The Ring: Sell Dung Beetles in Junction

Chapter 473: Tenderness before the War

Those who came with Michaela gathered in Shadow City, saying it was a welcome party, but more importantly, they wanted to learn about the situation in Shadow Land. After all, not everyone has a strong intelligence network like Michaela, and many people even heard of this place for the first time.

Most people gathered in the Shadow City Hall and the corridors on the city walls, which were the most spacious places and could accommodate banquets and revelry for many people.

Millicent pestered Wuming, wanting to hear what happened in Shadow Land, and while Wuming was talking, other employees also gathered around, wanting to hear about their boss's experience.

Latan pulled Gaius up. The two brothers hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they drank and chatted happily in the main entrance hall of Shadow City. After drinking to their heart's content, he even gave the hippopotamus next to him a few sips of water.

Lance Shanks went to Mongette and complained at length about how boring he was during this period.

Monggot wanted to monitor the other demigods, but Lance Shanks blocked his view in various ways. In the blink of an eye, he found that Messemo and Man Yue had disappeared from his sight.

"Don't worry." Lance Shanks was relieved. "From what I've observed, Messermo is quite honest, and he's been here for a thousand years. Why are you on guard?"

Mungot had his nose pinched and his tail pinched by Lance Shanks, and he could never get any peace. Finally, he had no choice but to give up monitoring the other demigods.

In a corner where Mongget couldn't see, Messermo and Man Yue were talking about something.

Man Yue stared at Messermo sharply:
"Where's my sister?"

Messermo lowered his head and sighed:

"That's what I wanted to tell you. It just so happens that you're here. She should be very happy. I'd like to ask you to help me mediate and persuade her."

A few days ago, Messemo was recuperating on the bed in his dark room, and Lailana was also recuperating on the bed in her dark room. After the two of them completely sobered up after looking at each other, Lailana seemed to start to be upset. She didn't like to talk to him much in the past few days and kept avoiding him.

Messermo felt very guilty: "Although I don't know what happened, I'm afraid I offended her and she felt that I flirted with her. I hope you can help convey my apology."

"Where is she?" Man Yue asked.

"It's still in my darkroom." Messermo introduced Man Yue and took her to the door of his room.

Man Yue nodded slightly: "I'll go talk to her."

When he pushed open the door, he saw Lailana sitting in the room. She was sitting on a chair, not wearing armor, but a thin cloth dress, staring blankly at the head of the bed in Messemo's room.

There sits a huge statue of Malika holding her baby.

When she heard the door open, Lailana looked over and was stunned to see Man Yue.

"Sister?" Lailana was a little bit unbelievable.

Man Yue, who had always had a cold expression, saw Laelana, and the frost on his face disappeared, and he smiled gently at her:
"The boy who couldn't tell the difference between a boy and a girl in Radagan opened the door. I heard about it and came to see you."

"How did you know I was here..." Lailana stood up, looking a little flustered in front of her sister, and straightened her clothes.

"Messermo brought me here, saying that he made you angry and asked me to mediate." Man Yue said.

Laylana blushed: "I see... He does have some heart..."

Man Yue looked at Lailana's expression and said:
"So I came to mediate and solve the problem between you."

Lailana waved her hand subconsciously: "No need, don't bother me, I've already--"

"Leave him." Man Yue said.

"Eh?" Lailana looked at her sister's eyes as bright as the moon, her expression a little dazed.

Man Yue said, "Leave that stinky man and come back to Kalia with me."

Lailana was confused: "Sister, why are you..."

"Haven't I made it clear enough?" Man Yue said, "You've wasted too much of your youth on that stinky red-haired guy. It's not worth it at all. Come back with me. There's still a place for you in Kalia, and you're still my dear sister."

Lailana tilted her head, her expression full of confusion:

"But sister, aren't you... the one who advocates love the most? You used to be so happy that you asked me to get married early, and you supported me to follow him——"

"I'm divorced." Man Yue said coldly, "That stinky red-haired monster betrayed me."

"Ah? You're divorced?" Lailana covered her mouth, unable to believe it.

She heard a lot of news from Wuming that could deal a critical blow to Messermo, but she didn't expect that there was also some breaking news prepared for herself.

"Oh, to be exact, they didn't get divorced." Man Yue sneered, "That red-haired guy ran away without saying a word and ran back to Rodel. Within two months, the news of his wedding to Marika reached me."

"Marika again?" Lailana turned her head and looked at the statue of Marika above the bed in Messemo's bedroom, unable to utter a word.

Man Yue also saw the statue and said with a curled lip:
"Look, does this mama's boy care about you? He only cares about Marika. Did you see his armor? Every scale is engraved with fucking golden rings."

Man Yue put her hands on Lailana's shoulders:

"As long as you leave him, you won't be hurt by him anymore, and you won't quarrel with him anymore. You will have inner peace. Otherwise, you will be stolen by the stinky red-haired guy, and you will be depressed all day long, and your dignity will be destroyed. It's just like Radagan, who called her little sweetheart, spoke sweet words and swore to her that he would be with her forever, but in the end he forgot the vows he made when he got married."

