Imperial Crown

Winter in the bloody highlands comes earlier than in the Nord province.

It's only halfway through September, and the sky is starting to become gloomy.

Fine snowflakes fall from the sky and fall to the ground like salt powder, making the slightly cyan earth look as charming as a summer dream.

But people who live here all year round have no time to appreciate this kind of scenery.

Since the locust plague last year, the already barren bloody highlands have become increasingly decadent, making life difficult for everyone.

Locust plagues are not inherently deadly.

The output of the bloody highlands is not enough to sustain the livelihood of tens of thousands of horse thieves and hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Even looting was just a side job.

The real source of income for most horse thieves is smuggling.

Bloody Heights' location is unique and privileged.

In the southeast, it borders the provinces of Nord and Molinier in the Cairns Empire;

To the northeast, it connects the entire Principality of Eivor and the Langqing Province in the southwest of the Insa Empire.

To the west, it faces Slaver's Bay across the sea.

The materials of the four major forces will circulate through the Bloody Highlands, and the prosperous trade routes are the lifeblood of the residents of the Bloody Highlands.

The locust plague outbreak was just a temporary emergency, but what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations.

First of all, because of the war between Keynes and Insa, the two empires tightened their border defenses, and the smuggling trade suffered a huge blow.

Immediately afterwards, Slaver's Bay was also plagued by a locust plague, and food output dropped significantly.

And as Raven invaded the Principality of Eivor, this smuggling route was basically cut off.

The entire bloody highland fell into unprecedented decline.

But not everyone will be unhappy.

"Pah——"

A crisp sound of a riding whip sounded, causing the scattered sheep to gather together again.

Bente put away his riding crop with a faint smile on his lips.

He looked the same as most of the residents in Bloody Highlands. His skin was dark and rosy due to the constant sunlight.

He is clearly in his early 30s, but his face is covered with weather and wrinkles. No one would doubt that he is 50 years old.

The reason why he is so happy is not just because he can own a flock of 15 sheep and a grazing land in this rustwater oasis where everyone is hungry.

The most important thing is that he heard that Lord Raven not only captured the Wall of Sighs, but also defeated Earl Tudor head-on.

There is no way, the intelligence in the Bloody Highlands is always a little slower, and Bent has not received the news of Raven's victory in the third war.

Raven's reputation in the Bloody Highlands is no worse than in the Principality of Eivor.

At the beginning, with just over 100 people, it directly chilled the hearts of thousands of horse thieves.

Not to mention the feat of summoning a bone dragon to annihilate 5,000 horse thieves in one fell swoop!

Therefore, when people in Bloody Highlands mentioned Raven, they either hated or feared him.

So why is Bente so happy?

Because he also has a nickname:

"snow cock".

That was the insulting title he received after he fell into a snow pit during the retreat as Raven's scout and was captured by Heleti.

When he was caught by his former colleagues, he originally thought that he would die, but he already accepted his fate.

Unexpectedly, Lord Baron let him go.

But he didn't have the face to stay in the Eagle Army anymore, so he took the initiative to ask for help and stayed in the Bilgewater Oasis, continuing to live as the Baron's eyes and ears.

Over the years, Bent gradually settled down, started a family in Bilgewater Oasis, and had a wife who, although not gentle, was very caring.

Thinking of her, Bente couldn't help but put a smile on his face.

That is a woman who is as full of vitality and enthusiasm for life as a fierce horse. Whether in life or in bed, the two of them are always in perfect harmony.

Thinking of the wheat-colored skin and the powerful long legs developed from years of riding horses, Bente couldn't help but feel hot.

Immediately, the heat turned into a kind of tenderness.

The year before last, they had their own child.

It was a boy, and Bente named him "Mowe" in memory of his comrades who died in the war.

Healthy and lively, he was able to run around when he was 2 years old, and now he can even dance with a wooden knife in a decent manner.

call--

The north wind picked up, and the sky became darker and darker.

