May 8th.
Yimeier Village.
Maybe it was a wonderful coincidence, maybe it was destiny, but when Li Ang came to Yimeier Village, it happened to catch up with Goddess Damia's harvest blessing day - which is also a festival for dancing and courtship.
However, this time, Yimeier Village did not hold a large-scale rally. There was no one in the small square where crowds of people were singing and dancing.
The whole village was in a mess and as quiet as a desolate ruin.
You know, this is a place where tens of thousands of people live together, so it's just called a "village".
On the statue of Goddess Damia, there is a wreath that has withered long ago, and the fallen leaves and debris beside the statue have not been taken care of.
This most important festival in the southern continent, this day full of hope for a better life, in Imir, a famous and prosperous village, has an unusual interpretation of desolation and decline.
"What did Titus do in Imir..."
Li Ang walked on the stone road at the entrance of the village that he had walked before, looking at the sporadic blood stains on the ground, he sighed deeply.
When General Clerion and his son Lord Dean managed Imir, this was a bustling town with great excitement...
"After His Majesty Marus introduced Titus to join Phoenix Knight Order, this guy lived in Imir very honestly without any movement. After you disappeared the year before last, my father took back Calundru Castle and on behalf of the empire. Imir area... Then my father went to Siyuan City to preside over the economic reconstruction of the entire empire, and Yimeier Village had no control over it. Titus continued to collect money and grain from this place in the name of Phoenix Knight Order fief..."
Alina whispered the cause and effect.
The Imir area was indeed a fief given by Emperor Marius to Phoenix Knight Order, but it was not a fiefdom. Instead, the land was given to Li Ang in a transaction, so that Li Ang could feed with the output of this place. Phoenix Knight Order--Phoenix Knight Order is the army of the Ash Descendants Empire. It belongs to neither Bax nor Li Ang. It comes from afar to deal with Snake Worship Cult. It is the common ally of Marius and Li Ang.
Titus used the name of Phoenix Knight Order to collect money and food from Imir, which is actually legal.
It's just that Titus's levy is too harsh...
Phoenix Knight Order is based in Calundru Castle, and their goals and responsibilities are very clear. They only deal with Snake Worship Cult, so they have been attacking Snake Worship Cult's dens everywhere, and they don't care how Titus obtained the money and food.
And Titus gradually let himself go during this period of unconstrained time, once again pulled out a private army by scraping the land, and fought fiercely with some conservative nobles.
"Titus seems to have no family. This guy can't be coerced...Li Ang, why do you have to deal with him first?"
After talking about Titus's situation, Alina asked.
She didn't understand why Li Ang started with Titus first - Titus was a loner with no wife or children, so she felt that it was difficult to find weaknesses.
"Intimidating others does not necessarily mean attacking your wife and children... People like Titus who only want to gain power actually have the most weaknesses."
Li Ang turned around and explained, "Compared with other conservative nobles, Titus is the one who is least afraid of huge losses - he has no family to rely on, and he doesn't have much capital to make a comeback. He simply cannot afford to lose. If it hadn't been for losing the trust of Emperor Marius, he wouldn't have been stupid enough to get together with the conservatives..."
"As long as he can find the property he has looted in the past two years and kill the cronies he left here, he must withdraw his troops... Because he only has the private soldiers in his hands to rely on, and he does not dare to bury everything under White Deer Fortress. Otherwise, no matter what the final outcome is, what use will a lonely man who has lost all his capital be to the conservatives?"
Alina nodded, then looked at Elisa next to Li Ang: "So, you are going to use Snake Worship Cult's name to take away everything Titus has obtained in the past two years?"
"Titus is Phoenix Knights after all. Of course, we have to find a reasonable reason for him to retreat. Moreover, many conservative nobles are colluding with Snake Worship Cult. This is obvious... Guess, if people from Snake Worship Cult rob Titus's family property, will Titus fight with those conservative nobles under White Deer Fortress?"
Li Ang also glanced at Elisa beside him.
The little snake girl was a little troubled. "Hiss... Sir, I am no longer a member of Divine Cult. I promised Alistair to join Dusk Knight Order a few days ago... Can you not let me perform such tasks again in the future?"
Since Elisa joined Li Ang's team, all the tasks she performed have been performed in her true colors - Li Ang always asked her to work as the priestess of Snake Worship Cult...
"Come on, this Divine Cult...Snake Worship Cult god is gone. Speaking of which, joining Dusk Knight Order is a more suitable choice. At least the teachings of 'being in darkness and having light in the heart' are indeed more suitable for you..."
