Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 152 Silver Plate Guild
Before dusk, a wind picked up in the northern canyon.

Louis stood on a high point, looking down at the narrow driveway below.

"I knew we'd go this way," he said softly.

The scouts had already pinpointed the daily itinerary of the Silver Plate Caravan.

We set off at dusk, avoiding the main road and taking a small path through the canyon.

The convoy was well hidden, but he still managed to find out about it in advance.

On both sides of the canyon, traps such as horse pits and slippery rock formations had already been set up, and the markings were extremely well concealed.

Several torches were hidden at a high point, ready to be used as a rallying signal at any time.

The two ends of the passage are equipped with movable barriers, which, once activated, will trap the enemy like turtles in a jar.

Following orders, Lambert assembled thirty elite Red Tide cavalry and fifty regular knights, all seasoned veterans.

"Try to keep them alive." This was Louis's order.

In order to lure the enemy into a trap, he deliberately arranged for two knights to patrol the caravan by chance.

This forces the opponent to enter the valley prematurely and accelerate, thus falling into the trap.

The plan has been set up.

They were just waiting for their prey to walk right into their trap, and thankfully, they didn't have to wait long.

As the last carriage slowly drove into the heart of the canyon, the signalmen who had been lying in ambush on both sides raised their torches almost simultaneously.

"ignition--!"

The firelight flashed brightly in the wind, and the ambushing knights, having received the signal, immediately activated the trap.

In an instant, the two ends of the canyon mouths looked like the jaws of a giant beast closing.

Boom!

The rolling boulders, along with the dust-stirring wooden fences, crashed down, trapping the entire convoy in the valley!
The horse trap ahead suddenly collapsed, and several lead warhorses neighed in alarm and leaped into the air.

Iron hooves trampled wildly, carriage shafts tilted, several carriages overturned, logs crashed and smashed the canopies, and cries of agony and curses filled the air!
"Charge!" Lambert charged ahead, and the Red Tide Iron Cavalry vanguard followed like a raging torrent!

His fighting spirit focused on the tip of his sword, burning bright red like a flaming serpent, trailing several feet of light and illuminating the entire canyon!

Before the swords and blades even arrive, the chill is already bone-deep.

Several short, agonizing screams ripped through the silence. The caravan's captain had just raised his command flag but had not yet given the order.

He was then cleaved off his horse by a sweeping aura slash, crashing into the side of the carriage and splattering blood everywhere!
The escorts by the prison cart at the rear turned around hastily, but before they could draw their blades, they were tackled one by one by the knights who descended from the sky, and were suppressed by heavy blows, collapsing in an instant.

"Segmentation successful!" Lambert's sharp eyes swept across the battlefield, then he raised his sword and pointed it at the high ground. "Elite troops, advance!"

However, suddenly, ten sharp battle energies rose from the center of the convoy, like cold, sharp needles, rising from the ground.

That was a silver light, as solid as cold iron, as sharp as a spear piercing the sky!

“They’re here…” His gaze darkened.

Ten silver-plated guards clad in gray armor emerged like ghosts, silently entering the battlefield.

Silver battle aura swirled around him, like snowflakes falling in the wind, or a sharp blade cutting through the air.

Although they were few in number, each of them possessed astonishing combat prowess, far surpassing that of elite knights.

These are elite warriors carefully trained by the guild, born specifically for escorting covert operations.

Despite their numerical advantage, the Red Tide Knights' formation was instantly torn apart.

Amidst the surging storm of fighting spirit, red and silver clashed like two raging tides colliding, and the battle intensified rapidly!

"Don't let them break through!" Lambert roared, crimson battle aura surging from his feet. He leaped up from the stone wall, his sword flashing like a meteor, instantly blocking the road!
A head-on clash!

His sword was aimed directly at a silver-plated team leader. The two battle energies collided in the air, creating a distorted halo and a thunderous roar!

Although the Crimson Tide Cavalry had a numerical advantage, they suffered a brief setback in front of these ten gray-armored warriors.

Some people fought against three opponents, yet remained steadfast and unyielding, their movements as swift as shadows.

Suddenly, the hillsides on both sides made a "click" sound—the slippery slope was activated!

Gravel and logs rained down, disrupting the Silver Plate Warrior's footing.
In a brief opening, Lambert unleashed a devastating thrust, swift as lightning!

boom!
He crashed to the ground like a meteor, sending a silver-plated guard flying several feet and smashing the carriage!

Another strongman tried to use the momentum to leap to the back of the car and break out of the chaos, but was cut in half by Lambert in mid-air!

"go back."

As soon as he finished speaking, the red sword coiled around him like a snake, infused with fighting spirit, and struck his throat, knocking him unconscious and causing him to fall to the ground.

At the very end, Karan was rummaging through an oilcloth bundle, his face contorted with madness.

He pulled out several tightly folded intelligence documents, lit a torch, and held it high as if to set it on fire.

"late."

As he spoke in a hoarse whisper, Lambert suddenly appeared and delivered a powerful elbow strike to Karan's back. Karan was sent flying several meters, tumbling and crashing into the mud with the torch still on his body!

The torch fell, sparks flew, but it failed to ignite the document.

Karan tried to struggle to turn over, but a long sword was already at his throat.

Lambert's expression was cold and stern, with a flicker of fire in his eyes.

"ended."

The ambush battle has now come to an end.

The smoke and dust had not yet cleared, and the canyon was a scene of devastation.

Karan, who was pinned to the ground, still maintained a smiling expression.

He wore a half-open gray robe, his face smeared with dirt and sparks, yet he still surveyed the situation with his experienced eyes.

