The Defeated Dragon Chapter 20

20 – Peanut Sprite Worm, Fierydragon a.s.sault

Liszt recovered from his recollections after seeing off the exhausted Marcus. Admittedly, expanding one's network of connections was of great importance to aristocrats, with Longtaro Family being a major connection-resource of his, but such a diplomatic approach was not part of his character. He was more fond of staying put in his own territory.

“I should first practice cultivation according to a qi secret manual to finish the mission before thinking about anything else.”

He first opened the [Fire Surge Fluctuations] secret manual. Through a ton of ill.u.s.trations and descriptions, the expansion of fire-attributed qi as well as the operation of qi in rapport with the release of formidable moves and techniques were explained in the secret manual. The [Fire Surge Fluctuations] secret manual tended towards big motions, with the majority of the moves relying on the forming and spreading of fluctuations. It was cla.s.sified as a crowd attack secret manual.

“Crowd attack? It is suitable for charges on the battlefield. However, should charging not be done by my knights instead? Directing them from behind would be just fine.”

Liszt mused, and then opened the [Fierydragon Drill] secret manual.

This was a targeted attack secret manual. Its moves were extremely lethal when targeted at a single opponent, while slightly lacking when performing a charge on the battlefield. Still, Liszt soon decided to practice cultivation according to the [Fierydragon Drill] secret manual. Compared to the battlefield, he was more concerned about a.s.sa.s.sinations. In this case, the [Fierydragon Drill] secret manual's targeted attack was more fitted than the [Fire Surge Fluctuations] secret manual's crowd attack.

“Coming to a decision is so enjoyable… Anyway, I can find some time to study the [Fire Surge Fluctuations] secret manual later.”

There were no miraculous secret manuals in this world. While cultivating qi, there were no particularly bad nor good secret manuals. Everything hinged on the person's innate talent and comprehension ability.

Commoners could give rise to experts, while the descendants of experts could also be reduced to mediocrity.

……

Liszt practiced cultivation according to the [Fierydragon Drill] secret manual while awaiting the caravan's arrival.

In the blink of an eye, three days had pa.s.sed.

The rain had already stopped.

There was a series of good news.

The peanut settlement's peanut sprite worm had nearly ripened. The retainer knight Karl Eisenhammer reported in excitement: “Sir, the peanut's flower bud has already opened by a crack; the pink peanut sprite worm inside is about to awake. It already started twitching.”

“Is that so? I am going over!”

While Liszt was rus.h.i.+ng over, the flower bud had already finished blooming, revealing a tender and adorable sprite worm with a jade-like sparkling l.u.s.ter all over its body. The peanut sprite worm was crawling about its peanut worm stalk, complying with its unending curiosity towards the world.

The peanut settlement's serfs surrounded the sprite worm, throwing it inquisitive and nervous looks.

Liszt took out the jade powder that he had on him, and sprayed it in front of the peanut sprite worm. The peanut sprite worm gave the jade powder a whiff, and then quickly started nibbling it. After a while, the jade powder on the leaf had been eaten. Then, the peanuts sprite worm followed the smell, and climbed Liszt's outstretched finger, before nibbling the bit of jade powder on his finger.

Along with a slight pain, the peanut sprite worm bit Liszt's fingers.

At that moment, there was a connection, which was a sign that the master-slave contract had already been set up, between Liszt and the peanut sprite worm. Possessing magic power, sprite worms were naturally compatible with master-slave contracts.

“Come with me, little fellow.”

Liszt raised the sprite worm, and put it inside the jade box, intending to bringing it back to the castle to raise. It was fine to just leave the worm stalk in the peanut settlement.

“The fifth sprite worm. With the peanut sprite worm, the peanut settlement's yield is going to be bountiful.” Liszt was in a great mood. He could not help but to warn Old George: “Old George, take care of the peanut worm stalk. Do not forget to water it or to apply manure. The more manure is spread, the more will the yield be.”

“Sir Lord, please be a.s.sured, we will definitely comply with your instructions and frequently water, apply manure on, and weed the peanuts!”

The peanut sprite worm was collected.

