Entering Firefall Fortress

The convoy slowly drove into the inner court of Firefall Keep, the oak wheels making a low thud as they rolled over the gravel road.

Ye Wei'an changed his clothes in the carriage. Ai Lian draped a mage robe from the War Mage Academy over him. The robe was dark blue-purple, with a neat and close-fitting cut, and the cuffs were fastened with silver buttons, making him look capable and aloof.

The moment Ye Wei'an stepped off the carriage, the entire castle seemed to be silenced.

Yevian led Elaine, Kane, and several infantrymen on foot to the lord's residence, while the others went to arrange for the storage of the wagons and goods.

The return of the "illegitimate child" after four years naturally attracted the attention of everyone in the castle.

Servants peeked out from the corridor, maids whispered behind stone pillars, and even the patrolling guards slowed their pace, scrutinizing him with complex expressions.

"Lady with fiery hair, is that Young Master Ye Wei'an? If it weren't for that black hair, I really wouldn't recognize him... When did he become so dignified?" A young maid blushed, her eyes glued to him.

Shuni, the Fire-Haired Lady, is the goddess of love and beauty in Faerûn and is worshipped by young men and women who yearn for love.

"What's the use of being pretty? A bastard is a bastard." An old gardener curled his lip and muttered, "A good-for-nothing. He went to Susar for four years, and besides learning how to burn money, he probably can't even cast a basic fireball."

"Is it really Young Master Ye Wei'an? Then what's all this commotion about?" An old servant rubbed his eyes. "When he left four years ago, he even carried his own suitcase."

"What else could it be? He probably couldn't make it in Susar anymore, so he used his meager living expenses to hire a few people to keep things afloat." A young servant leaned against the stable, his tone sarcastic. "A piece of trash is a piece of trash. Even if you put on a robe, you'll never become a magician."

One of Amarisk's private soldiers sneered even more brazenly: "Look, our 'Young Master' is back. Too bad, the Lady said long ago that Firefall Keep doesn't keep useless idlers, let alone a Squib who can only perform magic tricks."

The harsh mockery reached the ears of Kane and his guards.

Someone immediately couldn't take it anymore. Timothy suddenly stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes wide open: "Tyr's Beard! You foul-mouthed scoundrel, if you dare to disrespect the young master again, I'll cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs right now!"

The castle guards were stunned by the roar, but then burst into laughter.

"Hey, what kind of spell has this 'trash' cast on you? Is he worth you risking your lives for?"

Some people who knew him also warned, "Hey buddy, is it worth it? Don't fight over a bastard child in Firefall Fortress."

Kane stopped Timothy, who was about to rush forward and attack, and coldly surveyed the surroundings.

The palpable killing intent gradually silenced the laughter.

"Useless? You dare call Lord Yeweian useless?" Kane sneered, his voice booming loud enough for half the courtyard to hear. "You bunch of spineless cowards who only know how to cower in your castle and lick plates have no idea who you're judging! Just five days ago, it was this 'useless' you called that who led us to defeat 'Butcher' Grumman and his band of robbers!"

"Grumman the Butcher?" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

"That's right! Not only this bandit gang that had been entrenched for years, but also its backers—the 'Grey Ravens' of Firefall Town—were dealt with by the young master! The young master is not only a powerful mage, but also a savior in the eyes of the thousands of people in Firefall Town. He distributed most of the money he had extracted from the Grey Ravens over the years to the victims!"

Kane spoke with increasing enthusiasm, his voice filled with pride: "While he was settling scores in Firefall and winning prestige for the family, what was your rightful young master doing?! You have no right to judge Lord Yeweian; in my eyes, he is the true descendant of the Baron!"

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The maids stopped whispering, and the servants, who had been looking down on them, froze in place.

Looking at Ye Weian's tall and straight back, and then at the imposing guard, a sense of absurd yet real shock rushed to their heads.

That illegitimate child who didn't even dare to speak loudly four years ago has actually mastered powerful magic?

They all knew the name "Butcher" Grumman, and many people also knew "Grey Raven".

That illegitimate child... actually managed to win them all over?

On the other side, the convoy stopped in the stable and outer warehouse area.

The castle guards responsible for receiving the supplies stepped forward, intending to conduct their usual arrogant inspection, but were stunned speechless by the mountain of boxes piled up inside the carriage.

"Woking's skirt... What's in this carriage? Gold ore?" A guard stared, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, at the axle stuck in the mud. "So much grain, cloth, and even crates of ironware. Where did that bastard get all this treasure?"

"Get your dirty hands off me!" The soldier guarding the supplies shoved the man aside, smugly patting the hilt of his sword. "These are the spoils of war our young master obtained from clearing out bandits and unscrupulous merchants, plus supplies 'voluntarily' donated by the merchants of Firefall Town. You country bumpkin, stay away!"

Meanwhile, Renn was leading dozens of laborers toward the open space next to the stable.

These laborers followed the caravan all the way, and although it was hard work, their faces were full of anticipation.

"The young master instructed everyone to line up here."

Raine pulled out a heavy leather bag and began distributing the payment for the last leg of the journey as Ye Weian had requested. "Each person will receive an extra five silver coins as compensation for the hard work of traveling these past two days. In addition, the castle will provide hot water and hot soup, and you can rest in the west wing tonight."

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" A steward from the castle strode over, clutching the hem of his robe. Watching Renn hand out money, he felt a pang of heartache, as if his own flesh had been ripped out. "By Sheinworth, you're not only giving these peasants silver coins? You want them to live in side rooms? Renn, have you lost your mind?"

Renn frowned and looked at the other person coldly.

"The castle's side rooms are for the respectable nobles' retinues, not for these sweaty, smelly commoners!" The steward pointed at the uneasy laborers with disgust. "Giving them two pieces of black bread and letting them make do in the thatched hut for the night is already the Baron's mercy."

Renn's face instantly darkened.

Along the way, he had long been impressed by Ye Weian's vision and character.

Most of these people came from ordinary families. Although they were used to the past treatment of ordinary people, they actually gained Ye Wei'an's respect when they encountered a leader like him.

If the young master is willing to treat commoners kindly, then he must be doing the right thing.

He grabbed the steward by the collar and lifted the fat pig up.

"Say that again!"

"What...what do you want to do! I am the Baroness's..."

"I don't care whose lackey you are!" Renn shoved him hard against the wall. "These men are hired by the young master, and they've done a lot of work along the way. The young master said to take good care of them, and you'd better make sure they're properly taken care of! Arrange food and lodging for them right now. If I see anyone still without hot soup tonight, I'll shove your head down the toilet tomorrow and see if your baroness can save you!"

"Cost! Have you considered the cost?" the steward shrieked. "All the castle's expenses are now strictly audited by the Madam..."

"Fuck your expenses!" Ryan grabbed a handful of silver coins and threw them at the steward's chest.

Silver coins jingled and fell to the ground.

"Young master will pay! This is just a deposit. Now, get to work!"

The steward was stunned by the silver coins, but he greedily squatted down to pick them up, muttering to himself, "Crazy, really crazy... Sheenworth, I think this bastard is planning a rebellion."

This scene was witnessed by the laborers in the distance.

They held their still-warm wages in their hands, their eyes welling up with tears.

"Only Young Master Ye Wei'an treats us like human beings..." an old farmer said to his companion, wiping away tears.

"By Tyr, even though we all share the same surname, Xia Xing, how can there be such a huge difference?" A young laborer glared hatefully at the cold and impersonal lord's mansion. "Those noble lords are all rotten to the core, only Young Master Ye Wei'an... he's different."

"Yes, apart from the young master, everyone else in the Xia Xing family is rotten to the core."