Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 340 The Old Horse Pulling the Cart
In the days that followed, everything returned to calm, and the weather became warmer and warmer. The daytime high temperature even climbed to 20 degrees Celsius. Although there was still snow on the distant mountains, you could be pleasantly surprised to find some green grass in the withered grass on the sunny slopes, and you could even dig up wild vegetables like dandelions.

Spring has finally arrived, and its arrival is unstoppable!

At this moment, Li Wei and Thomas led all the free people in the fortress who had bound their Farmer Cards to cultivate wasteland within the fortress walls, including the novice mercenaries who also had Farmer Cards.

Farming is nothing to be ashamed of. These guys are quite lively. They've been at the river fortress for almost twenty days and feel that life needs excitement and that they need to take control of their own destiny. Anyway, there's a lot of laughter and joy, which Li Wei is quite envious of.

In the distance, Javier was carefully trotting on a three-star warhorse. Even though he had a four-star cavalry card, it wasn't easy; it required a lot of hard practice.

So after weighing the pros and cons, Li Wei still rewarded him with this three-star warhorse. These past few days, the guy has been treating him like a precious son, taking great care of him. He wouldn't even let Sith and the others touch it.

So we still need to find a way to get more horses, or set up a horse farm? You can't be a knight without warhorses.

There are plenty of horses in Ver City. I wonder if we can buy some?
Thinking this, Li Wei continued working. He was using a hoe to clear the land because the ground was still frozen, and the land inside the fortress had been flooded a few days ago due to the ice jam. Using a shovel would be too strenuous, so this heavy hoe was more suitable.

Of course, if the soil has thawed and is relatively dry and loose, then a shovel is definitely more suitable.

He and Thomas each own a piece of land.

They're like two old oxen; once they start working, they never stop.

Li Wei would occasionally look up and look around. Thomas was so focused on his work that he had to be called twice to eat, and he could work on the land until midnight without sleeping more than four hours a day.

Li Wei was so flustered that she couldn't even get angry.

The other free citizens and new mercenaries were quite normal; they worked four hours in the morning and four hours in the afternoon, and then their day's work was over.

Only those free citizens who were selected into the army felt a sense of urgency and knew that improving one's fate was very important.

Of course, everyone actually knew that Li Wei had said it several times, and Javier, Sith, and others had also repeatedly emphasized it. The new mercenaries knew it very well.

But it's like the nagging of your elderly parents: reading is important, memorizing vocabulary is important, problem-solving strategies are important, having a skill is important... it all just goes in one ear and out the other.

Without experiencing the pain firsthand, one won't take it seriously.

Of course, there are exceptions. There are a few free citizens and new mercenaries who are trying their best, but unfortunately, due to their own attributes, they can only increase their daily work hours from eight to ten hours.

Effort doesn't yield results in a day; it requires years of dedicated work, and it must be done with heart.

Judging solely from the reclamation of wasteland, the number of farmers one can acquire is not large; the entire process must be considered.

In short, after working continuously for more than ten days, with Li Wei and Thomas taking the lead, the farmland reclaimed by the riverside fortress successfully reached 500 mu.

Through such hard work, Li Wei managed to raise his Farmer Destiny by 1 level, reaching level 23.

However, if they can ensure the sowing, management, and harvesting of 200 acres of farmland, the farmer's destiny level can rise to about 35-40 by the end of the year, which is still quite considerable.

Before we knew it, the month was over and March was just around the corner. The free people didn't feel anything, and Liang Yuzhi, Zhao Xuanxuan, and Thomas didn't care about the end-of-month settlement either. But the newbie mercenaries finally needed to make a decision.

To become a citizen or to leave.

Based on the scale of their work this month, each of them can only receive a base salary of 10 gold coins, at most no more than 15. Moreover, Li Wei doesn't even need to calculate this; the Prestige Card System can handle it.

So, on the last afternoon of February, the new mercenaries gathered in groups to discuss various things, looking excited but not very focused, like high school seniors preparing for their college entrance exams.

They are even worse than high school seniors, who are more able to endure hardship.

Many of them were still hoping that Lord Li Wei would come forward and negotiate with them, but Li Wei pretended not to see it and got busy with Thomas. There was a lot to do. After clearing the wasteland, they needed to level the land, remove the grass roots and stones, dig irrigation ditches, and build dikes to block the water. They were very busy.

There's no shortcut to farm work.

He was busy until sunset, night fell, and the stars twinkled before he returned with his hoe and shovel. The aroma of dinner filled the fortress, leaving little time for the new mercenaries.

To go, or to stay?
After dinner, the mercenaries finally did not receive a renewal from Li Wei, which meant that Li Wei would no longer employ them, and if they wanted to stay, they would have to become citizens.

