Realm of Power

The world is dark, the smell of pine and moss wafts in the wind with a hint of chill, a pale mist rises from the black earth, a group of riders wearing fur hats are struggling through the gravel and trees, the East Court Empire " Zhamuhebi, the commander of the "Cang" Legion, stopped on a slope. As far as he could see his horse, there was a huge river valley. Countless fires were like pearls scattered out, too many to count. A band of light composed of hundreds or thousands of fires appeared in the morning. The space is like a white and cold river, looking like two rivers.

Zhamu Hebi waved his hands seriously and led the hundred cavalry behind him down the ridge.

The clatter of horses' hooves, and the clang of the metal clasps of the hard leather armor on Rattleshirt's body. In the sky, a giant eagle spreads its huge gray-blue wings, overlooking the people, sheep, horses and a huge wolf army flag. In this wilderness, it is like a king. Patrolling his territory,

Sensing the cavalry coming towards the camp, a group of prairie cavalry quickly ran out of the valley camp, their horse hooves lifting up the broken soil on the ground. Running at the front was a young man with a slightly gloomy face, his eyes full of wildness, and his head above his head. The white helmet on the head looks like a battle in the wind The flag was fluttering, and he was wearing a piece of pure white armor, with a red wolf head on his chest. Even on a gloomy day without sunshine, the red wolf head was still lifelike, especially the eyes of the wolf head, which were two highly pure eyes. Red gems, blazing. In front of the most famous red wolf king armor in the Dongting Grassland, Zhamuhebi, the always proud commander of the Cang Army, stopped his horse.

He quickly dismounted and knelt on his knees in front of the young man. He put his hands on the ground and said loudly, "Zhamu Hebi, Commander of the Imperial Cang Army, pays homage to the master!"

"From autumn to autumn, Jamu Hebi and the Cang Army wandered outside the long wall you mentioned, but they could find those lost sheep! If I, the master, don't come, are you prepared to stay like this forever!" War Horse Stopping ten meters ahead, the horse's hooves stepped deeply into the damp and cold meadow. The young man on the black horse called the master said to him

"My slave is incompetent and has not been able to climb over the long wall so far. I am willing to ask for punishment!" Zhamu Hebi's face turned pale. He bent down and hit his head on the ground. He seemed to have known that this would happen. A guard stood behind him. cavalry. Untie a huge oily disk whip from Zhamuhebi war horse,

The coiled whip has a black luster that makes people feel chilly. It is the most terrifying whip made of the skin scales of the big black viper on the grassland. The whole body is dark and the scales are shining. It's like a real big black viper coiled there. According to the rules of the grassland, although Zhamu Hebi is one of the eight legion commanders, his origin is from the tribe to which the Golden Family belongs, and they are all nominally supreme. A slave of the Golden Family, the owner of the slave has the authority to use this whip to teach slaves who do not do their job well. The whip, which looks like black snake scales, is made from the skin scales of the most terrifying black-headed viper in the Dongting Grassland. This kind of snake is not a snake in the true sense, but an underground creature with a body size of more than 3 meters, with terrifying serrated teeth and sucking ring-like fangs, like a giant earthworm.

It lurks under the soil of Dongting Grassland all year round, attacking people, livestock, herdsmen, and large animals. This monster's skin is extremely hard and extremely soft. Even a sword can do nothing. It is regarded by the grassland people as a symbol of irresistible disaster. Those who kill the big black-headed viper will be regarded as a warrior on the grassland. The most cruel method of execution is to use a knife to cut off the prisoner. The limbs and tendons were then thrown into the lair of the big black-headed viper. The eyeless black-headed viper will follow the smell of blood to find its prey, and then chew the prey alive piece by piece with its sucker-like saw teeth. If the prisoner's vitality is strong enough, he can see how he is swallowed piece by piece. of. For any grassland people, that is the most terrifying thing, because there is a saying that people who are swallowed by the big black viper will not even have their souls, and will not be able to see the eternal sky!

