Chapter 436: The New Testament and the Salvation Army!

The raging flames of war were tearing through every corner of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng; whether it was the siege of Quemubao or the tragic state of Graystone Town, these were merely the tip of the iceberg in this chaotic battlefield.

The development of events was exactly as Thomas had guessed: the Empire had not sat idly by.

"Rock Sword Saint" Master Gangte had stepped forward.

As a devout Luo De person, although he had not heard the voice of the gods, this did not hinder him from making a decision based on his own will—

He would use the sword in his hand to pacify this rebellion! The army of Chaos was attacking Huang Tong Pass, and the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng was a vital supply line for the human world leading to Huang Tong Pass.

No matter what grievances that group of insurgent peasants held, in Master Gangte's view, they should not have betrayed their lord at such a time. Because they were not only betraying their own kingdom, but also betraying the entire Empire that bore the burden of humanity's survival and safety.

And in fact, they had indeed done so. Their power came precisely from Chaos, from that abominable "Claw of Eternal Hunger" Ulgos... it was the devil that had killed the most people on this continent.

In terms of sheer numbers and cruelty, the people killed by the Mist of Deception did not even amount to a fraction of its toll, and even the Flames of Destruction raging outside the pass were far weaker than it.

Master Gangte's idea was very simple.

Since everything started because of "Green Turban" Kailan, he just needed to find that guy and kill him.

However, he gradually realized that things did not seem as simple as he had thought.

This tumor had existed for a long time.

It had only just erupted recently...

Just as Master Gangte continued to head west with the orphan he had picked up, at the southernmost tip of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, a tragic slaughter had just begun.

As the natural gateway connecting the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng and the Principality of Campbell, Torrent Pass was like an abrupt wolf's tooth, nailed between "Broken Finger Peak" and "Shattered Rock Peak" of the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain range, and together with the plains at its feet, it severed the continuous Ten Thousand Swords Mountain range.

After passing this gateway, heading south along the Torrent River, one would reach the Creek Valley Plains of the Principality of Campbell.

To deal with the threat of the Green Forest Army, Earl Derrick Gladstone, who was stationed in the North Creek Valley earldom, had already mobilized twenty thousand conscripts, standing by at the border to prevent the bandits from entering the territory.

However, his worry was clearly superfluous.

Unlike the reckless "Butcher" and "Pharmacist," "Shadow of the Jungle" Finnian was no fool with only brute force.

He was very clear about the limits of his actions and would not pointlessly burn the flames of war into the territory of a neighboring country, giving that ambitious eldest Princess a reason to send troops.

And this was also the reason why "Longbowman" Lisi, one of the three giants of the Green Forest, had sent him here.

If the insurgent army wanted to hold onto the fruits of victory, they had to take the pass connecting the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng and the Principality of Campbell, completely cutting off the connection between the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng and the southern principality!

The longer it dragged on, the greater the variables! "Kill!!!"

"Brothers! Charge! Take this pass! The treasures inside are all yours!"

"Ooooooh!!!"

The shouts of killing shook the heavens and the earth, and the soldiers wearing green turbans were like a tide rolling across the plains.

They held a motley assortment of weapons and, under the cover of catapults, charged toward the castle directly ahead.

Even though those catapults operated by serfs mostly had no eyes, either throwing stones into the moat or hitting the back of their own brothers' heads, only a few landed on the city walls.

However, this was enough.

Even if it took ten brothers to trade for one on the city wall, for "Forest Shadow" Finnian, it was a profitable trade.

After all, the soldiers in the castle had at most a few hundred left, while the army in his hands was well over a hundred thousand? No matter how this battle was fought, he would win! The only thing he needed to consider cautiously was what to do after taking this pass, and to guard against the threat from further south.

At the same time, on the city wall, the armored Knight Pierce raised the longsword in his hand and let out a hoarse roar.

"Fire!"

Following his order, the six smoothbore cannons on the city wall roared in unison!

The whistling explosive shells smashed into the rebel catapult positions like meteors, blowing the crooked rotten wood and the artillerymen beside them into smithereens.

Seeing the catapult positions blown to pieces, the defenders on the walls and the charging green turbans were both stirred, erupting into deafening shouts.

However, the latter soon could not laugh.

After one volley solved the catapults, the cannons on the city wall quickly aimed at them, and the black iron barrels roared again!

"Boom——!!"

