I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 317 Sudden Kneeling
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Late at night, on both sides of the inner gate of the border town.

The two guards, who had just finished their shift change, were in high spirits and vigilantly observed their surroundings.

The wind was biting cold, and they wrapped their fur coats tighter around themselves.

The torches flickered in the wind, casting swaying shadows.

Footsteps could be heard in the distance, along with the sounds of laughter and playful banter.

"Don't pull me... I haven't had enough to drink yet..."

Several figures swayed and walked leisurely from a distance.

Two men dressed in tattered clothes were being helped along slowly by two scantily clad women.

The four men reeked of alcohol; they were clearly drunkards who had just come from a tavern.

"stop!"

The guards immediately became alert and raised their spears to block the doorway.

"Keep away!"

The drunkards continued walking forward, seemingly oblivious to the guards' words.

I said stop!

The guard raised his voice, "Take one more step and we'll kill you!"

One of the drunkards finally raised his head, his face flushed and his eyes glazed over.

"You idiots, don't you even recognize me?"

The drunkard burped, "You, you dare offend me? Someone will make you pay!"

Another drunkard joined in the shouting.

"Yes, yes, do you know who his brother is?"

The guard was taken aback by the two drunkards' words and they exchanged a glance.

One of the tall men stepped forward and said, "No matter who it is, no one is allowed to approach the city gates during curfew hours, and no one is exempt."

The tall guard's attitude was firm, but his tone softened slightly.
"This is Viscount Lan'ao's order, and no one can disobey it!"

"Do you think we came here willingly?"

The drunkard reached out and put his arm around the woman's waist, mumbling, "I'm here to deliver a woman to Captain Koriba. Take a good look at this woman's breasts, this ass..."

As he spoke, the drunkard forcefully squeezed it to show the tall guard.

The woman giggled and pushed him away, "You're so annoying... don't do that..."

"Are you a friend of our captain?"

Mentioning women, a slight smile appeared on the tall guard's tense face as he sized up the woman beside the drunkard.
"She does look quite nice. Is this the new woman at the Silver Coin Tavern?"

"You're really good at this!"

The drunkard pointed at the tall guard, a wicked grin spreading across his face, and shoved the woman towards him.

"I'll let you have your fun a couple of times first, then you can take her to your captain!"

The woman cried out and lunged at the tall guard.

At that moment, another glamorous woman swayed her hips and followed, saying, "Is she the only one who's top-notch?"

Just as the tall guard was about to say something, the glamorous woman stumbled and fell towards another guard.

"The mighty guard you're talking about?"

The guard instinctively reached out to support the woman, pressing his hand against her chest.

"Hey baby, I have to be on duty now, until the middle of the night..."

Before the guard could finish speaking, the glamorous woman pulled a short knife from under her skirt and plunged it into the guard's throat!

"Pfft!"

"You... Waaaaah!"

The woman gritted her teeth and held the man down tightly!
The tall guard heard the commotion and tried to turn around, but the woman in his arms suddenly sprang up and plunged a dagger into his throat!
The "drunkard's" eyes suddenly cleared, and he instantly pinned the guard down, giving him no room to react!

And so, the tall guard fell to the ground, his eyes filled with resentment!

After dealing with the guards, the drunkard quickly ran to the torches nearby. The torchlight illuminated his face, revealing him to be the skinny rat who had been searching for burrows during the day!

The skinny rat picked up the torch and waved it forcefully twice at the street ahead. Immediately afterward, more than a dozen figures ran out of the darkness!
When they reached the vicinity of the city gate, they ran straight towards the towers on both sides!

"Move quickly!"

The skinny rat urged in a low voice, hurriedly took the key from the guard, and turned to run towards the city gate!

In addition to the lock, the city gate also has two crossbeams and three bolts, making the fixing device very complicated.

Skinny Mouse, accompanied by another drunkard and two women, removed the beams and latches and forcefully pulled open the tin-clad door!

