The winch creaked and the cable groaned in pain.

The pagan holy relics buried deep in the ground were lifted inch by inch by the crane. The soil slid down, revealing the true appearance of the treasure. Under the illumination of the torch, the surface of the pagan holy relics shed a dim but breathtaking luster.

.

Everyone present could not help but hold their breath - anyone who saw a pile of gold that was half a head taller than themselves would have this reaction.

Because the density of gold is much greater than that of soil, the Golden Man has been slowly settling.

Charles led people to dig all night to find the golden man, and experienced countless self-doubts in the process. Then it took another day to clear out the golden man.

Then just destroy it.

Anna couldn't help but walk towards the golden man offering sacrifices to the sky, and reached out to brush away the wet mud on the golden man's face.

The face made of gold was calm and serene, not caring about the coming end.

"It's beautiful." Winters walked to Anna: "right?"

Anna looked at the golden man offering sacrifices to the sky.

The golden statue in front of me has almost nothing to do with the word "exquisite". The king of Khan who ordered it to be cast seemed to disdain to carve out the details. After the hot gold liquid cooled in the mold cavity, he refused to add or delete a single stroke.

So much so that the outline of the golden man's facial features looks so blurry, and the trachoma and defects left during casting are also faithfully preserved.

But precisely because of this, compared to the gold and silver sacrificial vessels enshrined in the church, compared to the jeweled crowns on the heads of kings and princes, this pagan-style holy object has a unique beauty that is rough, strong, powerful and simple.

It does not require any delicate and complicated processing at all, and its value alone is enough to overwhelm any sacred artifact or crown.

"How long has it... been there?" Anna asked.

"If the records in the Grand Archives are correct." Father Carman, who was invited to preside over the ceremony, replied softly: "It should be around 240 years ago that it was cast by the first barbarian Khan who conquered the wilderness with gold donated by various tribes.

."

Anna looked at Winters, hesitated to speak, and finally just sighed with regret.

Winters also felt a little regretful. If possible, he would like to preserve the Golden Man as a memorial. Because when he saw this golden man, the days and nights of the Great Wasteland War resurfaced in his mind.

in his mind.

But the future is more important than the past.

"I don't know how many relics have been lost in history like this, leaving no sound at all." Winters touched Anna's fingertips: "But at least you witnessed its disappearance."

Anna nodded silently.

Winters finally looked up at the golden man who was offering sacrifices to the sky. The golden man stood quietly, the west wind whistled through the valley, and the crows circled and howled in the night sky.

"Melt it," Winters said.

The final verdict was handed down, and the golden man was dragged all the way to the temporary workshop. Father Carmen presided over a simple baptism ceremony, and everyone immediately began to dismember the golden man.

The first drop fell on the neck, and two blacksmiths used special hacksaws to decapitate the golden man bit by bit.

Seeing the hacksaw going back and forth, the goldsmith accompanying him felt so distressed that he almost shed tears.

In order to reduce losses as much as possible, craftsmen usually only use pliers when cutting precious metals. However, the size of the Golden Man is so shocking that even pliers and axes are useless, so a special hacksaw is the only option.

The goldsmith took off his coat and tried to catch the gold dust.

But how can you catch it? When the wind blows, the gold powder floats away. They are the blood flowing from the golden people, returning to the wasteland.

The golden man who worshiped the Heavenly God for two hundred and forty years was finally divided into seventeen pieces. The heavy gold pieces were buried in charcoal fire to preheat, then melted into liquid in the crucible, and finally cast into gold bars.

.

When the first ray of light appeared on the horizon, the golden man worshiping the sky no longer existed, replaced by gold bars neatly laid out at the bottom of four large carts.

Winters put down his cane, jumped into the carriage, and picked up a gold bar.

The residual heat of the gold bar has long since dissipated, and it feels cold to the touch. The gold bar weighs about one kilogram, is only as thick as a sword hilt, and is about the length of a palm, and can barely hold it.

The members of the envoy gradually gathered around the carriage. Some of them had been following Winters since they were recruited from Wolf Town, some were assigned to Winters' command during the Battle of the Great Wilderness, and some were soldiers who captured Hot Springs.

Prisoners forcibly collected after Wodan.

Everyone's eyes were unconsciously attracted to the gold bars - they didn't think it was anything when they were just working. Once they were free, everyone really began to realize that an immeasurable huge wealth was right in front of them, within reach.

The hearts of everyone present were beating wildly, saliva was secreting from their mouths, and heavy breathing came and went.

Winters scanned the crowd, and in the eyes of his subordinates, he saw desire, awe, greed, and fear...

"The gold on these four carriages," Winters said calmly, looking directly into the eyes of his men, "is enough for anyone to live a life like a king anywhere."

No one could look at Winters, even Pierre lowered his head.

"Here." Winters casually handed the gold bar to Pierre: "Take it and feel it."

