“I_apply_not_my_sword,he_is_reported_to_have_declared,‘where_my_lash_suffices_nor_my_lash_where_my_tongue_is_enough. And_even_if_there_be_one_hair_binding_me_to_my_fellowmen,I_do_not_let_it_break_when_they_pull_I_loosen,and_if_they_loosen_I_pull.”

- Mu'awiyya ibn Abu Sufyan

_

What comes into view is another world.

Along with the scorching heat, the world of the past is gradually emerging.

An unknown hillside.

Scarred, exhausted, thirsty.

It's like being in a nightmare, full of declining people.

It wasn't civilians, it was an army. An army of antiquity, an army of Christians in a desperate situation.

Billowing smoke rose from the bottom of the hill and surrounded the army. Thirsty, scorching. Keep people falling, and they can't get up again. More people were dead on the ground, tongues swollen out, choking smoke silently robbing the army besieged on the hillside of at least the last shred of its fighting power.

At this point, this desperate army already knows what fate it is about to face. They gathered the teams that were still able to move and made the final arrangements around the wooden cross.

Through the thick black smoke, the Saracen cavalry, numbering more than 10,000 people, circled the hillside like a tide, and a team of 100 men lit hay upwind, using the smoke as a weapon to harass the enemy. As the smoke gradually cleared, the Saracen cavalry under the hillside gradually contracted the encirclement.

At this point, all the foreshadowing has come to an end, and the final moment is coming.

"Praise be to Allah, deliver Christians into our hands!"

The Saracen cavalry chanted aloud and drew their scimitars in unison.

“Allah_hu_akbar!”

With a shout that even the smell of blood would be covered, the massive Saracen cavalry charged.

Whether this is a battle or not, there is nothing worth writing about. When Saracen's recuperated cavalry stormed the last Christian positions, less than one of the ten soldiers remained combat-ready.

It was just a slaughter, as if the farmer was harvesting the ripe wheat into bundles and bundles.

Although he has never been afraid of blood, he has not reached the point of numbness.

Wait indifferently until the moment of the end. Then, a figure appeared on the hillside.

It wasn't a burly figure, on the contrary, the weather-beaten figure even looked a little older than his actual age because of his thinness. However, even those legendary mysteries may not be able to go so far. When the figure reached the top of the mountain, there was no living person around the cross.

Standing in front of the cross, the thin figure took the scimitar from the warrior who followed him.

Once, twice, three times.

The scimitar swings and falls, not so much a cut as a smash. Like the wind rushing in the desert that swallows everything, this man caused the armies of his enemies to perish along with the holy relics.

At this moment, the blood-stained army was like a baby, surrounding him like the wind and admiring him and refusing to leave.

It's like seeing it in a dream, the king of the desert.

Even a saint can't go so far. At first glance, I am afraid that even the gods will be ashamed of themselves.

In a dream, think so.

_

The illusory scene is as unpredictable as a mirage, and even what is seen may be a reflection of reality, and the long river of time makes another fragment emerge.

It was dusk beneath the high-walled city of earth, and although the sky was beginning to darken, a thin light still appeared. The torches were lit early, and the number of flames even outnumbered the stars in the sky, making the earth seem to have a new Milky Way.

Any one glimpse of the fiery entity would believe it to be a harbinger of the end. This city, which is exhausted by mountains and rivers, has entered the moment of dying.

As soon as he rode into the camp on his horse, the messenger spun off his horse and hurried into the tent without pause.

"Sultan, the Christians have surrendered!"

Immediately the people in the tent got up. Although in their status, they should not behave in a happy way, but this time is different.

Only the thin but majestic King of the Desert simply nodded in satisfaction.

"That's for the best."

"Sultan, how do we respond?"

The King of the Desert was silent, looking towards the tall walls.

"Reply to him: 'I neither protect you nor forgive you, I only want you to be despicable forever.' Tomorrow, we will take the city by force alone. Then we will slaughter you, take you captive, and make your men bleed and your women and children reduced to slavery. Go for it. ”

"We're going to get ready!"

All eyes shimmered with a chilling chill, like a predator looking at its prey.

There was only one exception, who was the only light in the darkness, and even the moon hanging high in the night sky was not to fade.

"Ready?"

The light smiled, and in the blink of an eye, he changed from a majestic king to a generous elder.

"No, no. The holy places they defiled with blood, I cleanse with mercy. ”

"Sultan, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Christians ......"

