High Above

"There are changes in Nanling. Barton Henrier has not returned, but all our hidden targets have been cleared."

Feiyandi Nanling Special Operations Headquarters is located inside the gap on the north side of the Baisen Mountains. Its main part is located in a natural cave deep in the mountain. It was expanded and transformed by earth sublimators. It has a built-in information room, a small alchemy laboratory, and a signal base station. , weapons depot and other functional facilities, it can be said to be a small war advance base.

Here, Captain Naimo of the Nanling Brigade of the Feiyan Special Operations Brigade sent an emergency message to the Feiyan spies and lurkers located throughout Nanling: "There should be a powerful psyker coming to Nanling. He/she can Seeing directly through the disguise of the lurkers, Nauman City has been fully mobilized. We will not know their movements and purposes until our intelligence network is rebuilt."

"Alert to all parties, you may encounter a surprise attack at any time!"

Naimo Naric, the true form of the second-level 'Frost Guard', a 'will projection' psyker, oversees the intelligence work of the Flying Flame against Nanling, in addition to acting with the Steel Wing Dragons to fight against Nanling. Except for the third-level powerhouses of the Inspector Knights and Marquis Knights, basically all the people in Feiyan Land can be mobilized.

This is an honor and a responsibility. Once something happens, this meticulous and even obsessive-compulsive psychic will definitely notify everyone he should notify to ensure that they can respond in advance. Respond appropriately to possible dangers.

——But even the prophet can't save everyone, let alone the reminder of a mere psyker?

A truly smart person can detect the presence of danger without the need of others, while a stupid thug will always look back even if someone wants to save him from the sea of ​​suffering.

For example, let’s take some of the mountain people in the Leian Territory.

"The bastards over there in the Flying Fire Land want us to be careful about the surprise attack from the Empire bastards."

In Laian City, a wealthy businessman's mansion, the original owner has been driven away. Sitting in the main seat is a burly, bearded middle-aged man.

He was wrapped in black bearskin, and his exposed right hand seemed to be covered by a layer of bluestone, while a huge iron rod hung on his left waist, with a sharp protrusion at the top, and some blood stains and pieces of meat on it.

His voice was not rough, but sounded very kind, but his mocking expression was in great contrast with the voice: "They said that someone is coming to raid us - maybe from Nauman City, maybe from Nauman City," he said. Indigo Mountain. It’s very dangerous anyway, so be careful.”

"Do they want to scare us and make us run away in despair and give this rich and wonderful place to dogs who are more obedient to them? Huh?"

In the hall, many mountain hunters and warriors also laughed loudly, and the burly man slammed the iron rod in his hand towards the ground, sending flying debris in the sky: "Back then, I just watched that guy La Boer (Baron Ryan). Occupying the sacred land of our ancestors, but treating them like dogs to the imperial people, treating the herbs and elixirs left by our ancestors as commodities, growing and selling them like weeds, I feel angry."

"He died in the hands of the Empire. What a good death! He told us the consequences of trusting the Empire, and also told us the fate of traitors who were close to the Empire!"

"This is the end!" the mountain people shouted.

"But boss." But after that, some people asked: "Then what should we do? The bastards in Feiyandi are so serious, something will definitely happen."

"What are you worried about? It's not like no one is with us anyway." The burly man sneered: "La Boer's tribe has firmly guarded the castle. If we don't leave, they will definitely not leave. They will stay here if the time comes. .”

"We are guarding the entrance and exit of the Holy Land. We don't have much food, so we will use it up. They are not like us, who take advantage of others to send us supplies."

the other side.

"There is another news from Feiyandi."

A giant with a bronze face and a height of three meters stood on the top of Ryan Castle, his dark blue eyes overlooking the entire city of Ryan. Behind him came the respectful report from his subordinates, but he did not respond immediately. .

The dark gray hair proves that the Ascended One is old, but his eyes are shining with wisdom.

He stared at the originally quiet and peaceful little town in the forest. Leian City has now become desolate, not only due to famine and the chaos caused by the loss of the lord, but also the struggle between the independent mountain people and their pro-imperial side.

If the Huaiguang Church had not warned them not to involve civilians in their fight, the battle between the two sides in the city in the past few days alone might have caused hundreds of casualties.

But these are small things. Compared with how the tribe can recover its losses in this opportunity, or truly seize the initiative from the empire, this group of mountain people who have long been tamed by the empire and become imperial people are not at all regretful to die (Lian The residents of the territory are half and half between mountain people and imperial people, and because they have been living together for a long time, it is basically impossible to tell them apart).