The cavalry guard skillfully threw a blow in the air with a crisp whine. The whine came from a hollow thorn ball at the top of the whip. The purpose of this was to show that there was nothing wrong with the whip. Then he held up the coiled whip with respectful hands and lightly Place it gently in front of the wooden wall, bend down and return to your position.

The young man looked at Zhamu Hebi with a gloomy look, his head lowered and not daring to look at him.

"I know you are in trouble, but the rules of the grassland cannot be abolished! Just bear with it!" The young man waved his hand behind him, and a tall and strong guard got off the horse and walked to Zhamu Hebi. He picked up the whip and checked it, and nodded to the young man, "No problem."

"start"

The young man raised his hand again, and the air suddenly became tense. The servant held the leather whip and walked steadily to a place three meters behind Zhamuhebi. He turned around three meters away, and then raised his black leather whip with his arm. The whip, the whip immediately became flexible like a snake that came alive on him. The top of his head circled, circle after circle, causing a whirring sound to break through the air. The torturer's face looked extremely serious, like the beginning of a ritual. His arms fell violently, and the black halo broke through the air with a strange feeling. Barrier, there was a nerve-wracking sound in the air,

Zhamu Hebi knelt there, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead just now. He closed his eyes and bit a piece of wet cloth brought to his mouth by the escort cavalry with his teeth. This would prevent him from biting off his tongue due to too much pain. His eyes were hot, and he was ready to face his own pain. He had been wandering here for two years with 20,000 elite cavalry, so that the weakest third prince became more powerful. No matter how you look at it, it is an unforgivable sin. Punishment, it is extraordinary to be punished like this Very good, the grassland is a place where merit and reward are clear. Even a hero will be whipped if he makes a mistake. Time becomes very slow at this moment, and the ears of the wooden frame are full of viper whips whipping at the executioner. The whining sound of heavy transmission in the hand , "Pa" exploded, and just once, blood spurted out from Zhamu Hebi's back. Zhamu Hebi's eyeballs bulged in pain, and his body swayed. The burning pain hit his nerves. It almost made him feel like time had stopped,

"Crack" the second blow!

Zhamu Hebi's head was dim for a moment, and then his body was like a rotten wooden frame that had lost its support. He fell heavily to the ground. He almost fainted from the pain, but he still didn't faint after all, so he had to continue. Enjoy the pain, the whip is fierce and powerful, and the sound is loud enough. The point where the whip falls is always the place that can bring the most pain without causing internal injuries. Just two blows, and his back was completely covered with rotten flesh, like a meteor falling from a high altitude. Every time the iron spike ball at the front of the whip fell, it must have dragged away a piece of flesh on Zhamu Hebi's back.

Although it's not big, it's like digging into meat with a knife. There were streaks of bloody blood on Zhamu Hebi's back. Even though Zhamu Hebi was wearing mail, his scales were scattered in all directions. His teeth were tightly closed, and the crisp sound of a whip tearing flesh was no less than a wooden board hitting his back.

The torturer was an experienced man. The sides of the ribs and the thick and tight shoulder blades were where the whip hit the hardest. The torturer was hereditary among the grassland tribes, which meant that this servant was A torturer, then his father and his father’s father are all torturers. In the tribe, torturers have a very special status. They are the symbol of tribal rights. They breathed in loudly and were whipped ten times in a row. Zhamuhe's face was twisted together in pain, and he finally couldn't bear it anymore. Come on, the person has completely passed out!

Young people think it's almost done. He raised his hand and said in a solemn voice, "Okay, stop! Come to Dongba and give him medicine!" When Zhamuhebi woke up, he was already inside the military tent on the grassland. The young second prince was holding a bowl in his hand. The milky white liquor was leaning against the other corner of the tent, while looking at the black sky outside the tent. I don’t know what I’m thinking about,

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty!" Zhamu Hebi's mouth was as dry as fire. The ten whips just now seemed to have hurt his soul. He struggled to stand up. But he was stopped by the young man with a wave of his hand. "Don't be so nervous. I just want to know if what you said is true!" The young man's eyes were like stars in the night sky.

