The vampire affair was finally over. As dawn broke, the fire in the stables gradually died down. Yun Zhe and the soldiers worked together to clear away the wounded and the dead. Overnight, eight soldiers had lost their lives, including Lorraine. Five soldiers were wounded, all with broken arms, including Gao.
Yun Zhe finished setting Gao's bones last. Looking at the row of soldiers covered in dust and dirt, Yun Zhe suddenly felt an urge to cry. For the first time, Yun Zhe felt he had truly let down the soldiers who had come with him.
"Soldiers, let's bury our brothers and then... then leave this place." Yun Zhe's voice was choked with emotion. They had made huge sacrifices here, but had not achieved anything substantial.
The soldiers exchanged glances. They had truly had enough of this place. Ever since they arrived, they had been constantly entangled with vampires, creating an atmosphere of constant fear and unease. To make matters worse, amidst the panic, there was no real gain to be had. They had long since come to loathe this place, wishing they had wings so they could instantly fly away from this wicked land.
Yun Zhe organized his thoughts for a moment, then gave up. He gestured for everyone to find a place to rest first, then pack their things, hoping to leave by tomorrow morning.
Then Yunzhe thought of Ellie and decided to go back and check on her, hoping there wouldn't be any more problems.
Then he saw Ellie rushing over.
“Jerok has decided to spend a few more days getting used to life in the woods. We’ll all need to help him during this time,” Ellie said bluntly.
“Okay, I’ll delay the departure time, by one more day, and then let him follow our main group. We’ll make further plans once he’s settled in.”
"Are we leaving? Why?" Ellie asked in surprise.
“The losses at the stables were heavy, the soldiers’ morale is low, and they are very resentful of this place.” Yun Zhe turned to look at the soldiers resting in the sun. “Go and comfort Usa, because Lorraine sacrificed himself to save her, and she is still depressed.”
Ellie thought for a moment, then nodded.
I'll go talk to the village chief and ask them to spend some money. With that, Yun Zhe headed towards the village chief's house in the center of the village.
Leisure time flies by, and two days have passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the soldiers mounted their horses, lined up in neat rows, and prepared to leave this heartbreaking village.
The villagers, young and old, gathered at the village entrance to watch the soldiers leave. Generally speaking, the soldiers treated them well, paying for their meals and purchases, and even offering assistance free of charge. As for their officers, they didn't levy taxes or impose forced labor; they even collected a large amount of grain to help them get through the winter. Moreover, during the vampire attack, they bore the brunt of the suffering, as only one villager lost their life.
And now, such a good lord and soldiers are about to leave them. Yun Zhe gave the village chief the reason yesterday: the soldiers were going to war. But the village chief knew that the lord had lost faith and hope in the village. However, the village chief didn't say it explicitly: this was the village's situation all along; it was abnormal for anyone to want to stay.
Yun Zhe looked back at the villagers crowded at the village entrance, among whom a child was sucking his fingers and staring at them blankly. Yun Zhe took a deep breath, turned to look at the sky, where a few white clouds drifted by, looking quite beautiful.
Yun Zhe was lost in thought for a moment, then raised his whip, signaling the soldiers to begin moving. Just then, a bird suddenly burst out of the clouds, flew above the former stable, circled, and cried out.
Yun Zhe, with his sharp eyes, recognized the bird—a black sparrow. Yun Zhe frowned slightly, staring thoughtfully at the black sparrow that kept pacing among the ruins.
“My lord, that might not be the Blackbird of Lorraine, could it?” Gao jumped off the carriage and walked to Yun Zhe’s side.
Yun Zhe nodded. "Can you catch it?"
Gao scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. "But sir, you don't need to worry about it. They'll go back if they can't find anyone. They're very smart."
Yun Zhe understood and stopped insisting. He glanced at the soldiers and said, "Keep moving forward, don't stop."
Just as Gao had said, the bird circled a few more times, cawed three times, flapped its wings again, and flew upwards into the depths of the clouds.
Yun Zhe's journey was slow this time, and it took the large group six or seven days to reach the border of Philby's fiefdom. However, the scene that unfolded before them upon reaching the border was truly astonishing.
Squads of soldiers and villagers are advancing relentlessly towards the border.
"Isn't this a bit too grand for a welcoming ceremony?" Yun Zhe muttered to himself, quite shocked by the scene before him.
Yun Zhe's soldiers also looked suspicious. They were more inclined to believe that Philby would welcome them, but judging from this situation, even the most foolish person wouldn't think this was a welcoming party.
“They look like refugees,” Ellie said worriedly, holding Usa in her arms.
Yun Zhe looked to both sides, "Chad, Mobik, you two go and take a look!"
The two men charged out of the ranks, causing a commotion on the other side. They soon spotted the group of soldiers, and many began to plant their shields and raise their spears. Some even fired arrows, but the distance was too great, so the symbolic meaning outweighed the practical significance.
The two soldiers hesitated, looking at each other, neither daring to go any further. Seeing this, Yun Zhe had no choice but to ride up to the two soldiers and observe the situation on the other side at close range.
"The people on the other side aren't from the Lunlang family either," Chad complained, somewhat puzzled.
Yun Zhe nodded. The enemy's formation was loose, with villagers and soldiers mixed together. They didn't look like elite invaders at all. The villagers were with their families, and there were no signs of coercion, so they were obviously not villagers who had been captured.
"They're not afraid of us, are they..." Mobik said boldly.
Yun Zhe spurred his horse forward and saw a soldier riding towards them from the opposite direction.
"Who goes there?!"
“Yun Zhe, a knight appointed by Countess Serena,” Yun Zhe thought for a moment, then added, “a good friend of Lord Philby!”
Upon hearing the noise, the mounted soldier pulled on his horse, a move that made Yun Zhe nervous.
But then the soldier turned around and ran back to the ranks. Soon after, the guard was lifted, and the soldiers and villagers began to move slowly again. In the distance, Yun Zhe saw Philby leading two knights galloping towards them.
"Yun Zhe, what brings you here! Has your place also been attacked by the elves?" Philby looked haggard and had red eyes, clearly having not rested well for several days.
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhe gasped, "Philby," then looked at the soldiers and farmers, "The elves have really come?"
Philby wasn't surprised by Yun Zhe's reaction; he nodded with a wry smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