"Enough!"

The face of the king of the great shore sank like water. Even the mere raising of a hand was enough to silence everyone instantly. Although, those hands are more like scholars than warriors.

"On the day of the feast of the festival, I will pray in the holy city."

So that's it......

In the small whirlpool rolled up in the long river of time, among the small fragments in the rings of history, there was indeed such a king.

_

Facing the dusty avenue, it is quiet but very busy. There are no panicked civilians, no fighters who do nothing. Except for the cross, which is being torn down, the holy city remains the same. It's like that earth-shattering war is just an illusion that doesn't exist.

Time drew a circle, and when the Christians invaded the area a hundred years ago, they burned all the houses and slaughtered the Saracens and Jews. The years turned, and when the crescent moon rose again over the land, not a single house was destroyed, not a single civilian died under the butcher's knife.

It was a real conquest. It could only belong to the only and true king of knights of this era.

The only small mess happened in an inconspicuous corner.

There, a Saracen warrior grabbed a tiny girl.

There was no violence, and the king, under the control of the great king, did not allow such a thing to happen. The warrior just guarded the girl, waiting for the order to be given.

Strange, but rather the girl's reaction. The small face under the robe did not show the slightest panic, and it was incredibly calm.

Soon, a simple ****** elder appeared at the end of the line of sight.

The warrior bowed his head deeply, expressing his supreme respect for the elder in the most respectful manner.

"What's going on?"

The elder asked in a low voice.

"This kid is stealing fragments."

The warrior replied slightly unnaturally.

The elder stepped forward and made eye contact with the girl.

Even in front of the majestic elders, the girl was not moved in the slightest.

"You're not afraid? Do you know who I am? ”

There was a moment of silence, and the elder showed a rare hint of doubt.

“…… You are the truth, and the righteous. (Uploader's note: there's a meaningful pun here)

After taking a deep breath, the girl's delicate voice replied.

The old man who heard this sentence was stunned for a moment.

“…… Yes, I am truth and justice. ”

The elder chewed on the true meaning of these words, and after a long time, he unsheathed the saber from his waist, turned his head to the people beside him, and said:

"Does this pile of debris make sense to us?"

"Not really."

"Not bad."

The elder reversed the hilt of the knife and handed his saber to the girl. The elder's guard immediately rushed forward, blocking between the elder and the girl.

"I never save money, so I don't have any money to give you. After leaving the Holy City, you sell the sword. It's worth enough to bring you back to Christian land. ”

The elder took a step back and ordered in a dignified tone.

"Let her go."

The bewildered girl did not make a statement, but calmly accepted the gift of the elder and walked away slowly under the gaze of everyone. The little figure swayed, like a lament, like a mournful cry. The elder stared silently at the delicate figure, so young that it seemed to be broken by the wind at any moment, until it disappeared from sight.

"Sultan, the Christians are not leaving, you really don't have to take any chances."

The warrior who always followed the elder gave advice. However, the great king asked a question.

"How many Christians in the Holy City have not paid the ransom right now?"

"Only eighteen thousand have paid the ransom to this day......," the words of reply came to an abrupt end, because the warriors understood the king's true intentions. Please give me a thousand men, and I will release them in my name. In addition to this, I ask for a ransom payment for 30,000 women and children. ”

"Good."

The king nodded approvingly,

"By my command, the elderly among the Christians do not have to pay the ransom. From now on, give them back their freedom. ”

The elder who said this had a peaceful expression.

Ahhhh

At the end of a story, it tends to get simpler.

Having precipitated sins for nearly a hundred years, the king washed away with his mercy.

It's just a simple story of redemption.

No, maybe the story hasn't reached its end yet. The memories in the fragments continue.

_

In a slightly dimly lit room, the mysterious young girl becomes the protagonist of the story for the first time. This time, she was no longer facing a great king, but a true Christian knight.

The knight was now staring at the girl's outstretched hands with an unsettling gaze. Or rather, staring at the broken piece of wood in the girl's hand.

"What do you want?"

The knight stared intently, looking absent-minded.

"I just hope to be able to take me home."

The girl still said calmly. Although she was talking about her own business, the girl seemed to be talking about an inconsequential topic. It seems that no matter how it ends, it has nothing to do with her.

"It's easy."

The knight spoke softly, and suddenly he drew his sword and stabbed the girl in the chest.

The blade tore through the snow-white skin, sliced through the delicate muscles, and pierced the young body straight.

