Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 557 Crying
The Third Prince, the Throne Room of Blackrock Castle.

The exquisite crystal goblet shattered into glittering fragments under the prince's rage, and the crimson wine splattered like blood onto the luxurious wool carpet.

"Trash! A bunch of trash!"

The handsome face of the third prince, Cairns Baikal, was contorted with rage as he roared, his voice echoing through the empty hall.

"That idiot Chekhov! He destroyed my most important logistical stronghold! Rolling Stone City! My stone mines! My alchemical gunpowder! All gone! Destroyed by a farmer! By that damned 'Wild Grass 78'!"

Below the steps, several high-ranking officials remained silent, trembling with fear.

The intelligence officer, who had just returned from investigating the ruins of Rolling Stone City, was nervously reporting the horrifying news pieced together from the mouths of fleeing civilians.

The farmer centurion Wild Grass 78, disguised as a remnant of the army, tricked his way into opening the city gate. With superhuman strength, he demolished the gate with his bare hands. Accompanied by a witch who could control terrifying black flames, he led a seemingly transformed army of farmers, wreaking havoc in the city. He publicly tried and executed Chekhov, and finally burned the city to the ground before leaving.

"A farmer? A witch? Destroyed a fortified castle overnight? Wiped out five hundred garrison troops? Those were fully armored elite soldiers!!"

Keynes's voice rose in response to the sheer absurdity.

"Do you believe it? That bitch Fifth Sister must be behind this! It's her! She must have sent a superhuman disguised as a farmer! She's mocking me! She's declaring war on me!"

He suddenly drew his ornately decorated sword from his waist and pointed it into the void.

"Immediately! Mobilize the army! I will personally raze the Misty Forest to the ground! Tear that Wild Grass 78 and his accomplices to pieces! Capture that witch and smelt her for ore! I will let Fifth Sister know the price of angering me!"

"Your Highness! Please calm down! Think it over!"

An elderly minister with gray hair hurriedly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Blackrock Fortress's main force is currently engaged in a standoff with Duke Edmund of Grizzly Bear Territory on the northern front, vying for iron ore! Sending a large army south into the Misty Forest at this moment would not only be a long and difficult journey with supply problems, but it would also leave our northern front vulnerable, giving Edmund an opportunity to exploit! If the northern front falls, the losses will be a hundred times greater than those at Rolling Stone City!"

"Are we just going to let that traitor get away with it?! And let Fifth Sister laugh at me?!"

Keynes' eyes were bloodshot.

"Your Highness, the traitor must be severely punished, but it is not necessary to mobilize a large army."

Another capable minister stepped forward and whispered.

"Although the events at Rolling Stone City are strange, the refugees all say that Li Zhongren does indeed possess superhuman strength. It's certain that this damned traitor had a stroke of luck. Perhaps he encountered some extraordinary event, or perhaps he awakened the bloodline of an ancient ancestor and became a superhuman."

"When dealing with superhumans, a large-scale encirclement and suppression operation may not be efficient and could easily result in heavy losses. It would be better to... offer a bounty!"

"Hire 'Shadowfang,' 'Bloodclaw,' or 'Ash Ring' with hefty sums! They are professional hounds, best at dealing with extraordinary traitors and troublesome targets! Let them handle the trouble in the Misty Forest. We only need to pay gold coins, without taking any risks, and it won't affect the northern front!"

Keynes' chest heaved violently, and the tip of his sword trembled slightly.

Anger burned in his eyes, but the old minister's words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing his reason.

He couldn't let a moment of anger shake his foundations; that mine was crucial to his future development, which was why he was willing to go to war with his own sister.

Finally, he slammed the sword back into its sheath with a harsh scraping sound.

"Okay! Just do as you say!"

He gritted his teeth, his voice as cold as ice.

"Bounty! Top priority! We want her alive or dead! That witch... try to capture her alive!"

"As you command, Your Highness!"

and also.

As the ministers prepared to leave, Keynes took a deep breath.

Send someone to visit Saruman. He watched me grow up; this isn't his fault. Let him rest and recover at home.
Yes!
Upon hearing this, the ministers breathed a sigh of relief. Although the third prince had a bad temper, there was one thing he could say: he could distinguish right from wrong. Although Saruman had embezzled in this matter, it was an unspoken rule of the entire noble system. Even the third prince himself would not dare to bring it up, as that would cause the entire noble system to become disunited.

Therefore, even in such a rage, he was still able to calmly appease Saruman, and that was enough.
Not long after...
A huge bounty for Li Zhongren and his team quickly spread through clandestine channels to extraordinary mercenary organizations on the mainland that walk on the edge of darkness and death.
-
Dividing line

Inside a palace that seemed to be made of jade.

