I Bound Myself to a Destructive Witch

White Emperor City was grand and desolate. Its walls, towering into the clouds, were covered with dried, blood-red stains, emitting an aura of grimness.

"About the Bailu Battle, which ended thirty years ago, please keep it a secret..."

The leading old soldier in red armor, Li Zaisi, whispered instructions to Xia Feng and the other two.

The city gates were wide open.

Through the Eye of Decompilation, Xia Feng easily saw the desolate scene inside.

Ruined walls and a completely deserted city, devoid of any inhabitants.

However, from the blood-colored piles of dirt, there were continuous movements of earth, and figures with hunched backs and faces covered in mud emerged from beneath the ground.

Nearly four hundred people appeared one after another, each with white hair, hollow cheeks, wrinkled facial skin, and their armor in tatters.

But the knives at their waists remained shiny. Holding the knife handles tightly, their eyes sharp, they stared at the newcomers entering from outside the city.

Li Zaisi raised his hand as a signal, and only then did they remove their hands from the knife handles, though their vigilant gazes remained unrelaxed.

The city was filled with white-haired soldiers.

The lifespan of a Fourth-order Spirit Master started at least at three hundred years and could be extended by consuming the Life Fruit.

But due to constant exposure to the dense Evil Power, even armor designed to protect against it couldn't stop the relentless infiltration and alteration by the Evil Power.

Moreover, being frequently injured, these old soldiers, according to the standards of Spirit Masters, were in their prime years, but now looked like decrepit warriors.

They probably wouldn't need to be attacked by the enemy to fall in battle; their bodies might give out on their own within a few more years.

However, they were true heroes, no matter what.

"The city has more than four hundred soldiers, including women, children, and craftsmen unable to fight, totaling five hundred twelve.

This is the result of thirty years of bloodshed..."

Hearing about the situation from Li Zaisi, Lin Musen's gaze darkened slightly, filled with a sigh.

These veteran soldiers, unable to receive any news from the outside world, it's unknown what beliefs have sustained them until now.

The only piece of news was brought by a soldier who suddenly arrived on the island twenty years ago, saying that the Bailu Battle was still ongoing and that the defenders of White Emperor City must hold their ground as they were critical to the entire battle...

After delivering this message, that soldier soon died violently, and Xia Feng speculated that the soldier might have been an enemy agent sent to deceive them.

The purpose of the deceit seemed more like raising gu.

Those experienced with gu know that to raise a king of gu, there need to be enough insects fighting, with potent and fierce venom.

So, in order to make the insects fight more fiercely and hopefully, someone was sent to tell them that the Empire still needed them, to keep fighting, and victory would be soon.

"There's actually no need for the three of you to enter the city with us; we are bound to die, and the Evil Clan won't spare us."

Li Zaisi turned and said,

"But it's different for you. You are outsiders; they don't know you exist. You still have time to leave."

Since he had willingly come along, Xia Feng naturally didn't want to leave, and he was also at a loss on how to find the Origin Water, so waiting for the other party to come to him was just what he needed.

As for Lin Musen, he was already being hunted by the Half-Dragon people and had nowhere to run.

Moreover, now that he had arrived at White Emperor City, it was the right moment to investigate the forces involved with the Garden and their connection to White Emperor City.

And the true nature of the betrayal by White Emperor City, he still didn't quite believe that someone in the Empire could commit such filthy deeds.

Maybe White Emperor City had indeed turned to the enemy, and only these broken troops were struggling to survive?

Thinking this, Lin Musen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly asked in a deep voice, "In these thirty years, has no one really betrayed?"

The old soldier in red armor looked at him indifferently and gave a short laugh, "Over the years, a hundred thousand troops have died in battle, succumbed to transformation by Evil Power, or even committed suicide under pressure at night. Indeed, some soldiers have voluntarily defected to the enemy."

"Nobody knows whether those who defected to the enemy entered the Evil Realm or were killed."

"But just because of these few traitors, should the Empire accuse our entire hundred thousand strong army of treason?!"

Lin Musen fell into silence.

Xia Feng, listening quietly beside him, roughly guessed that those who defected were probably used as experimental subjects and couldn't have survived.

However, Mu Qingtong, who rarely spoke up, suddenly said, "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Die?"

Li Zaisi and a few old soldiers beside him exchanged glances and shook their heads with a light chuckle,

"The soldiers who are left now, of course, have been hesitant and disheartened at times. To say they still have the patriotic heart would perhaps be too broad, but as long as there are people in the city who need protection, we still have hope and can nobly march to our deaths fueled by our passion."

Seeing their indifferent and fearless demeanor, Mu Qingtong seemed contemplative.

These people might not be as strong as the enemy, but in Xia Feng's view, they were truly powerful.

"Perhaps 'the fearless are powerful' refers to you," Xia Feng murmured with a sigh.

"The fearless are powerful..."

Mu Qingtong looked up at the dim sky dome covered in gray mist, and had to admit, these ants indeed deserved respect and the title of the powerful.

"Mr. Xia."

"Hm?"

"I've decided, some people should die, and others should not."

Her cool voice echoed in Xia Feng's heart,

Xia Feng looked up at her, lost in her golden eyes looking towards the sky. Not knowing what was on Miss Mu's mind at that moment, Xia Feng knew it was time for a major action!

Next, Li Zaisi and the old soldiers in the city briefly introduced the history of Xia Feng and his companions.

What surprised Xia Feng,

Li Zaisi instructed the three not to reveal the truth, but after hesitating for a while, he took the initiative to reveal the truth about White Emperor City's garrison, which the world labeled as the rebel army.

The city's old soldiers and women and children were instantly in uproar, their already pallid faces turned blank.

"Impossible!"

"Lord Li, how can you believe such nonsense! This Lin Musen must be a spy sent by the enemy!"

"Exactly, these three guys' identities are not confirmed yet, how can we believe what they say! How could the Empire possibly abandon us!"

Voices of doubt continuously rose.

Xia Feng naturally understood that no one would easily believe this; that was also why Xia Feng didn't reveal more of the truth.

If he told these old soldiers that the elites of the Empire had not only abandoned them but even exploited their devoted patriotic hearts for some unknown purpose...

They might find it even more absurd and would not believe it.

Or rather, might not want to believe it.

After all, sometimes living in an illusion brings more happiness than knowing the cruel truth.

"Rumble—"

At that moment, the ground trembled, and tiny stones bounced up, as if something was approaching.

Everyone involuntarily turned towards the direction of the city gates.

"All troops on alert!!"

A sentinel on the watchtower, equipped with a Spiritual Artifact similar to the Thousand-Mile Eye, urgently called out, "The enemy is attacking!!"