Chapter 167 The Man Named Tokolin

Central Empire, Zishan Province

This is a province that is more than 800 kilometers away from the imperial capital Titenia. Although it seems far away, it is very close compared to the vast empire. Therefore, such a region is also particularly valued by the empire.

Cowen County, a remote area in the Zishan Province, is surrounded by mountains, so it is very barren, and only 2 barons' fiefs are here.

The once quiet and sparsely populated territory is now full of boiling voices and the sound of swords clashing.

The dark red meteorite slashed across the sky diagonally, bringing up billowing smoke trails, stirring the flames, smashing into the ground, and splashing the spreading hot fire.

The air was filled with scorching draughts, mixed with the sparks and crackles of burning vegetation, spreading in all directions.

"Continue! Let the flames burn the entire mountains clean." On a hill, the commander in military uniform waved his sword and roared.

Behind him stood a team of more than 200 mages. These mages in red robes jointly cast spells and let the burning meteorites fall, shaking and shattering the world in front of them.

At the foot of the mountain, new-style corps armed with muskets and bayonets scattered into a network, walking on the burnt black earth, searching and inspecting possible openings, and making up for their knives from time to time.

Although this is the interior of the Empire, war is still inevitable, and the two sides are the army loyal to the Emperor and the rebel army.

A few years ago, due to the ineffectiveness of the local nobles in suppressing the rebel army, the rebel army in Zishan Province spread to several surrounding provinces, gradually triggering a chain reaction, which finally attracted the attention of the big figures in the imperial capital.

Under the strict orders of the Regent and many great nobles, the armies of all parties mobilized and began to suppress the rebellion headed by the Purple Shirt Province.

These local rebels were very familiar with the terrain and had sufficient intelligence. They relied on various tactics and intrigues to fight against the conquest troops in the mountains, causing a lot of casualties to the enemy.

In view of the inability of the general in command to complete the task in a short time, the new commander was replaced by the heir of the regent. This is a decisive and ruthless general. Under his cold-blooded means, the Zishan Province has been turned into a sea of ​​fire. Relying on the covering strike of the mage team, the geographical advantage that the rebels had before no longer exists, and the local residents who originally relied on it. also died in large numbers.

The advantage disappeared step by step, their number gradually decreased, and now it is the last moment.

In the mountains in the boundless sea of ​​fire, in a huge hidden cave, about 1,000 people gathered here.

Their faces were covered with ashes, and their bodies were mostly covered in wounds and dust. Some were seriously injured and had to make hoarse and painful sounds.

In a corner of the cave, a dozen or so leaders of the rebel army gathered here, almost all of them were wounded, and their bodies and clothes were stained with blood and dust.

"Tocolin, we can't last long." A sturdy man who was blind in one eye leaned against the loess mountain wall, covered his wound, and said slowly, his thick wrists were like giants, but now he looks tired And grey.

"The legion of the Empire is determined to kill us cleanly this time."

"Hehe, this battle is even bigger than dealing with the Baska family. I really look down on us." Several voices sounded in this small and sultry environment.

"There were more than 30,000 people at the time of the uprising, more than 200,000 people at the peak, and now there are less than 1,000... I'm sorry for those who entrusted their lives to me." A scarred person The man murmured in a low voice. He still had a machete full of rust in his hand, and the copper-colored mottled handle was badly worn.

"I can't escape, there is fire all around, and there are sharp-eyed monsters patrolling in the sky, they are chasing everyone who walks out of the fire alive."

"Fight with them." The rest of the people looked at the man in the middle with his eyes closed and breathing.

His name is Tocolin, and he is the core leader of this rebel army, but compared to another person on the mainland who is similar to him, this one is not so lucky.

The empire is not the west wind, it has a more powerful heritage, and those who want to shake it are destined to face a bloodbath and suffer a lot.

