Chapter 430: Siege and Famine

The carriage wheels rolled over the parched land, raising rolling, dilapidated dust.

Under the personal escort of Brenan, "Iron Bull," one of the twelve leaders of the Green Forest Army, the vast "pilgrimage" army moved toward Que Mu Fief.

And ever since everyone entered the territory of Que Mu Fief, the air had been filled with a decaying aura that seemed visible to the naked eye.

The refugees all had panicked expressions on their faces; clearly, they hadn't expected the situation in Que Mu Fief, near Dusk City, to be even worse than in their hometowns.

The soldiers wearing green headbands looked as usual; for one, they had just eaten and drunk their fill, and for another, the surrounding scenery wasn't the most desolate they had ever seen.

Looking around at the scene, Hog's mouth curled into a sarcastic smile.

"Someone told me they were an righteous army, but why does the place they pass through look like it's been hit by a locust plague."

With the gods' protection, he naturally wasn't afraid of this rebel leader.

Brenan knew this mercenary was mocking him, but didn't care, let alone take his words to heart, just said calmly.

"War doesn't kill people, and when we win, we will naturally distribute the lord's land and grain to them as compensation, and then they won't have to die."

Hog: "Haha."

Brenan frowned.

"What are you laughing at?"

Hog curled his lips.

"Nothing, I just vaguely remember hearing something similar somewhere. Like... as long as you kill the God of the Netherworld, people won't have to die anymore."

Was it the Dragon God Gutaf who said that?

Or was it Saint Xisi himself who said it.

He didn't remember.

Ta Fu, sitting in the carriage, sneezed, raised her claws to scratch her nose, and then subconsciously looked at the Demon King who was meditating on the side.

"Are you scolding me?"

Luo Yan smiled faintly.

"I'm not as bored as you."

After speaking, he looked at Sarah, who was sitting on the side, and said in a gentle voice.

"Are you okay?"

He noticed that Sarah's mood hadn't been very high since just now.

Sarah paused slightly, then came back to her senses and answered softly.

"I'm fine, Demon King, thank you for your consideration."

Luo Yan: "Your expression tells me you're thinking about something. Of course, if it's something inconvenient to say, then I won't ask."

"... I just thought about some things before I met you," Sarah smiled embarrassedly and said in a low voice, "The feeling of being hungry is very bad, it feels like I don't even have the strength to die."

She had tasted the taste of hunger.

In order to live, she had even tasted earthworms all over Lei Ming County.

Although she was indifferent to human suffering, she couldn't help but empathize with those who were suffering, especially when it came to hunger.

Luo Yan was silent for a while and said softly.

"That's for sure."

On the other side, Kalian, sitting on the covered wagon, lifted the cloth curtain, and the scene that met her eyes made her heart tighten.

Only to see dead bodies of the starving everywhere on both sides of the road, their bodies curled up, as if they were still struggling with hunger at the last moment of their lives.

The farmland near the windmill had long been abandoned, and the withered grass leaves were like jagged white bones, making desperate wails in the wind.

This should have been the season for spring plowing, but even the wild grass couldn't survive.

The village in the distance was even more dead silent, with only a few emaciated wild dogs wandering among the ruins, looking at this caravan composed of uninvited guests with vigilant eyes.

This was a "dead land" in name, and by now, no one could say clearly who had caused it.

Maybe it was the local lord, maybe it was Chaos, maybe it was the people themselves.

"Stop for a moment," Kalian said softly.

The caravan stopped slowly.

She saw signs of life under a half-collapsed thatched cottage not far away, so she walked off the covered wagon.

Brenan, carrying a battle axe, followed behind her silently with two soldiers.

In the shadow of the thatched cottage, a man and a woman were curled up and huddled together, holding a thin child tightly in their arms.

They were bloodless, their lips were cracked, and their eyes were hollow, looking at the ground, as if they had lost all reaction to everything in the outside world.

A sourness surged in Kalian's heart.

Even without Mr. Kelin's instructions, she couldn't help but want to help these people who were suffering from hunger.

She looked back at Brenan and said softly.

"They need help, please let your soldiers get some bread."

Brenan had already promised her conditions, so he didn't say anything, nodded, and waved to the two soldiers wearing green headbands behind him.

"Do as she says."

