ATPnovel Chapter 55 Old Kui, the One with a Hard Life
Chapter 55 Old Kui, the One with a Hard Life
Roger looked up at the sky through the gaps in the intertwined branches. The daylight was already bright, but the forest was still pitch black, with only a few rays of light filtering down and casting dappled shadows on the ground covered with decaying leaves.
His snowy white little snowy owl descended from the sky and landed on his shoulder. Its round, orange-gold eyes darted around, but it did not offer any warning of danger.
After getting to know it over this period of time, Roger figured out the little guy's habits. Its current appearance meant that the pirates had not chased it into the forest.
My tense nerves relaxed for a moment, and I heard a lot of sobbing around me, from both men and women.
Having survived the ordeal and received a moment of respite, their tense nerves relaxed, and the pent-up emotions could no longer be contained.
Hundreds of villagers disappeared in an instant.
These people are their parents and children, their neighbors, and above all, the love of their lives.
But at this moment, they have all become the souls of the pirates under their swords and axes.
The young shield maidens huddled under the big tree, their faces buried in their arms, as if all their strength had been drained, their bodies convulsing weakly.
The men gripped their farm tools and spears, their eyes unfocused as they stared toward the entrance to the woods.
A young militiaman approached Rogge, his voice trembling with tears: "Master Rogge, we can't wait any longer! I... I don't know how my wife is doing!"
He was covered in blood, and there was a cut on his arm that was being simply bandaged, the cloth bandage already soaked with blood.
As one of the few surviving militia members, he desperately wanted to see his family.
"Old Kui and the others... those villagers who stayed behind to cover the retreat, they're probably all gone!"
"If we wait any longer, and the pirates catch up, we're all doomed..."
Extreme fear had already overwhelmed the reason of many; they only wanted to get as far away from the pirates behind them as possible.
The villagers were like frightened birds; the man's words ignited panic among them.
Many people started urging it on, all talking at once:
"We can't wait any longer... let's act now!"
"No water, no food. If we don't leave now, even if we aren't killed by the pirates, we'll starve to death here!"
"..."
Several impatient villagers tried to approach Roger to persuade him, but God stepped forward, his towering figure instantly blocking Roger's path.
Roger's gaze swept across the restless crowd. His voice wasn't loud, but his words were clear:
"Don't panic, everyone. I know you're short of water and food, and you're anxious to get going, afraid the pirates will catch up. I understand all of that..."
But please give the warriors who are covering the rear a chance.
They risked their lives to shield us from the pirates, buying us time to escape into the forest.
"If we just leave like this, what if they come and find we've abandoned them? How desperate would they be?"
"I can guarantee everyone's safety! Let's wait a little longer; if no one is chasing us, then we'll set off!"
After Roger finished speaking, the villagers gradually quieted down, and the forest fell into a dark and deathly silence.
Not long after, a few villagers continued to walk deeper into the woods on their own.
Rogge did not stop him.
He can't hold a knife to someone's neck and force everyone to obey his orders, nor does he need to worry about everyone's choices.
He stood still, occasionally activating his Eye of Insight to scan the area.
Just then, his expression changed. Within his detection range, a staggering figure was crawling away.
Rogge was startled and whispered:
"Follow me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and strode back the way he came.
Virgil and his companion quickly caught up with Rogge. Although the militiamen looked puzzled, they gripped their weapons tightly and hurried after him.
After walking more than a hundred meters, the people around him still did not notice anything unusual. Then, Roger stopped and walked straight towards a low-lying area overgrown with weeds.
"here!"
Roger shouted, and several people immediately surrounded him.
A long, bloody gash was left by the waist-high weeds, and deep within the grass lay Old Kui, barely breathing.
He was soaked in blood, and a pirate's throwing axe was deeply embedded in his shoulder and back, the blade several inches into his flesh, but fortunately it avoided his spine and vital organs...
His face was buried in the grass, and blood was dripping down the handle of the axe. His body was rising and falling weakly, proving that he was still alive, but he had already fainted from blood loss!
