Southeast of the oak forest, both sides of the official road in the farm area are bustling with activity.
News of the visitors to Deep Blue Harbor spread like wildfire, attracting a group of residents who loved watching the excitement.
Most of them gathered at the head and end of the "Golden Lion Bridge" - one of the few bridges in Rolling Stone Town. It was built during Rhaegar's father's generation. It is said that on the day it was built, there was a lion glowing with golden light all over its body.
Appeared suddenly and drank water by the river at Qiaotou.
Hence the name.
There are several tall water banyan trees planted on the shore of the Golden Lion Bridge.
In the evening of midsummer, many people enjoy the shade under the banyan tree.
The "Old Woman River" that crosses the arched stone bridge forms a small shallow bay in that area. The river surface is stable and the water is not deep, so you can often see nearby farmers taking their children to swim in the river.
It was the afternoon of early summer.
There were already crowds of people under the banyan tree.
Because of Peggy's identity, Matthew and the other three did not get too close. Instead, they found a hidden spot in the oak forest and watched from a distance.
"I heard that the convoy from Shenlan Port passed the checkpoint on the east side at noon. It can take as fast as ten minutes or as slow as half an hour. They will definitely pass here."
Paige said expectantly.
Matthew didn't ask her where she heard it from. After all, Paige was really good at getting information. The only person in Rolling Stone who could control her in this regard was Zeller, who grasped all the big and small things in the town.
It's mid-May.
The chirping of cicadas gradually sounded in the wilderness.
Under the shade of trees.
Matthew moved a small maza and sat down.
A hot breeze blew over my eyelids and chin.
Not far away, residents gathered together and discussed something.
There were idle people pushing and shoving by the river. Suddenly, someone screamed and water splashed on the river -
An unlucky young man was pushed into the water. He obviously knew how to swim. He splashed in the water a few times and cursed.
People gathered around nervously at first, and after realizing that it was nothing serious, they laughed for a while.
Matthew watched this scene silently, feeling a little touched in his heart.
The dark clouds of war are approaching step by step, but most people in Rolling Stone Town are still unaware of it.
Perhaps, just before the army from the Red Earth Mountains entered the golden fertile field, the people living on that land were the same as the people in front of them.
When peace becomes the norm.
The scars of war will become more clearly visible.
"No wonder Rhaegar has been under so much pressure recently. This kind of decision is really not that easy to make."
Matthew sighed softly.
He rested his elbows on his knees and supported his chin with his palms. He seemed to be looking into the distance, but his eyes gradually lost focus.
Until a strange flag with a blue background and red clouds appeared at the end of the official road.
People on both sides of the bridge cheered.
Matthew suddenly woke up.
"I'm coming!"
Paige looked excited:
"Matthew, hurry up and see how beautiful the little princess of Deep Blue Harbor is. If she is half as beautiful as Sif, let's take her home and make her your second wife!"
There are too many flaws in this statement.
Matthew couldn't pick it up.
Only Eli replied blankly:
"Matthew already has a wife?"
Just as Matthew was about to explain, at this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the forest behind him!
"You are indeed here to watch the excitement!"
A low voice came from the horseback. Matthew turned around and saw that it was the captain of the garrison, the bearded Brad.
Brad did not dismount, but said hurriedly:
"Matthew, quickly, get on the horse with me!"
"Rhaegar is looking for you. He looks anxious!"
Peggy said dissatisfiedly:
"Are you, the lords, afraid that Matthew will marry a second wife and forget Sif? Are you asking him to go to work at such a critical moment? Will you give him overtime pay?"
Brad smiled awkwardly, but he also had a way to deal with aggressive women like Paige:
"I'm just a messenger."
Matthew stretched his neck with a little regret.
The convoy was not moving very fast. It would take another five or six minutes to cross the bridge, and it would be even slower when it reached the edge of the woods.
"I'm afraid I have to take the first step."
Matthew said to Eli with apologetic eyes.