"Tell me." He said in a calm voice: "Could it be the same thing as 'supporting us as the chairman of the Mountain Federation after independence'? Tell Feiyandi that I don't believe that the mountain people can really be independent, so don't make a big deal. They also deceived those idiots in the Yamaguchi Department, those rocks in the mountains have no idea what kind of power the empire has."

"But if the price is sufficient, I don't mind stumbling upon the Empire in secret, such as destroying the spiritual soil of the Holy Land so that they can't fully recover the origin of the alchemy materials. As long as they can afford the price. "

"No, Patriarch." The voice of the subordinate who reported the report was trembling. Obviously, destroying the 'spiritual soil of the Holy Land' was beyond his imagination: "They said... the empire might take action and ask us to Be cautious and tighten your defenses.”

"The people in Yamaguchi and Jiangu also received the reminder from Feiyandi, but they did not respond..."

"ridiculous."

The giant mountain man laughed, and his voice even had a bit of heroism: "If the Imperial people make a move, we have to retreat? How dare we do anything with such a little courage?"

"Rather, if we don't fight back the Imperial people's actions, how can we have the nerve to ask for high prices? And if we don't show a little bit of our own strength, how will we be recruited by the Empire?"

"Compared to this, it's better to prepare the supplies."

He concluded: "This morning, I want to speak to the entire city of Leian and tell them who are their real enemies and who are their own people who really take care of them!"

At this point, the giant mountain man stuck the sword on his waist into the solid rock of the castle. His eyes turned cold as he stared at Le'an City, and his tone was solemn: "If Le'an City doesn't support me, there will be no more Leian City!"

"I can't get it, and no one can get it!"

There is more than one force in the Leian Territory now.

——A mountain man who claims to follow the Holy Dragon Code and is supported by Feiyan Land, but looks down on Feiyan Land and the Empire and is determined to be independent.

——The relics of Baron Ryan and the clan behind Baron Ryan, the 'Xuanfeng Tribe' (the clan with the blood of the mountain people of Baron Ryan), combined to support a mountain knight canonized by the empire as the leader. In fact, As a puppet, he claims to be the orthodoxy of the Leian Territory.

——Several other canonized mountain knights gathered together. They were cut off from the empire. They were unable to call for help for a while and could only gather together to protect themselves.

The demands of all parties are not the same. Laianling was one of the holy places of the mountain people in the past. Xiahui grass and other various economic crops were the unique pharmaceutical raw materials of the mountain people at that time.

Later, when the empire came and conquered this place, it expanded the planting of Xiahui grass, turning "Xiahui grass, which was originally lonely and proud on the cliff, into a wild flower planted in nurseries and around the city", and the rare Xiahui grass became usable. On-board alchemical matrix (still expensive though).

To the fundamentalist mountaineers, this is intolerable blasphemy!

——Even if they really want to blaspheme, it should be done by them. Why do the imperial guys make so much money? !

The independent mountain people have only one demand, which is the same as what happened in other imperial colonies and mountain people autonomous regions. They want to take the Lian Territory as their own as part of the future Mountain Federation - yes, in the Flying Fire Land With support, they have begun to think about how to build a country.

This side also has the strongest force. There are two second-level leaders. Kari Yamaguchi is responsible for leading the team to occupy Ryan City, while the special commissioners of Sisang Jiangu and Feiyandi are collecting surrounding map information. Plant biological samples, their purpose is self-evident.

As for the orthodox lineage in Ryan City, their purpose is to take advantage of the mountain people's rebellion to regain control of the holy land that Baron Ryan lost.

They are a group of mountain people who prefer cooperation with the empire. Naturally, they do not intend to rebel with the independent mountain people. However, the empire recently took advantage of Baron Ryan's evil excuse to deprive him of his fiefdom and title of nobility, depriving him of his title. The legitimacy of clan rule behind Baron Ann.

Therefore, they planned to take advantage of this opportunity to hold on to the city of Leian, raise the price, and ask the empire for the power to cooperate in running the Leian Territory. They might even rehabilitate Baron Leian and completely regain their legitimacy.

Moreover, if that doesn't work, they also plan to join forces with other mountain knights whose fiefdoms are here to secretly incite the local residents to rule the Ryan Territory in name only.

In short, no matter what, you must hold this superior alchemical plant cultivation land in your hands.

They also have a second level - Martin Xuanfeng. In terms of kinship, he can even be regarded as Baron Ryan's uncle.

Although he is only alone, he has advantages in inheritance, weapons and equipment, and even has many psychic accessories collected by mountain people. For the mountain people who do not have the third energy level for the time being, this is already regarded as the best in this area. Top combat power.

