I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

Blackstone Collar.

It was just a small knightly territory in itself.

Therefore, most of the local nobles' manors were concentrated near the town and were not far from each other.

Liu Zhao walked in front, followed by Christine.

Soon, they arrived at the gate of Sheriff Will's manor.

At the same time, in the manor, Sheriff Will and Tax Commissioner Webber were both there, laughing and drinking.

"Speaking of which, our new lord, Baron Liu Zhao, is said to be quite famous in the capital."

Weber laughed as he drank.

"A top student from the magic academy, a competition champion, and even a baron title personally conferred by His Majesty the King—it's really strange that such a promising figure would voluntarily come to our Blackrock Territory to become its lord."

Sheriff Will shook his head.

"What's so strange about that? Isn't this just standard practice for the descendants of the great nobles in the capital? They just pretend to be lords and randomly choose a place to make up some impressive resumes."

Essentially, they're just here to gain prestige; they won't stay long, so don't worry about them too much.

Weber smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, when Sir Mark left, he specifically instructed us that it was Viscount Kevin's order to make things as difficult as possible for the new lord. I was a little worried at the time, what if this new lord was not easy to deal with?"

Looking back now, he was just overthinking things. He only brought three people with him to take up his post, and without our cooperation, he couldn't do anything at all. He also lacked any authority when he spoke, making it seem like we could do whatever we wanted with him.

Sheriff Will chuckled.

"Who can say otherwise? But this kid has the Lance family's backing, so we don't need to really offend him."

As long as he doesn't actively threaten our interests, we're fine with playing the part of a dutiful lord for a while. We can all live peacefully together for a few months, and after he leaves, everything will be back to normal. Hey~ perfect!

Wilmès took a sip of her drink.

Weber then continued speaking.

"What if he tries to make exorbitant demands and snatch things from us?"

Will waved his hand.

"Don't worry, don't worry, it won't happen. I've tested it myself. That kid looks serious, but he's actually a lecherous devil. He dared to ask me for female slaves on his very first day here. What kind of cunning could someone like that have? You can rest assured."

"Really? If that's the case, then that's so reassuring, hahaha."

The two exchanged a smile and then gracefully raised their wine glasses.

But the next second, a sudden explosion startled them so much that their hands trembled and the wine in their glasses spilled onto their clothes.

Will was furious.

"Damn it, which wretched lackey dares to disturb my enjoyment at a time like this!"

He slammed his fist on the table, stood up, and stepped out of the room, ready to unleash his anger.

However, when he stepped out of the room and saw who it was, he was completely stunned.

Because, not far in front of him, at the gate of the manor, stood two familiar figures.

It was Liu Zhao and Christine.

At this moment, half of the manor gate was burned down, and a crimson fireball was still floating on Liu Zhao's right hand.

It's obvious that he was the one who caused the explosion.

Upon seeing this, Will's expression stiffened.

"So... it's the lord who's here, hahaha, why didn't you give me a heads-up? I could have come out to greet you in person."

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Will promptly put on a fawning smile.

Liu Zhao shook his head at this.

"It's alright. I'm here to take you away anyway. Whether you welcome me or not, the end result will be the same."

Liu Zhao casually tossed a rope at his feet.

"Come on, tie yourself up and come with me. Don't waste my time; I still have to go to the next place."

Seeing Liu Zhao's unyielding tone, Will's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

"My lord, what have I done to offend you that you must humiliate me like this?"

Liu Zhao shook his head again at this.

"Stop asking. It's no use. I'm in a bad mood right now and I'm too lazy to explain. You don't want to tie it yourself, huh? Well then, I'll do it myself."

Liu Zhao took a step forward.

Will's expression changed drastically, and he was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly.

"My lord, I advise you not to go too far, or I will rebel!"

Liu Zhao sneered.

"Come on, what I'm afraid of is you not resisting!"

Liu Zhao casually tossed a fireball, which landed not far from Will. The explosion startled Will so much that he stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Guards! Guards! Charge!"

"I'll take responsibility for any problems. Take him down immediately!"

Hearing Will's scream, the guards in his manor exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, and then decisively charged toward Liu Zhao with their weapons.

Liu Zhao grinned at this.

"Good timing, this is what we've been waiting for."