The bright red blood seemed to bloom like a flower, and the girl's body twitched helplessly, but she couldn't move, and the sword pinned her to the chair. Even if he wanted to say something, he could only spit out large clots of blood from his mouth.

Just a moment later, like a crumpled flower before it bloomed, the girl stopped breathing in a dignified sitting position.

"It's dangerous. If you let others know, that's ......."

The knight bent down to himself and took the fragments from the girl's hand. After all this, he looked at the girl squarely for the first time.

To his surprise, although she was only a young girl, this girl had a face that transcended the mundane, as delicate as a work of art crafted by the most skilled craftsmen.

"What a shame......"

The knight was amazed. He violently pulled the girl by the hair and pulled her back, lifting her face up.

"In a few years, she will be a good woman."

Although she was a corpse, the girl was still so beautiful, like a broken work of art. The eyes that had lost their luster still did not show a trace of emotion.

Only suddenly, the girl's arm moved.

The knight gasped in surprise, but clutched his throat with a look of horror. No matter how much he breathed, the air no longer entered his chest.

Because the girl, who was supposed to be a corpse, used her weak arm to pull out the knife given by the king. With a single stroke, the knight's throat slit like a piece of paper.

Contorting his face, the knight fell to the ground with convulsions, his hands clutching desperately at his throat, but all in vain. Gradually, the knight's body ceased to twitch.

The girl tried to get up from her chair, but she only moved her body slightly, and she passed out from the severe pain throughout her body, until she woke up from the same severe pain. This horrific and brutal process went on repeatedly throughout the night. It wasn't until dawn that the girl pulled her sword out of herself.

As a result, the girl was not able to flee in time. None of that seems to matter, though.

Standing up from a pool of her own blood, the girl looked at her hands, silently covered her little face, and cried silently.

_

The dreamlike landscape swayed in the wind again, a scene that was both strange and yet familiar.

The girl came to the king again, the only difference was that there was one more. A bishop of the Holy City.

It's not like a scenario that fits everyone's identity. The bishop, who had been swaggering, was now as docile as a cat, and the king, who was supposed to have everything, was breaking off a piece of bread and enjoying his lunch like a pauper.

"I plead, beg you to hand over the prisoner to us. She killed a noble knight and deserved a fair trial! ”

Although the bishop opened his voice, his tone was unusually humble. I'm afraid that the former is his usual truth, while the latter is forced by the situation.

The King of the Desert ignored his pleas, but looked at the murder weapon with a gloomy face.

"Is this true?"

He did not ask the bishop questions, but to the girl who was as calm as water.

"It's true."

The girl confessed frankly.

"Why?"

"He's trying to rob me, and he's going to kill me."

"She's lying!" The bishop screamed, "Christians who revere honor and abhor shamelessness will never do such a thing!" Moreover, there is simply no way that she has anything worth robbing! ”

The king lifted his head and looked him directly at him with a cold gaze.

"Yes. I know how you Christians value honor, and you have shown me that. ”

The king said slowly. Although it was not severe, it made the bishop immediately speechless.

At this moment, the warrior who had paid the ransom for the women and children of the entire holy city walked in, anger written on his face.

"Sultan, I know I shouldn't bother you, but those Christians are looting their churches."

The king glanced at the bishop coldly, and in an instant, the bishop sweated like rain.

"I have allowed you to take your belongings, but I do not remember ever allowing you to take anything from the Holy City."

Under his cold tone, the bishop curled up his shoulders and trembled.

"Sultan, see if you ......"

Wang snorted softly. Just like that, the bishop's face turned pale instantly.

"Forget it. They are not ****** and do not understand the meaning of promise. Let them be. ”

"Yes."

The warriors who followed the king retreated, but the bishop did not even dare to lift his head. He never dared to believe the king's words, for he would never have done it himself. He was even more convinced that at this time, the pagan king could cut himself in two at any moment.

"If there's anything worth robbing about her, I'll tell you."

To his surprise, the King of the Desert really didn't delve into Christian treachery, but went back to the previous topic. He looked up in disbelief, and suddenly saw the king throw a gauze scarf as thin as a cicada's wings at him, and then a cold light flashed.

The black knife was close in front of his eyes, and even the mysterious pattern and starry highlights of the blade were clearly visible. In mid-air, a neatly split scarf fell down.

Immediately, the bishop collapsed to the ground with his feet limp.

