On the Seven Towers

When Hawke returned to the camp after work, he saw a lot of people gathered under a wooden platform more than one meter high in the small square of the camp.

A simple T-shaped wooden frame was pressed on the wooden platform, and a sturdy man was shackled and tied to the wooden frame. He was facing downward, and his gray hair covered his face, but from the bulging tendons on his body, it can be seen that this man should be quite strong and must be no unknown person in the camp. The man was naked, revealing his scarred back. Fresh scars were intertwined on his back, embedded in the undulating muscles.

Three mercenaries guarding the camp stood around the wooden frame, one mercenary holding a whip, and the other two holding spears on both sides. Standing in the middle of the wooden platform was Ji Yijun, holding a piece of white paper in his hand, and announcing the man's crimes to the people around him in a not-so-standard common language.

Hawke sat down on a fence stake a little further away, took out a cigarette, lit it, and watched the show while puffing.

"…Rod was making a scene in front of the labor camp pit, attempting to meet with prisoner Kara. When he was stopped by the guards, he pushed and beat the guards, causing minor injuries to three people…The camp management office sentenced him to seven days of solitary confinement and ten strokes of the cane, considering his good behavior and repentance afterwards…Now the solitary confinement has ended, and he is openly receiving the caning." Ji Yijun read on the stage, and the people below the stage were also discussing.

"Isn't Kara the woman who was arrested for child abuse?"

"What child abuse... She is a spy of the Temple of Nature. I heard that the magicians of Black Mountain don't get along with the Temple of Nature."

"What is the relationship between Rhode and Kara?"

"I heard that they are lovers. Don't be fooled by Kara's serious appearance. She is actually very promiscuous. I know several people have climbed into her bed."

"Then Rhode can't go to her? Isn't that courting death?"

"Hey, I heard that Rhode is a stubborn person. It seems that he is really fascinated by that damn woman."

"I have seen Kara. She is a very ordinary woman. What is worthy of him? Rhode is usually quiet, but he is very bold when looking for women."

"You know shit. The more quiet people are, the more they can do shocking things."

"I can't tell, I can't tell. It turns out that he was locked up. No wonder I haven't seen him these days. It made me run to the next camp to repair my broken plow."

Hawke listened to these people's discussions, and the corners of his mouth showed a mocking meaning. He knew Kara, a foolish woman who could only deceive foolish men and women. If such a person could become a spy for the Temple of Nature, the Temple of Nature would have perished eight hundred years ago. This Rhodes was able to be released after seven days in prison, so he probably had nothing to do with the Temple of Nature, and he might not even be considered a believer. He probably just had a crush on that crazy woman. Hawke recalled Kara's face. Although she was fatter and older, she was generally decent. Although he himself had no interest in her, a middle-aged man like Rhodes might be just the right type for her.

"Do you know what he yelled at the entrance of the labor camp mine?" an audience member said mysteriously.

"What? What?" Others came over curiously. Even Hawke stretched his ears to listen.

"He yelled, 'Let that woman out, she can still have babies. What a waste to throw her in the mine!'"

"What? Did he really yell that?"

"Of course it's true. My cousin heard it with his own ears while working nearby."

"Wow, he wants women over his life!" Everyone snickered.

"He doesn't talk much usually, but he's really good at talking about women."

"That's actually the truth! What a waste." A man sighed.

"You want to be whipped too?"

"I'm not as strong as him, he's just a jerk!"

Hawk smiled slightly after hearing this, jerk is good. He likes dealing with such easy-to-fool people the most.

At this time, there was a snapping sound on the stage.

"Yo, it's started."

The whip hit Rod's back again and again, and each whip left a clear scar. But the gray-haired man took the whips one by one without making a sound.

"Anyway, Rod is a tough guy," said an audience member. This caused the people around him to nod frequently.

Gradually, the discussion became quieter. Tough guys are more likely to gain respect wherever they are.

After ten lashes, Rhodes was escorted down by the mercenaries. When he walked down the steps, Hawke saw his face and caught his angry look at Ji Yijun.

Hawke flicked the ash from his cigarette and smiled thoughtfully.

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After nightfall, before curfew.

Hawke was carrying a bundle of green grass leaves and walking on the road in the camp. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he walked into a fork and walked towards the blacksmith shop.

Hawke had been to the blacksmith shop to repair shovels before. In the days after those strange magicians appeared, everything in the area from the foot of the Black Mountain to the town of Frollo was different from the outside. Let's talk about this blacksmith shop. It's more like a repair workshop than a blacksmith shop.

It was a separate building with two floors. The lower floor was a blacksmith's workshop, and the upper floor was a bedroom. There was a furnace and anvil in the workshop, as well as some basic tools that allowed the blacksmith to repair damaged farm tools and knives, but that was all. The blacksmiths here, including Rhodes, never had to make anything new. Almost all the ironware was made in a factory outside the camp.

