The Glory of Noxus

Chapter 133 Red Haze Over the Plains Roses in the Dark
Rocklund, a bustling trading street.

Huo Jixing sat alone on the second floor of the tavern, with several plates of side dishes and drinks in front of him.

His strange eyes crossed the wooden window sill and looked at the bustling and busy streets.

"The Chamber of Commerce of Frost Harbor, the Avarosa Tribe?"

Turning his eyes, he saw a group of Freljordians wearing fur robes, purchasing food at the shop opposite, bargaining with the boss in broken Noxian.

In the past month, in addition to training, Huo Jixing would often borrow books from the Trifali Council's collection and compare them with the information in his past life memories.

Most of the information can reflect each other.

Among the Freljordians in front of him, he saw the logo of the Avarosa tribe.

Loklund is rich in radishes, which are durable in storage.

Even in the cold winter weather, the taste will not be affected.
Very beloved by the people of the Freljord, it is a must-have item for every purchase.

Among the street shops, Huo Jixing also saw shops run by Piltover merchants.

Perhaps at the time of delivery, many Chamber of Commerce guards armed with gunpowder spears were unloading wooden boxes. Judging from their light movements, the boxes should contain spices and colored glaze.

dong dong!dong dong!
The bell rang.

Huo Jixing heard the news and went to see a tall and majestic clock tower in the center of the city of Rocklund, with the hands at six o'clock.

"It's a bit slow!" Huo Jixing whispered softly.

He is waiting for Tai Lung's arrival. The Reese Guard Secretariat is just a foothold where he can trade some intelligence information about the mission.

"come yet?"

With his eyes lowered, Huo Jixing took out the rune token from his arms, its dim light flickering.

Then he paid and left the restaurant.

Rocklund, plain wilderness.

In the dark woods, Huo Jixing saw Tai Long wearing a silver cloak.

"It has a tail, so it took a while." Tai Lung explained in a slightly stiff tone.

It was during Operation Darius.

As he left the capital of Noxus, he attracted the attention of those who cared.

Even if you use [Noxtra] to teleport to other cities, there are still people who will follow you.

"fine."

A red-golden light flashed dimly in Huo Jixing's eyes, and when he saw that there were no clouds rising around him, he nodded.

"lets go."

The two walked along the edge of the plain in silence.

Their mission location is on the west side of Rocklund——

Rocklund Plains.

It is an important resource point for the Noxian Empire.

There are many natural sulfur deposits buried under this seemingly barren hill, which is the main ingredient of black gunpowder.

But recently, rebel forces have appeared deep in the Lokronde Plains, interfering with and destroying the empire's production workshops.

Secret mission content: Investigate the cause of the rebellion.

A biting cold wind hits.

Huo Jixing and Tai Long hid themselves and moved forward with all their strength, arriving at the Lokronde Plain before midnight.

"Something's wrong." Huo Jixing stopped.

Tai Lung, who was beside him, also noticed something unusual. The air was filled with an almond-like smell and a strong smell of blood. The two mixed together and filled the sky above the plain.

The two looked at each other silently.

Then we found a hilly high point and looked out over the Rocklund Plain in front of us.

Against the backdrop of the dusty, blood-colored sky, the undulating hills are no longer fertile and green. The earthy ground is turned up and stained with bright red blood, as if they have experienced the baptism of war. Occasionally, wild beasts can be seen wandering around in search of food.

[Suzaku·Red Eyes and Fire Eyes]!
A red golden light glowed, and in the hilly area near Huojixing's patrol, there were almost no clouds rising.

He looked at Tai Lung beside him and waved.

The two of them paused their progress and carefully sneaked into the plains and hills.

After going more than ten kilometers deep.

Huo Jixing saw that this place was completely different from the fertile plain outside the city of Rocklund.

The undulating hilly terrain in front of us has been severely excavated.

