High Above

——Have you ever heard of the Dragon God Messenger?

For mountain people, this is a well-known legend.

The first generation Dragon God envoy signed a contract with the Dragon God. He established the initial prototype of the Dragon Kingdom in the vast Baisen Mountains. Under his call, all the tribes merged into one, creating the most glorious and prosperous era for the mountain people.

The last generation of Dragon God's messengers was born in the years after the Dragon God left. She rekindled the sacrificial fire of the Holy Mountain, and single-handedly united the mountain tribes that were about to fall apart. Fifty years after her death, she still had the majesty to intimidate the alliance, giving the mountain people a reason to maintain unity.

Until the empire's army rolled over the people of the mountains, turning all the surnames with ancient history and glory into dust.

The first time Priest Fiotto heard about the Messenger of the Dragon God was when he was six years old.

His father was the chief priest of the tribe. At that time, the boy was sitting on a stone platform full of flowers in the back of the tribe. His mother was holding him while his father vividly described the glory of his ancestors to him.

The Chonglin Department is located on the edge of the Midela Autonomous Region, in the basin to the west of the Yankai Mountain. This place is surrounded by many hills and mountains. The melted ice and snow from the distant mountains crosses the long stone road and finally converges here, washing out a rare landscape in the Baisen Mountains. Fertile soil.

The mountain behind the tribe is covered with flowers of all colors in summer, and only the Xiahui grass in the holy land can overwhelm the magnificent picture painted by them.

The Chonglin Tribe and the Jiamu Tribe were one in the past, and their ancestors once had a Dragon God envoy. In other words, among the mountain tribes, the big and prominent tribes, whether they are Xuanfeng, Avude, Jiamu, Zhengu or Linyan, have all produced or claimed to have produced a Dragon God envoy. The ancestors of the priests of Fiotto also once had this highest honor.

At that time, the priest who was still a child was full of yearning. He wanted to be the leader of the tribe and the priest of the Dragon God. He wanted to listen to the voices of the Dragon God left in the holy land and become the Dragon God's messenger.

Just like everyone wants to be a big shot, just like every child has innocent and lofty dreams, just like the beginning of every wish has a shining light.

In the heart of Priest Fiotto, like all those who have dreams, he initially had the motivation to change the world.

But now, that motivation, like most people living on this land... has been exhausted.

Seventy years have passed.

The empire has gone through three or four generations of emperors, from the decline of the past to the resurgence, and then to the stability of today. It was still the largest and most powerful nation on Terra, but the mountain people were deteriorating every day.

And that child who was full of hope...

He couldn't even feed the other children.

"It's time to eat, kids."

The mountain man with blue-black hair still walks steadily. Although he is old, he has not yet reached the age of weakness. Priest Fiotto rang the bell, so the doors of each room opened, and thin figures gathered from the courtyard and corridors. come over.

"Line up, one bowl for each person."

The priest stood in front of the big table, scooping out spoonfuls of gruel from the big pot of porridge. The children holding the bowls lined up in a neat line, softly praising the Dragon God or thanking the priest. The old man's expression No fluctuations: "Don't waste your energy saying useless words. After eating, go back and lie down, or bask in the sun, but don't move around."

"Cobo, Harry, you two will go to the back mountain with me later and dig out something edible. Eat two bowls."

The cafeteria was silent. Even the sound of swallowing seemed small. The two older children named finished their portions and then took their seats somewhat hesitantly.

"Come here, second bowl." The priest raised his voice slightly: "Don't think about giving it to others. Do you plan to faint from hunger halfway through and let me carry you back?"

"No..." "I'm sorry, Grandpa Priest..."

"Do not talk nonsense."

Priest Fiotto shook his head and scooped up a second bowl of porridge for the two of them: "After eating, take your brothers and sisters to meditate for a while, and then set off."

Even the conspirators of the Flying Fire Land cannot make any attack on the ecology of the entire Baisen Mountains. They can only attack the rice and wheat that have been domesticated by humans, destroy the roots of those fragile domestic plants, and corrupt those that are too standard and lose their complexity. foliage and flowers.