Roger was somewhat surprised to see that he could still grit his teeth and run so far despite his severe injuries.
But then he thought of his little blue pill that was as potent as adrenaline, and he felt relieved!
It was that experience candy that stimulated his physical potential, allowing him to endure severe injuries and get here!
The militiamen's expressions changed instantly. They gasped and stared at Old Kui in the bushes, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They were just clamoring to get going immediately.
If Roger hadn't insisted on waiting, and they had really left, Old Quay would have died alone in this deserted thicket!
At this moment, none of them dared to question Rogge's words in the slightest.
Under Roger's command, the group worked together to lift Old Kui up and head towards the rest area deep in the forest.
At this moment, besides God and Virgil, there were four male militiamen following Rogge.
The look in their eyes when they looked at Rogge was now filled with nothing but admiration and gratitude.
Rogge looked back in the direction they had come from and said in a deep voice:
"I'll go back along the road to look for any other injured or stranded people, and see if anyone would like to come with me."
He wanted to go back along the way and look for anyone willing to come with him!
As soon as he finished speaking, the militiamen didn't hesitate for a moment, gripping their weapons and shouting in unison, "Master Rogge, we'll go with you!"
Roger nodded and assigned one of the men to go back to the rest area first and inform the villagers that they were going to turn back along the road to search for survivors.
He then led the remaining men, following the path they had trodden on, and hurried towards the edge of the woods.
As he continued forward, Rogge would occasionally activate his Eye of Insight.
Rogge didn't see a single person until they were almost out of the woods.
Several people lay prone in the weeds on the high slope, looking down.
At the end of the village, the wooden houses were crackling and burning, and many pirates were setting other houses on fire.
Two young villagers were kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, while another young man had his back stripped bare and was being pressed firmly against a tree stump.
The pirate leader stood behind him, raising his heavy axe high before bringing it down with a vengeance...
The heart-wrenching screams pierced everyone's ears, growing fainter with each scream until utter silence fell.
Several male villagers surrounding Roger stared intently at the scene.
Their teeth were clenched so hard they were practically splitting open, and their eyes were bloodshot and menacing.
Rogge's fists were also clenched tightly.
He knew that the remaining two youths would ultimately meet a tragic end as well.
He was powerless to do anything about it, nor did he have the ability to save anyone.
He closed his eyes, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and whispered a name:
"Let's go back!"
Virgil reached out and tugged at the two villagers who were reluctant to turn around, and the group headed deeper into the woods.
……
The rest area in the woods was already in complete chaos.
When Lao Kui was carried back, he was severely injured and on the verge of death. The villagers surrounded him, their eyes red with heartache, yet they were all at a loss for what to do.
They dared not touch the throwing axe on his back, nor did they know how to treat such a severe injury.
They could only frantically wipe the blood off his face and press a clean cloth against the still-bleeding wound, while many women sobbed softly.
When everyone heard that Old Quil had been found by Roger in the bushes, they were filled with gratitude.
The villagers, who had originally planned to continue their journey, were now filled with shame.
Old Yar was still unconscious, his breathing weak.
Roger and his men went out and haven't returned yet. The villagers, who had just escaped from the brink of death, seemed to have completely lost their leader.
Sitting in the dark forest, they were filled with fear and melancholy.
Many people are praying, praying that Roger will return safely, praying that he will not abandon them like those who left on their own.
Just then, the branches in the woods were parted.
Roger stepped in, a beam of light shining directly on his serious face.
In that instant, the entire open space fell silent, and all the villagers' eyes were fixed on Rogge.
That gaze was no longer indifferent or doubtful as before.
Instead, it comes with anticipation, reliance, and trust!
They were like drowning people who finally grabbed onto the only piece of driftwood!
The villagers were all overjoyed to see Roger arrive.
The crowd spontaneously surged forward.
No one urged them anymore, no one questioned them anymore.
Everyone watched Roger quietly, waiting for his instructions.
Rogge met everyone's gaze, his voice clear and firm, echoing throughout the clearing:
"Everyone, pack your things immediately, we're continuing!"
……