The once verdant mountain peaks have been carved out and destroyed, and the deep and peaceful valleys are littered with garbage.Large areas of ferocious traces are spread inside and outside the hills, leaving a feeling of desolation and desolation.

Continue for more than half an hour.

Huo Jixing saw towering camps rising one after another in the hilly areas.

"Noxian Chapter!"

The blazing light of fireworks illuminated the hills, and the crimson imperial flags fluttered high in the dark sky.

"Go around." Tailong saw Huo Jixing's hesitation and spoke bluntly.

"The missions we carry out are accountable only to the Noxian High Command."

Huo Jixing nodded slightly to express his understanding.

Then he followed Talon, bypassing the Noxian camp and moving forward cautiously.

The night is getting darker, and there is no light.

The hilly terrain is relatively complex, and sometimes you need to climb steep slopes and sometimes you need to cross long and narrow valleys.

Ordinary people, if they lack understanding, may just retreat.

But Huo Jixing and Tai Long were not ordinary Leise garrison soldiers.

The two crossed valleys and narrow roads and came deep into the hills.

“The flavor is getting stronger!”

Huo Jixing smelled the smell of sulfur and blood in his nose, and his expression gradually became serious.

The footholds and villages seen along the way seemed to have been massacred indiscriminately. Cold and stiff corpses were scattered everywhere, and only the remaining and collapsed walls told the fresh atmosphere of the past.

There were also corpses piled up on the official roads that were built, and the ground was stained red with blood.

There are some discrepancies with the rebel information recorded in the intelligence.

"There is someone ahead!"

With his red-gold eyes flashing, he saw twelve dim clouds appearing in his field of vision, about one kilometer away from him.

There was silence.

Huo Jixing and Tai Long merged into the dark night and approached a low and complex hill.

On the back of the uneven hills, among the piles of rocks, I could see the dim light of fire.

Looking around, Huo Jixing saw a group of 12 people hiding in the rocks, relying on the flickering bonfire in front of them to keep warm.

"Rebels? Refugees?" Doubts arose in his heart.

Within his field of vision, the people he saw were in ragged clothes and had not enough to eat.

Under the torn linen clothes, he could not withstand the cold wind at all. His body, which looked like a tree trunk, curled up in the hope of slowing down the loss of body temperature.

In the stone pot next to the campfire, there was some food cooked with soil mixed with bark and grass.

It looked like blistered mud and smelled extremely unpleasant.

Huo Jixing squatted high on the hill. After thinking for a while, he made a gesture to Tai Lung, indicating that he would show up to check, while he stayed in the dark.

Seeing Tai Lung nod.

He stood up and walked towards the pile of rocks, stomping on the ground deliberately to cause a noise.

"who is it?"

Huo Jixing looked surprised.

Although it is a bit difficult to pronounce, it is indeed pure Noxian.

Under the dim light of the fire, some 'refugees' came out, and when they saw Huo Jixing hiding, his expression suddenly changed.

"Enemy attack!"

The roar sounded, and the 'refugee' who was supposed to be sleeping quickly got up, picked up the simple wooden weapon beside him, and rushed towards Huo Jixing.

"Damn Noxian scout!"

"Kill him!"

"We can't let him leave alive."

Chaotic shouts broke the tranquility of the night, and a number of 'refugees', who were as thin as straws and had red eyes, approached him.

Huo Jixing took a step back and was about to speak to stop them.

Clang!

A silvery white cold light flashed, like lightning, across the crowd of 'refugees' between ups and downs.

The night became quiet again, and the strong smell of blood disappeared with the wind.

Tai Long walked over, the silver-white dagger dancing lightly on his fingertips, looked at Huo Jixing coldly, and escaped into the night.

Seeing this, Huo Jixing sighed softly and followed.

When he left, he looked at the corpses piled among the rocks, and he had some doubts about the identity of these people, whether they were rebels or refugees.

It's a pity that these people act like crazy when they see outsiders. They don't pay attention to them and just rush forward to kill them.