However, there was still a fence blocking the way under the city gate, and more importantly, the outer gate and drawbridge were still blocked at the end of the gate!

"Why are they so slow?!"

The skinny rat looked anxious, and before he could finish speaking, footsteps came from the street corner ahead.

"somebody is coming!"

The skinny mouse hurriedly picked up the spear and small round shield from the ground and nervously stared ahead.

He might be good at sneak attacks, but he's completely incapable of a head-on fight against the skinny rat. When the enemy comes, he can only fight desperately!

The skinny rat's companions were just as panicked, gripping the spears they knew nothing about, and swallowing hard.

"Bang bang bang!"

Just as they were about to get close, a series of thuds suddenly rang out, and then silence returned.

"what happened?"

The skinny mouse looked at its companion, who also shook its head blankly.

In the next instant, four figures draped in black robes appeared silently around the skinny rat, their eerie green eyes fixed on him!

The skinny mouse shuddered violently in fright and instinctively retreated.

"Who are you?!"

"You don't need to know that."

A broken Common tongue, laced with a chilling undertone, escaped from the black-robed man's lips: "We're here to help you complete the Lord's mission!"

"Now, have your men lower the drawbridge as soon as possible!"

"They've already stormed the gatehouse!"

No sooner had the skinny rat finished speaking than roars and shouts of killing erupted from inside the gatehouse, followed by the clanging of chains, and the drawbridge outside was lowered!
"Success!"

The skinny rat's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly said to the black-robed man, "Quickly, inform Lord Rhodes!"

"The lord already knows everything."

The man in black robes replied slowly, glancing casually at the top of the tower.

Atop it, a falcon stood proudly, silently watching everything that was happening at the city gate.

"what?"

The skinny mouse was extremely anxious. "Then, what about the outer gate?!"

The outer door is much thicker than the inner door, with four horizontal beams for support and a fence in the middle that makes it impossible to open in a short time!
"It's too late, we must hold this place!"

As soon as the man in black finished speaking, a sharp alarm sounded, and a large number of guards rushed out from both sides of the city gate!
The sounds from the suspension bridge and the fence were very clear, making it impossible to lower it without alerting others.

The drawbridge was the key to entering the city, so the outer gate and fence had to be abandoned.

"Just us?"

As soon as the skinny rat finished speaking, the figures of the four men in black robes gradually disappeared!

Skinny Mouse gasped – only he and his four companions remained at the city gate!

"Damn! I was cheated!"

The skinny rat gritted his teeth and cursed!
But he had no other choice in this situation!

We have no choice but to fight them head-on!
"Puff puff!"

Just as the skinny mouse was sweating profusely, the guards at the forefront fell to the ground one after another!

The figure in black robes moved swiftly, reaping the lives of the guards!

"too strong!"

The skinny mouse stared in disbelief at everything that was happening in front of him!
If Baron Rhodes has such ruthless men under his command, what's the point of having these rats around?!

Skinny Mouse was filled with thoughts, but after a moment's thought, he realized that Baron Rhodes probably didn't have enough men left in the border town.

Before they could think, more guards rushed past the man in black robes.

The skinny rat gripped his spear, ready to fight, when he suddenly felt a scorching heat coming from behind him.

At the same time, a thick smoke and a burnt smell instantly entered the nasal cavity, causing a stinging pain in the skinny rat's throat, and its eyes began to water uncontrollably.

The skinny mouse hurriedly turned around and immediately saw that the area around the outer gate of the city wall was turning red, the wooden planks were crackling, and countless sparks were flying into the gaps like a fine rain!
The red light disappeared in the next instant, and the door was smashed into pieces with a loud bang. The charred wood chips, hot with heat, flew towards the skinny rat!

"Quickly open!"

Skinny Rat grabbed the woman beside him and scrambled to the side. A ball of crimson flame erupted from the doorway, whizzing past his fur coat! The guards rushing forward couldn't dodge in time and were instantly engulfed in flames, letting out a series of miserable screams!
"Dragon, it's a dragon!"

