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The next day at dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Li Yin received orders from the general at the front line of the army. At that moment, he was sitting next to a low rock, discussing the next battle plan with his subordinate generals.
He unconsciously grabbed a handful of snow and crushed it, but his hand stiffened slightly when he heard the soldier report. "Chu Yan? That commander?"
"He was a striker this time, and he got into a fight with other players. How can we recall him?"
"I've said it before, but that kid won't listen. He's thinking about making a name for himself, so why is the general trying to stop him?"
Li Yin patted the snowflakes off his hands, stood up, and said cheerfully, "Go tell the general that our soldiers have put in their best effort in this battle, and the momentum is very good."
"That kid is quite skilled. Let's wait until he brings that head back before we reward him."
The snow had long since stopped; even the heavens were on their side.
Arrogance is the worst thing in military operations, which is why Yu Baizhou always trusted the most reliable Deputy General Li to lead the vanguard.
One fight after another followed, and the initial strategy seemed to suddenly become ineffective.
By the end of the day, I couldn't remember any strategies, tactics, or enemy/ally dynamics.
The battlefield was filled with the chaos of clashing weapons, shouts of encouragement, and painful groans.
Sometimes, when they're in a frenzy of fighting, they don't remember if someone is an ally, how long they've been fighting, or what time it is; they just keep hacking away with bloodshot eyes.
If the enemy dies, you can survive. If you survive to the end and leave the battlefield, you have won.
We won, and now we have a chance to survive.
As the sun set, the last bloodied figure fell.
A narrow victory.
"Sound the retreat!"
The battlefield became a mountain of corpses. The Zanjiang River, which was originally covered with yellow sand, was stained dark red as it rushed and effortlessly dragged away countless mangled corpses.
The bodies of both armies were piled up together, many unrecognizable. No one could identify them.
Xue Hu carried Chu Yan's body back in the middle of the night.
After the troops withdrew, the garrison men thought Xue Hu was dead. Unexpectedly, he returned late at night carrying a person covered in blood.
“The man is already dead. What good will it do to carry him back?” The garrison commander patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll find you a shovel. Go out of the camp and find a place to bury him.”
Xue Hu remained silent and carried the man out of the military camp.
He didn't know why he was doing it.
Battlefield cleanup naturally involves designated personnel checking for casualties and bringing the wounded back. But no one had anticipated today's situation; he searched for several hours, turning over almost every corner…
It's clearly not Chu Yan's turn to die.
The night was heavy and oppressive. As he dug, he wiped away tears with the back of his hand, which was covered in the smell of blood and dirt.
My hands hurt, my eyes hurt, and my heart is also uncomfortable.
"Even if you don't want to be my brother-in-law, you don't have to scare me like this. Didn't you say you were going to find your wife after the war...?"
But the land was hard after the frost; southern Xinjiang had never seen such heavy snow or such cold weather.
By the end, my hands were stiff and swollen, but I had only dug one small hole.
Just then, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. The garrison commander sighed and asked, "How long are you going to keep digging by yourself?"
He was still holding a shovel in his hands. "Let me help you."
Behind the guard, there was another person.
Yu Baizhou said nothing, first stepping forward and half-squatting in front of the almost unrecognizable body, staring at Chu Yan for a long time. It was unclear what he was thinking.
He had a handkerchief in his hand, soaked in clean, warm water, and carefully wiped away the blood and grime from his face and hands, revealing his already stiff, pale skin.
Then he gripped the cloth tightly, stood up, took the other shovel handed to him by the guard, and went closer to dig.
"It'll be faster if there are more people."
Xue Hu only heard General Yu say this one sentence.
When the sky brightened again, many more mounds of earth appeared on this mountain forest.
Xue Hu used the knife he had used to kill enemies to peel off the rough, dry bark from the wood he had cut down overnight, and then carved a few crooked characters on it.
As he placed the earthen mound in front of him, he turned his head and saw Yu Baizhou not far away closing his eyes for the last person to be brought in.
Xue Hu couldn't remember how many soldiers came and how many left with red eyes throughout the night.
But he saw that General Yu and the garrison commander had not left all night.
Lieutenant General Li originally intended to stay, but he also needed to lead his troops to guard against enemy night attacks.
Although the night was unusually peaceful.
Like him, they watched as their soldiers quietly carried their fallen brothers back from the battlefield and brought them here.
Then we brought hot water, wiped their faces and hands clean, and put them into the dug pit.
At the break of dawn, a raging fire ignited on the once blood-soaked battlefield, burning away all traces of the fighting and leaving behind only darkness and muddy water from the melting snow.
After a long time, there were almost no people left on the mountain ridge.
Yu Baizhou walked up to Xue Hu, who was still sitting in the same spot, and moved his lips, which were almost frozen from the cold all night. "Go back and rest, and prepare to fight at any time."
But Xue Hu seemed stunned and didn't hear what he said.
It started snowing again, not much, but it was a bit cold.
Xue Hu moved his stiff body and, to his dismay, pounded his leg. "If I hadn't separated from him, he wouldn't have died."
They wouldn't have died if there hadn't been a war.
If there hadn't been a corrupt court and an unjust world, there wouldn't have been so many soldiers.
"General, I've fought my fair share of battles, but I've never seen so many people die..."
Yu Baizhou closed his eyes and asked cruelly, "But he's dead. Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life without eating or drinking?"
"Don't let your brother look down on you, and don't let him die in vain."
