Longmen Memoirs

A small team of mercenaries were walking in the snowy wasteland carrying supplies for transportation.

The snow had stopped, and the dry cold wind blew up the oilcloth hanging on the supply vehicle, revealing a corner of it underneath. Sakaz's pitch-black horns looked unusually conspicuous in the white snow.

Tracks and sleds leave elongated marks on the heavy snow, which are quickly buried by the wind and snow.

"Honestly, I don't quite understand why you would accept such a questionable commission." The black-haired woman sitting in the passenger seat looked back at the heavy snow outside the car window and asked.

"Because their people stopped my messenger and offered a price I couldn't refuse."

"That's all?"

"We need supplies, Ines. The supplies in the camp cannot last this winter. Even if we are willing to pay a high enough price and spend all our savings, the municipal government and businessmen will take this opportunity to crazily lower our prices. Until we are willing to give them everything we have, even our lives."

The tall man wore a common black cold-proof scarf around his neck, and his voice was calm but with a hint of helplessness. "Because we have never sworn allegiance to any lord or city, this is the price of Sarkarz's freedom."

"So you accepted this commission without even telling who your employer was. I can understand your worries, Hedley, but your worries may also cost us our lives. You should take me with you."

"We are not the only mercenary group to accept this commission, Ines." The Sakaz mercenary named Hedley replied: "It is indeed very unusual to send a batch of supplies across the eastern battlefield in this weather. It’s suspicious, but it has nothing to do with us, all we have to do is complete our mission, whether it’s killing people or looting and ambush, as long as the employer is willing to pay enough remuneration after taking the risk.”

"Isn't this how we always come here?" Ines smiled softly: "You are the leader, you have the final say on how long we have to get to the delivery location."

"Almost." Hedley looked ahead at the forest land at the end of his sight. He unfolded the map and said, "There are still fifteen kilometers."

"Not a mobile city?"

"It's not a mobile city, nor any town. The location designated by the other party is a forest."

"Your answer gave me a bad premonition. Are we..." Ines paused and her expression became serious: "...I didn't expect that we would actually participate in this war in this way. , you already knew?”

"We have been in this war, Ines." Hedley did not directly answer Ines's question: "I have made speculations, but it doesn't matter if it is not for us. The chaos in Kazdaele has already It has lasted hundreds of years and will continue until the day we die.”

Sakaz mercenaries have always been like this, born in the night and died in war.

"It seems that you did not choose to do this because of that adult's remarks." Ines breathed a sigh of relief.

"If she could do it, of course I would be willing to be one of them, but my experience tells me that those words just sound good and are no different from the fairy tale books sold in the street windows."

Ines looked at Hedley who said these words suspiciously. After a while, she said: "I don't remember you paying attention to such things, huh? Fairy tale books?"

"So I don't pay attention to them." Hedley's serious face showed no change: "I don't care how long this war will last, I only care about whether we can survive."

"Speaking of this, something is wrong with W recently. His shadow has been erratic. I have to remind you first that you'd better make plans in advance for his stay."

"He's a weirdo."

"Also a madman."

Hedley did not speak, and Ines did not wait for his answer. It was as if both of them already knew the outcome. No one had time to grieve and mourn. This was the normal life of Sakaz mercenaries.

They are a group of people who are closest to death and life. They have learned to use the calmest attitude to face things they have faced more than once.

Whether it is separation or sacrifice.

8 o'clock at night

The forest behind the buffer zone of the eastern and western Kazdare battlefields

The mercenary convoy stayed in the woods, and the snow quickly covered up their traces, saving them a lot of time. The convoy did not set up a campfire, and the radio remained silent. In fact, they have since received After entering the battlefield area after this mission, a high level of vigilance has been maintained.

A few minutes later, a noisy sound of electricity suddenly came from the radio, attracting the attention of the two people in the car.

"The sentry did not warn." Ines said solemnly: "Maybe they were killed, or maybe they didn't notice each other at all. I think it's the latter."

Otherwise, what is waiting for them now is not the sound deliberately emitted from the current, but whether it is the former or the latter, it is not good news for them.

"Don't be careless." Hedley reminded.

Ines reached out and grasped the weapon at her waist. Hedley pushed open the car door, and his iron boots sank into the snow. Snow fell from the trees deep in the dark forest.

