(Peak of Mount Kelan)
"Clan leader, we couldn't get anything much from the demon hunters. We had them kept in a locked cage when we managed to capture them but somehow someone came inside and let them out. That person had concealed even its scent."
"I don't expect much when we receive report of the capture of the TianDao demon hunters. They have always been slippery and we have already suspected that there's at least an immortal, and a powerful one, in their group. Question is who and what do they want to do in this mortal realm? Continue with the watch." The second clan leader of the Crimson Wolves, Xun JuFang instructed his clansmen.
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The general had always left the residence early and come back early in the morning, his burly figure had thinned down, and Murong LiWang made him drink hot ginseng mixed with honey before he leaves and once he returned back home.
Murong LiWang also made HeiYing to follow her father to watch over him and let her know if anything happens to her father. She knew her father was an upright and fair man, he wanted to eat how the rest ate and she respected his wishes. However, she made her father dried fruit, nut snacks she has mixed with the precious oil and honey they had brought along from capital. She also gave out to the shadow guards and Murong XieChu subordinates.
Murong XieChu had many tasks on hand : to station his people at key areas to protect the civilians from the Cai soldiers, infiltrate into both Cai and Eastern Righteous Alliance, make sure the equal distribution of grain to the people in the city and make sure the physicians had enough to help with the ongoing epidemic.
Many of the previous city soldiers at guard duties often fainted due to malnourishment so these soldiers were released from their responsibilities till they recover and were mostly replaced with the General's soldiers.
There was much to do, all his people were equally tired by the time they could finish the day. The first few days upon their arrival had been very hectic but over the days, things had settled and instructions were given out to restore order within the city. Murong LiWang always came before sunset to bring food for the soldiers and snacks for supper.
"He Xun usually is the one who finds food. Why me?" The little eunuch, ZhenBao protested weakly, still feeling nauseous, from disembarking the royal ship.
ZhenBao breathed and felt like gagging, "9th prince, i feel sick...blerghh" he threw up his last intake of food and liquid into a bush.
'I can't look for food now ah...' ZhenBao thought pitifully while his stomach continued to rebel.
"He Xun has more important task. Hmm...There's no dog, no cat, not even birds..." an elegant young man with a noble air surveyed the area noted.
'There's no animals and no one here, how can I look for food in such conditions?'
While his attendant was heaving, his master looked like a breeze.
9th prince Xue ShiMin's hair and clothing were neat in place but he looked out of the picture with the sparse, desolate surrounding.
"Ugh... I feel terrible. Huh? What is that..." ZhenBao was still bending his back when he was throwing up, when he squinted his eyes to focus on the other side.
"Wha?! Ahhh!" looked up, he squeaked and in his shock, fell on his back. His face from green had turned into deathly pale white. "9...Prin ... 9th prince... over there!" ZhenBao hoarsely cried out.
Xue ShiMin came around to where ZhenBao was, smelt the horrid and putrid smell of charred flesh and saw a gruesome sight of a small clearing with corpses that looked like they were burnt while chained.
"Plague? Go check the premise and see if there's more bodies like this. And if you see food, get some too, we will settle in after this forsaken village tonight," Xue ShiMin said grimly.
The royal captain, part of the DuGu faction, had purposely dropped him off here, claiming it is the easiest route to Peace Swallow Town. The royal captain even ensured that there will be someone from General Murong's army to greet him.
"But I'm doing all the work, won't I be hungry first? If you didn't see, hear and smell, I just threw up. Oh, skip the smell, the burning of flesh had already masked any scent of my puke..." He grumbled while taking the basket and collecting twigs to prepare for the cold of autumn night.
'Why did I pick this master? Why am I such a loyal person? This is definitely a trap lain out for the 9th prince ahhhh, what miserable fate for me as his servant ah,'