Hawke came to the door of the blacksmith shop and saw light coming from the cracks in the windows on the first floor. He calmed down at the door, opened the door and walked in.

Rhodes was sitting next to the anvil. He was taking out a lump of black ointment from a clay pot and smearing it on the wound on his back. Maybe he squeezed the wound by touching his back with his backhand, and he showed a grinning expression, which was much more vivid than when he was whipped.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Rhodes glanced at the door with his peripheral vision and said in a rough voice: "No work today!"

"I'm just here to visit you." Hawke walked into the room on his own and placed the blade of grass on the table next to Rhodes. "This is an herb obtained from the logging team. It is chopped and boiled with water. Chengjiang specializes in treating trauma."

"I'm not familiar with you." Rhode glanced at the herbs, put on a coat, and looked Hawke up and down. "Looking at you, you are a manager, right? What do you want to do?"

"I am the one who admires the most capable and courageous people. Rhodes, when it comes to courage in our camp, you are the one." Hawke gave a thumbs up and said to the blacksmith with a smile.

"Are you laughing at me?!" Rhodes stood up suddenly and clenched his fists.

"No, no." Hawke waved his hands repeatedly, "I don't dare. Go and ask who in the camp dares to laugh at you casually. Most people don't even dare to fart in front of the camp guards. Unlike you, who has the courage to ask them Asking for women.”

Rhodes squinted at him, as if to discern the meaning of his words. Those eyes reminded Hawk of the wild boar in the hunting ground. Fierce, direct, and hesitant.

"Hmph." Rhodes exhaled, took a piece of cloth placed on the table and wiped his hands covered with black ointment, "Those of you who have ever been in charge have too many evil thoughts and you came to me in the middle of the night. There must be nothing good going on. Get out quickly before I can find a target to vent my anger on."

"We're here, why don't we chat for a while. I have some good stuff here." Hawke took out two cigarettes from his arms, held one in his mouth, and handed the other to Rhodes, "I rolled them myself. .Try it. With this, the pain on your back will be less.”

The cigarette was lit, and the room was filled with a spicy and fragrant smell. While puffing away the smoke, Hawke felt that the other person's eyes were looking at him a little more friendly.

"Why are you having trouble with the prison guards because of that woman?" Hawke flicked the ash on the ground and asked casually.

"Of course I have to protect my woman." Rhodes looked gloomy.

"Many of those guards are mercenaries, and they are very shady. If you are not careful, you will get yourself involved." Hawke said, "Is it worth it?"

Rhodes took a drag of his cigarette, lowered his head and said nothing.

"However, there are a lot of women in the camp. Why are you staring at that one?" Hawke exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "I heard that in a few months, you can apply for marriage. Which one do you like, and her We agreed, let’s fill out a form together, and then we can live together.”

There was a glimmer of light in Rhodes's eyes, but then dimmed again. After half a minute, he said, "My woman may be pregnant with my child. I want her and nothing else."

"Hey, then you have to think of a solution quickly. The labor camp mine is not a good place. People with injuries are carried out every three days. Even if they are not exhausted, one day the tunnel collapses and the wall collapses, and the person is gone in the blink of an eye. It's a bad job for a man, let alone a woman," Hawke said nonchalantly, while looking at Rhodes's expression, he saw the green spots on the blacksmith's forehead, and the anger in his eyes. She almost burst into tears, "Even if she survives until she is released, the child will definitely not be saved."

"You don't need to teach me! I will go tomorrow of course!" Rhodes flicked the cigarette in his hand to the ground and said viciously.

"Caught and beaten by them again?" Hawke sneered, "Ji Yijun said that if you commit your first offence, you will be given a lighter punishment. If you do it again, do you believe you will be imprisoned in the mine?"

"What can I do? Tell me, what can I do? I'm just a blacksmith. Apart from raising my fist and roaring a few times, I can also..." Rhodes roared a few times, then suddenly stopped and looked at Hawke with squinted eyes, "You ...Is there any way?"

"Hehe, they all say you are stupid, but I think you are quite smart." Hawke laughed, put out the cigarette butt on the anvil, put his head close to the blacksmith, and said in a low voice, "In this camp, there is no dissatisfaction There are a lot of mercenaries, and someone is planning a big one. "

Seeing the blacksmith looking at him with confusion, Hawke said in a softer voice: "Riot..."

"You mean, like tax resistance..."

Hawke nodded: "As long as you go all out and scare those magicians, won't you be able to negotiate terms? Those who want women want women, and those who want money want money."

"But what if they are cruel?" Rhodes put his hand on the base of his neck.

"Isn't there nothing we can do about it? With so many people accompanying you to make trouble, could it be worse?"