Didn't wait for Eli to reply.
Peggy hugged Eli's shoulders carelessly:
"It's okay, go ahead Matthew, I will take good care of your little brother."
There was an unnatural look on Eli's face:
"Well, just go about your business."
Matthew immediately climbed on the horse and followed Brad in the direction of Rolling Stone Town.
Seeing Matthew's back disappear into the woods.
Eli struggled unnaturally:
"Paige? Can you relax for a moment?"
However, Peggy didn't seem to hear what he said. She hugged Eli and walked towards the stone bridge down the hillside:
"Let's go! Let's go over and take a look. You cover me. I can sneak around and they can't find me!"
You're a two-meter-tall minotaur stalking in broad daylight?
This is ridiculous!
Eli wanted to scold her loudly.
But for some reason, when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them himself.
The two quickly came to the roadside.
Eli was originally prepared to explain when someone found out, but he soon discovered that the people next to him didn't even notice him and Peggy!
Everyone is looking forward to it.
finally.
The motorcade with blue flags crossed the stone bridge to a nice rhythm.
At the front are two knights leading the way.
Then came three luxurious carriages.
The carriage was very slow when crossing the bridge, and everyone could see it clearly——
The windows of the first carriage were closed.
The windows of the second carriage were open, but there seemed to be no one inside.
There were people sitting in the third carriage, but the windows were half-covered, allowing people to only get a vague glimpse.
that's all.
Three horse-drawn carriages, followed by two ox-carts, crossed the bridge one after another.
The crowd followed a few paces in disappointment.
Peggy shouted even more anxiously:
"Where is the lady of the city lord? Where is the little princess of Deep Blue Harbor? Can't you see it if you come here?"
Others made similar complaints.
Eli couldn't help but give Peggy a hand:
"Be careful and don't expose yourself. It's not a big deal if you can't see anyone."
The next second.
The people in the third carriage seemed to hear the calls of the people outside. The windows on both sides were pushed open, and a young and pretty face flashed past the window, with a bit of shyness on her face.
.
"Okay, Judy, say hello to everyone and leave. We have to get to Rolling Stone before sunset. I want to take a good bath."
A lazy woman's voice came from the carriage.
The girl named Judy excitedly stretched out her little hand and greeted people on both sides of the road.
The people responded with enthusiastic cheers.
A few scoundrels followed the carriage for a while, whistling wildly, and it seemed that if the knights weren't there to guard them, they would be going to steal the carriage.
The convoy gradually went away.
Peggy dragged Eli back to the oak forest.
"Wow! That girl named Judy is so cute!"
"She should be the little princess of Deep Blue Harbor. Although she is not as good as Sif, she is barely qualified to be Matthew's second wife."
"What do you think of her? Aren't you Matthew's friend? Just keep it in check for Matthew!"
Paige said to herself.
Suddenly.
She noticed that Eli hadn't spoken.
So she stabbed him:
"What’s wrong with you?"
Only then did Eli come back to his senses and murmured a little lostly:
"it's okay no problem."
Peggy said suspiciously:
"You won't fall in love with Judy, right? This is a bit unfair."
Eli blushed and retorted loudly:
"How can it be!"
"If it's the woman Matthew likes, I will never take a second look!"
"I'm not interested in that Judy at all!"
Peggy nodded when she heard this and let go of her hand with relief.
After a while.
She heard Eli ask cautiously:
"Well, I want to find out. Don't think too much about it. I just want to know who the older woman next to Judy is?"
…
"You seem a little distracted?"
Early next morning.
Matthew was about to plant trees, but he met Eli who was wandering aimlessly by the woods. Eli volunteered to help, and Matthew naturally would not refuse.
As a result, before the two of them planted a few trees, Eli reluctantly planted two saplings in the same hole.
This scene seems familiar.
"Oh, sorry, Matthew."
Eli hurriedly pulled out one of the saplings. He scratched his head and looked a little distressed.
This guy can't hide anything in his heart.
