Chapter 433: The Fortress That Breaks Without Attack

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

The siege of Quemubao by the Salvation Army was still continuing, but inside and outside the city walls were two completely different worlds.

Outside the city, the camp of the "Salvation Army" was in good order.

Every morning, the cooking smoke rising from hundreds of large pots and the aroma of wheat porridge had become the most moving scenery on this dead land. And attracted by that intoxicating fragrance, almost every day new starving people joined in.

Most of them were refugees heading to Twilight City, but now... obviously there was no need to go there, after all, they would have to beg for food if they went.

There were also some people who went to seek refuge with relatives, and the Salvation Army did not stop these people from going, and even generously let them drink a bowl of wheat porridge before setting off.

These people set off with gratitude. There was no need to ask, they would bring the legend of "Saintess Kalian" to the capital of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng.

Just as these travelers saw, this army that changed its flag not only solved everyone's eating problem, but also established order on this land.

Under the organization of the soldiers who called themselves the Salvation Army, tens of thousands of refugees divided their respective areas according to the village, and cleaned up their own doorsteps in an orderly manner, although it was still simple, it was no longer as chaotic as it was at the beginning.

Not only that, with the help of the Salvation Army, some poor people who were separated from their families on the road of fleeing also happily found their families again. Many people originally thought their relatives had died in the chaos of war, but found that they were not far from themselves, but they had never found each other.

Praise Saintess.

Now they are reunited!

In addition, the respected Saintess also held simple weddings for several pairs of newcomers.

Some of them were bitter mandarin ducks who met on the road, and some were old lovers who had known each other for many years, only recently confirmed each other's intentions.

The household registration department responsible for Siluoke registered the identities of these pairs of newcomers, which was also considered to be a wave of publicity.

Although the wedding was held very sloppily, the blessings the Saintess could give them were only a few words, but they were all very grateful to her.

After all, on this land, a marriage that can receive the blessing of clergy is a rare thing, and a few words of blessing have already made them very satisfied.

Most couples just took an oath in front of the church or the priest...

The camp was singing and dancing, full of a happy atmosphere, and in contrast, a black cloud that could not be dispersed pressed on the castle.

Because the rebels' food could not see the bottom, the military supply officer could only raise the expectation of holding on from three years to five years, and for this reason, the soldiers' rations could only be reduced by half accordingly.

And they were considered good.

The rations of those non-combatants were directly lowered to one-third of the original.

Although Lei Deng also knew that it was not a good idea to reduce people's rations at this time, he could only do this as early as possible while everything had just begun.

The soldiers were all lying on the crenels, looking at the outside of the castle, at first they could still watch the jokes of those starving people, but now they were locked in a cage that could not see the future.

Whenever the wind blew from outside the city, the fragrance belonging to food was like the most vicious curse, torturing their already empty intestines and empty souls.

"How long do we have to hold on?"

Looking at the wedding vaguely visible outside the city wall, Camille, holding a fire gun, couldn't help but envy and say such a sentence.

There were people waiting for him to go back outside, and he hadn't had news of her for a while.

Hope she is still alive.

The veteran beside him curled his lips and mocked himself in an uncertain tone.

"Maybe... wait for the King's reinforcements?"

"Does he still remember that he has this territory?"

"Hope he still remembers."

The two chatted, not afraid of the cold arrows and dark guns opposite. In the past, those rebels would indeed do this, but since taking off the headscarf, they suddenly became "open and aboveboard".

Of course, it may also be that they don't bother to do this.

God knows who is standing behind them this time, but it is thought that the cards opposite are much larger than their "Viceroy".

A soldier beside him couldn't help but interject, and inserted into their topic with an envious tone.

"I bet he must be drinking red wine in the palace, and there must be ten beauties sitting in his arms!"

"That's not necessarily... Sailong is already old, and he would have died long ago if he tossed like that."

"What if he is a transcendent? I heard that it is very easy for nobles to practice."

"Then you should also have heard that nobles are also very lazy, and not everyone can endure bitter practice."

"Ha, regardless of who is sitting in his arms, I wish him longevity!"

The soldiers didn't avoid the majesty of the royal family, although they didn't have much awe of the distant King in the first place.

Moreover, this emotion has become unprecedentedly strong recently.

Compared to how long they have to hold on, the question they want to ask more is another one—

What kind of things are they guarding? Thinking of the rumor about "Saintess Kalian", the dissatisfaction spread quietly in everyone's hearts like an invisible vine.

Who represents holiness and justice? As the long and short grew, the situation of offense and defense had already reversed...

