[Unlucky snakehead]
[Attitude: Terrified]
His clothes were made of coarse linen, with cotton inside his coat, and a bee venom tattoo could be seen from the torn collar.
Ken and Kuima exchanged glances - this man's means of making a living were not glorious.
"Spare me, we are a convoy going to Maple Plateau." He had a heavy accent, and was undoubtedly a northerner. "These people are my passengers, and they are in trouble. Please give them a way to survive."
Ken did not answer.
He leaned in and scanned the carriage, which was relatively simple, and the people inside were skinny.
"Why are you taking them to Maple Plateau?"
"These are refugees under the high wall, exiles, and have nowhere to go. It just so happens that several large tribes are short of labor, so I will help introduce them."
The snakehead told some rumors about miracles.
[Frengandor], the war banner who believed in Shujis.
He conquered a new site and found some interesting clues.
This old-fashioned man actually opened the place to the public for the first time.
The surrounding tribes have already sent out envoys, and several kingdoms under the high walls are also preparing to send troops. Bounty hunters are flocking in, and scholars and sorcerers are also quite interested...
It is said that this relic is very large.
They paid for the labor force and attracted a large number of homeless refugees.
Ken frowned and pinched his ears deliberately. Kuima understood and took the snakehead away in the name of counting supplies.
The refugees seemed relieved.
"Anything to add?"
"He is a scum." The speaker had a scar on his face, which was whipped and scabbed. He complained in a low voice: "When he collected the money, he didn't mention the tribe, but only said that it was in the camp. He was beaten and scolded on the way, and he even used a living person to block the arrows to save his life!"
In the corner, a woman fainted.
Ken stepped into the carriage, and the crowd made way for the passage. Her husband was still blocking her, his skinny body trembling.
[Refugees in extreme cold]
[Attitude: Despair]
"I can keep her alive, at least for now."
After explaining, Ken raised his hand to push it away, and narrowed his eyes after a brief inspection. "How long has she not eaten?"
The refugees nearby echoed one after another.
"The snakehead only cares about money. All the food is for the group of uncles next door. No one cares even if we starve to death."
Ken raised his hand and waved a signal, and someone brought a kettle of warm soup over.
After two gulps, the person woke up slowly, but her eyes were still dull and she kept mumbling a name.
The man looked painful and said that it was his child.
"Where is it?"
"Taken away by... the snakehead, he said he would give us clues after the work was done."
Ken didn't say anything, turned around and pointed his sword upwards.
Kuima retracted his gaze, kicked the snake head down, pulled out the vine rope and hung it upside down. After a few punches and a few threats, the beast confessed everything.
He returned to the cargo box with a solemn face and whispered to Zhan Jing.
Ken nodded, his eyes first showing regret, then fierceness, and calmly ordered: "Don't deal with it too quickly."
After Kuima went out, he stood up and looked at the group of people.
"I ask, you answer, just nod or shake your head." He cleared his throat. "Do you have other places to go?"
The crowd was silent and shook their heads.
"Does anyone know about Pallotusby?"
Most of them looked confused, and most of them didn't know.
"Does anyone want to work in Red Maple Highlands?"
The refugees were in a dilemma. They felt that the future was uncertain and there was no hope for life.
"The last one," Ken paused. "There is a village under my rule, with work distributed according to work, warm houses, and food to fill the stomach... nod your head if you have no objection."
The hungriest ones nodded first.
After sporadic exchanges, a few more people came, and finally, under the pressure of herd mentality and reality, everyone agreed.
[Refugee X9 joins your team. ]
"Food, water." Ken ordered, and pointed to the front of the road. "Fix the car first, I will treat the horses."
He patted his shoulder and looked sideways at the distance-the snake head was half dead.
Without thinking much, he turned and went into the next room.
[The shaky carriage]
The beams made of Dun wood, the roof made of animal skin, with windows and doors, and compartments for lying horizontally.
"He's coming."
Someone muttered.
When Ken walked in, several scholars raised their knives, with fair skin and little muscle.
[Scholars from the Norin Library]
[Attitude: Trembling]
"You, what do you want to do?" The leader used honorifics. He and his partner seemed to be teachers, protecting several male and female students behind them.
"Before you said that, I didn't think of anything."
Ken waved his hand and slapped the knife into the wooden board.
"Wait, sir, listen to me..." A girl ran out from the back seat. There were two tulips on her tunic. It seemed that she had completed her studies.
Ken walked over and stared at the exquisite knife in the other person's hand - she had delicate eyebrows, firm eyes, and bloody lips and teeth.
"I'm listening."
"Huh, we can pay. There is a military tent of the Norin Kingdom in Red Maple Highlands. That will be a very generous ransom." The woman thought of the smile on the snakehead's face when he looked at her, and pointed the knife at herself again. "Compared to the corpse, I think the business is more profitable for you."
Ken smiled and nodded helplessly.
"What's your name?"
"I'm Mag Lelbota."
She straightened her back, her eyes didn't move, and she was unyielding.
"I'll consider this deal, but I'm afraid I have to go back to the village first. I'm not interested in hurting you, but I won't serve you too diligently."
At this time, the wolf rider came with fragrant roasted lamb.
"Eat up quickly, we have a long way to go."
Ken held the shaft of the cart and was about to leave. Things that are righteous and brave should be stopped at a certain point. These scholars should just make a good relationship.
[Reputation +50]
[Kingdom Norin: Friendly Attitude]
Mag looked scrutinizing. This is a cautious and smart woman.
"Food, there is meat..."
But it was obvious that his companions were not reserved. Hunger and days of running made them like evil spirits, flopping out one after another, completely ignoring the shaky cargo box.
Boom, the main axle of the wheel broke, and the whole car fell to the ground.
Mag's face was horrified, her heart stopped for a moment, and she felt panic as if lightning struck her scalp - the table knife was pointing at her.
She frowned and closed her eyes.
However, after a quick breath, she did not feel any pain.
Ken held the back of the neck of the tunic and put the woman on the ground.
He was dancing the gold-plated engraved knife in a dazzling way, and after a smooth ending, he handed it back to the other party with the handle facing inward.
...
When it was dark, there was a gust of wind in the woods, and the undead skeletons and various monsters became active.
The expanded convoy continued to drive towards Santon Kaya. The refugees wrapped themselves in blankets and dared not sleep, still full of worries about the future.
Mag shared a compartment with two female scholars.
She heard people outside discussing the magical young man.