This work was assigned to two young soldiers.

Only to see them immediately untie a sack from the packhorse, grab a few pieces of bread emitting the aroma of wheat, and walk over quickly.

However, an unexpected scene occurred.

When that dying family saw the two soldiers wearing green headbands approaching, instead of showing the joy of being saved, extreme fear erupted in their eyes.

The woman seemed to have returned to her soul, let out a sharp scream, and pressed the child tightly into her shriveled chest, as if to drown him in it.

The man used his weak body to block his wife and child, staring in horror at the soldiers wearing green headbands, as if looking at wild beasts rushing out of the jungle.

On the contrary, the child, who didn't understand anything, stared at the food in their hands with eager eyes, swallowing the little saliva he had left.

He didn't know that there was a war outside, nor did he know the difference between the lord and Kailan, or what would happen if one of them lost or won.

He only knew that that thing could let him and his family live.

The soldiers froze in place, looking at their boss and the nun lady in bewilderment, subconsciously taking a step back.

Kalian didn't say anything, just walked up, stood in front of that family, and said in a gentle voice.

"Don't be afraid, we are here to help you."

The man raised his head, his turbid eyes full of distrust and horror; he stared at the green headband on the soldiers' heads, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a word.

Kalian looked back at Brenan.

"They seem very afraid of you, why?"

Brenan didn't answer; his rough face showed a hint of discomfort for the first time, and his eyes shifted.

Seeing his hesitant look, Kalian stopped asking, but squatted in front of the thin child and said in a gentle voice.

"Can you tell me? What happened here? Why... are you so afraid of us."

Perhaps her voice was sincere enough, perhaps the threat of death overwhelmed the fear.

The boy didn't speak, but an old man next to him, who was only left with a handful of bones, opened his mouth tremblingly.

"It's them..."

He stretched out his dry, thin index finger and pointed behind Kalian.

If it weren't for his sudden sound, no one would have noticed this old man curled up in the corner, whose breath was weaker than a mouse.

Kalian looked at him, then looked behind her.

"Them?"

"They broke into the village, robbed our last bite to eat, right after the lord's cavalry visited our granary," carefully observing Brenan's face, the old man continued timidly, "Not only that, they also blocked the road to escape from here. We wanted to flee, but couldn't, so we could only wait for death here, or go forward, go to the Earl's castle to eat the Earl's grain..."

The Earl wouldn't

Looking at the bread in the two soldiers' hands, the old man's eyes radiated a craving for food, but at the same time, he was afraid that this was a trap set by the Green Turbans...

Even though he himself couldn't say what a man with nothing left had that was worth them swindling.

The old man's accusation was like a slap to the face, landing heavily on Bulunnan.

His face, which had just regained a hint of color thanks to the miracle, instantly flushed deep red, his eyes filled with embarrassment and shame.

The two young soldiers also lowered their heads in shame, not daring to look into the terrified eyes of that family.

They were, after all, a bit too young and their skin wasn't thick enough.

The veteran soldiers were much smarter, having coaxed them into doing this job.

"That was... a tactic!"

Bulunnan tried to defend himself, though his voice lacked conviction, "If we didn't use extreme measures, it would be impossible to break through Quemubao!"

He paused, then added, "Of course... I admit, my men might have been a little rough when carrying out orders."

A little rough? A playful smile appeared on Hog's face, and he couldn't help but recall what had happened before.

This guy had practically stripped them naked and driven them toward the castle at gunpoint.

Actually, Bulunnan didn't need to explain at all, but thinking of Saint Xisi standing behind this young nun, he couldn't help but say a few extra words.

Just consider it as speaking for Him to hear.

Kalian slowly stood up, ignoring his defense.

She looked calmly at the man holding the battle axe, her gaze clear and firm, as if she could see through the struggle deep within his soul.

"If you do things more abominable than demons in order to end hell, then your hell will not end; you will lead everyone into another, more cruel hell."

There was no anger or condemnation in her words, as if she were merely representing the deity behind her, announcing another future He had seen.

"... No matter what you have done before, you must stop from this moment on."

Looking around at the silent soldiers, her gaze finally landed on the distinct green turbans on their heads.

"Please take it off."

It was not a tone of command, yet it carried an unquestionable quality far beyond a command, as if it were the will of the deity Himself.

