Chapter 439: To deal with the charlatans, we must use more charlatan methods

"Forward!"

"We are the indestructible spearhead of the alliance!"

"We are the steel torrent that sweeps across everything!"

"We are ready to sacrifice our hearts and are ready to use our lives to realize the ideals of His Majesty the Administrator!"

"Forward to the airport!!!"

The engine rumbled, and the skeleton army on the truck was following the whistling yellow sand.

The desert-colored steel turret was half exposed.

The mole, holding a telescope in his hand, was looking at the rolling yellow sand horizon in the distance with high spirits, shouting excitedly with his duck voice.

Even though the turret was so hot that it could fry a fried egg, and even though he stood out from the crowd and got a mouthful of sand, this guy was still unwilling to get off the tank.

The other three crew members were sitting on the truck that was towing the tank, and they were whispering to each other listlessly at the moment, not caring about the exciting speech of the mole brother.

Having played games together for so long, they were used to this guy's performance art, and they stopped talking after a while.

"There are too few spare bullets for 155, why not make a 120?"

"There is no production line for 120 barrels, so just use the 155 barrels directly."

"What the hell? This works?"

"Haha, you look so surprised like a newbie."

"It's too hot, sweating is annoying, we should install air conditioners for the tanks."

Hearing the weak remarks of his good brothers, Mole put down the telescope and looked at them dissatisfied.

"What the hell is that? Too weak! It's better to bring two more shells!"

All crew members: "..."

Crazy.

This guy has gone crazy.

35 tanks are carried by 35 trucks respectively.

These 12-wheeled heavy trucks are the latest products of the Alliance completed with the assistance of the Silver Wing Group - "Electric Bulls". Their load-bearing capacity is several times that of electric screws, with a maximum load of 80 tons, and they are mainly used to carry heavy equipment.

As for the brave and fearless "armored grenadiers" of the Skeleton Corps, most of them sit on the 4-wheeled "Electric Mules".

It is impossible to drive a tank over 700 kilometers of off-road.

The 400-kilometer raid of the T34 that year was a miracle in military history.

Most tanks have a motor hour of around 500 kilometers. After this number, the engine and suspension need to be overhauled.

Therefore, it is a common practice to rely on road or rail transportation and then deploy after reaching the destination.

Although the No. 2 tank uses future materials, the Alliance's industrial technology is still relatively rough, and its mechanical durability is not outstanding.

If it really goes 700 kilometers off-road, I am afraid that it will not reach the destination, and people will have to push the tank away.

The Skeleton Corps, which entered the desert from the south, will advance along the edge of the sandstorm and rely on the sand mixed with rust to avoid possible high-altitude reconnaissance and electromagnetic wave searches.

On the other side, Yin Lena, standing on a heavy truck, was humming a little tune while frying eggs she had picked up on the engine cover of the tank, not minding the spirit of the sea of ​​sand sprinkling some leftovers on him from time to time.

Elf King Fugui, squatting by the guardrail of the truck, kept staring at the map, trying to judge the current position from this desert with almost no reference.

"Where are we now?" Yin Lena asked casually.

Elf King Fugui shook his head and said.

"I don't know, there is no GPS... God knows where we are."

Putting the fried eggs on the iron plate, Yin Lena glanced at him with a funny look on her face.

"Don't drive to the Legion's hometown."

Elf King Fugui put away the map and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay, you can shut up now."

"Okay... By the way, how about an omelette?"

The omelette smelled really good.

Although the ingredients were a bit strange, Lao Na's cooking skills were really amazing. The monster steak that was popular on the North Street of Dawn City was made by him and Brother Chaodan.

But Brother Fugui didn't take the bait immediately. He swallowed his saliva and looked at him warily.

"...Are you sure this is just a bird egg?"

Yin Lena looked away with a subtle expression and scratched her head.

"I can guarantee that it is an egg."

Elf King Fugui: "..."

...

On the other side, Petra Fortress.

There was a sign of [Suspended Business] hanging at the door of the "station" of the White Bear Knights, but there were still many people in the warehouse at the moment.

It was even a bit crowded.

The leader was Sean, the lord of Petra Fortress.

Following him were the castle guards, the generals in charge of the city defense, the nobles in luxurious clothes, the priests in white robes, etc.

Compared to the boring journey of the Skeleton Corps, the experience of the players of the White Bear Knights was much more exciting.

Seeing that almost all the dignitaries in the city gathered here, Old Bulma felt his calves slightly weak and his heart couldn't stand it.

