Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland.

Judging from the reaction of the Silvermoon Guards, although Bard had previously spread his "heresy" among the mountain people, he did not actually reveal any information about the "Cult of the Embers" itself.

It's like just casting a wide net and distributing benefits, but it hasn't reached the stage of inviting people into the group yet.

It is always easier to convince people when a pure passerby makes comments than when I brag about myself.

So much so that when everyone saw the performance of the Iron Guard, they did not think in the direction of another sect - this was also because the Ashes Cult was originally an outlier among the many religious groups on the mainland. It was better to say that it was just a skin that borrowed the organizational structure.

Lu Meng specifically asked Tiewei to come forward just to verify this point.

The flame on the warrior's palm soon went out, and the underground cave returned to its original appearance, shrouded in the light of the brilliant lantern. However, if everyone could still adapt to it before, this time under the sudden contrast, people couldn't help but feel it was a little dim.

Then, Lu Dai took some small motors and machines from the pack animals and demonstrated them to the mountain people one by one. In fact, the mechanic apprentice was also very curious. She knew that the depression lagoon used to be an oil production platform, but unfortunately the reserves had been exhausted long ago. She didn't know where the Red King's team got so much fuel.

If they are all imported from Black Desert, the cost can be said to be quite high.

It can be said that it is regardless of the cost.

The leader heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that what Bo said was true, and the other mountain folks started a heated discussion, saying that although they were called 'mountain folks', they were not ignorant.

As descendants of the Sorrowful Mines, they had more or less heard of and seen those huge excavator furnaces. If they could be restarted, the mountain people could at least smelt metals themselves and try to forge armor and weapons instead of using old stockpiles that had been stored for decades.

Located in the ruins of a mining capital, they had no idea how much high-quality ore they had mined, but they were unable to smelt the metal.

He really starved to death while guarding the gold mountain.

For example, the Moon Blades of the Silver Moon Guards are still okay, as they were once top-notch quality products. However, long-range weapons like bows and crossbows, which have sophisticated mechanisms, will be difficult to use if they become corroded and decayed.

It can only be rebuilt.

It is also for this reason that when they hunt cannibals, they have to go into battle personally and fight in close combat - in this way, everyone's martial arts are well-trained. There are few other ethnic groups in the world that have grown up in such a tragic environment since childhood. Perhaps only the Shak tribe, which used to be a martial arts tribe, can be compared.

Now, even many of the Silvermoon Guards who had always been serious in guarding the prisoners could not help but join in the discussion, which was enough to show that its potential impact was huge.

"Fire and oil..." However, the man who was listening to the report and seemed to be the leader of the Silver Moon Guards had a serious expression. He looked at the captive lying on the ground, still remembering the other party's solemn "prophecy".

The first point is relatively easy to deal with, and it does solve their current problem: Ai Mine Town originally had some fuel reserves, but after the Bloody Rebellion, the suppression and looting by the Allied Forces, and the sheer consumption of several generations, there is very little left, and it is a bit of a stretch to use it to maintain the 'blood pool', and it will not last long.

The Preacher had ordered his superiors to find ways to find excess energy, but it was almost impossible to do so.

As a last resort, they could only break out of Ai Mine Town and go elsewhere - but how difficult would it be to break through the coalition's original blockade design and break through the high walls and shields?
Even if it succeeds, it is unclear whether only one of the tens of thousands of mountain people living in the underground mines will survive.

I'm afraid it will only be the size of a small village.

So, when he heard that an outsider was coming to trade fuel with an entire caravan of pack animals, he was both delighted and surprised, and made an exception to contact him.

But if the "oil and fire" prophecy comes true, the remaining two prophecies may not be good things... The premise under which they happen will definitely be a disaster for the mountain tribe.

It was precisely because of the second thing they heard that the priests ordered Bard to be arrested, otherwise they would have just ignored it as a daydream.

just now……

"Take them over, Mi Luo." At this time, a hoarse voice sounded in the empty cave, and an old woman stood up from the ground. It turned out that she was not a prisoner. "All this is within the preacher's expectations."

