Evil dragon has a warm heart

Chapter 64 - 64 64 Grotto Patrol Team

?Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Grotto Patrol Team Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Grotto Patrol Team In the grand hall of the Wuyao Snake Manor’s detached residence.

Russell stroked the Bloodfang fungi mushroom insect while instructing Morris, the butler, to fetch a special bottle of magic elixir from the storeroom.

The label on the bottle read “Blood Peeling.”

He then drew some blood from the wound on Lone Wolf Lisbon’s neck and mixed it with the blood peeling elixir in a test tube.

“Uh…”

Lisbon struggled, his eyes seeming to convey something he could not voice.

Russell glanced at Lisbon; having experienced the battle with the Snow Ghost, he had already come to terms with facing those on the brink of death and could accept it calmly.

“Don’t be stingy, borrowing your blood for a while before sending you on your way,” he muttered, not caring whether Lisbon could hear clearly or not.

As long as it was confirmed that Lisbon was not dead, his blood would activate the blood peeling elixir.

After stirring the test tube to ensure an even mixture, he sprinkled some jade powder over it.

The blood peeling elixir turned into a thick paste.

Russell then fed this tube of magic elixir to the Bloodfang fungi mushroom insect which, with the jade powder as a primer, ate it happily.

A short while later, the Bloodfang fungi mushroom insect trembled all over, oozing two drops of blood from the surface of its skin.

Russell quickly wiped the two drops of blood with a cloth, then chuckled, “Done!”

These two drops of blood were the very ones the Bloodfang fungi mushroom insect had absorbed from Lisbon when the pact was made between them. It was with these two drops of blood as a medium that the magical pact between the Spirit Insect and its master was formed.

Nobles regard Spirit Insects as forbidden delicacies and naturally, they have researched ways to break such pacts to prevent their own Spirit Insects from being touched by commoners.

The blood peeling elixir was specifically developed to dissolve such pacts.

“Tom, send Lisbon on his way, and then find a place to burn his body,” Russell turned away, no longer looking at Lisbon.

From the moment Lisbon lured the Snow Ghost into Wuyao Snake Manor, he was already a dead man in Russell’s eyes.

“Uh…” Lisbon tried to lift his hand weakly, attempting to stop what was happening.

But Knight Attendant Tom pressed his head calmly, giving it a gentle twist; a sharp crack signaled the end as Lisbon breathed his last.

Then his body was carried out to be burned.

Perhaps fearing that the dead might be infected by the power of the Snow Demon and rise again, on the Dragon Sleep Continent, the bodies of the dead, both humans and animals, are burned after death—if not eaten.

“Alright, everyone take a good rest,” Russell stretched.

He did not immediately bind himself to the Bloodfang fungi mushroom insect, because the contract had just been severed, and its vitality was slightly damaged; it needed time to recuperate.

“Sir, the Rangers from Echo Water River Cavern are all here, but there are still twenty or thirty wandering spirits. My sisters and I plan to take them down overnight and then bring them to you for judgment,” Katie stood up, not intending to rest.

“Very well,” Russell nodded, “Take Kevin with you.”

“Thank you for your concern, Sir.”

“Also, keep the fungi well-protected.”

“Yes.”

…
Meimei had a good sleep, sleeping until ten o’clock the next morning.

The Wildcat Sisters were already escorting twenty or thirty wandering souls, waiting for Russell’s judgment—Lone Wolf Lisbon had died, his few Ranger subordinates were all imprisoned, and the entire Echo Water River Caverns were left headless, which made it easy for the Wildcat Sisters to take over.

“Sir, all the practitioners from the Echo Water River Caverns are here,” Katie stepped forward and said.

“Those who committed evil alongside Lisbon and actively shed blood, pick them out one by one and send them to follow Lisbon,” Russell instructed calmly.

A qualified lord, while possessing a compassionate nature, must also have a heart of iron.

There is no need for morality when dealing with evil-doers.

“Yes!” Katie responded.

“The remaining Rangers and wandering souls who are willing to submit to me, incorporate them into the Grotto Patrol Team, under the jurisdiction of Knight Commander Eric,” Russell issued another order, “Of course, those who are unwilling to return to a normal life can be let go to other caverns.”

He had already discussed this with Charles and Eric the night before.

You can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. Some of the Cavern Free People truly do not wish to be constrained. Forcing or killing such people serves little purpose; it’s better to let them go to other caverns and continue to act as a buffer for the Glowing Valley.

After selection and persuasion, of the four imprisoned Rangers, one was executed and the remaining three were willing to pledge allegiance to Russell.

“Humble Halls (Druk, Bal), swear allegiance to the great Lord Russell.” The three Rangers knelt on the ground, kissing the toes of Russell’s boots and bowing their heads in fear and trepidation to take their oath of loyalty.

The gesture of the oath was much lower than that of the initial allegiance of the Wildcat Sisters and that of Eric because this was not the ceremony of a follower pledging loyalty.

It was akin to a serf’s bond of indenture.

Russell wouldn’t take just anyone as a follower; after all, followers are the confidants of a lord and can share in the lord’s glory, so it is better to have none than to have unworthy ones.

Serfs, on the other hand, do not have this privilege. They sell themselves completely to their lord, are at his mercy, and receive only his protection in return.

Following that, among the forty or so wandering souls, nine were executed, and seven were unwilling to stay and live in the manor. The remaining thirty-one wandering souls were all willing to swear loyalty to Russell, becoming serfs of Russell’s manor and joining the Grotto Patrol Team.

For a time, the security forces of the Wuyao Snake Manor’s territory greatly increased.

Of course.

Aside from the three Rangers Halls being ready for battle, those thirty-one wandering souls weren’t much stronger than ordinary people.

Before the Qi Seed blossoms, its enhancement to the individual’s strength is truly limited; it’s only after it blooms into Battle Qi that there’s a qualitative change.

The nurturing of the Qi Seed is easy, but the blooming of Battle Qi is difficult.

In fact, as long as the nutrition keeps up, most children can nurture a Qi Seed, and those with good talent can do so even with poor nutrition.

For instance, the manor’s foreman Hans, the butler Morris, and several male servants had all nurtured Qi Seeds before. However, as Hans and Morris aged and their bodies weakened, their Qi Seeds also wilted, becoming no different from that of a normal person.

And the male servants, who had not bloomed their Qi by the age of sixteen, had lost the potential for cultivation.

If the Qi Seed hasn’t bloomed by the age of sixteen, it’s basically determined that the Qi Seed no longer has the potential to blossom.

This is why Russell’s predecessor, before his coming of age ceremony, ruthlessly pushed himself to the brink of going berserk in order to stimulate his Qi Seed into blooming—fearing that once the ceremony passed, he would be declared just an ordinary person without talent.

Ultimately, only a few lucky or talented individuals can have their Battle Qi bloom and embark on the path of further cultivation.

“Katie, Catherine, you two sisters lead the way, we’re going to the Echo Water River Caverns to accept the allegiance of the Cavern Free People,” Russell said after a satisfactory meal, preparing to move out to take over the Echo Water River Caverns, “and by the way, inspect the Echo Water River Caverns.”

Having grown so big, Russell had never been to any cavern before and didn’t know what the living environment inside a cavern was like.