"I... have let everyone down..."
The barely breathing [ Ginseng Rooster ] fainted after saying this, though he had actually just logged off. The honest local NPCs, of course, were unaware of this fact.
Suddenly, the militiaman who had been making the most noise rushed over, grabbed the unresponsive severed hand of the [ Ginseng Rooster ], and began to weep.
This guy was a straightforward person, and he felt really bad seeing his captain get beaten up like this for trying to get justice for them.
His crying saddened many of the militiamen who were watching. Although not everyone shed tears, a somber atmosphere enveloped the entire camp.
The two Soul Returner carrying the stretcher exchanged a glance and, as planned, signaled in the group chat to begin their operation.
The Soul Returner among the crowd silently shielded the NPCs in front of them, then took out the symbiotic plant seeds bestowed by Archbishop Luorui'er in the first batch and buried them in their own bodies.
The refreshing scent of " Forget-Sorrow Mint " filled the air, amplifying subjective emotions. The militiamen felt a surge of sorrow, becoming incredibly sad and upset.
"I quit!"
The NPC who cried the loudest shouted angrily:
"But I can't go home, I can't let the boss die in vain!"
He looked around and took out the iron birchwood sword he always wore from the waist of the [ Ginseng Rooster ]:
"I will fight for justice for my boss, even if it costs me my life!"
Amidst his roar, the other militiamen also recalled past events...
Those were the wicked men who held them to high standards; those were the captains who listened to their suggestions and built fences around the barracks; those were the poor souls who, to appease them, were willing to personally bear the archbishop's wrath...
Past incidents flashed through everyone's minds, and when they saw someone draw a weapon, the other militiamen followed suit with angry expressions.
Humans have a natural tendency to conform; when the proportion of militia members who draw their weapons reaches a certain level, the remaining people who remain indifferent will be seen as traitors...
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Swords were drawn, spears were raised, and a mutiny was imminent!
Seeing that the emotions had been effectively built up, one of the stretcher Soul Returner the deceased also wiped away a tear.
"Brothers!"
He choked up, appearing somewhat overwhelmed by emotion, then tried his best to suppress it as he looked at the crowd:
"Everyone, do you know what level your abilities are?"
Looking at the silent militiamen, the player said with a mixture of grief and indignation:
"You are all just Low Tier..."
"Leaving aside the Archbishop himself, the Fitz Family has a deep foundation, and there may be others of Middle Tier besides the Archbishop, not to mention countless Low Tier guards who are stronger than you."
"That's all the people we have, not even a full-strength Holy Crusaders Knight Order, and there are more than a dozen such knights in the city, all under the command of that archbishop."
"If we were to storm the archbishop's residence now, we might not even get to see her before being completely wiped out on the way."
Hearing his rational and clear-headed speech, the suppressed fear in everyone's hearts resurfaced.
On one side is their captain, who stood up for them but is now critically injured; on the other side is meaningless death...
The group was indeed finding it difficult to make a decision at that moment.
"Then what's your plan?"
Suddenly, a militiaman shouted a question at the Soul Returner. Needless to say, he was a plant arranged in advance by [ Ginseng Rooster ].
If Archbishop Luorui'er could use this tactic, why couldn't he, [ the Ginseng Rooster ], use it too?
Upon hearing a question, the Soul Returner had already been put down on the stretcher, wiped his face again before speaking seriously:
"Everyone, I actually have a way that can both save your lives and make those who oppress us pay the price."
"What?"
What is it?
"Speak quickly!"
Upon hearing that they might be able to take revenge without dying, everyone became immediately interested.
The expression on the face of the Soul Returner suddenly turned serious:
"This is no joke. Anyone who wants to know must swear in the name of the Tree God that they will not reveal the contents of our conversation today."
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then nodded in unison, spewing out all sorts of terrifying oaths as if they were free. In short, they had already mortgaged their families without being informed.
Seeing that almost everyone had sworn an oath, the Soul Returner nodded and said earnestly:
"On our way back to the barracks, we saw some children by the roadside, and some of the nursery rhymes they were reciting were quite interesting..."
"What kind of time is this to be talking about nursery rhymes?"
Listen to me first!
The Soul Returner glared at the impatient NPC militiamen, then began reciting the entire catchy nursery rhyme from memory:
"... When the Son of God Son of God comes, there will be no corvée labor, no taxes to be paid!"
The nursery rhyme, which was no longer a hint but an explicit statement, was recited clearly, leaving everyone stunned.
The nursery rhyme about " Ginseng Rooster " had been circulating for several days, but the soldiers here were unaware of it because the fence outside the barracks had been repaired earlier.
One person thought for a moment and asked in confusion:
Who is that ' Son of God '?
Suppressing his fervent urge to proselytize, the Soul Returner feigned ignorance and said:
"He's said to be the leader of those heretics outside the city. He claims to be the child of the World Tree, the creator of everything, and has come to lead everyone in restoring order to the world swept by the Demonic Tide."
"Ah, so you're a child of the World Tree? Is the exemption from taxes true or false?"
Seeing that too much had already been said, the Soul Returner gave a wink, and immediately another "passerby" spoke up:
"I had a relative who lived in Fir City in the Aduolin Province. He told me that after the rebels—no, the Son of God's army—captured Fir City, they didn't harm a thing. They even led the people to cultivate the land and grow crops. Many people there can now eat what they grow themselves, and it's said that the Son of God never requisitions grain."
A militiaman quickly discovered the blind spot—
"No grain requisition? What will the army under the Son of God eat?"
"Yes, what do you want to eat?"
Immediately, some people who loved watching the drama chimed in.
The Soul Returner had been pretending to be an innocent passerby spoke mysteriously:
"I heard that the Son of God is not requisitioning grain, but rather... buying grain!"
"Buy... buy grain?"
The uncultured native NPCs wore expressions of disbelief and astonishment.
"You mean, exchange it for something?"
"It's exchanged for money."
Is it a tree species?
"No, it's gold coins and silver coins. It's said that before the Demonic Tide, the whole world used gold coins and silver coins..."