"I was thinking at that time, that I could get more plans for carrying out the new policy from him."
"He agreed, and during the period of carrying out the new policy in the rainforest, he completely laid out to me all his ideas and plans, and also the problems that would be faced."
"Do you know why?"
Hearing this, Mustard frowned and shook his head.
"Since I wanted to know all of the new policy's plans, it meant I was affirming this plan."
"In the future, even if I left the Trial Grounds, I would still continue to carry out this plan."
"So he felt, whether it was me or him who won the trial, it didn't matter."
"What mattered was this plan, not who won the trial."
After saying this, the Blue Demon looked at Xu Yuan.
"Before I competed with him, he told me."
"Even if he lost, he would still give his all to help me complete this plan."
"Even though we hadn't yet competed, I knew, at the moment he said this, that I had already lost."
Saying this, the Blue Demon once again looked toward Mustard and said, "I know that in your heart you affirm this plan."
"But you are afraid."
"Afraid this plan is only a brief blossom inside the Trial Grounds."
"Afraid that after the trial ends, everything shatters."
"The hope that finally ignited will shatter again."
"But do you know what it is like right now outside the Trial Grounds?"
Hearing this, Mustard shook his head.
"Now the Main World is like purgatory, the monsters made by the Void are slaughtering wantonly."
"But our companions and even those so-called enemies, right now have already put aside past grudges and begun joining forces to resist the enemy."
"The villagers of the Villager Kingdom, the monsters, the animals, the Disaster Villagers, and the players…"
"My king's subordinates had long ago foreseen the danger, and notified them to go to the Nether, and it was precisely because of this that they escaped catastrophe."
"And when all this happened, my king had already long been out of contact with his subordinates."
"If my king's plan was just a whim, only to win the trial."
"Then why could everything his subordinates did align so well with my king's pace?"
After saying all this, the Blue Demon looked seriously at Mustard and asked.
"After knowing this, do you still think everything he said is just 'empty talk'?"
The reason Mustard had so many doubts about Xu Yuan, in the end, was because he had once suffered too many injuries and setbacks, causing trauma syndrome in his heart.
He became sensitive, suspicious, filled with vigilance and distrust toward the people and things around him.
Even though so many people chose to follow Xu Yuan, he still couldn't help but generate all kinds of doubts and guesses, trying to find the tiniest flaw from the other's words and deeds.
Because he didn't want to repeat the same mistake, those days of being imprisoned by the Void were memories he never wanted to recall again.
After the Villager Kingdom was imprisoned by the Void, compared with the various threats of death the villagers had experienced before, the situation was indeed a little better.
However, no death did not mean no loss.
In the past, even though the villagers often faced casualties, at least they had freedom.
Even though the living environment was harsh, they always carried hope.
But after being confined by the Void, the Void indeed gave them extremely good protection.
Their lives were preserved, but at the same time they also lost the true meaning and goal of living.
The hope that once supported them to keep moving forward was shattered, replaced by endless confusion and emptiness. In this enclosed space, they gradually lost themselves, unable to find the value and meaning of existence.
The village that was once full of vitality turned lifeless, the villagers no longer pursued dreams, and also lost the goal of striving.
In their hearts there was only one thought, and that was to escape from this terrifying place.
However, every time a villager tried to escape, those iron golems would come up with all sorts of cruel methods to torment them.
These iron golems were in no hurry to kill the escaping villagers, they weren't even willing to inflict a bit of harm on them.
But they would torture their relatives and friends to death right in front of the escapees.
Such inhumane acts drove the villagers into endless terror.
They watched with their own eyes as the ones they loved struggled in pain, yet were powerless.
And those escapees who were caught and brought back, then suffered unbearable torment of the spirit, watching their dearest ones endure torture yet being helpless.
Facing this situation, the villagers felt despair and helplessness.
They didn't know how they could escape this tragic fate, nor did they know if there was any other path to choose.
Every day was like a nightmare, living became a kind of torment.
Over time, they lived every day muddle-headed, like walking corpses.
They did not die, but lost the reason and meaning of being alive.
This loss was even more painful than death.
Because death at least could bring release, while this aimless, meaningless survival eroded the villagers' souls like a slow poison.
They degenerated from vivid individuals with thinking consciousness into appearances like the original game data.
Mustard had personally witnessed all of this.
He had personally witnessed the Villager King establishing the Villager Kingdom, he had personally witnessed the Villager Kingdom becoming prosperous and bustling.
He had also personally seen this vibrancy slowly wither, turning into a dead silence.
That kind of feeling was even more terrifying than witnessing the villagers' deaths with his own eyes.
This was also why he was unwilling to believe again, because Xu Yuan, like the Void, was also a powerful existence.
He was afraid of entrusting everything to others again.
