Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 165 Extermination of the Clan! The Senate Was Ransacked! (Two Chapters Combined)

Sicily.

Duncan didn't really have much of an impression of this place. If he did, it was probably related to a movie, Malèna, which is a movie that many people can't miss.

The Vandals' dominance in the western Mediterranean was centered around Sicily, and by occupying this land, they gained access to an important port and transshipment point.

These Vandal armies that entered Italy mostly used Sicily as a springboard.

But at that very moment, a fleet of ships secretly arrived here.

A sea breeze swept over me.

As the ship docked, Merlin slowly stepped onto this land, surrounded by more than a dozen guards.

His expression seemed somewhat uneasy. He stretched out his palm to sense it, then murmured, "My magic is waning..."

"The age of mythology is indeed coming to an end."

Unlike in Britain, Merlin's spellcasting abilities have been weakening since he entered Europe. Although he still retains most of them, he only has about two-thirds of the power he had in Britain.

It seems strange, but in the same world, different places have different spellcasting abilities.

But in fact, this is not only the case in the West. Even in the East, within the same country, some places have stronger magical abilities. The most representative place here is Sichuan and Chongqing.

If we were to describe it using the Dungeons & Dragons analogy...

In the medieval world, some places were dead magic zones, some were chaotic magic zones, and some were areas where magic was active.

The great ebb and flow of mythology is naturally inevitable.

In the East, supernatural beings use the concept of "spiritual energy of heaven and earth" to describe the differences in energy between different regions, which is why many people travel to famous mountains and deep forests to cultivate themselves. Europe does not yet have such a clear distinction, but wizards have basically fled to places like Greater Germania, Britain, and Northern Europe.

The witchcraft here can still be used with some effort, but its power is weaker and its consumption is greater.

If it were a fantasy world like Dungeons & Dragons, with a more advanced magical civilization, some areas would probably already be marked as 'dead magic zones'.

It can only be said that Merlin and other wizards still have a long way to go.

Merlin didn't actually need anyone to protect him, after all, he could be called the British Sword Saint. After arriving in Sicily, he immediately ordered, "You all lie in wait."

"I'll scout out the surrounding area first, and then you can cooperate with me."

Duncan is trying to trap the dog by closing the door.

Sicily was a place that had to be retaken, but a cross-sea expedition simply couldn't mobilize that many people, so unconventional methods had to be used.

For example, Merlin, who has been holed up for so long, should come out and do something.

Merlin still had some spellcasting ability when he arrived here, but druids like Severus could hardly use even polymorph after entering Europe.

This was the first time Duncan had asked him to come out of retirement, and Merlin naturally took it very seriously.

His mission is to seize control of the Vandal coastal ports in Sicily, cutting off the enemy's retreat. Anya's fleet will cooperate with him, and some of their warships have also entered the North African coast. Duncan aims to ensure that all the Vandals never return.

Not to mention that Merlin arrived in Sicily alone.

at the same time.

In Ravenna, Italy, the current capital of the empire, a plotted riot is brewing.

Inside a secluded aristocratic residence.

Barnacleff's expression was grim. He looked at the three Imperial officers before him and said in a deep voice, "Maximus is absolutely no match for Governor-General Duncan of Britain!"

"When the city falls, our fate will probably be terrible."

This member of the Imperial Senate has been the subject of much discussion lately, not because of any achievements or great deeds he has done, but because his wife has been abducted by the Vandals.

It is said that it took three days to rescue the person, who had been humiliated beyond recognition.

It was also because of the Vandals that many people deeply hated Maximus. The Vandals were the most savage Germanic tribes, originating from the Eurasian steppes, who migrated with the Alans. The destruction they caused had already caused widespread resentment among the people, and many wished they could eat Maximus's flesh.

Barnaclef is undoubtedly the one who hates the false emperor the most right now!
Before Barnaclef, an imperial officer said, "British troops will surround Ravenna by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

"What are you going to do?"

Of all those present, Barnacleff held the highest position and had the greatest ability to secretly mobilize power.

He said in a deep voice, "We will arrange for people to incite a riot among the Roman people."

"Find an opportunity to kill Maximus directly."

"Then open the gates and surrender the city."

Emperor Valentinian III had no prestige whatsoever, and the usurper Maximus was no better off.

