Chapter 429 Siege and Famine
Horse wheels rolled over the dry land, raising billowing dust of ruin.
Under the personal escort of "Iron Bull" Brennan, one of the twelve leaders of the Green Forest Army, the mighty "Pilgrim" army moved towards the direction of Quemu Leader.
Since everyone entered the territory of Quemu Territory, the air has been filled with an aura of decay that can be seen with the naked eye.
The faces of the refugees all had expressions of fear. Apparently they did not expect that the situation in Quemu Territory, which is close to Twilight City, was actually worse than in their hometown.
On the other hand, the faces of the soldiers wearing green turbans remained normal. Firstly, they had just had their fill of wine and food, and secondly, the surrounding scenery was not the most desolate they had ever seen.
Looking around at the surrounding scene, Hogg's lips revealed a sarcastic smile.
"Someone told me that they were rebels, but why did the place they passed by seem to be plagued by locusts."
With the blessing of the gods, he was naturally not afraid of the rebel leader.
Brennan knew that the mercenary was sarcastic about him, but he didn't care, let alone take his words seriously, he just said calmly.
Hogue: "Haha."
Brennan frowned.
Why are you laughing?
Hogue grinned.
"It's nothing, I just vaguely remember it, I seem to have heard similar words somewhere. That's what - as long as you kill the God of Hades, people will no longer have to die."
It seems that the dragon god Gutafu can say it?
Or perhaps it was said by Saint Sisi himself.
He doesn't remember.
Hitchcock, who was sitting in the carriage, sneezed, raised her paw to scratch her nose, and then subconsciously looked at the Demon King who was sitting aside meditating.
“Are you scolding me?”
Luo Yan smiled faintly.
"I'm not as boring as you."
After saying that, he looked at Sarah sitting beside him and said in a gentle tone.
"Are you okay?"
He noticed that Sarah's mood was not very high from just now.
Sarah was stunned for a moment, then came back to her senses and replied softly.
"I'm fine, Mr. Demon King, thank you for your consideration."
Luo Yan: "Your expression tells me that you are thinking about something. Of course, if it is something that is not convenient to say, then I won't I asked."
".—I just thought of some things before I met you," Sarah smiled sheepishly and whispered, "The feeling of being hungry is very bad, and I feel like I don't even have the strength to die."
She has tasted hunger.
In order to survive, she even tasted earthworms from Lei Ming County.
Although she is indifferent to human suffering, it is difficult not to sympathize with those who are suffering only in the case of hunger.
Luo Yan was silent for a while and said softly.
"That's for sure."
On the other side, Kallen, who was sitting on the caravan, opened the curtain, and the sight that came into view made her heart tighten.
Hungry hatchlings could be seen lying dead on both sides of the road. Their bodies were curled up, as if they were still fighting hunger at the last moment of their lives.
The fields scattered near the windmill have long been barren, and the withered yellow grass blades are like scaly white bones, making a desperate cry in the wind.
This is supposed to be the time for spring plowing, but not even the weeds can survive.
The villages in the distance were even more silent, with only a few skinny wild dogs wandering among the ruins, looking at the convoy of uninvited guests with vigilant eyes.
This is a veritable "dead place", and no one can tell who caused it.
Maybe it's the local lord, maybe it's Chaos, maybe it's the people themselves.
"Stop." Kallen said softly.
The motorcade slowly stopped.
She saw that there seemed to be signs of living people under a half-collapsed thatched hut not far away, so she stepped out of the caravan.
Brennan followed her silently, carrying a tomahawk and two soldiers.
Under the shadow of the hut, a man and a woman huddled together, holding a thin child tightly in their arms.
Their faces were bloodless, their lips were chapped, and their eyes were staring blankly at the ground, as if they had lost all reaction to the outside world.
Karien felt a burst of sadness in her heart.
Even without Mr. Colin's instructions, she couldn't help but want to help these hungry people.
She turned back to look at Brennan and said softly.
"They need help, please ask your soldiers to bring some bread."