In the woods and on the hillsides, there are always some wild vegetables and mushrooms to satisfy their hunger. In addition, those lumpy roots that are not fat were once the food for their ancestors when they pioneered in the mountains, and now they will become theirs. .

Although it may be a little poisonous, as long as it is cooked, mashed, mixed into porridge, and soaked to make it thinner, it is always edible.

At this time, there is no choice.

The children eat carefully. This is hard-won food. They must chew every bite, or delay eating, as if this way they can eat one more bite, and then another.

The priest was silent, staring at them with a pair of slate-grey eyes.

——Why is this?

a voice asked.

It's because of the war.

The war that was forced upon them.

The mountain people led by Jiamubu have always longed for independence. They guard the Steel Dragon's Lair and occupy one of the holy places. They have enough inheritance to advance to the third and fourth energy levels. They hate depriving them of their access to higher places. The empire of power, so when Feiyandi offered an olive branch, the mountain people who wanted to be independent immediately accepted it.

Even behind that olive branch is a bone-corrosive poison.

When the food disaster spread, panic boiled in Nanling, and the rebellion of the mountain people also followed. They got rid of the shackles imposed by the empire on the mountain people... but their lives became even worse.

Food rationing and economic collapse, although it sounds a bit counterintuitive, under the rule of the empire, the population of the mountain people has gradually increased since the Agate Stone Plain was opened up by the empire as a grain-producing area.

In the past two hundred years, the population of the mountain people has increased three times compared to the past. The meaning behind this incident is not important. What it represents is actually very simple: the mountain people can no longer support themselves.

Unless they want to starve most people to death.

The empire tied up most of the sane mountain people leaders with food, while the other crazy part believed that the Flying Flame Land could give another answer.

Therefore, even if most tribes know that the biological warfare of Feiyan Land caused the food disaster, they still have to accept assistance from Feiyan Land... But what's the point? Rebellion to gain independence from the Empire, and then accept poorer quality, more unstable food aid from the Flying Flame?

Is it really normal to be tied up with grain by another person, and to be tied up by another person with less grain?

——Why cooperate with the enemy?

"Yes, they are the cause of all this disaster..."

The mountain priest whispered to himself, but none of the children noticed. Only another voice could be heard.

He was kicked out of the meeting by his compatriots, and even the food rations of his tribe were cut. Many people left, and many people also died in the war. In addition to adopting these war orphans, the priests of Fiotto now continue to work throughout the independence. The United Mountain People have no power at all.

He could only take care of the children in front of him...but he couldn't give them a full meal.

Recalling his wish back then, Priest Fiotto just wanted to laugh. Whether it was a sarcastic smile or a helpless bitter smile, it could only express part of his inner melancholy.

Messenger of the Dragon God.

Words that are too far away, words that are too lofty, too many people, too many mountain people who can't even change themselves and their surrounding environment. He, a priest, actually has to spend all his energy taking care of these children.

Destiny... is always playing tricks like this.

——You don’t have to follow those rebellious mountain people, do you? You don't have such hatred for the empire that you have to die together to end it, and Feiyandi doesn't offer you a price that exceeds your morality.

The voice asked, and the old priest closed his eyes.

yes. There is no need for him to continue with the group of people playing indie games... but what will happen to his tribe if he refuses?

The chief of the Chonglin Tribe is a weak man. He dare not face the alliance of tribes and raise objections, and even complains about why he wants to go against Fei Yandi.

If the Chonglin tribe really wants to maintain contact with the empire, as the despised 'submissive people' in their mouth... they do not have the superior geographical conditions like the Frodo Autonomous Region, which can block the overt and covert raids of other mountain people and the Flying Fire Land. and siege.

They will be wiped out, as many small tribes have been.

Those guys are not the Dragon God's messengers... they have never hesitated to raise their swords against their compatriots.

——You can contact the Empire. Contact Naumann City. They are willing to pay a large price for a tribal leader like you just to let you pass on some information at a critical moment.

empire? The Empire has never been a group of people. Who should he contact? Who wouldn't betray him?

And...should he contact him?

The old priest may know the history of their country better than most people in the empire, because when he was young, he also dreamed of becoming independent from the empire and leading the mountain people to become great again.

