The cold wind is sweeping across the earth. The sight of Lise in the distance is frightening to look at. Thousands of corpses are scattered in the wilderness, scarlet blood mixed with soil. After a great battle, scene, but a figure from behind is still standing, not falling, as if he is the only one left in the world, holding a silver-white spear in one hand, and twelve different sword hilts floating inward to form a circle behind him. In a circle, the golden armor is covered with blood stains and scratches from swords, the helmet has disappeared, the scattered hair is fluttering in the wind, and the sky in the distance is filled with blood red. . . .
Really brother, wake up quickly. . . . . "A soft voice woke up Li Huanzhen from the dream he had just had. Li Huanzhen looked for the source of the sound in a daze, and saw a girl standing at the head of his bed, her bright eyes staring at him. Although Wearing ordinary peasant linen clothes, but her delicate and bright face made his eyes light up. "It's Yunping," Li Huanzhen realized that the girl standing in front of him was Rui Yunping, the girl next door.
Li Huanzhen lived in the Xuanrong Empire, one of the five great empires in the world. His hometown was a small village on the border of the empire's southern state, close to the lofty mountains of the Southern Wilderness Secret Territory, but he had never met his biological parents. He was placed on the doorstep of his adoptive parents' home when he was a baby. This small mountain villager had a simple and honest manner, and his adoptive parents treated him as their own, allowing the young Li Huanzhen to grow up to the age of eighteen in this warm environment.
Just this year, the death of both his adoptive parents brought a huge blow to Li Huanzhen, but Li Huanzhen still had new hopes, which were brought to him by the girl next to him. Because they were neighbors, Rui Yunping and Li Huanzhen Huazhen grew up together. Whenever Li Huanzhen encounters something sad, she can always infect Li Huanzhen with her cheerful personality and bring him new motivation. This time is no exception, although it is They are teenagers, but they are also at the age when love is just beginning, so an inexplicable feeling has arisen between the two of them. Whenever Li Huanzhen and Yunping are together, they always feel an inexplicable sense of intimacy from Yunping. A feeling like a family member but better than a family member.
"Li Huanzhen, come out and take a look. There are many people in our village," Rui Yunping said, shaking Li Huanzhen's hand.
"Don't we often have merchants passing by in our village? What's so interesting here?" Li Huanzhen said to Rui Yunping sleepily,
"No, those people are from the imperial capital. They are dressed very strangely. The village chief asked all of us to go to the entrance of the village." Rui Yunping continued to shake Li Huanzhen and said, "I know, Miss, if you shake it again, I will My arm is about to be broken." "Okay, I'll go first, hurry up." Rui Yunping smiled and said, "Yeah." After Rui Yunping left, Li Huanzhen crawled back lazily.
When he reached the entrance of the village, many villagers had gathered here. Li Huanzhen found Rui Yunping's location through the crowd, and walked to her through the crowd, "Why did you come so late? How long did it take to call you?" Damn it," Yunping complained to Li Huanzhen.
"Uh... By the way, what's going on?" Li Huanzhen changed the subject a little awkwardly,
"Hey, you guy, look over there. I don't know the details. The village chief said he'll wait until everyone arrives." Yun Ping said with a bitter smile. Li Huanzhen looked in the direction Yun Ping pointed. Opposite the crowd were several people. There was a team of cavalry in silver armor. The right arm armor of these cavalry was engraved with red dragon patterns. A man in imperial aristocratic costume seemed to be talking to the village chief. The village chief looked sad and embarrassed. Looking into the crowd from time to time, and finally walking towards the crowd, the village chief paused and said to everyone:
"Dear fellow villagers, young and old, this lord is Mr. Liang, the imperial censor from the imperial capital. He was ordered by the emperor to go to the Southern Wilderness to find a sacred object. We need to recruit some laborers who know the way in our village to help carry the object. Sir, please! "
The village chief respectfully invited the leader of the noble family in front of him, "I have been ordered by the emperor to go to the southern wasteland to welcome the holy objects. I am now recruiting thirty laborers who know the way. Each laborer will be rewarded with ten taels of gold." Mr. Du Yushi said to the crowd with a shy expression in his official voice,
His words caused an uproar in the crowd. People talked a lot, "Ten taels of gold, I will never earn so much in my life." "How big an official is Mr. Liang, the censor?" "I heard he is bigger than our Nanzhou governor. Did you see those cavalrymen?" , the symbols on their arms are the symbols of the Royal Forbidden Army - the Red Dragon Guard." . . . . ,
"I'll sign up." "Sign up for me too." Soon some people could not resist the temptation of ten taels of gold and signed up with the village chief. After all, ten taels of gold was enough for a family of three to live in this remote and remote village.
