Black Sail
Chapter 546 - 175. Salt Lake City

Chapter 546: 175. Salt Lake City

The Mulong Capital is located in the southeastern region of the country, also the most fertile area with abundant farmland.

The railway constructed from the Aran Affiliated Country doesn’t necessarily pass through the capital, only a branch line was built and has been completed.

The main line is the large project that traverses from Black Rock City in the east across the Kelor Highlands.

The elite noble class has limited faith in the Holy True God of the Mulong National Religion, as it has been a folkloric remnant discarded by the times after assimilation by Aran.

But the further west one travels, the more deep-rooted the religious forces become, difficult to eradicate.

In Salt Lake City, the initial signs have already appeared.

Uborio uses the pretext of the Holy True God for resistance struggles, waving the banner of fundamentalism, thus attracting support from the so-called International Corps and the Freemasonry Alliance Front, avoiding the label of a regressive regime.

However, the true core of the Divine Sovereign Church, already stigmatized and reduced to a cult organization, has nothing to do with Uborio.

The fanatics who can actually form combat organizations are the foundation of the Divine Sovereign Church.

Salt Lake City.

The frontlines are unfavorable, and if Crocodile Island continues to garrison Silver Moon City for long, within half a month, when the railway reaches Music City, the main line will fall into an unprecedented state of halt.

It’s August, with only over twenty days left until the Continent Martial Arts Competition.

Zote had somewhat guessed Crocodile Island’s plan. Recently, Black Sail, having joined the alliance for only a few months, caught Crocodile Island off guard.

In reality, being dispatched to Crocodile Island by the army was both a cushy job and a tough one.

Even skimming the slightest kickback from the military and railway funds amounts to sums ordinary people couldn’t even dream of.

But the price is that it’s a gamble.

Crocodile Island had already fallen into the trap of security warfare, bullying scattered guerrilla forces with low firepower, posing little threat as military targets, limited to infantry and light armored units.

Using magic cannons to bomb Resistance Army tents costs several Golden Dragons just to shred a piece of tattered cloth, an extremely awkward situation.

But the Mulong people are very ignorant. Uborio recruits from backward regions, douses them in the water blessed by the God, thinking they are invincible, wielding sabers and primitive matchlock guns, pitifully facing the strongest army on the surface.

Thus, Crocodile Island has always managed to handle the situation with ease.

But after the Deputy General Manager of the Black Sail Trading Company, former Pedan political prisoner, provided guidance, Uborio, under pressure, also opted for the most radical approach.

Since the Mulong land is not his, Fen could naturally suggest anything as he pleased.

The three geologists Mika brought back provided ample intelligence, including the main line’s route planning, and had taken extreme measures to salt and alkalize the necessary soil.

This coerced Crocodile Island into capturing Drifting City and fighting a swift battle, thus making the Resistance Army the force to bear the cost of the construction delay.

With the Continent Martial Arts Competition approaching, there would be no extra hands available for Crocodile Island in the short term.

Uborio drained his last bit of popularity to recruit troops, aiming to withstand this impact and gain the momentum for a counterattack to reclaim lost land.

But he feared Crocodile Island might remain calm, untroubled by delays, dragging it out until the competition is over, then calling in reinforcements from Aran.

The situation has grown extremely dire, both sides testing each other to the brink, ready to ignite at any moment.

But Zote didn’t care about that.

Without the proper tools, it’s best not to take the job.

Instead, recent work reminded him of the days of ruthless suppression, where he had ample experience in conducting security wars.

Even if Crocodile Island were to be defeated, Zote would, for the Pope’s orders, step in and handle Crocodile Island’s affairs, as long as the job is well done...

This would conclude the faction struggle between the Royal Court and the Sect, leading the Royal Court to make concessions, reinstating Zote to the pinnacle of power as a Church Leader of the Cardinal Group.

"Stop hiding, you can’t run..." Zote said, walking around with a knife, tapping the metal fixtures inside the cabin, creating a constant noise.

Salt Lake City derives its name from the fourth largest salt lake on the Western Continent.

The lake is dotted with many salt-harvesting boats, and Zote has discovered that this is a stronghold of the Divine Sovereign Church, conducting secret operations and purging the area.

Among them, one large salt-harvesting vessel, although made of wood, had a structure distinct from regular sailboats, primarily used for lake operations, powered by human rowing, requiring hundreds of people to paddle in unison. The large lower deck housed the salt-harvesting equipment.

But now it was already filled with corpses and blood. Zote and his Time Sword had slaughtered everyone, leaving only the hiding leader.

There were guards onshore, so she was merely resisting in vain.

The dimly lit boat’s belly, Zote watched with interest as the ballasts’ freshwater pool was dyed red by the brine well.

Those cut by Zote died in extreme agony.

His swordsmanship was bizarre, not immediately fatal, but caused massive blood loss and death in an instant.

The bodies, dressed in the Divine Sovereign Church’s purple ceremonial robes, were usually severed at the waist or vertically split from the fingers through the ulna and radius, then the upper arm, and the legs as well.

Some heads were also split into three pieces, brains splattered.

Directly hacked into three pieces, bleeding profusely, blood pooling up to his shoes on the deck.

Even the Time Sword members, as religious Madmen, were astounded by this man’s cruelty, as if eradicating was secondary, and execution was essential.

Zote gestured for the Time Sword members to settle, using his saber to clank against the metal equipment, creating a deafening noise, provoking the hiding person, any slight panic or irregular breath would be detected by Zote.

At this moment.

The scenery by the Salt Lake shore was beautiful and clear, the skies stretched cloudlessly for miles, the expansive, clear salt lake reflecting shimmering waves.

The Black Horse Zhao Yue came to a stop, and Magnus loosened his reins and dismounted.

He had arrived in Salt Lake City a few days earlier.

But Salt Lake City was too large, one of the few production cities in Mulong. Before the war started, most salt traders from the east of Narrow Sea procured goods here.

It was only today that he could track down Zote’s location.

Magnus gazed at the dozens of salt-harvesting ships temporarily halted due to the war. If the information was correct, Zote was on one of these ships.

It seemed his judgment was accurate.

Onshore, a troop of heavily-armored Heavy Priests, about a hundred in number, was present, along with a few Time Sword members wearing Dragon Face Helmets and white robes.

It was a special time for sweeping out the Divine Sovereign Church remnants. Their presence on the shore was unusual, and they quickly noticed Magnus.

"Who are you? The Eternal Sect is conducting operations here. Unrelated persons must leave quickly, or face the consequences." A heavily armed Heavy Priest approached, equipped to the teeth, his heavy helmet obscuring any expression.

Magnus’ appearance did not resemble a Mulong native, showing Aran features, else they would have driven him away with a chain mace.

Magnus remained unmoved, even though he was alone, which brought more Heavy Priests around him, who had already pulled out their chain maces.

Iron hammers attached to chains, caked with dried, mottled blood.

"This is your final warning. By the name of the Dragon Lord, we will execute you." The Heavy Priest spoke plainly.

However, this person seemed somewhat familiar.

"I am also a registered believer of the Eternal Sect. Here is my armband. I need to speak with the leader of the Eighteenth Formation. The missing Priest from Black Rock City, I am the one who kidnapped her. Only I know where she is." Magnus did not wish to waste energy before killing Zote, considering there were too many of them. Using this as leverage, he sought a one-on-one with Zote.

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