Perhaps they have reached the area where the rebels are active.

After a cup of tea.

Huo Jixing and Tai Long once again found a team of targets. There were still 12 people in the team, with the same sallow complexion and thin muscles, and they were struggling to move forward in the cold wind.

The dim starlight fell, soaking in the deep red haze of the sky.

The two of them fell silently not far behind the rebels.

Carefully observing the movement habits of these rebels, it seems that they are sentries out on patrol. From time to time, they will place some dark things in the ground.

"Is it black powder?"

Huo Jixing's heart moved, thinking of the natural sulfur mines buried under the Rocklund Plain.

Although some of the rebels in front of them did not seem to be able to make their own black powder. They had no clothes on their bodies and no food to eat. Sometimes they would eat bark and dirt when they were too hungry.

Far inferior to the life in the slums at the bottom of the Noxus capital.

But with the presence of black powder, it's understandable why they could stop the Noxian warband's advance.

Huo Jixing and Tai Long avoided the black powder on the ground and silently followed the rebels to a majestic excavated mountain range.

Looking from a distance, a relatively well-preserved workshop stands halfway up the mountain.

On the wall outside the workshop, you can see some remaining traces of battle and dried blood, as well as several damaged Noxian Empire banners that are trampled upon.

Even late at night, there was still a roar in the workshop, and clouds of dark gray hot mist emerged from the top of the workshop.

When the rebels passed the city gate, a line of soldiers wearing mails set up guard. Only after they were all cleared, they were able to enter the workshop.

The red golden light filled the eyes.

Huo Jixing looked at the workshop that once belonged to the Noxus Empire. There were clouds rising, dense and countless.

"So many people?" He whispered softly, looking a little surprised.

At the same time, there are secret sentries hidden around the workshop at key locations along various traffic arteries.

After Huo Jixing and Tai Long communicated silently, they pointed at the dark whistles around them, and then used the dark night to sneak into the workshop in front of them.

After entering, he found that the workshop in front of him looked more like a refugee camp.

The narrow streets and claustrophobic houses were crowded with rebels of all ages.

Their bellies were swollen and hanging on the ground, like old trees withered branches, leaning on each other without any movement.

When the cold wind blows, occasionally someone will open their dull eyes. After struggling for a while, they will cross their arms and fall into a deep sleep.Except for the interior of the workshop, there is no light at all.

The rebels who had just entered returned to their houses, took out the bark of plants and trees from their arms, added some soil, swallowed it forcefully, and began to rest with their eyes closed.

Huo Jixing looked deeply at the rebels.

The living environment is almost like a primitive society, and resources are extremely scarce.

It is hard to imagine that under such difficult conditions, they stopped the attack of the Noxian war group and entered a state of anxiety.

Suppressing his inner thoughts, he and Tai Long followed the light and silently approached the interior of the workshop.

"There is a warning trap."

Tai Lung, who had always remained silent, spoke, his eyes falling on the walls and ground in the passage, and traces of subtle changes came into view.

"Go in."

The silver-gray figure escaped into the darkness, and Tailong skillfully avoided the traps around him.

Huo Jixing kept up with the pace, and with the help of [Suzaku·Red Eyes and Fire Pupils], he noticed the secret whistle hidden in the workshop.

Cooperating with each other, the two quickly went deep into the core area of ​​the workshop.

"Turn right ahead." Huo Jixing said.

Within his red field of vision, there were many clouds gathering, and it looked like there were a lot of people there.

Moreover, there are a few clouds that are extremely eye-catching, and they are suspected to be extraordinary beings.

After crossing the winding passage, Huo Jixing and Tai Long stopped.

There were runes shining in the corridor in front of them, and tiny runes were intertwined in the air, preventing anyone from approaching.

Seeing Tai Long shaking his head, Huo Jixing understood that the corridor in front of him was not easy to sneak into secretly.

"Are you so careful?"

