Imperial Crown.

Chapter 344 I'm Sorry, Child

Winter comes earlier in the Bloody Highlands than in the Nordic provinces.

It’s only the middle of September and the sky is already starting to get gloomy.

Tiny snowflakes drifted down from the sky and landed on the ground like powdered salt, making the slightly bluish earth look as charming as a summer dream.

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

Since the locust plague last year, the already barren Bloody Highlands has become even more dilapidated and everyone is having a hard time.

Locust plagues are not inherently deadly.

The output of the Bloody Highlands was not enough to support the livelihoods of tens of thousands of bandits and hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Even looting was just a sideline.

The real source of income for large groups of horse thieves is actually smuggling.

The geographical location of Bloody Heights is unique and advantageous.

To the southeast, it borders the Nord Province and Molinier Province of the Keynes Empire;
To the northeast, it connects the entire Principality of Aivor and the Langqing Province in the southwest of the Insa Empire.

To the west, it faces Slave Bay across the sea.

The supplies of the four major forces will be circulated through the Bloody Highlands, and the prosperous trade routes are the lifeblood of the residents of the Bloody Highlands.

The locust outbreak was only 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.

Soon after, Slave Bay was also hit by a locust plague, and food production dropped significantly.

And with Raven's attack on the Principality of Eivor, this smuggling route was basically cut off.

The entire Bloody Highlands fell into unprecedented desolation.

But not everyone is unhappy.

"Snapped--"

The crisp sound of a whip gathered the sheep, which had been somewhat scattered, together again.

Bent put away the whip, a faint smile on his face.

He looked like most of the residents of Bloody Heights, with dark skin that had a rosy tint due to years of sunlight.

Although he is only in his early 30s, his face is so weathered and wrinkled that no one would doubt that he is 50 years old.

The reason why he was so happy was not only because, in the Rustwater Oasis where everyone was starving, he could own a flock of 15 sheep and a grazing land.

Most importantly, he heard that Lord Raven not only took down the Wall of Sighs, but also defeated Earl Dudor head-on.

There was no way. The intelligence from Bloody Highlands was always slow, and Bent had not yet received the news of Raven's victory in the third war.

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

At the beginning, with only more than 100 people, they directly chilled the hearts of thousands of bandits.

Not to mention that afterwards, he also summoned a bone dragon and wiped out 5000 horse bandits in one fell swoop!
Therefore, when people on Bloody Heights mentioned Raven, they either hated him or were afraid of him.

Then why was Bent so happy?
Because he has another nickname called

"snow cock".

That was the insulting title he received when he was a scout of Raven and fell into a snow pit during the retreat and was captured by the Heleti.

When he was caught by his former colleagues, he thought he was doomed and had already accepted his fate.

Unexpectedly, the Baron let him go.

However, he didn't have the face to stay in the Eagle Army, so he volunteered to stay in the Rustwater Oasis and continue living as the Baron's eyes and ears.

Over the years, Bent gradually settled down and started a family in Rustwater Oasis. He has a wife who is not gentle but very caring.

When he thought of her, a smile appeared on Bent's face.

She was a woman who was as full of vitality and passion for life as a wild horse. Whether in life or in bed, the two of them were always in perfect harmony.

Thinking of that wheat-colored skin and those strong long legs developed from years of riding, Bent's heart couldn't help but become hot.

Immediately, this passion turned into tenderness.

They had their own child two years ago.

It was a boy, and Bent named him "Morwe" to commemorate his comrades who died in the battle.

He is healthy and lively. He could run around at the age of 2, and now he can dance with the wooden sword quite well.

call--

The north wind rose and the sky grew darker.

Bent shrank his neck, whipped the horse whip again, and drove the sheep towards his cottage in the biting wind.

Today is a good day.

The Baron has won battle after battle, and in Bent's opinion, that is the best reward from God to good people.

We should kill a sheep to celebrate!
His eyes swept through the flock and fell on the fattest one. It had a huge butt and the fat on its tail was as fat as a pocket.

Although the Bloody Highlands are barren, the big-tailed sheep here are a unique sight. Not only do they have no smell, they also have a hint of milk.