Hedley looked into the depths of darkness. The mercenaries of the mercenary group behind him each entered their most familiar fighting positions in order to respond to possible attacks at any time.

A figure gradually emerged from the darkness. They were wearing cloaks that matched the darkness of the night. The hood of the cloak was lifted, revealing a pair of black Sakaz horns underneath.

"Your people?"

The two mercenaries on guard were standing among them.

"It seems they failed in their mission," Hedley replied.

"They just chose the wrong opponent. We got here earlier than you and have been waiting for you to arrive. You arrived half a day earlier than we expected."

"You never showed up."

The other party did not deny it.

"Just to be safe, we don't know if you can be trusted."

Hedley raised his hand to indicate that the people behind him were not enemies. Without being stopped by the opponent, the two mercenaries walked into the mercenary team with their own weapons with complicated expressions on their faces.

The other party walked over from the snow, and even the dim light could not hide the ferocious scar on the other party's left eye. There was nothing on his body that could identify him, except that he became a bit fierce because of that scar. s face.

After he smiled, it looked like a grin.

"You can call me Carl, I am the person responsible for receiving your goods."

"Hedley." Hedley replied: "Your things are in the back."

"I need to check." The other party was not polite at all.

Hedley stepped aside, and the other party raised his hand. Two Sakaz walked from behind him towards the convoy at the rear. They pulled away the raincloth, revealing the stacked supply boxes underneath. They lifted the box and knocked it open with a dagger. cans and emergency food. As the members of the mercenary team watched him, they picked up one of the cans and pried it open. What was hidden inside was not food but various packaged Source Stone products.

The pupils of the mercenary team members shrank, but they had a tacit understanding and did not choose to ask, even though they had been sitting on these things that could send them to the sky at any time in the past few days, pretending to cross the battle line area all the way.

The two Sakaz put down the cans again, turned their heads and nodded to Karl.

"There is no problem with the goods." Karl said to Hedley: "Your mission is over, and the reward will be handed over to you after you return."

"Our commission contract doesn't mention these things." Hedley asked.

"About this, the person you have to ask is your employer, not us. We are only responsible for receiving what we receive." Karl replied: "Put these things down and leave here. You can do whatever you want and die wherever you want. It has nothing to do with us.”

"Are you willing to let us go so easily?" Ines asked. There might still be a chance before it became clear what was being transported, but now Ines was very doubtful.

She doubted that people like her could leave this area smoothly, even if the people in front of her didn't take action now.

"I personally agree with you, mercenary." Karl looked at Ines: "But you are not worthy of our action. If you have survived until now, you should understand what you can do and what you cannot. Some things are not going as smoothly as you think."

Carl stepped past Hedley and Ines into the car.

"Whether you live or you want to seize this opportunity, at least you won't die here today. As for how you choose in the future, it's your own business."

The convoy set off again, and the members of the mercenary team were abandoned in the woods.

"We just watched them leave." Ines asked.

"How much do you think it will cost us to keep them?" Hedley asked.

"I can't tell their depth. They hide very well in the darkness without any flaws." Ines hesitated for a moment: "We all know that they are not the same as us."

Hedley turned around.

"Go back. At least our commission has not caused any loss to us."

"Do you really think so? We can go back smoothly."

"If they come from the south, it's possible."

Ines looked at Hedley's back, paused, and followed his pace.

It is impossible for them to report for this commission. Even if it may bring them unimaginable rewards, the greater possibility will be death. There is no trust in Kazdaele. Whenever the mercenaries After completing a contract, someone will prepare an extra sum of money to get rid of them, such as the employer himself.

They had no reason to get themselves into trouble that seemed beyond their control.

Chapter 95 Undercurrent

Grai, a small mobile city in the east of Kazdaele.

The tall chimneys of the refinery mining area stood amid the swirling snowflakes in sight. The billowing smoke dyed the lead-gray sky even darker and thicker. The fire and high temperature rising from the smelting furnace melted every piece of snow that fell nearby. .

The intersection was sparsely populated, and occasionally workers in gray, dirty and thin clothes were seen running hurriedly through the streets. Their muscular forearms were exposed under the lifted cuffs, but their faces were obviously tired and numb.

Su Enyanbal looked away and wrapped his old brown-gray woolen coat tighter. Snowflakes fell from in front of him, and the hot breath blew away a piece of fallen snow.

This winter day is colder than usual.