"Hmm... I think you might have misunderstood something." He coughed, trying to make his voice sound more like an innocent merchant. "I'm a lower-level manager of the Iceflame Merchant Guild, and I'm just here to transport some medicinal herbs..."

Before he could finish speaking, a young but undeniable voice came from the edge of the canyon: "You're from the Silver Plate Guild, aren't you?"

Karan paused, then looked up abruptly.

Footsteps approached from afar, and a young man wearing a dark red cloak slowly walked down the slope, the sound of his boots hitting the gravel seemed to strike one's heart.

He didn't draw his sword, nor did he release any battle aura; he even looked somewhat too young. Yet, the air in the entire canyon seemed to drop several degrees instantly.

Karan's eyelids twitched violently, and a strong sense of alarm went through him.

How could that be? How did he know we were...?

There was absolutely no word about this team's departure!

The route was randomly determined, and even the goods were concealed!

Unless... Joseph did something?
"Who are you?" Karan gritted his teeth, still trying to stall for time. "Do you know how much responsibility the name 'Silver Plate' carries? You're just a... bandit. Release my merchant guild and we'll give you a hefty ransom."

“The ledger,” Louis said, unmoved.

Lambert immediately took the thick book wrapped in oilcloth from his pouch and handed it over.

Louis turned a few pages, his fingertips paused, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Rice Consumption Conversion Table for Southwest Border Garrison", "Southeast Front Cavalry Deployment Progress: Third Batch Expected Arrival Time Mid-June"...

Each line of handwriting is meticulous and neat, clearly the work of a nobleman.

The most crucial page, with the signature clearly visible at the end.

"Joseph Carradine."

This was a handle he had left for the Silver Plate Guild, demonstrating his sincerity.

But unexpectedly, it has now fallen into Louis's hands.

Louis never expected Joseph to be so audacious.

He closed the ledger and tapped the cover lightly with his fingertips, as if weighing something.

"You said you were an ordinary businessman."

Karan forced a smile: "Perhaps... that Lord Karadi is the real problem."

"Look, I was just a middleman, responsible for transportation. I didn't even inspect the goods. If you really want to arrest someone, you should go find him."

Louis slowly approached, stopping in front of Karan and looking down at him.

No words were spoken.

He merely raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a playful smile.

It was the expression of someone in a superior position, disdainful of arguing or trying to explain, simply waiting quietly for you to finish before deciding your fate.

Karan's smile froze instantly, and cold sweat slid down his neck.

He finally realized that the young man in front of him, who was not very old, was not the kind of ordinary officer who could get away with his words.

He didn't even know where the other person came from, but his intuition told him that this was not someone to be trifled with.

Karan's face darkened, and he changed his tone, speaking in a low but solemn voice: "Who exactly are you?"

Louis did not answer.

She simply looked down at him, like a hunter watching his prey struggle in its final moments.

Karan's eyes flickered, and after a moment of consideration, he suddenly revealed a confident smile: "I understand. You're not a soldier here to risk your life; you're a smart man."

He spat out a mouthful of blood and said in a low voice, "If you release me now, I can name my terms. Real terms."

"The Silver Plate Guild never shortchanges those who know how to seize opportunities. As long as you're willing..." He looked up, his voice slow and alluring:
“You can become a partner of Silver Plate. We have resources, channels, and the backing of federal legislators.”

You could have anything you want, even an empty seat in a noble council or a piece of land.

Gold coins, slaves, land, franchises—we can arrange all of them.

You want women? A whole regiment wouldn't be a problem. You want territory? I can pass on the word for you regarding control of federal lands.

As long as you nod, no one will investigate this ambush.

Karan looked at Louis, trying to find a trace of wavering in his eyes.

Louis laughed.

It wasn't sarcasm, nor anger, but genuine laughter, as if I had heard some absurd joke.

The son of the Duke of Calvin, the future son-in-law of the Lord of the North, the Calvin family's plenipotentiary in the North, the governor of Snowpeak County, the sun of Red Tide Territory...

Would you be moved by these things?

Louis looked into the old fox's eyes, which were desperately trying to control the situation, and said in a gentle but contemptuous tone, "You think... I'm doing this for these things?"

He turned to Lambert: “Personally escort him, along with all the prisoners and evidence, to Frostspear City and hand him over to the Duke for judgment. I believe there are professionals there who can pry his mouth open.”

Lambert knelt on one knee and solemnly replied, "Yes, sir."

Karan's face turned deathly pale, as if he had been choked. He struggled and shouted, "Wait! You don't understand! You don't know what you're getting into! The Silver Disk Guild is not something you can..."

Snapped!
Lambert delivered a swift backhand strike, rendering him speechless, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He forced his eyes open, but he had already lost all his energy.

As he was being dragged away, he struggled in vain, but received no response in return.

The slaves in the iron cages were also escorted along with them, including underage girls who were not yet "finished".

Their eyes were empty, they had lost themselves, but now, those cold numbers and transaction receipts will become irrefutable evidence.

Tens of thousands of gold coins, a sealed wooden box stamped with a silver plate emblem, and a handwritten letter from Joseph Carradi.

That's quite a budget.

Louis stood in the middle of the canyon, watching the escort team slowly disappear into the distance.

He did not pocket those riches, despite their immense allure.

If this thing is manipulated on its own, it will leave behind a handle against it.

It would be better to hand it all over to Duke Edmund; he would know how to use the situation to launch an attack.

At the imperial level, this would be an earth-shattering case.

A nobleman's treason exposed an entire smuggling and infiltration chain, even involving the Federation's core chamber of commerce.

And he was the one who broke the deadlock and revealed the truth behind it all.

(End of this chapter)