If you cut it off and roast it over a fire, it will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When you bite open the crispy shell, your mouth will be filled with oil. If you drink it with a bowl of steamed liquor,

"Gudong!"

Bent couldn't help swallowing and hurried back to his home.

After driving the sheep into the pen, Bent walked towards the house while shouting:

"My dear! Give me the basin quickly. The sheep's blood cannot be wasted!"

When he thought of the warm fire pit 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-open wooden door.

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

Taking a deep breath, Bent's rough arms clenched the handle of the scimitar at his waist, slowly pulled it out, and moved towards 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's name is "Blue Beard" and he is Fire Beard's confidant.

Earlier on Bloody Highlands, after Firebeard and Steelfang were killed by Raven, he was responsible for unifying the remnants of the two, taking root deep in the Bloody Highlands and gathering information for Raven.

"Come in and tell us more."

As he spoke, Blue Beard entered the house first.

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

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

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

As the name suggests, Bluebeard does have a big blue beard and a big, bumpy nose that looks like a rotten sweet potato, which makes people wonder if he is of goblin descent.

He wasn't the only one in the room.

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 a corner, their mouths stuffed tightly. When they saw Bent coming back, they immediately started whimpering.

Especially Bent's son Mowei, who twisted and struggled desperately, and even the horse thief next to him could not control him for a while.

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

Fortunately, they did not seem to have any external injuries or torture.

Bent's expression became extremely gloomy:

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

"Don't worry, as long as we agree on the terms, we will naturally let them go." Blue Beard sat down at the table and pointed to the seat opposite:
"Please take a seat, and let's talk slowly."

"No need for that. Just say it if you have something to say." Bent said coldly.

Blue Beard did not force it, he took the wine jug on the table and took a sip:
"I am here on behalf of Lord Bloodeye."

Bent stiffened.

"Blood Eye" Mongar was once one of the three major horse thieves in Bloody Heights.

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

Avila died in the mouth of the bone dragon; Infik was eliminated by Mongar in a firefight at the beginning of this year.

In other words, Mongar is now the largest group of horse thieves in the Bloody Heights.

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

Blue Beard took another sip of wine and said, "Don't worry, we'll get to the point soon."

"You know, the brothers on the high ground have had a hard time in the past two years. They have not been able to eat or drink well."

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

"Right now, Eivor is in chaos, and anyone who gets involved will suffer. Not to mention the Insa Empire. You, Cairns and Molinier, have not recovered their vitality yet..." "And the Eagle Territory has ushered in a great harvest!"

Bent was shocked.

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

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

"Could it be that he dares to attack with more than 1 bandits under his command?"

"The Insa Empire shouldn't be able to spare any help at this time, right?"

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

It seemed like bargaining, but Bent actually wanted to squeeze more information out of Bluebeard.

Not knowing whether he was really fooled or just didn't care, Blue Beard said:
"1 people? Then your information is outdated."

"It is true that the Insa Empire behind Boss Blood Eye will not provide support, but now on the Bloody Highlands, everyone is left with no way out, and they all want to fight with him."

"We don't have 1 men, but..." Bluebeard stretched out a finger, then flicked out two more:

"Ten thousand people!"

Bent was more and more surprised, but his face showed disdain:
"3 people are just a mob. On the bloody high ground, it's hard to find wood. Do you know how to attack the city? Do you 3 cavalrymen have to dismount and climb up?"

After being provoked by Bent, a hint of excitement flashed across Bluebeard's face:
"Snow Chicken, don't be so shameless. Do you really think that being a dog for Raven makes you superior?"

Bent said coldly: "Lord Raven is not someone you can judge. And at least if I follow him, I can survive."

"Follow you guys and go to die?"

The corner of Bluebeard's mouth twitched.

If Snow Chicken had not been born in Eagle Territory and was familiar with the terrain and customs there, and Boss Blood Eye needed him to be a guide, Blue Beard would have chopped Snow Chicken with a single blow!
Suppressing his anger, Blue Beard said patiently:
"I'm not afraid to tell you that this time, it's not just us from Bloody Highlands who are targeting the Nord Province. Joshua, the 'Pirate General' of Slaver Bay, will also launch an attack."

