Chapter 393：Poison

It didn't take long for a team of cavalry to reach the canyon. Afterwards 66 infantrymen and archers came along the narrow road and stopped about seven or eight meters away from Dudian. A general riding a brown horse rushed out from the team of cavalry and jumped down from the horse. He looked at Dudian and spoke in a tense tone: "Master, are you alright?"

Dudian shook his head: "There is nothing wrong."

The middle-aged general sighed in relief as he looked at Dudian's wounded left arm: "I've heard that two members of the escort team were bought and tried to assassinate you. Fortunately you had responded on time and didn't let the bastards to succeed! It was a negligence from the military. I hope you will forgive us master! Hand the rest of the things to us and go back to recuperate."

Dudian smiled as he looked at the general. He knew that the man wasn't simple. Using a few casual words he outmaneuvred the situation from assassination charges to only guilt of 'negligence'. The general knew how to play with words.

"General, these are to captives that I have personally caught! They are my gift to army." Dudian looked at two barbarians as he said to the middle-aged general.

Middle-aged general looked at the barbarians: "Master its been hard on you. Please leave this little things to us."

"This part of the canyon is a dangerous place and someone should be stationed here." Dudian gentle patted the general's shoulter and earnestly said without caring about the age gap between the two.

There was a trace of shock on middle-aged general's face. Was he being taught by a teenager?

However he still kept nodding with a smile as he took into the account the identity of Dudian as master of the Temple.

Dudian turned around and picked up the female barbarian from the ground and threw her onto his horse. He jumped over the horse and looked at Reid: "You should leave a person in here to count the number of the enemies that have been slain. Report the exact numbers to general!"

Reid was perplexed but he replied: "Yes."

Reid was aware that Dudian said it deliberately. It was to make sure that middle-aged general takes into account the dead barbarians as a meritorious service. Moreover their team would be recognized not just for safety the master but for the protection of the area too.

The middle-aged general looked at the corpses of the barbarians. How could twenty people kill so many barbarians? He also understood that Dudian wanted the death of barbarisn to be counted as a meritorious service to the military.

Dudian left the area.

Reid and his team saluted the middle-aged general and used the horses to follow after Dudian. They took the other barbarian captive with them. One person from their team was left to count the number of the barbarians killed by them.

...

...

"Don't forget to tell the names of Mellon and Scott consortium when you confess. Do you get me?" Dudian looked at the female barbarians that horizontally lied on the horse.

Ivette's felt breathless because of the violent bumbs resulting in horse's movement. She curse Dudian in her heart but couldn't expose it out.

"Did you hear me?" Dudian leaned forward.

"I will do what you say. But if you don't save me then I'll snitch you out too."

"How will you give out me name when you don't even know it?" Dudian indifferentl said and shook the ropes of the horse to rush forward.

Ivette almost spat out blood in anger as she heard Dudian's words.

It about two hours they reached the military headquarters. Dudian pulled down the female barbarian and said to the general that had come to meet them: "This is the female barbarian that we caught in the Scarlett Canyon. According to Reid she seems to belong to the Royal family. I hope you can interrogate and get important information from her."

The general had three stars on his shoulders. He was more than 50 years old and was present when master Skagen presented the steam rifle in the military headquarters. He felt warmth towards the teenager that was in front of him.

The man's eyes had trace of shock as he listened to Dudian's words. He looked at the female barbarian escorted by Dudian. He took a breath and slowly said: "Master Dean is really brave! I know that you were an outstanding master of the Temple and a glorious knight. But I am ashamed as a general to see you achieve such extraordinary results in your first battle. This matter will be handled out by the military with the greatest care. She will spill out everything she knows." There was a trace of coldness in his eyes as he looked at the female barbarian.

Dudian continued: "General this person is useful to me. I hope that after you are finished with her you can leave her small life and gift her to me."

"Give her to you?" The general looked at Dudian in surprise: "Master, what for?"

"I want to check the difference of the constitution between an ordinary barbarian and the one from the Royal family. I want to make few tests. Maybe I can find a way to exterminate all the barbarians!" Dudian replied.

The general, Reid and others were confused. The general reacted after a moment: "Master, is that really possible?"

Dudian shook his head: "Of course, I can't make a 100% guarantee. I believe no master can make such a claim. But there are possibility and I hope that military will leave her life to me after the interrogation."

The general was disappointed but then smiled: "Since master is so open with me then they will be sent to you after the investigation. I hope that master's research will be smooth and you will help us to kill every barbarian. At that point the master's name will be known as a legendary hero in the history books. I think you will be named as the greatest knight by the Knight's Hall."

Dudian smiled but he sneered in his heart.

Dudian bid farewell to the general and wanted to leave. But Reid insisted on following him back to his castle. The war was not over and their task wasn't terminated yet.

Dudian didn't insist on leaving them along. It was also convenient for him to be escorted back to his castle. Moreover he would make friendly ties with the military men. He felt that he would be able to take advantage of this in the future.

Dudian once again replaced the gauze after coming back to the castle. Reid wanted to send the military's top level doctors to treat Dudian but he refused.

There were two reasons for Dudian's refusal. The first one was that he wasn't willing to the people form the military know about his physical condition and constitution. The second reason was that Mellon or another unknown enemy could infiltrate and use the army's doctors to assassinate him. He couldn't detect the problem or protect himself if he wasn't aware what kind of treatment he was going through.

"Young Master." Neuss carried hot soupt and placed on top of the table. He looked at the black gauze that was replaced by Dudian. There was worry in his face as he said: "Master, are you alright? Did the drugs were able to clean up the poison?"

"Yes." Dudian was about to drink soup but he suddenly thought of something. He pondered for a while and took a silver coin from the drawer and threw it into the bowl.

Neuss was at a loss.

Dudian gazed for a moment but he couldn't detect any smell. He was relieved and was about to drink the soup when he saw a touch of dark black color at the edge of the silver coin. His face changed as he looked at Neuss.

Neuss stared at Dudian as the hair on his body erected: "Master...Are you..."

Dudian looked at him for a moment then retracted his eyes. He slowly said: "Immediately catch the person responsible for making the soup. Ask him the reason why he had poisoned the soup."

"Poison?" Neuss was shocked. However he suddenly understood the seriousness of the situation as he saw the gloomy expression on Dudian's face. He turned and left in hurry.

"Mellon consortium doesn't have such an ability or else they would have used this trick long time ago. It seems there are other people who want to deal with me. Moreover they are much powerful than Mellon consortium. Is it that I'm a big enough tree to feel the movement of the wind?" Dudian pondered.