Seeing that there were not many places left, Li Huanzhen couldn't help it anymore and wanted to sign up. Yunping pulled Li Huanzhen and said, "Don't go, brother Huanzhen, my father told me that there are many people in the deep mountains of the Southern Wilderness." It's a man-eating beast. My second uncle went into the mountains to hunt and never came back. It's so dangerous, so don't go."
Li Huanzhen looked into Yunping's concerned eyes and said: "Yunping, you know I have lived in the village since I was a child and have never been outside. I don't know where I come from or who my biological parents are. Who, when I was young, the children in the village said that I was a wild child that no one wanted. My father told me that I was sent from a far away place. I just wanted to see the outside world and find my biological parents. Ask them why they abandoned me in the first place.''
Li Huanzhen looked at Yunping, his eyes full of determination. Yunping looked at Li Huanzhen's firm eyes, changed from her usual liveliness, and shyly asked Li Huanping: "Then... Brother Zhen, you are leaving. Will you come back later?" After hearing this, Li Huanzhen gently touched Yunping's head and said word by word: "I won't forget it." After saying that, he let go of Yunping and grabbed his arm. Without looking at Yun Ping's face that was red to the ears, she walked towards the recruitment office at the entrance of the village without looking back.
Arriving at the recruitment office at the entrance of the village, Li Huanzhen managed to pass through the crowd of spectators. "Master Guan, I want to sign up." Li Huanzhen said to the soldiers registering for recruitment,
"Name."
"Li Huanzhen."
"age."
"Twenty." Li Huanzhen deliberately reported that he was two years older.
"Wait." Just when the soldier was about to record Li Huanzhen's name, a man who looked like an officer next to him interrupted the soldier, "Do you really have twenty? I think you are at most eighteen. You How much can this body carry? We don’t need useless people, get lost.” The officer asked Li Huanzhen doubtfully.
"Master officer, just accept me, I can endure hardship." Li Huanzhen begged the officer.
At this moment, the village chief carefully accompanied the Liangdu Imperial Envoy to this side. The Liangdu Imperial Envoy asked the officer: "Captain Chang, why haven't you recruited good people yet? The emperor's order is like a mountain. You Are you still stalling for time?" The Du Yushi master's words were filled with official authority.
"I don't dare, my lord, this boy is not twenty yet, his body is of little use, and yet he comes to apply for the army. I am about to drive him away."
At this time, the village chief on the side pulled Li Huanzhen and said, "You are a boy from Old Man Li's family, why are you here to apply for labor force?"
"Old village chief, my parents are gone. Thanks to the help of the neighbors, we were able to bury them. I have no relatives now. I want to earn some money to go out and look for my biological parents."
"Here... sir, look..." The old village chief looked at Mr. Du Yushi.
The imperial envoy Liang Du stared at Li Huanzhen for a few times, turned his eyes, and said to Captain Chang: "In this case, this child is so filial, let's accept him." "Yes." The soldier immediately took Li Huanzhen. Write down the name,
Afterwards, Lieutenant Chang followed Imperial Envoy Liang Du to the side. When no one was around, he asked Imperial Envoy Liang Du, "Sir, why did you accept that child? We are going..."
"Ahem, don't forget how confidential this trip is. Can you bear it being leaked?" Liang Duyu interrupted Captain Chang and glared at him.
"Yes, yes, I am aware of my guilt, but..."
"Hmph, since you know where we are going, you should understand how dangerous this trip is. To put it bluntly, these laborers are basically there to explore the way for us, and they have to pay for the ten taels of gold. That’s all.” Liang Du’s envoy said grimly,
"Then sir, aren't we..."
"Huh, if you don't think you are stupid, three real people from Xuanji Holy Land came with us this time. They and we each got what we needed. We overturned the emperor's order and they got what they wanted. By the way They will take care of us. This is the agreement reached between the imperial court and them. When the task is completed, your benefits will be indispensable."
"Haha, sir, you are thoughtful." Captain Chang said respectfully.
"Okay, don't talk about those useless things. Hurry up and recruit everyone and set off."
"Yes, sir."
In this way, after a day of recruitment, Imperial Envoy Liang Du and Colonel Chang left the village with thirty laborers including Li Huanzhen. When leaving, Li Huanzhen turned back and took one last look at the village, vaguely Seeing the girl's figure at the entrance of the village, she murmured in her heart: "Yunping, wait for me to come back." . . . .