The old woman was wearing a dark red robe. She had not reacted to the prisoners' noise or the arrival of Lu Meng and the others. But this time, as soon as she stood up, all the mountain people, including the Silver Moon Guards, bowed deeply to her:
"Blood Moon Priest."

The Shak prisoner on the ground looked at the old man with more obvious fear in his eyes, twisting his body and trying to struggle; the soldier bee on the other side was also tied up, but his body was obviously more flexible, and he had quietly stood in front of the Shak prisoner, his mouth opening and closing.

But what came out was a hollow and leaky sound like "ah, ah".

The soldier bee's tongue has been cut off.

The Shaq prisoner glared at him, but then calmed down as if he had been appeased.

When Bard heard the words of the Blood Moon Priest, his mouth was still blocked and a look of mockery and sarcasm appeared on his face. He was seen by the Silver Moon Guard, who gave him another spanking.

The old woman was oblivious to everything around her. She just looked at the leader of the Silver Moon Guards, clasped her hands together and saluted, saying, "The preacher wanted food, so we had food; he wanted peace, so we had peace... Now he wants fire, so someone has sent us fuel."

"Isn't all this exactly what Vicher wanted?"

"The priest is right." The Silver Moon Guard named Mi Luo said hurriedly.

The rest of the mountain people also suddenly realized.

It had to be the Blood Moon Priest who solved their confusion with just one sentence.

Besides, since the priest has said so, wouldn’t it be disrespectful to her... or even the entire sect, to refute it?

Lu Dai was a little flustered by the old woman's glance, and quickly put away his things and hid behind Lu Meng, poking his lower back and whispering, "Are all of you believers like this?"

"Not always." Lu Meng put his hands behind his back and flicked her fingers away. "People always tend to explain everything with their existing worldview. Sometimes this is also a kind of wisdom and protection."

Likewise, it can be exploited.

This mine tunnel is empty and branches into several passages: the tunnel on the left is full of rubble, with only a gap one person wide; the middle passage has a flat ground and a tool rack on the wall; the right side leads to a steep slope with a winch and pulley fixed on the top... The smell of rust, mildew and blood floats in the humid air.

Tools left behind by past miners were scattered everywhere: broken pickaxes, rusted shovels, and broken mining lamps.

As expected, it is similar to the isolation valve of the mountain people's residence. Whether it is the captured prisoners or the hunters and guards returning from outside, they all arrive here first.

Without guidance, you don't know where to go.

It is very likely that there is a dead end in front of you, and the road behind you is blocked, so you can only be buried underground.

Because of this buffer, it doesn’t matter what happens outside.

Mi Luo is the leader of the Silver Moon Guard, but the real person in charge is undoubtedly the Blood Moon Priest.

The Blood Moon Priest dispelled the doubts of the believers with just a few words and brought their thoughts back to the right track of Vicher. At this time, he couldn't help feeling a little proud.

The old woman looked at these outsiders with her already dim eyes in a triumphant manner, but what made her frown was that the expressions of these outsiders were always quite indifferent, as if they did not think that they, the Vichers, were anything special.

"They are all brats who don't respect the truth... There seem to be more and more of them."

The Blood Moon Priest thought to himself and confessed his sin in his heart.

In this case, let them see what the true great creation and cycle of nature is...

"Take everyone with you." The Blood Moon Priest waved his hand, and the Silver Moon Guards began to act, not against Lu Meng and the others, but to take the remaining captives away. At the same time, the mountain people also picked up the earthen jars in the empty corners of the cave.

The guards opened one of the tightly guarded entrances, and the passage suddenly became so narrow that even two pack animals could not pass side by side. If it was Lu Meng's Iron Ox or Xiaogu, who had transformed into a white wolf, they would definitely be stuck here.

"You're behind." Lu Meng casually took out something and threw it to Lu Dai. The mechanic apprentice took it and saw that it was a swamp ninja breathing mask.

She was a little confused, but still put it on obediently, coiled up one of her braids, and put it at the end of the team.

Xiaogu was unusually irritable.

This time, as we walked further inside, it was still winding, but it was not going downwards, and it even seemed like we were climbing up towards the ground.

