"It's so hot!"

"This water tastes so bitter..."

"Thank goodness, this water is much warmer; it's better than drinking cold water outside."

The knights, now stripped of their leather armor, were parched and eagerly drank scalding hot tea. They had braved wind and frost, gone hungry, and fought a bunch of lunatics, only to have gained very little in the end. It was truly a difficult journey.

Most of them were recruited temporarily, with only a few having received training. Their predecessors might have been petty thieves or extortionists; otherwise, they wouldn't have suffered more than a dozen casualties in the fight with the mob.

While this ragtag army was haphazardly quenching their thirst, Pete's elite knights, whom he had brought from his family, did not move. Instead, they sat up, surveying their surroundings with a hint of wariness in their eyes.

Some even watched the ragtag soldiers drinking tea, observing their facial expressions to verify whether the tea had been tampered with.

"Thank you for your hospitality. We will never forget your kindness. May Arthas, the god of harvest, bless you."

After seeing the knight finish cup after cup of hot tea, Pete picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and smiled.

"You're welcome. We are all neighbors of the city-state and should help each other."

Khrushchev nodded slightly, secretly pondering how to extract useful information from the other party.

After discovering the group of knights, the higher-ups confirmed that they were not dead. Xiao Han invited them into the city lord's mansion and had Hruuf impersonate the city lord. Titan City was also disguised as a place where the Tulip family held absolute power.

However, after chatting for a while, Pete noticed that the food hadn't been served yet, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

He stared at Khrushchev's kind and benevolent face, his enthusiasm overflowing, his hospitable eyes seeming to say, "Drink up, keep drinking, we're like family, why be so polite?" But in reality, he wouldn't even offer a single meal.

Hehe, while they're talking about friendly neighborly help, they're now offering tea, drinking water, and discussing ideals—they're being quite polite.

Drink, drink, drink your ass off! But if you're going to be a little more sincere, you could at least offer a few pieces of bread.

Pete, a former military officer, though somewhat impatient, knew how to restrain himself and was adept at understanding others' intentions.

His real goal was to secretly probe the recent situation in Titan City on the orders of the clan chief.

Back then, the surging dark clouds and roaring lightning were noticed by Hailan City, which was fifty miles away, and suspected that there was a major change. They specially sent people to investigate.

Subsequently, Bizhu City inexplicably fell, and all traces of it were easily erased by the falling lightning.

The report shocked the high-ranking officials of Hailan City. What kind of ferocious power could destroy the entire city into ruins?

Therefore, Pete's mission was not only to conquer the wastelands and provoke the wrath of the Duchy of White and Constantine, but also to check on the surrounding cities to see if they were intact.

"Brother, you're so young and rich, and you're the captain of a cavalry unit. You must be very popular in Hailan City."

"Not at all. I'm just an ordinary member of the Weeks family. Leading people to dig for earth crystals this time is not glamorous at all."

"I see. However, the earth crystal contains a trace amount of rock potential, which is suitable for planting some magical plants. It seems that you have made quite a harvest, brother."

"Ahem, soil crystals are not easy to dig up. Only in late autumn, when the mature soil crystals undergo changes, can the shed crystal dust be turned up on the surface of the soil, shining with a layer of dark yellow light, which makes them easy to identify."

Pete and Khrushchev exchanged information amicably, but when it came to their own intelligence, they were somewhat perfunctory and glossed over the details.

However, Pete's experience was ultimately inferior to that of Khrushchev, who, through subtle means, deduced a useful piece of information from the limited intelligence available: the Weeks family, a major power in Aquamarine City, had annexed another force and was very likely to control the entire city.

Pete, glancing furtively at the layout of the hall, recalled the newly built city walls outside Titan City and suspected there was something fishy going on.

After revealing his identity, the group entered the city gate and, without saying a word, were very enthusiastic. The next second, they took him directly to the city lord's mansion, not giving him a chance to observe the situation inside the city.

Moreover, Titan City has actually reinstated the city lord system, and it is clearly siding with the Duchy. This newly appointed city lord should be one of the high-ranking members of the Tulip family who were elected in response to the Duchy's call.

It is highly likely that he is a confidant of Francis, the current head of the tulip family, and in a sense, represents Francis's attitude.

For a moment, Pete thought about many things, and a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes.

The Tulip family defeated the other two forces without anyone noticing, took control of the entire city, and achieved unification, making them a promising force.

Its status is no less than that of the Weeks family.

Chief Francis once displayed his might in the gladiatorial arena of the Southern Duchy, becoming famous for a time. He embarked on a path of revenge burning with flames. The story of how he grew from a weak child into a renowned powerhouse can be spread far and wide, and everyone admires his forbearance and outstanding leadership.

Thinking of this, Pete couldn't help but feel a sense of awe for the Tulip Clan Chief.

"It's time to serve the food. We can't let our guests go hungry; that would be too impolite."

Khrushchev smiled apologetically, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and secretly circulated his qi and blood, saying.

Upon hearing this, the knights were overjoyed, and Pete, as their commander, even smiled slightly.

What appears to be a simple act of serving food is actually a signal that the clan chief is starting to value him, which is good news.

He couldn't help but smile casually: "It's nothing, brother. Since you're so hospitable, I can't be stingy. I have some freshly dug soil crystals here..."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!