Chapter 1221: Chapter 104 Resurgence_3
Xuan Yue saw Pope’s aide determined to leave and instantly felt a surge of relief, calmly saying, "Then, Brother Pope’s aide, I’ll trouble you with this task. Please inform his Holiness the Pope when you return that I am safe and will return once matters here conclude."
Pope’s aide nodded, took to the sky, and swiftly left the way he had come. Watching him leave, Xuan Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, she didn’t realize that this lie would soon greatly affect her relationship with Ah Dai.
The three Skeletons gathered all the fallen soldiers together. Those injured were treated one by one by Xuan Yue and Ah Dai using light magic. An hour later, Zong Yue walked sorrowfully up to Blood Skull.
Blood Skull tried to keep his voice steady and asked softly, "Brother Zong, have you completed the count?"
Zong Yue’s eyes were red, and he seemed on the verge of speaking, his hands tightly clenched, his body trembling slightly.
Blood Skull sighed and said, "Just tell me, I can bear it."
Zong Yue nodded, then said despairingly, "Commander, among the four divisions of the Skeleton Mercenary Group, the trusted aides have four dead, ten severely injured, and sixty-seven lightly injured. The Heavy Cavalry Infantry has fifty-one dead, thirty severely injured, and one hundred seventy-four lightly injured." He paused, observing Blood Skull’s iron-like expression and twitching lips, bit his own lip, and continued, "The Archery Division, two hundred ten dead, sixty severely injured, including twenty-seven disabled, no light injuries. The Light Cavalry Division has two hundred forty-three dead, seventy-one severely injured, including thirty-six disabled, no light injuries." After stating these numbers, Zong Yue was sobbing uncontrollably, crouching on the ground, his whole body convulsing.
Hearing these shocking figures, everyone fell silent; the three Skeletons trembled slightly. These brothers, who had fought and died alongside them for years, were now gone one by one. Mulat walked up to Blood Skull and said somberly, "Commander Blood, I am sorry. It’s all because of the caravan that your mercenary group suffered such heavy losses. I, on behalf of the Alliance, will disburse two hundred Gold Coins to every fallen or disabled mercenary as compensation. Of course, I know this money can’t compensate for anything, but it’s a gesture of respect from the Business Association Alliance to these brave warriors."
Blood Skull stared into the distance and said quietly, "Thank you, President Mu. It’s inevitable for generals to die in battle. There’s no need for the compensation money; our group still has some funds to cover it. I would like, however, for you to arrange some carriages so that my men can send our disabled members home." Without waiting for Mulat’s response, he pulled Zong Yue up from the ground and said sharply, "What’s the use of crying? Can your tears bring back our brothers? Brother Zong, first compile a list of the deceased brothers, then cremate their bodies right here, and bring their ashes back to the group for burial. Also, use the carriages President Mu arranges to send our disabled brothers back immediately, and allocate funds from our group to find the families of those who died. Provide each with five hundred Gold Coins in compensation, and the group will provide for the disabled brothers until they pass away. As long as the Skeleton Mercenary Group exists, we absolutely cannot let these brothers suffer from hunger or cold."
Zong Yue nodded heavily and walked away. Blood Skull took a deep breath and called out to Ice Skeleton, "Little sister, choose fifty uninjured members from the Light Cavalry Division to escort them."
Ice Skeleton nodded and turned to make the arrangements. Blood Skull’s upper body swayed slightly, his face suddenly turning extremely pale. The subsequent impacts, even with his resilience, nearly brought him to the brink of collapse.
Ah Dai supported Blood Skull, feeding his robust True Qi into him, helping to stabilize his chaotic True Qi, "Brother Blood Skull, hang in there! The Skeleton Mercenary Group still needs you to lead, and we’ve already stabilized the injuries of those hurt brothers. After our strength recovers a bit, we should be able to heal them swiftly."
Blood Skull sighed, "Five years of effort, and in one night, we’ve lost nearly half our manpower; it’s all my fault! If I had been more cautious beforehand and made better arrangements, this wouldn’t have happened."
Mulat said, "Commander Blood, I suggest this: let your brothers rest. Let’s camp here today and continue through the mountain range tomorrow."
Blood Skull shook his head and replied, "Thank you, President Mu, but as mercenaries, we must complete the tasks entrusted by our employers as soon as possible; it’s our duty." He then shouted loudly, "All able members of the Skeleton Mercenary Group, listen up! We set off immediately to cross the Tian Jing Mountain Range and rest afterwards. Today marks the greatest loss since the establishment of our mercenary group. I want each of you to remember this day. Such a thing must never happen again. After completing this mission, all members will undergo rigorous training for a year to enhance our abilities."
The caravan moved forward again, but the ranks were now nearly six hundred less, among which more than five hundred would never see the sunlight tomorrow.
Sitting inside a carriage, Mulat did not join Ah Dai and the others. After back-to-back battles and healing sessions, both Xuan Yue and Ah Dai were severely depleted. The death of their comrades deeply shocked them. Ah Dai sighed and said, "It seems our strength is still lacking. Just a few Dark Demon Clansmen nearly caused our demise, brother. We still have a long way to go; perhaps the Undead Creatures in the Death Mountain Range are even more terrifying than the Dark Demon Clansmen. During this time before we reach the mountain range, we must do everything possible to enhance our abilities."