The soldiers looked at each other.

That green turban was the symbol of their identity and the banner of the Green Forest Army, even more important than their own heads.

Yet, unexpectedly, they felt no anger or mockery, but instead subconsciously looked toward their leader...

Are we to listen to the deity's opinion?

Bulunnan looked at Kalian and said in a deep voice.

"Is it necessary to go this far?"

Kalian nodded earnestly.

"If your heart still harbors a shred of reverence for the deity, and if you believe the people of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng are more important than the honor in your heart, then take it off. You should have already seen the fear in their eyes."

"At least in front of those starving people, and at least until our contract ends, we are no longer the Green Forest Army, but the 'Salvation Army'."

The air seemed to freeze.

Bulunnan gripped his axe handle tightly, his heart torn in conflict.

Abandoning the name of the Green Forest Army was undoubtedly a betrayal of 'Green Turban' Kailan. However, he then thought of what Kailan often told them; he always told them the Green Forest Army were rangers who robbed the rich to help the poor, unlike those noble masters hiding in their castles.

Put that way, what this young nun said was not without reason.

More importantly, his ultimate goal was to conquer Quemubao. On this matter, the high command of the Green Forest Army had granted him extremely high discretionary power—as long as he could take the castle and complete the encirclement of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng's capital, Dusk City, the process did not matter.

After a long while, Bulunnan loosened his clenched fist and, to everyone's surprise, shrugged his shoulders, seemingly acquiescing to it all.

"Fine," he muttered, "if this is what must be done to conquer Quemubao... I will cooperate with you until our contract ends."

At worst, he could just put it back on after breaking the castle.

Having said that, he was the first to pull off the green turban from his head.

Seeing their leader do so, the other soldiers of the Green Forest Army, though looking at each other and feeling it was somewhat improper, ultimately followed suit.

This group of rebels who had risen in revolt did not even realize that, through subtle influence, they had not only eaten the food of 'Saintess Kalian', listened to the commands of 'Saintess Kalian', but even completed a 'change of banners' under the persuasion of 'Saintess Kalian'...

In fact, never mind them, who had little mind of their own to begin with, even Kalian herself did not realize what she had unintentionally accomplished.

She was merely following the instructions of that kind gentleman, completing every task he had entrusted to her step by step.

A gentle smile appeared on Kalian's face as she nodded approvingly at them, then turned to look at the family still stunned in place.

"As you can see, we are no longer the Green Forest Army now. May we sit down and talk? I have many questions I would like to ask you; we can talk while we eat..."

"Yes, yes! I will tell you everything I know, Saintess..." The old man nodded as if waking from a dream, hurriedly clearing the way at the door.

The other party had actually done this much for their family; if he didn't cooperate now, he would feel embarrassed himself...

The dark clouds shrouding the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng seemed to show signs of loosening. However, inside Quemubao on the other side, the atmosphere at this moment was as oppressive as the sky before a storm.

In the lord's hall, Count Theron Gard was pacing back and forth anxiously.

After hearing the military report from his subordinates, his fat body couldn't stop breaking out in cold sweat, his eyes filled with the panic of someone crushed by fear.

Although he had once been a brave and battle-hardened knight, a life of comfort had long since worn away his edge and valor.

Not only that, he was now sixty years old; even if he still had the heart for it, he was likely unable to exert himself.

"One hundred thousand troops, they actually have one hundred thousand! Damn it, aren't these damned things supposed to be starving? When did they breed to such numbers?"

And those damned tax farmers!

Only now did he know that the actual population living on his territory had one more zero than the numbers in his account books!

Now, these lunatics, armed with weapons they had gotten from who knows where, had surrounded his castle so tightly not even water could pass through.

Not only that, they were burning, killing, and looting everywhere, having ruined the entire Quemubao territory! Looking at the middle-aged knight with a resolute expression to the side, Theron complained in a pained voice, "Oh, Lei Deng, tell me, what are we to do!"

The man named Lei Deng was a knight who had served the Gard family for generations, and he was also a genuine Platinum-tier powerhouse.

Looking at the flustered Count, he answered calmly.

"Count, there is no need to panic. The castle's defensive fortifications are as solid as a rock, and the stockpiled food is enough for us to hold out for three years. As long as we keep the city gates closed, I can guarantee you they won't be able to break in."

