When the time came, more than 250 night watchmen of Castle Black, with more than 50 carts of various supplies, passed through the frozen passage under the Great Wall of Desperation and went deep into the snowy fields of the north. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoSome of them have been living in the snow for decades and are quite experienced, but some of them are completely newbies, and some of them have only arrived at Castle Black just over two weeks ago. Elder Xiong didn't have time to wait for them to finish training, "Ice and snow will make them aware of danger, and the brothers will help them become the men of the night watch!"

Left with barely enough men for Castle Dark, this force is now all Mormont can mobilize. The group of night watchmen in dark cloaks, lined up in two columns, sandwiched between the central carriages, silently navigated through the tunnel. The last time the ghouls were planted here and ran out, many people still have lingering fears when they pass by.

But none of them were as apprehensive as Zhao Mai......

The "intelligent system" of the Great Wall of Desperation has finally been released. Zhao Mai drove his carriage and followed the ranks of the night watchmen with trepidation. If in the past it was filled with enough swords, guns, and halberds to kill him hundreds of times, now these terrible weapons finally made way for a way, but they still hung over his head. Every time Zhao Mai used the natural force, psychic abilities, and other magical visions, he could clearly see the terrifying magic array around him. The power of the earth extracted from a radius of more than a hundred miles had been stored in the Great Wall of Desperation for thousands of years, like a huge ammunition depot full of explosives, pressing on the top of Zhao Mai's head.

"For the first time, I saw you sweaty and nervous. Jon walked beside Zhao Mai and said to him. As the old Xiong affairs officer, he has to run before and after to convey instructions, and constantly report the situation of the team. No, after he completed the task, he happened to see Zhao Mai on the way back, and the sweat that flowed down his side face.

"Sometimes, it's happiness to not see something. "Zhao Mai had already confirmed that no one in the entire Black Castle could see the aura of magic. Maybe in the eyes of the world, magic is like this, I don't know if the same is true on the earth? Zhao Mai just hopes to complete the tunnel of these miles as soon as possible and get out of this oppressive place as soon as possible. "Jon, protect Elder Bear, and the safety of all the Night's Watch is on him. ”

"I understand. Jon nodded, adjusting the shoulder straps to make the longsword behind his back more comfortable. He was only sixteen years old now, and his body was not yet fully grown, so the Valyrian steel longsword was still a bit big for him, and it would be awkward to put on his waist. But he's going to grow up on this journey.

Zhao Mai knew what was going to happen to him, and knew that this operation would be Jon's rite of passage. His body, mind, and feelings will be tested. When he returned to Castle Black, he would no longer be a teenager, but a real adult.

With Jon's brisk footsteps, and Samwell's heavy, dragging legs, the team finally made it through the tunnel, all the way into the snow. On the north side of the Great Wall, there was an open area for about twelve miles, and there was not a single tree. First of all, these trees were cut down and used as firewood for the night watchmen, as well as the general rules of the city guard. There is no view in the open area, and the enemy cannot make siege engines out of wood nearby.

Do wildlings make siege engines? Many of the Night's Watch would ask this question, but eventually they realized that it was just another rigid rule of the Night's Watch. Passing through the open area, a vast coniferous forest stretches across the path. It's not a dense, hard-to-navigate forest where trees need enough spacing to get enough nutrients to combat the cold weather here. A large cart plus two rows of fighters makes it easy to find the road.

Elder Bear's backpack contained five maps, all of which Sam had found from the pile of old papers, and they relied on them to move forward. Xiong Lao was worried that some landmarks could not be found, so he kept praying for this matter. The seven gods believed in by the southerners are useless here, how can those "house gods" from warm lands understand the bitter cold of the north. Only the "old gods", or the "ancient gods" believed by the ancestors, are the masters here.

"O old gods, lead us on the right path. We are the descendants of our ancestors, the descendants of your care. We are the night watchmen of the Great Wall of Despair, the people who have dedicated their lives to protecting the land of mankind. When we are lost, we need your guidance. ”

The prayer only sounded in Mormont's heart, and he did not let his soldiers feel the slightest bit of panic. It may be that the old god actually heard his prayers, and the first landmark appeared, which was a place that was once called White Tree Village.

In most people's eyes, this is really not a village. Four simple houses, with stone walls still there, but the roofs made of wooden beams, tree branches, and stone flakes have collapsed. The house was surrounded by an empty sheepfold in the center, and a well for water, and the barrels for the water were long gone.

"There was no one in the house, and there was nothing left. The scout returned, "The people inside had been moved, and they had brought with them clothes, food, furs, and possibly livestock." ”

"Do you know how long you've been gone?" asked Elder Xiong, frowning.

"It's certainly not recent, but it's been a long time since everything froze. The scout thought for a moment and replied.

"The tree with the human face must have seen it, but alas, it can't speak. Pointing to the big tree next to the village, Elder Bear turned to Jon and said, "Tell me so that the boys from the south don't know." This large tree with a red crown and white trunk is called Yuliangmu, also known as the heart tree, and it is not to be cut down at any time, and it is best not to even peel off the bark. If someone does that, it's a violation of military orders, understand?"

"Yes, Commander. Jon hurried to deliver the order.

Zhao Mai had heard of Yuliangmu for a long time, but he never had the chance to see it, and this was the first Yuliangmu he had encountered. There was one in the Eagle's Nest, but it had long since died, and all that remained was the shiny remains of a shiny trunk stripped of its bark. The one in Winterfell was huge enough, and the canopy was higher than the city wall, but Zhao Mai only saw the leaves from a distance and didn't visit inside Winterfell.

The one in front of me, with a trunk nearly three meters wide, and its leafy foliage expanded luxuriantly, enveloping the entire village underneath. The red leaves, white trunk, and black root system give the tree a sense of sacredness. But the face on the trunk of the tree was quite terrifying, with hollow eyes and a wide mouth, from which the sap flowed and solidified. And the sap of the fish beam wood is red, and the amber formed is also this color, so no matter how you look at it, it looks like a big face bleeding from the seven orifices.

According to legend, these faces were carved by the Children of the Forest, and each expression was different. As for why they did it, no one knows but themselves.

To others, this is just a tree with a terrifying head, but Zhao Mai saw something different. The Force of Nature gathered on the fishbeams, and the eyes of the trees glowed slightly, as if they were really looking. Fluorescent runic words emerge from the tree's mouth, fly into the air, and then slowly dissipate. The power contained in the words is far less than that of the Great Wall of Despair, but it is much clearer.

At this place, he suddenly developed a strange feeling of familiarity and closeness. Just as he was about to get a closer look, the reserve bit his trouser leg.

"Do you think I'm in danger?" Zhao Mai asked confusedly.

Reserve Grain tilted his head and pointed to the carriage. Zhao Mai looked back, and Xiaohua was lying on the window, shaking her head and leaves vigorously. (To be continued.) )