Lailana's body was held down by Man Yue, but her head turned away without any response.

"But he never promised me anything," Lailana whispered, "nor did he say anything sweet to me."

"That's even sadder." Man Yue said, "He doesn't love you at all."

Lailana looked at her sister and forced a smile:
"But he asked you to enlighten me, didn't he?"

Lailana lowered her eyes.

"Sister, you don't understand him. He is not like my brother-in-law - not as perfect and high-spirited as Radagan. He never promises me anything because he thinks he is filthy, unworthy of me, and unworthy of happiness."

Laelana looked at the statue of Marika:
"He's just... abandoned. What happens to children when their mothers abandon them and don't love them? What else can a child who's been abandoned by his mother do? He's just always sad. He's never been loved, and he doesn't know how to show that he cares."

Man Yue looked at her sister with pity:
"So you just want to carry his sorrow?"

"Too many people abandoned him. Everyone turned their backs on him and left. I looked at his back and felt that he was so lonely." Lailana said softly, "He hardly ever smiled."

"Do you want to be his mother?" Man Yue said.

"Maybe a man always needs a woman to take his mother's place." Lailana said softly, "Unfortunately, I can't do it."

"You should be more independent and stop paying attention to him." Man Yue advised the girl earnestly.

Lailana said, "Sister, I know how much you love him. When Radagon betrayed you, did you correct yourself so quickly?"

Man Yue raised her eyebrows and said, "He drugged me. That red-haired bastard actually bewitched me."

"You'll be able to recover if you stop being charming?" Laylana said, "You've never thought about him?"

Man Yue was silent. She knew that the reason why she still reacted so strongly was that she had not completely let it go.

She just picked herself up, not put her down.

After all, she had loved and been happy before. Those years were her own self that she could not give up.

"It's not that easy to forget." Man Yue smiled bitterly.

"Even if I'm hurt, my heart is bleeding, even if I'm in pain and sadness, why am I unwilling to forget..." Lailana murmured, not knowing whether she was lamenting for herself or for Messermo.

"I'm sad, not because I saw him and I in the same bed." Laylana cried, "It's because he was lying with me, but he only dared to back away when he saw me. He never got over that hurdle in his heart. No matter what I do, I'm not as close to him as Marika in his heart."

Man Yue hugged Laelana in silence.

Then he suddenly waved his hand, and the pyroxene on his wrist was activated, and a broom star hit the statue of Marika. With a loud bang, the head of the statue of Marika fell off, and hit Messermo's bed with rubble.

Laelana was frightened:

"Sister, what are you doing? You don't have to do this for me—"

Man Yue put her hands on her hips, with her mouth and eyebrows raised:

"I saw a woman seducing my ex-husband, can't I stand it? The little red-haired guy dared to say anything? I haven't settled accounts with his mother yet. He dared to point a gun at me? Fight with me? He rebelled against him, at most it would be the Third Lienian War, anyway, I have been unhappy with the Golden Tree for a long time."

Man Yue patted Laylana's head with a motherly smile: "Messermo has no family to love him, but you love him. You have family to love you, so if you are wronged, go back to Kalia."

"Yeah." Laylana nodded slightly.

Full Moon Queen Lenara entwined her fingers with Laelana's glossy black hair:

"If you want him to be attracted to you, you have to dress yourself up. You always look unkempt."

Lailana blushed, "I'm dressed up."

She wore a loose cloth garment instead of the usual leather armor.

"You've been fighting and killing all the time, and you've even forgotten how to behave properly in Kalia." Man Yue looked at Laylana's makeup and pushed her onto a chair. "Sit down, I'll comb your hair."

Man Yue untied Lailana's long braids and combed her hair.

"This hair was given to me by you, my sister." said Lailana.

Man Yue also smiled and said, "Let's go stargazing together again someday."

"Um……"

When Lailana stood up again, her long hair, which was originally tied together in a somewhat messy manner, had been combed into a soft and shiny black color, with a moon-like luster.

Man Yue also changed her clothes into a white dress, which she sewed with white cloth she found in Messermo's room.

"Sister, can you sew now?"

"Don't mention this. I don't want to say who taught me this. It's bad luck to mention him." Man Yue said, lighting up the room with starlight and using ice magic to create a large mirror for Laylana. "How about taking a look?"

Lailana looked at her plain and beautiful appearance and felt a little uncomfortable:

"Is this okay?"

"No way, the conditions don't allow for a style like Kalia's." Man Yue sighed, "But it's also good like this, my sister has a good foundation, just let her hair down."

Laelana looked at herself in the mirror with her long hair hanging down. She usually wore military uniform and carried a sword. It felt like she hadn't seen herself like this for a thousand years, as Princess Kalia.