And—

The rebel army surrounding them might not really be one hundred thousand; it was mostly likely just a bluff. The reality was that those mud-legged peasants couldn't even count how many people they had themselves.

"Three years? What about after three years?" Count Theron shrieked, "Where are the reinforcements? That bastard in Dusk City cannot be relied upon at all!"

To him, the commoners outside the castle were already a burden that could be discarded at any time; the only things he cared about were his own life and the lives of his family.

He even began to regret it.

Had he known these rebels were so difficult to deal with, and had he known the King in the capital would be so neglectful of his territory, he shouldn't have stayed in this castle!

Lei Deng said in a deep voice.

"Three years... even if reinforcements don't arrive, it's enough to starve everyone outside to death."

Theron was stunned for a moment.

Just as he was about to say something more, a guard ran in, panting, and reported while gasping for air.

"Count! The... the rebels outside the city are acting a bit strange!"

"What's strange about them?" Theron shuddered in fear, his face turning pale, "Have they started attacking the city?"

Lei Deng also frowned, his hand subconsciously pressing onto his sword hilt.

"No, quite the contrary. Although they have gathered outside the castle, they haven't built any siege equipment..." The guard hesitated for a moment, then whispered his discovery, "Our sentries noticed that they seem to be... distributing food to help the starving people outside the castle."

Distributing food? Lei Deng was stunned, his expression gradually turning ugly.

The reason for his ugly expression wasn't because of the rebels' hypocritical kindness, but because they actually had surplus food to squander on useless things.

He had originally intended to starve those people outside the city to death.

But if these rebels' food supplies were already abundant to this degree, then the ones who would eventually starve to death would likely be them inside the castle.

And thinking deeper...

Where did their food come from? Including the weapons in their hands.

Those things obviously couldn't have appeared out of thin air.

Lei Deng's expression grew increasingly ugly; he gradually smelled the scent of a conspiracy. Although he had previously thought this uprising was somewhat strange, this feeling had never been as intense as it was now.

It wasn't just this Platinum-tier knight who looked solemn; Theron, standing to the side, also wore an expression of disbelief, almost suspecting that something was wrong with his ears.

He pushed the guard aside, personally lifting the hem of his fine robes, and surrounded by several guards, stumbled up to the western city wall of the castle.

And the scene that immediately met his eyes left the Count dumbfounded, stunned on the spot for a moment.

He saw that in the center of the rebel camp, large pots had been set up, boiling steaming wheat porridge. Soldiers were distributing the cooked porridge along with bread to the starving people standing in long lines.

The bread was even off-white, wrapped in an orange crust; he could even smell the aroma of freshly baked wheat with his own eyes!

The scene he had imagined of thieves sharpening their knives at the starving people did not appear; in its place was a scene of orderly conduct.

And those commoners who should have been hostile toward the rebels now had expressions of numbness from surviving a disaster, and a hint of... gratitude? Saint Xisi above! Had they all forgotten who it was that flipped their pot lids and scraped away the last grain of wheat hidden in their wall cracks? They had reconciled just like that?!

And those rebels... where on earth did they conjure up so much food?!

Theron couldn't believe everything before him, his gaze scanning the crowd, and he soon discovered a point that puzzled him even more.

Although those soldiers were still wearing those ragged, mismatched clothes, everyone had removed those green turbans, replacing them with undyed linen tied around their shoulders.

Although it was just a small change, the entire army seemed to have been reborn overnight, transforming from a group of ferocious jackals into a group of pious... pilgrims? The sun must be rising in the west!

Bandits not looting, but actually starting to provide disaster relief! Theron's heart was shrouded in a faint panic, the panic born from things he could not understand. Surrounded by his soldiers, his hands gripped the cold battlements, staring at the outside of the moat and muttering to himself.

"What on earth happened?"

He would rather believe they were acting, and that the cunning rebels would take the bowls out of the residents' hands the next second.

However, the way those starving people were wolfing down the food didn't look like they were lying...

"We are in trouble, I'm afraid." Lei Deng walked behind Theron, staring at the scene outside the castle and said in a deep voice.

Regardless of whether these rebels had one hundred thousand before.

Now they certainly did...