As soon as he finished speaking, a long, fiery dragon, several meters long, roared out as familiar Chinese characters lit up. With a single sweep of its bright flames, it knocked down all the guards who had surrounded it.

In an instant, only Liu Zhao and Christine remained standing.

The ever-circling dragon of flames, its crimson light illuminating the manor as if it were daytime.

More than a dozen guards lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

Will was completely stunned by what he saw.

He collapsed to the ground, and when he saw Liu Zhao approaching step by step, he was so frightened that he wet his pants on the spot.

"What...what exactly do you want? Killing a nobleman without cause is a crime!"

Liu Zhao glanced at him.

"Either you tie yourself up with a rope and come with me, or I'll kill you right now."

"Choose for yourself."

Will trembled at the cold words and immediately scrambled to grab the rope.

"Don't kill me! I'll tie you up, I'll tie you up right now!"

Just as Will was frantically trying to tie himself up with a rope, someone suddenly walked out of the house.

"Will, what are you doing out there? Why are you making so much noise?"

Weber had just stepped out of the house when he was so shocked by the scene before him that he was speechless.

"My lord... Will... you..."

He had absolutely no idea what was going on.

When Liu Zhao saw him appear, he couldn't help but give a cold smile.

"You're here too? Perfect, then you two can use the same rope."

Completely bewildered, Webber, after experiencing Will's ordeal once again, quickly broke down in tears and frantically tied himself and Will together with a rope.

Liu Zhao looked at the guards around him, whose faces were filled with terror.

"You all know me, right? I am Liu Zhao, the lord of Blackrock Territory. Will and Webber have committed a crime, and I am taking them to a public trial."

"If you don't want to be implicated as a group, do as I say right now."

Under the bewildered and fearful gazes of Will and Webber, Liu Zhao continued to issue orders clearly.

"You, you, and you, go and inform the other manor owners in town right now. Tell them everything I just did, and then say that the new lord will be holding a meeting at the manor gate in an hour, and everyone must be there. Anyone who dares not to come, I'll burn their whole family down."

"You, you, and you, go find some clothes to wear right now, then release the girls locked in the basement, let them get dressed, and then bring them to the gate of my manor."

"As for the rest of you, keep an eye on their ropes. Now, come with me to the next place!"

Liu Zhao issued the order as quickly as possible.

Then, he continued walking at the front with Christine, leading the group of guards who were bewildered but dared not disobey after being intimidated by force, and marched in a grand procession toward the captain of the guard's manor.

Bang bang bang~

Captain Richard's manor gates were knocked on late at night, and the sight that greeted him when he opened the door left him speechless.

"My lord... Will and Weber... what's going on here?"

Three minutes later, he received the same treatment as Will and Webber.

They were forcibly tied together with ropes by their guards and followed behind Liu Zhao. A group of people carrying torches continued to surge toward the residence of Priest Brian.

The three people who held the highest status among the native nobles of Blackrock Territory were now humiliated by being bound together, a situation that filled them with panic and confusion.

"Sir, what are you trying to do?! We are law-abiding citizens!"

"What did we do wrong to deserve this suffering?"

"My lord, we can talk this over."

The three of them wept bitterly and howled like ghosts all the way.

To this, Liu Zhao simply said one thing.

"Don't worry, you'll know the reason once everyone arrives."

As they spoke, the group arrived at the gates of Priest Brian's manor.

However, unlike the previous three, Liu Zhao did not use the same methods on Brian when he opened the door.

I only said one sentence to him.

"Priest Brian, I'm going to hold a public trial in a bit, and we happen to need a notary. Why don't you come with us?"

Brian felt a chill run down his spine from the sight of the vast crowd before him, and immediately nodded in agreement.

Following obediently behind Liu Zhao, Priest Brian glanced at Will and his two companions, who were tied up with ropes and crying and wailing all the way behind them, and his heart was pounding with anxiety.

Finally, she mustered her courage and asked Liu Zhao as she walked.

"My lord, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Liu Zhao glanced at him in response.

"Didn't I just say it was a public trial?"

Liu Zhao's calm tone made Priest Brian's heart pound even harder.

"What...what did they do wrong?"

Liu Zhao turned around and looked at Brian with obvious scrutiny.