Brennan had already agreed to her conditions before, so he said nothing more, nodded, and waved to the two soldiers wearing green turbans behind him.
"Do as she says."
This work was assigned to two young soldiers.
I saw them immediately taking off a sack from the packhorse, grabbing a few pieces of bread that smelled like wheat, and walked over quickly.
However, an unexpected scene happened.
When the dying family saw two soldiers wearing green turbans approaching, instead of showing the joy of being rescued, their eyes broke out in extreme fear.
The woman seemed to have come back to life. She let out a sharp scream and held the child firmly in her arms, as if she wanted to drown him in her own chest.
The man used his weak body to block the front of his wife and children, staring in horror at the soldiers with green coins tied to them, as if they were watching wild beasts running out of the jungle.
It was the child who knew nothing, staring at the food in their hands with longing eyes, swallowing the remaining saliva.
He didn’t know there was a war going on outside, and he didn’t know the difference between the lords and Kelan, and what would happen if one of them lost or won.
He only knew that it would allow him and his family to live.
The soldiers froze on the spot, looking at their leader at a loss, then at the nun, and subconsciously took a step back.
Karen didn't say anything, she just walked forward, stood in front of the family, and comforted them with a gentle voice.
"Don't be afraid, we are here to help you."
The man raised his head, his cloudy eyes full of distrust and fear. He stared at the green turban on the soldier's head, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a word.
Karen looked back at Brennan.
"They seem to be afraid of you, why?"
Brennan did not answer. For the first time, his rough face showed a trace of discomfort, and his eyes wandered.
Seeing that he was hesitant to speak, Kallen no longer asked, 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, or maybe the threat of death overwhelmed the fear.
The boy did not speak, but an old man next to him who was so thin that he had only a handful of bones opened his mouth tremblingly.
"It's them." He stretched out his thin index finger and pointed behind Kallen.
If he hadn't suddenly made a voice, no one would have noticed the old man huddled in the corner with his breath weaker than a mouse.
Kallen looked at him and then behind her.
"Them?"
“They broke into the village and snatched away our last bite of food. Just after the lord’s cavalry visited our barn,” the old man continued, observing Brennan’s face carefully, “Not only that, they also blocked the road out of here. We can't escape even if we want to. We can only wait here to die, or go forward and go to the Earl's castle to eat the Earl's food-"
It is impossible for the Earl to open the door. If he does what these green coins say, he will just change his place and wait to die.
Looking at the bread in the hands of the two soldiers, the old man's eyes exuded a desire for food, but at the same time he was afraid that this was a trap set by the green coins. Even he couldn't tell it himself. He had nothing to deceive.
The old man's accusation was like a slap in the face, hitting Brennan hard in the face.
His face, which had just regained some color due to the miracle, instantly turned red, and his eyes were full of wolfishness and embarrassment.
The two young soldiers also lowered their heads in shame, not daring to look into the frightened eyes of the family.
They are still a bit young after all and are not thick-skinned enough.
The veterans were very smart and coaxed them to do this job.
"That's a tactic!"
Brennan tried to argue, but his voice was a little weak, "If we don't use extraordinary means, it's impossible to break through Fort Quemu!"
He paused, and then added, "Of course - I admit, my people may have been a little rough when executing orders."
A little rough?
Hogue had a playful smile on his face, and he couldn't help but think of what happened before.
This guy almost stripped them of their clothes and drove them towards the castle with a gun.
Actually, Brennan didn't need to explain at all, but thinking of Saint Sis standing behind the nun, he couldn't help but say a few more words.
Just say it to him.
Karien slowly stood up and ignored his excuse.
She stared calmly at the man holding the battle ax, her eyes clear and firm, as if she could see through the struggle deep in his soul.
"If you do something more abominable than the devil in order to end hell, then your hell will not end, and you will lead everyone into another, more cruel hell."
There was no anger or reproach in her words, as if they were just representing the god 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 eyes finally fell on the distinctive green turbans on their heads.
"Please take it off."
That tone was not a command, but it carried an unquestionable tone that was far beyond a command, as if it was the will of the gods themselves.
