263: Chapter 154: Inheritance Rights, Strategic Contraction [Sorry for Being Late] 263: Chapter 154: Inheritance Rights, Strategic Contraction [Sorry for Being Late] Xia Hong was silent for a moment, then walked up to the three children and softly asked:
“What are your names, and how old are you this year?”
“Reporting to the leader, my name is Li Yan, and I am five years old this year.”
“Li Ting, three years old.”
“Reporting to the leader, my name is Li Feng, and I am four years old this year.”
Hearing the three children reply while sobbing and speaking softly, Xia Hong couldn’t help but gently pat the heads of the three.
Li Yan and Li Ting are the sons of Li Yun, and Li Feng is the only son of Li Pingkai.
From the beast skin coats worn by the three children and the complete outfits of the two widows, it could be seen that the living standard of these two families was definitely at the top tier.
Indeed, both Li Yun and Li Pingkai were members of the Hunting Team, possessing the strongest ability to earn Contribution Value in the camp, so naturally, their families lived quite well.
Precisely because of this, the five orphans and widows before them felt even more heartache in their hearts at this moment!
Seeing their lives getting better, they suddenly encounter such a disaster.
Xia Hong gently squatted before the three children and suddenly asked:
“I failed to protect your fathers, do you three hate me?”
Xia Hong pressed down with his hand towards the back, signaling Xia Chuan and others who wanted to speak not to, then fixed his gaze on the three children, waiting for their answer.
The two widows stopped crying at this moment, their expressions becoming tense, not understanding why Xia Hong was asking this question, and fearing that the children might say the wrong thing.
Although Xia Hong’s tone was extremely gentle, the three children, after all, were so young, and seeing everyone staring at them, they immediately shrank their necks, looking somewhat timid, instinctively wanting to look at their mothers.
“Don’t be afraid, just answer me!”
This sentence seemed to soothe the children.
After more than ten breaths, finally someone spoke up.
“I don’t hate the leader.
My father said that without the leader, he couldn’t have broken through to the Earth-digging Realm, and I couldn’t have tasted Cold Beast Meat supplements or worn new clothes.
Without the leader, none of us could live the life we have now.”
Surprisingly, it was Li Ting who spoke, the one who, when Xia Hong asked for their names, was the only one who replied with a cold tone without adding “reporting to the leader” at the beginning.
Xia Hong thought he was the one least articulate among the three children.
Once Li Ting spoke, his older brother Li Yan quickly followed.
“Lord Xia Chuan just said that the Hunting Team was ambushed by people from the Mirror Immortal Camp.
My father must have been killed by them too.
I don’t hate the leader, I only hate the people from the Mirror Immortal Camp.
In the future, I will definitely kill them to avenge my father.”
“My father said that the leader is the best person to us.
The food my mother and I eat now, the clothes we wear, and the houses we live in all come from the leader.
Brother Ting is right; the ones who killed my father must be from the Mirror Immortal Camp.
When I grow up, I will also avenge my father!”
Although the voices of the three children were tender, they were filled with an unusual determination.
There was genuine admiration and worship for Xia Hong, and there was also a profound and deep-seated hatred for the enemies who killed their fathers.
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the others present became more solemn.
Listening to the children, Xia Hong felt even more burdened in his heart.
Unlike adults, children don’t calculate and consider too much in their hearts, so the likelihood of hearing the truth from their mouths is great, especially in a sudden situation .
The unconditional trust, admiration, and gratitude conveyed in the words of the three were palpable to Xia Hong, which was precisely what made him feel the most guilty.
Looking back at everyone, Xia Hong spoke in a heavy voice:
“Today’s matter is my fault, listen to me first…”
Seeing that the Hunting Team and others were about to speak in rebuttal, Xia Hong immediately raised his hand to press them down, then continued: “I underestimated the strength of the Mirror Immortal Camp and overestimated my own abilities.
Before clarifying the enemy’s situation, I rashly led you to confront them multiple times, which ultimately led to this disaster.
As the leader, I cannot evade responsibility for the deaths of Li Yun and Li Pingkai!”
After all, it was all to retain the territory of Redwood Ridge; not only you, we share the same thought.
It doesn’t matter how strong the Mirror Immortal Camp is, what needs fighting for, we must fight for.”
The leader is not at fault.
From the attitude He Meng’s group showed early on, once the northern part is given up, Redwood Ridge will soon have no place for us in Great Xia.
Fortunately, the leader led us; otherwise, the territory would have long been taken by someone else.”
“Not fighting leaves only two paths: either waiting for death or joining the Mirror Immortal Camp, serving under them.
I would rather die like Li Yun and Li Pingkai than be subjected to sneers elsewhere.”
“For the account of Li Yun and Li Pingkai, if it must be settled, it can only be blamed on the Mirror Immortal Camp.
They were the ones who started it; they were the first to cross the line; they were the first to kill.
Relying on their strength, they’ve bullied us excessively.
We might as well fight them if it comes to it.”
Seeing the crowd excited below, Xia Hong felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.
His guilt did not stem from the initial choice to conflict with the Mirror Immortal Camp.
For Great Xia to retain the territory of Redwood Ridge, conflict with the Mirror Immortal Camp was inevitable.
Giving up the northern part would certainly be easy.
But once they tasted sweetness, would they only want that part?
The Ice Abyss World doesn’t speak of cooperation and win-win scenarios.
Retreating often leads to an endless abyss, not a broader sky.
What he truly felt guilty about was hastily and rashly leading everyone to patrol the northern territory before understanding the enemy situation.