"Wait a minute, you'll find out once everyone's here."

Soon, Liu Zhao led his men back to the manor.

Meanwhile, at the manor's main gate, a group of people holding torches were already waiting there.

It was Simon, Old John, and the villagers of Redfruit Village.

Upon seeing Liu Zhao appear, Old John and Simon immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Your Highness, you've arrived."

Liu Zhao nodded and looked towards the crowd.

Then, he frowned slightly.

"Why are there only so many people? Didn't I tell you to notify the people in the other three villages as well?"

Upon hearing this, Simon and Old John exchanged a glance and both revealed bitter smiles.

"Your Highness, we did indeed follow your instructions and inform the people in the other three villages about what you were going to do tonight, but they... they made it clear that they were unwilling to come."

Liu Zhao frowned slightly.

"Didn't you do as I told you, to tell them that I would seek justice for them and rescue their abducted daughter?"

Old John sighed heavily.

"I did tell them, but they...they don't believe me! Especially the people from Whitewater Village, they say that you and Sheriff Will are in cahoots, that you called them over in the middle of the night just to trick them into leaving the village and then steal their last life-saving food. They absolutely won't fall for it."

"The people from the other two villages have also been in cahoots, saying that the people of Hongguo Village took your money to prevent the other nobles from attacking Hongguo Village. They claim that the people of Hongguo Village are already your lackeys, and that what they're saying is just to help you deceive them... Sigh, what a mess this is!"

Old John sighed repeatedly, his expression full of frustration.

"Your Highness, it's all my fault. I didn't handle things well. Please... please punish me."

Upon hearing this, Christine, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but speak up.

"What? They're saying we're trying to lie to them?"

The young lady of the Lance family raised her eyebrows, her voice trembling with excitement.

"I was exhausted from riding in the carriage all day, and I was still running around late at night trying to get justice for them. Not only did they not appreciate it, but they even talked about us like that. It's just..."

The villagers of Hongguo Village also joined in complaining that people from other villages were doing something wrong.

Liu Zhao raised his hand to stop them.

Then, he gently shook his head.

"Old John, you're not wrong, and neither is Christine."

"But the villagers in the other villages, they did nothing wrong either."

Liu Zhao took a deep breath, his tone heavy.

"The reason they are so wary is because they were terrified and harmed by the officials and nobles of the past. As a result, they have completely lost trust in everyone."

"To rebuild this trust, words alone are useless; it requires concrete actions to build it up little by little. So it's normal that they didn't come today, and we should understand them."

Upon hearing this, not only Christine, but also the villagers of Red Fruit Village surrounding Liu Zhao, and the priest Brian, all couldn't help but change their expressions.

After a brief silence, Christine continued to speak.

"Most of the girls who were abducted are from these three villages, so they were originally the most important figures in this public trial. Now that none of them are here, does this trial... still have to proceed?"

Her voice was somewhat muffled.

However, Liu Zhao's answer was very firm.

"Yes, we should continue!"

"Not only should we do it, but we should do it in a way that is known to every household and that everyone is aware of!"

Liu Zhao's voice became loud and clear, even amplified by magic, so that the townspeople who had received the notification and were slowly walking over from hundreds of meters away could hear it clearly.

"Everyone is ready. Tonight, I, Liu Zhao, the newly appointed Lord of Blackrock Territory, will hold my first public trial since taking office at the gates of this lord's manor!"

Seeing that everyone's attention was drawn, Liu Zhao took a deep breath and continued speaking.

"And the purpose of my convening this conference is very simple, only three things."

Liu Zhao stood on the platform that had just been built with simple wooden crates, raised his hand, and showed three fingers.

"fair."

"fair!"

"It's still damn fair!"

The three consecutive pronouncements of fairness, delivered with unwavering conviction, sent a jolt through everyone present. The villagers exchanged bewildered glances, each seeing the doubt in the other's eyes.

Is this new lord... insane?

To hold a public trial and talk about fairness between commoners and nobles? Are you out of your mind?

Few people believed Liu Zhao's platitudes.

But seeing the numerous guards around them carrying torches, and the three sheriffs tied together with ropes not far away, still made many people waver.

Could it be that he wasn't joking?

Most people remained silent, choosing to wait and see.

