I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 229 Bad News

……

……

"Click——"

Rod disassembled the crab leg, which was as thick as his forearm, revealing snow-white crab meat.

The meat is firm, with distinct fibers, crystal clear, and exudes a sweet and fresh aroma.

This primal deliciousness naturally deserves to be enjoyed in the most primitive way.

Rod used his hands to pick out the crab meat, pulling out a whole strip of meat.

"Here, try this."

Rod tore off a piece and handed it to Vivian.

Vivian reached out and took it, the scalding hot crab meat making her hiss.

The freshly steamed crab meat was naturally very hot and full of juice; no one but Rod could stand it.

Vivian moved her hands back and forth like that, but she was unwilling to let go of the crab meat.

Rod realized that everyone else, like him, couldn't handle such hot food.

He didn't share any more with the white wolf, but tore off a piece and put it in his mouth.

The tender crab meat melts in your mouth, and the fresh and fragrant flavor instantly hits your taste buds. With one bite, the rich and hot juices burst on your tongue, making you squint your eyes involuntarily.

Finally, I tasted a delicious flavor I'd never experienced before in this world!
After swallowing a piece of delicious crab meat the size of half a fist, Rod let out a satisfied sigh.

I've never tasted anything this delicious in the world.

Even the meat of a wyvern can't compare to the meat of this giant crab.

In his previous life, Rhodes had eaten no more than a dozen crabs, let alone one this big.

In this lifetime, I have finally satisfied my taste buds.

Rod's satisfied expression made those around him swallow hard, while Gunle reached into the pot and pulled out a crab leg.

"Ouch, it's burning hot!"

The hot shell made Gunle grimace, but he still managed to throw the crab leg onto the stone platform.

Then, holding the cleaned battle axe, he split the crab legs open and used a twig to pry out the crab meat from inside.

It must be said that although Gunle had never eaten crab before, he immediately grasped the method.

"It's delicious!"

Gonner grinned and ate heartily, exclaiming loudly, "It would be even better if there was some wine!"

"My lord, it's truly wonderful to live under your patronage!"

As Gunle ate, he sighed and casually pulled out a piece, handing it to Aleya.
"Come on, try it!"

"Thank you, but you should eat first, Lord Gunther."

Aleya waved her hand and glanced at Gunle's battle axe.

Aleya immediately recalled the scene of Gonle scraping dead skin with his battle axe.

"Sigh, forget about eating then!"

Gunle handed the crab meat to the white wolf.

The white wolf ignored him completely, picked up a crab leg, and started gnawing on it on the stone platform.

"Hahaha!"

Gunle's disdainful look caused everyone to burst into laughter.

Gunle didn't care, just pursed his lips and started eating by himself.

Seeing Aleya's cautious yet eager expression, Rhode shared some crab meat with her.

"It shouldn't be hot anymore."

"Thank you."

Aleya took it with both hands, carefully tore off a piece, put it in her mouth, and her eyes lit up instantly.
"It really tastes completely different from the wild game from the mountains!"

"It tastes different from fish, it's incredibly fresh!"

"Of course, how can seafood from the ocean be the same as wild game?"

Rod smiled and said, "Even sea fish and river fish taste different."

With that, Rhodes stood up and said to everyone, "You all come and have a taste, don't wait for me to give you your share!"

"Break the crab legs open, and you can eat the meat inside."

There's nothing special to do when eating crab legs, so Rod gave up his seat so everyone could get some.

"Yes, Lord Lord."

The group responded respectfully, and the four captains stepped forward to take the crab legs and distribute them to the hunters and Winter Guards.

"If it's not enough, we can keep cooking; there are plenty of crab legs."

Rhodes called out, picked up a small crab leg, and instructed Aleya, "After you finish eating, send some of the crab meat back, and then smoke and dry it directly near the cave."

Rhodes originally wanted to handle it on the shore.

But the few trees here are simply not enough.

Without trees, there's no firewood; we can only take the crab meat back with us.

Fortunately, Rhodes had brought some salt beforehand, and since the cave was cold and damp, he wasn't worried about the crab meat spoiling in the short term.

However, it cannot be stored for too long.

"Have them send another twenty men, along with firewood, salt, wooden buckets, and other tools."

Rhodes looked at the half-processed giant crab; the meat alone weighed two or three thousand pounds, far too much to fit inside.

"Also, find a few more people to explore upstream along the underground river to see if there are any other exits."

"Yes, my lord!"

Aleya nodded vigorously, wiping the juice from her mouth. "I'll go arrange for someone to go back right now!"

"Okay, let's finish arranging things first."

Rod smiled. "I'll have them steam another pot."

Rod wasn't full yet, but the crab meat couldn't wait and had to be dealt with quickly.