Man Yue patted Laylana on the shoulder:

"Okay, let's go and charm that little red-haired girl to death."

Lailana nodded heavily, and left the dark room with Man Yue to find Messemo.

As soon as I got off the tower, I saw Messermo.

He was leaning against the fence at the side wall, looking into the distance.

He was chatting and laughing with a beautiful stranger woman whom he had never seen before, with a bright smile on his face.

========
Messermo had already walked down from the tower where he was resting, and he did not hear the sound of his mother's statue being blown up by the full moon. He went down from his tower and did not go to the bustling main hall.

Just below the tower, on the bridge connecting to it, look out over the shadow tree.

Hesitation and uneasiness still fill my heart.

Wuming was pushing the issue and urging all parties to reach a peace negotiation, so not everything would go smoothly.

Messermo still doesn't know whether he should abandon the mission his mother once gave him.

Michaela's arrival basically confirmed all of Wuming's statements, and he should have let go of his obsession. But a thousand years of persistence and inertia cannot be let go just by saying so.

He was afraid, afraid to make his own decision, afraid that his decision might not be what his mother wanted.

“Mother…” Messermo closed his eyes and prayed to the Shadow Tree, “Give me guidance.”

Messermo opened his eyes and turned around to go back.

He paused as he saw Michaela standing not far from him, her thick golden hair scattered in the holy light, covering half the width of the road.

He was looking up, holding a monocular telescope, and looking in the direction of his room with interest.

It was as if I could see through the brick wall and see the scene inside my own room at the top of the tower.

"What are you doing?" Messermo asked.

"Love and get the right person, that's the best. Love but not get it, that's the second best." Michaela said this in a way that Messermo couldn't understand.

"what?"

"Nothing, I just thought about what Brother Wuming did." Michaela said, "It's the worst to be unable to get the love you want and die of heartbreak. I will take care of those people."

Michaela held her chin in her hand and said, "Perhaps emotional sadness is similar to physical wounds. Although painful, it is also proof of being alive. So people would rather suffer than forget. That's why the Blood Dynasty advocates wounds and blood..."

Messermo felt that Michaela was just talking to herself and prepared to leave.

"Brother Messermo." Michaela called him, "Children should learn to grow up. When they grow up, they won't be so obsessed with their mother."

"You must be the kind of child who is loved by everyone," said Messermo. "Mother, you must be very satisfied with you."

"Unfortunately, I'm not perfect either." Michaela smiled, "Don't be so aggressive, I just went through some things and wanted to share them with you so that you can encourage each other."

Michaela stroked her lips:
"Brother Wuming gave me some unforgettable experiences that helped me grow up. I think you should experience them too."

“There’s no comparison,” Messermo said. “We’re not alike.”

“In fact, the mission of God-man is also very heavy.” Michaela said, “A mission that is too heavy is like a curse. Under the heavy burden, we will become distorted.”

Messermo glanced over his shoulder:

"After all, mother only accepted the Faded Ones, but did not comment on other laws. My mission is to protect the fire—"

Michaela said, “You might not be able to listen to me, so I found someone who can listen to you.”

Like magic, Michaela's long, smooth hair gathered, revealing the person who had been previously obscured by his holy light.

A one-eyed girl with short hair, a travel jacket and leather boots. Her hair color is between brown and pink.

The girl stared at Messermo for two seconds, then looked away, as if she didn't know how to face him.

"Melina?" Messemo was unsure.

"Yeah." Melina responded.

"Why are you here too?" said Messermo.

"Micaela lied to me that there was a new church in Shadow Land and that we could open up new tourist routes in the future." Melina had a blank expression. "But when we got here, we found that there was no proper church at all. The heads of the statues were all gone and the church had been abandoned long ago. And my mother never left any mottos in these places."

Michaela smiled and said to the two of them:
"You two siblings can just reminisce about the past. I won't disturb you. I'm leaving now."

Michaela disappeared in a flash, leaving Messermo and Melina alone, feeling a little awkward.

"How have you been these years?" Melina spoke first. "Are you still sticking to your mission?"

"Yeah, I've been wondering whether to continue." Messemo looked into the distance with his eyes that bore the imprint of Marika, "What about you? Are you still following your mother?"

"Mother is gone," Melina said. "She is locked inside the golden tree. Only fire can burn through the golden tree's thorn seal of rejection."

"You are the only one who can burn outside, right?" Messermo said, "Are you also struggling?"

"I don't struggle with it," Melina said. "My mother told me clearly what my mission was."

"Burn the golden tree?" asked Messermo.

"Ah."

Messermo said: "It seems that what Wuming said is true. Mother has changed."

"Ah."

Messermo asked, "Which laws did Mother abandon? Did she allow the Horned People to be accepted? What about the hybrid subhumans? Did she accept them as well? Dragons, giants, goblins?"

Melina didn't respond until Messermo fell silent too.