The emaciated mouse, having survived the ordeal, showed no fear whatsoever; instead, it squealed with excitement.

"How could I forget? Lord Rhodes has a dragon! Hahahaha!"

As soon as the voice fell, a huge figure, intertwined with red and blue lightning, darted out of the doorway, grabbed a guard, and rushed into the night sky ahead!

Even as arrows flew out one after another from the surrounding towers, they could not stop Lei Ting's advancing figure in the slightest!

"kill!"

A roar suddenly rang out, and Sejuani, riding on her snowy steed, charged in first, traversing the still scorching ground!

At this moment, she was like Rhodes's heavy tank from his previous life, wielding a chain hammer to mercilessly crush the lives of those guarding her!
Wolf Hoof and his wolf riders followed closely behind, each swing of their riding axes sending up plumes of blood mist!
They were so fast that they were almost instantly entangled with the guards, and the archers on the tower dared not fire arrows to provide support.

Salun led the vanguard of surrendered soldiers, following behind the wolf riders, and charged into the city, immediately attracting the attention of the towers on both sides!
In an instant, dozens of arrows rained down, and the soldiers at the forefront fell to the ground with screams of agony!
"Shield Wall! Shield Wall!"

Saron roared, and the soldiers quickly raised their round shields above their heads, the arrows striking them with a clanging sound.

"Teams one, two, and three are on the left; teams four, five, and six are on the right!"

"Take control of the nearest tower as quickly as possible!" Salun roared.

"Yes!"

The soldiers, shields raised and shouting, charged at the nearby tower!
These surrendered soldiers had to prove themselves by earning merit in the vanguard before they could be incorporated into the regular legions.

Otherwise, they can only spend their whole lives as pioneers charging at the forefront, or retire to farm or mine in the wilderness.

Therefore, these soldiers worked exceptionally hard, just to receive the same treatment as the soldiers of the Dragon's Breath.

As the vanguard charged in, screams and roars echoed from the towers, and the Dragon's Breath soldiers surged through the city gates like a silver torrent, flooding into the city.

"Gunler, lead your men to occupy the city wall, Chris, go and secure the north gate!"

As Rhodes' voice faded at the back of the column, the silver torrent quickly split into two streams flowing in different directions.

The tranquility of the night was shattered at this moment, and the border town was plunged into blood and fire.

"Sao, you are in charge of guarding the drawbridge winch in the gatehouse. Raise the drawbridge and no one is allowed to leave the city."

"Yes, Holy Lord!"

Sao nodded, waved his hand, and led a squad of Winter Knights into the gatehouse. Immediately afterwards, the sound of chains rang out, and the drawbridge was slowly raised.

After giving the order, Rhodes didn't rest; he kept drawing arrows and shooting them around.

Rhodes' movements were casual, but every time an arrow left the bowstring, someone inside the tower would scream in agony.

"Five hundred and thirty-five...five hundred and thirty-six..."

Rhode silently counted the number of enemies he had personally executed, which was also the progress of unlocking the War Soul Commander attribute.

The soldiers of the Dragon's Breath were unstoppable. After rushing up the city wall, they quickly took up various positions, and the shouts of battle around them gradually subsided.

The surrounding defenders were slaughtered by the wolf riders, with only a small number remaining who had already knelt down and surrendered.

"Lord Rhodes!"

An excited, shrill voice rang out, "My lord, save me!"

Upon hearing the sound, Rhodes immediately turned around and saw the skinny rat being held by the Winter Knight, then waved his hand.

"Well done."

Rhodes nodded and praised, "It saved me a lot of trouble."

You can take the border town without the skinny rat Rhodes, but the process might be more complicated, or the walls might be less intact.

After all, Rhodes still has the Rock Ridge, a powerful weapon he hasn't used yet.

Given enough time, ordinary city walls cannot stop the rock ridge.

It is our honor to serve you!

The skinny mouse responded with utmost respect.

Although he was just a "rat" in the border town, he was not a fool.

