Chapter Ninety-Four: Bone-Piercing Cold

  Chapter 14: "Through the Bones"

  "I want to kill him. I want to hang him. Burn him. No, bind him. I will chop him into a thousand pieces. I will hang his corpse on the city gate and let crows peck at his eyes..."

  Bonfret's eyes were blazing red. The muscles on his face twitched. In the tent, he was furiously bellowing at Adrick and Rool. This gentleman's handsome face was twisted in a frightening manner. His eyes were wide open. He was panting heavily. The flesh on his cheeks was distorted. His fists were clenched tightly. There were still red marks left on his wrists from the cowhide ropes. He paced back and forth in the tent like a mad dog.

  "That bastard. That despicable lowlife. That son of a bitch who tried to kill me. I'm going to kill him. I want him dead..."

  Adrick's face was growing increasingly impatient. The scar on his face twitched. Rour, who was standing beside him, felt uneasy. If this little white-faced man continued to shout like this, the arrogant general would dare to draw his sword and chop him down on the spot.

  Chubby rushed up and hugged the rampaging Bonaparte. He laughed loudly: "Gentlemen, Bonaparte gentlemen... Let's get things straight first..." "What else is not right?" Bonaparte's shrill voice was like that of a frightened girl: "That bastard! How dare he tie me up and lock me in the hold? How dare he push me alone onto the battlefield? This is murder. He wants to kill me..."

  Adric grunted heavily. He stood up, his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist. This movement suddenly startled Bonfret, who retreated several steps back. Pointing at Adric, he shouted: "You... what do you want to do? Adric, don't forget your identity! You are a soldier of the Empire. I am an observer envoy. How dare your people be so impudent towards me?"

  Adrick suppressed the urge to swing his sword and walked out of the tent without even looking at the little white face.

  Bonnfret's shoulder was seized by a pale and frightened Rul. But as he looked at the smile on Rul's face, he seemed to regain his spirits instantly: "General Rul, you must bear witness for me. These 13th Legion guys want to assassinate me. These lowlifes. These bastards are trying to murder me..."

  The smile on Luol's face was kind and gentle. The smiling expression made Bonfret feel much more at ease.

  "Hmm. Honorable Bonfrete, sir. I suggest you refrain from shouting for now. After all, we are still within the 13th Legion's quarters." Ruru seemed to be kindly reminding him as he lowered his voice and said: "You see, although you have been treated with some disrespect - oh, please don't glare at me just yet. Alright, I admit that this treatment is an extremely dishonorable affront to any noble."

  But then again, there's always a good side to everything. What do you think?

  "Good. A good side?" Bonfret was furious: "General Rul. Are you also mocking me."

  "Of course not." Rurul shook his head vigorously as he laughed: "As far as I know, you personally went to the battlefield and faced Odin's Hestin alone." "I was taken there by force." Bonfret's face turned pale at the memory of yesterday's scene, his legs trembling and losing control, causing him to wet himself. The humiliating experience made him cry out in a shrill voice: "That guy wanted to kill me!"

  "Hold on, don't be in a rush." The fat man smiled amiably: "I understand your anger at being tied to the battlefield. However... think about it. Others don't know you were tied up and taken away. And anyway, what's happening right now is that Sir Bonfret is facing off against Odin on the battlefield while Hasting has been injured and retreated."

  "That guy isn't me." Bonfret's voice was much softer.

  "But others don't know. Odin people don't know." Fat mouth he smiled very cunningly: "You see, on the battlefield, only Hei Shiting is alone. This is an extraordinary honor, and this time, the Crown Prince let you go to the front line for the purpose of..."

  He looked at Bonfret. Lowering his voice to the extreme: "So, that counterweight of Hastings. Is Bonfret. And, it's Bonfret. This is what thousands of soldiers have heard with their own ears."

  Bonfrete moved his heart.

  "So, that guy can't be killed for the time being." Rouru smiled: "At least, we have to wait until this military achievement is solidly on your head. Before that, he's also a witness. Moreover, just a small soldier. After the overall situation has been settled, I'm afraid he'll fly away?"

  When Rour walked out of the tent, Adrick was outside giving some instructions to several deputy generals. Seeing the fat man come out, Adrick sneered: "Have you coaxed that little kid well?"