Li Ang looked at Elisa helplessly.
Little Snake Girl is actually a very reasonable person and has always behaved herself, but she still has a habitual nostalgia for Snake Worship Cult.
Li Ang can understand her, it's like a child's nostalgia for home - Elisa was taken to the temple of the Amara Continent since she was a child. She grew up there. Snake Worship Cult is her home, and it doesn't mean that she can give it up completely.
"Hiss... After completing this mission, I will go to Xingar with Alistair... Hiss, otherwise you will definitely let me do this kind of work in the future..."
Elisa muttered.
"Alistair, isn't that what happened... How could you still deceive such a beautiful girl?"
Ramon came over and whispered in Li Ang's ear.
"Ahem... It's because of that, that's why he has a better relationship with Elisa... Elisa grew up soaked in poison. Her whole body is full of poison, and she can't do those indescribable things. Only Alistair is suitable for her..."
Li Ang glanced at Ramon and followed suit. "You must not be trying to get Elisa's idea..."
"No, no, no... she is a vegetarian and is not suitable for people like me who eat and drink every day..."
Ramon swallowed and stopped talking.
Soon after, there was some noise in the originally peaceful and desolate village.
A group of 'Snake Worship Cult disciples' entered the village and, led by a beautiful snake cult priestess, raided Titus's lair.
Coincidentally, the manor occupied by Titus in Yimeier Village is right next door to Lord Dean.
Dean's old housekeeper watched helplessly as these 'Snake Worship Cult gangsters' killed people, set fires and robbed property in the manor next door. He held the alarm bell in his hand but never sounded it.
Moreover, the old man still had a gloating smile on his face.
Even when these Snake Worship Cult gangsters towed away the Dean family's carriage to carry Titus's family belongings, the old housekeeper didn't stop him, and even took the initiative to unload the hay from the carriage...
Look at it like this, Titus in this village, even if it can't be said to be angry and resentful, at least can be regarded as hated by people and ghosts...
Of course, when the 'Snake Worship Cult disciple' left with several large carts of belongings, the old housekeeper still sounded the alarm - no matter what, a carriage was also robbed from Dean's home...
Titus has a lot of property at home, and it seems that he has done a lot of scratching in the past two years.
Moreover, Ramon's men also found a lot of armors and weapons from Titus's home, most of which were Imperial Knights's equipment.
These equipment were originally the standard equipment of the Emperor Marius Imperial Guard regiment.
But the current 'Imperial Knights' are not noble knights in the true sense. They should actually be called 'Bacchus Empire Imperial Guard regiment knights', which is the brand new Imperial Guard regiment formed by Emperor Marius after acquiring a large number of war horses.
Many of the legion members are not nobles, but basically all of them are educated people who graduated from Siyuan City Royal Academy.
Siyuan City Royal Academy was built seventeen years ago. The principal is Justus. Emperor Marius himself is also the honorary principal. This is both a military school and a place to cultivate a new generation of political talents.
Dean was also Imperial Knights - Imperial Knights under Marius was actually an official reserve, but he did not have noble privileges.
These are the new generation of reform executors, and most of them are people who have benefited from the reform.
As the reform process of Bax continues to advance, Marius has stationed many Imperial Knights in various places as grassroots implementers and supervisors to ensure that the reform policies can be implemented.
Emperor Marius should have sent many Imperial Knights to keep an eye on the eastern region, but the knights sent near Imir were probably secretly killed by Titus.
I guess it is similar in many places...
After all, no conservative noble was willing to let Marius' "reform envoy" come to their own territory to supervise them.
Anyway, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. It is really difficult to ensure the safety of these 'special correspondents' when they are on business trips. After killing them, they can just throw the blame on Snake Worship Cult.
And now, Li Ang uses the same method to throw the blame on Snake Worship Cult, but he is not dealing with Imperial Knights, but Titus.
The Scorpion Assassinss killed everyone in the Titus family who dared to resist, dispersed the other servants, and set fire to the manor, but they deliberately failed to catch up with several of the retinues who ran away from the beginning.
Most of those who ran away from the beginning were Titus's cronies, rushing to report the news.
Those who dare to resist are usually the hardcore guards guarding the home.
Ramon's men were quite efficient at doing this kind of work, after all, murder and arson were their main business.
"Where to go next?"
Ramon asked quite enthusiastically, this kind of work is his strength.
