Chapter136

After reading the contents of the letter, Damon's smile grew wider. The soldiers around him had never seen him this happy before, and they all tried to get closer to see what kind of letter it was.

But before they could even glimpse the handwriting, Damon quickly folded up the silk, tucked it into his chest, then lifted his long legs and strode toward the White Trading Post.

"You're always saying you have nothing to do, right? Go get your weapons and gear ready, then take two thousand of the new recruits and prepare to head south for a cleanup operation."

The soldiers immediately forgot about the letter he had just tucked away. Instead, they excitedly surrounded Damon, asking questions nonstop.

They had been stationed at the White Trading Post for over a month. After learning to use all kinds of new tools and gear, they were eager to finally go out and show them off, especially to those corrupt nobles in the Plumera Kingdom.

But Damon had kept them hidden, not allowing them to appear in front of those aristocrats. Now, even though they still couldn't attack the cities directly, they could finally head south from the capital. Of course they were thrilled.

Inside the White Trading Post.

After entering, Damon greeted the people who saluted him, then checked several sections of the post out of habit. He began organizing the two thousand soldiers who would go south with him.

The number of soldiers at the post had grown to over four thousand. He would take two thousand with him and leave two thousand behind to guard the post, which was a more secure plan.

Besides that, following the letter's instructions, he also brought along the most skilled miners and craftsmen from the post. He even brought a small group of deliberately selected trade goods and supplies.

Even though the White Trading Post had already produced many iron weapons, the iron ore had long been used up. All the gemstone stores in Plumera's capital had also been completely cleaned out. There wasn't a single ore left.

Damon had originally thought it would take at least a few more months to hear any news about a new mining site. But in just over a month, she had not only found a new source, she had already taken full control of it.

He thought back to the brave and beautiful girl who had nothing at the beginning, yet still dared to have him train private troops here. Damon couldn't help but smile again.

She truly lived up to his expectations. Her methods, ambition, and courage made people want to follow her without hesitation.

With a new mining source, it was only natural for Damon to bring the craftsmen with him. Following her instructions, he would clear a path all the way to Anqu Town and set up hidden relay stations along the way to help future transport.

He also thought about the other people in the capital that she mentioned in her letter. Damon stayed silent for a moment, then returned to his room, picked up his brush, and wrote two new letters on silk. One was sent to the Princess's residence, and the other to Captain Yang's estate.

Back courtyard of the Princess's residence.

Since the owner of the estate left, the place had become much quieter.

There were no more chilling screams late at night. The constant tension had vanished, and the place was no longer busy with people rushing around. The entire estate felt like it had died. If not for the occasional footsteps, it would seem completely abandoned.

In the side hall of the back courtyard,

Mathias sat by a cold window. On the table in front of him were stacks of bamboo slips filled with account records. His pale fingers held a thin silk letter.

Suddenly, the door slammed open with a loud bang.

Maurice, who looked very similar to him, walked in with a stern face, holding a rolled-up sheepskin scroll.

When he saw Mathias still sitting by the window reading the complicated records, Maurice let out a deep breath. Then he strode forward and slammed the scroll onto the table.

"Are you really planning to stay here as her toy? Do you really want to help her plan all this with such dedication? You used to be one of the brightest stars of Plumera's capital. Now all your talents are used for this?"

Mathias looked up at his younger brother. His eyes were still clear and calm. "Maurice, it's not that simple."

Maurice grew even angrier. "Then how should I see it? Have you really forgotten what she did to our family? What she did to you?"

"When she was here, whether it was out of fear or pressure, I won't talk about that now. But she's already gone. So many people in this place have run away while she's not around. Why are you still here? Why are you working so hard for her? You even asked me to secretly give her business our private family funds?"

"Mathias! Do you even know what you're doing? What are you thinking?"

Mathias looked at his furious brother. He placed the silk letter on the table, coughed softly, and picked up the warm medicine that a servant had left for him. He took a few sips, adjusted the robe on his shoulders, then walked to the window. Looking at the cold and rainy weather outside the Princess's estate, his soft voice sounded like a sigh.

"Maurice, everything in this world changes. People, things... nothing stays the same."

"What are you trying to say?" Maurice sneered slightly. "Are you trying to say you've changed? That you've really become a man who takes all the abuse without complaint? Or are you saying our Pei Family has changed? Or maybe this rotten Plumera dynasty has changed? Don't tell me you're trying to say that vicious woman has changed?"

He hadn't forgotten even a second of what that woman had done to the Pei Family. Their father had almost died from anger because of her. Their family's hundred-year reputation was ruined. They had become the target of insults and mockery. He especially couldn't forget how that woman knocked him out and dragged him to the restaurant.

Mathias listened to Maurice's harsh questions. In his mind, he saw the moment before she left Plumera's capital, when she held his hand and spoke softly to him.

Mathias looked at the cold, rainy world outside the window and said nothing more.

He stayed silent, but Maurice only got more and more upset.

He looked at Mathias's calm and gentle profile, then suddenly seemed to think of something and strode up to him, staring hard.

"Mathias, don't tell me you've really fallen for her?! Fallen for a woman who forced herself on you?!"

Mathias kept quietly looking outside and didn't say a word.

Maurice's eyes slowly widened, then he suddenly shouted, as if he couldn't take it anymore, "Don't forget she left Plumera's capital and brought Oswyn! She brought Scholar Fu! She even brought that man Lord Gregory sent! And she personally asked General Qi to protect her the whole way! But she didn't bring you!!"

"There are still so many men in this mansion that she got through underhanded means! As long as they look good, she'll take them! A woman like that… she's a monster! She has no heart! She just loves to toy with and torture men! She likes watching them beg for her attention like dogs! Mathias!! How could you fall for someone like her?!"

Once he finished yelling, Maurice turned and stormed off, as if he couldn't stand being there another second.

After he left, the little servant outside, already frightened by the noise, nervously peeked inside.

He saw their young master standing thin and pale by the window, facing the cold wind. The servant quickly grabbed a coat, draped it over Mathias, and cautiously said, "Young Master, about the second young master…"

Mathias pulled his gaze back and shook his head slightly, "It's fine. A'Ling has always had a quick temper. Once he calms down and thinks it through, he'll come back."

The little servant had followed Mathias since childhood and knew his young master always saw things clearly. He rarely made mistakes, so the servant felt half relieved and believed things would be fine once the second young master cooled off.

Still, thinking of what the second young master had just said, he couldn't help but feel a little sad and worried for his master.

How could the second young master say such things? The young master had already suffered so much…

He stood behind Mathias, full of concern but unsure of what he could say. Then he saw his young master pick up the sheepskin scroll that Maurice had thrown, open a bamboo ledger next to it, and start studying it carefully.

The servant sighed softly, knowing the young master was once again worrying about the princess's matters. After a moment of silence, he hurried outside to bring in several jars of coal.

His young master's body was weak. Although the princess had stopped hurting him recently, the years of pain had left deep illness in him.

The servant couldn't do much else, but at the very least, he could warm the room and try to prevent his master from getting sick from the cold again.