Yun Xiao immediately agreed and ordered, "Liu Xing, pass down the command: divide into groups of ten. Stay alert to your surroundings. If wild beasts attack, you must kill them."
"Yes."
With a single command, the people quickly formed ranks. These elite soldiers were handpicked from the imperial guards, possessing exceptional martial skills.
Although lions were ferocious, these were skilled individuals. They weren't afraid of the lions themselves, but rather of being surrounded by more wild beasts, which would cause trouble. Therefore, the matter needed to be resolved quickly.
It was unclear who struck the first blow against the lions, but more and more people soon followed. Shangguan Lin, having released Zhi Qiu, lunged at a lion. Several figures followed him, their movements swift and precise, without any hesitation.
The scent of blood here would be considerable, and it was feared that it would soon alert the surrounding wild beasts.
Despite the lions' ferocity, the sheer number of people here was overwhelming. If there had only been dozens, they might have been no match for the lions, becoming their prey.
But now there were thousands. As dark masses of figures flickered, bloodthirsty gazes and killing intent flared. Either they killed the beasts, or they would perish. Who wanted to live, and who wanted to die?
In just half an hour, dozens of fierce lions lay dead. At this time, they heard more and more roars from a distance, rushing towards them.
Yun Xiao's expression turned cold, and she calmly commanded, "Men, immediately administer medicine to the dead lions, then butcher them. Everyone must ascend the trees at once."
Yun Xiao had come prepared for this expedition into the East Jing Mountain, carrying many poisons. She distributed them, and Liu Xing, Jing Yun, Zhui Yue, Zhui Feng, and others quickly passed the poisons to everyone.
Some administered poison, while others butchered the lion carcasses. Once everything was in order, the more than two thousand people leaped into the trees with a swish.
In the dense, gloomy forest, large wild beasts like lions and tigers, drawn by the scent of blood, roared and charged from below the trees.
The people in the trees were all trembling with fear, many with weak limbs. Yet, they clung tightly to the branches, terrified of a careless slip that would send them into the jaws of the lions.
These large carnivorous predators seemed to be starving. Soon, they began to tear into the still-warm flesh. The scent of blood was so potent it made one gag.
Yun Xiao gagged repeatedly, her face pale. Shangguan Lin, not far from her, looked at her with concern.
"How are you?"
He assumed Yun Xiao was feeling unwell due to the bloody scene, just like Zhi Qiu beside her. He didn't realize that Yun Xiao's reaction was natural; she was pregnant, and seeing the scenes of beasts tearing into flesh made her feel nauseous.
The people in the trees watched with fear. Some simply gazed upwards, finding it slightly more bearable.
These individuals, usually bold, meticulous, and ruthless, were shaken to their core by such a scene. This was likely an experience they had never encountered before, with thousands of lions and tigers fighting over the carcasses below, occasionally snatching from each other.
Some of the beasts that had eaten the poisoned meat began to succumb to the toxins. The later lions, in turn, tore into the poisoned animals, creating a chain reaction that eventually led to all the beasts below being poisoned to death.
The group remained perched in the trees for a full two hours. Sweat soaked through their clothes as if they had been washed in water.
It was only when the area below the trees fell silent, with the newly dead beasts occasionally twitching and bloodstains everywhere, so thick that one felt they would faint if they stayed any longer, and the night was already quite dark, that Yun Xiao gave the order.
"Go, everyone take a beast with them."
With the command, everyone dismounted and mounted their horses, loaded the carriages, and quickly departed from the unforgettable, blood-soaked scene.
Nothing in the world was more brutal than these frenzied wild beasts, which would even consume their own kind.
Subsequently, the group encountered more beast attacks, a second and a third time. Following the same procedure, they managed to emerge from the Qingyun Mountain Range without any major incidents.
The first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, a pale blue light emanating from the east. Behind them lay hundreds of miles of mountainous terrain, and before them, an endless canal.
The clear river water gave off a misty vapor. White mist coiled around the mountains, like a white silk ribbon.
Encircling the area, tender green willow branches graced the riverbank, gently brushing against the water. The wind blew, stirring shallow ripples. In the fresh air, the group took deep breaths.
Before Yun Xiao could react, she heard several voices erupt beside her.
*Plop, plop.* Someone kept leaping into the canal.
In early spring, the water in the Yun River was still frigid, a bone-chilling cold. But the people now felt like they were ablaze, their minds consumed by the lingering images of mad lions and ferocious beasts devouring flesh. xxs壹贰
Yun Xiao did not stop them, allowing them to vent their emotions, lest they break. Only then did her heart feel like it had finally touched the ground.
Xiao Yao approached, his expression somewhat somber. He had always cherished his soldiers. During their time in the Qingyun Mountain Range, the imperial guards had suffered some losses.
"How are things? How many were lost?"
Yun Xiao spoke with a heavy heart.
Xiao Yao slowly replied, "Over a hundred."
Even after breaking through, they had still lost over a hundred men. A mist of tears welled up in Yun Xiao's eyes, and she turned to look at the river, where the sounds of splashing and churning could be heard.
"Provide generously for the families of the deceased. Report this matter to the Ministry of Revenue, stating it was my command."
"Yes, your subordinate accepts the order."
Xiao Yao accepted the command with heartfelt respect. Receiving such generous treatment, those who died had not died in vain. Soldiers, even if they didn't perish here, would die on the battlefield. But for their families to receive such consideration was likely their greatest wish in life.
The movements on this side had already alerted those hidden in the reeds nearby. Upon receiving the report, the person in charge immediately led a contingent of soldiers to rush over.
It was Prince Yun Mo, Prince Yun. Upon seeing his daughter, and her disheveled state, her white robes stained red with blood.
Yun Mo felt his heart sink. He rushed forward in a panic and grabbed Yun Xiao, "What happened?"
Yun Xiao shook her head. She was unharmed, and she refused to let anything happen to her. She had not forgotten the child in her womb.
"It's nothing. Immediately dispatch men to transport all the items from the carriages onto the large ship."
Yun Xiao knew that even though these jewels had been moved out, they could not be careless. If word leaked out, they might not escape. Thus, she had no time to chat with her father and immediately spoke in a deep voice.
Yun Mo turned and instructed Mo Qing and Mo Bai behind him to lead the soldiers in transporting the goods to the large ship.
The two accepted the orders. Yun Mo, holding Yun Xiao's hand, walked to a secluded, lush green area away from the crowd and looked at her with affection, "Xiao'er, come back with Father. Leave this place to Prince Lin."
He believed the Emperor would also wish for her to return.
When the word "return" was mentioned, Yun Xiao involuntarily thought of Murong. Her longing for him was so fervent; she had been away from Murong for almost a month and missed him dearly. However, thinking about returning.
Her heart sank. The faces of the fallen brothers appeared in her mind, along with the experiences of this night. If she left now, she felt as though she was abandoning them. She ought to live and die with them.
Dealing with the Blood Bandits next would likely be no simpler than the current situation. Therefore, she could not leave alone.
"Father, you must set off for the capital immediately. Remember, travel cautiously and ensure the safe transport of this batch of treasure."
As soon as Yun Xiao finished speaking, she beckoned Liu Xing over, instructing him to invite Prince Lin and Commander Xiao.
Yun Mo was still worried. Seeing his daughter's pale face, he affectionately suggested, "Why don't Father stay behind to deal with those Blood Bandits, and Xiao'er escorts the treasure back to the capital?"