"Your Highness, are you talking about the country behind the long wall? Or..." Zhamu Hebi touched his wound while speaking, his lips trembled slightly, and he hesitated a little.

"I'm not interested in that country! You know, this time fighting against the Central Asians, I finally understood a truth. What my father said is right, that is, land and population are important to us grassland people. It’s useless at all!” The second prince raised his neck and sighed.

"If I had known better, I would not have gone to China and lost more than 20,000 prairie warriors. We are prairie people. We ride horses to graze, run, and drink, just like the free wind on the prairie. As long as there is a place for us, that is What use are our lands, our cities, our fields, our commercial bazaars to us?

I hope that tall green grass can grow in my land so that my horses, cattle and sheep can be well fed. I don’t want to be like the people in Central Asia who grow wheat that only ripens once a year and feed so many poor people. Even if all the people who know how to fight are turned into slaves, they cannot be fed. The best way is to kill them and turn all their lands into pastures! The second prince licked his lips and seemed to be unsatisfied, and said, "But the third prince is opposed to this. He thinks that we should seize their land like the Central Asians, and then force them to pay taxes and cultivate more land. I and I The third child had a quarrel and he said that he I can extract countless wealth from the Central Asians next spring, and I bet him that I will come back with more horses and soldiers next spring. I want to tell him, what? It’s what grassland people need most!”

‘So, is the news you said true? "

The eyes of the second prince suddenly glowed like a wild wolf. Gulu drank the strong wine in his hand in one gulp, with a hint of red on his cheeks. He grinned, revealing a mouth of white teeth like a beast, and dropped the wine glass in his hand on the ground. , and asked again, "Have you really discovered the whereabouts of the golden family that your father mentioned?"

"this....."

Zhamu Hebi's face looked ugly, and he said hesitantly, "Although I'm not sure, I heard that in the country behind the long wall, there is indeed a prairie army like ours, with tens of thousands of people. It is said that the homeland of that country is not in Opalo, but a land far away in the West Sea! The god they believe in is also Changshengtian! "

"The land of the West Sea! The Heaven of Eternal Life! No wonder my father wanted to launch a large-scale expedition to the west before he died. He also secretly obtained the blueprints of the Zhongbia Heavy Tower Battleship from Zhongbia, so that he could reunite the four golden families in his lifetime. Let us grassland people dominate this land again, but it is the lifelong dream of the father." The second prince's face unexpectedly showed a hint of realization. He stood up, with a complicated look in his eyes, and said in a serious voice, "It seems that it is necessary to fight against the long wall. Let’s get in touch with that country in the country”

"Your Highness, it's a bit dangerous to do this. At least, the country inside the long wall is very powerful. And it has unknown hostility towards us Dongting people!" Zhamu Hebi wanted to persuade.

"Hostile? There's nothing surprising about this. The descendants of the Wolf God are feared by sheep everywhere! As for being powerful, under our iron heel in the East Courtyard, who else dares to claim to be powerful!"

The second prince sneered at the corner of his mouth, showing his confidence and not paying attention to the reminder of the combination of wood and wood. He said slowly, "My father died too suddenly, and many secrets were not told to us. Although I know that my father has reached some kind of agreement with a certain gold family, but unfortunately, the clues were broken two years ago. We sent Those who left have not come back, but if I can get the support of another branch of the Golden Family, my chances of becoming a new generation of grassland king will be greatly increased. In name, I will also have an advantage in convincing other tribes, so no matter what. Anyway, give it a try. .