"Go to Wolwen, not far to the south... What's the name of that lord?"
Li Ang turned around and asked Alina.
"Rimusk, a greedy and lustful guy."
Alina replied.
"Luxury... um... will there be many beauties in his family?"
Ramon raised his eyebrows at Li Ang: "Are we pretending to be Snake Worship Cult this time or something else?"
It looks like this guy is addicted to role-playing.
"Didn't Titus find a lot of Imperial Knights equipment at his home... Wear Titus's home equipment to go to Wolwen. A group of Imperial Knights raided Rimusk's home and took away all his family members... Just right."
Li Ang dug out a set of Imperial Knights armor from the carriage.
"Master Sist, haven't you sworn allegiance to Master Rimusk? Why didn't you go to White Deer Fortress?"
Wolvun Fortress On the observation deck, several soldiers were chatting with their spears.
"What's good about fighting... you can enjoy life only when you are alive!"
A Imperial Knights was lazily lying on the observation deck basking in the sun. He turned over and advised the soldiers beside him, "White Deer Fortress is a dangerous place. How can it be conquered so easily? Even if I win, what can I get? I am a person sent by His Majesty the Emperor. Rimusk does not trust me in the first place..."
"Then... shouldn't it be more important to fight bravely and use practical actions to gain Lord Rimusk's trust?"
A young soldier asked ignorantly.
"Oh, innocent boy... Everyone wants merit in war, but some battles are destined to be unsuccessful... Besides, isn't it good to live? Just like now... let's bask in the sun for a while and fish for a while, sit until dark and then get off work. Nothing happens, and we can still get paid in peace..."
Imperial Knights, known as Sist, said lazily.
"But when we dealt with Snake Worship Cult last time, didn't you also make a contribution... I also want to save some merit, maybe I can be recommended to the Royal Academy, and then I can also become Imperial Knights..."
The young soldiers were probably envious of Sist's knighthood - it was difficult for children from conservative aristocratic families to become Imperial Knights. Entering Royal Academy required the approval of Marius or Justus, but if one had merit, that was a different matter.
"Snake Worship Cult? The last time we dealt with Snake Worship Cult, it was not a war... Innocent child, you are still the nephew of Rimusk..."
Sist turned over again, seemingly not planning to say anything more to the young soldier.
"Sir Sist...Imperial Knights..."
The young soldier was silent for only a short while and then spoke again.
"Oh... can you stop talking so much? I finally had a peaceful nap..."
Sist sat up impatiently.
"Well... I mean... there seem to be a lot of Imperial Knights coming outside..."
The soldier pointed to the road outside the castle, his eyes flashing with yearning. "There are so many knights, they look so majestic..."
"I'll choke you..."
Sist was so excited that he quickly stood up and took a look outside the city. Then he put his sword on his shoulder and prepared to run away. After running for two steps, he turned back and patted the young soldier on the shoulder. "From now on you are the patrol captain! I'm going to White Deer Fortress to join the war..."
"Hey...Sist-sama?"
The soldier stared blankly at Sist's running away quickly, and murmured, "Didn't you say White Deer Fortress is very dangerous..."
Whether White Deer Fortress is dangerous or not, Sist doesn't know.
But he knew that if he didn't run away, Wolwen would be in great danger...
He was Imperial Knights sent by Emperor Marius to supervise the implementation of the reform, but he swore allegiance to the conservative lord Rimusk a few months ago - this was a serious political mistake. If other Imperial Knights or Emperor Marius knew about it, then he would probably be beaten to the end at least, and he might even be sent to the arena.
And now, a large group of Imperial Knights are coming Wolwen, what does this mean?
A few months ago, the main reason that prompted Sist to pledge allegiance to Rimusk was the attack launched by 'Snake Worship Cult'.
Sist is a smart special commissioner. He knows who sent the so-called 'Snake Worship Cult disciple' and also knows the reason. For the sake of his own life, of course he has to compromise...
Rimusk is also a very good guy - he cooperated with Sist in 'fighting bravely', 'driving away' those 'Snake Worship Cult gangsters', and then appointed the 'brave' Sist as the patrol leader, and sent several soldiers to him as followers...
Of course, those soldiers are all seventeen or eighteen years old, and they are all descendants of the Sist family...
So Sist is very sensible and fishes every day. Anyway, the empire Imperial Guard regiment will pay him a salary, and Rimusk will also pay him a patrol salary - as long as he fishes with peace of mind, he can get two salaries, so there is really no need to work hard.