Chapter 7

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Hello to sis @Sheryl Eunice Sason

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The clouds covered up the sunlight, causing it to slowly fade across the windy battlefield. Time passed ever so slowly; the autumn winds carried a chill special only to Yan Bei as it swept across the vast plains. From midnight to noon, from noon to dusk, fresh blood stained the entire Huolei Plains as the crimson-red Huoyun flowers were in full bloom, revealing its deep red petals. Living human beings, who were still in abundance in the morning, now lay dead on the icy, cold ground, like uprooted maize.

The land had lost its original color. The vultures circled around in the sky, awaiting the opportunity to enjoy the rare feast in front of their eyes. Corpses and bones littered the plains; the wounded soldiers were piled on top of them, crying in agony like wolves that had just been orphaned. The soldiers who were more heavily wounded could not even muster any shouts of agony, lying down on the ground like a dead dog. They were occasionally found by the combat medics, who discovered that they were alive when they let out a sound after being kicked by them. A slight drizzle occurred in the evening. The thin, cold raindrops landed on the piles of corpses which were being incinerated, forming a thin layer of white fog on top.

Cheng Yuan walked over as he stumbled across the piles of corpses. The seasoned war veteran had grown hardened throughout his years of battle; his sinister-looking face had a determined glow on it. His leg had been wounded by an arrow, and was bandaged with a white cloth as he walked with a limp.

On a low slope not far out, the man stood under a poplar tree. The ensign of the Black Eagle Army hovered lightly above his head. The wilted grass fluttered in the air under his feet, circling around him. The look in his eyes was blank, as if he was fixated on something further than the battlefield, further than the bloodshed, and further than the clouds across the horizon…

Cheng Yuan stood rooted to the spot in a daze, not walking in front.

“Is that Cheng Yuan? Come over here.” Yan Xun did not turn around as he muttered those words in a calm, soothing and composed voice. Cheng Yuan walked over, his back slightly arched. He knelt down on the ground with a single knee and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, the Xiuli Army has breached through our formation through the Xuanyu Army at the southeast. The Xuanyu Armyust reached the battlefield to reinforce our troops. As they organized their formation hastily, they could not withstand General Chu’s assault. The troops of the Xiuli Army hvoided a direct confrontation with our troops, choosing to attack the Xuanyu Army instead. When we tried to stop them, it was too late already. They escaped from the left side and are headed towards the northwest.”

Yan Xun nodded silently, not saying a word.

Cheng Yuan licked his lips w, ich were starting to turn dry a,nd continued, “I have already ordered General Gao and General Lu to stop them. The First Army will dispatch 30,000 troops to attack them in the northwest regions. Longyin Pass is prepared for battle too. We have sealed the route at the southern waterways which leads to Tang. Even if the Xiuli Army has wings, we will be able to shoot them down.”

Yan Xun remained silent, seemingly remaining oblivious to what he had just heard. Cheng Yuan started to feel a little nervous as he probed softly, “Your Majesty?”

“Carry on.”

“We have suffered heavy casualties. The Third and Seventh armies have been completely wiped out. The leaders of the Fourth, Eighth a,nd Eleventh Armies have died in combat; over half of their forces have died along with them too. General Du Ruolin of the Thirteenth Army has refused to participate in the battle. We have taken him into custody, but his subordinates are still refusing to comply. They are useless to us, yet we still have to dispatch forces to keep them under surveillance…”

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