However, he was slightly relieved to see that the lady who was taken away by the guards came back intact.

These days he has been trying to find out her whereabouts, but let alone find out what she did, he couldn't even find out where she was taken.

In any case.

It's good to come back.

Surrounded in the middle of the crowd, Zhimahu looked uneasy and didn't know what to do.

And Sisi, who was standing next to her, looked at the people in the hall calmly and spoke slowly.

"She is the envoy of God I mentioned."

As she said this, she gently took off the hat on Zhimahu's head.

When they saw the pair of shaking cat ears, almost everyone showed a surprised expression, and even exclaimed.

Except for the other members of the White Bear Knights and the old Bulma standing in the corner.

Perhaps because he had seen it more often, he had become accustomed to the unusual ears on the lady's head.

However, when he heard the word "envoy of God", he still showed a blank expression on his face.

God... envoy of God? !

What is going on? !

...

It's no wonder that old Bulma was surprised. After all, he couldn't go to the forum, and the players naturally wouldn't bring him when they exchanged strategies.

Time went back to five days ago.

The palace of the lord of Petra Fortress.

Under the gaze of all the merchants and dignitaries in the entire city-state, Sisi admitted on the spot that all the rumors in the city were caused by him.

Whether it was the part that the mercenary leader made up himself or the rumors that were born out of rumors, she took all the blame on herself.

And she admitted it confidently.

However, she only denied that it was a fabricated lie, and insisted that it was a prophecy that the Silver Moon Goddess had given to her companions in a dream.

The moment she said "That was God's will", there was an uproar in the palace.

The old priest in a white robe was so angry that his nose was crooked. He angrily accused her of being a blasphemous witch on the spot and asked the guards to behead her.

Earl Ruskin, who served as a foreign affairs officer, also said that this sounded a bit incredible, and the rebuttal he gave was also well-founded.

"...If it was really God's will, why didn't the great gods choose a devout believer, such as our Lord of the City, but chose you?"

He paused, his voice full of doubt.

"... a pagan from outside the oasis, what reason would the great gods have for asking you to tell us what to do?"

The old priest on the side continued his words angrily.

"That's right! Even if it was the guidance of the Sand Sea Spirit and the Silver Moon Goddess, why did she find you instead of me!"

Anyway, if she died, she would just start over again, and there was still a way to survive if she tried hard, so Sisi simply gave it a go and retorted without any hesitation.

"Shouldn't you ask yourself this question!"

She was stunned by this righteous voice.

The hall was silent for a while.

Without waiting for the stunned Earl Ruskin to speak, and without waiting for the nobles to reorganize their curses, she raised her head and straightened her chest, as if the gods were standing beside her.

"You clearly knew that group of people had bad intentions, and then you watched them break into your house with butcher knives, blaspheming your faith right under your noses, trying to awaken the evil spirit that was sealed by the gods two hundred years ago! You knew everything, but did nothing, and not only did you not stand up to resist, but buried your head in the sand like an ostrich."

Looking around at these well-dressed nobles, she angrily shouted with confidence.

"Why did the spirit of the sea of ​​sand find me? Why didn't she ask for help from her 'most devout' believers? Shouldn't you reflect on what you have done to disappoint her like this!"

This harsh speech completely angered everyone.

It also hurt the self-esteem of countless people.

Especially the nobles headed by Ruskin.

Most of them are surrenderists, believing that as long as they offer loyalty to the legion, they can not only keep their wealth and status, but also go further in their titles.

Just like the nobles of the Falcon Kingdom, most of the first to surrender were rewarded.

However, no matter what kind of sophistry they used to explain that they surrendered for the sake of the thousands of people in the oasis, they could not cover up the fact that they had already kneeled down spiritually.

The Lord of Petra was also angered by this sentence, but when he saw the nobles such as Ruskin were so angry, he suddenly became less angry.

Especially when he calmed down and thought about it.

What he said...

It seems to be okay?

If he were the Silver Moon Goddess or the Spirit of the Sea of ​​Sand, seeing that his believers were so weak, he would probably think it would be better to find an outsider.

The only pity is that this girl has no evidence, and can't produce any visible evidence except for some sophistry.

After all, Sean couldn't believe her one-sided words, but he didn't pay attention to the nobles and priests who shouted to chop her off. Instead, he took a compromise approach and put her under house arrest in a windowless, cold and damp single room in the castle dungeon.

That's usually where serious criminals are held.

However, this doesn't mean he intends to torture her.