The roaring cannon fire and the exploding shells arrived almost simultaneously; the bursting firelight and flying shrapnel raged across the battlefield, and the rebels under the city wall instantly fell in a patch like mown wheat.

And just as the cannons fired, the musketeers and crossbowmen standing on the city wall were not idle either.

They leaned behind the battlements, dodging the rebels' potshots and hidden arrows, while calmly and coolly firing the muskets handed to them by their comrades behind, then passing the muskets back to their comrades to reload.

The sound of volley fire came one wave after another, and every time a gun fired, it was a scene of blood and gore.

The rebels wearing green turbans hadn't even touched the moat before they had already left behind a large pile of corpses!

However——

The optimistic situation did not last long; the rebels carrying scaling ladders finally reached the edge of the castle.

Although those serfs wearing green turbans feared the gunfire on the city wall, the officer's methods of punishing traitors were even more terrifying. They had seen intestines pulled out and hung outside to dry, seen people thrown into pots and boiled alive... and these punishments often dragged their families along; those driving them knew exactly what they feared, because they all came from the same place.

As the deaths continued, they gradually stopped being afraid; anyway, getting shot was just a matter of an instant, and it might even be more painless.

When blood first splashed onto their faces, they would still fearfully raise their arms to wipe it off.

But as the heads around them blossomed one after another, they had become completely numb, not even frowning anymore.

As the first brave young man climbed onto the city wall, this tragic slaughter officially entered a white-hot stage!

This time, it wasn't just the "latter" attacking the city wall who couldn't laugh; the "former" guarding the city wall couldn't laugh either.

Although Pierce cut off that reckless head with a single sword strike, the heads on the city wall were endless.

Even though he had Platinum-tier strength, he couldn't withstand the continuous attacks like a tide.

After all, even the hardest steel would roll its edge after chopping through dozens of bones.

And not all those besieging the city were serfs; there were also some mixed in who had gained power for various reasons; among them were many powerful transcendents, and they always arrived in front of him and his subordinates in unexpected ways.

This slaughter lasted until dusk.

Not until the drums in the distance sounded did the besieging rebel army retreat like a receding tide.

Most of the peasants in the Kingdom of Lei En lacked nutrition, and once it got dark, they couldn't see anything. These rebels rarely dragged the battle into the night, not only because their combat effectiveness would be affected, but also because some people would take advantage of the darkness to run away.

Pierce finally found a moment to wipe the blood from his face, yet there was not a hint of joy at surviving the ordeal in his eyes.

The battle at Torrent Pass had been going on for more than half a month, and the situation was becoming more tragic by the day.

At first, he had eight hundred professional soldiers under his command; now, there were fewer than a hundred left who could stand on the city wall.

Not only that——

Three of the four Silver-tier knights under his command had already died in battle! Otherwise, as the commander, he wouldn't have risked so much to stand on the front line himself.

Looking at those soldiers leaning against the battlements and panting, he no longer knew how to hold out until tomorrow.

Just as Pierce was about to order the wounded to be treated, his gaze falling outside the city wall paused slightly, and then his expression changed drastically.

At the edge of the distant position, four pitch-black cannons were pushed to the front by several Green Forest soldiers with bare arms! "Cannons?!" the adjutant standing beside him exclaimed, his face full of disbelief.

The size of those cannons was clearly much larger than the smoothbore cannons on their city wall; they belonged to the siege caliber, not only with greater power, but presumably with a longer range!

How did those rebels get their hands on this stuff?!

Pierce's expression grew uglier, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Those cannons were out of his range! He guessed the enemy commander's intention in almost an instant——

"They did it on purpose... they are forcing us to raid the camp under the cover of night." Standing next to Pierce, a centurion lowered his voice, voicing the inner thoughts the former hadn't spoken aloud.

The soldier leaning against the battlement curled his lips and pressed on his newly bandaged wound, saying.

"The fortunate thing is, they don't know our situation... we simply can't spare the manpower to raid the camp at night."

"Don't be too optimistic; after tonight they will know, and then everything will be over."

"Damn it, who the hell gave them this stuff."

"...... God knows, either Hell or Chaos."

Listening to the soldiers' discussion, the adjutant cast his gaze toward General Pierce, waiting for this heroic knight to make a decision.

Actually, they weren't unable to spare the manpower; for instance, this Platinum-tier knight could do it himself.

