Chapter 272: Chapter 256 Perilous Situation_1
Li Jiya held the photograph, her heart pounding with shock.
The clarity of a magical image reflected the spellcaster’s magic power. The more powerful the mage who recorded the image, the higher its clarity.
In this photograph, the sleeping woman’s individual strands of hair were clearly visible, revealing the terrifying level of magic power possessed by the person who had recorded it.
The woman in the picture was her, and it had been taken from the chair Yan Xing had occupied.
Li Jiya imagined Yan Xing using magic to record her as she slept, a sensation akin to undertaking a suicide mission.
"Since Knight Yan Xing isn’t here, I should be going. Thank you for your hospitality..." Li Jiya departed in a hurry.
Only when she boarded the carriage for her return trip did she realize she was still clutching the blanket.
She didn’t know who had covered her with it.
Li Jiya placed the blanket on her lap, holding the photograph with both hands and examining it carefully.
「Meanwhile, Yan Xing had indeed been summoned to the Lord’s Mansion by Count Theodore.」
In a room where the fireplace was already lit, Count Theodore sat in a chair by the hearth, a glass of red wine in his hand.
Yan Xing sat opposite the old Earl, watching as the butler poured him a glass of wine.
The old Earl said, "These castles, built of solid stone, are very sturdy, but also incredibly damp. If we don’t dry them out thoroughly by late autumn, they become like ice caves once the first heavy winter snows arrive."
Yan Xing raised his glass. "Then I shall also have my castle thoroughly dried with fires when I return. Mentor, you’ve aged considerably recently..."
A faint smile touched the old Earl’s visibly aged face as he shook his head. "I’m fortunate to still be alive. As long as I can hold on until winter arrives, I can finally get some proper rest.
"I’ve been told you brought a troop of Werewolf Raiders into the city."
While Count Theodore managed logistics for the Wildwind Highlands Legion, he also possessed his own intelligence channels.
Yan Xing’s forces within Nuta City had already reached the stipulated limit of five hundred men. Approximately four hundred guards from the Eternal Commerce Guild and the Eternal Grain Bank were also stationed there. Furthermore, another three hundred soldiers were undergoing training in the Nuta City barracks.
Factoring in the covert military strength of the Eternal Intelligence Exchange and its affiliated families, the forces Yan Xing could mobilize within Nuta City were far from insignificant.
Additionally, the Merchant Guild had three thousand men training at an estate north of Nuta City, armed with fireguns.
Fireguns were a goblin invention.
However, the fireguns Yan Xing equipped the Guild’s Mercenaries with were significantly more powerful than those used by goblins. Their rate of fire was also much faster.
News from the Eternal Domain indicated that the Werewolf Tribe allied with Yan Xing was showing signs of preparing for war.
If the army from Thunderous Swamp were to march south now, Nuta City could not withstand a coordinated attack from both within and without.
Rumors of Thunderous Swamp planning to attack Nuta City were spreading throughout the city, and some officials had also cautiously advised the old Earl to be wary of Yan Xing’s rapidly expanding power.
This potential threat from the north made Count Theodore exceptionally wary of Yan Xing at this moment.
"Yes, I brought a troop of Werewolf Raiders into the city today," Yan Xing admitted openly, swirling the red wine in his glass. "I have a strong feeling something significant will happen in Nuta City in the coming days. With so many of my assets here, I cannot afford to be without sufficient warriors to protect them."
"What have you heard?" Count Theodore asked.
Yan Xing took a sip of wine. "Mentor, your information network is surely more extensive than mine. Even I can sense the palpable tension in Nuta City; it’s impossible for you not to be aware of it. Your Lord’s Mansion not only needs its fires stoked to drive out the dampness but also requires reinforced guards to prevent any malevolent elements from entering from outside."
A lifetime of warfare and rich political experience had taught the old Earl that the period approaching the end of a war was invariably a time of rampant chaos.
Everyone would be scrambling to secure the greatest possible advantage for themselves at such a juncture.
A major upheaval in Nuta City was imminent.
And what role would Yan Xing play in this chaos? The old Earl couldn’t guess.
That was why he had summoned Yan Xing here: to assess him based on his words and actions.
However, Yan Xing had clearly matured significantly since their first encounter.
Even back then, he was already a cunning little fox.
Count Theodore said, "Investigating your Eternal Domain is far easier than investigating the various factions within Nuta City. After all, your domain is out in the open, while those with ill intentions are masters of concealment, each hiding more deeply than the last.
"Moreover, Storm City has recalled too many of my personnel. I’m now finding it extremely difficult to monitor their movements, which is highly dangerous.
"If you still consider me your ally, please tell me what you know."
"I have always been your ally, my Mentor," Yan Xing said, raising his glass to Count Theodore in a gesture of respect. "And I have indeed uncovered a few things.
"The Jufeng Mercenary Group and the Farsight Mercenary Corps have each amassed a large number of mercenaries. It seems they’re preparing for a large-scale clash within Nuta City soon.
"Behind them are ’Shortgun’ and the Temple, respectively.
"Shortgun... that’s the mercenary organization colluding with orcs. I don’t know why these two groups are set to fight, but a battle within Nuta City will undoubtedly ignite chaos.
"Lately, many rumors have been circulating in Nuta City targeting Thunderous Swamp, claiming we intend to attack the city. I’m currently investigating these claims."
Count Theodore suddenly interjected, "Are these rumors true or false..."