Had he not still controlled a portion of the Vandals, Roman riots would have already broken out when the Vandals sacked southern Italy.

The others present exchanged glances and quickly made a decision.

really.

On the afternoon of the following day, black dragon banners appeared outside the walls of Ravenna, and elite British legions surrounded Ravenna. However, they did not see the legendary King of Britain, nor did they find the recently famous British knights and Frankish dragoons.

Faced with the overwhelming British army, Maximus sent messengers to the Vandal leader for help while ordering the Imperial Guard to defend the city at all costs.

The city walls here are so high that they cannot be taken down in a short time. He even personally inspected the city walls many times.

the next day.

As dawn broke, Maximus led his personal guards to patrol the city walls once again. At the horizon, the British legions had already set up camp and could be seen building some siege equipment.

But just as he finished rewarding the soldiers guarding the city wall, a sudden commotion arose at the end of the street.

Then came the screams of someone on the verge of death.

Just then, a royal guard, bleeding profusely from his abdomen, rushed over in a panic and shouted to Maximus, who had just come down from the city wall, "Your Majesty!"

"The Roman people have rioted!"

"They killed your son and are on their way here."

what? !

Upon hearing this, the false emperor Maximus panicked instantly. He no longer cared about his son's murder; he immediately ordered the imperial guards to protect him and cover his escape in another direction. With the Roman populace rioting, the city was likely beyond defense, and he had no choice but to flee immediately.

But it was already a bit late.

Because thousands of imperial citizens were already rushing towards them from the street ahead, and the leader was holding a bloody head, which seemed to have been just cut off. Because of his clumsy technique, the neck was bruised and battered.

Not long ago.

As Maximus' son was leaving the palace, he was confronted by a rioting Roman crowd. His guards were killed, and Maximus himself was stabbed dozens of times and his head was chopped off by his hair.

By this time, Maximus was terrified.

Looking at the vast and indignant Roman crowd ahead, even the royal guards around the false emperor showed a hint of fear. Some of them called for help from the guards on the city wall, but they were shot to death by arrows as soon as they got close. One of them ran too fast and was stabbed in the abdomen by an officer who came from the opposite direction. He was stabbed more than ten times until his intestines came out.

"His Majesty!"

"Go this way."

Just as they were in a panic, Barnaclef appeared, accompanied by more than ten guards.

Maximus had no time to think and fled in his direction.

puff.

A dagger pierced Maximus's abdomen, and then dozens of private legion soldiers armed with crossbows appeared from the windows on both sides of the street. They fired wildly at the Imperial Guards, and in the blink of an eye, the street was full of corpses.

At this moment, the rioting Roman people had already rushed forward.

Barnaclef, his face contorted with hatred and his eyes dark, drew his dagger, shoved the dying Maximus aside, and shouted into the distance, "Maximus is here!"

Upon hearing the shouts, hundreds of people rushed over with weapons in hand.

The man in the lead appeared to be a retired soldier, probably in his forties. Upon seeing the richly dressed Maximus, he was overjoyed and turned to shout, "The false emperor is here! The usurper is here!"

puff!

puff!

The surrounding Roman crowd swarmed forward, one man after another stabbing Maximus in the body. In the blink of an eye, he had been stabbed over a hundred times.

It seemed as if they were still not satisfied.

A Roman citizen picked up Maximus's body and said to those around him, "Grab his hair, and I'll cut his head off!"

"Dedicated to His Excellency Duncan, Governor-General of Great Britain!"

soon.

The two bloodied heads were cut off and kept by the rebellious Roman people. By then, the gates of Ravenna had been opened, and some soldiers had already surrendered.

Some excited Roman citizens surged toward the city gates, while others took advantage of the chaos to loot everywhere.

At this time.

A thunderous sound of galloping hooves rang out, and hundreds of elite cavalrymen charged into Ravenna. They drew their swords and rushed towards the rioters who were looting everywhere, slaughtering them like cutting melons and vegetables. Soon, heads rolled, and at least one or two hundred people were killed.

At this moment, the rioting Roman people began to come to their senses, and some shouted, "Put down your weapons! Put down your weapons now!"

"Otherwise they will kill you."

A series of orderly footsteps sounded.

