"Gold?"

To be honest, this answer is very different from what Calis imagined. He couldn't help but be stunned, his face full of surprise.

When the Kingdom Coalition captured Suolong Pass, they found a lot of gold and silver in the warehouse.

Yes, a lot, but definitely not a lot. Because in the eyes of Calis and other magnates of various countries, the northern barbarians should be counted as a huge whole, that is, a country. According to this basic concept, the amount of gold and silver seized would in any case seem too small.

As the war continued and the coalition offensive went all the way north, learning more about the giants, especially from Flamal part, Calis gradually sorted out the special relationship between the different tribes of the northern giants that were hostile and cooperative with each other. Flamal's contact with the giant's captives taught him that food was far more important than gold and silver in this far, ancient land.

"As far as I know, what you need most should be food, not gold." Calis was blunt. He had a feeling that the young giant king in front of him should belong to a civilized society, especially in speech and demeanor, even more elegant than some kingdom nobles.

Tian Hao stared at him calmly, and the corners of his lips, as if sealed by a fine straight line, began to curve upward, revealing a smile that was difficult to judge the meaning of.

"You seem to know us well?"

Calis hesitated for a moment and nodded: "I know some, but not comprehensively." After all, after so many years of fighting, strictly speaking, although they are not familiar with each other, they are not strangers. ”

Tianhao raised his head and smiled. He let out a laugh, his body shaking to the rhythm: "You know, sometimes reality is more absurd than absurd, because fiction is logical, and reality is often illogical. ”

After speaking, he straightened up, returned to his previous upright sitting posture, and stared at the Duke of Rhine with dark black eyes: "Just like now." ”

"What do you mean?" Calis felt the meaning of the other party's words elusive, and he needed more hints.

"I've already said that I only want gold and silver." Tian Hao put away the smile on his face, and his expression began to become serious. This means that the preferential time is over and the conversation becomes formal: "If you want to cooperate with this king, then this is the condition I have offered." ”

Calis slowly frowned, getting deeper and deeper. After thinking in silence for a few seconds, he raised his head and said sincerely: "Your Highness, I am negotiating with you about future relations with a sincere attitude. Please believe me, I have no selfish intentions, and I really want to put an end to the hostile situation between the north and the south of the mainland. After all, only peace can allow us to prosper together. ”

Tianhao's indifferent face could not see the slightest emotional fluctuation, and a dangerous light flashed in the depths of his eyes: "I really didn't expect such words to come from the mouth of a white man, and he is also a nobleman and a duke...... Okay, there's no need to beat around the bush, let's get straight ahead, how much gold can you come up with? ”

A wave of anger welled up in Calis's heart, but he didn't dare to show it on his face. For a long time, he was accustomed to being under one man and above ten thousand. Neither kings nor popes have ever spoken to themselves in such a tone. But now, on the opposite side sat a giant, an inferior creature that had been considered savage and ignorant since hundreds of years ago.

"We can work together in other ways." Calis resisted the desire to flare, and his tone was as relaxed as possible: "The Rhine Kingdom can provide a large amount of food, every year. We can pay for the actual gold equivalent in grain and ......"

"Do you think I'm the kind of fool who doesn't understand anything and can fool around with just a few words?" Tianhao's gaze instantly sharpened, and he unceremoniously interrupted Calis's words.

The Duke of Rhine tensed, and he immediately put his feet together and saluted respectfully, his tone more humble than before: "I'm sorry, I definitely didn't mean that. I just want to get to the root of the problem. After all, the Rhine Kingdom does not have a lot of gold reserves. Your Highness, you are a wise man, and gold itself exists only as a monetary base. Food can be eaten, clothes can be worn, and they are the final result of business transactions. ”

Tianhao stared at him coldly, as if he wanted to see through Calis's whole person directly. After a moment of silence, he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers, and two tall attendants immediately walked in from outside the tent. Tianhao flattened his raised arm, pointed directly at the Duke of Rhine who was standing in front of him, and said lightly: "Chop off his right hand." Take care to stop the bleeding and don't let him die. ”

