Chapter 70 The Winter Games and the Uninvited Guest's Ultimatum...

"Go! Go! Go, Li Ge!"

"Kailan! Kailan! Don't let them pull her over!"

"One, two! One, two! Push harder!"

In the open space of Hope Town's central park, a lively and bustling atmosphere prevailed. The biting cold wind did nothing to dampen people's enthusiasm; instead, it made their cheeks flush red with excitement, and their breath rose like steam.

After the elven delegation left, winter arrived in the Cursed Lands with undeniable force. Light snow fell intermittently for several days, slowly enveloping the entire Hope Town in a silver-white blanket.

Besides Gray's patrol team, which also had to brave the wind and snow to patrol around the town and set traps to catch some cold-resistant snow rabbits and forest birds, and Stonefist's ever-burning blacksmith shop preparing new farm tools for the upcoming spring planting, most outdoor projects had been suspended.

Suddenly freed from the intense infrastructure construction frenzy, the town's residents felt somewhat lost. Every day, besides snuggling in their warm heated kang beds, they would go to Hope Town's No. 1 store to exchange their hard-earned work points and coins for some good food. Life was more comfortable than ever before, but also a little boring.

Lin Yue keenly noticed this problem of people being idle. He thought he should find something for everyone to do, so that they could exercise, prevent themselves from getting sick from being cooped up in the winter, and also further enhance communication and integration among the residents.

So, on a rare sunny day, the first "Overcoming the Cold, Strengthening the Body, and Welcoming the Future" Winter Fun Games of Hope Town, under the full planning of Lin Yue, was grandly opened.

The sports meet events were simple and straightforward, but highly entertaining and engaging. There was a 50-meter snow sprint to test speed, a standing long jump to test jumping ability, a granite shot put to demonstrate strength, and a tug-of-war that best embodied team spirit.

What is happening right now is the semi-final of the tug-of-war competition.

Both teams boast impressive lineups.

On one side was a team of burly bricklayers led by Li Ge, the captain of a construction team. The team members were all seasoned veterans of construction sites, muscular and strong men, including Amu and Tie Niu. Behind them stood several equally strong human women; Aunt Lia, hands on her hips, shouted commands at the top of her lungs, exuding confidence.

On the other side was the Elegant Nature Team, led by Silent Woodworking Master Kailan. Although their team members did not appear as muscular as their opponents, they were all agile, with smooth muscle lines and full of explosive power.

What's even more surprising is that at the very end of the procession, the anchor responsible for the most crucial rear guard, is none other than the highly respected Elder Farador. Despite his advanced age, he stands firmly in a horse stance, his hands gripping a thick hemp rope, a mischievous smile on his face. Clearly, his recent recuperation has greatly restored Elder Farador's physical and mental well-being.

"Hey, old man," Uncle Stone Fist, who was also in charge of bringing up the rear at the other end of the team, shook his rabbit-ear earmuffs and gave Elder Farador a provocative smile, "Don't think that just because you're old and have a long beard, I'll go easy on you. Today on the field, there's no hierarchy, only winning and losing!"

Elder Falador smiled slightly upon hearing this, replying telepathically: "Friends of the dwarves, strength is not merely brute force. We... the Silent Ones, understand better... how to gather strength together, like... a flowing stream."

"Ha! Just you wait and see!"

"One, two, three! Pull!"

With Lin Yue's command, the competition officially began!

The team members on both sides exerted force simultaneously, the snow under their feet crunching loudly. The thick hemp rope was instantly taut, the red cloth strip in the middle trembling violently, sawing back and forth.

No matter how calm and elegant the Silent Ones were normally, they were now completely ignited by this primal and pure competitive spirit. Their faces flushed red, veins bulged, and they gritted their teeth, channeling all their strength into the ground through their feet and then into the ropes through their arms.

Partners who spend every day together become fierce rivals on the field.

