Chapter 71

Dwarf Mountain City.

In the courtyard, Zheng Yu slowly walked out along the stone-paved ground. From his expression, it was clear that he was a little disappointed, but it was also expected that he couldn't persuade them.

"How did it go?" Zhu Mingliang asked Zheng Yu at the gate.

Zheng Yu shook his head and said, "On one hand, the man-eating demons have indeed caused too many tragedies, and on the other hand, the Wutu region is still not very well-received."

Just as Zhu Mingliang was about to speak to calm him down, a man in official robes quickly approached, as if he was looking for Zheng Yu.

The man in official robes was likely the local administrator. Seeing that Zheng Yu hadn't gone far, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"City Lord Lian," Zheng Yu bowed and said.

"City Lord Zheng, why did you tell me to strengthen the patrols in the villages and towns before you left? The man-eating demons don't use our village roads and town paths," the man in official robes said.

"The man-eating demons cause chaos, and bandits will surely take advantage of the situation. We must guard against both natural disasters and human-made disasters, or more tragedies will occur," Zheng Yu said.

The man in official robes looked at Zheng Yu in surprise.

"You just arrived in Dwarf Mountain City, how did you know that bandits would cause chaos? We just received a report that a group of bandits was captured in Chihu Village. If it weren't for a Dragon Tamer, the entire village might have been massacred!" the man in official robes said.

"Chihu Village is probably not the first to suffer. City Lord Lian should personally visit the villages where tragedies have occurred to distinguish which were caused by demons and which were caused by humans. Otherwise, the students from the Dragon Taming Academy will only waste valuable time wandering through multiple villages," Zheng Yu continued.

"City Lord Zheng, you are wise. Thank you, thank you. If we can quickly eliminate the man-eating demons and destroy the vicious bandit groups, we can finally open the trade routes in Dwarf Mountain City," City Lord Lian said, now thoroughly impressed by Zheng Yu.

"Bandits often cause chaos, and they need places to store their loot. If City Lord Lian is to send troops to suppress the bandits, you can start searching along the mountains from the intersections of several villages. Any paths with obvious signs of frequent use, horse hooves, and wheel tracks are likely bandit strongholds," Zheng Yu explained.

"Brother Zheng, how about I send a troop for you to eliminate the bandits? In fact, a group of bandits has been entrenched in the upstream city, and the group in Chihu Village was just a small part. If City Lord Zheng can eliminate the bandits that have been a scourge to the upstream cities for years, I will personally discuss the trade routes with you!" City Lord Lian asked.

Zheng Yu was somewhat surprised, not expecting City Lord Lian to be a brave warrior who would lead the troops himself. This required some courage.

"For the people, even without the trade routes, I am duty-bound to act!" Zheng Yu immediately bowed and said.

"Thank you, thank you. This Dragon Taming Academy student, please accompany me to the affected villages. The man-eating demons are likely starting to act in groups," City Lord Lian saw Zhu Mingliang's attire and quickly bowed.

Zhu Mingliang nodded and said, "We are ready to go at any time. City Lord Lian, please prepare quickly."

...

After leaving the courtyard, Zhu Mingliang took a sip of the sweet spring water and said to Zheng Yu, "Brother Zheng is still Brother Zheng."

"Brother Zhu, are you admiring me again?"

"Acting for the people, duty-bound, that's a good phrase," Zhu Mingliang said.

"..." Zheng Yu smiled bitterly and finally shook his head, "I was hoping to hear Brother Zhu praise my great wisdom, but it seems I won't have that chance. But then again, compared to Lady Jun's wisdom, I am far inferior."

"That's not true. Lady Jun was born into a noble family and is more sensitive to city affairs. As a local official, you can see through these things, which is already very impressive," Zhu Mingliang said.

"Thank you for your praise, Brother Zhu." Zheng Yu's face lit up, as if he had been waiting for Zhu Mingliang to say this.

Zhu Mingliang immediately fell silent and took another sip from his water bag.

The water was no longer as sweet and even had a slight bitterness.

...

Zheng Yu was indeed very smart. After the city lord gave him troops, he didn't immediately set out along the roads to find the bandits' hideout.

He had all the troops and Zhu Mingliang's group move together, making the anti-bandit forces appear at the intersections of the towns under the guise of eliminating the man-eating demons.

"By doing this, the small bandits patrolling the mountains will see our grand display and won't think we are targeting them, so they will let their guard down. By the time they realize our target isn't the man-eating demons, it will be too late for them to escape," Zheng Yu explained to City Lord Lian.

City Lord Lian was overjoyed and looked at Zheng Yu with even more respect.

Eliminating bandits wasn't difficult; how could bandits stand against the troops? The challenge was that once the troops moved, their large numbers would easily be detected by the bandits, who would quickly relocate and hide in the Dwarf Mountain range, leaving the troops empty-handed.

So, when City Lord Lian received the bandits from Chihu Village, he didn't make a fuss but quietly strengthened the patrols.

In the academy assignments, some were to eliminate bandit groups, but these tasks were hard to complete. Bandits don't commit crimes all the time, and they don't look like demons. How could Dragon Tamers precisely locate bandits who could blend in with the towns and mountains?

"The bandit groups are your concern. We won't waste time on them. City Lord Lian, please assist us in finding the man-eating demons, preferably their lair," Senior Brother Jin said to City Lord Lian.

"Rest assured, rest assured, I won't delay your demon hunting," City Lord Lian said.