This is a kind of protection.

It's also a test.

When people are isolated and helpless, their psychological defenses are the most vulnerable, especially in a cell where no sound can be heard.

Unless they have undergone professional anti-detection training, it is easy to sign a confession in despair even if they have not committed any crime.

But if they really saw the gods and had so much confidence in their hearts, they would not fail even this little test.

After he announced that she would be thrown into the dungeon where serious criminals were held, the nobles were indignant, but they couldn't say anything.

The woman accepted the sentence calmly, although she still insisted on her innocence.

That calm look made Sean doubt whether he had done something wrong.

However, he did not intend to change his mind. He had to lock her up for at least a month.

If she still insisted that it was God's will after a month, he would believe what she said and apologize to her.

However, the rumors about the Legion and the evil god in the city were getting more and more out of control, and the movement in the east was getting more and more disturbing.

If he did not make a decision, the order of Petra Fortress would be crushed by fear itself before the Legion came.

What's worse is that if it is finally proved that the woman did get God's will, or the prophecy really happened...

How should he explain to His Majesty the King and the people of Petra Fortress after throwing her into the dungeon?

Do I really have to join the Legion with those spineless people?

Sean didn't realize that when he ordered the man to be thrown into the dungeon, he was actually caught in a psychological game.

Believe?

Or don't believe?

No matter which one he chooses, it may not be a bad result, but he must prepare a corresponding price for it. And continuing to hesitate will definitely be the worst result...

Therefore, on the morning of the fifth day after that dusk, he finally made up his mind and invited the woman from the small dark room to the guest room of the castle.

That calm look made Sean feel a little more comforted. Maybe she was telling the truth, or maybe his judgment was correct...

Thinking that he had locked an honest and brave man in the dungeon, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Although he didn't apologize in the end, he silently asked the guards to prepare a hearty breakfast and clean clothes for her.

When he saw the table full of delicious food, Sisi, who was sitting at the table, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If this wasn't the last meal.

Then she should have won the bet.

"Do you still insist that you saw the Silver Moon Goddess?" Looking at the girl who was having dinner, Sean suddenly said.

"Yes." This affirmative answer was without the slightest hesitation. She had rehearsed countless times offline and had colluded with her friends to make a confession.

No matter how hard the NPC in front of him thought, he couldn't know that she had used these five days to perfect her lie and filled in the details with the help of everyone.

The reason why the mayor of Petra Fortress didn't kill her directly was probably because that person still had the idea of ​​resisting the Legion in his heart.

And this will become a breakthrough.

She needed to come up with strong enough evidence to prove that what she said was true, and the mayor of Petra Fortress also needed a reliable proof to convince himself and other nobles and priests who might be convinced.

And the clues to all this were actually hidden in the book "Oasis under the Zhuobar Mountains" and "Silver Moon Holy Words" recommended by the academy researcher.

Sisi couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Unexpectedly, the book he bought out of curiosity at that time unexpectedly saved his life.

"Where is the evidence?" As everyone on the forum guessed, the NPC in front of him really said this line.

She had already prepared her words and answered skillfully.

"My companions and I are both evidence. We saw the same dream. Especially one of the companions, she saw the clearest dream, and... she communicated the specific content of the prophecy with the Silver Moon Goddess face to face."

"Can you tell me which companion it is?" Sean's tone was no longer as tough as before, but with a hint of inquiry.

"Of course."

After enjoying the sumptuous meal and fruits, Sis took the napkin to wipe his mouth and continued calmly, "But she is very timid, you have to ensure her safety."

Sean touched his crown with his index finger and said sincerely.

"I swear to the spirit of the sea of ​​sand and the goddess of silver moon."

Sis stared at him for a while.

"Her name is Zhimahu."

Sean was slightly stunned, the pronunciation sounded very strange.

"Zhima...hu?"

The corners of her mouth curved, and her voice was a little relaxed and happy.

"Well, it sounds like a cat's name, doesn't it?"

Sean nodded blankly.

Although the cats in his castle were not called this name, the pronunciation was indeed not like a name that ordinary people would use.

After a pause, Sis continued.

"She was a cat who turned into a human during the journey. I know this sounds incredible. We were also surprised by the changes in her and couldn't figure out what happened. Later, our knights traveled all the way until they came to Luoxia Province, and gradually uncovered a little bit of the mystery of her life."

Sean swallowed his saliva: "Her life..."