From the open city gates of Ravenna, Barton's British legions entered the city. The discipline of soldiers in this era was terrible; even Duncan's strict discipline couldn't prevent many incidents. Therefore, those entering the city were primarily British legions, who were more disciplined and less likely to kill the Roman civilians.

If it were Galavin's barbarian foreign legion entering the city at this moment, then the number of deaths would not be so small.

The rioting Roman citizens quickly came to their senses, and some immediately threw down their weapons and knelt down.

"Array up!"

Brad personally led an imperial legion to suppress the riot. His expression was ruthless as he ordered his soldiers to beat the rioting Roman civilians with their shields, driving them to kneel on both sides of the street. Then, looking at the location of the burning fire ahead, his eyes were fierce as he roared, "Prepare the javelins!"

Amidst the horrified gazes of the rioting crowd, javelins were aimed at their positions.

put!
Dozens of javelins came flying, and the rioters who were looting everywhere were killed on the spot. Together with the rioters who were killed by the cavalry in front, there are now probably more than 300 people who have been killed on the spot.

By this time, people had already started putting out the fire.

On the other side of the street, Barnaclef looked at the dismembered false emperor, a look of satisfaction on his face as if he had finally gotten his revenge.

But before long, he couldn't laugh anymore.

Because another group of rioting Roman citizens had begun attacking members of the Senate.

He underestimated the pent-up anger of the Roman people during this period. First, the pillar of the empire, Aetius, was murdered, then Emperor Valentinian III was murdered, and then the usurper brought in the Vandals, and many parts of Italy were looted.

Their anger had become somewhat out of control, and Barnacleff realized he had gone too far when one of the thugs swung a knife at him.

puff.

Barnacleff coughed up blood and struggled to escape, but was pinned down and trampled to the ground by the rioting mob. He couldn't die yet; he had plotted to kill Maximus, and he hadn't even had a chance to claim credit with Governor Duncan of Britain. He couldn't just die here like this.

Dozens of thugs pinned him down as he struggled.

A flurry of stabs came, and Barnaclef was stabbed more than ten times, dying on the spot.

In the direction of the Senate, hundreds of rioting Roman citizens also rushed in, some looting property, others attacking the members of the Senate.

Public anger has been suppressed for too long.

The guards of those elder nobles were all killed by the rioting crowd.

It must be said that the Roman people did have a certain fighting spirit. By the time the sound of galloping hooves could be heard in the distance and the cavalrymen who came to suppress the riot arrived, more than a dozen members of the Senate had already been stabbed to death.

Once a riot breaks out, it becomes uncontrollable.

Barnaclef instigated the riots, but he never expected to die in the chaos himself.

"kill!"

Clegane's gaze was icy and filled with murderous intent. Without hesitation, he ordered, "Kill all the armed thugs!"

The Sarmatian cavalry began to accelerate.

With a flash of cold light, a rioter was beheaded. In one charge, nearly a hundred people were killed. Only when the whole street was covered in blood did the enraged Roman people calm down, throw down their weapons, and kneel down to beg for mercy.

Finally, after nearly five or six hundred people were killed, the riot in Ravenna was forcibly suppressed.

Only then did imperial legions enter the city to maintain order.

The mansions of the senators and nobles were sealed off, and no one was allowed to enter or leave. A major purge awaited them. To prevent robbery and embezzlement, the enforcement team dispatched hundreds of people to patrol the entire Ravenna.

For a time, Ravenna's security was even better than before the war broke out.

"Fortunately, it's under control."

Barton wiped away his cold sweat. If the riots spread and the Imperial Guards joined in the looting and rioting, the whole of Ravenna would suffer, and he would probably be punished as well.

Fortunately, not many people died.

Towards Rome.

Just as the Third, Fifth, and Sixth British Army Corps captured Ravenna, Duncan had already led his elite cavalry to the heart of the Italian peninsula.

The Vandals were not there to help at all. Instead of following Maximus's orders to intercept the British army in the direction of Milan, they directly plundered the local area, making a fortune throughout the Italian peninsula.

The Vandal leader, Gaisarik, realized he couldn't stop the British army, so in order to maximize his profits, he planned to plunder and leave.

treachery?

Sorry, but that's exactly what he did in history.

The Vandals have absolutely no credibility.

If the British army hadn't advanced so quickly, he would have planned to take advantage of Maximus's battle with Duncan to directly capture the wealthy city of Rome, then plunder it extensively before leaving.