The soldiers looked at each other.
That green-headed coin is a symbol of their identity and the flag of the Green Forest Army, even heavier than their heads.
However, unexpectedly, they were not angry or ridiculed, but looked at their leader subconsciously"
Should we listen to the opinions of the gods?
Brennan looked at Karen and said in a deep voice,
"Is it necessary to do this?"
Kallen nodded seriously.
"If you still have a trace of reverence for the gods in your heart, if you think that the people of the Dusk Province are more important than the honor in your heart,
Then take it off, you should have seen the fear in their eyes."
"At least in front of those hungry people, at least before the end of our contract, we are no longer the Green Forest Army, but the Salvation Army. "The air seems to have solidified.
Brennan clung to the handle of the axe, fighting between heaven and man in his heart.
Giving up the name of Green Forest Army was undoubtedly a betrayal of "Green Turban" Kellan. However, he then thought about what Kailan often said to them. He always told them that the Green Forest Army was a ranger who robbed the rich and gave to the poor, and was different from the nobles who hid in the castle.
这么说的话，这位修女小姐说的也不无道理，
更重要的是，他的最终目标是攻克雀木堡。 In this matter, the top brass of the Green Forest Army gave him extremely high decision-making power - as long as he could capture the castle and complete the siege of Dusk City, the capital of Twilight Province, the process was not important.
After a long time, Brennan loosened his clenched fists and shrugged his shoulders to everyone's surprise, seeming to acquiesce to all this.
"Okay," he said in a low voice, "If this is what must be done to capture Quemu Castle - I will cooperate with you before the end of our contract."
After saying that, he took the lead in pulling off the green turban on his head.
Seeing that their leader had done this, the other generals of the Green Forest Army looked at each other and felt that something was wrong, but they still did it in the end.
This group of rebels themselves did not realize that they not only ate the food of "Saint Karen" subtly, but also listened to the command of "Saint Karen", and even completed the "Change of Flags" under the persuasion of "Saint Karen" -
In fact, let alone them who had no independent opinions, even Kallen herself did not realize what she had done unintentionally.
She just followed the instructions of the kind gentleman and completed everything he asked step by step.
Kalian had a soft smile on her face, nodded approvingly to them, and then turned to look at the family who was stunned in place.
"As you can see, we are no longer the Green Forest Army. Can we sit down and chat? I have many questions to ask you,
We can chat while eating -"
"Okay, okay! I will tell you everything I know, Lady Saint." The old man nodded as if he had just woken up from a dream, and hurriedly moved out of the way of the door.
The other party has actually done this for their family. If he doesn't cooperate anymore, he himself will feel embarrassed. The dark clouds shrouding Renli Province seem to be showing some signs of movement. However, the atmosphere at the Quemu Fort Guards on the other side was as depressing as the sky before a storm.
In the lord's hall, Earl Theron Kinder was pacing back and forth anxiously.
After listening to the military situation reported by his subordinates, his fat body was constantly sweating, and his eyes were full of panic after being overwhelmed by fear.
Although he was once a brave and warrior, his comfortable life has long dulled his edge and bravery.
Not only that, he is now sixty years old, and even if he still has the energy, he may not be able to use it.
"One hundred thousand soldiers, there are actually 100,000 of them! Damn it, aren't these damn things hungry? When did they multiply to so many?"
And those damned abusers!
Now he knows that the actual living population in his territory is one zero more than the number on his account!
Now, this group of madmen armed with weapons they got from nowhere, surrounded his castle.
Not only that, they also went around killing and looting, destroying the entire Quemu Territory!
Looking at the resolute middle-aged soldier beside him, Theron complained in a painful voice, "Oh, Raiden, tell me, what should we do!"
The man named Leiden is a knight who has been loyal to the Qude family for generations, and is also a genuine platinum-level Earl. He answered calmly.
"There is no need to panic, Countess, the castle's defenses are solid and the food stockpiled is enough for us to hold on for three years. As long as we close the city gates, I can guarantee you that they can't get in."