  "Hmm, he's indeed just a little kid. A spoiled brat, that's all." The fatty curled his lip: "But this kid is by the side of the Crown Prince. Hmm, the one who shares his pillow. Just a few coaxing words, doesn't cost us anything."

  Adrick sneered silently.

  Fatso sighed: "I know you're a proud guy. These things, I'll do them myself. Anyway, in everyone's eyes, I'm the escaped rabbit and this sold-out rabbit."

  Nothing.

  Adrick gave a deep look at the fatty. Suddenly, he went up and patted the fatty's shoulder with force. He said seriously: "You are an outstanding soldier, General Rour."

  He sighed and said: "That little kid of mine is in a bit of trouble."

  Rourou pouted and sucked in a breath. Rubbed the shoulder that had been patted. Watched Adrick leave, then suddenly called out behind him: "Hey, Adric."

  "What?"

  "He." The fat man hesitated for a moment. Suddenly he quickened his pace to catch up, lowering his voice: "Don't think he won't come out. That little guy is..."

  A glimmer of understanding flashed in Adric's eyes. "You know too?"

  He let out a deep breath: "Forget it. We're about the same age. Things from back then... I wasn't around at the time, but I've got ears too. I've heard things."

  "Then please keep it a secret." Adley immediately cut off Rour's words sternly: "Those who knew about these things have almost died out. I'm not clear what you know, but no matter how much you know, please keep these things in your belly. This is not my request, but my advice."

  Xia Ya sat alone in the tent. Sharba and Kato had just left. Kevin's body had been buried. The close friends of Kevin in the Imperial Guard all cried.

  Only Xia Ya remained calm. He didn't even bat an eye, not even when Sharuba and Kato were uneasy about this guy coming to see him. Xia Ya's expression was still serene, as if the person who had gone crazy and yelled at the camp entrance today wasn't him at all.

  Xia Ya sat on the bed, holding a piece of hemp cloth and repeatedly wiping his fire fork. He was so absorbed in wiping that he didn't even notice Adrick walking in until Adrick stood in front of him, at which point Xia Ya suddenly looked up.

  "Sit down." Adric pressed down on Shia's shoulder. Looking at the bandages wrapped around Shia: "How are your injuries?"

  Xia Ya smiled: "Not dead yet."

  The toad's smile was still as warm and generous as it was in peacetime. Even in his eyes, there was no hint of sadness. Adrick sighed, looked at the fire fork in Ya's hand, and his expression changed slightly before he turned away, shifting his gaze elsewhere: "You."

  "I'm fine." Xia Ya suddenly said in a relaxed tone.

  "Huh?" Adrick was somewhat surprised.

  "I'm really fine." Xia Ya's tone was very serious: "This is war. War always results in death. I understand this principle - it just so happened that this time it fell on Kevin's body. And next time... maybe it'll be my turn. Things will happen anyway. So..."

  His tone was really too calm. Calm to the point of being indifferent. It made Adric's eyebrows furrow: "Do you really think so?"

  "Really." Xia Ya's expression was calm: "When I saw Kevin die today, I felt extremely angry. I even wanted to take up my weapon and rush out of the camp gate to kill all the Odin people. But now, I'm not angry anymore."

  He smiled and his smile was relaxed and pleasant. But the unusual coldness in his eyes made Adrick feel vigilant.

  "My foster father once told me something - hmm. Although that old guy wasn't anything good either, some of the things he said did make sense. He said: towards things you can't do anything about, getting all worked up in sadness or anger or frustration... these are all signs of weakness." Xia Ya let out a breath, as if expelling the knot in his chest. He narrowed his eyes and smiled: "So I'm not without anger, nor am I without sorrow - it's just that I don't let myself be that way. I choose to act."

  "What? What is it?" Adrick looked at Xia Ya with some surprise.

  Xia Ya furrowed his brow. His expression was very serious and solemn. He replied softly, "Kill people. Kill Odinians. That's my plan. I'll take it one step at a time until the day I've killed them all."

  "Okay."

  "I know it's hard." Xia Ya sneered with a smile: "Well, as for the Ding people. Although there are many of them. But I'll kill some today and some tomorrow. Slowly killing is fine. Keep killing until I'm exhausted. There's something to do. It's much better than wasting time being sad."

  Kill a little today. A little tomorrow. Keep killing until you can't move.

  Adric took a deep breath. He was shaken by the coldness that seemed to seep into his bones from Shaya's tone.