Princess Isabella Baikal reclined on a velvet-covered chaise lounge, her slender fingers twirling a thin intelligence file.

Her emerald eyes sparkled with interest, and a faint smile played at the corners of her lips.

"Farmer... Li Zhongren... Wild Grass 78..."

She murmured the name softly, as if savoring a newly brewed wine.

"Leading a hundred farmers, they annihilated my elite squad without a single casualty, captured my 'lost' witch Karenina, then launched a surprise attack on Rolling Stone, breached the gates with their bare hands, beheaded the lord, held a public trial and execution, burned the city, and disappeared into the Misty Forest..."

She put down the dossier and looked at the head of the secret guards standing to the side.

"Is the news confirmed?"

"It has been confirmed by multiple sources, Your Highness, that the descriptions from the fleeing civilians are consistent: the ruins of Rolling Stone City are still burning. The Third Prince is furious and has issued an exorbitant bounty, hiring organizations such as 'Shadowfang' to hunt him down."

"Oh, my dear third brother, he's still so impatient."

Isabella chuckled softly.

"To break down a city gate with his bare hands and still have a witch willingly serve him—it's impossible for an ordinary farmer to possess such power in such a short time. Is it the awakening of some ancient heritage? Or... a miraculous encounter that even we don't know about?"

She stood up, walked to the jewel-encrusted French windows, and gazed at the magnificent palace gardens outside.

"Investigate! Utilize all our undercover agents to find him! Find his trail into the Misty Forest!"

Isabella's voice carried an unquestionable command.

"Don't alert him, and definitely don't clash with those mad dogs that Third Brother hired. What I need is to make contact... to recruit him."

The leader of the secret guards raised his head slightly.

“Your Highness, he…after all, killed our men and abducted the witch.”

"It was a failed rescue to begin with, so those who died are gone. As for that witch..."

Isabella turned around, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

"If she can play a greater role by the side of a more powerful and interesting master, it may not be a bad thing for us. Tell those who have come into contact with him that the past is forgotten. I, Isabella Baikal, admire his talent and courage. As long as he is willing to pledge allegiance to me, I will grant him land, titles, wealth, beauty, a share of the mithril mine... I can give him anything! It's far more promising than him being a mountain bandit!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The leader of the secret guards bowed and accepted the order, his figure silently disappearing into the shadows.

Isabella picked up the file again, her gaze falling on the three words "Li Zhongren," and her smile deepened.

"Farmer...hero...or tyrant? Let me see just how much of a splash you can make in this chaotic world."

Deep in the misty forest, in a damp cave.

The flames danced gently in Karenina's palms, their orange-red light dispelling the chill and dampness of the cave's depths.

She focused intently on controlling the temperature of the flames, slowly sweeping them across the cave walls and the ground.

The water vapor sizzles under the high temperature and evaporates rapidly, drying and hardening the soil and rocks, turning the originally muddy and slippery ground into a dry and solid surface.

Behind her, dozens of soldiers with 100% loyalty were working hard, digging and widening the cave.

Their movements were swift and precise, their teamwork was seamless, and their efficiency was astonishing.

The dried soil was quickly transported out, and new spaces were constantly being created.

This place will become their temporary home, a secret base hidden beneath the mist and the roots of giant trees.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Karenina's forehead.

The time and precision required to control the flames for "drying" is far more demanding than simply destroying or burning.

But she didn't stop. This was the task that Brother Wild Grass had given her, and it was also the way for her to integrate into this new group.

Her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the cave entrance.

The man stood there, like a silent steel statue, his back to the cave, wary of the thick fog that filled the air outside.

His aura, as steady as a mountain yet brimming with explosive power, was clearly perceptible even in stillness. Scenes from the past few days replayed in her mind.

The domineering force as he tore through the prison cart shackles with his bare hands, the terrifying sight of countless people covered in blood amidst the ruins of the city gates, the cold-blooded judgment of Chekhov on the public trial stand, the unquestionable yet subtly pitying hint of pity when distributing gold and food to the civilians, and finally, the cold, hard touch on his chest and the steady, powerful heartbeat as he carried her, exhausted, away from that burning hell…

strangeness.

Utterly unfamiliar.

The Wild Grass Brother in my memory was kind, simple, and physically strong, but he was just a robust young man.

He would forgo a rare meal of meat for a litter of baby rabbits and would carefully feed them water with leaves.

His eyes were clear, filled with hope for life and a desire to protect the weak.