Bent shrank his neck, whipped up his riding whip again, and drove the sheep towards his hut in the biting wind.

Today is a good day.

The Lord Baron has won consecutive battles. In Bent's opinion, this is the best reward from the gods for good people.

She should be killed to celebrate!

His eyes swept across the flock and landed on the fattest one. It had a huge butt and the oil on its tail was so fat that it became a pocket.

Although the bloody highlands are barren, the big-tailed sheep here are outstanding. They don't have any smell at all, and they also have a milky fragrance.

If this is cut off and grilled, it will be crispy on the outside and soft and waxy on the inside. If you bite open the crispy shell in one bite, you will have a mouth full of oil, and then pair it with a bowl of steamed spirits——

"Gudong!"

Bente couldn't help but swallowed his saliva and hurried back to his home.

After driving the sheep into the pen, Bent shouted and walked towards the house:

"Dear! Give me the wooden basin quickly, the sheep's blood cannot be wasted!"

Thinking of the warm fire in the house, his frozen toes began to feel numb.

But before he even reached the door, he felt something was wrong.

It's so quiet.

It was pitch black inside the half-closed wooden door.

Usually at this time, the fire pit would have been lit in the house, and Bent's son Morwe would run to his arms regardless of his wife's slightly anxious shouts.

Taking a deep breath, Bent's rough arms clenched the handle of the scimitar at his waist, slowly pulled it out, and touched the door along the wall.

Just as he was about to approach the wooden door, it opened with a bang.

A man wrapped in a sheepskin coat came out:

"Snow Chicken, you are finally back, I have been waiting for you for a long time."

Bent's eyes fixed: "Why are you here?"

This man is called "Blue Beard", and he is a confidant of Fire Beard.

Previously, on the Bloody Highlands, after Fire Beard and Steel Teeth were killed by Raven, he was responsible for unifying the remnants of the two, taking root in the depths of the Bloody Highlands, and spying on Raven.

"Come in and tell me in detail."

As he said, Blue Beard entered the house first.

Bent followed him in, but did not loosen his hand on his waist.

With a click, a horse thief walked behind Bent and hung the bolt.

Bluebeard lit a torch and threw it into the fire pit in the house, illuminating the whole house.

As his name suggests, Bluebeard did have a big blue beard and a big nose that looked like a rotten sweet potato, which made people wonder if he had goblin blood.

He was not the only one in the house.

There were seven other horse thieves squatting in the corner. As the fire lit up, they all stood up and glared at Bent fiercely.

Bent's wife and children had been tied up in the corner, their mouths stuffed tightly, and now they saw Bent coming back, and they immediately whimpered.

Especially Bent's son Morwe, who twisted and struggled desperately, and even the horse thief next to him couldn't control it for a while.

The toy wooden sword had broken into two pieces and fell to the ground.

Fortunately, they didn't seem to have any external injuries or torture.

Bent's expression became extremely gloomy:

"Let them go, come to me if you have any problem!"

"Don't worry, as long as we have agreed on the terms, we will naturally let them go." Bluebeard sat down at the table and pointed to the seat opposite:

"Please sit down, let's talk slowly."

"No need, say it quickly if you have something to say." Bent said with a cold face.

Bluebeard did not force it, picked up the wine pot on the table and took a sip:

"I am here on behalf of Lord Blood Eye."

Bent's body stiffened.

"Blood Eye" Mongar was once one of the three major horse thieves on the Bloody Highlands.

In addition to him, there are "Spider Queen" Avilia and "Crazy Sand" Infic.

Avilia died in the mouth of the bone dragon; Infic was eliminated by Mongar in a fight at the beginning of this year.

In other words, Mongar is now the largest group of horse thieves on the Bloody Highlands.

"So?" Bent asked, "What does the Blood Eye have to do with me?"

Bluebeard took another sip of wine: "Don't worry, we'll get to it soon."

"You know, the brothers on the highlands have had a hard time in the past two years. They can't eat or drink well."