Matthew felt funny.
Yesterday afternoon, he and Brad went to the Lord's Mansion together, and when they bumped into Rhaegar, the latter's state was very similar to Eli's current state.
However, Rhaegar was not only surprised that Lady Aliena came so quickly, but he was also worried about whether he should fully activate the "Gate to Purgatory".
He has been madly angry because of this incident in the past few days. Although he is in his forties, acne has started to break out on his face, which shows that the endocrine disorder is severe.
In this regard, Matthew can understand Rhaegar.
Because once the war machine starts running, it may not be so easy to stop it.
If the haze of war can be eliminated with the power of Rolling Stone itself, that would be the best thing.
The devil's army in purgatory really wants to kill people.
Yesterday, Rhaegar called Matthew over to urgently discuss how to deal with the possible request for help from Lord Iliana.
Matthew and Zeller gave their own opinions respectively.
finally.
The "Big Three" of the Lord's Hall of Rolling Stone Town have reached a consensus.
Support is possible, but it depends on what price Alena can offer.
If only women were the cheapest bargaining chip in troubled times.
Then she might be rejected.
However, the subsequent development of the matter was beyond the expectations of the three men.
In the evening, the fleet from Deep Blue Harbor arrived at the official station in Rolling Stone Town.
Rhaegar thought Aliena would be eager to see him. He had even taken a shower, changed his clothes to look more energetic, and even sprayed some perfume.
Unexpectedly, Lady Alena sent her knights to deliver the news, claiming that her mother and daughter were so tired after traveling for several days that they could not even straighten their waists when they arrived at the inn. They just wanted to take a bath and have a good sleep.
Come back to visit the respected lord tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
This hard-to-get trick allowed the three men to see the skills from the East Coast.
Rhaegar looked a little disappointed.
However, Mrs. Wesley led Sif in at the right time, and the latter showed Rhaegar an oil painting she had recently painted. The portrait on the oil painting was clearly that of Rhaegar himself.
This moved Rhaegar so much that he quickly calmed down.
In the end, Matthew did not encounter Ms. Aliena and her little daughter who was said to be as beautiful as a fairy until he returned to work in the oak forest.
On the contrary, while maintaining the negative energy fountain at night, Peggy jumped out of the pool and shared what she had seen yesterday with Matthew.
So when he met Eli in the morning and saw his distraught appearance, Matthew had an idea.
The only thing that puzzled him was...
Why not Judy, who is said to be more beautiful, but Ms. Alena?
After the small incident, Eli's attention became more focused, and Matthew planted five or six trees in one go, then stopped.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter, the oak trees are becoming less active, and the saplings are also listless.
Forcibly planting trees in this kind of weather will only be counterproductive.
Now Matthew only seizes the time to plant a few trees in the early morning. He is getting closer and closer to the second goal of 3,000 trees. He is looking forward to what will happen after completion.
Seeing Matthew packing his things and heading back, Eli followed suit.
The two came to a place with dense oak trees.
Matthew patiently inspected the growth of these oak trees.
while walking.
Eli finally couldn't hold it in any longer and asked coldly:
"Matthew, did you say yesterday that there is still beautiful love in this world, and if you meet the right girl, you might as well give it a try?"
Matthew smiled, turned around and asked:
"But you also swore yesterday that you would never fall in love with any woman again."
Eli suddenly turned red:
"But, she is different."
"She gives me a very special feeling. Her voice is very lazy and has a hint of affection, a bit like...a bit like..."
He suddenly hesitated and couldn't speak.
Matthew asked thoughtfully:
"Ms. Alena's voice sounds a bit like your mother's?"
Eli was shocked:
"How do you know I'm talking about Ms. Alena?"
Matthew shrugged:
"It's obvious that you can't seem to resist the older type of woman who has the attributes of a good wife and mother."
"Samantha is actually older than you, she looks very mature."
Eli said honestly:
"She is twelve years older than me."
Matthew was surprised and said:
"So how old are you?"