The man before them was ruthless and decisive in his methods, and his eyes were as deep and cold as a pool, as if he could see through all the fog and control all life and death.

He has amnesia and has forgotten everything from the past.

But can that really explain all the differences?
Karenina's heart was in turmoil.

She had her doubts.

Amnesia can make people forget their names and experiences, but what about things that are etched into their very bones?

Wild Grass Brother habitually uses his left hand to pick things up, and likes to unconsciously rub his index finger joint with his right thumb when thinking, and so on. Such subtle habits are completely absent in this man.

He was like a completely new soul, stuffed into this familiar body.

The flame flickered slightly in her palm.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her inner turmoil, and continued drying the last area.

She extinguished the flames only when the main hall of the cave became dry and warm, feeling a wave of intense fatigue wash over her.

She walked a short distance behind Li Zhongren, looking at his back as if he had blended into the mist, and hesitated for a long time.

The soldiers were still busy, but the cave was already taking shape as a "home".

"Wild Grass Bro".

Karenina mustered her courage, her voice barely audible in the empty cave.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhongren slowly turned around, his calm and unwavering eyes looking at her.

"Good job, Nina. However, I'll probably have to trouble you to dry the cave again every now and then. Of course, it won't be necessary to dry it so thoroughly in the future; retaining some moisture will reduce dust."

His tone was calm, with a hint of certainty, but the scholarly air about him made Karenina's heart clench. Looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, she finally asked the question that had been swirling in her mind countless times, almost tearing her apart.

"My brother Wild Grass...where...did he go?"

The sounds of digging inside the cave seemed to quiet down at that moment.

The air seemed to freeze.

Li Zhongren looked at her silently.

There was no surprise or anger in those deep eyes, only an unfathomable calm.

He seemed to have anticipated this moment.

Time seemed to have passed for a long time, yet it also seemed to have only been a moment.

"he died."

Li Zhongren's voice was deep and clear, without any attempt to evade the question.

"Chekov was conscripted, but he didn't want to go to war, so he ran off to the wilderness and was attacked by wild animals or something else... In any case, he didn't survive."

Karenina swayed, her face turning deathly pale. Although she had suspected something was wrong, hearing the cold verdict still felt like being struck by a heavy hammer.

"As for me."

Li Zhongren's voice continued, carrying a strange frankness.

"You could say I'm a lucky person, because for some reason I don't even know myself, I woke up in his dead body and even healed the injuries I had sustained."

"call"

After a long silence, Karenina took a deep breath, and tears silently streamed down her face.

Does he remember me?

“I don’t know. I didn’t inherit his memories. I can’t say I didn’t have any at all. I still have some basic impressions, like language, but the memories are vague. However, I’m not lying to you. That day, outside the prison van, when I first saw you, my body had a strange reaction.”

"what?"

"Hmm, my left hand, I suddenly feel like rubbing your head."

There was another moment of silence.

Then, she burst into tears.
Dividing line

Inside a cave, soft grass was laid out, and on top of that, blankets were laid out. These were supplies brought out from the boulder layer. Li Zhongren estimated that they would live here for a long time, so some daily necessities were essential.

"You're awake."

Li Zhongren sat to the side, watching Karenina slowly open her eyes.

"Have a drink."

"Thank you, thank you. What's your name?"

"Li Zhongren".

"Li Zhongren."

Karenina repeated it in broken Chinese.

"So, what's your decision? Stay, or leave?"

After saying that, Li Zhongren fell silent, simply watching her quietly and waiting for her choice.

After a good cry, Karenina felt much lighter, as if she had finally let go of something. Life's hardships will eventually pass. Her Wild Grass Brother was gone, but she still had to live, just like a mother who had lost her child. No matter how long she cried, she eventually had to pick up her fork and eat.

She looked at Li Zhongren, at his calm yet storm-filled eyes.

He was honest about his origins and did not lie.

He gave her a choice, without forcing her.

In a world filled with lies, betrayal, and enslavement, this almost cold honesty and respect seems all the more precious.

After a long while, Karenina raised her hand and wiped away the tears on her face.

A tiny black flame flickered at the fingertip, then quickly went out.

She took a deep breath, her voice slightly hoarse, yet exceptionally clear.

"I stayed."

She looked into Li Zhongren's eyes.

"Let's follow you and see how far you can lead us in this chaotic world."

"Welcome."

Li Zhongren's lips seemed to twitch slightly upwards; it could hardly be called a smile, but rather an expression of approval. Then his gaze returned to the thick fog that filled the cave, his voice low and firm.

"Well then, get ready, the hunt... it's about to begin."

(End of this chapter)