McKinney slowly turned his head to look at the butler, his face full of impatience, and a slight coldness in his drunken eyes: "What did you say?"

The butler's body shivered, his voice trembling: "It's true, sir... Although the granary looks ample, during this period, you... have been hosting banquets daily, consuming large amounts of grain and meat... At this rate... I'm afraid it won't last beyond the end of February..."

"Smack!!"

McKinney suddenly stood up, raised his hand, and gave the butler a slap with such force that the skinny old man fell to the ground.

"Nonsense! Are you cursing me to starve to death?!" McKinney roared through gritted teeth, his face grimacing.

The butler covered his face and knelt on the ground, trembling and remaining silent.

This baron hosted three banquets a day, slaughtering whole cows and sheep, with a cart of wine delivered each week, and two barrels of leftover food discarded daily...

Such extravagance could not be sustained even with ten granaries.

But he dared not speak.

The hall fell silent, with only the crackling of the fireplace.

Suddenly, McKinney's eyes shifted, and a greasy smile appeared on his face:

"Haha, this little issue won't stump this baron! I have a brilliant plan!"

The butler quickly stood up, eagerly flattering: "Your wisdom is unparalleled, sir! May I ask what this brilliant plan is?"

McKinney laughed heartily, took a swig of wine, and swaggeringly said, "Others stockpile grain for winter, I stockpile soldiers.

We just need to wait for those fools from Red Tide Territory to transport their grain to the neighboring Canglu Territory, and we'll raid them. Aren't they rich? Every ten days or so they make a transport."

"Oh, you are truly wise, sir!" A nearby knight immediately praised loudly, "This is what it means to be a Northern Lord! What good is painstakingly stockpiling grain? Just grab it, and it's all ours!"

"Exactly, exactly!" Another knight grinned, raising his cup: "Come, a toast to Lord McKinney! We won't starve this winter, thanks to your brilliant leadership!"

"Precisely!" A group of people laughed and echoed, making a noisy clatter of cups and plates, creating a lively scene.

McKinney, elated by the praise, hugged the maid closer, kicked away an empty wine jar, and boldly slapped the table:

"Alright! When more grain comes, we set out, but for now, you all eat and drink well, don't hold back!"

"Hahaha!! Thanks for the lord's generosity!"

The butler hesitated for quite a while, still biting his lip, and softly reminded: "My lord... this, this might not be appropriate... Canglu Territory is Baron Calvin's domain! Once we get caught out..."

Before he finished speaking, McKinney cut him off with a slap on the table.

"Fool!" McKinney rolled his eyes, raising his fat face: "Who said we'd rob them openly? Put on masks, change outfits, kill everyone transporting the grain, leave no trace, and who would know it's us?"

He laughed so hard his chubby face shook, his eyes narrowed into slits: "Only a fool would rob in broad daylight, a smart person does it and then leaves without a trace."

"Exactly! Exactly!"

"The baron is too shrewd!"

"This is... what's it called, tactical deception!"

The knights chimed in one after another, exaggerating wildly.

Even one who had too much to drink shouted with his wine cup held high, "Just say the Snow Swearer did it! Those guys kill and burn everything, perfect scapegoats hahaha!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

McKinney laughed uproariously, hugging the maid tighter: "Look, look! This is what a smart mind looks like!"

The butler attempted one last intervention: "But... what if Lord Calvin..."

McKinney impatiently waved him off: "Stop yammering about Calvin, who are you trying to scare? No matter how capable he is, he can't intimidate me."

He downed a cup of wine in one go, roughly wiped his mouth: "Alright, stop the chatter, go give the order, have someone keep watch, as soon as there's more grain, act immediately."

"Yes..." A glimpse of unease flashed in the butler's eyes, but he could only leave the banquet hall.

The hall once again erupted in clamorous revelry.

The candlelight flickered over the table, casting bright faces full of smiles, forming an absurd spectacle on this deep winter night.

......

The main transportation route from Red Tide Territory to Canglu Territory passed through a dense woodland and wound through a narrow gorge.

In winter, the deep snow and treacherous terrain made it an "ideal spot" for bandit ambushes.

Early this morning, Baron McKinney received information that the grain convoy from Red Tide Territory to Canglu Territory was passing through that very gorge today!

"What an opportunity!" he rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming as if seeing a plate of rich meat: "I must witness such excitement firsthand!"

So McKinney decided to take the field personally.

Though his debaucheries had made him neglect his cultivation recently, he had once worked hard and reached the high-tier official knight level.

Almost all the able knights in the territory had been summoned.

But due to the heavy losses from the previous Snow Eagle City war, there weren't many knights left in actuality.

About ten official knights, one elite knight, plus over sixty apprentice knights, this was all the knights he commanded.

Considered few among the Northern Lords, but against a mere grain convoy?

A piece of cake.

"This is hardly a battle!" McKinney laughed heartily, "Just a bunch of grain escorts, a quick charge and they'll be scared off!"

Before setting off, the knights had another hearty drink within the territory, reeking of alcohol.

"To victory!"

"We'll feast on the looted grain tonight, hahahaha!"

......

Snow fell on the mountains and woods, silent, as this gang of "bandits" treaded through deep snow, lying in ambush at the narrowest point of the gorge.

"Here they come, they're coming!"

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