Chapter 35: The Attack

Although Melin was extremely dissatisfied with the Aksum Empire, she still hoped that one day Zhao Hai could return to the capital and become a powerful noble who could command the wind and rain in the capital. That would truly signify that the Buda family had been recognized by the old nobility and had truly become strong.

Melin did not know that Zhao Hai had no intention of returning to the capital, nor did he care about being recognized by the old nobility. In Zhao Hai's view, the recognition of the old nobility had nothing to do with him. Whether they recognized him or not, his life would remain the same. As long as he had the strength, their recognition was irrelevant.

It was no wonder their views were so different. Melin had grown up on the Ark Continent, a world where nobles were revered. Being recognized by the old nobility was the goal of the new nobility. Once recognized, they would truly be considered nobles; otherwise, they would be called upstarts.

However, on Earth, where Zhao Hai lived, there was no such concept of nobility. Whether you were a noble or not, as long as you had money, you were a noble. As long as you had strength, they had no choice but to recognize you. Therefore, Zhao Hai did not care about the recognition of the nobility at all.

However, he still studied diligently to better understand this world. Only by doing so could he help the Buda family develop quickly and become stronger.

After returning to the study, Zhao Hai did not rush to read the miscellaneous notes. He carefully searched the study and found that there were no introductory books. The simplest ones were probably the basics of martial arts and magic. Zhao Hai picked them up and glanced at them, finding that they were written in a very mysterious way. Without guidance, it would be difficult to learn much just by reading. Moreover, since he had drunk the Void Water, he could not learn magic or martial arts, so he did not pay much attention and put them aside.

In the end, Zhao Hai focused on the miscellaneous notes. While flipping through them, he found a good book about calligraphy.

This book on calligraphy introduced in great detail the uses of the various pens on the desk. Zhao Hai finally understood that these pens were not just for show but had different uses.

The brush pen was used for writing and painting, generally by those who particularly loved calligraphy. Magicians also used brush pens to create large magic scrolls because the magic arrays on the scrolls were relatively large.

The quill pen was the main pen used to make magic scrolls. Because the strokes were finer, it could be used for medium and small scrolls.

The pen similar to a fountain pen was used for everyday writing and recording. It had an ink sac that could hold a lot of ink, making it very convenient. However, it could not be used to make magic scrolls because the metal had poor magic conductivity. Most magicians did not carry metal items, as they affected the use of magic. Of course, some special metals had good magic conductivity, but they were very expensive, and no one would use them to make fountain pens.

The charcoal pencil was used for alchemy, generally for drawing diagrams or sketching.

Zhao Hai finally understood that the pens on the desk were not just for show but had different uses, each with its own purpose.

In the miscellaneous notes, Zhao Hai also learned that the major nobles on the continent generally used brush pens when signing important documents, as it was a symbol of status.

This was a pleasant surprise for Zhao Hai. When he was on Earth, he had always wanted to learn calligraphy and write with a brush pen, but he had no money or teacher, so his wish remained unfulfilled. He never expected that calligraphy existed in this world as well, and it seemed his wish might come true.

However, Zhao Hai only remembered the uses of these pens for now. Learning calligraphy was not practical at the moment, as there were too many things happening in the Black Earth Wasteland, and he had no time to learn calligraphy.

He spent the afternoon in the study. Around two in the afternoon, a knock came at the door. Zhao Hai was surprised and asked, "Who is it?"

Shi Tou's voice came from outside, "Young Master, we have collected several stones. Please come and help us transport them back."

Zhao Hai put down the book, walked to the door, and opened it. "Let's go." He walked out first, and Shi Tou quickly followed.

As they walked, Zhao Hai asked, "Are you still collecting stones from that cave?"

Shi Tou nodded, "Yes, Young Master. An inspected several caves and said that the stones in that cave were the easiest to mine. Moreover, the stones in that cave are not iron ore, making them perfect for millstones and grinding stones. Perhaps because they are not iron ore, the dwarves did not mine there."

