batches and then using examinations on their acquired knowledge to determine who was qualified for which position. This teaching model had never appeared on the Lu Leiyi Continent. Everyone knew that apprentices could only learn things by following a master for personal instruction and guidance.

But this mass education method had its advantages; it could quickly produce a batch of usable personnel.

Leech raised his wine glass. ”To a better Porcupine Territory, gentlemen.”

”To a better Porcupine Territory!”

”To a better Porcupine Territory!”

”To a better Porcupine Territory!”

The three men raised their glasses.

「A few days later.」

Honey, medicinal pills, food, grain, and other supplies were loaded onto the carts.

Leech set out in a horse-drawn carriage with 20 fully armed soldiers, accompanied by his personal manservant Pitchfork, and his squires, Radish and Little Joel.

He had actually wanted to bring Arkke along. Her ability to control insects, combined with Eagle Eye Magic, could be incredibly useful, especially since her insect-controlling powers had recently grown stronger.

But he was going to a ’matchmaking meeting,’ after all. It wasn’t appropriate to bring a ”female companion” in his carriage, as it would be detrimental to the image of an unmarried Baron.

The previous night, Leech had even made a special trip to see Betty in the crypt at the cape.

She was frantically conducting her research. Leech guessed that perhaps being locked up for so long had caused her personality to change.

When she learned that he wouldn’t be back for some time and had brought her enough food, fresh water, and a change of clothes, she showed no particular emotion. She simply didn’t care. All she wanted was to research Magic Gunpowder and explosions.

”I’m a little reluctant to leave,” Leech said, sitting in his carriage and peering out through a gap.

This was his first time traveling far from Porcupine Territory after transmigrating so long ago.

But his attention was quickly diverted. ’It’s inconvenient to look at the scenery. I need to get the research on glass started as soon as possible... Ah, forget it. Since I’ve left the castle, I should just let my brain relax for a bit.’

He rubbed his head, telling himself not to overthink things.

As the carriage left Porcupine Territory, the road grew bumpy. The ride inside was not very comfortable; a few times, he was even bounced right off his seat.

In the end, he simply had the carriage stopped, got out, and rode his horse, chatting with the soldiers.

Although they had set out early, by nightfall they still hadn’t reached Iron Stone City, having only covered half the distance.

Because the Qiao Trading Team often passed through here, there were many signs of life.

For example, there were earthen stoves and small shelters for protection from the wind and rain, all ready for direct use.

Piles of bonfires were lit.

The aroma of roasting meat filled the air.

The pre-prepared cured meat sizzled and dripped fat as it was simply roasted over the fire. Paired with toasted bread, the taste was absolutely perfect!

Leech’s meal was a bit more elaborate; since they had brought small pots, he could have two fried eggs with his.

’I should build a post station here in the future to make it convenient for trade caravans to rest.’

Their luck was good today; it didn’t rain.

After eating, Leech went into the carriage to rest. The carriage compartment, modified by a craftsman, could be extended to form a small bed for sleeping.

There were people assigned to stand watch at night.

Leech hadn’t brought any corpses with him on this trip. The distance was too great, he wasn’t sure of the limits of his corpse-controlling ability, and there were too many prying eyes.

However, one of the wagons was still loaded with the necessary materials—herbs for mixing preservatives and so on. If needed, he could quickly prepare them and create a corpse.

’Corpse control has its limits. If Spiritual Power units are related to control distance, then perhaps as I grow stronger, I’ll be able to control them from farther and farther away.’

’Actually, I’m also thinking of another method, like a relay station. If I could find a way to build a signal tower to extend the range of my spiritual coverage, maybe one day I could sit in the castle in Porcupine Territory, sipping morning tea, while simultaneously controlling corpses galloping across the grasslands of Endor.’

He had many thoughts, but the most urgent matter at hand was making Porcupine Territory rich first.

After a night’s sleep, he woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

Leech stepped out of the carriage.

His personal manservant brought a basin of water for him to wash up.

His squires had the food ready.

Since they needed to get back on the road, breakfast couldn’t be anything soupy, so it was dry rations again.

The journey was monotonous.

Over seven days, they covered about 40 kilometers a day. The ground was flat, they were well-fed and rested, and with a small group and no heavy baggage, their pace was swift. If it were a real army on a campaign, carrying various military supplies, the speed would probably drop to around 30 kilometers per day.

A forced march could double that speed—human potential is limitless. But Leech was in no hurry. He was hoping to run into a few more crypts with gold or silver mines, but he was left disappointed.

The soldiers weren’t discontent, but they kept muttering about hoping some bandits or robbers would show up so they could stretch their muscles. They were bored out of their minds.

Leech could only chuckle at their words.

’My troop is made of genuine elite soldiers. Their armor is polished to a shine, and we’re flying a noble’s banner. Even a group of one or two hundred wouldn’t dare to come looking for trouble.’

’Bandits and robbers are just people who can’t afford to eat. Making them fight elite soldiers with hoes is no different from sending them to their deaths.’

’They’d have run away the moment they saw my troop.’

On the ninth day of their journey, the group arrived in Water Ravine Territory.

The farmlands along the way were desolate, with hardly anyone tending to them.

Compared to the fields of Porcupine Territory, this place looked terrible.

’What a waste of such fertile land,’ Leech thought with regret.

’War drives people mad. Especially when the common folk don’t tend to their fields properly and instead follow the umpteenth bastard son who’s popped out of nowhere. It’d be a miracle if they could make anything of themselves.’

Leech’s two squires were in charge of scouting ahead. They watched out for each other so that if one was trapped, the other could promptly return for help.

Little Joel came riding back, saying anxiously, ”Lord, there are people blocking the road up ahead!”