And this group of people is vaguely related to the Dragon Worship Cult.

The third party... The third party is just other mountain knights holding together for warmth, and other forces have no time and energy to deal with them.

"Is that so?"

Ryan collar, golden leaf forest.

After marching at high speed, everyone rode dragon horses and rode all night. They arrived at the destination. Ian pointed his sword at the captives he had captured and asked with some surprise: "It's just that those guys from the Independent Mountain People are crazy. Minebe actually dares to stir up this muddy water, and wants to overturn the case of Baron Ryan, secretly occupy Ryan City and then be recruited, and then become the lord as a matter of course?"

"Where does he get the courage?!"

"You, I don't know if you ask me, sir..."

The captive mountain man who was tied to the tree said to Ian with a smile on his face, and also to the thirty people behind him who were all covered in armor and lined up silently: "They and I are not in the same group. I wanted to see if there was any money to be made around here, so I made some preparations..."

"Interesting." Ian put away his sword and pondered for a while: "Scott, come and ask this friend for the specific details."

"Yes!" Iron Man stepped forward. He stood in front of the perverted prisoner, his eyes lit up with dark amber light: "I advise you to give a few more details, otherwise, use the information you provided to compare with the peeps. For our crime of marching, there is a high probability that we can only choose between beheading and drowning alive."

The mountain man asked cautiously: "Can I choose to die of old age?"

Scott slapped him with the scabbard: "Now there is a new option for you to dismember the body and throw it away. Tell me."

Not paying attention to Scott's interrogation, Ian frowned slightly.

He grabbed a tongue and obtained the information in Ryan's collar, but the result was not as simple as imagined.

Obviously, in addition to the Feiyan Land and the independent mountain people, the pro-imperialist faction or the mountain people waiting for the Zhaoan faction also have ulterior motives.

Although they seem to just want to take back the Ryan Territory and cooperate with the empire again, this is essentially to deny the legal right to rule of the knight lords such as Ian.

To put it simply - if this group of mountain people who took advantage of the mountain people's rebellion to actually occupy the Ryan Territory succeeded in driving away the independent mountain people, then the empire would not be able to let them go and would have to elect a Ryan again. The baron hung there.

As for the other knight lords... just wait. You didn’t defend your territory anyway, so you deserve it.

Upon hearing the news, Ian's first reaction was, 'What the hell, mountain people, they deserve to be killed!' ’!

They are pro-Empire and not Pro-Empire, the independent mountain people are just a bunch of rabble, and this group of people waiting for recruitment led by Martin Xuanfeng are their real enemies!

"Sir."

There was a military operation at the moment, so Scott called Ian "sir". After interrogating some new information, he came over and whispered to the young man: "This mountain man is indeed a dirty person who wants to steal a fortune, but he He said he knew the patrol routes of the mountain people and could avoid the spies from Ryan City."

"Should we trust him?"

"Avoid the patrol route? We are not sneaking in, but attacking by force."

After coming back from his thoughts, Ian shook his head slightly, looked in the direction of Ryan City, and said solemnly: "What we have to do is not to avoid it, but to eat the patrol first and then smash it directly." The leader of the enemy."

"And, I have to do more than just deal with the mountain people..."

At this moment, Scott noticed that the eyes of the young white people in front of him were as cold as the eternally frozen glaciers in the far north, and his voice had an air of indifference.

That is a complete disregard for human life as garbage and numbers.

He said: "Our goal is to get rid of all the leadership groups in Ryan's territory. Whether they are independent mountain people, Xuanfeng tribe, or those mountain knights who are illiterate. Except for us, no one will be left. "

Scott was stunned for a moment, but he didn't feel any discomfort at all. He even said happily: "Your will!"

——This is the normal state of Terra.

He turned his head and issued an order: "Everyone is ready! Keep moving forward!"

In the early morning light, the huge armor activated again.

The White People's team followed closely behind.

"Didn't kill me..."

The mountain thief watched blankly as the team disappeared into the distance, but he was still tied to the tree - and he did not dare to ask the other party to put him down.

"What should I do now..."

…

Manager Moda woke up from his chaotic sleep.

He woke up from an extremely exhausted dream in a daze and sat blankly beside the bed, unable to tell whether it was reality or a dream for a while.

Half a year has passed since the Leian collar incident, but the old steward still hasn't gotten over the reality that was worse than a nightmare.

——The children he has taken care of for many years are actually resentful spirits... The young masters and ladies he is close to are all murderous monsters...

——The master he was loyal to...the bright-eyed young man whom he had watched and supported all the way, actually went astray under his own advice...step by step on the final road to madness.

