Chapter 9

"Lord of the Wolves" Wolf Lance had always looked down on his nephew. If it weren't for the previous head of the family, his cousin, insisting on having Trevor take over as the head of the Lance family before his death, Wolf would have certainly proposed his own son at the family elders' meeting. In his view, how could someone who couldn't even fight become the head of the Lance family? The Duke of Lance's title was earned through military achievements, and now, during wartime, could someone who only understood internal affairs lead the family to glory?

Just like this time, Zhao Zheng from the opposite side had already brought the fight to their doorstep, yet Trevor was still meeting with envoys from the capital at his own estate, indulging in revelry with the envoy while leaving the hard work to him. Thinking of that arrogant, greedy, and insatiable envoy, Wolf felt extremely annoyed. If he had to entertain that envoy, who clearly overindulged in wine and women, it wouldn't take more than a few minutes for the envoy's head to be separated from his body.

Dressed in full-patterned plate armor, wearing a gilded helmet adorned with feathers, and riding a tall, powerful purebred Lance warhorse, Wolf's face showed no joy. As mentioned earlier, this battle was a true hardship. The forces on both sides were evenly matched, and no tactics could be used; it could only be a brutal fight. This kind of battle wasn't what Wolf enjoyed, especially when the equally numerous Tianhua army on the opposite side was personally commanded by Zhao Zheng.

Zhao Zheng! Thinking of the new lord on the opposite side and then his own nephew, Wolf's annoyance reached its peak. These two young men were drinking buddies a few years ago, and at that time, there was no discernible difference between them; they were both playboys. But who would have thought that a few years later, Zhao Zheng had become a renowned general capable of leading troops into battle, while Trevor hid in his estate, not even showing his face. If this continued, the Lance family would eventually be doomed.

Wolf frowned as he watched the battle begin. His position was already in the rear of the Oakland army. After all, he was getting old and could no longer charge into battle. Even going to the front lines to check the situation was a bit too much for him, unlike Zhao Zheng, who could still lead the charge personally. However, this battle was bound to be a war of attrition and wouldn't end quickly, so Wolf wasn't worried about the front-line soldiers breaking ranks.

At this moment, besides thinking about the difference between Zhao Zheng and Trevor, he was more concerned about the news the scout had just brought. A young man with Tianhua features had appeared in the center of the battlefield between the two armies and killed one of their newly enlisted longbowmen before disappearing again. Since he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Wolf found the news a bit strange and thought the scout might not have been well-educated and hadn't explained it clearly.

A Tianhua youth and a new longbowman clearly wouldn't attract Wolf's attention. As a noble, Wolf had significant power, especially in the Oakland Empire, where the authority of the nobility was not to be trampled upon. These soldiers were just commoners, and as long as there was a reason or some compensation, Wolf could dispose of them at will, and such behavior was even legal, with no one daring to criticize him.

"Someone!" Wolf called out casually from his horse.

A messenger immediately dismounted and knelt in front of Wolf's horse, waiting for his next command.

"Go and check the situation at the front. If Zhao Zheng has already led the charge, then notify the second echelon to advance as well..." Wolf's order was only halfway through when a commotion came from the front, interrupting him. Wolf, whose order was cut off, looked very unhappy and raised his hand to whip the messenger, but before his whip could land, he noticed the disturbance at the front.

"What's happening? Why is the formation in chaos?" Wolf shouted. The situation seemed off. Logically, the battle at the front couldn't affect the rear so quickly. In his view, the infantry on both sides should have just made contact, so what was causing the disturbance not far from here? Could the Tianhua army have already reached this point? That shouldn't be possible!

"R... Report! General, it's bad, the Tianhua forces are attacking! They're about to reach here!" An Oakland soldier on horseback stopped in front of Wolf, dismounted, and knelt to report.

Smack!

The whip that Wolf had intended to use on the messenger now lashed the scout. He angrily said, "What are you talking about! When have our soldiers of Lance Province been so weak? How long has it been? How could the Tianhua forces break through so quickly? Even if Zhao Zheng led the charge, it's impossible! Where is General Chris, who was commanding at the front? Has he engaged Zhao Zheng?"

The scout, who had been whipped, didn't dare to move. Hearing Wolf's question, he said with a hint of panic, "General, there is a man in the Tianhua army with immense strength and high martial prowess. He alone tore through our defenses, and our soldiers couldn't withstand a single move from him. When I came, over twenty of our brothers had already died at his hands. As for General Chris..."

"What happened to him?" Seeing the scout's hesitant tone, a sense of foreboding rose in Wolf's heart. "Silver Wolf" Chris was his second son. Although not as excellent in leading troops as his older brother, he was naturally strong and a capable fighter in the front lines. Wolf often placed him in the vanguard because of his martial prowess, and he had never had any issues. But this time, it seemed different.

The scout hesitated for a moment, but seeing Wolf raise his whip again, he gritted his teeth and said, "General Chris saw that the man was powerful, and no soldiers around him could match him. The man had also torn a hole in our defenses, so General Chris decided to fight him personally. But... but..."

"But what?" Wolf's voice was already trembling. He wanted to hear the answer from the scout, but he was also afraid of the worst.

"But even General Chris was no match for him. Although he withstood a few of the man's attacks, he only lasted a few rounds before being... being killed." The scout, seeing he couldn't hide it any longer, blurted out everything.

Killed! Killed! Killed! Wolf felt as if everything around him had drifted away. The phrase kept repeating in his mind, and a wave of grief surged in his heart, almost making him fall off his horse.