But it was precisely because he knew the history of the empire that he had doubts about such things.

Starting from the original central city-state of Setar, the empire conquered thirty-two cities and kingdoms in the Dark Mountain in the north. In the east, it defeated the Star-Chasing Tribe Alliance, the predecessor of the Heavenly Court, and conquered the three major spirit-sacrifice ethnic groups, including Icewind Valley. The Titan monsters also bowed to the emperor's scepter.

In the west, the empire conquered the local ancient beliefs. Those people of the moon who worshiped the twin moons in the sky concluded a contract in the sacred city of Silver Law and canonized the spokesperson of the moon god on the earth as their Grand Duke of the West.

That was the predecessor of the Thorin family.

The empire has always been conquering and expanding. They never stop. The Gadians living around the golden plains have also become part of them. Only the oldest priests of the mountain people can remember those ancient times and only a few records remain. Through the study of the Earth Storm Cloud Pillar, the storm skills performed by the Gadians by calling on the spirits of heaven and earth are so terrifying that not even the mountains can block the breath of the King of the Wilderness, which is enough to wither the mountains and forests.

But they were all defeated by the empire's military front, and by the unseen brilliance of the Sun Empire.

Then, became an Imperial.

Of course, the Setar Empire did not always win - two hundred years ago, when the thirtieth emperor died early due to an old illness, the Korolev family of the Northern Grand Duke relied on the power of the Apocalypse Armed Forces to become independent.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the empire imposed so many restrictions on the mountain people it conquered at the same time. However, it did not have time to completely conquer the mountain people, and instead left many autonomous regions.

"Contact the Empire, maybe we will become Imperial people completely, and there will never be any chance of change."

Facing that voice, the old priest expressed his deepest fear: "The Flying Flame Land and the Independent Mountain People's Alliance... have indeed made our life very miserable. But at least our lives have changed. If the mountain people still have a lot of trouble in the future, Just like it has been for the past two hundred years, it's stagnant and nothing has changed..."

"Then I would rather go hungry and wait for a different possibility."

"Even though that might... lead to a worse outcome."

"I see..." The voice was silent for a while.

"Do you know the Dragon God's Messenger?" Then, the young voice spoke slowly: "In the legends of the mountain people, those heroes who brought about change and change once created the most golden beginning of a glorious era, and they also once To maintain the last glory of an era of decline."

The old priest was silent for a while.

He replied softly: "I have heard it."

"Now, the Dragon God's envoy has appeared." The young voice said: "The sacrificial fire of Qiangang Holy Mountain has been rekindled, the turmoil in Xiahui Territory has also been calmed, a new era is coming, and everything now is just brand new. The storm that preceded it is destined to subside.”

The old priest said solemnly: "I don't believe in the Dragon God's messenger. That's just a legend. Even if the Holy Land really shines again, the children can't have enough to eat."

"He can." The young voice replied firmly: "He has already fed the residents of his territory, and he can do the same for one, ten, or dozens more tribes."

"..."

Priest Fiotto was silent for a long time. In fact, he knew better than anyone else, and better than that voice, that the other party was not lying.

The reason why many people in the Chonglin Tribe left the tribe was not to join the army of independent mountain people, but to go to Xiahui Leader to join the Dragon God Messenger in their hearts.

They never came back. Was it because they were afraid of the atmosphere in the Midela Autonomous Region today, or because they believed that they were no longer mountain people and could ignore the compatriots in their hometown?

Will the white people who claim to be the messenger of the Dragon God really treat the mountain people equally?

The mountain people in the independent area will not believe this. They cannot believe it until they see actual proof.

and……

"Why?"

The old priest suddenly questioned angrily: "Why do our heroes die so early, why do our children have to endure this kind of suffering - why are we the only ones who have to be so severely restricted?"

"Because your heroes have to face other people's heroes." The young voice answered this question in a calm and indifferent tone: "Because you were too strong at the beginning and encountered bad times. This is a Mistakes, and mistakes will be fixed, I can guarantee that.”

"The most important thing is that human beings are always stupid enough to use all kinds of inexplicable things to distinguish 'you' from 'us'."

"But I won't."

Bai Zhimin's figure walked out of the water mist that covered his figure. The ring of silence prevented anyone from hearing his conversation with the mountain priest. The children could only see the old priest sitting in his seat expressionlessly, just like before. So silent, only the old man could see him.

The young lord said calmly: "The people standing in front of me are 'you', and the people standing behind and beside me are 'we'. My standards are that simple."

"Priest Fiotto, it's not that the people in your tribe don't want to come back. In fact, they want me to tell you that they can indeed have enough to eat, and they hope that you can come and have enough to eat."

"But there are indeed many spies in the Flying Flame Land, and we cannot let them disturb the target. So, tell me the distribution of tribes and important facilities in the Midela Autonomous Region."

"In this case, you are 'us'."

"I have prepared photos and videos here. They hope I can convince you. They know your unwillingness and anger of being isolated, and think you can help me - you may not believe it, but I do come with sincerity. .”

Priest Fiotto was silent for a long time. He had already received the invitation, but he had never made up his mind, so he delayed it for a while on the pretext that he had to cook for the children.

But now, he has to make a choice.

The priest raised his head and looked at the children in front of him.

Skinny boys and girls, whose bodies could not even support their clothes. The parents of these children died in the panic of the food disaster, the subsequent civil war, and the raids of various wild beasts. They should have had a happy childhood, even though It was under the rule of the empire that the mountain people had never had such a difficult time.

Fiotto saw it. He saw a child over six years old licking the bottom of the bowl. Her parents died in the civil war between the Jiamu tribe and the Hongqiao tribe. The Hongqiao tribe was defeated, and most of the people who went to the Hongqiao tribe to purchase supplies were not spared.

She had not had a full meal for a long time and did not dare to waste even a drop of food, so the child licked it very seriously and carefully.

Just like seventy years ago, when he was listening attentively to his father telling him the story of the Dragon God's messenger in the back mountain of the tribe.

But for completely different reasons.

"…Hopefully I can get a good price."

Closing his eyes, Priest Fiotto leaned on his chair. After making a decision, his originally straight spine began to bend, weakening like a real old man: "Messenger of the Dragon God... Haha, whether you are true or false , as long as you can bring about changes... then I can only believe it."

In the eyes of the children, Priest Fiotto was just like he had been in the past, watching silently as the last of them finished their meal.

Then, the old priest stood up and said as always: "Disband, put away the bowls, and then go to rest."

"Cobo, Harry, go to the door and wait for me."

Amid the chorus of cheers from the children, the old man stood up and walked to his room.

There, he took out a map and marked all the important information he knew in detail.

"That's it." The priest put down his pen tiredly: "Recently, the armed forces of several tribes have been lost in battles. The Jiamu tribe absorbed all their population and land, and began to build many strange buildings - I know that It's probably an alchemy workshop, but I don't know what kind of alchemy workshop it is for manufacturing. Many people have been transferred to do coolies, of course, they are all people from other tribes."

"Be careful of the Jiamu tribe. They are very strong and have fierce firepower. If they don't carry a lot of siege equipment, they won't be able to pose any threat to them, but... I went to their main hall during the meeting not long ago. Jiamu Our sacrificial hall is built on the mountainside, and due to several major storms in the past twenty years, the pillars of the hall are in danger."

"As long as a slightly larger shock is created on the rock platform in the southeast, it will probably collapse and attract most people's attention."

"That's it. All the information I know is here. I only remember a rough distribution of their firepower. After all, I didn't think about attacking them..."

The old man's voice was filled with a sigh and seemed somewhat satisfied.

"enough."

The young Bai Zhimin said softly: "You go to Xiahui Ling. A troop will come to the surrounding area later. They will clean up the nearby spies and bring the first batch of food. After eating, you can take the children with you. Let’s go to Xia Hui Ling.”

"Although that place is not exactly peaceful."

"But at least we can have enough food for everyone."

The lord of Xiahui Territory picked up the map and left behind his own token, a badge with the Silver Peak crest. He never doubted anything that Priest Fiotto said. He knew that the other party was not lying to him, so he turned around and left without hesitation.