Calis's eyes widened suddenly, and he opened his mouth in disbelief and shouted, "Wait, you can't ...... Why...... No, you can't! ”

Whatever he says doesn't work. The wolf-like dragon guards didn't pay any attention to it. Two more people came next to him, and together they held Calis, who was struggling desperately, stripped him of his clothes three times and twice, and tied his right arm above the elbow with a strong rope. Tightened so tightly that Calis screamed in pain, and in despair he saw a giant pull out his saber from his waist and slash at his right arm, severing it about three centimeters in front of his elbow.

He felt like the whole world was spinning in pain, and the giant attendant quickly grabbed a handful of black powder from his coat pocket and sprinkled it on the surface of the wound, quickly stopping the bleeding. Calis was held down by the shoulders of the attendants, forcing him to remain on his knees. Looking down at the severed hand that was still dripping blood as it rolled to the ground, Calis felt so unreal, as if he had just had a terrible nightmare.

"For some people, a lot of things on their body are useless add-ons." Tianhao's cold voice continued to echo in the tent: "As long as I want, I can cut off your other hand and cut off your two feet." Next I can cut off your nose and ears and gouge out your eyes. If you're still stubborn, I can also cut off one of the most important parts of your body so you can get a good idea of what it's like to lose your qualifications as a man. ”

"I promise you, no matter what conditions you put forward, I will agree!" Calis was so frightened that his face turned earthy, and he writhed desperately like a loach bound in a narrow ditch and unwilling to accept the status quo: "I'll give you gold, as much as you want!" ”

He was genuinely frightened.

No one wants to give up power and wealth. If it weren't for the alliance between the Lord's Kingdom and the Northern Giants, Calis would not have thought of negotiating face-to-face with the young Giant King. When he was defeated and surrendered, he had already thought about winning more benefits for himself through negotiations. Sometimes losing is not a bad thing, as long as you deal with it properly and can reach a consensus with the giants on various cooperation issues, it can have a fundamentally limiting effect on the Rhine king, which in turn translates into a strengthening of the ducal family.

The reason why Calis was reluctant to agree to Tianhao's request for gold compensation and wanted to pay in other kind was due to this consideration.

Tianhao leaned forward, looked at the Duke of Rhine, who was kneeling in front of him, his face was pale, and said sarcastically: "How many tons of grain can a ton of gold buy?" You think you can do whatever you want with the pricing power? Do you think this kind of trick played by a merchant can hide from this king? It seems that the defeat did not teach you a lesson, and you still feel that you are in control. I know what you're thinking...... You want more, to deceive me in the north, to deceive your king in the south, and then to profit from it, to become bigger and stronger. ”

Calis trembled violently, his heart was cold, not only was his body naked and uncovered, but even the most secret thoughts in his heart were unearthed and exposed in broad daylight.

"This kind of thing is first-come, first-served." Tianhao obviously didn't intend to let him go like this, and while explaining the problem itself in plain and understandable words, he also tortured Calis mentally: "Savidin is a smart man, and he has more vision than you in judging the situation. Actually, I am a very pure person, although we dragons live in the north for a long time, we need friends very much. If you have the chance, you can listen to our song: if a friend comes, there is good wine, if the jackal comes, there is a knife and a gun. The kingdom of the Lord is ahead of you. It's the best outcome for them, and it's the same for us. ”

"And Savitin has a bigger advantage than you." Tian Hao smiled again, as if he was a devil holding a great secret: "Different beliefs have determined that the kingdom of God will surely become the enemy of the Holy See and your other four kingdoms. They believe in the Lord, and you believe in the Lord. Even if the king does not intervene, you are still natural enemies. ”

The pain of the wound on his severed arm became more and more intense, and cold sweat oozed from Calis's forehead, and he forced himself to ask, "...... Are you going to support those infidels and start wars? ”

"The war has begun." Tianhao said meaningfully: "You have broken the lock dragon pass, invaded our territory, and killed our people...... If you think that all this can be erased with gold and silver as compensation, then I can only say that you are a blind man with open eyes. Kamui Fortress is in our hands, and we can fight as much as we want in the future. Not to mention the allies of the Lord's Kingdom. ”

Calis couldn't say a word. He felt as if his body had been poisoned by petrification magic, and even his thinking abilities had completely disappeared under the pressure of great fear.