He looked at the many clouds close at hand and felt a little hesitant in his heart.

It's okay to break in by force, but it will definitely disturb the people inside.

He looked at his surroundings, and with a flash of inspiration, he pointed at the empty house nearby and went in to find a secret corner.

"Steel, it's okay." Huo Jixing knocked on the wall, and Nanli fire danced on his fingertips.

Then, red-gold fireworks ignited, and the steel slowly melted under the ultra-high temperature.

Huo Jixing asked Tailong to be on guard outside, and he leaned in.

Not far ahead, he extinguished the fire of Nanli, and under the extension of his spirit, there were waves of hazy sounds.

"I can't stand it anymore. People are starving to death frequently in the workshop. If we don't fight back, we will be completely trapped in the Rocklund Plain." An angry voice sounded.

"Perhaps we can try to let some old people and children return to the noble territory." A gentle voice suggested.

"Go back? Not to mention the harsh taxes imposed by those damn nobles, what status do they use to go back?"

"Also, don't forget the noble blood on your hands, we have become rebels!"

"If you ask me, those damn aristocratic gentlemen should be given a taste of the power of black powder."

"We can't get close to the Noxian warband." Wen Wen said with some struggle.

"I have contacted you in advance and someone will cooperate with us then!"

"Now let's vote whether we agree to raid the Noxus war group." The angry voice softened and he continued.

"Our supplies can no longer last half a month!"

"agree!"

"agree!"

After a while, they ended their internal meeting, and messy footsteps sounded.

Huo Jixing subconsciously closed his breath and suppressed his aura with all his strength.

"Nobility, harsh taxes, black powder?"

Thoughts surged in his heart, and he slowly exited until there was no more clouds in sight.

Looking at the hole in front of him, Huo Jixing melted a thin layer of steel and covered the infiltration position, perfectly covering the traces.

He turned to look at Tai Lung in the dark and nodded slightly.

Although the two of them were on a mission for the first time, they cooperated well, and they did not abandon their duties as scouts.

"Black powder?"

After hearing Huo Jixing's description, Tailong's mood fluctuated for the first time and he uttered a voice of surprise.

There were many controlled products in the Noxus Empire, and black powder was one of them.

It has been clearly prohibited and no one is allowed to trade with any force.

The two were silent for a while, then decided to leave the workshop temporarily and return to the Leiser Guard Secret Office to report the news.

Perhaps the reason for the rebellion was hidden under the black powder.

The dark night filled the sky.

The rich red haze lingered for a long time, clinging to the sky like a stubborn ringworm.

Huo Jixing and Tai Long followed the way they came and left the workshop quietly.

"Ok?"

When stepping onto the hills, Huo Jixing raised his eyebrows slightly.

Under the red-gold eyes, a striking cloud came into view, sneaking into the winter night.

"Extraordinary person? Someone who appeared at the rebel meeting?"

He immediately turned around and followed secretly.

Under the rugged hills, the target seemed to be very familiar with the surrounding terrain, going around in circles and changing directions several times before leaving the hills and heading towards the established trajectory.

Behind him, Huo Jixing's eyes flickered and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

In terms of tracking ability alone, with [Suzaku·Red Eyes of Fire], he is undoubtedly much better than Tai Lung.

In complex mountainous areas, targets have strong anti-reconnaissance capabilities and will stop and observe from time to time.

But in Huo Jixing's eyes, these were like child's play, full of flaws.

"Have you stopped?"

Huo Jixing hid in the tree canopy and looked at the target he was following.

A dim bonfire was lit, and a middle-aged man wearing thick robes stood on the spot.

He looks sallow and slightly thin, but his mental state is not bad. He is completely different from other rebels.

"Noxian strategist?"

Looking at the Noxian soldiers with visors appearing in the distance, Huo Jixing's expression became solemn.

Wearing dark gray armor and a red cloak, the double-edged ax logo engraved on his chest silently tells his identity——

Noxian Strategist!

