Everyone raised their heads, like a drowning man grabbing the last straw, staring at Lushen,
" Master Suleiman once said that my people should not be like lambs scattered in the wilderness, allowed to be preyed upon by evil wolves."
"Master Suleiman has a big plan! He wants to build several sturdy Military Fort!"
"Military Fort?" The villagers murmured this unfamiliar word.
"Yes, Military Fort!" Lushen emphasized his tone, waving his arms in the air, as if this great idea was proposed by him. "A high wall made of stone! Taller than the tallest tree in your village! There are sentry towers on the wall! There are soldiers standing guard day and night! Just like a noble's castle!"
"Let us all! Live like nobility in Stone City Castle! Never be hurt again!!!"
Lushen's words were full of attraction at this time. Their village was not safe at all, and a picture of a strong and safe castle unfolded in the minds of the villagers.
"Master Suleiman plans to bring all his people into Military Fort to live together. Farmers, the Smith, carpenters, hunters... everyone will be under the protection of the high wall."
"Everyone gathers together to watch and help each other. By then, let alone fifty robbers, there will be five hundred. Will they dare to take a step closer to Military Fort?"
Lushen didn't talk about relocating, didn't talk about merging, and it didn't talk about giving up the land. It just described a new home with high walls, soldiers, and security for these people who cowered in fear all night.
Live like a noble in the sturdy and safe Stone City castle.
For the villagers of Mountain Pass Village who had just experienced a night of terror by bandits, the land they had lived on for generations and the emotions of their hometown all seemed insignificant in front of their own lives in the face of these three words: survival.
"I do!! I do! Sir!!" After a short silence, Old Hans, who was kneeling on the ground, was the first to react. His face showed great excitement and he kowtowed heavily to Lushen. He never wanted to experience such a night again. "I want to go! Please! Sir!!"
His shout was like a thunder, waking everyone up and shouting one after another.
"We do!"
"Please Master Suleiman, please take us in!"
"We are going to live in a stone Military Fort!!!"
Lushen stood in front of the crowd, looking at the villagers who were kneeling and shouting in front of him. His tense face finally showed just the right amount of relief. Damn it, this is really not easy to do...
The heavy oak door of the small castle slowly opened, and the cold wind carried dust and human voices into the assembly area.
Lushen led a dozen riders to get off their horses. Behind them, followed a group of villagers who were frightened, dressed and exhausted after a night of fear.
The leader was Old Hans from Mountain Pass Village, his weather-beaten face was full of awe and fear.
Old Hans and several other villagers walked into the warm and bright hall as representatives of their village. The soldiers on both sides holding the hilts of their swords made them tremble. They almost did not dare to look up at the young man sitting on the lord's throne.
They did not dare to move forward, they shrank in movement, and fell to their knees when they were far away from Suleiman, their movements were clumsy but sincere.
"Master Suleiman... kind Master Suleiman..." Old Hans's voice was hoarse and dry, with a cry, "Thank you for giving us food! Giving us livestock!"
"Without you! We will definitely starve to death! Merciful You!!"
"Seven will definitely bless you!!!"
Suleiman's expression did not change. He just transferred supplies from several villages from his left hand to his right hand. Evelyn, who was standing next to him, was amazed by this young man's thick skin.
The villagers kowtowed heavily to Suleiman, their foreheads colliding with the cold stone floor of the castle, causing constant collisions.
"We beg Master Suleiman to allow us to move into Military Fort! Please give us a safe place! Let us and our families survive! Please! Master Suleiman!"
"Please be kind to Master Suleiman to take him in!!"
"We will do anything for you!!!"
Suleiman just looked at them without replying. The crowd thought they would be rejected, and gradually burst into suppressed cries and sobs.
Evelyn stood aside, looking at this scene, with mixed feelings in her heart. She knew how all this happened, who created this fear, and who gave this hope. He looked at Suleiman, but saw that Suleiman did not seem to have any empathy and did not speak.
She knew what he was waiting for, waiting for this group of suffering people to be completely desperate before he would act as a savior. This young man used despicable means to establish a benevolent persona for himself and spread his kindness widely.
"Get up!" Suleiman finally spoke in a low voice, but the echo kept echoing in the small environment of the castle and reached everyone's ears clearly. "Your request! I approved! Bana! Arrange for them to stay temporarily in the camp in the east! Food and bonfires are guaranteed!"
The villagers who were kneeling on the ground, bowed their heads in tears, raised their heads one after another when they heard this sentence, and kept praising Suleiman in simple language, and kept praying to the gods to bless Suleiman.
"Yes! Master Suleiman!" The new financial officer Bana the Beggar immediately stepped forward and responded, "Get up! Come with me!!!"
The news was like the wind, sweeping every village. In the next two days, River-Side Village, Valley Village, Forest Village, Stone Beach Village.:::::
One after another, villages that were harassed and threatened by bandits sent representatives. Their requests were exactly the same as Mountain Pass Village, asking for construction and housing in Military Fort.
Fear is the most effective catalyst. Under the shadow of death and the threat to life, no one will miss their homeland. The will of everyone in the territory has reached unprecedented unity.
Late at night, there were only Suleiman and Evelyn in Suleiman's bedroom.
The flame in the candle flame danced, stretching the shadows of the two people long and swaying on the wall.
Evelyn poured a cup of hot water for Suleiman. There was water in the cup, which meant that she had something to say. Suleiman raised his head and looked at her.
She raised her head, her beautiful face concealed by the weird birthmark disguise, her eyes looked extremely complicated in the firelight, she finally spoke, breaking the long silence.
"Send robbers to create fear in the poor people, and then appear as a savior..." Her voice was very soft, as if she was talking to herself, or as if she was questioning "Your methods are not honorable."
Suleiman picked up the water cup, the heat in the cup drifted upwards and blurred his expression.
"People's vision is short-sighted. When the war comes." Suleiman took a sip. "They will thank me." "If a good person wants to fight a bad person, he often needs to be badder and more cunning than the bad person."
Suleiman slowly put down the teacup and looked directly into her eyes:
"Otherwise, all that awaits him is a tombstone with the engraved name of a noble person, while despicable people dance and celebrate on his grave."
"Do you think you are a good person?" Evelyn's breathing stagnated slightly. The young man said very well, but she was surprised that the young man in front of her actually thought she was a good person after using such means.
Suleiman stood up, walked to the arrow window, looked at the dark territory outside the window, and then turned to look at her strangely.
"When did I say I was a good person?"