Chapter 110: Newly recruited Demei-humans slaves

Kai casually swept aside the lance thrust straight at him. Then he gripped his spear with both hands. With the innate sharpness unique to a White Wolf demi-human, combined with personal training from a Divine Chosen, his martial skill had long surpassed that of ordinary men. He struck with lightning speed.

The spear tip flashed out and snapped back in an instant.

“Pfft—”

The enemy rider who crossed past him felt a sudden pain in his throat. Clutching at the blood spraying between his fingers, he toppled helplessly from his horse.

The two cavalry units tangled together, advancing and retreating in tight maneuvers. The slave hunters’ riders were continuously speared from their saddles. In the blink of an eye, only a few riderless horses remained, trotting aimlessly in confusion.

The leader of the slave hunters tried to flee, only to be cut down from his mount by a slender cavalry saber.

“Awoooo—!”

The cavalry howled wildly, seizing the moment to crash into the caravan like wolves plunging into a flock of sheep. Anyone who dared resist was cut down. Curtains of blood splashed again and again, never once falling.

By the time Ashina, clad in black robes and riding a giant wolf, strolled over at an unhurried pace, the caravan had already been taken. Those who resisted were corpses still warm; those who surrendered knelt on the ground.

“To deal with people like these, you have to be more savage than they are.” Phield controlled the black crow and had it land on Ashina’s shoulder.

“You’re right.” Ashina smiled and gently patted the crow’s head.

“The rumors about demons… they’re real.”

Flat-Nose’s pupils trembled violently. Warm urine immediately soaked through his trousers.

The demi-humans were terrified as well, huddling together and shaking, not daring to look at Ashina.

“Hm? This slave is still alive.”

Lumi was writhing weakly on the ground. She wanted to stand, but her lower body was almost completely numb—she didn’t even know if she had been crippled. A fierce desire to live drove her to crawl blindly forward.

The black crow circled once and landed beside her.

Looking at those vacant yet fiercely determined eyes, Phield felt shaken. These bottom-tier “ants” knew nothing, yet they clung to life like stubborn weeds. All they lacked was a force to unite them.

“Hello there, cat-eared Demei-human,” Phield greeted her.

Lumi gave no response, still crawling stubbornly.

Phield had to call out to her several times before a faint spark of awareness returned to her eyes.

“Do you want to live?” the black crow leaned close to the girl.

“Yes. Lumi wants to live.”

Phield nodded. “Ashina, give her a potion. If she survives, take her with us.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Ashina’s crimson eyes swept across the slaves. She caught the scent of urine and glanced at the looting cavalry, puzzled. “I smell cowardice. We’re not that terrifying, are we?”

The blood-soaked cavalry were either wiping grease and blood from their sabers or finishing off the wounded, severing heads and stacking them into small mounds—gifts for the young master.

“What’s so terrifying?” The knights showed “kind” smiles.

“Exactly. Seems fine to me.” Phield was long accustomed to war.

The Corrupted Greatswordsman hadn’t even joined the battle. Otherwise, it would have been far worse.

The demi-humans, however, were scared out of their wits. Some even clung to the slave hunters, praying frantically to their goddess, muttering about “demons.”

“I’m a White Wolf demi-human.” Ashina sighed, pulling off her black hood and flicking her wolf ears. “Not a demon. We came to save you.”

“A Saintess!”

“That’s wonderful! Our White Wolf tribe has a Saintess!”

“Ancestors bless us—thank the Winter Goddess!”

The twenty-odd wolf demi-humans leapt to their feet. The cowardice they’d shown moments ago vanished instantly, replaced by wild excitement. They jumped and shouted, casting smug looks at the other demi-humans. Some even burst into tears.

Demi-humans held low status because they lacked great cities and Divine Chosen of their own. They had long endured oppression.

“Saintess?” Phield asked, confused.

“That’s just what they call a Divine Chosen. Demi-humans rarely produce one, so it feels more sacred to them.” Ashina shrugged indifferently, then quietly told Phield, “You don’t need to worry. Command me however you like.”

Ashina was as considerate as ever.

“Fine. Since they’re all one family, management will be much easier.” Phield was pleased. “Ashina, appoint your own people as the backbone. Let them manage the other demi-humans layer by layer.”

“But… wouldn’t that be nepotism?” Ashina looked nervous, her gaze soft as she looked at Phield. “I don’t want to build my own faction. I only want to be your Divine Chosen. Maybe we should choose randomly instead.”