Of course——

The premise for everything was that there was no corresponding combat power in the opponent's formation.

Otherwise, that person wouldn't even need to gain the upper hand.

They only needed to drag their General Pierce down, and then rely on the advantage of numbers to pile the latter to death... this fortress, easy to defend and hard to attack, would fall without a fight.

Just as Pierce was caught in a dilemma, a cloud of dust that blotted out the sky and sun suddenly rose on the southern horizon.

A soldier responsible for scouting was the first to discover the anomaly, and then let out a shout of surprise.

"General! Look! From the direction of Campbell! An army is approaching us! They are flying the Grand Duke's flag!"

Grand Duke?

The Campbell Royal Family?!

Pierce was slightly stunned, and the joy of surviving the ordeal instantly appeared on his blood-stained face, his fists clenching involuntarily.

How did those people come?

Earl Derrick's soldiers had been sitting still at the border for more than half a month; he had never thought that these cold neighbors would suddenly send troops! But since these Campbell people had come, there must be a sufficient reason! They——

Were saved! Cheers of victory erupted on the castle, and the remaining defenders burst into deafening cheers, as if to roar out all the fear and suppression of the past half month.

Some people were even so excited that their bandages split, and hot blood spurted from the wounds they had just tied up.

And in contrast, in the Green Forest Army's formation.

"Forest Shadow" Finnian, holding a monocular telescope, had a solemn expression.

Seeing that several kilometers away, the infantry of the Principality of Campbell were carrying standard-issue flintlock muskets, wearing uniform military uniforms, and marching toward Torrent Castle with high morale.

The principality had sent troops......

And, it was before he had taken Torrent Pass.

The thing he worried about most had finally happened.

Also having received the news from the scouts, the adjutant walked to Finnian's side, his expression solemn as he said.

"Boss, what do we do now?"

After pondering for a long time, Finnian put down the telescope in his hand, his expression gloomy as he said.

"Retreat first, withdraw to the forest five kilometers to the north, and rely on the strongholds we prepared in advance to deploy defense."

On the plains, they had no chance of winning, but in the forests and hills, it might not be the case.

That would be his home field.

It was just a pity that those eight thousand brothers who fell before Torrent Pass had died in vain......

The defenders of Torrent Pass finally saw the dawn of victory, and the people far away in Quemubao also finally waited for their hope.

After a long talk with Kelin and a night of tossing and turning, the confusion in Kalian's eyes had been swept away, replaced by an unprecedentedly firm gaze.

The next morning, she summoned all the soldiers of the Salvation Army in the castle as well as her followers, having them gather in the courtyard in the center of the castle, saying she had important matters to announce.

Seeming to have anticipated what was about to happen, Bulunnan was the first to arrive, his face full of joy. He specially wore a suit of armor he had picked up from the lord's treasury, replacing the blood-stained bear skin, making himself look more decent so as not to lose face on a formal occasion.

No matter what that Saintess thought, and no matter what those pedantic priests and squires thought, he was determined to put the crown on this Highness's head!

None?

Then let the blacksmith make one! He didn't care about any legal principles, or any titles, or the Church's recognition.

Whoever could let him and his brothers eat their fill, whoever could let him live a good life he hadn't had before, was his King! Just as he expected, that Shengxisi was quite reasonable and thought the same as him, even persuading this kind-hearted nun lady for him.

It was just that what he didn't expect was that the Saintess seemed to have already prepared the crown.

However, it wasn't something the blacksmith had made overnight, but a grass wreath woven from olive branches.

Wearing the olive branches, she wore a simple nun's robe and slowly walked to the high platform in front of the castle's main hall.

The moment she stepped onto the high platform, the spacious courtyard fell silent, and thousands of gazes gathered on that loving face.

A holy aura radiated from her body, just like the river spirit walking out of the Torrent River.

That was a legend of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng.

Legend had it that when flames swept through the mountains and forests, the fairy in the river would descend with sweet rain to soothe the wounds on the earth.

Although the priests all said this was fake, every Lei En person believed in this legend, so even if it was fake, it became real.

Just like the Saintess standing on the high platform at this moment, even Ben, who had seen her disheveled appearance, completely forgot what she looked like at the beginning.

"I have heard a new oracle."

The moment she opened her mouth, hope shone on every face, whether they were hesitant, uneasy, or fanatical.

