Jia Dabi had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
For today, he did not hesitate to sit by and watch the enemy encircle and annihilate friendly forces in various places, did not hesitate to sit by and watch his subordinates be killed, and did not hesitate to see the people who supported them punished.
This was all for this moment; too many companions had died at the hands of the enemy, but as long as this opportunity was seized, it would be worth it.
Going head-to-head with Rostislav and Adam was a dead end; to turn the tide, one either had to cultivate in the countryside for decades or take risky moves, doing things that ordinary people dared not do, things they lacked the courage to do.
Looking at Rostislav and Adam before him, murderous intent was brewing in Jia Dabi's heart, an intent that urged him to rush out immediately and end that Slavic and his puppet.
But he suppressed the impulse in his heart, because it was not yet time, the other side had not yet arrived, the conditions for encirclement had not yet been met, and if possible, it would be best to capture them alive.
If the Moscow Prince and his puppet could be captured, this would be an unprecedented great victory; with these two, they could put forward many conditions, do many things, and perhaps even reverse the current unfavorable situation in one fell swoop.
Finally, his people were in place; next, Jia Dabi only needed to lead his men out, and the encirclement could be achieved.
For Jia Dabi personally, killing them was naturally the best option; these two deserved to die, especially after they destroyed his alma mater and confiscated the property of islam.
But if they could be captured alive, it would achieve the best effect.
So Jia Dabi stood up from his hiding place, and seeing him rise, the others also followed suit, emerging from their hiding places.
It was at this instant that Rostislav and Adam discovered they were surrounded by armed personnel; it was clear at a glance that the newcomers meant trouble, and these fellows had blocked every escape route.
The two immediately drew their swords; they did not touch their bows, because at this distance, shooting arrows would be too late, and seeing these people reveal themselves proactively instead of attacking immediately indicated that they might not necessarily want the lives of the two.
The Moscow Prince observed these armed individuals; their figures were thin, but their movements were orderly, and the calluses on their hands clearly indicated they had wielded weapons, so the identity of these people was imminent.
And the Moscow Prince, after scanning the nearby forest, also noticed that there were still some people hidden in the woods, and it looked like most of them were archers.
"Sword of Justice," and even the elite of "Sword of Justice"—this conclusion caused an alarm to ring loudly in Rostislav's heart; this was not good news.
"Sword of Justice" had always been the most stubborn of the many resistance forces in Bulgar; official "Sword of Justice" members would even commit suicide to avoid capture, and even if "Sword of Justice" members were captured, they would show incredible resilience when faced with torture.
"Sword of Justice" had always been a key target for encirclement; the bounty for a "Sword of Justice" head was enough for a middle-class family to live for a year, but few people brought their heads.
So encountering people from "Sword of Justice" was truly bad for Rostislav, but on the surface, he remained calm; no matter what, he could not panic first.
Adam showed the same demeanor; the Moscow Prince noticed his hand trembled slightly, but only from his close distance could it be seen clearly.
As for these armed individuals, it was unlikely they could see it; in their eyes, Adam was also very calm.
Seeing how calm the two of them were, it was probably for this reason that those people did not directly rush forward to capture them.
"Look who it is? Rostislav, and Adam, what are you two doing here? Is a big shot from Slavic here to stab a male prostitute in the ass? How undignified."
Jia Dabi's words were full of mockery and malicious speculation, and this indeed represented the views of some people towards Adam, and this view was deeply ingrained in many.
This mockery elicited a burst of laughter among the surrounding armed personnel; they were all creators of such jokes, and they "enthusiastically" spread these jokes throughout the Bulgar countryside.
Now, to be able to directly mock him in front of the main targets, that feeling was truly great.
Hearing these words, Rostislav was somewhat annoyed; seeing the widespread nature of this rumor, it would certainly continue to circulate in the future, and being maliciously speculated as a homosexual was truly uncomfortable for him.
Adam was also uncomfortable; for him, such mockery was a mockery of his efforts and work, a mockery of him, the legitimate heir of Bulgar, which he was unwilling to accept.
However, they were also powerless against these rumors; nobodies were always tirelessly amused by such vulgar matters, and it was estimated that things like Adam selling his ass would be passed down as unofficial history.
"So, gentlemen, what have you come for?"
However, the Moscow Prince suppressed the anger in his heart; now was not the time to get angry, he had to talk to them first.
Since these people did not launch an attack immediately, there was room for negotiation, and the longer the conversation, the better; if time could be dragged out, then drag it out, the guards were not far from here.
"We are, of course, the 'Sword of Justice,' the ones you two have been encircling recently, and our reason for being here is simple: surrender, gentlemen, it will be better for everyone."
Jia Dabi stated their purpose very straightforwardly, and as soon as he finished speaking, he and his subordinates raised their weapons, pointing them at the two surrounded individuals.
"Gentlemen, I say it's not necessary; what good would it do you to capture us two? What would you gain? You would still be rebels being suppressed; in my opinion, you might as well surrender directly; glory and wealth, they are all before your eyes."
Rostislav immediately began to persuade them to surrender, inciting them to side with him, hoping this might sway one or two people among the enemy.
And even if they were not swayed, it did not matter; he was just trying to buy time anyway.
The guards had been following behind; given enough time, they would eventually catch up, and once they did, the balance of power between enemy and us would undergo a complete change.
After all, from the looks of these people, they were all very good warriors, yet they had ended up in such a state; surely, some of them wanted to escape their current predicament.
And Rostislav's suggestion indeed made a few people waver, hesitation appearing in their eyes, but just as Rostislav thought his plan was successful, Jia Dabi's voice decisively cut in.
"In my opinion, this is not something you two should be concerned about. And Slavic, are you trying to buy time? Alright, let's be direct. I'll give you one minute. Either surrender, or we fight, and see if you two can survive. Gentlemen, choose."
The Bulgar's words brought a look of difficulty to Rostislav's face; how troublesome, this fellow didn't give any chance and saw through his plan at first glance.
Rostislav and Adam exchanged glances; he saw the same expression in Adam's eyes as in his own—determination; it seemed Adam thought the same as he did.
Rather than being humiliatingly captured, it was better to fight to the death, and the Moscow Prince was very confident in his martial arts; who knew who would kill whom then.
And just as the two exchanged glances, Jia Dabi also sensed a subtle atmosphere of unease; he subconsciously raised his hand towards his back, signaling the archers in the shadows to prepare.
"One minute is up, gentlemen, answer."
As soon as the time was up, Jia Dabi immediately spoke, and at the same time, everyone picked up their weapons, because everyone knew that the upcoming answer would determine whether there would be a fight.
"Then, my answer is, no."
Rostislav and Jia Dabi stared at each other for a while; he saw only determination in the Bulgar's eyes; this fellow was also a difficult character to deal with, it seemed it would not be easy to get away now.
"Then that's regrettable, but getting your corpses will also do. Negotiations have broken down, prepare for assault! Move! Kill their horses!"
As soon as Jia Dabi finished speaking, suddenly dozens of archers stood up from the forest; they shot a volley of arrows, which flew with extreme speed towards Rostislav and Adam, who were driving their warhorses.