"It can't be..." Messemo had guessed it long ago, but still couldn't believe it.

"Well, release fire and death." Melina said, "Mother now hopes to let death return equally."

She looked at Messermo: "That means even snakes are no longer taboo."

Messermo leaned against the side wall, sorting out his thoughts.

After a long while, he sighed: "You are so lucky."

"What?" Melina asked.

"As long as I can stay by my mother's side, I can complete the mission I was given." Messermo smiled bitterly, "Unlike me, my mission is always in progress and there is no possibility of completion."

Melina also leaned against the side wall, standing next to Messermo.

Then he stepped hard on Messermo's foot. He was wearing sandals and his toes were exposed. The red snakes on his body wailed in pain when he was stepped on by the boot.

"What are you doing?" Messermo said, "I've fought all my life, and I'm not allowed to be envious?"

"It makes me angry when I talk about this." Melina puffed her lips, "My mission? My mission is gone!"

"The mission is gone?" Messemo was confused. "You abandoned the mission?"

"Someone has taken my mission away from me." Melina crossed her arms and glanced away angrily. "I could have been a hero, but now I can only be a tour guide and lead a group to make a living."

"Can this mission be snatched away?" Messemo wondered. "Even if we burn the golden tree, we can't do it without fire. Is there anyone else who can see the virtual image of the flame?"

"It's fine if it's just epilepsy," Melina said.

"Has the insanity spread outside?" Messemo asked alertly.

"Marlennia is infected with corruption, and Mongert has horns. Do you really think the holy war can stop anything?" Melina said, "Of course the Mad Fire can go outside. The Outer Gods are the rules, and the rules can't stop it. As long as there are people who are crazy, the Mad Fire will continue to exist; as long as there are flesh and blood, the Invisible Mother will exist; as long as there are people who pickle vegetables, corruption will exist."

“That last one is a little jarring,” Messermo said.

Melina propped up her face and said, "But it wasn't Dianhuo who took over my mission. Xia Bolili has been dealt with by Wuming."

"Wuming can actually defeat Dianhuo, he is really strong." Messermo asked, "Then who took away your mission?"

"Also nameless." Melina said expressionlessly.

"Flame..." Messermo suddenly realized and thought of Wuming's blazing flame.

"Wait, he's not dead." Messermos pondered, "Becoming a fire seed means that one will encounter a destined death, right?"

"I don't know. That guy seems to be dead." Melina said, "I can't sense any breath of life from him, but he is not dead."

"The curse of immortality..." Messermo thought of the curse that Wuming was carrying, "It can actually resist the destined death."

"Anyway, he has ruined my entire mission." Melina's hair stood up, and the eye that had been tightly closed slightly opened, revealing a hint of night.

"Don't be so rude when you speak." Messermo's red snake stroked Melina's fur.

“That’s how my mother talked,” Melina said.

"Mother wouldn't do that." Red Snake knocked Melina on the head.

"Do you spend more time with mother than I do?" Melina said, "After the Night of the Black Knife, mother has been so irritable every day."

Mercer was silent. He felt a little sad that he had lost to his sister in terms of seniority in this matter.

Melina patted the red winged snake's head:
"But after the mission was taken away, you know what I saw?"

"what?"

"The world my mother hoped for is coming true, and this land is regaining its vitality." Melina said softly, "And I, who have lost my mission, am fine. After a period of decadence, my life is still the same, and I have found a new way to live. Perhaps my mother took away the blessing of the Faded Ones for this reason - even without blessing and guidance, life can find its own way out."

Melina hammered Messermo's skinny shoulder:

“Perhaps now, whether it is the blessing or the collapse of the mission, it will no longer go down the path of destruction.”

The brother and sister stared at each other for a moment, and Messermo suddenly smiled: "I understand why Michaela asked you to convince me."

Messermo leaned against the side wall, looking at the shadow tree in the distance, the amber luster outlining the tree's shadow. In the past, Messermo looked at the shadow tree and could only see the sadness of being abandoned, but now, he noticed the amber in the shadow tree, the dew-like luster like the scorching sun.

The red clouds fill the sky, and we will enter the darkness with the hope of a bright tomorrow, and then welcome the sunrise.

The red clouds were replaced by a magical glow, and at the edge of Messermo's sight, the red clouds seemed to be dyed with a magical blue.

Messemo shook his head and saw Lailana holding up a pyroxene sword. The flow of magic extended and expanded along the sword, and the huge sword body seemed to be about to smash the bridge.

"The Honorable Kalia!" Laelana roared and slammed down with the sword.

However, the magic power looked intimidating, but when it really fell, it only reached Messemo's feet. Messemo took a step back in fright and avoided the big sword.

He also knew that this move had a second form, and he saw a magical sword light slashing across the smoke and dust.

Messermo raised his spear to block, but found that it was not the magic blade that came, but Laelana herself who flew over and slashed horizontally.