Eli thought for a moment:
"Seventeen or eighteen, I can't remember clearly."
Matthew scratched his head:
"Remember to call me brother when we meet in the future. I'm probably ten years older than you."
He always thought that Eli was about the same age as him!
Unexpectedly, he turned out to be a little kid.
It's not Matthew's fault. Eli's appearance and temperament give people a very mature feeling. The wildness and beauty coming from the wilderness are actually the killers of some women.
Matthew even felt that Eli was older than him.
"Love has nothing to do with age."
Eli seemed to resist being told that he was young. He specifically said in a rich and magnetic voice:
"I do prefer older women, but I no longer remember my mother's voice. It was just a vague feeling. I overheard Ms. Alena's voice yesterday, and then I felt inexplicably
Very reassuring.”
"To be honest, I'm very distressed now, because nature tells me that I can't indulge in the love between a man and a woman.
But I really can't seem to control my emotions.
It will burst out uncontrollably when you meet the right person.
I don’t know what to do now.”
Matthew nodded secretly.
He heard Ella mention what happened to Eli——
Eli is a human who was raised by a tigress. Later, he met the Druid elder of the Earth Society. The elder was also a male. He probably had a rough and savage style on weekdays. For raising a baby, he probably just wanted to stay alive.
level.
Eli obviously lacks the love from his parents, and his mother's love may be even more serious, which subtly affects his concept of love.
"No wonder he fell in love with Peggy over just a few meals."
When Matthew thought about it, he felt that the little tiger was quite pitiful, and he felt a little pity in his heart.
"As I said yesterday, there must still be beautiful love in this world. Now you should ask yourself whether your so-called love really exists and whether it will continue in the future. If so,
Then I don’t object to you approaching Ms. Alena. Although the success rate is very low, bold attempts for your own feelings are worth encouraging, as long as you don’t lose yourself and dignity in the process."
Matthew gave his advice sincerely.
After listening to this, Eli thought thoughtfully:
"So the emphasis is on 'bold' and 'trying', right?"
Matthew shook his head:
"Wrong, the focus is on 'self' and 'dignity'."
Eli frowned and fell into deep thought.
It's been a long time.
He caught up with Matthew again at the other end of the oak forest.
"I figured it out. I will find an opportunity to get close to Ms. Alena. I will first confirm my feelings and then take action."
He looked very excited.
"Of course, I will remember the key points you drew for me, boldness and experimentation - oh no, self-esteem and dignity!"
Matthew nodded without surprise.
After learning Eli's age, he gave up his plan to persuade him, even though he knew that Ms. Alena's rank was enough to kill Eli.
As a young person, it is normal to desire love.
It is impossible to listen to other people's advice without receiving a few severe beatings.
Matthew wiped his sweat and changed the topic:
“Do you know where I can buy oak seeds?”
Eli thought for a moment:
"Oak seeds are regarded as one of the most precious plant secrets by nature guardians, and the Earth Society collects a batch of seeds every year for future use.
Some time ago, someone discovered that there was a problem with the seed bank. A considerable number of oak seeds were stolen and exposed on the market. For this reason, the Dadi Association launched a severe rectification.
Originally you could buy some of the seeds in Watcher's Heights, but now you no longer have the chance to buy them due to this rectification.
As far as I know, the top management of the Earth Society has a very firm attitude this time, and they will strictly control the whereabouts of oak seeds in the next few years.
If I come forward, I should be able to secretly ask for part of it for you, but certainly not more."
Matthew was keenly aware of the hidden message in the other person's words:
"You mean, besides me, is there anyone else who is buying up oak seeds in the market?"
Eli said uncertainly:
"Probably, since someone is stealing it, someone should be buying it."
"But you definitely won't be able to buy anything if you go now."
"Over at Watcher's Heights, the remnants of the Scar of the Dead have caused people to panic recently and the situation is very unstable. I also encountered a lot of resistance when I went to the south this time. Fortunately, the Great Elder recognized my potential.