And the rebels who surrounded them may not really number a hundred thousand, most of them are just false claims. But the real situation is that those mud-legged people don't even know how many they have.
"Three years? What about three years later?" Earl Theron screamed, "Where are the reinforcements? That bastard in Zhahuang City can't be counted on!"
To him, the people outside the castle were already a burden that could be abandoned at any time. The only thing he cared about was his own life and that of his family, and he even began to regret it.
If he had known that this group of rebels was so difficult to deal with, and if he had known that the king of the royal capital was so neglectful of his territory, he should not have stayed in this castle!
Leiden said in a deep voice.
"Even if the reinforcements are gone in three years, it will be enough to starve everyone outside."
Sailon was stunned for a moment.
Just when he was about to say something, a guard ran in panting and gave a breathless report.
"Count girl! Something is wrong with the rebels outside the city!"
"What's wrong?" Theron trembled with fright, his face turned pale, "They started to attack the city?"
Leiden also frowned, and subconsciously put his head on the hilt of his sword.
"No, on the contrary, although they gathered outside the castle, they did not set up siege equipment-" the guard hesitated for a moment,
Said what he found in a low voice, "Our sentries noticed that they seemed to be distributing food to the hungry people outside the castle."
Distributing food?
Leiden was stunned, and his face gradually turned ugly.
The reason that made him shudder and look ugly was not because of the hypocritical kindness of the rebels, but because they actually had extra food to squander on useless things.
He planned to starve those outside the city to death.
But if the food supply of this group of rebels has reached this level, then they will probably be the ones in the castle who will starve to death in the end.
And think more deeply about where their food comes from?
Indiscriminate use of the weapons in their hands.
Those things obviously cannot be conjured out of thin air.
Leiden's face became more and more ugly, and he gradually lost the air of conspiracy. Although he had been a little weird about this uprising before, this feeling had never been stronger than now.
Him It was not just the platinum-level warrior who looked solemn. Theron standing aside also showed an expression of disbelief, almost suspecting that there was something wrong with his ears.
He pushed the guards aside, picked up the hem of his official uniform himself, and, surrounded by several guards, stumbled up the west wall of the castle.
The scene that caught π's eyes immediately made the count speechless, and he was stunned for a moment.
In the center of the rebel camp, a pot was set up to cook steaming wheat porridge. The soldiers were serving the cooked wheat porridge with noodles to the hungry people who were waiting in long queues.
The surface was even creamy white with chestnuts, and there was an orange edge on the outside. He could even smell the aroma of freshly roasted wheat with his eyes!
The expected scene of thieves sharpening their knives and attacking the hungry people did not appear. Instead, there was an orderly scene.
At the moment, the faces of those people who had always hated the rebels showed the numbness of the aftermath of the disaster, as well as a trace of - gratitude?
Saint Sis is up there!
Have they all forgotten who in the world opened the lid of their pot and scraped away the last grain of wheat they had hidden in the cracks in the wall?
They have reconciled now? !
And where did those rebels come up with so much food? !
Salon didn't believe what he saw in front of him. He scanned the crowd and soon found something that confused him even more.
Although the soldiers still wore uneven and tattered clothes, all of them took off their green turbans and replaced them with undyed linen tied around their shoulders.
Although it was just a small change, the entire army seemed to be transformed overnight, from a group of ferocious wolves to a group of pious pilgrims?
The sun is really coming out in the west!
The bandits did not rob, but actually started to provide disaster relief and rescue the people!
Salon's Weixin was shrouded in a faint panic, which was the panic caused by something he couldn't understand. Surrounded by the soldiers, he held his hands on the cold wall and stared outside the city guard, muttering to himself.
"What is happening in the world?"
He would rather believe that they are acting, and the cunning rebels will take away the bowls in the hands of the residents in the next second.
However, the hungry people's devouring looks didn't look like they were lying. "We're afraid we'll be in trouble." Raiden said in a deep voice as he walked behind Cylon and stared at the scene outside the castle.
It doesn’t matter whether there were one hundred thousand rebels before.
Now they definitely have it.