Dragon Tamer

Dwarf Mountain City.

In the manor courtyard, Zheng Yu strolled out along the stone pathway with a hint of loss in his expression, but it was no surprise that he couldn’t be persuaded.

“How did it go?” Zhu Minglang asked Zheng Yu at the entrance.

Zheng Yu shook his head and said, “On one hand, the Cannibal Monsters have indeed caused too many tragedies, on the other hand, Wu Tu Zhi is still not well received.”

Zhu Minglang was about to offer some consolation when an official-robed man hurried over from behind, appearing to be looking for Zheng Yu.

This man dressed in official robes was likely the administrator here, and he looked relieved to see Zheng Yu had not gone far.

“City Lord Lian,” Zheng Yu greeted with a bow.

“City Lord Zheng, why did you mention before you left about strengthening the patrol of village market routes? Cannibal Monsters don’t travel on our village roads and market paths,” the man in the official robe said.

“Cannibal Monsters cause calamities, and bandits will certainly take the opportunity to plunder; we must block natural disasters and not ignore human evils, otherwise, new tragedies will unfold,” Zheng Yu explained.

The man in the official robe looked at Zheng Yu in surprise.

“You’ve just come to Dwarf Mountain City, how could you know that the brigands would cause such chaos? We just received a report from the people, a large band of robbers was captured in Pool Village, and had it not been for a Dragon Shepherd present, the whole village might have been slaughtered!” the official-robed man stated.

“Pool Village must not be the first to suffer dire consequences; City Lord Lian, I fear you may need to visit those villages where the calamities occurred yourself to determine which disasters were caused by monsters and which by humans. Otherwise, the students from the Dragon Taming Academy will just go from one village to another in vain and waste precious time,” Zheng Yu continued. “City Lord Zheng is wise, thank you, thank you. If the Cannibal Monster can be eliminated quickly and the brutal band of robbers destroyed, then we in Dwarf Mountain City can also open up our trade routes,” City Lord Lian earnestly said, his view of Zheng Yu completely changed.

“If bandits are raiding frequently, they will need a place to store their loot, so if City Lord Lian is planning to dispatch troops to eliminate the bandits, you could start by searching along the mountains from the junctions of several villages. Look for mountain trails with clear signs of multiple trampling, horse hooves, wheel tracks—these are likely the bandits’ strongholds,” Zheng Yu continued to expound.

“Brother Zheng, why not appoint a troop under your command to eliminate this menace for the people? In fact, the upper stream cities have long been plagued by a group of vicious brigands, and those in Pool Village were just a small faction of them. If City Lord Zheng can rid us of this scourge that has troubled the cities for years, I myself will accompany you to discuss business routes!” City Lord Lian offered.

Zheng Yu was also surprised; he did not expect City Lord Lian to be a brave champion for the people, entrusting the management of his troops to someone from outside the city, a decision that required some courage.

“I cannot shirk my duty when it comes to serving the people. Even if it’s not for the sake of trade routes, I would still take on this responsibility!” Zheng Yu immediately bowed in response.

“Thank you, thank you. This esteemed student from the Dragon Taming Academy, I ask for your and your classmates’ assistance to visit the disaster-stricken villages. I fear the Cannibal Monsters may have already started to act in groups,” City Lord Lian hastily bowed upon noticing Zhu Minglang’s attire.

Zhu Minglang nodded and said, “We are ready and can leave at any time. Please prepare as soon as possible, City Lord Lian.”

Stepping out of the manor, Zhu Minglang drank a mouthful of the sweet spring water and said to Zheng Yu beside him, “Brother Zheng is still Brother Zheng indeed.”

“Has Brother Zhu’s admiration for me increased once again?”

“For the people’s cause, there is no room for refusal. You spoke well,” Zhu Minglang said.

Zheng Yu smiled wryly, then helplessly shook his head. “I just wanted to hear Brother Zhu praise my great wisdom, but it seems I’m unlikely to have that chance. However, compared to the intelligence of the Female Monarch, I am ashamed to admit my inferiority.”

“That’s not necessarily true. The Female Monarch was born into a ruler’s family and is more alert to affairs involving cities and states, while you, as a magistrate, are already quite impressive to have insight into these matters,” Zhu Minglang responded.

“Thanks for your praise, Brother Zhu,” Zheng Yu said, his face beaming as if he had been waiting for Zhu Minglang to say these words.

Zhu Minglang stopped talking immediately and took another sip from his water pouch.

The water was no longer as sweet as before—it was actually a bit bitter.

Zheng Yu was indeed very intelligent. After the City Lord gave him troops, he did not immediately set out along the roads to find the bandits’ lair.

He had all the soldiers and persons like Zhu Minglang move together, making it look as though the troops that were sent to root out the bandits were actually on a mission to eradicate Cannibal Monsters at points where cities and towns meet.

“In this way, those bandits watching the mountains will see our conspicuous approach and will not think we are coming to besiege them, thus letting their guard down. By the time they realize we aren’t targeting the Cannibal Monsters, it will be too late for them to escape,” Zheng Yu said to City Lord Lian.

City Lord Lian’s face beamed with joy, holding Zheng Yu in even higher regard.

Eliminating bandits was not difficult; how could they stand against official soldiers? The difficulty lay in the fact that once the soldiers mobilized in large numbers, they could easily be detected by the bandits, who would then move to hide in the Dwarf Mountain range, leaving the grand armed forces to return empty-handed.

Therefore, when City Lord Lian took in the robbers from Pool Village, he did so without fanfare, silently strengthening the patrols.

Among the academy’s assignments, some involved rooting out bands of robbers, but such tasks were difficult to complete. The bandits did not operate all the time, nor did they have distinct, monstrous faces, making it impossible for Dragon Shepherds to accurately pinpoint the disguised bandits hidden amongst the vast mountain cities.

“The bandit groups are your concern. We won’t waste time on this. City Lord Lian, please focus on helping us find the Cannibal Monsters and, preferably, their lairs,” Senior Brother Jin spoke to City Lord Lian.

“Rest assured, you won’t be delayed in your monster hunting,” City Lord Lian responded..