"He is not only a 4th level warrior, but also a lizardman with much greater strength than humans. This time, he not only brought 2 experts, but also a whole legion of lizardman pirates!"

Lizardmen are intelligent creatures living in coastal areas. They are members of the sea clan in a broad sense. They have a strong physique and look like a crocodile standing up.

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

Whether in naval battles or infantry battles, human soldiers of the same size cannot compete with them.

"So, have you thought it through?" Blue Beard looked at Bent. "I'm not asking you to help me for nothing. After the job is done, you will get 100 gold coins, which is enough for you to change your identity and live comfortably with your wife and children for the rest of your life!"

Bent frowned and slowly took a step back.

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

There were also two horse thieves who picked up his wife and son, with gleaming knives placed on their necks.

"Don't be impulsive, Bent." Bluebeard stared into Bent's eyes: "You have betrayed twice anyway, so what if you betray again?"

"You are a smart man."

"On one side is my wife and children, and on the other side is a dead end. This shouldn't be a difficult choice, right?"

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

At this moment, he remembered a lot.

Six years ago, he followed Simon in the retreat, but accidentally fell into a snow pit. When he was about to freeze to death, he was rescued by horse thieves and brought to Helaiti.

He tried to be a steadfast hero.

However, the bandits' methods were too cruel. Now he only has four toes on his feet, and his body is covered with scars.

Just when he was about to give up, a sentence broke 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 a spineless traitor "Snow Chicken".

Later, Heleti was defeated.

Bent was caught by Simon and brought to Raven. At that time, he felt relieved and desperate.

He thought he was going to die, but Raven said to him:
"Return to the team."

These words were engraved deep in his soul. Whenever he returned to that nightmarish snow pit at midnight, these words would wake him up from his endless nightmare.

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

Bent 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 Bent and winked at the horse thief behind him.

The blade reflected the firelight.

puff--

Blood spurted out and Bent's wife fell to the ground. Her throat had been cut and thick blood was flowing all over the ground.

Her desperate eyes were full of disbelief, and the look she gave Bent was full of nostalgia for life, unwillingness, and a hint of confusion.

Until life runs out with blood.

Bent only felt his hands and feet were cold, and his eyes were frozen:

"no no……!!!"

But Blue Beard burst out laughing:

"I say Snow Chicken, if you are a traitor once, you will be a traitor for life!"

"Why are you pretending to be so steadfast here? Do you want to be a knight?"

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

As they were talking, another horse thief picked up Bent's son.

Mowei, who was just three years old, had tears all over his face. He struggled and twisted his body, trying to throw himself onto his mother.

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

"Mother--"

A shrill cry burst out from that tiny body.

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

"Xueji, don't hesitate. Killing your wife is just a warning. You don't have to feel sorry. If you have money, you can find any woman you want."

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

Numbness and despair climbed onto Bent's face. His mouth opened, his body trembled continuously, and big tears flowed from the corners of his eyes, forming clumps of mud on the ground.

"I……"

Bluebeard adjusted his posture and prepared to receive the snow chicken's allegiance leisurely.

At this moment, Snow Chicken suddenly took a deep breath, calmed down, looked at his son, and whispered in a low voice that only he could hear:
"I'm sorry, kid."

Shine——

The sword is unsheathed.

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

The knife was so sudden that the surrounding horse thieves couldn't react, and it directly chopped 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 a hasty order!

He didn't expect Snow Chicken to make such a choice - what kind of magic did Raven cast on him that made him refuse to betray even at the cost of his son's life! ?

But it was too late.

Bent cut the bolt with his knife and rushed out.

A horse thief was about to give chase, but just as he was out of the door, Bent had already thrown his scimitar back.

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

With a thud, the corpse fell to the ground.

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

"Dad—don't leave me!!!"

Mowei's screams rang out.

Tears kept flowing from Bent's eyes, but he resolutely got on the horse.

He was afraid that if he hesitated for a moment, he would no longer be able to stick to his choice.

With a desperate kick on the horse's belly, Bent rushed into the deep night.

Looking at Bent's receding back, Bluebeard threw Morwe to the ground and stomped on his neck hard, breaking it: