When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 806 - 757: Extremely Turbulent Waters

Under the moonlight, the Great Cathedral of Silver Bay City reflects a soft glow, while its back door is shrouded in tower shadows, exceptionally dark.

In the alleyway where one can't see their hand in front of their face, a horse snorts, pulling a black wooden carriage adorned with copper bells, slowly making its way in.

This carriage is quite luxurious, with the edges and the surface finely decorated with intricate Gothic gilt patterns.

The person stepping out, however, is a simply dressed monk, greeted by none other than the esteemed Silver Bay Archbishop, Jin Weisi.

The Archbishop is nearing eighty, his snow-white beard and hair hanging from his brows and lips, while the monk has just turned thirty, serious and vigorous.

"Our Duke has made the right choice, hasn't he?"

"He has." The simply dressed monk replied briefly and vigorously, "Fortunately, I did not fail, except for Count Latis, everyone agrees."

"Latis is capable; it's just that his soldiers are too poor. Once he goes to Dawn Island, His Highness might even grant him a generalship." The Archbishop's cane taps out a rhythmic beat on the ground.

"I've always wanted to ask what comes next?"

"Once His Highness Jinijis has time, he'll naturally come to handle things. If Jinijis fails, then let the Falan or the Norn people worry about it."

"I understand." The simply dressed monk took two more steps forward, before whispering, "Is all this worth it?"

"The path to the Celestial Kingdom is filled with thorns if all fear shedding blood." The Archbishop halted his step onto the stairway, "Then who can attain ultimate redemption?"

"Hallelujah!" The monk drew a cross on his chest.

...

"Hallelujah!" Under the moonlight, hundreds of kilometers away from Silver Bay City, the Duke of Wing Nest drew a cross on his chest.

"Hallelujah for what? The Holy Father and the ancestors above won't forgive you." Under the flickering candlelight, Count Latis spoke fluently.

The Duke of Wing Nest did not heed him, only turning to ask his Attendant Officer: "Have those tributaries been repaired?"

Count Latis grabbed his arm: "What are you thinking? After all, this is our homeland."

"Being the homeland doesn't mean it's a good place."

"Do you really believe King Jiji's words?"

"Why not believe?" The Duke of Wing Nest handed Count Latis a copy of The Art Grove, "See for yourself, His Majesty on Dawn Island stripped every noble title from top to bottom.

And directly sold knight manors and even baron lands to commoners, exchanging money for noble titles.

At least we are originally nobles; as long as this battle goes well, I'll be a Duke on Dawn Island—can a Duke on Dawn Island and a Duke on the Shattered Stone Plain be the same?"

"But... doesn't he fear the nobles' rebellion? The Oslar Clan has no objections?" With his head buried reading the paper, Latis's eyes widened.

"It is said." The Duke of Wing Nest hesitated a bit, "The Oslar Clan once tried to send reinforcements to Duke Nedbach, but His Majesty the King blocked them, and the two sides fought a battle on the border.

After that, the Oslar Clan completely withdrew their support for Nedbach.

I suspect the patriarch of the Oslar Clan chose to submit."

The Duke of Wing Nest looked at his cousin, wanting to pat his shoulder but ultimately withdrew his hand: "The situation being what it is, we can't fix the Innocent Dam anyway; if it doesn't collapse now, it will collapse later."

"Is Moliat a fool?"

"My dear cousin, do I expect a flood to drown Moliat's army?" The Duke of Wing Nest stoked the fireplace with tongs.

"If not, then?"

"Why do you think we're clearing the fields?"

Count Latis froze, only speaking after a long pause, "When did you learn this stuff?"

"Quite obviously, I know."

"I know you understand which Liu Ying is more tender, which noble lady is wilder, but war?"

The Duke of Wing Nest darkened his face: "The envoy from Holy Seat City suggested it, and the day after tomorrow you will lead the Red Feather Arrow Knights into battle."

Count Latis was stunned for a long time, then bowed and kissed his hand: "As you command."

Clearing the fields serves to disperse crowds and reduce losses, force the Thousand River Valley Army into predictable paths, and prevent Moliat from acquiring supplies.

From the flood's onset to its discharge, there's at least an hour of buffer time.

Infantry can at least escape to higher ground during this period, but transport ships cannot dock.

Deprived of supplies, how much resistance can the Thousand River Valley Army muster against the most elite Red Feather Arrow Knights?

...

"Is everything set up?" Tarkhan, a close ally of the Duke, looked around.

Under the moonlight, the Inosen Dam was now gathering many workers.

They pulled wooden frames with ropes, iron chains gliding between shoulders and rocks, suspending stone-filled cages from the water.

On either side of the towering dam, statues of the Priest King holding scepters and swords quietly watched everything before them.

Hearing Tarkhan's words, the engineer with a troubled look and a protruding paunch glanced at him: "Everything's set up; in less than a quarter-hour, it'll begin."

"Is it about to start?" Looking at the calm water surface, Tarkhan couldn't help but doubt.

"The Inosen Dam has long been in disrepair." Water engineer Dabu Ao Duo gazed at the dam ahead, "Even if it doesn't collapse this time, another seven or eight years and it'll surely do so."

Lifting his head and stretching his neck, Tarkhan looked at the towering dam and the statues on both sides: "Doesn't seem like it."

"You don't understand." The engineer from Holy Seat City fixed his gaze on the dam, "Water is both soft and hard; give it a pin-sized hole, and it will tear it into a gorge!"

Over a hundred years old, this dam initiated by Pope Ruo'an and completed by Pope Innocent is a marvel of dam engineering.

Yet now, it's to be ended by me.

In the starlit moonlit night, everything seemed silent, as if only the wind and rustling grass could be heard.

"Do you hear it?"

"What?" Tarkhan looked at the jittery engineer, "What sound?"

"It's the dam crying."

As Dabu Ao Duo's words fell, a water column suddenly burst from a crack in the dam.

Majestic water vapor rose, as if a beast roared within the water below, turning the faces of people at the dam pale.

In the blink of an eye, two, three... five, six... countless water columns spouted from the dam's cracks.

The earth and mountains began to shake, and the statues of the Priest King on both sides shuddered along.

These water columns finally merged into one large water column, shattering the once-solid dam into countless stones, even toppling the statues.

The river water poured over the mountains and valleys, rushing towards both banks of the valley.

A rumbling roar accompanied the collapse of the statues, crashing into the rushing water.

...

Dark clouds shifting, flocks of water wagtails flapping wings glided over everyone's heads.

Standing by the Nao'an River, the wind with moisture brushed across Moliat's face.

Her hair loose, feet bare against the muddy ground, the Nao'an River before her had lost its previous clarity.

Mud surged, fish and shrimp lept, river water overflowed the banks, increasingly turbid.

In the river's heart appeared countless bubbles and whirlpools, wrapped in nets and clumps of earth, even turf with shrubs on it.

Moored barges at the port found it almost impossible to free anchors; otherwise, the next moment might lead to capsizing or grounding ashore.

In the distance, the local workers' camp erupted into chaos.

"Look, those are water wagtails from upstream of the Nao'an River!"

"The Sheep God arrives riding water wagtails!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness!" Similarly in nightwear, Lannes shuffled over in slippers, "The Broken Stone Primordial People have breached the Ruo'an Dam!"

"I know." Morning drizzle fell on Moliat, her voice trembling, "I know..."