During the close combat, the smoke and dust from the magic power dissipated, revealing Laelana with her lips pursed and her eyes sparkling.

"What's wrong?" Messemo was confused. "Are you still angry? Didn't Lady Lenara convince you?"

"Nothing." Laylana released two swords and stood still. She had regained her composure. Her expression was as cold as the dark moon. She looked at Melina beside her and asked, "Who is this?"

"My sister," said Messermo.

Melina had a sour face and brushed off the dust that was raised on her body by the magic attack: "Hello."

The coldness on Laylana's face suddenly melted away, and she was a little flustered: "Sister?"

Man Yue also walked behind her and whispered softly: "People in Malika's family don't mind such things. Radagan is supposed to be Malika's family, but he is still involved with Malika."

Laelana's face froze again.

Messemo hadn't figured out the exact direction of the sword strike just now. He looked at Laylana's stiff face, thought for a long time, and said, "Your hand is healed."

"Yeah, okay..." Lailana also repeated the meaningless and dry conversation.

Messermo paused for a moment and then said:
“The new look is great.”

Messemo really noticed it and praised it so bluntly. Lailana lowered her head, tangling her fingers in her black hair, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

Her eyes shifted back and forth between Messermo and Melina, while her mind was thinking about Man Yue's words, becoming more and more confused.

Melina looked aside with one of her dead fish eyes and curled her lips, a little impatient.

She stood between the two of them, raised her boots on tiptoe, pressed down on the heads of Messermo and Lailana, and knocked them together, precisely centering their lips.

After doing all this, Melina clapped her hands, turned around and waved, "Let's go."

======
Melina returned to the main entrance hall of Shadow City and looked at the noisy crowd.

Wuming was telling the caravan employees about the desolation and horror of the Shadow Land, as well as the opportunities and business opportunities that came with it.

As he was speaking, a ragged man rushed in from the main door, sat next to Wuming, grabbed a cup, and took several big gulps of water.

"Roger?" Wuming was surprised, "You're back."

Roger gasped:
"I was just being chased by D."

"We know." Wuming said.

"I finally got rid of him. It was not easy. I ran all the way to the cemetery plain," said Roger.

"The view from the plain is so wide, it must be hard to get rid of it, right?" Wuming handed a piece of shrimp to Roger.

Roger smiled proudly:
"Isn't Cemetery Plain a cliff? I pretended to jump off and die."

"How did you do that?" Wuming was really interested now.

"Didn't I tell you before?" Two shining swords appeared in Roger's hands. "I know a little about rock climbing. I can insert my sword into the cracks in the rocks and hide in the concave part of the cliff. Then I can't be seen from above."

"Great!" Wuming gave Roger a thumbs up.

Roger laughed and said, "After all, I am a good liar."

"Teach me too." Wuming is very interested in rock climbing.

"Wait until I finish eating." Roger looked very hungry. He scooped up the scorpion soup and poured it down his stomach.

Roger said vaguely:
"Thanks to Mr. Ampah for his help this time. Where is he now?"

"He completed his mission and returned to the Blood Dynasty to report." Wuming said, "Did you see the large army of Horned People when you came back? It seems that the Blood Dynasty has joined forces with the Horned People."

"That's a pity." Roger sighed, "I don't want to be his enemy."

"Oh, right." Roger remembered something, "Colin is the traitor. D has already told me."

"Ah..." Wuming was stunned.

"He has already slipped away?" Roger guessed after seeing Wuming's reaction.

"No, I knew it a long time ago." Wuming said, "It seems... I forgot about him."

Many days have passed since Colin was locked up, and I haven't cared about him since then.

No one brought food or took care of the cells.

Wuming walked to the second floor with his hands behind his back, muttering:

"He won't die."

I peeked through the small window and saw that he was not dead yet.

There was a faint stench coming from the room. In the corner of the room, it was Colin's excrement and urine, which had not been cleaned up. Since there was no food or drink, there was no smell.

Colin himself was lying on the bed like a dead dog. The wounds on his head and eyes had festered and pus was flowing out. Thick fluid was oozing out of his eyes and forehead, and dripping onto the pillow. If he was not really blind before, now that he was injured, it seemed that he was really blind.

But he still maintained the prayer gesture, his mouth opening and closing, as if he was muttering something.

"How should we deal with this?" Wuming asked others for their opinions.

"Throw it away," said Patch.

"Why are you talking like a piece of trash?" Wuming chatted with Patch, opened the door, picked up Colin's wheel shackles, and took him outside the Shadow City.

"I suggest you go east and west." Wuming poked two spots on Colin's body and pointed him in the direction. "If you go south, you will run into the Horned Army. Good luck to you."

Wuming was about to go back, but was grabbed by Kelin.

"Don't end the holy war." Colin said to Wuming with his rotten and blackened eyes, "I saw the dark abyss and the fire that melted the world."

"That sounds really dangerous." Wuming sighed, "I really envy you guys for being able to see the future."