"Since Lord Blood Eye has unified the Bloody Highlands, of course he has to seek some benefits for the brothers so that we can at least survive."

"Now, Eivor is in chaos, and anyone who gets involved will get nothing; not to mention the Insa Empire; your Cairns and Molinier's vitality has not yet recovered..."

"And the Eagle Territory has ushered in a big harvest!"

Bent was shocked.

Unexpectedly, these idiots on the Bloody Highlands would actually attack the Eagle Territory.

"Tsk." Bent showed disdain: "Indeed, Lord Raven is away from home now, but you should have heard about the strength of Eagle City."

"Could it be that he dares to attack with more than 10,000 horse thieves under his command?"

"The Insa Empire should not be able to spare any effort at this time?"

"I, Bent, am not a good person, but I will not do such a job that will lead to my death."

It seems to be bargaining, but Bent actually wants to squeeze more information out of Bluebeard.

Not knowing whether he was really fooled or just didn't care, Bluebeard said:

"10,000 people? Then your information is outdated."

"Indeed, the Insa Empire behind Blood Eye Boss will not provide support, but now on the Bloody Highlands, everyone has been tossed around and has no way to survive, and everyone wants to fight with him."

Please...you...collect_6Ⅰ9Ⅰ书Ⅰ吧 (六\\\\\\九\\\\\\书\\\\\\吧!)

"We don't have 10,000 people under our command, but..." Bluebeard stretched out a finger, and then flicked out two more:

"30,000 people!"

Bent He was more and more surprised, but his face was disdainful:

"30,000 people are also a mob. It's hard to find wood on the bloody high ground. Do you know how to attack the city? Do you 30,000 cavalry have to dismount and climb hard?"

Being provoked by Bent, a trace of excitement flashed across Bluebeard's face:

"Snow Chicken, don't be shameless. Do you really think you are superior to others by being a dog for Raven?"

Bent said coldly: "Lord Raven is not someone you can evaluate. And at least I can live by following him."

"Follow you and die?"

The corner of Bluebeard's mouth twitched.

If Snow Chicken was not born in Eagle Territory and was familiar with the terrain and customs there, and Blood Eye Boss needed him to be a guide, Bluebeard would have chopped Snow Chicken with a knife!

Suppressing his anger, Bluebeard said patiently:

"I'm not afraid to tell you that this time, it's not just us Bloody Highlanders who are targeting the Nord Province, the 'Pirate General' Joshua from Slaver's Bay will also launch an attack together."

"Not only is he a level 4 powerhouse, he is also a lizardman who is much more powerful than humans. This time he not only brought 20,000 masters, but also an entire legion of lizardman pirates!"

Lizardmen are intelligent creatures that live in coastal areas. They are members of the sea tribe in a broad sense. They have a majestic body, like a standing crocodile.

Not only is it extremely powerful, but its entire body is covered with hard scales that are difficult to break through with ordinary swords.

Regardless of naval battle or infantry battle, human soldiers of the same size cannot compete with it.

"So, have you thought about it?" Blue Beard looked at Bente: "I'm not asking you to help in vain. After the work is completed, I will have 100 gold coins, which is enough for you to change your identity and live a comfortable life with your wife and children! "

Bente frowned and slowly took a step back.

At this moment, two horse thieves rushed up, one on the left and one on the right.

There were also two horse thieves who lifted his wife and son up, placing the shining blades on their necks.

"Don't be impulsive, Bent." Bluebeard stared into Bent's eyes: "Anyway, you have betrayed twice. What will happen if you betray me again?"

"You are a smart man."

"On one side is my wife and children, on the other side is a dead end. Isn't it difficult to choose?"

Bente's hands and feet were a little stiff at this moment. He looked at the pleading eyes of his wife and children, and was confused for a moment.

At this moment, he thought of a lot.

Six years ago, he retreated with Simon, but accidentally fell into a snow pit. When he was about to freeze to death, he was fished out by horse thieves and brought to Heleti.