Even the usually quiet and composed Gray displayed an astonishing competitive spirit in the archery competition he participated in. When his arrow hit the bullseye once again, drawing cheers, a rare, smug smile appeared on his perpetually icy face.

The entire Hope Town was immersed in this simple and pure joy. They temporarily forgot the cold, the past suffering, and the lurking dangers, fully enjoying this hard-won peace and laughter.

However, just as the tug-of-war reached its climax and the outcome was about to be decided, a sharp and urgent gong sound suddenly came from the lookout post on the east side.

"Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!"

That was the highest level of alert.

The laughter of everyone abruptly ceased, and the smiles on their faces instantly froze. Instinctively, they dropped the ropes they were holding, grabbed the weapons beside them, and quickly went into battle mode.

Lin Yue's heart sank even further, feeling a sense of helplessness as one wave of trouble followed another, but time did not allow him to sigh.

He immediately rushed toward the lookout post, with Gray and Stonefist close behind.

When they reached the lookout post and saw the distant view clearly, even Lin Yue, who had experienced countless grand scenes, couldn't help but gasp.

On the distant snowy horizon, a larger and more imposing force than the previous Golden Libra Chamber of Commerce was slowly approaching.

No longer were cumbersome wagons, but rows of cavalrymen riding tall horses, clad in chainmail woven with iron rings, and wielding sharp halberds. Behind them were hundreds of well-equipped infantry squares marching in unison, with a menacing black banner bearing a red scorpion fluttering in the cold wind at the very front of the column!

"It's...it's the Red Scorpion Army!" A refugee from Blackrock City screamed in terror from the crowd. "It's those demons who destroyed our homes! How did they find their way here?"

Panic quickly spread through the crowd that had just been filled with laughter and joy.

Lin Yue's gaze, however, was fixed on the very front of that group. There, he saw a familiar figure—Karl, the taciturn assistant who used to follow Fernando.

At this moment, Karl was no longer the humble and modest man he once was. He wore a magnificent suit of gold-plated plate armor, rode a magnificent black warhorse, and his face bore an undisguised greed and arrogance, like a hawk eyeing its prey.

Beside him followed a noble youth, equally young but with a completely different air. Although the youth also wore magnificent armor, his brows betrayed a hint of disapproval of Karl's actions. Looking at Karl's arrogant face, his eyes revealed a sense of helplessness and a subtle disdain for a fool.

Lin Yue's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

“Gray, Uncle Stonefist,” Lin Yue’s voice was unusually calm, but his fingers gripping the city wall were slightly white from the force, “Prepare for battle. This is probably an unavoidable fierce battle.”

Soon, the Red Scorpion Army stopped a few dozen meters outside Hope Town. Karl, alone, spurred his horse forward, a mocking smile on his face, like a cat catching a mouse.

"Mayor Lin Yue, long time no see." His voice was full of condescending sarcasm. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon. But this time, I'm not here to do business with you."

Lin Yue took a deep breath and walked up the city wall to confront him. Behind him, several Silent Ones, including Kailan and Ella, followed with solemn expressions. They knew that this enemy was far more threatening and lethal than the previous caravan.

"Mr. Karl? Oh no, judging by your attire, I should address you as... Lord Karl? May I ask what brings you here in such great commotion? Hope Town doesn't seem to have anything worth such a grand gesture from you, does it?"

"Hahaha!" Karl let out a piercing laugh. "Mayor Lin, are you still playing dumb with me? Don't think I don't know that those elves you used to fool us last time were all fake."

He pointed to a few Silent Ones who had nervously stepped out from the crowd not far away, a disdainful sneer on his face: "I saw it clearly this time. Apart from being a bit better looking, what's the difference between their ears and ours? Do you think you can just find a few handsome men and beautiful women, put them in some tattered robes, and pretend to be noble elves? How naive!"