Just when the defenders were wavering, Bulunnan, wearing bear skin, carrying a short axe and a round shield, walked alone to the moat.

The soldiers on the city walls suddenly became nervous, and they all gripped their fire guns and crossbows, waiting in full battle array!

Bulunnan grinned, as if he didn't see it, and there was no protection of personal soldiers beside him.

He stopped, looked up at the city wall, and his loud voice sounded like a war drum.

"Sailong·Gade! If you still remember your glory, and you are still a thing with eggs, stand out and speak!"

A commotion sounded on the city wall.

After a while, Earl Sailong, dressed in military uniform, appeared behind the crenels under the protection of a group of knights, unwillingly.

This was his second "meeting" with Bulunnan.

This savage wearing bear skin was still as rude as when he met last time!

Lei Deng, standing behind Sailong, frowned.

He could feel that the aura of the rebel leader seemed to have changed. Although there was no obvious difference in strength from the last time they fought, the nature of the power seemed to be different.

He couldn't say what that feeling was, but in short, the disgusting stench was gone.

Instead, it was an incredible... holiness? Lei Deng shook his head and drove this strange thought out of his mind.

He would rather believe that he was wrong.

"Damn traitor! Cannibal scum! Still dare to let me come out and speak? Ha! I have nothing to talk about with a beast, I would rather hold on here until the end of time! When the King's reinforcements arrive, he will hang you scum on the gallows!"

Sailong roared with full momentum, which made the round body look less ridiculous.

Even if only he knew how empty his threat was.

If there was such a thing as reinforcements, he would never wait until now, let alone be driven into the castle by a group of armed mud-legged people.

Only demons sponsored by hell, or devils sponsored by chaos, could make him so embarrassed!

Saintess?

It's really difficult for this group of mud-legged people to find a village girl who pretends to be a cleric to fill the facade! Facing the bluffing threat, Bulunnan just shrugged indifferently, and then shouted behind him.

"I said, Your Highness, they can't listen to persuasion... Let Saint Xisi punish them directly."

Sailong sneered.

"What dream are you talking about! If Saint Xisi really wants to punish, it is also to punish you—"

His words had not yet fallen, the second half of the sentence froze in his throat, and his wide eyes protruded slightly outward.

I saw a young woman walking towards the city gate in the camp outside the city.

The woman was wearing a simple nun's robe, and her quiet face was full of peace and kindness, just like a Madonna walking out of an oil painting.

Sailong's Adam's apple moved, swallowing the half-sentence that didn't come out, his face only had disbelief and a trace of panic that couldn't be hidden.

This... how is it possible!

He can be sure that all the clergy in his territory, from priests to nuns, including the handymen in the church... as long as they were not killed by the Green Forest Army, were almost all in this castle! Where did this guy pop out from?!

It was not just Earl Sailong who couldn't believe it, Lei Deng standing behind him, and the surrounding defenders also exploded, exchanging unbelievable glances with each other.

"Rumor... is actually true?!"

"Impossible! This must be an impostor they found from somewhere!"

"But... don't you think she looks more like it than the nuns in the castle? They only know how to pray to the statue of God and can't do anything, while she can turn into bread!"

"Wait, do you really believe she can turn into bread?"

"What if I don't believe it? Is the food in the bowls of those refugees our hallucination?"

At first, they thought that the Saintess Kalian was just a rumor made up by the rebels, until she really appeared in front of them.

Those various rumors about the Salvation Army were all added with a holy filter at this moment, and became mutual evidence with Saintess Kalian standing in front of them at this moment!

That holy filter was naturally added to her, and it did not come from any visible holy light, but her existence itself became that light.

"Earl Sailong·Gade, I come by the will of my Lord to end the suffering of this land."

"Shut up! You..."

Sailong breathed violently, staring at Kalian with suspicion, but the word "impostor" could not be said no matter what.

What if it's true?

He was also a little vague in his heart, not daring to say things too dead, and if he really offended the gods, there would be no good fruit to eat.

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Sailong chose to skip this irrelevant question, staring at her and asking sharply.

"Who are you! Who is behind you! Why betray your King and take refuge with this group of chaotic bandits!"

"My name is Kalian, a nun who heard God's grace in the desperate situation, I don't owe allegiance to any worldly King, naturally I didn't betray anyone, I only serve the God in my heart."

Kalian looked at the Earl who was frightened and uncertain calmly, the calm and soft voice seemed to have the power to soothe people's hearts.

However, this power to soothe people's hearts made the knights standing on the city wall panic.

"She heard God's grace?!"