Another piece of good news followed. The Flyingdust Dog cub raised in the castle had finally opened its eyes on the seventh day of Liszt feeding it. The first thing it laid its eyes on was Liszt. While yelping, it pounced at Liszt and rubbed itself against his legs intimately.

“Tremblingwoods, from now on, you will have to live outside of the castle.”

Liszt called Thomas over as he pulled the rope tied to Tremblingwoods' neck.

“My Lord.”

“Thomas, I have a task for you. Raise Tremblingwoods in my stead. Right, is Tremblingwoods' kennel finished?”

“It is, My Lord.” Thomas took the rope, ready to take Tremblingwoods to the kennel.

Tremblingwoods recognized Liszt, but it did not mean that it had recognized other people. When Thomas pulled it by the rope, the perhaps not even one month old Flyingdust Dog cub immediately bared it fangs, snarled, pounced at Thomas, and bit his shoe. Its wild nature was very prominent.

However, Tremblingwoods' fangs were still small, and it was not capable of biting through Thomas' shoe.

“Take good care of it.”

“My Lord, please be a.s.sured. I have experience in raising hunting dogs.”

“The Flyingdust Dog is much more dangerous than a hunting dog. It is of a magic beast bloodline. However, it does not matter. It should not be crazed. Lets wait until it grows up a bit before training everyday to make it exhaust its strength.”

After arranging someone to raise Tremblingwoods.

Liszt went to the top of the castle, from where, he overlooked the several li of uncultivated land in the vicinity of the castle. He had been neglecting the fact that the land around the castle could actually be cleared for cultivation. Only a few mu of land next to the castle had been cleared and turned into a small garden, while the rest of the land was a uncultivated land covered in tall gra.s.s.

“Peanut settlement, tomato settlement, mushroom settlement, barley settlement, wheat settlement, flower farm, and dairy farm, as well as the town and the castle. In fact, Flower Town has nine settlements, with each settlement having its use… However, without mechanization, and with Flower Town's population of less than 2,000 people, it seems like so much land cannot be cultivated.”

Although machines could keep clearing the land, yet manpower was very slow-moving and definitely could not keep up.

With less than 2,000 people, cultivating tens of thousands of mu of land was indeed an impossible undertaking. Large tracts of the cultivated land were just sprinkled with seeds, leaving them to fate.

“Is this not like the African agriculture? Population, ah, population is the most precious resource! But how do I increase the number of people?”

“It is a bit difficult.”

Despite the difficulties, Liszt was still quite confident that Flower Town could be developed and expanded. As a transmigrator with a cheat, if he could not even achieve this much, then he had better commit suicide and not loose face for transmigrators.

……

“Fierydragon a.s.sault!”

Holding a one-handed sword, Liszt stood in the middle of the small garden in front of the castle, displaying a move of the [Fierydragon Drill] secret manual. A flame was suddenly ignited on the sword's edge. With a whistle, the flame spread to a diameter of one meter alike a fan of fire before sending sparks flying along with faint crackling sounds.

The flame was not real, just the result of attaching qi to the one-handed sword.

Liszt's fire-attributed qi was explosive in nature.

There were different emphases in nature even among the same type of qi; like his fire-attributed qi, which emphasized explosiveness. Other people's qi, on the other hand, could emphasize high temperature, fire intensity, condensibility, and others.

“Finally, I have mastered the Fierydragon a.s.sault! With this, only the last move, the Heart of Fierydragon Drill, is left to be mastered for me to get the reward!”

Liszt was quite pleased.

His talent was great. The [Fierydragon Drill] secret manual was divided into two groups of techniques. One was a qi operation method, while the other consisted of sixteen battle moves. Liszt mastered the qi operation method quite easily, and was currently in the process of learning the sixteen battle moves.

“Others would take at least half a month, while I had finished in less than a week.”

“It is hard to imagine that my predecessor had not broken through to Earth Knight before coming of age; could it be that his comprehension ability was just too lacking?”

There was no lack in physical talent; therefore, it could only be an issue in comprehension ability. Before coming of age, his predecessor had probably been lacking in mental capacity. Now, Liszt would not claim being highly intelligent, but he was definitely not dimwitted.

“Lets keep learning, and try to master the Heart of Fierydragon Drill by today.”