After Aleya left, Rhodes pulled Vivian aside and instructed, "Tell Avril to have Lawrence send me fifty honest and reliable slaves."

"My main responsibilities included cutting down trees, building wooden huts, and preparing game and cooking."

Rhodes thought for a moment, "I'll take half the women, preferably single and unmarried, or widows or something like that."

"If it's a family, we can arrange for them all to come over."

Rod added a special instruction: "Being hardworking, honest, and reliable is the most important thing; everything else is secondary."

In this era, apart from lazy people, both men and women can work. Women can also basically do things like curing and smoking meat, so there is no need to deliberately select them.

They don't know how to go beachcombing or handle seafood, so they need Rod to provide them with secondary training. Everyone is basically the same.

Stability and reliability are still the most important things.

Rhodes intends for them to live here long-term.

"Mmm Good."

Vivian closed her eyes and memorized everything Rhodes had told her.

A moment later she opened her eyes,
"My sister has already gone to instruct Lawrence."

"very good."

Rhodes nodded in satisfaction.

"Eat up, and I'll take you to go beachcombing after you're done."

Rhodes gazed at the sea outside the cave.

"Luckily, the tide is about to go out."

……

……

The northern wilderness, on the northwestern edge of Ice Peak Valley.

As dusk settles in, the withered yellow grass, tinged with new green shoots, sways in the breeze.

Tucson sat behind a rock at the edge of the ravine, his eyes reddening, his vision filled with the desolate landscape he saw through the eyes of his eagle.

The eagle soared over valleys and forests, searching for the target Tucson was looking for.

Unfortunately, nothing was found.

Then Tucson opened his eyes.

Seeing his fellow patrol members looking at him expectantly, Tucson shook his head helplessly.
"still none."

After more than half a month of searching, the wasteland beneath our feet seemed cursed, so empty that it chilled us to the bone.

The patrol leader, Lanier, squatted on the ground, wiping his hunting bow.

"It's been more than half a month, and we've only found eight people."

He shook his head, his voice low and heavy with a sigh.

After the lizard monster invasion, Ranier led his team to handle the aftermath in Icewind Town.

Search for survivors, bury the bodies, and while you're at it, gather usable supplies from Icewind Town to bring back to Frostleaf Town.

The lizard monsters did more slaughter than loot, but many useful items were found in the ruins of Icewind Town.

Animal hides, farm tools, iron ore, as well as bags, hemp ropes, oil lamps, and other daily necessities.

Lanier didn't keep track of it; they were all taken away, but the number was considerable.

Lanier didn't leave, following Rhodes' orders to continue searching for survivors in Icewind Town. After all, there wasn't much to eat in the wild at this time of year; they would starve to death.

"Icewind Town...it's truly a pitiful place."

The others couldn't help but sigh as well.

Tucson said with a wry smile, "Of the entire town, only a few hundred people are left."

The feeling in Tucson was particularly profound.

As a former savage, several hundred was far beyond his original understanding of numbers.

In the past, he would have been unable to count them at all.

"There are hardly any corpses, let alone living people."

Lanier stood up. "Let's go back to the cave to rest. We'll search again tomorrow and then head back."

Lanier didn't know if the lord would allow them to continue the search, but he had to go back and report now.

"Ah."

Tucson casually agreed, stood up, and dusted himself off.

The others nodded and stood up.

At that moment, Tucson suddenly stopped.
"Wait a moment!"

Tucson was moved and immediately sat down again, his eyes reddening, reconnecting with the eagle.

"There are survivors on the desolate path in the northwest!"

His voice was tinged with surprise, and he immediately disconnected.
"Quick, come with me!"

Tucson immediately got up and led the patrol towards the survivors.

After a long time, they found the survivors that Tucson had mentioned in a mountain hollow.

The six survivors, tattered and without any supplies, huddled in a ravine, panting heavily.

Ranier looked at the six people, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

"Why do I have a feeling they're fleeing towards the Ice Peak Valley?"

Lanier was filled with doubt. He waved his hand and led his soldiers to surround them.

The six survivors were visibly startled the moment they saw Lanier and the others.

Then a middle-aged survivor knelt down before Lanier with a terrified expression, crying out loudly.

"Sir, they're all dead! All dead!"

Lanier frowned upon hearing this, and one of his men stepped forward, retorting sharply, "What are you saying? You're the one who's dead!"

"No, no, it's the Frozen Wasteland!"

The survivor hurriedly explained, "The Frozen Bone Town there was destroyed by the Lizardmen; they killed everyone!"

"What?! Another lizardman?!"

Lanier stepped forward and grabbed the survivor by the collar. "Did you see it with your own eyes, or did you hear it from someone else?"