He tried to be an unyielding hero.

However, the horse thief's methods were too cruel. Now he only has 4 toes on his feet, and his body is covered with layers of scars.

Just when he was about to lose it any longer, one sentence shattered his defenses——

"If Raven really cared about you, how could you be left behind?"

"It's meaningless for you to die here."

So he chose to surrender and became the spineless traitor "Snow Chicken".

Later, Heleti was defeated.

Bent was caught by Simon and twisted to Raven. At that time, he felt a sense of relief and despair in his heart.

He thought he was going to die, but Raven said to him:

"Return to the team."

This sentence is engraved deep in his soul. Whenever he returns to that nightmarish snow pit at midnight, this sentence can wake him up from the endless nightmare.

The past cannot be changed, but at least he can choose his future.

Bente made up his mind, took a deep breath, and tightened his grip on the scimitar at his waist:

"I……"

"I don't like that look." Bluebeard interrupted Bente and winked at the horse thief behind him.

The blade reflected the firelight.

puff--

Blood spurted out, and Bente's wife fell to the ground. Her throat had been cut, and thick blood flowed all over the floor.

Her desperate eyes were full of disbelief, and the look she looked at Bente was full of nostalgia for life, unwillingness, and a trace of confusion.

Until life is drained out with blood.

Bente felt that his hands and feet were cold, and his eyes were frozen:

"No...no...!!!"

But Blue Beard burst out laughing:

"I say snow chicken, once you are a traitor, you will always be a traitor!"

"Why bother pretending to be loyal and unyielding here? You want to be a knight?"

"Your wife's life is just a warning. If you don't agree..."

While talking, another horse thief lifted Bente's son up.

Mowei, who was just three years old, had tears streaming down his face, and his body was struggling and twisting, trying to pounce on his mother.

At Bluebeard's signal, the horse thief ripped off Morwell's gag.

"Mother--"

A shrill cry burst out from that little body.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how pitiful." Bluebeard chuckled and said:

"Snow Chicken, don't hesitate. Killing your wife is just a warning. You don't have to feel sorry. If you have money, what kind of woman can you not find?"

"But children are different. You don't want to see your son lose his father just after losing his mother, right?"

Numbness and despair crept up Bent's face. His mouth opened and his body trembled. Big tears fell from the corners of his eyes, forming muddy spots on the ground.

"I……"

Bluebeard adjusted his posture, ready to receive the Snow Chicken's allegiance.

At this moment, Snow Chicken suddenly took a deep breath, calmed down, looked at his son, and murmured in a low voice that only he could hear:

"I'm sorry, kid."

锔——

The sword is unsheathed.

It was as if a flash of lightning lit up the room.

This knife was struck so suddenly that the surrounding horse thieves were unable to react, and they directly cut off the head of the horse thief on Bent's right!

Gululu

The head rolled to the ground, and a fountain of blood rose into the sky.

"Catch him!!" Bluebeard screamed and gave the order hastily!

He didn't expect Snow Chicken to make such a choice - what kind of magic did Raven cast on him to make him refuse to betray even if his son's life was needed? ?

But it was too late.

Bent split the door bolt with his knife and rushed out.

A horse thief wanted to chase him, but just as he went out, Bent had already thrown out his scimitar.

With a clang, the scimitar sank into the horse thief's forehead!

With a thud, the dead body fell to the ground.

Rushing to the stable, Bent took out a dagger and cut the rope that tied the horse.

"Dad - don't abandon me!!!"

Morwe screamed.

Bent's tears could not stop flowing, but he resolutely got on the horse's back.

He was afraid that if he hesitated for a moment, he would not be able to stick to his choice.

With a desperate blow to the horse's belly, Bent rushed into the deep night.

Looking at Bent's back, Bluebeard threw Morwe to the ground and stepped hard on his neck:

"What a scumbag, he doesn't even care about his own son."

"Take the horse, let's chase!"

...