But at this moment, the Blue Demon's words, like a key, opened up Mustard's long-sealed heart.
Mustard was dazed for a long time, as if time itself froze at this moment.
After quite a while, he slowly came back to his senses, working hard to calm the emotions surging in his heart.
Then he raised his head, his gaze fixed on Xu Yuan, and finally summoned the courage to speak.
"I want to ask you one last question…"
Hearing Mustard's words, the Blue Demon at the side let out a long sigh, his face full of speechlessness.
He originally thought, after talking bitterly and earnestly for so long, Mustard should have already completely let down his guard, but he never expected that he still held doubt.
The Blue Demon opened his mouth, just about to say something, but was stopped by Xu Yuan raising his hand.
"Ask."
Though he didn't know what Mustard still wanted to ask, Xu Yuan could see that this question would be the one to unlock Mustard's knot.
Only the answer to this question could completely convince him.
"You once said that everything you did was for world peace."
"Then, after leaving the Trial Grounds, will you still fulfill such a promise, to resolve all conflicts and oppositions?"
In truth, deep in his heart Mustard was full of trust toward Xu Yuan, but he felt inexplicable fear and unease.
He worried that once Xu Yuan stepped into the Main World, after successfully resolving the Void crisis, he would no longer bother with those trivial matters that brought him no benefit.
Even though the Blue Demon had already told Mustard that Xu Yuan had long been silently making great efforts in the Main World, he still couldn't completely put down his guard.
For Mustard, what he longed for was nothing more than a promise personally given by Xu Yuan.
It had to be admitted, Mustard had sharp insight in judging people.
He knew very well that Xu Yuan was someone who kept his word, and if Xu Yuan was willing to make a guarantee, then Mustard would choose to trust him without reservation.
Facing Mustard's question, Xu Yuan didn't hesitate at all, and decisively nodded in response.
"I will surely hold to the principle of absolute fairness, and exhaust my all to resolve every conflict and contradiction."
Hearing Xu Yuan's words, the great stone in Mustard's heart finally landed.
The nerves he had always kept tense also relaxed at this moment, his whole body became much lighter. After all, he had gotten from Xu Yuan the most important thing, his personal promise.
Mustard slowly walked up to Xu Yuan, his eyes flashing with uncontrollable joy and expectation.
He took a deep breath, then without hesitation bent his knees and knelt in front of Xu Yuan.
"I apologize for my earlier doubts toward you."
"I have gone through too much, carried too much."
"Those suspicions were not really aimed at you, but at myself."
"The things that happened on the rainforest's outskirts, Barbecue Sauce's words, and what you said about the preset hatred, these were enough to let me see hope."
"But I was unwilling to believe."
"But your promise gave me the confidence, let me be willing to take this step."
Saying this, Mustard looked sincerely at Xu Yuan and said.
"I hope you can forgive my earlier rudeness…"
Seeing Mustard's action, Xu Yuan was not surprised, but Barbecue Sauce, the Blue Demon, and the Pillager King at the side were somewhat caught off guard.
Although somewhat caught off guard, the three could see that Mustard was already preparing to surrender allegiance.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan was about to say something.
But saw Mustard deeply lower his head, after a moment of silence finally spoke…
"Though I am only a villager without the strength to bind a chicken, I don't have the powerful abilities of your subordinates, nor do I have any talent, only a loyal heart."
"Once I gave my loyalty to that great Villager King, because he raised and taught me like a father."
"And now, this loyalty also belongs to you, you are the monarch who saved me from living hell, let me once again see hope, bestowed upon me new life."
"I am willing to follow you, and do everything I can to assist you."
"I am willing to build together with you that world called 'peace'!"
It had to be said, Mustard truly was a cultured man, also a proper man.
This set of words for pledging loyalty could be considered textbook level.
This speech left Barbecue Sauce, the Blue Demon, and the Pillager King all dumbfounded.
After Mustard said this, it undoubtedly meant he had already joined Xu Yuan's camp.
Barbecue Sauce and the Blue Demon had spent so much effort talking, seeing this scene they should have been very happy.
After all, Mustard had finally chosen to believe Xu Yuan, and wanted to follow Xu Yuan.
But at this moment, for some reason, the two of them both felt a nameless fire rise up in their hearts.
"Cluck Cluck Cluck Cluck?! (Why does it feel like someone beat us to the punch?!)"
"This kid's too slick! Doing this... doesn't it make us who first came in contact with my king look impolite?!"
Mustard truly knew how to do things, and under his contrast Barbecue Sauce and the Blue Demon seemed much slower.
Even though deep down Barbecue Sauce and the Blue Demon had already decided to follow Xu Yuan, they had not yet expressed their loyalty in such a formal way.
Barbecue Sauce's personality was straightforward, unlike Mustard's smoothness.
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