The Dostos called comets "broom stars" because they had a long tail.
The old people whispered that this was a bad omen, and that every time a comet appeared, the high priest would deliver a prophecy of disaster.
This time, however, the high priest had no new words, for she was dead.
She was old and frail, and ultimately did not survive the winter, dying from the cold wind and hunger!
The death of the high priest caused widespread panic in the holy city. Everyone slept soundly at night, unsure whether they would see the sunrise the next day.
The evil general Bai Qi of the Great Xia Dynasty and his troops were outside the Holy City, and they did not leave even during the New Year.
Before his death, the high priest suggested that the remaining Doth people leave the holy city and flee further west.
But the other Dos people disagreed, because further west lay the red wasteland. Horse-riding tribes all knew it was a desolate and terrifying place.
"The direction the comet points is the path we must take," the high priest insisted...
However, no one supported her viewpoint.
They dared not go north, for to the north lay the even colder, frosty corner, a place even eagles could not fly over.
They dared not go east, for if they went east, they would be heading into the territory of the Great Xia.
Any Xia army they encountered would devour the remaining, shattered troops, and all the Dos people would be slaughtered.
Most importantly, leaving the holy city means losing its protection.
Bai Qi's army would not let them leave!
The Xia people continued their attacks, but each time they would kill a wave of people and then retreat in time.
The remaining Dos warriors were short of water and food, and were mostly old, weak, sick, or disabled. They could only watch helplessly as the Xia cavalry killed and burned people before leaving in style.
There is a rumor that the Bactrians would release a small amount of water into the holy city every three days.
But the elderly, women and children have never seen it, so these precious sources of life must be in the hands of a few Doth warriors who can fight.
At first, these warriors would find some reasons, saying that they wanted to fight the Xia people and therefore needed to have plenty of energy.
Later, they seemed to tire of lying and began to openly seize water and food, and plunder the resources of other weaker people without restraint.
The holy city had already lost its order more than ten days ago.
The holy city is now in complete chaos.
Those who can wield a scimitar in battle have absolute power; they can plunder the resources of the weak at will, force the weak to serve them, and rape their wives and daughters in public.
They were even murdered in public and then passed off as Great Xia sheep people...
In this situation, one wonders if the spirits of the fallen Doss will see it from heaven, that even the Doss people have such a day.
For a moment, the Dos people began to doubt themselves: were the Great Xia people outside the city demons, or were these Dos warriors the real demons?
Death followed one after another: frail children, wrinkled old women, and the sick—all were cruelly taken from them.
A former temple priestess named Doya fell ill. She grew increasingly haggard, her eyes became sunken, and her once soft hair became as fragile as straw.
Soon after, her condition deteriorated rapidly.
Her lips were parched, and her hair was falling out in clumps until one evening she was too weak to even sit up.
Another priest held her trembling hands until she breathed her last, then took his own life, ending his nightmarish days.
The demise of the Doth seemed inevitable.
Outside the holy city of Dos, Bai Qi summoned his deputy and ordered, "You can start digging the pit!"
"Dig a pit?" the lieutenant asked, puzzled.
"Issue my order: spread the word into the holy city of Dos," Bai Qi said. "Allow the Dos people to surrender. Anyone who surrenders within three days will be pardoned!"
"Surrender is permitted?" The lieutenant thought he had misheard. "If that's the case, then why dig the pit in the first place?"
Isn't this a contradiction?
What, has Bai Qi had a change of heart and is planning to give the tragically deceased Dos people a proper burial?
Suddenly, a bold idea popped into the adjutant's mind, "General Bai, you wouldn't be thinking of...?"
Bai Qi maintained his expressionless face. "No need to ask any more questions!"
He had killed hundreds of thousands of Zhao prisoners, what about these few Duosi people? He smiled darkly.
~~~
The New Year was fast approaching, and the Prince's Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
Lin Mo has already replied to Wei Maozhen, stating that whether it's an engagement or a wedding, he will arrive in the capital before the Lantern Festival.
We can't let him spend the New Year on a snowy road, can we?
At this moment, the main hall of the Prince's Mansion was filled with steam and the aroma of roasted meat and fine wine.
The walls of the hall were covered with banners of the Great Xia Dynasty's eight-clawed golden dragon.
Several musicians were strumming their instruments and singing folk songs in the hall, but he couldn't hear them at all, as the roaring fire, the clinking of candles, and the clamor of drunken conversations filled the air.
The welcome dinner to celebrate the New Year has been going on for two full hours.
Lin Mo and Su Qing'er sat in the middle, Jiang Wan'er on the right, and Su Zhongxiang, the father-in-law, on the left.
Yao Guangxiao, Xu Chu, and other generals sat one seat below Lin Mo on the high platform, arranged on both sides of the hall.
All the generals were present, except for Bai Qi.
Lin Mo wrote to him, asking him to come back for the New Year, but Bai Qi said he was still in the Dos Grassland, attacking the Dos people's holy city with all his might.
Therefore, Lin Mo did not force him and let him go.
If we can capture the holy city of the Dos before the Lantern Festival, what a wonderful New Year's gift that would be!
Then we can go directly to the holy city of Dos for a tour. If the city is big enough, we can renovate it and make it a secondary capital. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
It was late at night, but everyone was still reluctant to leave.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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