Taking in all those expectant gazes, Kalian responded to their expectations with a gentle smile.

"He told me through the mouth of the God-child 'Flame King' that our mission is not to overthrow a castle, win a war, end a dynasty, and start a new one, but to completely end the tragedy of this land beneath our feet, and save all our compatriots sinking in the depths of suffering......"

Afterward, she spoke in an incomparably solemn tone, pointing out a direction that no one had ever imagined for those people longing for salvation——

"From today on, we will no longer be loyal to any secular King; for their own selfish desires, they have forgotten their sacred obligations, and their titles will no longer be reasonable!"

"From now on, we will only serve the gods who save all people, and all the people under the illumination of divine grace!"

"Our swords will only fight for the people of God!"

This solemn and generous statement stirred up huge waves among the crowd.

That monstrous wave was even enough to shake the foundations of all secular kingdoms on earth!

Lei Deng widened his eyes, not expecting the Saintess to say such things, but then he thought about it...... and found that what she said was not without reason.

The nobles of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng had indeed abandoned their feudal obligations, otherwise the peasants who couldn't survive would never have risen up.

Those peasants didn't care at all who was King, nor did they care if there was a King; the people who really cared were precisely those nobles and priests who had abandoned their own obligations——

These people who owned land had long been acting on behalf of the King, exercising rights beyond the King on this land that had an owner! They didn't deserve to sit there at all!

Thinking of Earl Selong's disheveled appearance as he scurried into the castle like a rat and then fled like a rat, he didn't want to consider things from the perspective of those people at all.

As for how the Empire and the Church would view the Salvation Army's declaration and uprising......

That was too far away for him.

The Empire only cared about Huang Tong Pass, followed by the New Continent and the interests on the vast ocean.

As for the Twilight Forest, it wasn't in the vision of the Holy City at all.

Perhaps in the eyes of those high and mighty people, this barbaric land was no different from Hell.

Since that was the case, why should they care about the opinions of those guys?

If those old things could really be frightened by this vigorous flame and notice the people sinking in the depths of suffering, their deaths would have some meaning.

Unlike the myriad thoughts and the knightly way of self-sacrifice in Lei Deng's heart, Bulunnan didn't think that much. There was only one word in his heart, and that was "Awesome."

Shengxisi's son had said it, their uprising was reasonable, because the nobles betrayed them first.

Could a King be more awesome than this? Whether the Church recognized it or not, he didn't care at all, anyway he believed it! The only ones scared to death were the priests present.

Seeing that the Salvation Army soldiers hadn't gone on a killing spree after breaking into the castle, they thought these mud-legged guys had really found their conscience, were moved by divine grace, and had converted again.

As a result, they didn't expect that these guys didn't have a shred of "piety" in their bones, and their silence was just to hold back a big one!

What kind of thing was a God-child?

Shengxisi wasn't a mortal...... when did he have children!?

Making up mortal stories for gods was something from the First Epoch!

And that weird Salvation Army, every word they said in the name of Shengxisi sounded like twisted logic that only demons in Hell would speak! However, pale-faced, they didn't dare to say a word; after all, the fierce soldiers were right beside them, and with "Truth" in hand, who was the heretic was really hard to say.

People with pious faith had long since died in the chaos of war, and most of those who survived were people with some cunning.

They didn't want to be taken away by Shengxisi for the time being; only by surviving could there be meaning in arguing about right and wrong.

In short, endure for now......

Currently, it seemed these ignorant bumpkins were just arranging Shengxisi's genealogy, and didn't use this as an excuse to start killing again.

Thinking about it this way......

It didn't seem bad?

Thinking of what these bumpkins had done before, they suddenly convinced themselves.

Even if this Saintess came up with another oracle to replace the Holy Word Book in their hands with a new one, it wasn't like they couldn't consider playing along.

What they didn't know was that the Saintess standing on the high platform really had this intention.

She didn't doubt the necessity of spreading the truth; sooner or later, she would compile the version Mr. Kelin told her into a New Testament and then teach it to the lost world.

People were the foundation of everything, and "everyone is a priest" was the truly correct legal principle!

However, this matter could be put aside for a moment; now there were more important things waiting for her to do.

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After clarifying the power and responsibilities, she still needed to promulgate the Salvation Army's political platform and complete the formal investiture ceremony—or rather, the personnel appointments.

Everything will be conducted in the name of God! Or rather, in the name of all the people!...

