The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Ye Xiao slowly explained to Reinaldo, "Of course, you should treat illnesses, but it's really going too far to kill people before they're even terminally ill."

"Stop talking nonsense, what exactly do you want?"

Reinaldo then pointed his sword at Ye Xiao.

"Hey, stop with all the fighting. There's an old saying on our planet Earth: when a mosquito lands on your balls, you'll know that violence can't solve everything."

Ye Xiao slowly approached and used his fingers to deflect the tip of Reinaldo's sword.

“Templar Knight, how about we make a deal? Let these villagers go, and I'll help you find the Dark Shepherd.”

Chapter 41 Because he was kind

"Finding the Dark Shepherd sounds like a good idea."

Reinaldo frowned slightly.

"That makes sense, doesn't it? That's your main goal, isn't it?"

Ye Xiao nodded.

"But I refuse."

Reinaldo pointed his sword back at him. "I'll kill these corrupted ones first, then capture you and make you reveal the location of the Dark Shepherd."

"You're really stubborn, aren't you?"

Ye Xiao's lips twitched.

Regardless of where they were born, their stubbornness after becoming Templar Knights seemed to be etched from the same mold.

Before he finished speaking, Reinaldo had already taken a step forward, swung his arm, and with a slight tilt of his sword, delivered a powerful and heavy slash towards Ye Xiao's waist.

Ye Xiao immediately drew his sword with his left hand, a flash of cold light appearing from the sheath, blocking Reinaldo's sword strike.

The metal clashed, sparks flying in the dim light, and invisible ripples spread out from the two metal objects, causing the surrounding grass and trees to rustle.

In their first encounter, the two immediately made a simple assessment of each other's strength—a starting Grandmaster.

"That's enough, buddy. Take a break. We could go on like this all day."

Ye Xiao slid back a few steps due to the impact from the knife.

However, Reinaldo ignored everything, his face darkening as he turned his attack into a stabbing motion, aiming straight for Ye Xiao's chest.

"I'm telling you, if you can wake up quickly, you might still have time to go back and save your young lady."

Upon hearing Ye Xiao's words, Reinaldo's expression finally changed slightly, and the sword light that pierced through him trembled slightly due to the fluctuation in his heart.

In a battle between masters, the difference can be made in an instant. Seizing this opening, Ye Xiao flashed forward and stepped on the sword, pressing it down precisely.

The knight's sword then veered downwards and plunged into the earth, kicking up a handful of dirt.

Ye Xiao then thrust the long sword, held in reverse with his left hand, forward, placing it half an inch in front of Reinaldo's throat.

The blade was so close that with just a little more force, it could decapitate the Templar Commander.

A night breeze blew by, and the two paused slightly, like a still portrait. The surrounding Templar Knights gathered around, seeing their captain with a knife to his throat, but dared not make a move.

Reinaldo's eyes trembled slightly. He knew that the other party's words had shaken his already agitated mind, thus creating a flaw in his defense.

But whether you call the other side cunning or treacherous, there are no excuses for victory or defeat; a loss is a loss.

"Let's do it."

Even with a blade pressed against his throat, the Templar Knight Commander refused to lower his noble head even an inch.

"Alright, alright, that's enough."

But Ye Xiao certainly wouldn't kill this stubborn knight. He took a half step back and casually sheathed his sword. "Save your arrogance for dealing with the Dark Shepherds."

Reinaldo stared coldly at Ye Xiao, who was retreating leisurely. After a slight hesitation, he pulled his sword, which was stuck diagonally in the ground, from the ground. "You're really not a heretic?"

"I already told you, I was just wearing a black outfit."

Ye Xiao was quite speechless. "Next time, I'll find a Templar's trench coat to wear, okay?"

"What you just said about Lady Theresa, was it the truth?"

“She is indeed in trouble. I don’t know if you can contact her using the Holy Box.”

Ye Xiao shrugged.

Reinaldo immediately tried to call Teresa in his mind through the casket, but received no response.

"What happened? I was just able to contact Miss!"

"Why don't you think about it carefully? Was the voice you heard earlier really your young lady's?"

Reinaldo's expression immediately changed drastically.

"All Templar Knights, follow me back immediately!"

"Hey, you're at least seven or eight miles away from there as the crow flies. It's so dark now, the sun will be up by the time you get back."

Ye Xiao raised his hand to stop him.

"Protecting the young lady's safety is the mission of the knights of the Boromeo family!"

Reinaldo simply said coldly.

“You can’t handle the situation she’s facing just by running back.”

Ye Xiao shrugged. "On the contrary, the trouble over there is something we can only solve from here."

"What do you mean?"

Reinaldo frowned.

Ye Xiao tossed a photographic crystal into Reinaldo's hand.

Reinaldo took the image crystal, slightly infused it with magic, and its glass-like surface shifted with light and shadow, reflecting scenes of war.

Several enormous tentacles shot into the sky from the military camp on the other side of the sanctuary, swaying and waving. Countless green-skinned orcs rode on monsters that looked like hippos, shouting "Waaaagh!!!" as if a dark green landslide and tsunami were rushing into the allied forces' positions from the valley.

Unlike the poorly equipped pirates and villagers of the past, their thick iron armor and the ferocious beasts they rode suggested that they were most likely an army from the Greenskin tribe of the Southern Continent.

"Orc army?"

Reinaldo looked surprised. "How did they get here??"

"It's not that simple. Take another look."

Ye Xiao reminded him.

Reinaldo's gaze continued to wander across the screen, seeing that in addition to the crazed orcs, the Templar Knights and dwarves in the Templar Alliance were also fighting each other, or rather, the situation was even more chaotic, with everyone fighting for themselves, as if they had split into countless small teams of different factions, drawing their swords and slashing at each other no matter who was next to them.