At this moment, in the Umbria region, a Vandal army of several thousand men was plundering nearby towns and villages. As the sound of galloping hooves came from afar, a black dragon banner suddenly fluttered in the air.

"kill!"

Duncan appeared ahead, leading two thousand elite cavalrymen who swept in like a whirlwind. The Vandal cavalrymen left outside tried to intercept them, but after only one round of fighting, more than half of them were killed or wounded, and the rest fled in disarray.

The spear was as long as a dragon.

Duncan thrust his lance forward, instantly piercing the chest of a Vandal general and lifting him up. With a roar, he hurled the corpse away, the thunderous hoofbeats drowning out everything. Hundreds of his personal guards ran over the Vandals who were looting and pillaging, routing their ranks.

Fires raged everywhere, and corpses littered the ground. Caught off guard, the Vandals were slaughtered and cried out in despair. Soon, thousands knelt and begged for surrender.

But the killing did not stop.

Only after completely annihilating this enemy force did Duncan turn his somber gaze to the surrendered Vandal soldiers.

"Kill them all!"

Normally, Duncan would not kill surrendered soldiers, but today was an exception because he did not have the energy to take in these prisoners, and keeping them would only cause trouble for the local area.

A ruthless massacre erupted in an instant.

More than three hundred Hunnic horse archers fired arrows wildly at the surrendered Vandals, and those Vandals who tried to resist were instantly killed by the cavalry charge.

The killing ended quickly.

The entire battle lasted only a few quarters of an hour. Duncan almost completely annihilated the Vandals, leaving more than three thousand corpses around the town, and the river next to the town turned blood red in an instant.

Some Vandals fled to the riverbank, where they were mercilessly shot down by Hunnic horse archers, and large numbers of their bodies were carried downstream.

The Huns were very good at this.

After defeating one of the Vandals, Duncan immediately headed towards Rome.

The city of Rome.

The Vandal leader Gaesarik was attempting to trick the city gates into opening under the guise of a coalition army. Meanwhile, the people of Rome were filled with anxiety as the barbarian army approached. The Papacy recognized this as an opportunity, and Pope Leo I immediately led an envoy out of the city to negotiate with Gaesarik, trying to persuade him to lead his army away.

Not long ago, Pope Leo I persuaded the Hunnic army to retreat. Although Attila the Scourge of God is no longer alive, the prestige of the Roman Catholic Church has continued to rise.

Gaesaric received Pope Leo I, who was leaving the city.

Just as he was trying to trick Rome into opening the city gates with promises, a sudden sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out.

Several Vandal cavalrymen, covered in blood, rushed over, their expressions filled with panic, and said, "An elite cavalry force is coming!"

"We suffered a crushing defeat! Countless casualties!"

what?
Upon hearing this, Gaisarik was terrified and, disregarding everything else, immediately ordered, "Tie him up."

"The army immediately retreated to Sicily."

More than a dozen fierce Vandals rushed forward and bound the unarmed Pope Leo I and the Bishop of Rome.

Night falls.

Just as Duncan led his cavalry on a raid on Rome, a battle also broke out in the direction of Sicily.

In the darkness, Merlin's figure appeared, his expression cold, as if spending too much time with Duncan had made him somewhat ruthless.

A cold light flashed.

Merlin, the British swordsman, charged forward like a ghost, instantly killing three or four people. Behind him, an elite force stormed into the port of Sicily, killing anyone they saw and quickly seizing control of the port.

These people are mostly two-star units, and some even possess supernatural powers.

A magical wind surged forth.

After killing more than ten people, Merlin was surrounded by surging magical power. Then, a flame appeared in his palm. As the oil drums on the ship were ignited, the wind direction changed, and the fire quickly spread to the entire port, setting all the docked warships ablaze.

"on fire!"

"Quickly put out the fire!"

Chaos quickly spread, Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly, flicked the sword in the stone in his hand, and his figure flew out, killing more than ten people in succession.

Arthur probably won't need the Sword in the Stone anymore.

That night, Merlin personally led several hundred elite troops and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Vandal garrison in Sicily, burning dozens of warships and several other vessels, thus cutting off the Vandal army's retreat route in one fell swoop.

The Italian peninsula.