Wuming sighed and looked at Kelin's miserable appearance:
"But this kind of talent is also a kind of sadness. Seeing the future makes it impossible to defy it. By the way, those of you who can see oracles, are you blind to see it?"

“It will just make the guidance clearer,” Colin said.

Wuming nodded and put his hand over Kelin's eyes. A golden light flashed like the warm sun, wiping away the sores in Kelin's eyes and forehead.

"The infection is gone, but whether your eyes can get better depends on your luck." Wuming said, "Perhaps it's best for people like you to open your eyes. If you always look at the same thing, you're prone to bias."

Wuming patted Colin on the shoulder and said, "Let's go."

After letting Colin go, Wuming returned to Shadow City.

The Horned Scholars are cooking large batches of scorpion soup. As inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage of the collection, the Horned Scholars are also proficient in making soup, and their impressive cooking skills have won unanimous praise from the caravan.

"I think this soup can replace the dung beetle nowadays when there are fewer and fewer dung beetles," commented Kale.

"It's spicy, suitable for marching in the snowy mountains." said the Kaidan mercenary.

Perfumers decided that it had some medicinal value.

Wuming watched the Horned Scholars cooking and thought it was rare: "Aren't you usually pulled into research by Wengola? How come you are free today?"

"Wenger has found someone else," said the Horned Scholar, "the perfumer from your caravan."

"The perfumer of our caravan is quite capable." Wuming said, and he also served the soup of the Horned scholar to taste.

"It feels a little different." Wuming said.

"It's different if you have a sense of taste." An employee nearby joked with the boss.

"I just don't have a sense of taste, but I can taste the effect." Wuming closed his eyes and tasted it, "This seems to... increase energy. Does it contain turtle neck meat?"

"Yes." The Horned Scholar said, "Although the main ingredient is still scorpion soup, different tribes have slightly different ingredients. We scholars are also from different tribes, and the soups cooked by each person taste a little different."

"This is the meaning of the Horned People's existence." Wuming sighed as he tasted scorpion soups with different effects while chatting with the Horned People scholars.

"If your tower is really so important, why could it be taken away?" Wuming asked the Horned Scholar.

"It's not that Marika betrayed us and sealed the tower with her shadow." The Horned Scholar said, "After she became a god, she sealed the door to becoming a god."

"Why didn't you use the God's Gate yourself," Wuming said, "because you didn't expect Marika to betray you?"

"We used it." said the Horned Scholar.

"Used it?" Wuming was stunned.

"Didn't you see our land god when you were walking in the Shadow Land?" said the Horned Scholar, sitting cross-legged for a while and imitating the posture to Wuming.

Wuming recalled that he could indeed see some horned people sitting on stone platforms in the tribe of horned people. Those horned people were bigger and had more majestic horns on their heads.

"Wait, those are gods?" Wuming said, "I thought they were people practicing asceticism."

"It is also a person who has practiced asceticism. Only those who can endure the asceticism can become land gods." The Horned Scholar pointed to his head, "Without the experience of asceticism, when you become a god, you will instantly lose your mind. When you descend to the gods, you will be dominated by the gods and lose yourself."

"Each of them is a god..." Wuming still couldn't imagine it, "Isn't that Horned Man too powerful? How did you lose?"

"Our land gods are not as powerful as Marika," said the Horned Man scholar. "Each land god exists to protect us. Different tribes of the Horned Man have different customs, and everyone lives in peace, thrives and develops freely. As long as the land god can protect the village from the invasion of the mountain master and disasters, that's enough."

The Horned Scholar showed a nostalgic look:

"At that time, during festivals, everyone would gather in front of the pagoda to watch the sacrificial performances of the mythical beast lion dance, sing, feast, wrestle, and laugh..."

"Malika is different." The Horned Scholar said, "Her ambition is the entire borderland."

"It's just you - you can't do it." Wuming hit the Horned Scholar's shoulder and laughed at the Horned Man.

"Malika is so powerful because she offered enough sacrifices in that ceremony. We need a powerful enough land god to solve the common disaster."

"A common disaster?"

"Death." The Horned Scholar murmured softly, "Whether it is the golden tree or the tower, they are all pursuing the state of immortality. To control life and death in one's own hands."

Wuming didn't quite understand, the horn scholar said:

"Malika was with the torturer. Do you know anything about torture?"

"Punishment?" Wuming thought of the volcano.

"The relationship between flesh and blood and gold." The Horned Scholar said, "In the blood-red furnace, the golden essence can be refined - that is, Rune. Concentrating red will turn it into gold. This is the technique of refining gold from the furnace of life."

The Horned Scholar said: "The panacea, the Golden Rune, with it, people can achieve immortality, heal wounds, and absorb the essence contained in it into their own strength."

"Torture is a form of tempering..." Wuming seemed to understand, "Wait, the Horned People put the witches in cans, isn't that also the reason?"