"I will take over your city and kill all those who resist. Pin them to wooden shelves and line them up from Kamui Fortress all the way to your capital. Men, women, children...... No one is exempt, and neither are the nobility. ”

"Just kill everyone and get everything you want. This also includes gold. Tianhao sneered: "The reason why this king is willing to see you is because he is a little curious about you. A lot of people say you're a nice aristocrat. Brave, wise, and a very good general. ”

Desperate, the pale-faced Calis screamed and asked, "Who told you that?" Who told you all this? ”

Tianhao was not angry because of the Duke of Rhine's wild shouts. He sat there calmly until Calis's cries gradually subsided, and then replied in an indifferent tone: "As long as you are willing to explore and put in the effort to do so, there are no secrets in this world." ”

Once again, great fear struck like night, enveloping Calis.

He understood what Tianhao said.

“…… Damn, you have spies in our kingdom? No, it should be our people who revealed everything to you. No wonder you speak our language and the pronunciation is so standard. You seem to know everything, you know everything. ”

After muttering to himself, the flames of unwilling rebellion quickly rose in Calis's eyes. He discarded all unrealistic illusions at the moment: "You can't conquer all the kingdoms, and even if you get the bastard of Savidin to take refuge, you can't be the enemy of the four kingdoms and the Holy See at the same time. The Holy Lord is above, and He will rain down thunder and fury to burn all the giants, including you. ”

Tian Hao sneered: "If you say these words from the beginning, my attitude towards you will definitely change. It's too late to say this, and it's hard to equate speculators with the brave. The existence of the Holy Lord you worship is still a question, and the conquest of the southern part of the continent is not as complicated as you think. We're going to do something very simple, kill all the rebels, kill all the white people. ”

Calis felt all the blood in his body freeze instantly.

Tianhao took one last look at him, snapped his fingers again, and ordered the attendants: "Take him down." The Black Howling Wolf was a great soldier, and five hundred nobles and officers were selected from the captives, and their hands and feet were cut off, and thrown into the wolf pen to give them a good meal. ”

……

Two dragon guards escorted Bishop Somson to stand outside the wolf pen, allowing him to witness the horrific brutality of the slaughter.

He saw Calis's familiar face. The reason for this is that he was not escorted into the wolf pen by the giants, but thrown directly into it like a heavy sack.

By then, Calis had no hands or feet, and his screams were almost like a human. More than a dozen giant black wolves, the size of bulls, pounced on him, opened their fanged mouths, and gnawed his throat on the spot.

Calis was eaten cleanly, and the beasts tore open his stomach with their claws, devouring the foul-smelling entrails. This is the habit of wild wolves, and the soft and smelly offal is a good meal for them. It's no wonder that they are scavengers in the first place.

When he was brought into the camp by his attendants, Bishop Somson lost all faith and courage. He didn't have a second thought other than the idea of wanting to live.

Tianhao stared at him, and his tone was majestic and cold: "Kneel." ”

The bishop was almost lying on the ground, frightened and unable to maintain a normal kneeling position.

"You have two options." Tianhao said bluntly: "Calis is an example to all those who resist. This is the first of their kind. ”

"The second, I choose the second." Bishop Somson howled desperately like a pig: "Please, I don't want to die!" ”

A trace of disdain flashed in Tianhao's eyes, but he was more satisfied: "This king can give you a chance, it depends on whether you are willing to tell the truth." ”