"According to the records in the Silver Moon Holy Word, the Silver Moon Goddess loves cats and allows them to enter and leave her bedroom and take care of her daily life. The reason why the cats under Mount Zhuobar proudly accept the offerings of believers is because they serve the gods. This is the clue I found when I was investigating relevant documents..."

Looking at the stunned Lord Sein, Sis continued in a firm and serious tone.

"We only found out later that the reason why she became a human was not a coincidence, but because she was carrying the mission given to her by the Silver Moon Goddess."

"This is also the reason why she saw the Silver Moon Goddess in the land illuminated by the sunset!"

What happened next was the previous scene.

Lord Sean summoned all the famous nobles and priests of the temple, and went to the White Bear Knights' headquarters with her guards.

When Sis took off Zhimahu's hat and announced her identity as a "God's messenger", the atmosphere on the scene was once again in an uproar.

However, unlike last time, after seeing the cat ears on Zhimahu's head and seeing the cats in the city being so close to her...

Even the most stubborn old priest, Tong Kong, couldn't help but feel a little confused, and subconsciously couldn't say anything to refute.

What happened next was logical.

Sis repeated what she had said to the city lord in the early morning to the nobles and priests who claimed to be devout believers.

Then she looked at Old Bulma and continued in a sincere tone.

"I'm sorry to have kept it a secret from you. Actually, our purpose of coming here is not just to do business, but to receive the guidance of the Silver Moon Goddess."

Old Bulma's Adam's apple moved, and shock and disbelief flashed in his eyes.

This statement...

It's not that he can't accept it.

After all, kind people don't lie.

After these people rescued him from the hands of the plunderers, they did not take his cows and luggage for themselves, but kindly returned them to him... This is indeed not what ordinary people would do.

After all, collecting rewards from the rescued is allowed by the doctrine of the Spirit of the Sand Sea.

"Then you... also give coins to those poor people?"

"It's the will of the Silver Moon Goddess."

Sis said in an affirmative tone without blushing.

"The followers of the Spirit of the Sea of ​​Sand are starving on the land she protects. There is abundant food and fresh water here, but the people who occupy them are blinded by money. So she asked us to save the brothers and sisters you abandoned."

Old Bulma's face was full of guilt.

The Spirit of the Sea of ​​Sand once taught them to lend a hand to those who are suffering, but he selectively ignored those compatriots who are suffering.

Even when this kind girl proposed to help those poor people, he was still weighing the pros and cons, trying to persuade them not to give alms to those poor people by saying that "the Golden Lion Coin will soon be worthless."

Sure enough.

My faith is still not pious and pure enough...

Standing next to the city lord Sean, Earl Ruskin, who serves as a foreign affairs officer, has an expression of disbelief on his face.

Of course he didn't believe the nonsense of this woman, but he couldn't think of a reason to refute it for a while.

In fact, it's normal to think about it.

How could you find the bugs in the story that the Sandiao netizens on the forum spent five days making up by just listening to it once?

Even if you are forcing yourself to argue.

You have to listen to it twice more to find the angle to argue.

Seeing that group of people stood there without saying anything, Rourou looked at Weiba nervously and whispered in a low voice.

"What do these people want to do?"

Weiba touched his chin and frowned as if thinking seriously.

"Maybe... he is thinking about that thing."

Seeing her serious expression, Rourou swallowed his saliva.

"That thing?"

"Yeah!" Tail nodded seriously, looked at Zhima Lake, which was the focus of everyone's attention, and said with a confident tone, "They must be planning to sacrifice Zhima Lake to the evil god sealed in the Lost Valley! In exchange for the peace of the oasis!"

"Ah???" Rourou exclaimed in a low voice and asked hurriedly, "How did you come to this conclusion?"

If this is true, then aren't they in danger?

Thinking of this, Rourou couldn't help but feel weak in the calves.

Other alien species are fine.

She really felt a little uncomfortable with the monster that looked too much like Cthulhu.

"Eh? Isn't the combination of cat girl and tentacle monster common sense?" Tail was stunned for a moment, and looked at Rourou strangely, as if wondering why she was surprised, "This is how it's drawn in the book."

"..."

The emotions that had been brewing for a long time disappeared instantly, and Rourou moved aside speechlessly, making an expression that he didn't know this guy.

But after being interrupted, she was no longer nervous or worried.

The old priest in a white robe took two steps forward, staring at the cat ears on Zhimahu's head for a long time before speaking in a trembling voice.

"You...really saw the Silver Moon Goddess?"

Although he was full of nervousness, in order not to disappoint his partner's efforts, Zhimahu nodded seriously.