“I admit, your food is indeed quite sophisticated, and your inventions are quite interesting. But now, they all deserve a new owner.” Karl’s eyes turned cold and greedy. “I’ll give you two choices. First, immediately open the city gates, hand over all your grain, ironware, ceramics, and all the blueprints and recipes for your technologies, then take your people, swear allegiance to me, and become slaves of my eldest son, Duke Karl von Karl. I might consider sparing your lives.”

“Second,” he drew his longsword, the tip pointing directly at Lin Yue, “resist to the bitter end, and then be trampled to the ground by my Red Scorpion Army. Your little Hope Town, along with everything else, will vanish completely from this land!”

The ultimatum pierced the hearts of everyone in Hope Town like a cold blade.

"Well, Mayor Lin, my patience is running out," Karl urged impatiently.

"Don't even think about it!" Stone Fist was the first to lose his temper. He grabbed a red brick the size of a human head, pointed it at Karl, and cursed, "You treacherous little brat, you want me to be your slave? In your next life! If you have the guts, come and break in, and I'll smash your head into a rotten green cucumber with my iron hammer!"

"Stubborn fools! Since you won't listen to reason, then don't blame me for being impolite! Guards! Give me..."

Just as he was about to order the attack on the city.

A sudden change occurred.

A clear, cool voice echoed distinctly in everyone's ears:

"When did Duke Caslan's son become so bold as to start a war on the border of Silvermoon Forest?"

Before he finished speaking, more than ten figures appeared silently on the city wall of Hope Town, standing between Lin Yue and Karl.

Leading the group were Elendil, Lorian, and the druid. Behind them followed a squad of elven rangers clad in silver leaf armor and wielding runic longbows. Each of them exuded a subtle yet powerful aura of nature and magic.

"The same old tricks again?" Karl was taken aback when he saw the suddenly appearing, extraordinary elves. Then, a look of even more contempt and anger appeared on his face. "Lin Yue, I really overestimated you. Your methods are as clumsy and pathetic as last time. Do you think you can scare me by bringing a few more people and changing into more gorgeous clothes? Let me tell you, the same tricks won't work on me!"

He was blinded by his own cleverness and completely failed to notice the sudden deathly paleness on the faces of the experienced soldiers behind him and his brother Ryan.

"Guards!" Karl roared frantically, "Arrest all these charlatans! I want to expose their true colors in front of everyone!"

Although the Red Scorpion soldiers behind him felt immense pressure, they still charged forward under orders.

"Hmph, what audacity." Ilandil didn't even bother to look at him, and simply said to the captain of the guard beside him, Lorian, "Lorian, tell them to be quiet."

"Yes, sir."

Lorian nodded, then stepped forward. He didn't draw his longbow from his back, but slowly raised his hand and flicked his finger lightly at the Red Scorpion centurion who was charging at the forefront, the one with the best equipment and the most arrogant aura.

A cyan blade of air, visibly formed from pure wind element, instantly pierced through the air.

"call out--!"

Before the centurion could even react, he felt an irresistible force strike him. The steel halberd in his hand was instantly cut in two, and he was sent flying backward with a scream, as if he had been hit head-on by a battering ram. He knocked down seven or eight soldiers behind him, their fates unknown.

The power of that single strike was terrifying.

Now, the entire Red Scorpion Army formation was plunged into a deathly silence and immense panic.

Only then did Ilandil slowly turn his gaze to Karl, whose face had turned ashen and whose body was trembling like a leaf.

“I recognize the red scorpion insignia on your banner; that’s Duke Caslan’s private army.” Elendil’s voice was icy and devoid of emotion. “I’m curious, even your father maintained a necessary reverence and humility when facing the Silvermoon Forest. What gave you the courage to think you could represent him to invade this peaceful land bordering my people?”

"The Cursed Lands, though abandoned, have never belonged to any lord. They are the last refuge for all wanderers and survivors, and a tacit buffer zone between the major powers. You appear here today with an army, attempting to conquer a settlement protected by our Silvermoon Forest by force... Carl von Kaslan, are you declaring war on the entire Silvermoon Forest on behalf of your father?"