After a short silence, Tocolin slowly opened his eyes, and his eyes swept across the people present. The familiar faces were still hot as fire. Even in the face of desperation, he did not sigh, regret and grieve.

Suddenly, he smiled, for no reason, unexpectedly.

"Hahaha...hahaha..." The laughter made the people present puzzled, but they looked at Tokolin quietly, they believed that this man could always give a satisfactory explanation .

"Yes, that's right, we're all going to die, we're all going to be burnt to death by this fire, provoked by those soldiers with the point of their guns, and become their trophies to show off."

His voice was extremely slow.

"However, I'm not desperate or sad. From a very early time, I expected such a day to come, and sometimes I was even surprised that I actually lived another day."

"Compared to those stubborn and numb people, our existence is so puzzling and unacceptable to those civilians."

"Is it bad to live?"

"Of course it's good to live, but there are some things that always attract me and make me want to try. It's an obsession that will make me regret for life if I don't do it."

"I originally thought that this was just my personal wish. But fortunately, I met you and so many companions."

"Those who protest and provoke elephants will eventually be trampled by giant elephants. It is true that our actions have a slim chance of winning, and I myself have doubted the significance of it countless times, but today, this

Che finally has an answer. "

"Your expressions and beliefs let me know that this road is not alone."

"Don't worry, we will all die, but I also believe that more people will slowly wake up and take the same path as us, because it is correct and people yearn for."

The man spoke slowly in the dim light, and a pair of eyes beside him looked at him with bright eyes, listening to the familiar voice.

Is Tocolin great? Maybe not. He is just a despondent and unhappy nobleman, a young man who had never been admitted to Emenas, a soldier who retired from the army after the western expedition.

Before that, he had never had any achievements or achievements that made people admire and admire, and his voice was slightly hoarse, not touching and tactful.

If you listened to him for the first time, you could still perceive the lame accent, which couldn't compare to the standard and elegant tone of the imperial capital.

Such a person, wearing a shabby military uniform, standing in front of you, in the fields, on the way to hunt in the mountains, chats with you, tells vulgar funny jokes, makes you laugh, and then the two chat about the latest weather and life.

Gradually, you know that he built a small house on the mountain. Every Thursday, he would go fishing by the small river to eat, and occasionally pick some bush fruits as seasonings to increase the umami of the fish soup.

Ordinary ingredients in his hands, he can always come up with new tricks, and then invite you to go to his house to drink some fish soup, eat some fatty fish, and then drink some wine with water, and talk about his own in a little drunk. Glorious' past.

You sighed with emotion that this man had a rich and difficult experience, and you couldn't help but open up the conversation and talk about the stupid things you did in your early years.

Over time, you gradually became familiar with him, and he finally began to talk about some of the experiences he had in the Western Expedition. You can feel that he yearned for that unfamiliar country.

"Why don't you go over there, with your skills, it's easy to pass through the border blockade. The long mountains are not always guarded by people everywhere."

"Of course, I won't have a hard time in the past."

"But, after all, I grew up in the empire, and here are my friends, childhood, memories, and past."

"I don't want to lose this, and I don't want to cowardly escape."

"Oh, so what are you going to do?"

"I want to do something big." The man leaned on the back of the chair, resting his chin with one hand, and looked at the flames with condensed eyes, as if there was a strange look in it.

"Haha, really, aren't you kidding? You're going to be hanged, but for the sake of my friends, I won't expose you."

"Of course, you know, I don't make jokes about some key things."

Listening to the steady words and breathing, you suddenly realize that this man is serious, that he is really thinking about these things.

"Hey, old man, then tell me about your plan, maybe I can give you some advice." You asked maliciously, trying to pierce this wishful thinking.

"Well, then I have to introduce it to you well..."

Then, a plan that was so detailed that you were afraid and chilled behind you slowly poured out of his mouth. These steps are not brilliant, but each step is very possible. You know, he's done thorough research, maybe even experimented a few times himself.

Slowly, you closed your mouth and listened to him quietly until the firewood in the fireplace slowly burned out, leaving behind a little dark red charcoal and wood ashes.

The room cools down, and it's time for you to make a decision.

Is it to report this man to the noble master of the fief, or to pretend to be nonchalant and say today's joke with haha.

The passage of time is tense to an unnerving degree, and sitting on this familiar wooden chair, you have never been more restless and hesitant than you are today.

You have even thought that the other party suddenly changed his voice and said that it was just a joke, or that he suddenly stood up and left the room quickly.

However, you didn't leave, the gradually cold room had the smell of smoke after burning firewood, slowly lingering, and the cold light shone through the thick glass in the room.

Your fingers rubbed on your knees several times, and the rough and thick fabric was pulled into various folds by you.

My heart is still full of surprise, like the ocean in a storm, shaking and shaking, as if to shake the sky down.

"Can I take what I just heard as your truth?" You slowly raised your head and looked at the man.

"Of course." He nodded. "That's my truth."

"Heh." Don't look away, grab the beer mug on the table, and pour the pale yellow ale down your throat.

In the sound of rumbling, a cool and irritating liquid entered the chest and abdomen, which shocked your spirit.

"It's really interesting that it actually made me encounter this kind of thing."

"You are so courageous to tell me this."

......

You mutter vulgar words, complaining that this man shouldn't say these things that make people worry.

"But since you're here, you have to show me the real guy. But don't say it, it's the first time you've said these things to an outsider. If you let me know that I'm the first to hear it, then I'll turn my head and say nothing. go."

"Of course it's not the first time, I'll only open my heart to people I can trust." After speaking, he stood up, picked up his jacket and draped it over his body.

"follow me."

In that exciting and heart-pounding voice, you put on your coat and kick

The wood ashes drowned out the sparks remaining in the fireplace, and then followed the man out of the room into the vast snow.

The road in the forest is bumpy and rugged. You groped for the icy rocks and branches and followed behind him, slowly walking into the depths of the forest. A place you've never been to before.

He walked slowly through the narrow stone walls on his side, rubbed off a lot of snowflakes, and fell into his neck, which was extremely cold.

When you feel gradually losing strength, he finally opens a wooden door in the dry bushes and leads you into a cave passage.

Groping through the frozen soil, you walked in the dark cave and could hear your own breathing and the white breath coming out of your mouth.

After walking through a tunnel of more than 100 meters, after opening a door at the corner, a white light was finally ushered in.

In the hidden canyon where the snowflakes fluttered, there was a lively scene, with figures walking around everywhere, and even the sound of hammers beating in my ears.

The crimson soldering iron penetrated into the icy liquid, bringing up a large piece of white fog, drowning the snow in the sky, and the sharp blades gradually came out, and they gradually took shape under the constant impact of the hammer.

Most of the people here you don't know, but there are also a few you are very familiar with.

That's right, they are like the unwilling man at the head of the village, the coward who was bullied by the nobles and took his wife after returning home, the old man who was lonely and no one cared, and the child who begged for food on the street.

The crippled and useless slag in these empires has now been tempered here again, and their expressions are so serious, as if life has found a new direction.

Without being urged by others or tempted with money, these people seem to naturally know what they should do, and then use their own hands to win.

Strip away the various lies and concepts imposed by the secular world, and everything returns to the most essential origin.

The reason why I work tirelessly is not because of some last resort, but because I like it.

I love the satisfaction of creating something and having fun exchanging it with others for something I approve of.

Not because they told me how and how I had to be a superior person in order to be envied by others.

I only work for my ideals, I love what I'm doing, and I don't need to pay attention to all kinds of advice from the outside world, just because I'm different from them.

The spark of life blooms here, in my hands.

Standing in this snow-capped valley, you were speechless for a long time, as if you saw another world, another life trajectory.

It turns out that there are really people living their ideal lives——

Bravely walk on the road of chasing your dreams.