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墨書 Inktalez
When they arrived in front of the pile, Ye Xiaohan instantly understood the reason for Gu Bei's drastic change in expression.
Lying haphazardly on the ground were human corpses.
There were many—at least thirty by rough estimate. The bodies were all dressed in soldiers' uniforms.
These people were all Gu Bei's subordinates.
"Damn it! Those despicable Bandits!"
Gu Bei slammed his fist against the nearby rock wall, blood seeping from his hand. Yet, he seemed oblivious to it, feeling no pain at all.
Ye Xiaohan did not comfort him. In the face of so many lost lives, any words would be hollow.
Only pain was real.
However, they currently lacked the ability to bury these soldiers.
Setting aside the fact that they could be pursued at any moment, knowing that this passage was a shortcut commonly used by the Bandits made them grateful that Gu Bei had not been captured earlier.
The so-called forbidden zone was nothing but a lie—a fabrication to conceal the secrets of the Bandit Hideout.
Moreover, they simply did not have the strength to bury so many bodies.
In the end, the two had no choice but to give up and decide to send troops back later to retrieve the bodies.
After mourning for a while for these loyal soldiers, they had to stop and continue their escape.
This place was not safe; the Bandits could come after them at any moment. They needed to reach a truly secure location as soon as possible.
For example, the garrison camp of Gu Bei.
"Could it be that the sense of crisis I felt earlier was caused by the actions of the Bandits?" Gu Bei asked, somewhat puzzled. He sensed something different.
Ye Xiaohan replied, "Under prolonged mental strain, it's possible to experience hallucinations. Perhaps that's why you mistook the Bandits for another threat."
She shrugged and teased Gu Bei with a glance. "But you can think of them as some kind of monster. After all, this forest is so dense; who knows what kinds of incomprehensible creatures might be hiding within?"
Gu Bei understood that Ye Xiaohan was trying to lighten the mood for him, and he appreciated her effort.
In reality, he was indeed reaching his limit. The wounds that had gone untreated for a long time, combined with the almost negligible rest he had managed to get, had drained his physical strength.
He had been running for his life without time to care for himself. Now that they had escaped the Bandit Hideout's surveillance and reached the foot of the mountain, they could finally sit down and catch their breath.
Once he relaxed, his extremely fatigued body could no longer hold on, as if it had run out of battery and could not support him any longer.
The two of them gasped for air, and after a moment of recovery, Ye Xiaohan checked their injuries.
Ye Xiaohan's injuries were relatively minor; she could still manage to stand and walk. Gu Bei, however, was unable to move at all.
He already had severe injuries, and after not being able to rest post-injury, his wounds had worsened until they reached a critical state.
Gu Bei started to run a fever.
In fact, just before falling asleep last night, Ye Xiaohan noticed that Gu Bei had a slight fever. She had given him some medicine at the time, but it seemed to have little effect.
Although Ye Xiaohan wanted to commend him for holding on for so long, it was not something to be happy about.
"Don't lie there; you have more important things to do!" Ye Xiaohan pulled Gu Bei up, letting him lean against her shoulder as she bore most of his weight. "Aren't you supposed to go back and reorganize the army? Don't forget the burden on your shoulders!"
Dealing with Gu Bei required not just encouragement but also motivation. The lives of the soldiers under his command were crucial to him, and he would not give up easily.
Gu Bei struggled to sit up and offered a comforting smile to Ye Xiaohan, trying to reassure her not to worry too much. However, he looked too weak, his face pale like a door god from a New Year painting, tinged with a bluish hue, which did little to comfort Ye Xiaohan.
"Do you remember where the army is stationed?"
Ye Xiaohan quickly changed Gu Bei's bandages again and handed him some potent plant roots to chew on, hoping to invigorate him.
Then, she helped Gu Bei up from the ground, allowing him to lean on her shoulder and bear most of his weight.
At first, Gu Bei was reluctant, especially since Ye Xiaohan had also injured her foot; how could she be made to do this?
However, before Gu Bei could voice his objections, Ye Xiaohan fixed him with a determined stare, as if she would silence him if he dared to speak.
Knowing he couldn't win against Ye Xiaohan's resolve, Gu Bei reluctantly ceased his struggles.
"I remember where the army's camp is," Gu Bei said hesitantly, "but it's been so long; they might have already moved."
Ye Xiaohan could hardly believe it. "You're a general! You haven't even found them yet, and they would leave without telling you?"
That seemed too harsh!
Gu Bei explained, "The previous battle with the bandits exposed the camp's location. Once a target is compromised, it's common practice to relocate. Besides, those bandits are fierce; if the army doesn't move, they'll surely take the opportunity to attack!"
It was dangerous for them to be in the dark while the enemy was aware of their position. Gu Bei hoped they had left rather than stubbornly holding their ground.
"Let's go take a look; we might run into someone," Ye Xiaohan said, dismissing Gu Bei's words. She had no desire to dwell on such terrifying matters.
She only hoped that believing they would be saved was enough.
Perhaps their previous misfortunes had been so overwhelming that they had exhausted all their bad luck. From this point on, their fortunes turned, surprising even Ye Xiaohan.
In fact, they hadn't ventured far before encountering others.
Ye Xiaohan carefully supported Gu Bei as they moved forward. Gu Bei's weight was much heavier than he appeared, making each step a significant effort for Ye Xiaohan.
They had reached the foot of the mountain, and not far away, there were scouts observing the area.
These soldiers were part of the unit Gu Bei had deployed during his last operation. Even after the failed mission and Gu Bei's disappearance, they remained faithfully committed to their duty.
When the scouting team first spotted Ye Xiaohan and Gu Bei, they raised their weapons in alarm, but soon someone recognized Gu Bei.
"It's the General! The General has returned!"
Members of the Scouting Team rushed towards Gu Bei, joy lighting up their faces as they surrounded him.
However, it quickly became apparent that Gu Bei was gravely injured.
"Can you take us back to the camp? He needs immediate medical attention," Ye Xiaohan pleaded tightly holding onto Gu Bei.
"Yes! I'll lead the way!"
Without pausing to consider the surprise of having a woman suddenly appear beside the General, the scouts followed Gu Bei's silent cue without any objections.
Soon, with the help of the Scouting Team, Ye Xiaohan and Gu Bei returned to the military camp.
"General! It's the General! He's back, he didn't die!"
The soldiers were overjoyed to see Gu Bei and rushed towards him.
"Make way! Let him receive treatment first; otherwise, his return will be no different from dying out there!" Ye Xiaohan held Gu Bei tightly to prevent him from being accidentally harmed in the chaos.
Given Gu Bei's current condition, even a slight bump could be the last straw that broke the camel's back.
At Ye Xiaohan's reminder, and seeing Gu Bei covered in blood and nearly unconscious, the soldiers' joy turned into concern.
Gu Bei's tent was still there, and someone had been cleaning it regularly. After laying him on the bed, Ye Xiaohan could no longer hold on and sat down beside him to catch her breath.
The Military Doctor arrived quickly and promptly provided emergency treatment for Gu Bei. They had brought plenty of medicine, using only the best for him. Even so, they worked tirelessly throughout the night until dawn before his condition stabilized.
Ye Xiaohan treated herself while waiting quietly. It wasn't until she confirmed that Gu Bei had survived that she truly relaxed and fell into a deep sleep almost instantly.
In her dreams, Ye Xiaohan felt as if she had slept for a century. If it weren't for the unbearable hunger in her stomach, she believed she could have slept for another century.
"Hiss!"
After her body had been numb from sleep, all the pain and muscle soreness surged back as she woke up.
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