The next morning, at dawn, a thin layer of mist enveloped Blackstone Town.
Lei Luo, along with Bolin, Aid, and two teams of knights, quietly left the camp and headed towards Blackwater River.
They did not carry heavy weapons, only longswords for self-defense, but instead brought more of the beast nets and snares that the villagers had hastily made the night before, as well as some Earth Dragon Grass collected previously.
The group arrived at the bank of Blackwater River and stopped near a relatively open, low-lying grassland close to the water source.
"Aid, take your men and set up the Earth Dragon Grass in the downstream grassland. Spread them out, don't make them too dense," Lei Luo observed the wind direction and terrain, giving his instructions in a low voice.
Earth Dragon Grass, a plant emitting a special scent, has an irresistible attraction to certain herbivorous magical beasts, and Pegasus is one of them.
The six Pegasus previously captured were attracted by Earth Dragon Grass, and it was believed that the group of Pegasus gathered by the Blackwater River would also not be able to resist the lure of Earth Dragon Grass, and would soon be attracted by its unique aroma.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Aid took the order and, with a few knights, carefully spread bundles of dried Earth Dragon Grass in the designated area, trying to make it look natural and leave no trace.
The remaining knights, under Aid's command, cleverly hid carefully crafted snares in the dense grass, with the other end of the ropes firmly secured to wooden stakes buried deep underground.
The positions of these snares were calculated to be precisely in the center and on the edges of the Earth Dragon Grass distribution area, where Pegasus were most likely to pass.
After everything was set up, Lei Luo led the knights to hide behind a small grove of trees downwind.
Aid, with five of the best equestrian knights, led their Pegasus and hid on the other side of the grove.
Time passed bit by bit, the morning mist gradually dispersed, and warm sunlight sprinkled on the river surface, shimmering.
Waiting from dawn until the sun climbed halfway up the mountain, a group of small white dots appeared on the distant horizon.
As the distance closed, the outlines of the small white dots gradually became clear; it was their target—the Pegasus herd!
There were about thirty Pegasus, their figures agile, their wings pure white, shining with a soft luster in the sunlight. They circled a few times, confirming there was no danger, before slowly descending to the riverbank, beginning to drink water or graze on the tender green grass.
Soon, some Pegasus were attracted by the special scent of Earth Dragon Grass and walked towards the trap area.
They lowered their heads, greedily munching on the delicious Earth Dragon Grass, completely unaware of the danger hidden in the grass.
"Thump!"
"Splash!"
Suddenly, several dull thuds sounded in succession!
The feet of several Pegasus walking in front suddenly tightened, instantly caught by the hidden snares, and they fell to the ground!
This sudden turn of events caused the entire Pegasus herd to instantly erupt into chaos!
"Neigh! Neigh! Neigh…"
Startled neighs rose and fell, the Pegasus panicked, fleeing in all directions.
Some tried to spread their wings and take flight, but were interfered with by their panic and collisions with companions, while others ran wildly like headless flies, only to step into more snares!
For a moment, the grassland was a scene of chaos, with horses and riders falling…
Oh no, it was horses and horses falling, white horsehair and grass clippings flying, the scene was utterly chaotic.
"Now! Charge!"
A glint flashed in Lei Luo's eyes as he gave the order to act!
The knights, who had been unable to restrain themselves, charged out from behind the trees like arrows from a bowstring, spurring their warhorses forward!
The knights swung their snares, rushing directly into the chaotic Pegasus herd!
Although Pegasus could glide, taking off required a certain run-up and space. At this moment, disrupted by the traps and the charging knights, they were unable to effectively organize a takeoff.
Their speed was fast, but under the knights' superb horsemanship and organized charge, it seemed somewhat futile.
The knights' objective was clear: to capture the Pegasus that had already been caught by snares or had their movements hindered.
They worked in pairs, cooperating seamlessly, one responsible for roping the Pegasus's neck, while the other quickly moved forward to control the struggling Pegasus.
Although the scene was chaotic, the knights' actions were orderly.
There were also a few unlucky knights who were kicked by startled Pegasus and fell from their horses.
"Over there! Don't let that one get away!"
A knight shouted, pointing at a Pegasus that had broken free from a snare and was about to rush out of the encirclement.
Two knights nearby immediately spurred their horses to catch up, flanking it from left and right, and after some effort, managed to cover it with a net.
In the chaos, more than a dozen quick-reacting or lucky Pegasus successfully broke free, flapping their wings in panic, stumbling as they flew away from the riverbank.
On the other side, Aid and several other knights, riding Pegasus, were already waiting for them in the sky.
When the last Pegasus on the ground, tripped and its four hooves firmly bound by the knights' ropes, lay helplessly on the ground panting, the grassland had returned to peace, leaving only a mess and the knights' heavy breathing.
Aid and his men also flew back from the horizon on their Pegasus.
Each knight led a captured Pegasus, and Aid himself had two.
The Pegasus landed, and they rendezvoused with Lei Luo and his group.
They tallied their gains.
In this raid, they had captured a full eighteen Pegasus!
Although some had escaped, this was a fruitful outcome far exceeding expectations.
The return journey was far livelier than the trip there.
The knights were all in high spirits. The previous six Pegasus in the territory had already excited these knights greatly.
However, there were more monks than porridge, and everyone coveted these magnificent treasures.
In order to become a member of the Pegasus Knight squad, they had secretly competed intensely.
Now, with eighteen Pegasus captured at once, the territory had suddenly become wealthy enough to even establish two knight squads.
According to Blackstone Territory's current roster of just over twenty knights, there would even be one or two Pegasus left over if each knight had one.
Although the newly captured Pegasus had their wings temporarily bound, their wildness remained, and they struggled and whinnied all the way, costing the knights leading them a lot of effort.
These Pegasus would occasionally buck or try to forcefully twist their necks, making several knights dirty and disheveled.
"Hey! Easy, buddy! My arm isn't made of wood!"
A knight was suddenly yanked by the Pegasus he was leading, nearly falling from his warhorse, drawing a burst of laughter from his companions.
"Be content, you're better off than those who got kicked off their horses!"
Someone nearby quipped.
Aid, however, seemed much more relaxed. The two Pegasus he was leading might have been intimidated by his previous "might" in the air, as they now appeared relatively docile.
Even so, controlling two newly captured Pegasus simultaneously was by no means easy and required constant vigilance.
Lei Luo rode on his warhorse, watching the team, which, though a little chaotic, had high morale overall, and a smile appeared on his face.