Some of the new mercenaries left indignantly, believing that Li Wei, the lord, and his territory would become utterly worthless, and that they could find a better territory and a better lord to showcase their talents.

He completely forgot his parents' earnest instructions and his teachers' teachings.

However, some new mercenaries chose to become citizens, and at least things look pretty good here.

In the end, 38 male mercenaries and 12 female mercenaries were recruited; the rest left. But it didn't matter, as Liang Yuzhi had already recruited another 100 new mercenary recruits from the academy at the Three Star Tavern. There would always be this many mercenaries.

No, this time they're in high demand. When Li Wei checked the prestige card, he discovered that 14 of the mercenaries recruited this time had just left his territory, but were recruited back in less than a minute.

This indicates that the number of Academy mercenaries is decreasing.

Other competitors are making moves.

That's normal. This month, Hathaway, Ron, Socrates, and Zhao Kewu will all be recruiting mercenaries. They probably know that recruiting only academic mercenaries is beneficial.

This has led to a shortage of mercenaries in the academy.

For example, the recruitment price for these academy mercenaries has increased this month.

Last month, the same academy mercenary earned 10 gold coins, but this month he managed to get 18 gold coins. Second Aunt is decisive in this regard because she has plenty of money.

These academy mercenaries should either be recruited in groups of 100 or not recruited at all; recruiting 99 would be an insult to one's intelligence.

That's why small-scale bidding occurs.

It's estimated that one of the newly promoted three-star lords failed to recruit enough academy mercenaries.

Hey!

At this moment, a line of information silently appeared.
[Due to the special nature of the Samsung Tavern, you have received a random reward: ten old carriage horses discarded by the carriage shop in Vil City. They will be delivered when foreign trade opens this month. Note: They can be enhanced using magic potions or universal gold cards. One four-star universal gold card can enhance five horses, resulting in a one-star warhorse.]

-

Wow! That's awesome.

Li Wei smiled slightly; such a reward was quite good for a newly promoted lord.

However, once this stage is over and the territory's development is on track, then such rewards become less appealing.

Hopefully, these new mercenaries can seize the opportunity.

There's only one exploration mission every ten years, but mercenaries graduate every year. Fresh graduates receive various privileges, while previous graduates are no longer qualified to call themselves "academy mercenaries."

As night fell, Li Wei initiated his monthly foreign trade using his Prestige Card. The Prestige Card in his hand was connected to the one in his territory's main base, so there was no difference between them.

The gray fog surged, and a hot wind blew, carrying the stench of horse manure. The neighing of horses could even be heard. Closer and closer, the moment the gray fog dissipated, Li Wei felt as if he had entered another dimension, which was very large. Then he saw the ten tall horses opposite him. Although they were old horses that had been retired from pulling carts, they were actually quite good.

However, this time the foreign trade department is no longer in charge of the medical department, but rather a place similar to a ranch.

Hmm, why does this background look a bit familiar?
Is this the southwest corner of Kah City?

Li Wei stared in astonishment. He absolutely believed his eyes. Yes, this was a farm and ranch about twenty or thirty miles from Kah City, and one of the few farms that were operating normally under the rule of the Mad Baron of Kah City at that time.

However, at that time, there weren't many warhorses on this ranch.

“Brother, don’t just stand there. My name is Mark, and I’m a powerful baron under Duke Will. Kah City is my fiefdom. I think you must be familiar with me. After all, my Kah City has always been a popular starting point for newbies. Here, generations of love and hate have unfolded. I’ve seen your file, brother. You’re quite good.”

At this moment, a middle-aged man with a blade of grass in his mouth walked over from a distance and said something meaningful.

Li Wei was dumbfounded. He never expected to meet the real 'Mad Baron' one day. This was too crazy.

"Haha! Calm down. The newbie mission only happens once. You've already experienced it, so there's no secret about it anymore. The Duke has a very good impression of you, and you're quite good too. You've only taken three years and two missions to reach the level that we need to achieve in ten or even twenty years."

"Alright, time is limited. For these ten discarded old cart horses, just pay for the transportation fee. But remember, the special benefits of the Three Star Tavern only last for three times. Also, if you have any barbarian gold coins or anything like that, you can exchange them with me at a 1:1 ratio, with a 9% handling fee. What do you think?"

"Of course, I have no problem!"

Li Wei agreed without hesitation. The custom of carrying a sedan chair for someone is self-evident, and with a thought, he handed over 50000 barbarian gold coins.

"Brother, you're very generous. I'll give you a round number. After deducting transportation and handling fees, you should receive 45000 standard gold coins. You're welcome to visit Kahe City anytime in the future!"

The other party laughed loudly, shook hands with Li Wei, and the gray mist surged, signifying the end of the transaction.

(End of this chapter)