In this somber atmosphere, Liu Zhao made do with the makeshift platform that had just been set up and sat on a chair that had just been moved from the manor.

"The public trial now officially begins!"

Holding a piece of hardwood he had picked up at random as a gavel, Liu Zhao slammed it on the table with a loud bang, once again drawing everyone's attention.

"Bring up Prisoner Number One, Sheriff Graewell."

Liu Zhao's voice rang out.

The guards standing around Will exchanged glances instinctively.

However, as Will's private soldiers, they had long been accustomed to obeying him. Upon hearing this request, they all hesitated and dared not take action.

Simon and Christine, who were standing next to Liu Zhao, were getting anxious and wanted to go over and do it themselves.

However, Liu Zhao raised his hand to stop them.

Then, I sat in the chair and quietly watched the people over there.

Sensing Liu Zhao's gaze, the group looked even more troubled, caught in a dilemma.

Finally, while the others were still struggling, a young boy gritted his teeth and suddenly stood up.

In front of everyone, he reached out and grabbed Will's rope, forcefully pushing him to the open space in front of Liu Zhao.

"Reporting to the lord, the prisoner has been brought in."

The young man took a deep breath, suppressing his nervousness and trepidation, and respectfully bowed to Liu Zhao above him.

Liu Zhao smiled.

"Very good, what's your name?"

"My name is Russell."

The boy still bore burn marks and his voice trembled slightly, but he remained standing firmly.

Liu Zhao nodded.

"Russell, you're quite good. I admire courageous young men the most. Stand aside and wait."

These words filled the young man named Russell with immense joy.

"Yes, sir."

Now, only Will, with his hands tied, was left, standing alone in the center of the open space surrounded by the crowd.

When Liu Zhao looked at him, his voice instantly turned cold.

"Gela Will, as the sheriff of Blackrock Territory, for many years you have not only failed to fulfill your duty to protect the people of the territory, but you have also used your power to lend money on a large scale and increase land rents."

Today, your negligence in prevention has led to the invasion of your territory by bandits. After the village was plundered, they took advantage of the chaos to steal the villagers' life-saving food. They even deliberately coerced and tricked the villagers into selling their daughters to you, keeping them as slaves in the basement for your own amusement. Do you admit to these heinous crimes or not?

Liu Zhao's tone was icy, and he slammed the gavel down heavily, making a loud sound.

*Snap*

Will, who was already timid, was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground.

"My lord, I'm innocent! There's more to these things than meets the eye. I'm truly innocent. Please believe me and give me a chance, my lord."

Liu Zhao's expression remained unchanged.

"These charges are not only supported by witnesses and physical evidence, but I was also there when you were luring and forcing people to buy slaves. And all the innocent girls you were holding in your basement have now been brought to the scene."

Liu Zhao pointed, and everyone's attention immediately shifted.

Then, everyone was shocked to see nearly ten young girls with hideous wounds on their bodies. They were standing on the ground nearby. After hearing Liu Zhao's words, they couldn't help but hug each other and sit on the ground, crying bitterly.

Seeing this, the people who originally thought Liu Zhao was just putting on an act all showed expressions of surprise.

Among them, some people even recognized the girls' identities.

"Isn't that Old Cole's daughter from Whitewater Village? They said she was kidnapped by bandits last year, how come she's here?"

"No, I have to tell old Cole right away!"

"That's Aunt Green's daughter. She used to be such a well-behaved little girl, but she's been tortured like this."

"By the God of Light, they are so pitiful, they are just children."

"..."

Hearing the whispers of the crowd around him, Liu Zhao became even more furious.

"What? Besides luring innocent girls into prostitution, you even dare to collude with bandits to buy and sell people from our territory?!"

"This is utterly outrageous and deserving of death!"

Liu Zhao slammed his gavel down heavily, the loud sound silencing the entire courtroom.

Then, under the watchful eyes of countless people, Liu Zhao slowly spoke.

"I hereby declare that the prisoner, Grawell, is found guilty with conclusive evidence!"

"The sentence is now: death penalty!"

Liu Zhao stood up, picked up the long knife beside him, and walked quickly to Will under the incredulous gazes of everyone present.

Before anyone could react, a flash of light appeared.

Hand up, knife down.

A fine head was severed.