"Really..."

"I, I feel she is not lying... Pretending to be God's will is going to hell!"

"No wonder... she wants to divide the land to the people, only God will do this kind of thing."

The soldiers were in an uproar, whispering in horror, trying to find the answer from their side.

Looking at the soldiers whispering, the Knight Commander drew his sword and shouted sharply.

"All shut up! Don't listen to the witch's bewitchment! It's just the rebels' trick to bewitch people, think about what they did before, once they break the castle, they will immediately tear off the mask on their faces!"

His voice had a certain effect, but the effect was not as great as imagined.

The hearts of the people in the castle had already been scattered, and if they really fought, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to hold on for long.

The reason why their formation still maintained stability now is just because the two sides have not yet met in battle.

Kalian didn't scold his rudeness, just looked at the Earl with a blue face, and the peaceful voice continued.

"As you can see, the people on this land are dying for something completely meaningless."

The Earl didn't speak.

Lei Deng standing behind him stepped forward, staring at the woman who called herself a nun with sharp eyes.

"How dare you say our glory is meaningless?"

Kalian didn't avoid his gaze.

"It's not what I said, nor what anyone said, but this has become a fact, isn't it?"

Without waiting for Lei Deng to answer, she continued in a calm and solemn tone.

"You abandoned your people, not taking wealth to hide in neighboring countries, or hiding in your own castle, letting the devil devour their souls, fantasizing that non-existent friends will help you... You have already abandoned your honor, just haven't admitted it yet."

Just haven't admitted it yet...

Lei Deng's Adam's apple moved, he felt an arrow in his knee, but the pain went into his heart.

He finally vaguely realized what the thing he felt awkward in his heart was.

He and his family have served the Quemubao Earl for generations, and all the jurisprudence originates from that ancient and holy contract. However, there is not only "knights should be loyal to their lord" in that holy contract, but also another sentence often mentioned by lords alone—"The lord has the obligation to protect his people".

Adding the two sentences together is a complete contract.

Now the lord has long since stopped fulfilling his obligations, and the glory he regarded as life has naturally become a joke. He thought he was a knight, but actually he was just a running dog of power...

Just when Lei Deng was struggling, the face of Sailong, which was distorted by fear, finally showed a trace of loosening.

He had no doubt that he still had the strength to fight, and this group of weak mud-legged people had to pay huge casualties to take down this castle, but why should he gamble his noble body with them? There is no benefit at all.

They can believe in a Saintess who popped out of nowhere today, and they can believe in another stronger and stronger bandit tomorrow.

He knows those farmers too well, these guys don't have any faith and position, and it's enough to buy them with an egg.

Since this is the case...

Why not take advantage of the fact that they happen to be reciting Saint Xisi scriptures now, and go down the donkey? If admitting that this village girl is a Saintess can save his life, he is not unable to pinch his nose and admit it.

This is also the reason why he didn't shout the word "impostor".

Hiding the calculation in his heart, Sailong pretended to be calm and shouted outside the castle.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

Kalian looked at him and said the conditions for peace slowly.

"Give up this castle. Since you have abandoned your obligations and betrayed your people, leave this land to those who love it."

"After that, you will be free, and you can take everyone who is willing to follow you away to anywhere you want to go."

This sentence melted in the wind, not only drifted into Earl Sailong's ears, but also drifted into the ears of every soldier.

The tone of forgiving all sins seemed as if they were the ones locked in the cage... by the god in the dark.

Just when Sailong was still hesitating, the soldiers beside him could no longer suppress the longing in their eyes.

Leave in peace?

They don't have to die here! Although the rebels have no credibility, the one standing there is the Saintess after all, and all this is carried out in the name of God.

They don't have the calculations in the Earl's heart, and they are not much smarter than the farmers outside, just their lives are slightly better than the latter...

"... It's hard to handle." Sailong struggled in his heart and looked at his knight, "What do you think?"

Lei Deng struggled for a while, but still chose to loyally fulfill his mission as a knight.

Even if this glory had long been tarnished.

? co

"My Lord, please think twice! The rebels have no integrity, and their going back on their words is a common occurrence! Once you open the city gate, they will immediately tear the contract to pieces and rush in like jackals!"

Humph.

You can guess it, will I not guess it?

Sailong sneered in his heart, but didn't speak, only made a thoughtful appearance for a long time, and then slowly opened his mouth.

"Lei Deng, can I trust you?"

Lei Deng was stunned for a moment.

"Of course, my Lord... what do you mean by this?"

His words were halfway through, and suddenly stopped.