Lorian and the druids behind Erandil stepped forward simultaneously, their powerful auras instantly locking onto Karl and the army behind him. They had no doubt that at Erandil's command, this place would transform into a hellish landscape of arrows and natural magic.

"No...no...it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding." Karl completely broke down. He tumbled off his horse and crawled to his knees, explaining incoherently, "I...I just...I just came...yes, to buy supplies. We exchanged some of Hope Town's magical food last time, so...so I brought a lot of money to buy it. These soldiers...they are...they're guards, yes, guards!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Lin Yue seized the opportunity, a friendly smile spreading across his face. He stepped forward, looking down at Karl kneeling on the ground. "Since you've come to buy something, why didn't you say so earlier? We hope town welcomes generous guests like you, Lord Karl. Come, come, please get up. We can talk business now."

He turned to Mia and shouted, "Mia! Quick! Bring out our No. 1 Store's VIP Supreme Deluxe Menu! Let Lord Karl take a good look! Remember, the price... considering we're old friends, just double the original price... five times."

Upon hearing this, Karl nearly coughed up blood.

Meanwhile, his younger brother Ryan, who had been standing somewhat out of place at the back, had a glint of cunning in his eyes. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was focused on his kneeling brother begging for mercy and the imposing elves on the city wall, and the army's formation was in disarray, he quietly broke away from the ranks and walked alone to the foot of the Hope Town city wall.

He didn't look up at the high and mighty elves, but instead tilted his head back, his gaze precisely locked onto Lin Yue, who was watching the farce with great interest from the city wall.

“Mayor Lin Yue!” Ryan’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly enough to the city walls. “My name is Ryan. I apologize to you for my brother’s recklessness. He… he has always been impulsive and greedy. I hope you will not take your anger out on the entire Caslan family.”

Lin Yue looked down at the young man who had taken the initiative to step forward with some surprise, signaling the archers on the city wall not to make any rash moves.

Ryan continued, "I... admire your wisdom and ability." With that, he took out a silver ring engraved with his family crest from his pocket and threw it with all his might toward Lin Yue on the city wall.

"This is my token. If you ever have the opportunity to enter the duchy in the future, you can use this to find me. Perhaps we can become friends."

Lin Yue reached out and steadily caught the ring that arced through the air. He glanced at the young man, a hundred times smarter than his brother, and smiled, nodding at him. Seeing this, Ryan said nothing more and quickly retreated back into the chaotic army, as if nothing had happened.

Ultimately, this farce ended with Karl purchasing a symbolic amount of snow salt and starlight flour from Lin Yue at a price that nearly bankrupted his private coffers. Then, he led his demoralized and defeated Red Scorpion Army, fleeing in a sorry state under the disdain of all the residents of Hope Town and the cold gaze of the elves.

With the crisis averted, Hope Town erupted in thunderous cheers once again!

Lin Yue let out a long sigh of relief, then turned around and gave Ilandil, who was about to say something, a big smile:

"Lord Elendil, Master Lorian, Master Druid, and other elven friends whom I am meeting for the first time, it is better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early."

"Look, our winter sports meet, the tug-of-war competition was only halfway through when someone ruined it. How about... you guys join in the fun? How about we form a mixed team of elves, humans, dwarves, and Silent Walkers?"

Looking at the young man in front of him who was hovering on the brink of death one second and was now thinking of dragging them to play in the mud the next, Ilandil gave a helpless smile that was both funny and exasperating.

Finally, he slowly nodded: "Alright. However, I won't show any mercy."

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Author's note: Karl: Ha, I won't fall for the same trick twice!

Lin Yue: Hey, what a coincidence! This time it's for real!

Calculate the area of ​​Carl's psychological trauma at this moment...