Eat your fill. Only when you are full can you have time to think about other things. Most progress and changes occur when people have enough to eat and fight to have enough to eat.

Although humans still kill each other and fight with each other, these fights are meaningless if they don't even keep people fed.

People need to have enough to eat and drink, have their own home, and have their own dreams before they can have leisure to think about more ambitious things.

Only then can you let go of all doubts and become the person you want.

And this is what the boy wants to do.

Priest Fiotto stared at the retreating white figure, and this generation of Dragon God messenger disappeared from his sight.

The two older children at the door looked around with some confusion, and they felt a cool and refreshing breath passing by.

"really."

Looking at the distant clouds and the shadows of the mountains, the old man murmured: "I still can't give up that dream."

——He still wants to become the Dragon God’s messenger.

He wanted to be someone who could bring happiness and smiles to his people.

He is old. Relying on your own strength may not be possible.

But he still won't give up his efforts.

"Come on, Cobb, Harry."

Shaking his head slightly, Priest Fiotto was not prepared to place all his hopes on the troop supplies mentioned by the young man. He had to rely on his own hands to prepare tomorrow's rations for the children.

"Yes, Grandpa Priest," replied the older children.

At this moment, they looked at the old man with eyes full of trust and longing.

They have not heard the story of the Dragon God's messenger.

But, if they had heard...

Then the dragon god's messenger would not be greater than the priest grandfather who in their eyes saved them from famine and death.

…

"The hearts and minds of the mountain people are available."

Ian, who has been observing the living conditions of the mountain tribes all the way, came to the conclusion: "Although it cannot help me create riots, if the main force of the independent mountain tribes can be defeated, then most of the small and medium-sized tribes will probably not reject me or reject me. The future leadership of the Empire.”

It didn't take Ian too long to get from Xiahui Territory to Midela Autonomous Region. It only took a short flight, and it only took a while to go deep into the autonomous region.

But the reason why he returned to the ground and walked slowly after arriving at the edge of the autonomous region was that not only did he not want to be discovered, but he also wanted to carefully observe the living conditions of most independent mountain residents today.

The result is quite bad.

"As long as I can ensure the food supply of the mountain people, they are willing to support me."

Ian thought thoughtfully: "And, the alchemy workshop?"

Ian was very interested in the alchemy workshop mentioned by Priest Fiotto.

Obviously, this was something that was insulated from the mountain people in the past. Even with the support of Feiyandi, it would never be possible for the mountain people who knew nothing about modern alchemy to directly build a complete alchemy system.

Unless they are willing to spend a lot of money to directly transport a production line.

But what is it that actually allows the mountain people and Feiyan Land to build several alchemy workshops for it? Its value is definitely very high and worth checking out.

Ian was very curious.

The Chonglin Department was originally located on the edge of the Midela Autonomous Region. After walking along the road for a while, Ian came to the depths of the autonomous region.

From here, you can see the river area where Kagibe is located from a distance.

The core area of ​​Jiamubu is located on the plain at the foot of the mountains. Like most mountain people, they worship on the mountain. However, as the population continues to increase, Jiamubu has also opened up a large plain at the foot of the mountain. The rocky structures and farmland are scattered in the flat areas along the river.

After finding a hill, standing on the top of the mountain, Ian looked at the Jiamu tribe. He found that the farmland of this tribe had not been attacked by Feiyandi's biological warfare, and there were no traces of decay left by decay and withering.

——Good guy, it seems they have already discussed this.

Ian thought that as long as enough evidence was found for this news, it would be enough to make most of the neutral mountain tribes feel bad about Jiamu tribe and even the independent mountain tribes alliance. After all, who is not hungry nowadays? Whoever stays out is the enemy.

But the most important information is not this.

Ian squinted his eyes and saw two huge figures on top of the altar halfway up the mountain.

They were two sub-dragons that looked like they were made of steel. They had blade-like wings and silver-black scales. Four dragon pupils reflecting iridescent magnetic light flashed on their sharp heads. In the silver chip, the essence The magnetic field supports their actions.

The steel pterosaur group has reached the depths of the Baisen Mountains.