Zhao Hai nodded, "Be sure to pay attention to safety. We have very few people in the Buda family now, and we cannot afford any more losses. Every loss weakens us. I asked you to follow them because I was afraid they would be too reckless."

Shi Tou nodded, understanding Zhao Hai's concern. The slaves were very enthusiastic about working after being freed, but they were a bit too eager and needed to be more cautious.

As they walked, they reached the outer fortress. The women were still weaving mats, but there was no sign of Ju and Meg.

Zhao Hai did not linger and followed Shi Tou out of the castle. As they walked up the mountain, Zhao Hai noticed a thatched hut on the top. He pointed to it and asked Shi Tou, "Is that the lookout post I mentioned?"

Shi Tou nodded, "Yes, Grandma Melin asked us to build a small hut. Two people are watching from there, and they change shifts every two hours or so."

Zhao Hai nodded. Melin, who had come from the Buda family, which was founded on military merit, had naturally been experienced in setting up lookout posts.

Just then, a figure ran down the mountain, shouting loudly. Although Zhao Hai could not hear what he was saying, his heart sank. He immediately turned to Shi Tou, "Shi Tou, go to the cave and tell everyone to return to the castle immediately. Then find Mu Tou and the others and tell them to return to the castle. I will go find Meg and the others."

As he was about to leave, Shi Tou grabbed Zhao Hai, "Young Master, I will go. You must return to the castle. The Buda family cannot be without you. If anything happens, you must go into the space immediately."

Zhao Hai was taken aback, then his face turned serious, "Don't talk nonsense. I am the head of the Buda family. How can I retreat in such a situation? Go quickly." He started to walk forward.

Shi Tou quickly ran in front of him, knelt down, and hugged Zhao Hai's legs, "Young Master, please return to the castle. The Buda family cannot be without you. If you are gone, we will all be finished, Young Master."

Seeing Shi Tou's determination, Zhao Hai knew that if he did not agree, Shi Tou would not move. He remembered the time when the two of them had held swords to their necks.

Zhao Hai nodded, "Alright, go quickly. I will return to the castle and have everyone go to the inner fortress." Shi Tou responded and stood up.

At that moment, the figure ran up to Zhao Hai, knelt down, and said, "Master, many monsters and undead are coming from the other side of the mountain, climbing up."

Zhao Hai immediately asked, "Is anyone still in the hut?"

The man replied, "Yes, they are still on the mountain." Zhao Hai was furious, "Fool, why haven't they come down? Shi Tou, go up the mountain and bring them down." Shi Tou responded and ran off.

Zhao Hai turned to the kneeling slave, "What is your name?"

The man replied, "Master, my name is Lin."

Zhao Hai nodded, "Go back to the castle and find Grandma Melin. See if she is there. If not, tell the people weaving mats to go to the inner fortress. This is my order. Go quickly."

Lin responded, jumped up, and ran to the castle. Zhao Hai knew his body could not run as fast as Lin, so he had Lin deliver the message.

Zhao Hai also ran back to the castle, but his body was not in good shape, and he was already panting after a few steps.

When Zhao Hai returned to the castle, he found that the people weaving mats had already entered the inner fortress. Inside, Melin was standing, and everyone was looking at Zhao Hai anxiously.

Seeing Zhao Hai, Melin immediately walked to him, "Young Master, what should we do now?"

Zhao Hai caught his breath and said, "Grandma Melin, please count the people and see how many are in the courtyard. I will go to the castle and have everyone close the gates once they return."

Melin quickly said, "Young Master, you stay here and count the people. I will go to the gate." She walked out quickly, not giving Zhao Hai a chance to object.

Zhao Hai looked at Melin's back, feeling helpless. They were always so considerate of him, always putting him in the safest place. However, Zhao Hai knew that he had no means to protect himself, so this was the best course of action.

He turned to the people in the inner fortress. Apart from Lin, they were all women, over thirty of them. Zhao Hai immediately said, "Everyone, line up."

Hearing this, the slaves quickly lined up, much faster than Zhao Hai had expected.