After the fall of Ravenna, the British army advanced in two columns. One column headed straight for Rome, capturing the former capital of the empire, while the other column approached Foggia, driving the Vandal army, which had been looting everywhere, toward the direction that would later become known as Naples.

Back then, only 80,000 to 90,000 Vandals crossed the strait; the population of nomadic peoples was not large.

After Gaesarik conquered Carthage in North Africa, the Vandals gained territory and began to recuperate, leading to a gradual population increase, though the total population was estimated to be only around 200,000. This time, Gaesarik brought over 20,000 men into Italy, bringing almost all of his elite troops.

a few days later.

A major battle broke out near the coast of Naples.

The British Legion amassed 30,000 troops and forced the enemy to the vicinity of a small coastal town. With no natural defenses, Gaisarik could only mobilize the Vandals to launch a desperate counterattack.

According to the original plan, a fleet was supposed to pick them up and take them to Sicily, and then they could calmly return to Carthage in North Africa.

But unexpectedly, the port of Sicily was turned into a sea of ​​fire overnight.

Nothing is left.

The wind howled.

A cavalryman galloped toward the direction of the black dragon banner. He quickly dismounted and exclaimed, "Your Excellency!"

“The Vandal messengers said that they had Pope Leo I in their possession.”

“If we don’t withdraw our troops, they will kill the Pope.”

"If we let them go..."

"They were willing to hand over all the spoils of war, and at the same time cede Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and other places."

Kill the Pope?

Is there such a good thing?

Duncan was more than happy for them to kill Pope Leo I.

He coldly replied, "Don't even think about it."

The Vandals plundered Italy for almost half a month, and now they think they can just leave like that?
There's no such thing as a free lunch.

At dawn the next day, the two British armies simultaneously launched a pincer attack on the Vandal town. After the wars against the Franks and Visigoths, everyone felt that the Vandals, who were notorious in North Africa, were not so formidable.

The Vandals were extremely savage and brutal.

However, their strength was not as great as imagined; they were not even as strong as the Frankish elite of Merovingian.

Their rise to prominence had a significant element of luck.

Because by the time the Vandals rose to power, most of the famous generals and commanders of that era had already died.

With Aetius's sudden death, the old Visigothic king killed in battle at Chalons, and Merovingian mainly active in the Franks, for a time no one in the entire Mediterranean region around Italy could rival Gaesaric, the leader of the Vandals.

These days, it's all about losers going into business.

The Saxons couldn't defeat the Franks, so they invaded the British Isles.

During their westward migration, the Vandals first reached Gaul, then were defeated by the Franks, and their tribes moved to the Spanish steppes. Before they could establish a foothold, the Visigoths arrived, and the Vandals suffered defeat after defeat, forcing them to flee across the sea to North Africa. Finally, with a bit of luck, they easily captured Carthage.

Having lorded over North Africa for so long and defeated the imperial armies several times, they began to show signs of wanting to become the dominant power in the region.

But today they are facing Britain's battle-hardened elite forces head-on.

They were instantly brought back to their original state.

The great battle that broke out in Naples ended in just one morning. The Vandal leader, Gaesaric, was shot dead on the spot by Duncan, and more than 10,000 people were driven to the coastline of Naples. They tried to escape but were forced back by the sea, and a merciless massacre continued until the end of the battle.

The governor's orders are to leave no survivors.

The Vandal army that raided the Italian peninsula suffered over 20,000 casualties, with only a mere 1,000 or so surviving.

Large numbers of corpses piled up on the coastline, and the stench of blood even attracted a group of sharks, turning the entire coastline of seawater red with blood.

The Vandals were severely weakened after this battle.

They didn't have a large population to begin with, and their main force was almost completely annihilated during this invasion of Italy. Their king was also killed in battle, and they immediately lost control of the western Mediterranean. Even in places like Carthage, signs of uprisings and rebellions appeared.

A few days later, Duncan pressed his advantage and recaptured Sicily in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, the British navy had entered the Mediterranean, and tens of thousands of troops had gathered around Sicily, preparing to attack North Africa.

time flies.

The people of Rome had waited a long time for their emperor to arrive in Rome and be crowned emperor. But news from the front lines came that the emperor, whom everyone had been eagerly anticipating, had already marched into North Africa. It was probably more than three months later that news arrived that the empire had recaptured Carthage and the other provinces of North Africa.