"It's possible," said the Horned Man scholar, "but only the priests know the higher-level details. The priests have almost become extinct in the thousand-year war. Perhaps we will never know the details of the ceremony. We also don't know what the torturer's mission is."

Wuming thought about it and found Patch to ask him if he knew.

Patch answered bluntly:
"I don't know, don't ask me."

"You've lived a long life, so you should know this, right?" Wuming didn't believe it.

"I don't know what kind of crooked technology tree a bunch of primitive people chose," said Patch. "We look at the same thing and have completely different understandings because of different perspectives. If you don't stand in the other person's perspective, you will never understand it."

Wuming was a little disappointed: "I thought you knew, but you even know why the Horned Man is tormenting the witch."

"Oh, that one, I made that up," Patch said.

"Huh? Made up?" Wuming's eyes widened. "You taught Andros a lesson with such vigor and energy before, but the result was made up?"

"Didn't you want to suppress the Black Knights' momentum and allow the peace talks to continue?" Patch said, "They don't know the truth anyway, so just make it up. Anyway, what I said can't be considered wrong. Marika's people did cause a lot of trouble in the past."

"What is the truth?" Wuming became more and more curious.

Patch laughed: "There are many reasons for this kind of mess. In fact, no one can exhaust all the reasons. Just like biological organisms, it is unreasonable for them to grow like that. It is because no one can clearly explain the cause, but they firmly believe it as an unchangeable truth. That's why they are ridiculous."

"You have to keep this secret well and don't let the Black Knights know about it." Wuming said in a low voice.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on," said Patch.

Wuming observed carefully, looking for any trace of the Black Knight.

But Andros, with a team of black knights, bypassed all the filthy people in the hall, walked up to Gefulei, and said something to the War King with a serious expression.

"What are you talking about?" Wuming knocked and kicked Patch.

A thread was connected to Pachi, he closed his eyes and listened, saying:

"Andros is asking Gefulei when the Black Sword Malicus will arrive."

"What did Lao Lu answer?" Wuming said.

"Almost there," said Patch.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a commotion outside, probably some of the soldiers defending the city cheering.

I saw the elevator outside slowly rising, and a golden lion in armor slowly walked into the main hall.

The lion's hair and beard move gracefully without wind, and his eyes are deep and move smartly, showing his wisdom.

The king's demeanor intimidated the hippopotamus and wild boars present and made them lie on the ground. The pony under Latan's crotch also wanted to kneel down, but floated up.

Many people present stood up and saluted the lion.

The wise man who guides the Golden Clan, the Prime Minister of Beasts, and the "Beast King" Serloshu.

Behind the lion, there was a wild beast hiding in the shadows, whose shape could not be seen clearly, which made everyone present sweat.

Black Sword Malikus, Queen Marica's sworn brother, is one of the top fighters of the Golden Tree. When the nobles of the Golden Tree had nothing to do, they liked to compare who was stronger, War King Gefulei or Black Sword Malikus.

Unlike Ge Fulei, who was loved for his boldness and cheerfulness and was a master of the battlefield, the Black Sword was a sharp blade that belonged exclusively to Queen Marika. All people knew about it were its horrific battle records and titles.

Just like an executioner hiding in the shadows, when he appears, it means your death.

Many people present saw this mysterious and powerful golden tree for the first time.

Following behind Seros, the Black Sword Malicus revealed his true face.

Like Seros, it can be seen that it is a wild beast, walking on all fours.

The body was covered with tattered coarse cloth, and one could vaguely see sharp claws and an unruly white beard underneath the cloth.

And a body that is round and fat like a ball.

"This is... a potbelly. It must be a potbelly." Everyone looked at the bloated body under the rags of Black Sword and guessed that this was also a strong warrior like Ge Fulei, full of muscles and strength.

The Black Sword really lived up to everyone's expectations. Hei Jian suddenly roared, and the powerful beast roar stirred up a strong wind in the hall. Everyone could feel the blood and violence of ancient times from the roar.

The Black Knight immediately came to meet him, kneeling on one knee.

Seeing that the black sword was really coming, Andros finally let go of the worry in his heart.

With the presence of the Black Sword, the Black Knights were able to balance their power somewhat with that of Messermo.

Andros was well aware of the Black Sword's battle record. As long as he did not agree to lift the seal, even someone as noble as the War King would not be able to absolutely dominate the situation.

The Black Sword Malicus possesses such terrifying power that he can turn the situation around no matter what it is.

After roaring, Black Sword said in a hoarse, low, and magnetic voice:

"I'm hungry."

Hearing this, Wuming quickly handed over a shrimp, and seeing the huge size of Heijian, he handed over a crab.

Under the cloak, Black Sword's eyes could not be seen, but it seemed that Black Sword observed Wuming.

Then there was another roar:
"I don't want to eat vegetables, I want to eat dead roots!"

Two splashes of water sprayed out from the cloak's eyes, and listening to the tone of his words, there was actually quite a bit of grievance.

