Transmigrated with a Demon-Refining Pot: Hehehe, Refine in an instant

As the sun rose, Ron had already sheathed his sword on the training field.

The morning dew dampened the stone slabs in front of the porch, and a few blades of grass clung to the sword blade.

He flexed his wrists, circulating his battle qi throughout his body. He had long since secured his advanced level, but without daily practice, he always felt something was missing.

In his mind, the Demon Refining Pot floated silently.

Last night I refined another batch of monster corpses; I should have a few drops of the original essence today.

I've been using this for so long that my body has gotten used to it, and I feel uncomfortable if I don't drink it one day.

He sheathed his sword and headed towards the dining room. He had barely sat down when Lauen strode in.

"Sir, something has happened in the west."

Ron put down the bread he was holding:

"explain."

"The patrol team discovered this morning that someone had crossed the river through the shallows." Laun's face was so dark it could drip water.

"Twenty or thirty people, carrying weapons, claiming to be a caravan. But they crossed the river at the most secluded shallow spot. They don't seem like legitimate merchants. They've set up camp on the other side of the river bend and haven't left."

Ron held his cup, not in a hurry to speak.

Twenty or thirty men, armed, crossed the river via the most secluded shallows, set up camp, and stayed there.

Boris's men.

He mentally reviewed the information on the Baron of Linshui, a rising pioneering lord.

This kind of person can't be stupid.

He sent men across the river today not to die, but to test his stance.

If you are assertive, he will be more cautious; if he doesn't dare to resist, he'll be easy to manipulate.

Ron understood this and put down his cup: "Call everyone who can move."

"Except for those who stay behind, the rest of you come with me."

Laun hesitated for a moment: "Sir, there are twenty or thirty people on the other side. How many should we bring?"

"Bring forty," Ron said.

"Half veterans and half new recruits, plus Gray and Hart, and those four low-ranking soldiers too. Leave forty to guard the base, in case we lure them away."

Laun responded and turned to go out to make the arrangements.

Half an hour later, Ron arrived at the river bend with his men.

The horses' hooves thundered as they trod through the overgrown grass. Behind them were forty guards, a mix of veterans and new recruits, their horses armed with bows and swords.

Laun, Gray, and Hart, three mid-ranking officers, rode in front, while four low-ranking attendants lined up on either side.

From afar, you could see seven or eight tents pitched on the open ground, several horses tied to trees nearby, and smoke rising from their chimneys.

Several armed men were standing by the camp. When they saw Ron's men coming, they panicked. Some ran into their tents, while others put their hands on their knife hilts and backed away.

Ron reined in his horse and stopped it fifty paces from the camp. No one spoke, except for the occasional snort from the horse.

A middle-aged man with a thin beard emerged from the tent. He was rather short and had a sword at his waist.

When he saw the group of men behind Ron, the smile on his face froze for a moment, then he straightened up again and strode forward to meet them.

"Sir, are you Baron Ron of the River Reach?" He adopted an extremely humble posture.

"I am Colin, the caravan manager of Linshui Territory. Yesterday, I got carried away chasing prey and accidentally crossed the river. It got dark and I didn't dare to go back. I was just planning to pay my respects to you today, sir, but I didn't expect you to come in person."

To hunt.

Ron chuckled inwardly. "Why don't you say a soldier is missing?"

Twenty or thirty men, armed with swords, would cross the river via the most secluded shallows, camp overnight in other people's territory, and hunt for prey.

But his face remained expressionless; he simply said, "Manager Colin's caravan has quite a few people."

Colin's smile remained unchanged: "The wilderness of the frontier is teeming with wild beasts. We dare not venture into the forest without enough men. Yesterday we chased an Iron-bristled Boar, but unfortunately it still escaped."

That's shameless.

Ron glanced around the camp; the men looked relaxed, but their positions subtly protected several directions.

Several of them were clearly trained; their eyes were sharp, and the swords and knives at their waists were not ordinary.

Although he didn't actually fight, the aura he exuded from years of navigating the dangerous front lines was unmistakable.

He estimated that there were at least three or four low-ranking knight squires among these people, and that the leader, Colin, was at least a mid-ranking knight.

Boris wouldn't be foolish enough to send a high-ranking officer over to scout ahead.

The guy who came today, Colin, is just a foreman with about twenty mercenaries. Even if they all die here, Boris won't care.

This is a test.

Ron had to respond, or he would be taken advantage of. But he couldn't reveal the details of his own situation when he responded. This was going to be a test for Ron.

He looked away and at Colin:

"They chased their prey into my territory, set up camp for the night, and aren't leaving today. Steward Colin, your caravan is quite interesting."

Colin immediately laughed: "Sir, you jest. If you're not happy about it, we'll pack up and leave right away."

He turned to leave. Ron spoke:

"etc."

Colin turned around: "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

"Didn't you bow to me just now?" Ron asked playfully.

Colin's expression immediately changed. The laws of the duchy stipulated that commoners must show respect and bow to nobles.

But since it's uncertain whether the territories will become hostile after the initial expansion, I'm too lazy to perform the formalities.

Ron seized on this sore spot and wouldn't let it go, which was no different from the excuse he had come up with.

"Laun. Go!"

Give him two slaps to teach him a lesson!

Ron stepped forward, but all the mercenaries behind Colin drew their swords, ready to attack Ron and his group at the slightest movement.

"presumptuous!!"

Laun shouted from the side, and the soldiers he brought with him also raised their weapons, and the two sides faced off in a tense standoff.

Ron gave Lauen a look, signaling him to continue.

Laun stepped forward and slapped Colin twice across the face.

He was slapped so hard his eyes were seeing stars, but he still held back and didn't dare to order a fight.

Colin came with a mission, and now that the new lord seems quite confident, he needs to consider how to save his life.

His cheeks were red from the slaps, and blood was trickling from the corners of his mouth. He didn't dare to utter a sound.

Ron ordered, "Drive them away. If they disobey, kill the leader first."

He really can't kill these people right now. If he does, he might have to get involved himself, and if a few of them escape, his strength will be exposed.

On the way back, Gray leaned closer:

"Sir, are we just going to let them go like this?"

Ron didn't turn around: "What else? If we kill them, can you guarantee that not a single one will escape?"

Gray was taken aback.

"In this wilderness, there are eyes hiding in any bush. What we did today will reach Boris's ears in no time."

Ron spurred his horse forward: "He's figured out our strength. Next time, it won't be twenty mercenaries, it'll be two hundred bandits."

Gray fell silent.

Laun said worriedly, "But this is only a temporary solution. The Linshui Territory will probably not stop these probing attacks."

Ron nodded and said nothing more.

He knew in his heart that he had only managed to get through today's standoff. But the fact that he hadn't killed these people already revealed some information.

Time!! My biggest problem right now is time.

We need to find a way to deal with the threat from Boris's side.