Phield waved a hand, and the black crow flapped its wings in the same gesture.

“I trust you completely. Don’t worry about that. But if you don’t even look after your own kin, all demi-humans will feel uneasy. Right now, I need their strength. As for factions, leave that to me.”

It was like a school that refused to support its own students, even suppressing them, while giving extraordinary treatment to outsiders.

You wouldn’t win your own people’s loyalty—and outsiders would only think you were currying favor, despising you more.

As for factional issues, Phield had plenty of ways to handle them.

“Very well. All of you are now incorporated. Follow my lord, and he will generously grant you freedom and food.” Ashina’s voice turned cool and commanding as her crimson gaze swept the crowd. “Any objections?”

“We’re willing to follow, my lord!” The wolf demi-humans immediately raised their arms and shouted. Among them were even gray- and black-furred wolves.

“Good. What about the rest?”

“I—I want to leave. We rabbit-folk are vegetarians. We’re weak. We’d be useless to you.” A rabbit-eared man trembled like a quail. “I don’t like fighting. I faint at the sight of blood.”

“Hm? I’ll give you three seconds to reconsider.” Ashina waited calmly. When he still insisted on leaving, she had the black wolf swipe a paw, snapping his chains. Then she smiled. “Go on, then.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

The male rabbit demi-human thanked her profusely and ran off into the distance.

Seeing this, other timid races began to show pleading expressions, about to speak—

“Whoosh—”

Ashina suddenly drew her bow. She didn’t even need to aim. The arrow streaked like a comet.

The rabbit demi-human’s head burst apart like an overripe watermelon hitting the ground, exploding with a sharp crack.

His body collapsed with a dull thud. The one who truly wanted to leave had already “gone.”

“It seems some of you didn’t hear clearly. You have been incorporated. You may voice objections—but I never said that objectors are allowed to leave.”

The crowd stood stunned, not daring to utter a single word.

Phield watched the scene, amused by the rabbit-folk’s naivety.

They had already seen his forces and his Divine Chosen. How could he possibly let one escape? To report him?

Still, he mentally marked the others who had wanted to leave. They would receive special attention later.

“Excellent!”

The wolf demi-humans were thrilled. They adored cold-blooded, ruthless leadership and were practically ecstatic.

“We have no objections!” The remaining demi-humans’ legs gave out, and they all submitted.

In an instant, Phield gained 163 new laborers—twenty-eight wolf demi-humans, the rest mostly cats, dogs, and rabbits.

“Spare me! Spare me! I have important intelligence!”

Phield followed the voice. Flat-Nose, ugly and wretched, was prostrated on the ground, snot and tears streaming, begging desperately.

“What important intelligence? If it’s truly useful, I may spare you.”

Flat-Nose pleaded without hesitation. “My lords are looting, right? I—I know where the wealthy Agim’s mansion is. He has lots of glittering gold coins—guaranteed you’ll like them. He made his fortune selling Moon Sugar. He’s loaded.”

Moon Sugar was a highly addictive substance in this world. Originally distributed to the army as comfort supplies and painkillers, it was extremely habit-forming and caused irreversible mental side effects. The Empire had officially banned it.

“I used to be a mercenary with him. We’ve got some history. Let me trick him into opening his gates, and you can storm in without effort.” Flat-Nose grinned obsequiously, rubbing his hands together. “I’ve long wanted to join the demi-humans. Don’t look at me as human—I’ve got demi-human blood flowing in me. I swear!”

Phield was speechless. This man had no shame.

“This information is indeed interesting. We interrogated many people before, and not one mentioned this wealthy man.”

Flat-Nose immediately added, “Because he has secret dealings with Baron Adrian Ross’s trusted minister, Moan. Agim provides money and addictive goods. Moan provides protection.”

Phield instantly sensed a critical thread. He paced back and forth, linking the information together piece by piece. Then he clapped his fist into his palm.

“Good. We take Agim’s mansion now. But before that, there’s something else to handle. Don’t kill Flat-Nose yet. Execute the rest—no need to waste energy managing them.”

“Yes, my lord. Demi-human slaves, listen well. I permit you to take revenge on the slave hunters.”

Ashina lifted her chin, signaling Kai and the others to hand out weapons.

The remaining slave hunters barely had time to struggle before they were engulfed by furious demi-humans. Screams echoed endlessly through the air.

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