"master……"

The white-haired old man raised his hand and pressed it on his eyes. He groaned in pain and weakness, not knowing how to get out of this nightmare-like painful memory.

[All residents of Lian City, all people living in the mountains, please listen to us...]

A very penetrating announcement came from the window. It was obviously the sound that was amplified by some kind of sublimation object. This sound even reminded Manager Moda of the time when Baron Ryan built the resonance bag and showed it off in the castle. Singing at the top, he tactfully informed the other party that he was off-key from the first line.

The moment this beautiful memory emerged, an inexplicable doubt came to my mind again.

--is this real?

——Isn’t this really the memory that Master Ila modified for me?

Unable to distinguish the reality of the past from the present, Steward Moda only felt the noise outside the window, but there was no way to prevent the other party from continuing to declare: [We are the relatives of the last Baron Ryan, Lapore Ryan, he The origin of the people’s bloodline]

[Now, I want to tell you that Baron Ryan is not as evil as the empire advertises. Don’t be deceived by the empire’s unilateral lies. In fact, this is a conspiracy! 】

[It was the Imperial Academy of Gnosis that used psychic powers to control Baron Ryan and his children, intending to use their psychic powers and power to plan a huge conspiracy. Of course, they failed, so Baron Ryan became a target for them. As long as he was knocked down, the Empire could avoid all responsibility]

[Those children who died in vain over the years, those missing territorial citizens, those people who died early and quietly, their deaths were buried with the death of Baron Ryan - but who is the real mastermind behind the scenes? Do the Imperials tell us the answer? 】

【No! They protect their own people, and they have never been of the same mind as us! 】

[At least we, who are fellow mountain residents, can guarantee your vital interests and give you real personal safety! 】

Martin Xuanfeng's rich voice came from Ryan Castle and resounded throughout the city, and what he said this time was more interesting than the previous times.

This mountain giant, who has joined forces with the old men and guards that the master left behind, claims to support the master, but does not care about the city ruled by Baron Ryan at all, actually started to speak for the master, and used it to attack the empire?

Steward Moda's numb eyes gradually gained some color. He raised his head and looked out the window with a frown. He couldn't help but mutter in his heart: "What nonsense? Isn't it true that the master is crazy? Why are the opinions of each party different?" ?”

"Am I crazy, or is the world crazy?"

It is neither Moda Steward nor the world that is crazy. Each side's version is beneficial to itself, and each side will choose the reality and part of the truth they want to mix.

There are not so many clear truths in this world.

"Destroy the traitors!"

At this moment, the old man had already heard a simple and rude war cry from the other end of the city. It was the voice of the soldiers from the Yamakou and Jiangu tribes. It was obvious that they could not allow the Xuanfeng tribe to continue to confuse people like this and talk like this. , that old guy Martin is really going to proclaim himself the only and orthodox ruler of the Ryan Territory!

The fight between the two sides will begin again, and the numb residents of Ryan City no longer want to think about who is right and who is wrong... They just want to end this nightmare that has lasted for who knows how long and welcome a patriarch and a boss. Rule them and bring them peace and tranquility.

They could only choose from these two, and were forced to choose a ruler among these mountain people who did not know good and evil to be their lord.

If there are no accidents.

But accidents happen.

For example... one more choice.

Choose another, younger lord.

Terra 773, October 24, at 9:25 am, the Cyclops Armored troops arrived outside the city of Leian.

The mountain patrol outside the city didn't even have time to warn at the first moment, because their bodies and minds were overwhelmed by the roaring armor, and the thirty people who were walking with it, fully armed and holding giant alchemical firearms. The soldiers were shocked.

——Whose army is this? Why is there armor? What exactly are the weapons in their hands...

The spread of the fear potion made them unable to think rationally. The only patrol captain who was still barely awake struggled to press the early warning button in his arms.

But at this moment, the beam came on.

Three scorching beams of light focused on him, instantly turning a living person into ashes.

【very good】

In the armor, Ian took a deep breath. He stared at the city of Ryan in front of him. The cyan halo in his eyes flowed, reflecting all the cyan-purple mist: [Scott, you help me shoot the key. Target, create chaos]

[At the same time, your own safety comes first, do you understand? 】

"Yes, sir!" Scott's message sounded inside the armor, following the bone nerve signals directly into his brain. This familiar feeling made the young man reveal a cold smile.

【Now】

He whispered: [The siege begins]

[Kill them all, leaving no one behind]

"Kill them all!"

The soldiers echoed in unison, their voices full of passion and courage: "Leave no one behind!"

Then the earth began to roar.