Lord of Rot

The three of them left the room and entered the tavern’s main hall.

There, they discovered all the core members of the Iron Fist Gang squatting on the ground, hands on their heads. Standing before them was a group of Bonta Market soldiers armed with crossbows. There were only eight of them, yet they had intimidated over thirty men into complete stillness.

The new leader then understood why it had been so quiet outside.

The Wandering Knight who had just slain the leader of the Iron Fist Gang said, ”Lord Kuer will give you your reward money shortly.”

The lead Bonta Market soldier grinned. ”Haha, you got it!”

Despite all the tough talk from their now-dead leader behind closed doors, the Iron Fist Gang were nothing more than rats in Bonta Market. They just helped people get rid of some hard-to-sell illicit goods. If the powers of Bonta Market ever truly wanted to deal with them, not a single one would be able to escape.

Following the two Wandering Knights, the new leader left the tavern and was brought to an inn. His heart sank.

’Isn’t this the inn where Baron Porcupine is staying? Don’t tell me Baron Porcupine heard everything that bastard said?’ He instantly broke out in a sweat.

He couldn’t help but curse his already-dead leader. ’That idiot got drunk on piss-poor wine and couldn’t even figure out who he was dealing with. Now he’s dead, a single sword-strike to the throat, and all his troubles are over. But I’m the one left here scared out of my mind!’

As the saying goes, a mighty dragon can’t suppress a local snake. Around here, the ”local snake” was the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps, but Baron Porcupine was a true ”mighty dragon.”

The Wandering Knight, unaware of the new leader’s thoughts, clapped his iron-gauntleted right hand on the man’s shoulder. The heavy blow made the new leader wince in pain.

”After you, Leader.”

”Yes, yes.” The new leader didn’t dare refuse.

Upon entering the inn, the new leader immediately saw a row of fully armed soldiers. He had seen them with his own eyes two days prior when Baron Porcupine led his retinue into the city, but being this close to them now—smelling their strange odor—made his heart hammer uncontrollably in his chest, and his legs began to feel weak.

He couldn’t help but start cursing his dead leader again. ’If it weren’t for that man, how could I have fallen into such a state?’

The inn’s hall was large enough to hold nearly a hundred people, but right now, the air itself felt thin.

By the flickering candlelight, the new leader of the Iron Fist Gang quickly scanned the room.

A handsome, black-haired nobleman sat at a table. Beside him, a delicate-looking, silver-haired young woman was speaking to him in a low voice.

The nobleman, of course, was Baron Porcupine.

A few other people were seated in the distance. There was the one with four arms, whom he knew from his inquiries was one of Baron Porcupine’s men, as was the one sitting with him.

There was also a woman with two hand-axes at her waist, her bare arms thicker than his thighs.

Another man looked rather pitiful, his face wrapped in white cloth through which blood was still seeping.

And finally, there was Kuer Oasis. Bonta Market belonged to his family, but unfortunately, compared to his capable and far-sighted older brother, Kuer had only learned the barest surface of things and had never been favored by his father. He was now sitting in the farthest corner, looking like a pathetic wretch.

The new leader’s gaze couldn’t help but drift back to the handsome Baron Porcupine and the silver-haired young woman.

He had never seen a beauty of such caliber; she was so beautiful it seemed unreal. In his eyes, even the unattainable and fiery Desert Pearl would pale in comparison.

He glanced back at Baron Porcupine. A beauty was constantly chattering in his ear, yet the Baron just frowned with a look of exasperation. ’The life of a noble is truly beyond my imagination,’ the new leader marveled. ’How could anyone find such a pleasant task troublesome? If it were me, I’d be at it day and night, night and day, all day and all night...’

Baron Porcupine suddenly looked at him and asked with interest, ”You’re the gang boss of the Iron Fist Gang?”

’Gang boss?’

’He probably means leader.’

Just as the new leader was about to nod, Kuer Oasis, who had been in the corner the whole time, suddenly spoke up in a low voice, ”My Lord, he isn’t the leader of the Iron Fist Gang. I’ve seen their leader before. This man is one of his confidants.”

’This loose-lipped bastard deserves to die! I was forced into this, but if the Baron finds out I’m an imposter, I’m dead for sure!’ The new leader’s heart filled with hatred for the blabbering Kuer Oasis. He had been forced into this position by the Wandering Knights, but if he tried to sell them out now, who would the Baron believe?

Leech, however, paid Kuer Oasis no mind. He turned back to the terrified new leader and asked again, ”You’re the gang boss—oh, the leader—of the Iron Fist Gang?”

The new leader, however, understood Leech’s meaning.

’The Baron doesn’t care who the leader of the Iron Fist Gang is at all.’

’If I say you are, you are! Even if you’re not!’

’Fortune favors the bold,’ he thought. ’Besides, it’s too late to say no now.’

He gritted his teeth and said, ”I am!”

”Go back and get the Iron Fist Gang in order tonight. Starting tomorrow, you will serve Lord Kuer Oasis.”

”Yes!” The new leader nodded eagerly. He understood the Baron’s meaning and instantly realized that this was not only his chance to live, but also a chance to soar.

Kuer Oasis, who had just spoken up, stopped awkwardly.

Leech then looked at the Wandering Knight. ”Ao Kai, what’s the situation with the city defense soldiers?”

The Wandering Knight Ao Kai replied, ”My Lord, they work for money. I’ve already told them to collect their reward from Lord Kuer.”

”You have to pay your own family’s soldiers?” Leech was greatly surprised.

A lord pays his soldiers, and in return, the soldiers fight and die for him. Although Kuer Oasis wasn’t the City Lord, his family name was still Oasis. The fact that he had to pay to use his own family’s soldiers was a real eye-opener for Leech.

Kuer Oasis had no choice but to bite the bullet and explain, ”Some of those soldiers are affiliated with the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps. They take on small missions to earn extra money.”

’Soldiers earning money on the side,’ Leech thought. ’And he says it like it’s the most natural thing in the world.’

”Whatever. Let’s just help Lord Kuer take the town for now,” Leech said, then turned to Kuer Oasis. ”Don’t forget the debt you owe me.”

”Rest assured, my Lord. Kuer would never dare to forget!”

For an outsider to try and control Bonta Market was nothing short of a fool’s dream. Conquering it wouldn’t be hard, but it would give the local minor lords an opportunity to exploit the situation. Moreover, Leon City would never just stand by and watch.

He wasn’t afraid of an actual war, but he was worried that Leon City might have individuals who were Beyond Extraordinary. Statistically, the probability was quite high.

This reminded Leech of the Thorn Flower he had obtained, and the Beyond Extraordinary extract from the four-headed serpent. If he could successfully use them to create two Beyond Extraordinary Corpse Ghosts, then even if he faced Prince Hoffman... well, Prince Hoffman would still be out of the question. But in a conventional war, sheer numbers had already become meaningless before him.

Even a charge of tens of thousands of heavy cavalry would likely be no match for them.

After much deliberation, Leech decided to let the succession in Bonta Market proceed ”normally”—he would just alter the line of succession. He’d make the old City Lord retire a decade or so early and have the useless second son, Kuer Oasis, take his older brother’s place.

Just a few days in this chaotic town had completely exhausted his patience. Since the existing platform for business was a disorderly mess, he would just build a new one himself.