, it didn’t stop me from pursuing my legendary path.”
Matthew asked curiously:
"What is your legendary way?"
Eli coughed twice and didn't reply.
After a few seconds, he changed the subject abruptly and said:
"Speaking of which, this oak forest still has the same problem I mentioned before. There are only oak trees, not a forest, and there are too few other creatures. In the long run, it will affect the ecological balance."
Matthew nodded and asked:
"What can you do?"
Eli pondered and said:
"Our Earth Society has a ceremonial venue called the 'Sanctuary of Life'. It can not only maintain the vitality of the earth, but also slowly enrich the ecology of the earth."
Matthew knew the sanctuary of life.
he asks:
"Then can you host one for me? I can pay your salary."
Eli said awkwardly:
"Sorry Matthew, I am a transformation master who is proficient in wilderness areas. The ritual site is not my main focus, and it requires a lot of effort to be built. I'm afraid I don't have that much time recently."
The implication is that I want to pick up girls and have no time.
Matthew was not particularly disappointed. He just checked the last oak tree and then suddenly jumped into the hole next to it.
"What are you going to do?"
Eli stood at the entrance of the cave and looked down, and the eerie atmosphere below made him panic.
"After planting the trees, now we are building the grave."
Matthew's voice echoed in the underground space for a long time.
…
Of course repairing a grave is a joke.
Matthew was referring to "making tombstones". In the past two days, he found that this ability is really easy to use and very cheap. It requires a lot of stone materials for Xinwak to chew on the spot.
The troll's oral skills are quite good.
Matthew told him that if he gnawed it into a square shape, it would not be round.
You can even ask for lace or something.
Of course, Matthew would definitely not be so inhumane. Xinwak actually lived a good life under his hands. He was provided with enough vegetables for six meals a day. He slept casually except for construction work and occasionally had milk to drink.
It is definitely much better than being in the hands of 177.
While walking through the center of the cemetery and passing the negative energy fountain, Matthew found Peggy drinking from the cow again.
He couldn't help but joke:
"Don't drink Peggy and leave a mouthful for the zombies next to you."
Negative energy fountains are the favorite snacks of the undead, so a large number of cemetery residents usually gather here.
Matthew set a rule for them that one person could drink for up to three minutes and must queue up.
All undead must comply.
Of course, except for the undead occupying the contract slot.
So he could often see Peggy drinking heavily at the fountain alone in the cemetery, with a long line of zombie skeletons behind her watching eagerly.
"Matthew, you have changed!"
Peggy walked out of the spring and said gloomily:
"You said before that when you build a cemetery, you will let me be the owner of the cemetery, and all the undead in the cemetery will have to obey me!"
"Now that I drink a few mouthfuls of your water, you'll feel distressed!"
Matthew skillfully reassured:
"Well, the current cemetery is too small. Don't you think there are only one or two hundred undead, which is a bit of a waste of your management skills?"
Peggy thought about it and felt that what Matthew said was reasonable.
Matthew then said in a persuasive manner:
"Sooner or later our cemetery will become a real city of the undead!"
"When the time comes, I will make you the captain of the urban management team. One person will be more powerful than ten thousand people. All the undead on the streets will have to listen to you!"
Peggy was surprised when she heard this:
"What is the position of urban management brigade captain? It sounds so powerful, are you serious?"
Matthew smiled slightly:
"When have I ever lied to you?"
Peggy suddenly became happy:
"Okay, I'll cook for you. What do you want to eat today?"
Matthew thought:
"Let's have some steak and fry some more eggs."
"okay."
Peggy happily ran to work in the newly built kitchen in the stone house next to her.
Matthew looked in the direction of the fountain, making sure that the zombies whose skin had begun to crack could finally take a sip of fresh negative energy spring water, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
It’s hard to be the boss!
He shook his head and walked quickly towards his work area.
today.
It’s the day Matthew officially starts making Darth Vader!