"We saw it with our own eyes!"

Another survivor, his voice hoarse and his face contorted in pain, said, “We were all originally from Frozen Bone Town. That night we went to the lake to catch fish, and when we returned the next day, the town was full of lizardmen!”

"My wife and children have been killed!"

After saying this, the survivor knelt on the ground, buried his face in his hands, and wept bitterly, "I'm a useless piece of trash, I don't dare to avenge them!"

The others were immediately moved by him and couldn't help but cry.

Ranier frowned, his mind racing.

He then turned to look at his subordinates.
"Go back immediately and ride a horse to the advance outpost to report this to the lord!"

"Understood, boss!"

The subordinate threw the round shield to his companion, clutched the longsword at his waist, and turned to run.

Ranier turned his head and looked at the group of people who were still crying, feeling a headache coming on.
"Shut up, everyone!"

Lanier knew they were sad, but news of the lizardmen was more important than their grief.
"Take me to that town now!"

"what?"

The survivor, who was still crying, was visibly stunned for a moment, and a clear look of fear appeared on his tear-streaked face.

"Do not talk nonsense!"

Lanier's men drew their longswords and pointed them at the survivors, shouting, "Our boss told you to lead the way, so lead the way now!"

Ranier, his face also cold, raised his longsword.
"Lead the way, and I will pay you."

"Otherwise, you'll die here right now."

They are now protecting the interests of Black Pine Ridge, and they don't care about threats or even murder.

"me……"

The survivor stammered.

At this moment, a dirty-faced boy stood up from behind.
"I go!"

"Okay, then it's you!"

Lanier nodded, glanced back at the remaining people, and ignored them.

"Throw away your things and leave now!"

Without any hesitation, Lanier grabbed the boy and headed straight northwest without looking back.

Lanier knew very well that time was more important than gold coins in this situation.

Without time to dawdle or rest, they traveled through the night and arrived at a place five or six kilometers from Donggu Town in the early morning.

Tucson immediately released the eagle, which flew westward in the general direction the boy pointed out.

After a long while, Tucson's eyes turned red, and his consciousness reconnected with the eagle.

Tucson was in a hurry and urged the eagle to quickly search every inch of the wasteland.

Lanier and his men were no longer as relaxed as before, remaining vigilant about their surroundings to prevent being ambushed.

Soon, Tucson saw Frozen Bone Town.

—To be precise, the ruins of Frozen Bone Town.

Like Frozen Town, Frozen Bone Town is now in ruins, with bloodstains and traces of flames everywhere.

All kinds of pots and pans were smashed to pieces, and the streets were littered with all sorts of tattered clothes and shoes.

However, no bodies were found.

Tucson also failed to witness the actions of the lizardmen, the instigators of all this.

Tucson controlled the eagle to patrol the surrounding area, but still did not see any lizardmen.

Tucson immediately told Ranier everything.

"What? No?"

His eyes widened, his face filled with shock.
"how is this possible?"

"Did they withdraw?"

Lanier frowned in thought, "We haven't seen any trace of lizardmen along the way..."

"Tucson, could you please do some more searching of the surrounding area, especially the hidden mountain valleys and caves?"

Lanier cautiously warned, "Beware that they might take another route and launch a surprise attack on Black Pine Ridge."

"it is good."

Tucson nodded emphatically and began controlling the eagle to search again.

However, after searching carefully again, he still found no trace of the lizardmen.

Tucson disconnected and told Lanier the result.

At the same time, he shared his new findings.

"I sent my Frost Howl to patrol at low altitude and found obvious tire tracks in the northwest direction of Frozen Bone Town."

Tucson guessed, "Those lizardmen probably went west."

Lanier gripped his longsword tightly, his doubts deepening.

"They didn't even come to Ice Peak Valley?"

“Perhaps it’s because they know that Ice Peak Valley has been destroyed,” Tucson said.

"But don't we still have Black Pine Ridge?"

Ranier frowned, his mind racing, unable to figure it out for a moment.

When Black Pine Ridge wiped out the lizard monsters, the lord always thought that the Bloodscale Tribe would retaliate.

I never expected them to be here now.

“Do you know what else is to the west?” Lanier asked Tucson.

Tucson shook his head.

He had spent his entire life in the Blade's Edge Mountains. If he hadn't come to Frostleaf Town and become a subject of the Holy Lord, he wouldn't even recognize a hundred people.

Who knows what lies to the west of the Frozen Bone Wasteland?

"To the west are the Ice Breath Hills, Captain."

The boy suddenly spoke up: "There's a small town there too."

"Won't the lizardmen attack that town?"

Ranier's eyes were full of worry.
"No, this matter must be reported to the lord immediately!"

(End of this chapter)