He understood the Earl's eyes, which meant "I will take good care of your family".

Lei Deng smiled bitterly in his heart and sighed slightly.

Actually, the Earl didn't have to do this at all, even if he didn't say anything, he would fulfill his oath to the last moment.

He paused and said.

"My Lord, please rest assured, I will solve your worries."

A gratified smile appeared on Sailong's face, he put his hands on the shoulders of this knight and said in a solemn voice.

"Don't worry, I will take your family to Twilight City, and then we will go to the capital. Whether you can come back or not, your descendants will be raised by me, and I will treat them as my own!"

Lei Deng was silent for a long time and said in a low voice.

"The Kehitier family has lived on this land for generations, please let my family stay by my side. If God wants to take my soul away, please let my body be buried here, and let my family be buried by my side."

Sailong didn't persuade him, after all, bringing a group of family members had no benefit to him, and bringing fewer burdens could bring more treasures.

Anyway, from now on, he no longer needed this knight's loyalty.

However, he still said hypocritically.

"Well, if you think this is better..."

Looking at the knight who lowered his head and stopped responding, Sailong returned to the crenel and shouted at the Saintess waiting under the city.

"Kalian, right, I can't assert whether you are a Saintess, but your kindness... really moved me! For the sake of Saint Xisi, I can hand over the castle to you, if you think that getting a castle is everything, then you take it!"

"But!"

"You must retreat twenty kilometers—no! Twenty kilometers! Let those... poor people who have no intention of continuing this struggle leave safely! And promise never to hurt any soldier beside me! As long as you can do it, this castle is yours!"

His face had a compassionate expression, as if he had made a huge sacrifice to give up the castle, all for the people beside him.

Even though he was actually scared to death in his heart, and the "poor people" he spoke of were himself.

There was an uproar on the city wall, and the soldiers and knights all had expressions of astonishment, never expecting their Earl to agree to hand over the castle granted by the King.

However...

No one mutinied.

Not even anger.

Including Lei Deng, everyone actually breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts.

After losing their only holy obligations, they wanted to be with their families and return to a peaceful and peaceful life more than the illusory glory.

They didn't want to get the blood of their neighbors on their hands.

This long-lasting siege could end in such a way, which was not the mercy of the god in the dark...

Bulunnan was also shocked.

Won?

The opponent just... surrendered?

He had imagined many possibilities, including Saint Xisi sending a plague into the castle, including a thunderbolt falling from the sky to kill the Earl on the spot, but never expected that the final ending would be so incredible.

He couldn't empathize with the struggle in the Earl's heart, he just felt that this was more like a miracle than bread falling from the sky.

At this moment, he had no doubt about Kalian in his heart.

No matter what she was before, where she came from, and how much of the background of her faith was holy light.

Now, she is the Saintess of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng! Kalian didn't expose Earl Sailong's hypocrisy, just looked at this guy who was scared out of his wits calmly, and nodded gently.

"My Lord said, He approved."

"We will wait on the plain twenty kilometers away for one day, until the sun rises to its current position tomorrow."

"Such a long time is enough for you to pack your luggage, we will not send anyone to chase you."

After speaking, she turned to look at Bulunnan who was still in shock, and ordered in a gentle voice.

"General Bulunnan, let your people retreat to ten kilometers away, just take our luggage, no need to withdraw the camp. At this time tomorrow, we will come back again."

Bulunnan, who had been stunned for a long time, finally came back to his senses, without any extra nonsense, just nodded.

"Good."

The two returned to the camp together.

Just like that, in the incredible eyes of the defending soldiers, that mighty Salvation Army really packed up their luggage and flags in an orderly manner and transferred to the north of Quemubao.

Some starving people followed behind them, and they had already become their followers.

And more people stayed in place, because they believed that the Saintess would not abandon them, and she would come back here!

"Quick! Pack up!"

Sailong didn't hesitate for a minute, like a panicked fat mouse, urging the panicked butler, and the servants all rushed to his court.

His court was at the highest point of the castle.

Now he only regretted why he didn't pack his things earlier, and he had less than twenty-four hours left.

No—

Maybe only until dark.

He must set off under the cover of night to ensure that those guys wouldn't go back on their words and follow, and arrive at the provincial capital calmly.

A family quarreled over who could bring more luggage, and the noisy appearance made everyone feel faceless, including Sailong himself.

Looking at the mice scurrying around in the castle, Lei Deng only felt a desolation in his heart.

In the end, what he protected was such a group of things.

He felt more and more unworthy of the glory he was once proud of... ===== CHAPTER 434 =====