The team moved forward slowly in the mine tunnel, with the stone walls squeezing their shoulders on both sides and gravel sliding down from overhead from time to time. The sound of footsteps echoed in the narrow passage, interweaving with the sound of dripping water to form a strange rhythm, and everyone's breathing became heavy and rapid.

Occasionally, the rock formations emit a low roar, and the vibrations convey the restlessness deep within the earth.

It was like a giant beast was sleeping.

Finally, the ancient metal gate opened.

A monstrous amount of blood and stench gushed out, and except for the mountain people, everyone else who followed changed their expressions.

In front of them was a huge pit dug out from the ground, which was as wide as a lake where you could cruise.

But it's not filled with water.

But a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

Corpses in varying stages of decay were twisted and piled up in the middle, crawling with dense mosquitoes and flies.

An unknown liquid was accumulating and flowing beneath the corpse, and it was even swirling, as if it was being sucked to another place by something.

Store it.

There is also an opening above the cavity to collect and discharge 'exhaust gas'.

"Welcome to...the blood pool..." The old woman began to cough violently, but her face turned red with excitement.

The place where the group was standing was just the edge of the blood pool, which was the only cliff-like protrusion where people could stand. Even though the warriors of the Cult of Ashes were all physically strong, they still felt difficulty breathing for a moment.

But the Silver Moon Guards moved freely.

They held the jar, stood on the edge, opened the lid, and poured the contents into the pool of blood.

It flowed out in a rush.

It's all a mixture of flesh and blood.

"Blood is offered to the yellow sand..." Lu Meng had already understood it and said softly.

This is fertilizer.

In the abandoned mining city, deep in the secluded mountains, this barren stone land from ancient times to the present, people still want to avoid the fate of becoming cannibals and farm normally to obtain food...

It can only be watered with the 'blood' of one's own kind.

The mountain people who met them went out to do these things.

The curse is terrible.

But there are ways to avoid it.

But the essence is the same.

From the rioting and competing wild folks, to the cannibalistic city folks, and finally the mountain folks who used corpses as fertilizer to cultivate the land...what happened in Ai Mine Town has never changed.

Of course, the 'preacher' could be considered a genius in some sense to have come up with this idea. No wonder the Witcher sect could become popular among the mountain folk and rule them.

After all, if there were any who didn't believe it, they would have probably already become part of the fertilizer in the blood pool.

But on the other side, the Blood Moon Priestess heard the prayer that Lu Meng recited, and her face showed surprise. She turned around and looked at the leader who brought them in, only to see that the other party immediately shook his head with the same surprise on his face.

Apparently, before this, they had not mentioned the beliefs or scriptures of the Witcher sect when they had come into contact.

How did this young man know this?

Noticing the old woman's gaze on him, Lu Meng smiled at her and said, "Dedicate your body to the vultures, and your soul to the wind and sand... nourish life with death, and breed new buds with decay... With the great power of the Lord Preacher, the light of Wiche's faith must not only shine between the mountains and the land of this Sorrowful Mine Town, right?"

Following Lu Meng's voice, the Blood Moon Priest's expression changed several times, from suspicion to surprise, and finally even a hint of joy appeared on his face. He kept saying, "Yes, yes... That's right!"

This kid...

You are a person with wisdom!
She brought these people to the secret blood pool of the Witcher sect, originally intending to shock them, but unexpectedly she ended up enlightening them.

This time, the good impression doubled.

Moreover, the Blood Moon Priests felt vaguely that this unknown young man in front of them seemed to have some of the temperament of their preacher...

Bud, who was being escorted in the distance, had his mouth blocked and could only roll his eyes.

He is worthy of being the founder of the Order of Embers.

He pretends to be a charlatan in a very complete way.

In this regard, even he, the bard, has to admit defeat.

However, although Bard was so calm, the other captives were different. Except for the cannibals, the rest collapsed the moment they saw the pool of blood.

How could they not know now?

The fate that you are about to face.

In this twenty-meter square pit, countless corpses were piled up, squeezing and twisting each other... and finally sinking continuously under the heat of fermentation.

As for the thick silt deposited at the bottom, it is the final destination of countless corpses.

It is also the nutrient that nourishes new life.

It's like a reincarnation cycle.

(End of this chapter)