Putting the knife back into its sheath, the king of the desert picked up his cup of water and bread and handed it to the girl. (Note)

This is a very clear sign, but the bishop is not even aware of it.

"Go, I will keep my promise, and the Holy Land will remain open to all. All of them. ”

The king raised his hand to signal that he could leave, and the bishop fled in a panic.

Now, the story is back to where it started. Wang looked at the young girl and sighed softly.

"Please accept a ****** heartfelt apologies. I am too confused to let a child carry a precious gift is tantamount to inflicting disaster on him. ”

It's hard to believe that a king should apologize to a girl who is nothing. Even the girl, who had always been as calm as water, showed a hint of imperceptible wavering.

"If you still want to believe me, if you still insist on going back home, then I have a piece of advice. You can go with some Christians to Egypt, which is the kingdom I control. You can wait in Alexandria until the beginning of spring next year and return to the Christian land on a merchant's ship. I promise, no one will embarrass you. ”

For the first time, the girl bowed her head in front of others.

“Assalamu_alaykum.”

Similarly, this is the first time she has shown a trace of true emotion in front of others.

“Wa_alayk_um_al_salaam.”

The elder replied with great gentleness and reverence.

_

The virtual image of reality floats, like a reflection in the waves of water—

Alexandria, Egypt, at the beginning of spring.

The port, which has stood for a millennium and will continue to stand for the next millennium, has never been more noisy than it is today.

The harbor was crowded with people, and the merchant ships docked on the shore were surrounded by groups, and the merchants hid in the ships and did not dare to see anyone, except for a few Italian captains who were shouting loudly. About 1,000 people were driven around the periphery of the crowd, some of them shouting and some of them weeping bitterly.

They were Christians who had taken up residence in Alexandria a year earlier under the King's arrangement. In accordance with the Sudan's commitments, now is the time for them to return home.

The king kept his noble promise, not only sheltering them, but also aiding them on their way home. Unexpectedly, however, the Italians, who were also Christians, rejected them. The shrewd Italians did not intend to waste cabins for a thousand poor people who could not afford to pay for the ship.

Little did the Italians know that their actions would anger the infidels of Egypt, and a riot would ensue in the once busy but orderly port of the Millennium.

Never expecting that his actions would provoke the righteous indignation of the infidels, the Italians panicked.

The young girl was naturally among the thousands. Of those Christians, she was the only one who seemed as calm as ever.

Maybe it's because I've been through too much, or maybe I've expected it for a long time. In short, she was not at all surprised by these Italians.

But when the infidels came forward, she had a vague sense that something was going to happen.

Just like she had a hunch. In the chaos, a horse galloped in, and everyone's eyes were attracted by a rider in this area.

That is the King's Messenger, and he will be the decisive force at this time.

Uniformly move out of the way, and the crowd is like a divided sea, allowing the riders to gallop through.

"The will of the Sultan!"

The messenger shouted to the Italian captains, and he glanced at them with contempt, a gaze like a knife that made the Italians flinch.

The whole dock was impossibly quiet, and everyone waited silently.

"Sultan's will: If you don't want to take everyone with you, stay with yourselves!"

The messenger proclaimed.

The Italian hesitated for a moment, and finally respectfully moved out of the way. Suddenly, the cheers were like angry waves in the ancient port.

Whether it's a Christian or a ******. Whatever the Lord they believed, they were all cheering together at this moment.

It's nothing short of a miracle, isn't it?

In the eyes of the girl, this is not the case.

When the premonition came true, the girl stopped her wandering gaze. In the halo reflected by the waves, she seemed to see Wang's thin and majestic figure again.

In these dark times, that is where the only light is......

- The memory in the fragments came to an abrupt end.

============================================================

Note: ****** Courtesy. Serving food and drink is for the guests, and the host not only must not harm the guests, but also has the obligation to protect the safety of the guests.

PS: This is a very special chapter. According to its length, it should have been divided into two chapters, but because of the special nature, I finally decided to send them out together.

This chapter is a background setting, but also an independent story. I believe everyone can see that this story comes from real history. I write such a story at such a point in time, not only because it is a setting, but also because it is also a purpose—I hope that people can think with me about what is true faith and what is true greatness.

PS2: Originally, there was some Arabic in this chapter, but because some people said that the starting point couldn't pronounce Arabic, a lot of it was deleted, and the rest was changed to English or Roman pronunciation.

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