A Top Scholar in Everything-Chapter 926 - 912: The Current State of the Wilderness

"How has the town's income been lately?"

An elder and two youngsters entered Skull Town and began conversing familiarly with Zhang Fanhu. Although these three didn't exhibit any inexplicable aura of authority, Zhang Fanhu was extremely cautious in both his words and mannerisms.

Upon hearing the elder's question,

Zhang Fanhu replied, "Everything's as usual, not much increase, but no decrease either. I've already prepared the tribute for the headquarters; please have a look."

The elder appeared to be well over eighty, his face covered in age spots, with his skin full of wrinkles.

Meanwhile, the two young men seemed to be only in their twenties.

However, 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Even though these two young men followed the elder, they were sizing up their surroundings all the way, not like they were on a mission, but more like rich young men out to see the world, showing little respect toward the elder.

Zhang Fanhu knew the identity of these two; they must be newly recruited Dark Dragon Knights.

Generally, newly recruited Dark Dragon Knights are assigned simpler tasks, such as tax collection and patrolling, which rarely pose significant danger. This is to familiarize them with the atmosphere and environment of the desert.

The initial Dark Dragon Knights were all seasoned warriors who fought their way out of the desert, the most astute and powerful hunters, who in the desert are the most ruthless beasts.

Yet their successors are not necessarily the same.

With each generation, the Dark Dragon Knights undergo changes. While skilled individuals are still recruited from the desert, a significant portion is also cultivated internally.

These individuals,

Need to familiarize themselves with the desert environment.

After all, the internal environment of the Dark Dragon Knights is isolated from the desert, like an independent city. Although these seeds cultivated from a young age go through rigorous training, their lives are not in danger.

Completely different from the hostile survival environment of the desert.

Nature,

Is the best master.

"This Skull Town seems quite prosperous; Elowah, after we finish our business, let's have some fun. I just saw many sub-human beauties; you never see these at headquarters."

Lu Long, with his blue hair, was curiously observing the surroundings, occasionally whistling at passing women. His handsome looks, coupled with his luxurious attire, clearly indicated his extraordinary origins, making him highly attractive to the women in Skull Town.

Beside him, a blond man might not be as flamboyant, but he was equally interested.

However,

This good mood was quickly ruined by an unexpected event that followed.

A woman in tattered clothes rushed over from the roadside and knelt in front of Elowah, crying, "Sir, my lord, please spare some food. My child hasn't eaten in two days, and our man died when venturing out. Please, spare some food."

The woman knelt on the ground, her voice weak as though she might faint at any moment. She kowtowed several times, drops of blood faintly seeping from her forehead.

Behind her followed a little girl, skin and bones, equally poorly dressed, her eye sockets deeply sunken, so emaciated she looked like a skeleton, utterly lacking the innocent liveliness typical of her age.

This was a case of severe malnutrition.

Of course, such cases were abundant on the desert. Inside and outside the city were entirely different worlds.

Inside the city, there are dedicated Spirit Arrays and a complete social order.

But outside,

It's lawless and wild, filled with pollution and mutations, places where countless ordinary people step in and never come out alive.

And the only rule here,

Is to survive by any means necessary.

In situations where a husband dies unexpectedly, leaving a woman and a child, either she finds a new man, or she ends up in the lowest brothels. Clearly, this woman's situation was even worse.

She didn't even have the opportunity to sell her body.

In such cases, there is usually only one outcome, which is to die in an unnoticed corner.

Elowah stopped, frowning.

Zhang Fanhu's expression changed immediately, thinking the Dark Dragon Knight was dissatisfied with his governance of Skull Town. After all, any such case in Skull Town was his responsibility.

But there was nothing he could do.

With so many people in the desert, how could he possibly help them all?

All Zhang Fanhu could do was let people like this stay inside Skull Town, turning a blind eye, hopefully allowing them a sliver of a chance.

If they were sent outside the town, they'd have no chance of survival.

"Get lost quickly, don't block the lord's path. Go to town tonight to receive relief grain; now hurry up and leave!"

Zhang Fanhu shouted anxiously.

The woman's face showed a look of joy upon hearing this, and she hurriedly knelt on the ground again, knocking her head against the ground more than ten times, breaking the skin and making blood seep out: "Thank you, lord, thank you, sir."

However,

As she got up to leave with her child, Elowah suddenly said, "Wait."

The woman stopped immediately, looking fearfully at the noble blond man.

"Your blood got on my shoe. Lick it clean," Elowah pointed at his polished shoe, which had a small stain of blood.

The woman trembled, immediately falling to her knees and crawling on the ground, trying to lick off that stain of blood.

But before she could touch it,

Elowah swung his foot, kicking her away.

Bam!

A Dark Dragon Knight's strength is immense; even though Elowah wasn't serious, a casual kick sent the woman flying several meters, slamming against a stone beside the street, her head bursting open, blood flowing incessantly.

She lay on the ground, her chest barely moving, her eyes glazing over; within moments, she stopped breathing entirely.

Her daughter stood by, blankly watching the scene.

Elowah's eyes flashed with disgust, and he said to Zhang Fanhu, "In the future, don't let everything into the town; it ruins the mood. Dispose of the woman's body along with the child."

Zhang Fanhu's face turned pale, looking at the little girl, feeling somewhat guilty, but faced with the Dark Dragon Knights, he had no choice.

If he displeased these two, his own life could be in jeopardy.

"Alright, Elowah, we're finally out here; don't let such lower-class people ruin our mood."

Lu Long patted Elowah's shoulder.

However,

As the three of them reached Zhang Fanhu's residence, they stopped simultaneously. Every lord's residence is built so luxuriously; besides accommodating the lord, its primary purpose is to provide a comfortable resting place for the Dark Dragon Knights.

But now,

This exquisite Lord's Mansion was inexplicably missing half of it, the cut surface smooth as a mirror, like a piece of art.