The Vandals suffered a devastating blow.

Almost all the adult men of this nomadic people were killed, and the Vandals were completely wiped out, disappearing from the annals of history.

The empire's granary has returned!

Just as the Roman people were celebrating, a fleet was also approaching Sicily.

The sea breeze howled.

Duncan stood on the deck, glanced at Merlin beside him with a serious expression, and chuckled, "Interested in becoming the commander of an Imperial Legion?"

This experience has truly broadened my horizons.

He hadn't expected Merlin to be a master swordsman, at least not much weaker than himself in swordsmanship.

As if noticing Duncan's gaze drifting to his waist, Merlin took the sword from the stone and presented it with both hands, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Governor."

"I would still prefer to be a dean."

"Moreover, Europe is not suitable for wizards to settle down for a long time."

Merlin did not intend to become a general; he preferred to become the headmaster of the wizarding academy.

The great retreat of myths has not stopped.

Although it's temporarily stuck, it will gradually decline in the future until it recovers one day. He hopes to preserve and record the ancient magical knowledge.

—"The Sword in the Stone (High-Ranking Artifact): In the original timeline, King Arthur possessed the sword in the stone. However, the legend surrounding it has been lost."

Duncan took the sword in the stone, looked at it, and casually tossed it back to Merlin.

He has oath keepers.

The Oathkeeper has now evolved from an ordinary artifact into a sacred relic, and its legends will continue to be passed down for thousands of years to come.

The sword is not important; the person wielding the sword is.

As for the sword in the stone, Merlin can leave it to whomever he wants.

The fleet arrived in Italy.

Amidst cheers, Duncan entered the port area of ​​Rome. Behind him stood a pale-faced, bitter-looking old man—Pope Leo I. He was truly lucky to have survived both battles. However, Duncan didn't send him back immediately, but instead led the Pope on a campaign to Carthage in North Africa.

Yes, actually they were forcibly abducted.

In just a few months.

When Duncan conquered North Africa and massacred approximately 80,000 Vandals, Pope Leo I was a bystander throughout the entire process. In some instances, the Pope even had to be escorted to watch the events unfold.

Don't you enjoy religious conflict? Don't you enjoy judging heretics?
What does it matter if a few people die?

I'll show you something big!
Duncan exterminated the Vandals, using 80,000 heads to show Pope Leo I that he was not as benevolent as rumored, and that once his bottom line was crossed, he would still kill and wipe out the entire nation.

However, this has caused considerable confusion for later historians. Emperor Duncan conquered many barbarian tribes, primarily through assimilation and appeasement; why then did he single out the Vandals for such a brutal massacre?

Some researchers studying the Vandal migration route have discovered that the Vandal migration caused at least a million casualties, which is equivalent to each Vandal having more than ten lives on their hands.

But this raises another question: the Huns caused even more horrific deaths, so why were the Vandals the only ones wiped out?

Finally, they believed that the Vandals caused enormous damage when they sacked Italy.

This led to a devastating act of revenge.

But one thing is certain: after the Vandals were wiped out, the empire's borders became much more stable.

For a time, the Germanic barbarians dared not venture south to plunder.

When the news reached the Visigothic Kingdom, they had fought many battles with the Vandals. Suddenly hearing that their enemy had been wiped out, the whole country was doing its best to raise compensation and tribute, and the ransom for the prisoners was being sent to Paris by the cartload.

Since they could wipe out the Vandals, they could also wipe out others.

The way of the emperor is to use both kindness and severity.

Duncan never had a chance to go on a killing spree, but the Vandals just happened to walk right into his trap.

Wiping out their entire clan saved a lot of trouble.

Outside Rome, amidst cheers, Duncan directly dispatched Pope Leo I to the province of Gaul to meet with Saint Patrick. He would not enter the city for the time being, as he needed to inspect the troops passing through the triumphal arch and required some preparation time in advance.

What exactly does the church want?

You can discuss it slowly.

Duncan held the Oathkeeper and looked at it. Anyway, he had already made an example of them. Since they dared to exterminate the Vandals, he didn't mind killing a few more.

This is the world.

When you don't reason with them, they will take the initiative to reason with you.

………………

(End of this chapter)