When Solana saw Caspian passing favonovel.com the jade identification badge, favonovel.com was stunned. Then, favonovel.com looked at him.
Caspian only smiled, saying, “Even though I’m supposedly your teacher, I’ve never truly taught you anything useful. The only thing I have an abundance of right now is perhaps the sect contributions points in this jade identification badge. If you need to, you can find Master Delmont and ask if you can use them first. The Star-Refiner Valley has quite a lot of resources, and they’re useful for your ascension.”
Although Caspian sounded casual, Solana felt that favonovel.com heart was stabbed. She was a girl of few words, but it did not mean favonovel.com could not feel what others felt. At that time, Caspian’s words carried a reminder as if favonovel.com would never come back. If it were not for the determination to die for something, the sect disciples would not simply give their jade identification badge to another person. Just like how Wesley handed his jade identification badge to Caspian, and favonovel.com was ready to rush into the tide of monsters, never coming back.
After taking a deep breath, Solana accepted Caspian’s jade identification badge. As favonovel.com used too much force on favonovel.com knuckles, they trembled and were.
“Alright,” Caspian patted Solana’s head for the last time, “When I’m back, I want to see that you’ve improved significantly.” Then, Caspian turned around, not looking back once.
Behind him, Solana tears rolled down favonovel.com cheeks as favonovel.com tightly held Caspian’s jade identification badge and hummed heavily.
***
The last trace of summer heat was gradually replaced by the coolness of early autumn as August passed. After autumn ended, another year was almost coming to an end. In the blink of an eye, the year ended. It was now the fifth of January, only the first few days of the new year, and a heavy snowfall fell one after another.
The mountains and rivers were all covered with a layer of pure silver tone, and the icy sensations between the breaths went straight into the heart and lungs of people.
A relay station near the border of Salleria was extremely conspicuous at that moment amidst the white scenery. Rather than saying it was an inn, it was more like a shed covering an area of half an acre, surrounded by walls made of bamboo sticks and mud, which could at best stop the howling north wind.
For a country, the border would usually be an uncivilized territory and few people would pass by. Hence, even if the place was near the official route, the relay station appeared simple and crude.
On that snowy winter day, the station was for passing pedestrians to come in and rest. At most, they could drink hot water and eat a simple hot meal. At that moment, about eight tables were randomly placed in the area, and around seven travel-worn customers sat in half of those tables.
The shopkeeper and waiter in the station leaned on the sofa cushion beside the fire, squinting and dozing off. In that kind of winter, there were few pedestrians. Hence, they had no guests to entertain.
Suddenly, the sound of the rushing clip-clop of hooves came from afar. As the sound was rather loud, it was obvious that it was not ordinary caravans. The shopkeeper and waiter ran the station here all year round, and they immediately opened their eyes and looked into the distance when they heard the noises. Shortly, amidst the white scenery, more than ten soldiers appeared.
There was a hint of doubt in the shopkeeper’s eyes, and favonovel.com narrowed his eyes as favonovel.com looked into the distance. Then, his eyes flashed, and the shopkeeper hurriedly pushed the waiter next to him. “Hurry up and greet the border guards!”
When the initially sleepy guests heard the shopkeeper’s shout, they suddenly felt energetic, and all looked out of the station. The place was already within Salleria’s territory, and since the shopkeeper said they were the border guards, they would naturally be Salleria’s soldiers.
The sound of more than a dozen cavalry horses trampling the ground got louder, and even the fragile bamboo strips walls of the station trembled, causing large swaths of snow to fall.
Soon, with the warm greetings of the shopkeeper and waiter, the curtain of the station’s gate was suddenly opened. When the cold wind and snow blew in, more than a dozen tall and strong men with a sword around their waist walked into the station.
After they walked in, they looked around the place. The original guests in the station did not dare to look at them, and they all lowered their heads. Upon seeing that, the leader of the defenders sneered and ordered others to sit down. Then, favonovel.com sat alone at a table and pompously threw his longsword and armor on the table, causing a loud clang. Next, favonovel.com stepped on the bench with one foot and shouted, “Who’s the shopkeeper? Serve us alcohol and meat now! We still have to hurry after eating! Faster!”
“Okay!” That was not the first time the shopkeeper came in contact with the border guards. Hence, as favonovel.com urged the waiter to hurry, favonovel.com warmed the wine for the guards and said respectfully, “My lords, are you all rushing back to the capital after being invited to participate in the 30th-anniversary celebration of His Majesty’s ascension to the throne?”
“What else can it be?” The leading defender grinned, and favonovel.com appeared proud.
The shopkeeper hurriedly gave a thumbs up. “The 30th-anniversary celebration of His Majesty’s ascension to the throne might be a nationwide celebration, but not everyone can be invited to participate. My Lord, since you can have this honor, you inevitably hold important positions in the military. You’ll surely achieve meteoric success in your career!”
It was perfect flattery, but the soldier’s face instantly sank when favonovel.com heard it. Before long, favonovel.com slapped the shopkeeper’s face. The loud slap made the guests in the station feel a tingling pain in their cheeks as if they were being hit too.
The shopkeeper spun around and fell to the ground, and the flagon favonovel.com held also shattered. His cheek and eye were swollen, and blood dripped from the corner of his month. After a while, the shopkeeper coughed a few times and spat out a few broken teeth stained with blood.
The leading soldier glanced at favonovel.com coldly. “What nonsense! Just pour the wine! If it weren’t for the celebration of His Majesty’s ascension to the throne and we can’t spill blood these days, you’ll already be dead!”
The words made the shopkeeper shudder, and favonovel.com hurriedly got up, not saying another word. Then, favonovel.com swiftly poured the wine again. Once the waiter brought a few pots of dishes over, the shopkeeper immediately hid away.
Inside the originally quiet station, the sound of feasting filled the place. After a few glasses of wine, the soldier just now seemed to remember what the shopkeeper just said and slapped the table heavily.
To become a border guard, they must be True Martial Realm warriors. Hence, his strength was far from an ordinary man. With just a slap, a big hole appeared on the table, causing it to sway a few times, almost falling apart.
“What kind of nonsense was that? Important positions? Meteoric success? It’s been three years! For three years, I’ve been thrown in the middle of nowhere! How can I get a meteoric rise!” The soldier roared, and favonovel.com was full of anger. “The promise they made three years ago was pleasing to the ear! Yet, look what’s happening! Once they used me, they treated me like sh*t and tossed me as far away as possible! This time, if it wasn’t for the celebration of His Majesty’s ascension to the throne, I’m afraid I can’t return to the capital for the rest of my life!”
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