The door was pushed open, and a boot stepped into the room.“Ahhhhhhh!!!”Ian lunged forward, raising his kindling axe to strike!But before his axe could even reach the newcomer, it was easily caught by the other party’s outstretched hand.With a click, the kindling axe was snatched away with a single hand.Ian froze.The newcomer was not the bandit he had imagined.He wore metal armor, with an emblem of a crimson sun emblazoned on his chest.“You are—”Before Ian could react, the knight had already tossed the kindling axe behind him, quickly walked to the side of the heated brick bed, and looked at the little girl huddled there.He frowned, took off his glove, and tentatively touched Mia’s forehead.“High fever.”His tone held little fluctuation, yet it sounded like a pronouncement. Then, without another word, he bent down and picked up the girl.“You, what are you doing? Put her down!” Ian instinctively tried to grab her, but was stopped by the other’s outstretched hand.The man’s voice was firm: “I am a knight from Red Tide Territory, here to save people. There’s a physician nearby, your child still has time.”As he spoke, he had already turned and walked out the door.Ian paused.Red Tide Territory? Save people? Physician?He didn’t quite understand what the knight was saying; his mind was still in a mess.But he clearly heard those four words: “still has time.”Those were the most beautiful words he had heard in months.So Ian released his hand, which had been holding the knight.The knight said nothing more, only holding the little girl in his arms, walking quickly out the door, mounting his horse, and galloping west.Ian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly reacted, rushing out the door barefoot.He ran desperately in the direction the knight had left, dirt scraping his soles, the cracked ground leaving streaks of blood. But the knight rode too fast, disappearing into the forest in a few breaths, not even a shadow remaining.“Mia!” he shouted, stumbling as he chased.There was no response, only the whistling wind.Ian didn’t know what else he could do, only that he had to chase, just to confirm that the knight wasn’t an illusion.Even if it was just to give himself a reason to live.He could only keep running in that direction.His breathing was like rust scraping in his chest, every step like stepping on hot iron.But he dared not stop.After running for nearly two hours, something finally appeared before his eyes.It was a camp.Ian froze.This place—he had been here before.Before the war, it was this small village, and he, as a carpenter, had come to repair houses here.But now the village no longer existed, with collapsed houses everywhere, charred wooden beams, and axe marks and arrow shafts on the scorched earthen walls.It seemed this place had also been attacked by the Snowsworn.But unlike his own village, a cluster of tents had sprung up amidst the ruins, bonfires illuminated the night, cooking smoke rose, and people moved back and forth.He couldn't believe his eyes.The warm scent of porridge still wafted through the air, and some people sat by the fire, holding bowls and gently blowing on them, their faces filled with contentment.Soldiers patrolled, children peeked out of tents, and the wounded lay in corners wrapped in bandages.There were also physicians in clean robes, kneeling beside injured soldiers, carefully bandaging them.The tents weren't new, but they were sturdy, dry, and free of mildew.The porridge was thin, made of coarse grains, but it was warm, fragrant, and enough to fill one’s stomach.Compared to what he had endured these past days, this was heaven on earth.Most striking was a flag raised high in the center of the camp.A crimson flag, fluttering in the wind, with a brilliant ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ golden sun in its center.Ian quickly found where his daughter was.It wasn’t because his sense of direction was good, but because too many people were gathered there, making too much noise, and he almost instinctively rushed over.The largest tent was set up there, its curtain half-lifted, and around it stood a circle of similarly shabbily dressed refugees, their expressions anxious, some weeping softly, others just biting their lips without speaking.Several physicians in white robes hurried back and forth inside, their hands smelling of blood and herbs.Most of the injured, like him, were shabbily dressed wanderers, tormented survivors.He even recognized a few familiar faces, neighbors from his village, some with bandaged legs, others with wounds still on their faces.Then he saw his daughter.Amidst a pile of herbs and bandages, her small figure lay on a makeshift wooden bed, her face pale, her breathing faint.The physician beside her was carefully applying herbal mud to her forehead; the green paste emitted a pungent bitter smell, but also a reassuring scent.Ian practically lunged forward, kneeling beside the physician, his voice trembling like a broken bellows: “Can…can she still be saved?”The physician didn’t even lift his head, just continued his actions: “She can still be saved. The fever isn’t too deep, it’s already come down a bit. It mainly depends on whether she can hold on, but the chances are quite good.”These two brief sentences were like pulling Ian back from the edge of a cliff.His eyes welled up, his body went limp, and he directly knelt down, about to kowtow with his forehead to the ground.But before he could kowtow, he was grabbed by an arm and roughly pulled aside by a hand.“Don’t block the way, there are people waiting in line behind!” The voice wasn't loud, but it conveyed impatience.Ian could only be pulled back, but he kept muttering “thank you” under his breath.Tears streamed down his face.He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he had cried.But at this moment, he finally dared to cry.The hope for his daughter’s survival—it had truly arrived.And so, Ian stayed there, watching over Mia all night.He didn’t leave the tent for a single step, just squatted by her bed, staring at her face without blinking.Her complexion seemed less pale, and the heat on her forehead had also decreased a little. Although she was still unconscious, her breathing had stabilized.His heart felt as if it was slowly being pulled up from hell.“Much better…,” Ian murmured, speaking to himself.Outside the tent, a faint light had already appeared; dawn was breaking.Someone came in from outside, a young man holding a wooden bowl, wearing the Red Tide Territory’s red armband.Seeing that Ian hadn’t left all night, he said nothing, just placed the bowl of hot porridge beside him.“Just cooked, while it’s still hot.” The young man left these words and turned to attend to other matters.Ian stared blankly at the bowl of porridge.The bowl was made of wood, the porridge had no meat, only a few grains of rice, some unknown wild vegetables, and a few yellowish beans, with a faint sheen of oil floating on top.But after he picked it up and took a sip, that faint, clear aroma rushed straight into his nostrils.The hot porridge slid down his throat, and a long-lost warmth rose in his stomach, yet he almost couldn’t control himself from audibly gulping.He lowered his head, spoonful by spoonful drinking the not-so-delicious clear porridge, but tears streamed down his cheeks, one by one, falling into the bowl.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.