The name of the shop was Farien's Workshop, and a shabby and faded sign hung at the door. Su Enyang pushed open the wooden door, and the light in the room was dim and dim. A smell of mold and engine oil mixed with it penetrated his nose in the cold winter air.

The wooden door was closed again, and outside the debris piled up in the window, the slightly dark yellow glass could see the crossroads not far away.

There was a figure standing behind the counter, a Sakaz man who was not young in gray work clothes. The lamp on the counter was turned on and there was a pile of parts on it. The sound of pushing the door attracted his attention and he just looked up. After taking a glance, he continued to lower his head and focus on the work in hand.

"Farion Workshop, are you the boss here?" Su Enyang asked. The temperature inside the room was not much warmer than outside, but maybe it was a psychological effect, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

The Sakaz man raised his eyelids lazily.

"If you don't find anyone else, it'll be me."

"Oh?"

"What are you doing here?"

The man's face did not show any enthusiasm because of Su Enyang's status as a customer, and he even showed a hint of impatience. He put down the tools and parts in his hands, raised his head and stared at Su Enyang.

"Don't waste my time."

"If the price is fair, I would like to repair a watch." Su Enyang replied while taking out an old pocket watch that had lost its thin chain from his coat pocket and placing it on the table.

The man reached out and took it, put it in front of the lamp, looked at it carefully, and then put it down again.

"Can it be repaired?" Su Enyang asked.

"It will take some time. I don't have any spare parts for this kind of watch." The man replied.

"How long will it take?"

"Three days, maybe a week, until I find usable parts." The man pressed his rough fingers on the table and tapped it lightly: "If you can't wait that long, you can leave."

"It doesn't matter, I can wait. This is a relic left to me by my father before he died. No matter what, I want to make it move again." Su Enyang stared at the man's face. He didn't even look at the table when he said this. A glance at the so-called relic.

The man picked up the watch again, opened the drawer box, put it in, and then took out an identical watch from the inside. The only difference was that this watch could still move.

Su Enyang breathed a sigh of relief.

"where are they?"

"Above, you are the last one to arrive." The man asked, his tone no longer impatient but a little excited.

"I encountered some changes along the way."

Su Enyang nodded, picked up the watch and walked into the shadows.

The door upstairs was pushed open.

The fire brought some warmth, and the Sakaz turned their heads at the same time to look at Su Enyang who appeared at the door. Su Enyang was not nervous and walked in naturally.

"What do you call it?" asked a Sakaz man with half a horn missing from his head.

Su Enyang smiled.

"Su Enyang, or Su En, both are fine."

"I am Hogg, the commander of this mission. This is Bol, Severk, Webbert, and Billion."

The man introduced them one by one, and the latter nodded to Su Enyang one after another, and the man's eyes focused on Su Enyang again.

"You were the last one to arrive, Su Enyang, and I need to know why."

"I went to the industrial area, brother." Su Enyang said, looking around the people in the room: "We may have to make some changes in our plans."

Su Enyang sat down, his boots stained with water that had not yet dried.

"The dissatisfaction and resentment of the factory workers are building up. The city owner still makes them work in this cold winter without giving them any due compensation and treatment. When the tired workers return home after a day's work, they are greeted by cold and cold weather. Hungry, but the city lord and his servants are enjoying the profits and wealth brought by the factory, hiding in the warm mansion and lashing out at them with long whips." Su Enyang's words were a little exciting: "I think the time has come, my brother, we Taking advantage of these dissatisfied workers would be much simpler than our original plan of acting alone to safely blow up the supply warehouse and then incite their emotions."

"Be clear, Su Enyang." Hogg asked.

"In fact, I just came out of the factory not long ago." Su Enyang said: "This winter is colder than usual. After I entered the working area, it took me a long time to convince the workers that I was not a spy sent by the lord. Their vigilance It’s very heavy, because they are trying to plan to blow up the blast furnace and factory area, and made some improvised explosives and weapons using Originium.”

"You mean they're going to use these explosives to destroy the city." Hogg asked, but there was obvious hesitation on his face.

"No, they can't do it. There will be an explosion in the factory. The moment they rush onto the streets, the mercenary group and guards under the lord can kill them all."

In this era, ordinary people holding simple weapons are no match for well-equipped and well-trained mercenaries and warriors. The gap is not enough to be replaced by a weapon that can kill even children, because they , or there is no such thing in this land.