"What are they doing??? Fighting amongst themselves at this time???"

Reinaldo's heart had already turned cold.

The orcs' fierce offensive was already unexpected. Instead of forming ranks to resist, they split up and started a civil war. The outcome was almost predictably devastating.

"Don't worry, look over there. Your young lady and the guards are directing the troops to retreat from the battlefield. Only a minority have been brainwashed. If things are arranged properly, it's still possible to withdraw two-thirds of the troops."

Of course, Ye Xiao's reassurance did not put Reinaldo at ease.

His trembling pupils reflected his inner thoughts—it's all over, completely over.

They lost a third of their forces without even seeing a shadow of the Dark Shepherds. What's the point of fighting anymore?

Losing one-third of a normal human army is essentially a devastating blow to overall morale.

The Holy Temple's army is more disciplined, but it would be difficult to regroup after being severely damaged without even understanding the enemy's situation, especially for those dwarves who were forcibly recruited into the army.

"Why is this happening!?"

Reinaldo was incredulous; he had only gone out for half a day, yet his base was almost completely wiped out.

"That's the problem I was just talking about."

Ye Xiao patted Reinaldo on the shoulder to comfort him, "The power of the evil god has secretly infiltrated the army through the scout teams you dispatched. Whether it's the orc army you saw, or the Templars and dwarves fighting amongst themselves, they were all influenced by His power."

"Evil God..."

Reinaldo murmured, his expression sorrowful.

He was clearly more grieved by the annihilation of Theresa's army than by his own life or death.

"But it's not over yet, buddy, don't rush."

Ye Xiao smiled and said, "I'm here to give you an opportunity."

"We're almost at that evil god's lair. If we just kill that evil god, won't this problem be solved?"

"Defeating the evil god...?"

Reinaldo looked at Ye Xiao with a complicated expression, "I only have fifty Templar Knights here... and two of them died earlier..."

"How could we possibly deal with an evil god who can easily corrupt thousands of people? Not to mention the countless Dark Shepherd Apostles lurking in the shadows?"

"Don't worry about that,"

Ye Xiao waved his hand, "I'm a professional at killing gods."

Chapter 42 Breakthrough

Ye Xiao's words were not unfounded. At this moment, on Theresa's side, the allied forces of the Holy Temple and the Dwarves were struggling to organize an evacuation in a valley engulfed in war.

"Young Miss, you and Elder Cassius should retreat immediately. Without Lord Reinaldo, we cannot hold out for much longer."

The knight reported in a trembling voice.

"The corrupt troops are causing chaos from within, and our defensive lines have been completely destroyed."

Theresa and a group of knights who had escaped the chaos stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the ten-mile stretch of war in the valley below, their faces grim.

"Waaaaagh!!!"

The deafening roar of the orc army echoed through the night sky, with countless spears held high, each bearing the bloody heads of Templar Knights and Dwarves.

The kodo beasts beneath them rampaged wildly, their dark dire wolves transforming into a bloodthirsty whirlwind, tearing apart the fragile holy light with their sharp teeth and claws.

The dwarves' heavy armor and valiant Templar Knights were not easily defeated, but with madness flashing in their eyes, they first swung their blades at their own brethren.

The formation immediately crumbled, not to mention that several enormous tentacles that shot into the sky indiscriminately pounded through the army, turning countless soldiers into mincemeat like collapsing mountains.

The phrase "a crushing defeat" perfectly describes the horrific scene before us.

"No, there are still troops that haven't been evacuated."

Theresa gritted her teeth. She knew that if she left, her own safety might be guaranteed, but the entire army would be completely wiped out.

Below were many soldiers who were not affected by the madness; they were simply thrown into panic and needed a flag, a team to guide them out of the chaos.

“Elder Cassius, you have directed the retreating Templar Knights and Dwarves to set up defenses and reorganize their formations here. This area is high and easy to defend, and the Orc army below won't be able to get up here for a while.”

Theresa's slender fingers tightened slightly on the reins of her horse, as if she had made up her mind. "Guardian Knights, come with me back to break through the chaos and bring the rest out."

"Young Miss, you are the family's only heir. The army may be defeated, but you absolutely cannot be harmed!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Cassius immediately objected, "If all else fails, I will lead the knights in a breakout, while you remain here to direct the defenses..."

“Elder, I am protected by the Sword of Judgment, and you are more knowledgeable about arcane arrays and barriers. At this moment, I don’t need to say more about who is more suitable to assume what responsibility, do I?”

Theresa's tone was as unquestionable as ever, full of aristocratic arrogance and aloofness.

But unlike Agnes's affected and pretentious manner, the authority she displayed always earned her the highest respect from her subordinates.

Having barely escaped with their lives, only to return to that meat grinder-like battlefield stained with blood, would be tantamount to suicide to any normal person.

But none of the hundred or so knights under Theresa's command expressed any objection; they simply silently pulled on the reins and rode up to her.

They are the elite of the Holy Temple, the sharp blades protecting the Holy Light. Each of them would be a pillar of strength in any small country, yet at this moment they have all firmly chosen to support the decision of the eldest daughter of the Boromeo family.

Led by the valiant young woman, a hundred knights regrouped on the hill, their battered silver armor gleaming with a metallic sheen in the dim light.

The sun emblem on which the sarcophagus rests is illuminated by the flames of war, and the bloodstains on their raised knights' swords, still wet with blood, are pointed at the dark mass of orcs below the mountain.

"Templars, charge!!!"

Gazing at the hideous green-skinned creatures slaughtering her own people, Theresa's usually indifferent voice finally erupted with long-suppressed rage.

Suddenly, the orc army, which was engaged in fierce slaughter below, saw holy light shooting into the sky from the hill not far away, like a meteor shower piercing the night sky and rushing into the layers of dark clouds.