"Yes."

The crowd whispered.

The old priest's eyes were filled with excitement, and she stretched out her hand tremblingly, but when she saw the cat in her arms staring at her with amber eyes, she quickly stopped this impolite action and retracted her outstretched hand.

Legend has it that the Silver Moon Goddess will possess her beloved pet.

He could feel that the gods were watching him.

Restraining the excitement in his heart, the old priest's voice was a little pious.

"What did you see in the prophecy?"

Facing those unfamiliar eyes, Zhimahu's face was full of uneasiness, and she looked at Sisi beside her for help.

'What should I do? '

Sisi standing beside her gave her an encouraging look.

'Just repeat the nonsense I taught you in the group. '

'Okay...'

After a brief eye contact, courage gradually gathered in her eyes.

Responding to the pairs of children who were looking at her with suspicion, excitement, or hesitation, she made a solemn and holy expression on her face and lowered her eyelids. Slowly speaking.

"I saw a beam of light."

"Light?! Then what!" The old priest asked nervously.

Facing the people who were holding their breath and the anxious old priest, Zhimahu continued to speak at a slow pace.

"A light hotter than the sun bloomed on the land of mortals, followed by endless flames burning in the desert... The rivers evaporated, the oasis was scorched, the Zhuobar Mountains were scorched, and even the snowflakes were cursed. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the catastrophe, and the remaining survivors wailed in hunger."

Her human language was generally linked, so she spoke slowly, but her words were very clear.

The description of the end of the world coincided with the records of the "Twilight of the Gods" in the beliefs, myths, and nursery rhymes of the Camel Kingdom.

All of this was included in the book "Oasis under the Zhuobar Mountains".

But the old priest didn't think about it.

None of the nobles present thought about it.

Although the "doomsday catastrophe that caused the fall of the God of the Sky" was not a secret, it was not something that anyone who came here would understand the details that would not be encountered in daily life.

Even if we put aside the identity of the "God's messenger" and the bizarre story of "turning from a cat to a human", a little girl who came to the oasis for the first time, and couldn't even speak clearly, could describe the "doomsday catastrophe" so clearly, and it was even basically consistent with the obscure scriptures...

If this is not a prophecy, what is it?

Could it be a coincidence?

"I don't... I don't believe it."

Seeing that the Lord of Sean and the old priest were looking at him, Earl Ruskin, who interrupted the God's messenger, bit the bullet and used euphemisms.

"I believe what she said may be true, but the way to prevent the prophecy from happening may not be through war. There may be some misunderstandings. I suggest sending an envoy to talk to the people of the Legion and persuade them to leave the cursed land."

"They will consider this suggestion. After all, it is for their own good."

It's not that no one has thought about the Lost Valley before.

But the remaining "curse" has made them suffer from terrible diseases.

Although some medicines can remove the curse, or even heal the damage caused by the curse, not everyone can afford such expensive things... at least it is unlikely to be used by more than 10,000 soldiers.

He thought that this matter could still be discussed.

The old priest did not speak, and his fiery eyes were completely glued to Zhimahu - or the body of the envoy of God.

He already believed in her identity.

The prophecy of doomsday is not terrible.

If the Silver Moon Goddess foresaw all this, she must know how to prevent that bad thing from happening again in this land.

Lord Sen thought seriously for two seconds and considered Earl Ruskin's suggestion.

After all, he represented not only himself, but also all the nobles in Petra Fortress who agreed to join the Legion.

"That makes sense, you are right."

Earl Ruskin showed a happy expression on his face after getting the affirmation of the Lord of the City.

However, before he could say thank you, the city lord looked at the captain of the personal guard beside him and continued to speak in a hearty voice.

"Prepare a camel for our Earl, and send a team of cavalry to follow him, and send him to the Lost Valley to talk to the people of the Legion."

Count Ruskin opened his mouth wide and looked at the city lord in front of him in surprise. Seeing that his expression did not seem to be joking, a trace of fear gradually appeared on his face.

The captain of the guard clasped his hands and accepted the order.

"Yes!"

"My Lord--"

Ruskin was anxious to say something, but was interrupted by the bad woman who was full of lies standing next to the messenger of God.

"Let Mr. Ruskin ride a motorcycle," Sis quickly took over the conversation, blinked and said, "More than 150 kilometers, ride a motorcycle faster!"

The city lord Sean was stunned for a moment, then laughed and waved his hand cheerfully.

"That makes sense!"

"Okay!"