Pierre hesitantly took the gold bars, while Winters continued to distribute them.

Soon, all the more than 60 people present received the gold bars, and everyone was a little overwhelmed.

"No one has ever seen the life of an emperor, so I have a more intuitive way of describing it." Winters showed the gold bar in his hand: "Just the small piece you hold in your hand is enough for you to buy in the new land.

Next farm, live a prosperous life from then on. And there are a total of..."

Winters paused for a moment: "Two thousand two hundred and seventeen dollars."

"Now, do you know how amazing this wealth is?"

"Now, do you know what you can buy with this gold?"

Winters paused for another moment. He looked at everyone and asked slowly: "Now, do you know why you came here with me?"

"Each of you has proven your courage and ability in the most brutal battles. Each of you has been personally selected by me. I can call each of you by name, and you can count every scar on my body.

.In Jevaudan, in Tiefeng County, in Plato, you are my most trusted subordinates, you are the subordinates I can most count on, you are the subordinates I can entrust with my life, so I led you here -

—and not someone else.”

Everyone under the carriage held gold bars in their hands and listened quietly.

"You have many doubts in your mind. Why do we have to deal with the Red River Tribe? Aren't the Red River Tribe's hands covered with our blood? Aren't our hands also covered with the blood of the Red River Tribe's members? Why do we

Now it’s as if nothing happened, and you can be a guest of the Akagawabu with peace of mind?”

"I will tell you honestly - from this moment on, I will not hide anything from you."

"Because the Red River Department can redeem our comrades who have fallen into the wasteland for us."

"Because the Red River Department can ensure that we transport this batch of gold."

"Because the Chihe tribe is willing to sell us war horses and wool, and because the Chihe tribe is willing to buy our iron tools and minerals."

"In a word, it's because the exchanges with the Chihe tribe can help us develop and grow."

Winters scanned the faces of each of his subordinates, not missing any subtle changes.

He took a deep breath, with the rising sun at his back, and for the first time he expressed his true feelings and ambitions to everyone, his subordinates, and the heaven and earth: "The war will not end. The war is far from over."

"Capturing Tiefeng County is not a victory, and capturing Tiefeng County is far from a victory."

"The new reclamation army, the military government, and the king's castles will not tolerate our existence. Sooner or later, the encirclement and suppression army will appear again. It's just that next time, they will learn their lessons and they will be more prepared."

"So we have to grow stronger, we have to grow, we have to desperately suck every mouthful of lotion and absorb every drop of nutrients, even if the nutrients and lotion come from our enemies! Even if their hands are stained with our blood!"

Winters punched the carriage hard, causing the carriage to break. He did not use magic to increase it, but to everyone's ears, his voice was deafening, like the roar of a strong wind.

Winters calmed down his breathing and suddenly raised his head and asked: "Why are we fighting?"

"Fight for you!" Pierre replied without hesitation.

"I don't want you to fight for me!" Winters shouted sharply. This time he couldn't help but use the amplification technique, and his roar shook the valley: "I, you, we - we are fighting for the right to survive! We are

Fight for fairness! We are fighting for justice!”

"We have to fight, because if we don't fight, we will starve to death! We can't surrender either! Because if we surrender, we will be sent to the gallows!"

"The Republic of Plato throws us away like garbage, not caring about the blood and sacrifices we paid for her. We have done our part, but the Republic of Plato has not done her part!"

"Those who have gained power wantonly change the fate of ordinary people for their own selfish desires. Even their lives are treated as consumables and wasted in meaningless, worthless and useless places!"

"This is trampling on all fairness and justice in the world! It violates every promise made when this republic and this alliance were established! It fails every martyr who paid their blood for this republic and this alliance!"

"I stayed in Plato just because I couldn't stand it! Just because I couldn't bear it! Just because I couldn't swallow it! Just because the country established by the old marshal shouldn't be like this!"

"I don't know what fairness and justice will look like when it truly comes to the world, but it is definitely not what Plato looks like today. So Tiefeng County is not the end, Baishan County, Warne County, Maple Stone City, New Reclamation... We have to continue

Expand, continue to conquer, continue to seize power, until the old world is destroyed, until a new world is born."

The valley fell silent again.

After an unknown amount of time, Pierre asked: "What about after the new land is cleared?"

"Then Jiangbei Province and Xilin Province." Winters raised his head and replied: "Then Plato!"

The scene was silent. For many people around the carriage, the newly cultivated land was already very large, and Plato was even bigger than expected. Many people had never even left their hometown before.

Pierre was silent for a moment, stared at Winters closely, and asked in a deep voice: "What about after Plato?"

Winters smiled. The next goal was too far away for Winters, so far away that there was little hope, but his answer was as firm as an oath: "Then Veneta! Federal Province! Monta! Wine! Then

It’s the republics!”
To be continued...