In the late autumn of September, the streets of Kyoto, Gaul, were filled with yellow fallen leaves. As the sun sets, the spiers of the majestic buildings cast their shadows on the sparsely populated streets. The tall plane trees swayed silently in the autumn wind, and the deep twilight enveloped this ancient and magnificent city. The pedestrians on the road looked listless, most of them were women in a hurry, and there were almost no men in sight. This was because the beacon fire of the prairie cavalry had spread to the vicinity of Gaul Kyoto, from Gaul Kyoto to the highland where the prairie cavalry roared past. In the province of Lu, cities were broken open one by one, and the crazy steppe cavalry swept through the hinterland of Gaul like a whirlwind.

Under the hoofs of the horses, there was boundless slaughter. The prairie cavalry was nominally divided into two groups. In fact, after breaking through the province of Philip, they dispersed according to the habits of their respective tribes, just like a whole-tribe hunting held on the vast land of Gaul. The advance of a large number of cavalry was like a volley of arrows, completely penetrating the hinterland of the Gauls.

It was only thirteen days. More than 80,000 Gauls died tragically under the iron hoofs of the steppe cavalry, and nearly a million Gaulish refugees scattered.

Most of the provinces in the hinterland of Gaul were in turmoil, and Kyoto was no exception. All men were ordered to take up arms and join the reserve team, ready to fight to the death against the crazy prairie cavalry. Even some women and children were organized and responsible for moving defensive supplies.

A carriage with a cross pattern of swords and shields printed on the outer wall passed through the middle of the street, flanked by majestic cavalry of the Guards on both sides.

The carriage drove into the alley next to Imperial Kyoto Central Street. Since the Kyoto Incident, the family that believed in this pattern was the Algernon family, the first family in the imperial capital. Pedestrians on the roadside looked at the carriage with complicated emotions in their eyes. Familiar people winked and whispered, "That woman..."

Ignoring the comments from the outside world, Algernon and Julia passed through the hidden cordon outside the palace. The carriage stopped in front of the palace gate. The door opened, and Algernon, who was wearing a blue Guards uniform but wearing a gold star logo, Julia jumped out of the car. The two guards officers guarding the door went up and saluted her, "Miss, you are here."

"Is your Majesty looking better?" asked Algernon Julia.

"Still in a coma, the imperial doctor can't do anything this time, saying it's very severe anemia!" the Imperial Guard officer replied with an ugly face, "and he said he was too worried recently and had lingering fears in his heart. If it continues, Your Majesty I’m afraid my body won’t be able to survive this winter.”

"Shut up! Fig, if I hear this, you know what the consequences will be!"

Algernon Julia's face flashed with fierceness, and the Guards officer also knew that he had said the wrong thing, and quickly lowered his head. The three of them walked through the red carpeted corridor of the palace. Outside the corridor was a garden with golden autumn leaves. The sun has fallen, revealing the bare branches. It is late autumn in September, the pond is quiet, and an exquisite pavilion is looming among the trees. At the entrance of the corridor, a little boy of four or five years old suddenly rushed out. Julia ran towards Algernon, waving a toy sword in her hand, and shouted "Drive, drive, drive! I am the emperor, you are the despicable Vecian Falcon, beat, beat, beat!" in the little boy's arms. Behind her, a beautiful maid was chasing from a distance, calling softly, "Your Highness, don't run around..."

Seeing Algernon Julia in front of her, the maid's face turned pale.

Algernon Julia rarely showed a kind smile on her beautiful face. She leaned down and picked up the little boy, lifting him high. Although the child struggled desperately. Algernon Julia smiled and said, "Your Highness Di, you are not good again." The little boy struggled hard. Her big blue eyes rolled around, her little mouth raised high, and she yelled, "Let go, let me go...Sister Julia is the worst! She always likes to lift people up high!"

"You are the nephew of His Majesty the Emperor, born to a high position!" Algernon Julia smiled and put the little boy down. The child was free and ran into the garden and disappeared.