They are indispensable high-ranking non-commissioned officers for every Noxian chapter. They assist the leader of the Noxian chapter in commanding, planning strategic decisions, and launching correct strategies.

"Sir, we have persuaded the rebels to attack the Noxian battle group." The middle-aged man with a yellow complexion bent down and said respectfully.

"But our bodies."

"Don't worry, I will deal with the corrosive reaction caused by the rune magic power after the matter is completed." The Noxian strategist said softly.

"Besides, I think you still enjoy the feeling of entitlement brought by the power of runes."

He looked at the middle-aged man who was making a respectful gesture in front of him with interest: "With the help of rune items, you can occupy a high position in the rebels and easily change your own destiny."

"Sir, we just want to eliminate the negative effects of rune magic." The yellow-faced middle-aged man said with a flattering smile.

"Wouldn't it be better to serve you if you could use the power of rune magic without any hindrance?"

"Haha!" the Noxian strategist chuckled.

"Where's Rivion?"

"He needs to go to the front line to lead the rebels in battle, and arrange for me to come and report to you alone." The middle-aged man's eyes flickered, as if he wanted to continue to say something.

"That's not the case, so you acted alone and brought a tail?"

After hearing this, the middle-aged man raised his head and looked at the Noxian strategist in front of him, his expression suddenly became horrified.

"Uh tail"

puff!

Clothes were torn and blood sprayed.

The middle-aged man vomited blood and lowered his eyes. When he saw the arm pierced through his chest, he wanted to reach out and pull it out. Finally, halfway, he fell weakly on his sides.

"Come out!"

The light of the campfire illuminated the visor. The Noxian strategist pushed down the corpse in front of him, shook his arm, and looked at the tree crown with a cold expression.

"Tsk, tsk, very decisive!"

Huo Jixing was shocked, and then jumped down.

Holding the long knife in his left hand, he strolled to the campfire and carefully looked at the Noxian strategist in front of him.

"Telling out the battle group's intelligence and colluding with the rebels is a serious crime."

"Who are you?" The Noxian strategist leaned forward slightly, as if questioning Huo Jixing's identity.

"A sentry from the Assassin's Guild!" Huo Jixing said casually.

"I will report everything I just saw."

"Oh, the Assassin's Guild?" The Noxian strategist chuckled with a sarcastic look on his face.

"I hope you can report the news."

The sentinel of the Assassin's Guild in front of him is very powerful. The long knife hanging on his waist is a rune item and should not be entangled too much.

The Noxian strategist looked gloomy and slowly retreated towards the darkness, preparing to leave.

Huo Jixing originally wanted to continue asking and testing his words.

But when he saw the Noxian strategist retreating, he shrugged his shoulders and stood still.

"Ok?"

Seeing Huo Jixing making no move to stop him.

The Noxian strategist frowned, and a sense of danger suddenly rose in his heart.

puff!
Silently.

A flash of silver-white sword light emerged from the darkness, instantly suppressing the dim starlight and bonfire light, and struck at the Noxian strategist's neck.

"No"

The armor shattered and black mist rose.

Like a blooming flower, intention wrapped around the Noxian strategist's body.

But before it could bloom, the silver blade fell, easily cutting through the black mist.

Pfft!
The headless body fell, twitched a few times, and then stopped completely. The blood spurted out, like a stream, staining the mountainous area red.

"I'm waiting for someone, what are you waiting for?"

Glancing at Tailong who was hiding in the shadows, Huo Jixing squatted down and began to search for the corpse in front of him, while taking away the runes on the middle-aged man's body.

"This is the token.!"

On the Noxian strategist's body, he reached out and touched a cold token and took it out immediately.

With the help of the bonfire that had not yet been extinguished, he looked at the black token in his hand.

A blooming black rose is engraved on the front, and rune imprints resembling petals are on the back.

"Black Rose!"

(End of this chapter)