strange!

Strangely strange!

In this desolate desert, a dark cloud suddenly appeared without warning.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The thunder, like an ancient war drum, approached from afar, its sound awe-inspiring.

In the blink of an eye, it was as if the floodgates of a flood had been opened, and torrential rain poured down.

In the rain, Bob Win, riding on horseback, half-opened his eyes, his face, ravaged by leprosy, being constantly washed by the rain.

The shouts of battle around him grew fainter and fainter, and the smell of blood in his nose became less and less. He struggled to turn his eyes and saw Lin Mo holding up a Christian relic, the True Cross.

“He’s laughing!” Bob Wynne clenched his fist. “Is he mocking? Is he provoking us?”

For Lin Mo, this rain brought both joy and sorrow.

With this rain, the enemy troops, who had been thirsty for days, could finally catch their breath.

Morale also soared immediately.

To them, this was as if it were a gift from God (Allah).

Let them see hope for victory when they are on the verge of despair.

As a result, the Muslims and Crusaders launched a counterattack with high morale, gradually regaining the initiative from the brink of defeat.

For a time, they fought a back-and-forth battle with the Great Xia army.

but.

It's impossible for Muslim and Crusader troops in the midst of battle to drink water while simultaneously wielding knives and attacking others.

Rain can cool you down and bring hope, but it can't immediately solve the weakness caused by dehydration.

Meanwhile, the Muslims and the soldiers behind the Crusaders, so thirsty that they almost lost their minds, took off their helmets and drank the rainwater.

The instinct for survival led them to maintain discipline and formation.

They even ignored the orders of their generals.

Finally, there's one more thing, which is absolutely good news for Lin Mo, but extremely difficult for Bob Wen.

because.

Saladin, Quz, and the Arab coalition have begun their retreat!

Their pursuit was solely based on the belief that Lin Mo's Great Xia army was in dire straits, and they wanted to seize the opportunity to annihilate the main force of the Great Xia army in one fell swoop.

To Saladin's utter surprise, the Xia army they encountered after venturing deep into the wilderness showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, they were full of energy.

Their supply lines were cut off, they suffered from thirst for days, and tens of thousands died.

At this time, they were suddenly attacked by the Great Xia army.

Saladin and his men were completely on the defensive, forced to fight back against a difficult situation.

The timely rain has greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers. They should seize this opportunity to withdraw from the battlefield and wait until they have recovered before fighting the Great Xia army again.

There was even a better option: head east, defeat Bai Qi's blockade forces, and clear the supply lines.

In short, staying in the desert is tantamount to suicide.

However.

Saladin can retreat, Amun can retreat, the Arabs can retreat.

Bob Win can't just back down like this!

The True Cross, the holy relic of Christ, is in the hands of the Bactrians!

"Your Majesty, Saladin and the Quetzals... they've begun their retreat!" a Crusader general cried anxiously. "Your Majesty, what should we do? Please make a decision quickly!"

"What? What should we do? Concentrate all our forces and reclaim the holy relic!" another Crusader general roared.

"Yes, what is more important than the True Cross? It is a sacred relic left to the world by our Lord Jesus!"

"Damn the Muslims have retreated! How can our forces possibly defeat the Great Xia? Staying means only one thing: total annihilation! Your Majesty, we should retreat!"

"You're talking nonsense! God is watching over us, which is why he sent rain to this arid desert. We should heed God's call and exterminate all heretics."

A fierce dispute arose among the Crusader generals.

Not long after, the commanders of the two knightly orders who had chosen the gecko tactic also withdrew with their remaining troops.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Grand Master Roger of the Knights Hospitaller demanded. "Our sacred relic has been stolen, why are you..."

What he meant was, "Are you still here contemplating life?"

"Assemble the troops and reclaim the relic!" The Grand Master of the Knights Templar was even more ruthless, ignoring Bobwin and issuing the order.

"No, no!" Raymond shouted, arriving late. "We should retreat now and avoid the brunt of the Great Xia army! With the help of Saladin and the combined forces of Qiuz, we can only manage a draw with the Great Xia."

"Once we lose their cooperation, what will we use to..."

Raymond's words were cowardly, but also showed a good understanding of his own limitations.

The highest level of military strategy is to preserve oneself, not to act rashly and waste all one's forces on meaningless things.

Time passed slowly, and the armies of Xiang Yu, Yue Fei, Qin Liangyu, and others had wiped out the rearguard of the Crusaders and were charging towards them with murderous intent.

Bob Wynne doesn't have much time left to think.

The leper king clenched his fists, then announced with difficulty, "Withdraw the troops!"

This statement caused an uproar.

"What? Withdraw the troops?"

"Your Majesty, are you really going to abandon our sacred True Cross?"

"Blasphemy against God! Your Majesty, what you are doing is blasphemy against God!"

"Hmph, you are not worthy to be the King of Jerusalem, you are just a coward!"

Immediately, voices of doubt arose.

The Grand Master of the Knights Templar glared angrily at Bobwin, then shouted, "Warriors of God, follow me! Reclaim the holy relics and slaughter the heretics!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!