After experiencing two things while following Rhodes, the Slender Rat realized that Lord Rhodes' future was immeasurable.

Especially now, in this time of turmoil for the empire, Rhodes is bound to rise.

The skinny mouse felt he had to seize this opportunity—not only for himself, but also for his master.

"If you'd like, then do something for me again."

Rhodes looked at the skinny rat and ordered without any politeness, "Take me to the lord's manor in the border town."

Marquis Frostblade's residence is not limited to Frostblade Keep; he also has a lord's manor in the border town, which he uses for leisure and to handle affairs of his territory.

"No problem, Lord Rhodes!"

The skinny mouse agreed without hesitation, "Please come with me."

The skinny rat strode forward, followed by Rhodes and the Winter Knights.

After dealing with the garrison, Sejuani and Wolfhoof immediately urged their mounts to catch up with Rhodes.

……

……

The lord's manor is located in the center of the border town, surrounded by various shops and courtyards.

Even before you get close, you can see from afar that a three-meter-high stone wall surrounds the entire manor.

Lights flickered on the stone wall's battlements, and figures moved about.

If you get closer, you can see that it is full of archers and guards, who are watching the approaching army with bated breath.

Through the stone wall, one could vaguely see that the main building inside the manor was also brightly lit, clearly indicating that the strange changes at the city gate had been discovered.

"My Lord, taking over this manor might mean bringing our battering rams over."

Wolfhoof looked at the heavy wooden doors of the manor and offered his suggestion.

"unnecessary,"

Rhodes shook his head slightly. "These defensive structures in the manor don't need to be preserved. Frost and Thunder can handle them."

Rhodes didn't want a ruined city, so he didn't destroy the city walls of the border town.

However, a manor within the city was of little importance to Rhodes.

If it's ruined, it's ruined.

Without any hesitation, Rhodes immediately blew the whistle.

Not long after the sharp sound rang out, the sound of flapping wings came from the sky, and the figures of Frost and Thunder gradually descended.

Just as Rhodes was about to give the order, the soldiers on the high wall suddenly threw down all their weapons.

"Squeak—"

The manor gates suddenly opened, and a young nobleman dressed in formal attire slowly walked out.

He nodded slightly, a smile playing on his lips, and bowed respectfully to Rhodes.

"Congratulations on taking the border town, Your Excellency Baron Rhodes Tulip."

The young nobleman spoke calmly and slowly: "I am Lano Hanren, heir of the Hanren family, and I now surrender to you unconditionally."

"Ok?"

Rhodes was somewhat surprised.

Why did you suddenly slide to your knees?
Before Rhodes could think further, Lano spoke again with a smile.
"The assassination attempt on you was orchestrated by my sister Winnie Coldblade. I had no involvement whatsoever in the entire process."

"Please do not make things difficult for me; treat me appropriately as a noble prisoner of war."

Lano's smile was very gentle, and every movement was polite and elegant, making him look like a spotless white swan.

But Rod could see that Lano's smile subtly revealed a hint of calculation and composure.

However, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, and Rod couldn't just slash Lano just because his smile wasn't nice.

"You're being so polite, I certainly won't make things difficult for you, Viscount Lan'ao."

Rod smiled and said, "However, the normal procedures still need to be followed."

"Of course, please feel free to make yourself at home."

Lano raised his arms and allowed the Winter Knight to remove all his jewelry and other items.

In fact, the jewelry that noble prisoners carried with them could be kept.

However, Rhode couldn't determine whether Lano's items were ordinary or extraordinary.

"If there are no problems, I will return you after your father redeems you."

Rod said casually.

As for how it will ultimately be handled, no one is sure.

"I will treat you with the respect due to a nobleman."

Rhodes promised, "If you can give me a detailed introduction to this manor and tell me about your sister's situation, I will give you better treatment as a prisoner."

"We are very willing to cooperate with you."

Lan Ao bowed slightly and raised his hand, "Please."

(End of this chapter)