Sion, repeatedly captured, had been subdued. However, this latest capture was particularly ignominious, and with Zuan having offered him a sliver of hope, how could he easily abandon his grand ambitions?
He immediately pointed to the sky and the earth, "Lord Swain, to put it bluntly, you didn't capture me this time! If you want me to submit, it must be someone from your Holy Roman Empire who captures me! My ancestors have lived in the Boluo Mountains for generations, a place protected by the treacherous Sanjiang River and strong fortifications. If you can still capture me there, I, and my descendants for generations to come, will wholeheartedly submit to the Holy Roman Empire, without any falsehood!"
Seeing Sion, captured for the fifth time, still shamelessly refusing to surrender to the Holy Roman Empire, all the generals were indignant. Ogar immediately said, "Lord Swain, this fellow is untrustworthy and has made excuses repeatedly. He clearly refuses to surrender to the Holy Roman Empire. We must not trust him again!"
"Yes! Lord Swain, kill him!"
For a time, the generals of the Holy Roman army were in an uproar. Judging by their fervor, their spittle alone could drown Sion.
Sion, amidst them, showed no fear. He knelt straight on the ground, head held high, chest out, staring intently at Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun took a deep breath and slightly raised his hand to stop the generals. The clamor in the crowded tent instantly subsided.
Xiao Xun said to those beside him, "Unbind the Barbarian King!"
All the generals cried out in disbelief, "Lord Swain!"
The soldiers stepped forward to untie Sion, who stretched his limbs.
Xiao Xun, however, said disdainfully, "Since we could capture you five times, we are not afraid to capture you one more time. This time, we will release you again. Wait until you regroup your forces and fight me again. If you are captured again then, and still refuse to submit, I will annihilate your entire clan!"
As he spoke, a terrifying killing intent swept towards Sion, causing his body to tremble. He looked up and gazed deeply at Xiao Xun.
He saw Xiao Xun's face filled with seriousness, and a fierce killing aura emanating from within him. He had never imagined that this seemingly frail young man could exude such a powerful presence.
Xiao Xun's aura gradually subsided. He glanced at Sion and said indifferently, "You may go!"
Sion bowed deeply and turned to leave the command tent. Ogar, Hecarim, and the other generals stepped forward to block Sion's path, glaring at him fiercely. Sion also met their gaze without flinching.
"Let him go!"
Xiao Xun's calm voice rang out, and only then did Ogar and the others reluctantly clear a path.
After Sion left, Xiao Xun ordered the Kings Chachai and Spotan to be unbound, prepared a banquet, and at the feast, he spoke words of wisdom and persuasion to them both.
Having been spared by Xiao Xun several times, Spotan was speechless. Seeing Xiao Xun still treating him this way, he took a sip of his drink and said with emotion, "Lord Swain, to speak frankly, your noble character and righteousness have spared my brother repeatedly. My brother is not made of wood. Honestly, the Barbarian King's refusal to surrender is actually..."
Hearing this, Xiao Xun's mind stirred. He glanced at Spotan and asked, "What does the chieftain mean by that?"
Spotan hardened his resolve and said, "Lord Swain, let me put it this way: the Barbarian King's refusal to surrender is all because of Zuan. As long as you defeat Zuan, the Barbarian King will naturally surrender."
All the generals were astonished. They exchanged glances. After fighting the barbarian army for so long, none of them had ever heard of anyone named Zuan in the world.
Among all the generals at the feast, only Faelouis showed any reaction.
"Zuan?"
Xiao Xun searched his mind for this person but found no impression.
"Is he at your stronghold?"
Spotan shook his head. "After we were scattered in the last battle at Chuan Shui, Zuan disappeared."
"Where did he go?"
Spotan shook his head, indicating he didn't know. "Only the Barbarian King knows where he is. No one else knows his whereabouts."
Xiao Xun smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your guidance, chieftain!"
Spotan quickly said, "I dare not."
Xiao Xun asked some more questions about the Boluo Mountains, and Spotan answered them all.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Xiao Xun arranged for Spotan and the other generals to rest, and the next day, he arranged for horses to escort them away from the stronghold.
