Louis's gaze flickered slightly as he stared at the three pieces of information displayed by the Daily Intelligence System:
1: The Cold Moon Tribe's chieftain has been poisoned to death, and the tribe has descended into civil war.
2: A group of Icefield Wolves, mostly cubs, has appeared in the Qingyan Rift Valley.
3: In four days, a man named Jack will be selling cranberry seeds in Frost Halberd City—with over a dozen extremely rare frostblood redberry seeds hidden among them.
Louis raised an eyebrow. Normally, the system's daily updates were riddled with trivial and irrelevant information, often requiring careful filtering to find anything worthwhile.
But today, all three entries were surprisingly valuable.
The Cold Moon Tribe?
Louis sifted through his memory for details about this powerful barbarian tribe dwelling along the Northern Border. The Cold Moon Tribe had long been infamous for their Bloodboil Berserkers and skilled archers. They had repeatedly launched raids against the Iron-Blood Empire's Northern Border Province, causing no small amount of grief for Duke Edmund, the man charged with defending that frontier.
Now, their chieftain was dead—poisoned, no less. The tribe, lacking leadership, was falling into chaos. If the unrest continued, the tribe might fracture completely.
For the Northern Border, this could be the beginning of a large-scale conflict. A storm was brewing.
But for Louis, it was still a matter far beyond his reach. He was just a minor noble—barely on the first steps of his journey. He lacked the power to influence the fate of a barbarian tribe.
Still, he knew he needed to build strength quickly to prepare for the upheaval that was bound to come.
The second intelligence item: Icefield Wolves in the Qingyan Rift Valley.
Cubs—this was the key point!
Icefield Wolves were apex predators across the frozen tundras of the Northern Border. Adult wolves were enormous, swift, and terrifyingly adaptable to freezing climates. More importantly, they had an exceptional sense of smell and could track prey—or intruders—with deadly precision. They were natural hunters and scouts.
But adult wolves were next to impossible to tame.
Cubs, on the other hand, could be trained from a young age. If Louis could raise and domesticate them, Red Tide Territory might gain a unique and formidable force—Wolf Riders.
Louis suddenly recalled the Icefield Wolves they had encountered and hunted during their journey to Red Tide. It was likely those adults had been the parents of this new group of cubs.
A fated opportunity had landed at his feet.
"We set off tomorrow," Louis murmured.
The third piece of intelligence made him laugh aloud.
Frostblood redberry—an extremely rare and powerful mutated berry. It looked similar to ordinary cranberries, but its deep red fruit was richer in color, its juice thicker, and it brimmed with magical energy. Most critically, it could enhance a Bloodline Knight's Battle Qi and accelerate their cultivation progress.
If cultivated successfully on a large scale, frostblood redberry could become Red Tide Territory's most prized resource.
But a problem emerged: even if Louis rode at full speed, it would take at least four days to reach Frost Halberd City. Any delay might cost him the entire batch. With something so valuable at stake, he couldn't risk missing the opportunity.
Louis made a swift decision.
He summoned Lambert, his loyal Guardian Knight, along with two other Elite Knights.
"Lambert," Louis said, his voice low and urgent, "the three of you must ride to Frost Halberd City immediately. You must arrive in no more than three days."
He paused briefly before continuing, "In the eastern section of the market, there's a merchant named Jack. He'll be selling cranberry seeds four days from now. Hidden among them are frostblood redberry seeds. You must arrive early, stake out the market, and buy everything the moment his stall opens."
Lambert's eyes widened slightly, puzzled at the urgency surrounding what appeared to be ordinary seeds. But he didn't question it.
He simply nodded. "As you command, my Lord."
He had followed Louis through many trials already, and every one of his decisions—though sometimes mysterious—had proven to be sound.
Louis, thinking further, decided to take care of one more matter.
He reached for parchment and wrote a letter.
The message was straightforward: a report of his safety—and a request for funds.
He wasn't sure whether his cold-blooded father would respond. But even a modest sum would greatly accelerate Red Tide's development. There was no harm in trying.
After sealing the letter with his personal crest, he handed it to Lambert.
"When you reach Frost Halberd City, deliver this to the head of our merchant guild and ensure it is sent back without delay."
Lambert tucked the letter away and nodded solemnly. "Understood."
"Make absolutely sure there are no mistakes," Louis repeated.
"Yes, my Lord."
Moments later, the three knights mounted their warhorses and galloped off through the snow, bound for Frost Halberd City.
The next morning, Louis set off with five elite hunters and eight Official Knights.
They rode swiftly over the frozen ground, heading directly toward Qingyan Rift Valley.
"Is the target confirmed?" Louis asked, glancing at the hunter leading the group.
The man, Aige, bowed slightly. "Yes, my Lord. Per your command, scouts were sent last night. The wolf pack has lost its leader. What remains are mostly cubs and a few old female wolves, hiding in a cave deep within the rift. It's the perfect chance."
Their goal was clear: capture the Icefield Wolf cubs.
As they approached the rift, they found the snowy ground littered with wolf paw prints and bloodstains—evidence of a violent struggle.
Aige pointed toward a section of disturbed snow. "Here. These paw prints are chaotic. Likely signs of infighting."
"With their leader dead, fighting for dominance is natural," Louis said quietly. "We'll divide into two teams. One will distract the adult wolves, while the other sneaks into the den to retrieve the cubs."
Several hunters began scattering blood-soaked meat and animal remains outside the cave entrance. Some larger pieces were tied to the backs of horses.
It was all fresh venison, mixed with offal and bones—designed to stimulate the wolves' predatory instincts.
Soon, a thick scent of blood filled the air.
Moments later, deep growls echoed from within the cave. Glowing green eyes flickered in the darkness.
"They're coming," Aige whispered.
Five large adult Icefield Wolves stepped out, their eyes wary and alert. They sniffed the air, low growls rumbling from their throats.
They spotted the animal remains being dragged by the horses and began moving cautiously toward them, their pace gradually accelerating.
The knights spurred their horses into motion, dragging the meat behind them, luring the wolves away.
As expected, the lead wolf lunged forward, and the others followed, snarling and snapping.
Just as the adult wolves moved a good distance from the cave, the knights suddenly reined in their horses and turned.
Swords gleamed in the winter sunlight—then struck!
Thud!
The lead wolf collapsed, its throat pierced by a longsword.
The remaining wolves howled in rage and leapt forward, but they were outmatched.
These were not common soldiers—they were Official Knights, trained and armed with Battle Qi.
The fight ended quickly and brutally. One by one, the adult wolves fell.
Blood steamed as it soaked the snow.
The first phase of Louis's plan had succeeded.
Now came the real prize: the wolf cubs hidden inside the cave.