Xue Hu didn't know what words had touched him, but he staggered to his feet. Just as he was about to fall, Yu Baizhou caught him. After he regained his balance, he turned to Yu Baizhou and asked, "Has the general ever experienced anything like this?"
Yu Baizhou's eyes flickered slightly, and his fingers, which had been frozen purple, curled up. "I've seen many people leave, just like you saw him off."
They lay alone in the unknown wilderness, sometimes so disorganized that it was impossible to tell them apart...
From the age of twelve until now.
Countless, an unknown number of people.
Yu Baizhou didn't know what he was feeling at that moment. Perhaps he was numb from the cold night, but he was still in pain despite his stiffness.
Those who lie buried here are all his soldiers, and also the children, husbands, and fathers of that family.
He still remembers the scene of them laughing and singing folk songs around the campfire, and he also remembers how these people were sweating profusely on the training ground. It feels like just yesterday.
"Go back, drink some hot water and get some sleep."
As the forest almost disappeared from sight, Xue Hu looked back one last time.
The wind and snow blurred his vision, and the indistinct black figure stood motionless before the vast expanse of white graves. It was like a rigid stone, or perhaps an ice sculpture.
Xue Hu joined the army three months ago and has never understood why those veterans are so loyal to a young general.
Turning back, he looked up at the sky, and an idea began to take root and sprout in his mind...
He took a step and ran back to the military camp.
**
The setting sun cast a rosy glow on the horizon, amidst a jumble of bodies on the ground. A long sword pierced the young man's chest, yet he fell with a smile playing on his lips. He just watched her like that.
Song Ling opened her eyes. It was still late at night. Occasionally, she could hear the snoring of a few soldiers under the tree, and there were still people on guard in the distance.
She reached out her hand, opened her fingers and then closed them again. With her right hand, she took out a dagger and made a cut in her palm. Blood dripped down the lines of her hand...
It was just a dream. It was just a dream.
Song Ling, oh Song Ling, your ability to deceive yourself has really improved again. A familiar voice seemed to be heard in her ears, but upon closer listening, she realized it was just a hallucination.
"Sect Master, I'll go with you."
When Shi Jiu reached the edge of the cliff, Song Ling had already set up the rope, but she stopped him, saying, "Stay and tell them not to take any action without my or the general's orders."
“Tell Shi Qing that if that jade pendant breaks, that will be the time for him to act.”
The sound was very soft, just enough to reach the ears of Juju and the person who had followed behind because of the commotion.
Therefore, Shi Qing stood there stunned, not only because of the white-robed man's glance at him, but also because of the words she spoke.
She is Song Ling.
However, Song Ling did not give her any chance to ask questions. By the time he ran over, she had already fallen off the cliff.
"Are you crazy? You're letting her jump off a cliff alone?"
Shi Jiu frowned and tugged at his clothes. "She has something she has to do. She won't harm anyone. General Shi, since you heard her, just do as she says."
"She will be fine."
This was the consensus among them all. Song Ling was skilled in martial arts and had flawless strategies; nothing unexpected would happen.
Shi Qing hesitated, then raised his hand, his arm tugging at the front of his clothes, feeling a sharp pain. The presence of the jade pendant pulled him back from the brink of saneness.
"Is there anything we can't discuss together? Are you really going to let her go down there by herself?" Shi Qing suppressed his anger. "If the Prince of Qi's men find her, do you know how many well-trained soldiers she will face?"
"No matter how strong her martial arts are, even if she can fight ten or a hundred people at once, she is still a human being and will eventually run out of strength. The strategist's health has always been poor, and since you are her subordinate, you should know this very well."
"If something happens to her, have you considered what will happen to the Southwest Army?"
Shi Jiu had never thought about such a question, because Song Ling was the sect leader, and this was the sect leader's responsibility. From childhood to adulthood, they had learned to assist her, rely on her, and trust her.
In response to Shi Qing's question, he pursed his lips, a slight ripple of emotion flashing through his heart before he reaffirmed his resolve: "All I have to do is obey her decision."
"And prevent anything that hinders her actions."
Shi Qing was so angry that he drew his dagger and started fighting with him.
Huai Lai's martial arts skills are indeed high, but a general who has been on the battlefield for a long time is also quite capable.
They both disapproved of each other's actions, but neither was willing to go all out.
They knew perfectly well that Song Ling would not want to see them killing each other before even starting a war.
Finally, Shi Qing threw the dagger on the ground, his eyes fierce. "What she says is her business. I can't watch her go to the enemy camp alone."
"If you're still a human being, if you still have a heart, then don't stop me."
Shi Jiu sheathed his short sword, then drew the long sword from his back, his expression stern, and said each word with unwavering resolve: "It is precisely because I am a human being that I know military orders are as heavy as mountains. Deputy General Shi, do not forget the purpose for which General Yu asked you to lead men into the mountains, nor forget the responsibilities you bear."
“If the King of Qi discovers your actions, the Southwest Army’s plan will be ruined.”
“And she,” Shi Jiu paused and continued solemnly, “Song Ling, if she couldn’t even do this, she wouldn’t have become the sect leader of our sect.”
Shi Qing was speechless after being rebuked. His eyes no longer held the initial respect he once had, but only disappointment. His lips trembled as he spoke: "You are truly cold-blooded."
Shi Jiu didn't care about Shi Qing's opinion or whether he cursed her or not. She simply raised her sword to block his way and coldly warned him as before, "Deputy General Shi, please return."
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