Andros and Wuming were both stunned and didn't react for a moment.

Black Sword saw Wuming still holding the crab in his hand, and immediately jumped up high into the air.

Then he fell on his back, rolled over, and cried loudly:

"I don't want vegetables, I want dead roots! I'm so hungry!"

His strong back muscles allowed him to bounce up as he rolled, and he bounced twice on the ground.

"Hmm..." Wuming was a little confused and turned to ask Andros, "What is dead root? Your boss's medicine?"

Andros was stunned: "You...what's wrong with you?"

Seros looked at Malicus who was crying and making a fuss, and sighed:

"He went crazy after the Night of the Black Knife. But wait, once he recovers, you'll be able to communicate normally."

"What's going on?" Wuming asked Serloxiu, "What's going on?"

"I feel so guilty that I have closed my heart," said Serosiu.

"Guilty?"

Serosu said, "Imagine that your sister asked you to take care of her child, but you neglected her and the child died. How would you face your sister?"

Wuming nodded seriously, trying hard to imagine.

Patch translated for him: "Imagine that you entrusted the caravan to me, and when you come back, you find that I have ruined it for you and lost all your wealth."

Wuming took a breath:

"Then I will be furious. You must feel guilty. If you don't feel guilty, I will beat you to death."

Wuming asked Andros tentatively:
"Now that Black Sword is here, what is his opinion? Does he support us in breaking the seal?"

When Andros heard Wuming ask this, he stepped forward and asked, "Sir, Messermo wants to remove the seal and hand over the Tower of God to the Horned Man. Excuse me, do you agree? What would Lady Marica think?"

"Malika..." When Black Sword heard the name, he stopped rolling around and repeated the name, then burst into tears again, "Malika... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Wuming looked at the black sword, then at Andros:
"It seems there are no objections."

"Lord Malicus is only temporarily crazy, not without objection." Andros said, "We can wait a little longer until he returns to normal."

"When will he return to normal?" Wuming asked.

Andros was speechless.

"That's it." Wuming said, "The Horned Man won't wait that long, we have to make a decision as soon as possible."

"This is wrong," Andros said. "The Horned Ones should be killed and exterminated."

"We've already investigated this, and it's impossible." Wuming said, "The Horned People's research on the soul has reached the point where they can destroy the body and curse the soul. You can't kill them all."

"That's why we should use the furnace flame to purify their souls," said Andros.

"Unfortunately, that won't work either." Wuming said, "The flames can't completely purify, they will leave residues, which are the resentful souls, purer resentment and curses."

Andros was about to say something, but Wuming raised his hand and called for a stop:

"That's it. I've given you enough evidence. Don't just use obsession and impulse to oppose it. Think about it carefully yourself."

To make Andros shut up, Wuming looked at the still crying Black Sword:
"Who will quiet this Black Sword?"

"I'll do it." Michaela raised her hand and flicked a touch of deep purple towards the black sword.

The deep purple hit the black sword, and only created a thin layer of mist, which made several black knights beside the black sword fall asleep on the spot.

But Black Sword remained unmoved and continued to fight, with no apparent effect.

"Torina, I really can't." Michaela shook her head, "Can I use charm?"

"Then let me do it." Wuming took out his staff and cast a circle of silencing magic around the black sword. No matter how much he cried, no sound came out.

"Okay, keep playing the music and dancing!" Wuming said.

In response to Wuming's words, loud gongs and drums, as well as the sound of trumpets, rang out from the city walls.

"Is this... music?" Wuming was unsure.

"This is an attack by the Horned People." Without caring about anything else, Andros picked up his hammer and called the Black Knight to the city wall.

Looking from a higher place, Andros's eyes became more serious.

It was now night, and one could not see exactly how many Horned People there were. One could only see the black tide rising and falling in the faint flames, and the Horned People's singing and war dances resounding throughout the battlefield.

There seemed to be more people coming back than last time.

Andros was counting the number of people in each direction when he suddenly felt movement under his feet and jumped up quickly.

On the city wall, many spiral beams of light appeared out of thin air, right at the feet of the black knights who were inspecting from a high place. Many black knights were unable to dodge, some were pierced by the spirals on the spot, and some were thrown into the air and fell off the city wall.

Andros looked at the holy spiral in shock:

"The high-ranking priests of the Horned People are still alive?"

On the city wall where a banquet was just being held, spiral beams of light bloomed everywhere, and blood flowers immediately exploded at the banquet.

"Horned Priest!" Andros roared to remind the others, sweat dripping from his forehead, but with a hint of smile on his lips, "The Horned People should launch a general attack this time."

There is no need to convince Ge Fulei anymore. Since the Horned Man can't wait, they can start the war legitimately.

"Black Knight!" Andros raised his black iron hammer high, and holy light spread from the hammer to the ground, making him extremely eye-catching.

"For Queen Marika, kill them all!"

(End of this chapter)