When Annia woke up again, her entire body felt sore and weak.
She was a pampered noble lady, the daughter of the Tiee Fortress Lord, yet she had been... by a barbarian. Annia's tears welled up in her eyes, and she bit her lip tightly.
"Awake?"
Wu Liang's lazy voice carried a hint of playfulness.
Annia closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
"If you keep pretending to sleep, I don't mind helping you wake up in a more intense way."
Wu Liang's voice held a threatening undertone, and one of his hands began to wander impudently.
Annia trembled, abruptly opened her eyes, and glared at him:
"You scoundrel! Demon!"
"Good scolding, scold a bit more."
Wu Liang wasn't angry; he vigorously kissed her puffed-up cheek.
"I like your energetic look; it makes me feel very good."
"You!"
Annia trembled with anger, yet she was helpless.
Wu Liang rolled out of bed, unconcerned as he displayed his perfect physique.
His muscles were smooth and full of explosive power, without an ounce of superfluous fat.
He casually picked up a pair of linen trousers and put them on, then brought a bowl of steaming meat porridge and a cup of clear water from the nearby table.
"Eat something."
Wu Liang handed the bowl to Annia.
Annia turned her head away.
"No! I'd rather starve to death than eat a single bite of your food!"
"Is that so?"
Wu Liang smiled, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and savored it.
"Mmm, Florgloria's cooking is getting better and better. This venison porridge is cooked just right, fragrant and sticky."
"What a pity, some people won't get to enjoy it."
The fragrant aroma of the food aggressively assailed Annia's nose. She hadn't eaten properly for over a day, and her stomach uncooperatively rumbled.
Her face flushed, feeling even more humiliated and angry.
"You can endure quite a bit."
Wu Liang didn't force her, instead, he finished the entire bowl of porridge himself.
"Annia, I advise you to eat something and conserve your strength."
"Because you have many things to do next."
"I won't do anything for you!"
Annia gritted her teeth.
"That's not up to you."
Wu Liang wiped his mouth and stood up.
"Put on your clothes. I'll take you out for a walk and let you see what your so-called barbarian Tribe really looks like."
He threw her a set of clean clothes. The fabric was soft and breathable, and the style was strange, but it fit her body surprisingly well.
Annia looked at Wu Liang's undeniable gaze and finally put on the clothes.
When Annia walked out of the room, the dazzling sunlight made her instinctively squint.
Once she adjusted to the light and saw everything before her, she was completely stunned.
This... this is a barbarian Tribe?
When she was captured, she didn't have time to look carefully.
Now, seeing it, this so-called Tribe was astonishing.
The flat stone roads were clean and tidy, and on both sides of the road were rows of brand-new brick and stone houses.
The windows of every house were fitted with large, transparent, flawless glass!
Under the sunlight, those glass panes shimmered with a dazzling brilliance.
In the Roland Empire, only a few noble buildings could afford such large panes of glass.
And they were cloudy, far from the clarity of what was before her eyes.
On the streets, the Tribe women, coming and going, wore various brightly colored clothes, their faces beaming with confident and vibrant smiles.
Some were pushing a strange single-wheeled cart, effortlessly transporting heavy goods.
Others were at the roadside well, easily drawing water with a lever-operated device.
In the distance, the outline of a tall city wall was clearly visible.
There were also patrolling soldiers whose armor gleamed with a cold light under the sun, and their weapons were of a standard she had never seen before.
The streets were clean and tidy, the air fresh, not as foul as she had imagined.
"How is it? Does my Tribe meet the approval of a noble lady like you?"
Wu Liang spoke with a smile beside her.
Annia opened her mouth but said nothing, yet she instinctively nodded.
This was no barbarian Tribe; this was clearly a rapidly developing, vibrant city-state!
In some aspects, it was even more advanced than Tiee Fortress, which her father governed, and even more advanced than some imperial cities she had visited!
Wu Liang continued to lead her forward.
They passed by the Military Workshop, where clanging and hammering sounds filled the air.
Annia saw women busily forging red-hot iron blocks into shape.
Passing by the weaving workshop, women were busy at their looms, and bolts of exquisite fabric were being woven.
On the other side, some women were queuing to receive a fine white powder.
"What is that?"
Annia couldn't help but ask.
"Salt."
Wu Liang said indifferently.
"Salt?"
Annia's eyes widened.
"Impossible! How can salt be a white powder? The refined salt in the Empire is always pale yellow crystals!"
"That's because your purification technology is too backward."
Wu Liang pouted.
"Here, that kind of salt can only be used to feed livestock."
Annia found it unbelievable.
Next, Wu Liang took her to a separate courtyard filled with various flowers and plants.
"This is my residence."
Wu Liang pushed open a door.
A voluptuous woman with a gentle face was drying clothes in the courtyard.
Seeing Wu Liang, she immediately greeted him with a smile:
"Leader, you're back."
It was Florgloria.
"Mm."
Wu Liang nodded, then pointed to Annia and said.
"Prepare a change of clothes for her, and draw a bucket of hot water so she can have a good bath."
"Use the newly made soap."
"Yes, Leader."
Florgloria glanced at Annia, then smiled and greeted Annia:
"Come with me, sister."
Soon, hot water and soap were brought to the bathroom.
The soap was very effective, emitting a faint fragrance, producing rich lather, and easily washing away all dirt and grease from her body.
She sat in the bathtub, hugging her knees, and burst into tears.
All the tears of grievance mixed with the steam.
After an unknown amount of time, Wu Liang pushed the door open and walked in.
Annia, like a startled rabbit, shrank into the water, protecting herself with her arms.
"Figured it out?"
Wu Liang casually closed the door.
Annia bit her lower lip, saying nothing.
"Looks like you haven't figured it out yet."
Wu Liang was not in a hurry.
"It's alright, I'll first show you what true magic talent is."
Saying that, he extended his right hand, palm facing upwards.
Annia looked at him with a puzzled expression, wondering what trick Wu Liang was up to now.
Wu Liang closed his eyes and concentrated.
Under the dual blessings of the "Heart of Elements" and the "Source of Magic Power."
He could clearly see countless colorful specks of light floating in the surrounding air.
These were the magic elements that formed the foundation of the world.
With a thought, the red fire elements joyfully gathered towards his palm.
Poof!
A fist-sized, bright fireball appeared out of thin air in Wu Liang's palm.
It burned fiercely, emitting astonishing heat that cast a crimson glow throughout the entire room.
Annia's eyes instantly widened, and her mouth involuntarily fell open.
"Fire... Fireball Spell?!"
She shrieked, her voice distorted.
"This is impossible! You... how could you possibly! You didn't even chant a spell!"