boyutpedia Chapter 118: One Knife, One Child
Chapter 118: One Knife, One Child
He turned and walked towards the soldier responsible for counting casualties, carefully asking and recording them.
Lu Yan stood quietly by the side, watching Zhang Xun's busy figure, a trace of barely perceptible sadness flashed in his eyes.
Although he looks indifferent on the surface.
But deep down, he values the life of every soldier.
Not long after, Zhang Xun quickly returned to Lu Yan, clasped his fists and said in a deep voice:
"Sir, we have 28 people with minor injuries and 30 with serious injuries."
After he finished speaking, he paused, a trace of sadness flashing in his eyes.
He lowered his head and his voice became even deeper:
"Killed... three people."
He raised his head and looked at Lu Yan, with a hint of self-blame in his tone:
"Sir, the troops sent by Beixiang Kingdom this time... should all be their elite troops."
Zhang Xun clenched his fists slightly, his knuckles turning white, as if he was upset about the casualties on his side.
After listening to the casualty report, Lu Yan was silent for a moment.
He looked into the distance, his brows slightly furrowed, and the mountain breeze blew past, making his robe rustle.
In the distant valley, soldiers were busy cleaning up the battlefield, and the flames lit up half the sky red.
It also reflected the redness on Lu Yan's angular face.
He turned around and looked at Zhang Xun, his tone calm but with a hint of severity:
"It has nothing to do with that. It's just that you haven't fought in a long time, and you guys were careless during training."
Lu Yan patted Zhang Xun's shoulder and softened his tone:
"There's life and death on the battlefield, so don't blame yourself too much."
He sighed heavily again and ordered:
"Properly accommodate the wounded, bury the fallen soldiers with honor, double their pensions, and take good care of their families."
Lu Yan looked at Zhang Xun's departing figure, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
War is always cruel. No matter victory or defeat, there will be sacrifices.
At this time, Li Kui carried his big knife and strode towards Lu Yan.
Grinning, showing a mouthful of white teeth:
"My lord, everything is packed!"
"Those bastards from Beixiang State fell down without even a word!"
"Hey, I chopped off five heads. Would you like to see them, sir?"
Lu Yan glanced at him with disdain:
"Stop being disgusting. Withdraw our troops and return to Jianmen Pass."
Li Kui chuckled and scratched the back of his head:
"Got it!"
He ran happily to convey the order.
As he jogged along, the armor on his body rustled, like a string of wind chimes echoing in the valley.
From time to time, he touched the five bloody heads hanging on his waist.
His face was filled with irrepressible excitement.
When he passed by other soldiers, he couldn't help but stop.
He boasted about his "achievements" with great joy.
"Let me tell you, I, Old Li, am going crazy today!"
"Those grandsons of Beixiang State are so delicate and tender. Compared to my physique, they are simply too fragile!"
"I, Old Li, struck with my knife, and with a snap, the head flew far away!"
"That blood spurt, tsk tsk tsk..."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, as if chopping melons and vegetables with ease.
The soldiers around him burst into laughter at his exaggerated description.
Someone joked:
"Brother Kui, your ability to brag has improved again!"
"I see you scared me to death, didn't you?"
When Li Kui heard this, he immediately became unhappy and argued with his neck stiff:
"Brother Kui, do you know how to brag? I'm telling the truth!"
"If you don't believe me, ask Zhang San. He saw it with his own eyes!"
Zhang San, who was named, smiled and echoed:
"Yes, yes, Brother Kui is extremely brave, we have all seen it with our own eyes!"
Everyone burst into laughter again, and the laughter echoed in the valley.
It eased the tense atmosphere a lot.
Lu Yan rode a tall horse and followed the team slowly.
Li Kui's exaggerated description and the soldiers' hearty laughter came into his ears from time to time.
Even he was amused and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
This Li Kui is a good fighter and also a great braggart.
However, this relaxed atmosphere also made him a little worried.
After all, it is easiest to become complacent after winning a battle.
His eyes flashed, and he shouted loudly:
"Xiao Kui!"
Li Kui was excitedly demonstrating how he could "kill one kid with one sword."
When he heard Lu Yan's voice, he immediately straightened his back.
Like a student being called by the teacher in class, he responded in a hoarse voice:
"To!"
"Pass the order down, let the brothers be more alert and strengthen patrols."
"That old bastard Mu Qing won't let this go. He might be planning something bad to do to us!"
"Yes!"
Li Kui responded loudly, changing his previous playful smile to a serious expression.
He put the heads in his hands on his waist.
Then he spread his legs and ran towards the front of the team.
The armor on his body rattled like a bull in heat.
Lu Yan looked at Li Kui's departing back, his eyes full of admiration.
This guy is a bit rough.
But he is obedient and has strong execution ability, making him a rare military talent.
After returning to Jianmen Pass, Lu Yan immediately organized his soldiers to strengthen the city's defenses.
He arranged patrols and personally inspected the reserves of food, fodder, supplies and other materials.
He knew very well that this was just the beginning and Mu Qing would soon launch a second attack.
Lu Yan stood on the city wall, looking at the rolling hills in the distance.
The night wind blew gently, making his robe rustle.
"My Lord, what are you thinking about?"
Zhang Xun's voice came from behind.
Lu Yan turned around, looked at Zhang Xun, and sighed softly:
"I was thinking, although we won this battle, the price we paid was not small."
"Three brothers... just gone."
Zhang Xun was silent for a moment and whispered:
"I have already arranged for a proper burial for them, and have doubled the compensation paid to their families."
Lu Yan nodded: "Well, well done."
"By the way, how are the wounded?"
"The wounded have been properly accommodated and are being treated by military doctors. They are not in danger of death at the moment."
Hearing this, Lu Yan felt slightly relieved.
He patted Zhang Xun on the shoulder and said:
"Thanks for your hard work."
Zhang Xun clasped his fists and said:
"I will serve you even if it means death!"
"Okay, stop being so naive all the time. It's so corny."
Lu Yan smiled and joked.
"Go down and rest. You've been tired all day."
……
At the same time, in the Beixiang State military camp ten miles away from Jianmen Pass.
There was a suffocating sense of oppression in the coach's tent.
Mu Qing paced back and forth like a trapped beast, his boots making a harsh sound as they rubbed against the ground.
The flickering candlelight in the tent illuminated his gloomy face, making it look even more sinister.
"Report——"
A loud shout came from outside the tent, causing Mu Qing to stop suddenly, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Damn, why is there still no news?