That night, Xiao Xun convened a meeting with his generals to discuss Zuan in detail. Faelouis had had some dealings with Zuan and knew that he could not hide anything from Xiao Xun. He said, "Zuan was a renowned figure in the barbarian lands decades ago. He later retired and lived in seclusion in Gujiā Huòdé Sà, having long since withdrawn from worldly affairs. For some reason... he reappeared by the Barbarian King's side."
Xiao Xun nodded slightly. Tuhmo said, "Lord Swain, regardless, Boluo Mountain is Sion's last refuge. Without Boluo Mountain, Sion will have no foundation, and it will be difficult for him not to surrender."
Ogar agreed, "Tuhmo is right! Sion is stubborn and foolish. Although Zuan is cunning, I doubt he can defeat Lord Swain. He is not to be feared!"
Xiao Xun nodded without expressing his opinion and dismissed the generals.
Sion lingered outside the Holy Roman army's encampment for a long time. It wasn't until Kent saw Spotan, King Chachai, and the others coming from the Holy Roman encampment that he realized the Poison Rust Dragon Legion could not return, as it had already been occupied by Rekton's forces.
The group had no choice but to proceed in a grand manner to the stronghold of the Barbarian King's brothers, the Boluo Legion.
Upon returning to the Boluo Legion, Sion was extremely dejected. He sat alone in his room, desperately contemplating a strategy to defeat the enemy.
Xiao Xun's repeated stratagems made him feel powerless. He had the skills, but he was always unable to engage the Holy Roman army in a fair fight. The frustration was immense.
Sion pondered all night without devising a good plan to break the siege. He then summoned his clan brothers to discuss a strategy to defeat the enemy.
Sion's clan had engaged the Holy Roman army several times and had long been intimidated by them. For a time, no one could propose a plan to defeat the enemy.
"Great King, why not invite Madam to come out of seclusion?"
The person speaking was Lord Mages, Sion's brother-in-law.
The lords and chieftains of the various legions looked at Sion with anticipation.
During the previous discussion, Lord Mages had not been present. In fact, everyone knew that the Boluo Legion was facing a matter of survival, but no one dared to mention it.
In the current situation, there was only a chance of victory if Madam Milady, who was in seclusion, was invited to come out.
After all, Madam Milady was known as the foremost expert among the barbarians, skilled in both literary and military arts.
However, Madam Milady was in seclusion, and no one dared to disturb her, not even Sion. Therefore, only his brother-in-law dared to make such a suggestion.
Seeing Lord Mages speak like this, Sion said in a deep voice, "Madam is in seclusion at a critical juncture. We must not disturb her!"
All the lords of the legions had dark expressions. Sion's words sounded good, but in reality, it all came down to him being afraid to disturb Madam Milady. Everyone knew that the Barbarian King Sion was famously henpecked.
Lord Mages took a deep breath and said, "Since the Great King is unwilling to trouble his sister, then we must find another plan."
Sion heard the implication in Lord Mages' words, as if he had a strategy, and said, "Oh? Does my dear brother have another plan?"
"In the barbarian tribe, there is King Ziyue of the Siqi Legion. This person is deeply versed in magic and is a famous Archmage of Summoning. He can control ferocious barbarian beasts. It is expected that he can defeat the Holy Roman army!"
Sion was surprised, then calm. Madam Milady was a pure-blooded witch.
It was just that after losing a war for supremacy years ago, her tribe was massacred, and she fled to the barbarian lands after suffering severe injuries.
Only she and her brother had escaped together. However, they were pure-blooded witches. Even though their tribe had been wiped out, they would still have some friends in the witch lands.
However, it had been nearly twenty years since they had come out, and he didn't know if King Ziyue would still acknowledge him.
But at this moment, Sion had no other options and could only try this last resort.
However, the Holy Roman army was already stationed outside Chuishui City and could attack at any moment.
Sion knew that, no matter what, he had to defend Chuishui City.
As long as he could hold Chuishui City and stall the Holy Roman army, he could then take the opportunity to counterattack when King Ziyue arrived to assist.
Now, he had fallen into a desperate situation. Even the temples were against him. If he could not defeat the Holy Roman army, the entire barbarian tribe might turn against him.
To ensure his safety, Sion ordered Spotan and King Chachai to jointly defend Chuishui City, asking them to hold the city at all costs and await King Ziyue's reinforcements.