The investiture ceremony went very smoothly, although the process was a bit weird, and it wasn't even conducted in the name of investiture.

In the name of the oracle, Saintess Kalian self-proclaimed herself as Saintess, in charge of religious affairs, with a status similar to a bishop.

However, unlike a bishop, she did not divide any fiefdoms for herself like a traditional bishop.

Regarding this, her explanation was that she had already promised the God-child that she was willing to give up all secular desires, dedicate the rest of her life to faith, and accept a life of poverty.

As for Lei Deng, she invested him as the first "Holy Grail Knight" of the Salvation Army, commanding the fifty knights in the castle.

Besides this, she also bestowed upon him the "Shield of the Holy Grail" personally made by the God-child, as a gift for his choice to be loyal to all the people.

As for Bulunnan, he also received an investiture, obtaining a "Champion's Axe" in the name of "Champion Warrior."

At first, both thought that what the Saintess bestowed upon them was just an ordinary "ritual vessel," until they held the bestowed holy objects in their palms.

A continuous stream of power came through the cold metal, as if the gods were standing side by side with them! For a moment, both of them showed expressions of amazement, shocked by the incredible object in their hands.

Perhaps......

Shengxisi really had a child? Excluding the two "Great Generals Protecting the Country," Kalian continued to invest a group of administrative officers responsible for specific affairs.

Most of them were people who had performed outstandingly in their previous work; some came from within the Salvation Army, some from among the people...... no matter where they came from or what kind of work they did before, the God-child hoped they would continue to fulfill their duties.

However, these people didn't have divine artifacts.

They didn't need transcendent power themselves; they just needed to uphold a heart of awe and complete the work in their hands.

On the tower of the castle, Luo Yan looked down at the castle courtyard with a smile, taking in the entire investiture ceremony conducted in his name.

"What kind of monster did you actually knead out?" Tafu, who was squatting beside him, couldn't help but complain.

Luo Yan smiled.

"The Kingdom of Batonia? Or...... something else? Who knows, I'm also very curious, how far they will go with the weapons I handed them."

He didn't just give them bread; he also handed them a weapon.

However, unlike Chaos.

He gave invisible weapons, not visible guns and cannons.

Of course, except for those two "divine artifacts," which were his impromptu works.

To celebrate the birth of the Salvation Army, he specially synthesized two diamond seeds and picked two suitable items from the lord's treasury, attaching divine power to them.

He had to admit that he just wanted to test the functions of his godhood, and by the way, study whether the return could be greater than the investment.

Anyway, the weapons themselves had no self-will, and it was easy to take back the divine power attached to the divine artifacts.

And if the holder of the divine artifact created a new legend with the artifact in their hand, for example, truly fulfilling their oath and protecting their people in the years to come...... the return on this investment might far exceed his expectations.

He and Hearing You You had been secretly keeping an eye on that Lei Deng and Bulunnan.

One was a knight who betrayed Shengxisi, the other was a warrior who abandoned Chaos...... they were both guys worth investing in, even more worth investing in than the few double-crossers in his territory.

But then again, did this count as cuckolding both Shengxisi and the Claw of Eternal Hunger at the same time? Thinking of this, he suddenly felt inexplicably excited.

However, Tafu, whose brain hadn't fully developed, was still immersed in his previous sentence.

"Batonia...... what is that?"

"Nothing, just something from a game I played in my previous life, don't worry about it."

"You really have bad taste."

"Why do you say that?"

Tafu argued sophistically.

"Although I admit I didn't do good things, that was an accident, at least my original intention was good."

Hearing this sophistry, Luo Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"How do you know my original intention wasn't good?"

"Anyway, I can't tell!"

Luo Yan smiled slightly.

"That's why you——"

Seeing the Demon King smile slightly again, Tafu hurriedly grabbed her wings to cover her ears, acting as if she wasn't listening to the turtle chanting.

"Enough, I don't want to hear it!"

Luo Yan actually wanted to say another sentence, but he had teased Tafu enough today, so he'd better leave the rest for tomorrow.

Lest she become desensitized one day, then it wouldn't be fun.

At this moment, Luo Yan suddenly noticed that light footsteps were coming from the entrance of the tower.

He looked over and saw Kalian, who had finished the ceremony, standing there, her holy smile carrying a trace of faint joy.

"I knew it, you must be here." ===== CHAPTER 437 =====