The watchpost must have been established not long before, as the facilities and equipnt inside were still very new.
"Take anything valuable, maybe we can even buy a few better weapons in Nansha," one suggested.
Warriors of the Xiao Clan had no concept of the value of materials due to their years entrenched in the Raz Jungle, grabbing whatever they could; and when they walked out of the watchpost with their pockets full, they were all turned upside down by Hai Ge waiting outside: "Look at the crap you’ve got? Torn quilts? Water bottles? Damn, you’re even taking straw mats?!"
"Throw them away, throw them all away," Hai Ge shouted, leading the Xiao Clan warriors to scour the place anew.
Truth be told, Hai Ge had only ever rifled through the corpses of solitary beastn, picking up worthless trinkets. Occasionally, he got lucky and found so mysterious items, which he exchanged with the Ming Clan for provisions, but such finds were always limited.
This was Hai Ge’s first raid on a beastn watchpost, and he was exceptionally excited.
Lu Hong did not join the looting but cautiously explored around the watchpost.
Following the winding staircase likely led underground.
Igniting a torch, Lu Hong saw a bloodstained iron door.
So bloodstains were still fresh, indubitably recent.
Gazing at the door, Lu Hong took a deep breath and pushed it open with force.
Even prepared for the worst, Lu Hong was still shocked by the sight behind the door.
It was like a slaughterhouse, and the victims, all weak humans.
Broken limbs were scattered everywhere, and the thick stench of blood filled the air.
Within sight, there were even neatly carved pieces of flesh, laid out to dry.
A furious anger burst uncontrollably from the depths of his heart.
Lu Hong’s roar alard Hai Ge and the others above ground. They rushed to the sound and were equally shocked by the scene before them.
They all knew that beastn ate humans, but had never witnessed it because those who had seen it... well, they were mostly dead.
Only Hai Ge had seen it once and was the first to snap back to reality, anger and sadness swirling in his heart: "Xis likes eating humans more than Akes, and this watchpost might very well be a station to intercept our Human Race to provide food..."
"Shut up!" Lu Hong turned and furiously reprimanded Hai Ge, grinding his teeth, "The Human Race is not food, and I don’t want to hear these two words from your mouth ever again!"
Hai Ge fell silent, saying no more.
Staring at the slaughterhouse, it was a while before Lu Hong managed to speak, his voice hoarse: "I must kill Xis, who will co with ?!"
"I will!"
"I will!"
"And I will too!"
Excluding Hai Ge, all the Xiao Clan warriors loudly pledged their agreent.
"Young Clan Leader... Xis commands at least thirty thousand troops, and Xis himself is no slouch in combat..."
Before Hai Ge could finish, Lu Hong interrupted, "Don’t worry, I won’t act rashly. There are too many like Xis among the beastn, and it’s not only Xis I want to eradicate. I want to kill all the beastn like Xis!"
Knowing Lu Hong would not be impulsive, Hai Ge did not hesitate to say outright," Hai Ge is willing to follow the Young Clan Leader, to serve before and behind the saddle, and to follow unto death!"
"We are willing to follow the Young Clan Leader! To serve before and behind the saddle, and to follow unto death!"
Hai Ge and the others were moved by Lu Hong’s great ambition. At that mont, they offered their highest salute and swore fealty to Lu Hong, never to betray.
Just then, the sound of chains rattling crisply echoed through the slaughterhouse.
Lu Hong was startled. Could there be survivors inside?!
Without hesitation, Lu Hong rushed in.
Indeed, inside a partition, he found a young girl barely breathing, half her arm chopped off.
The unconscious girl’s brows were tightly knitted as if she were in a nightmare, her body trembling, which in turn rattled the chain around her neck.
"Quick, find the key!"
Hai Ge and the others hurriedly searched and soon brought the girl out of the dungeon.
The beastn watchpost had many herbs, most of which had been scavenged from the humans they had ambushed.
Lu Hong, not knowledgeable about these, could only leave the wound treatnt to Hai Ge.
Only when night had fallen did the girl slowly regain consciousness.
Seeing herself lying on the soft bed, the young girl seed to recall sothing terrifying. She panicked and curled up in the corner of the bed, her body shaking uncontrollably.
Sensing the commotion, Lu Hong quickly exited his ditation and approached the bed, "You’re awake?!"
The girl looked at Lu Hong with a hint of confusion on her face. Her brain couldn’t quite catch up. Hadn’t she been captured by the beastn? Why was she seeing a human who wasn’t shackled?
In an instant, the girl understood. This human must have thrown in his lot with the beastn; that’s why he wasn’t in chains.
Faced with this betrayer, the girl angrily threw a pillow at Lu Hong.
Lu Hong was a bit stunned but assud the girl hadn’t fully woken from her nightmare. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around the girl, cradled her in his embrace, and gently patted her back, softly saying, "There, there, don’t be scared. You’re safe now. No one can hurt you."
Of course, the girl didn’t believe his nonsense. She struggled nonstop, pounding on Lu Hong’s back and using her teeth to bite him.
But Lu Hong didn’t give up, continuing to hold her in a comforting embrace.
Not until the girl was gasping for breath from exhaustion did she finally give up resisting.
After hearing the noise inside the room, Hai Ge entered carrying a pot of simring herbs, "Clan Leader, is the girl awake?"
"She is," Lu Hong nodded. "Is the herbal dicine ready?"
"Just," Hai Ge paused as he looked closely and saw Lu Hong’s shoulder covered in blood stains. He quickly asked, "Clan Leader, what happened to you?"
"It’s nothing," Lu Hong interrupted Hai Ge. "Give the dicine."
Taking the prepared dicinal brew from Hai Ge’s hand, Lu Hong presented it to the girl and smiled, "Here, drink this. It will help you recover quickly."
Naturally, the girl wouldn’t consu anything offered by a traitor, and she flung the dicine bowl away.
Fortunately, Lu Hong was quick to catch it and retrieve it.
Hai Ge frowned, "Clan Leader, it seems this girl harbors hostility towards us?"
"She’s just startled. She’ll be alright," Lu Hong was full of sympathy for the girl’s ordeal and didn’t mind her excessive reaction, seeing it as her way of self-protection.
Hai Ge nodded, not pressing further, and changed the subject, "We can’t stay at this outpost for long. Xis must have a way to communicate with his outposts. If we stay silent too long, it will raise Xis’s suspicion, and passing through his territory will beco much more difficult."
"I know. We’ll set out first thing tomorrow."
Hai Ge had planned to persuade Lu Hong to leave that very night, but seeing his determined tone, he no longer insisted, nodded his head, and left the room.
Once Hai Ge departed, Lu Hong brought the dicine to the girl again, "You’re safe now. All the beastn in this outpost have been cleared out; no one will persecute you anymore. Which village are you from? I can take you back."
Hearing Lu Hong’s words, the girl was sowhat confused. Cleared out? Could it be that this human wasn’t a lackey of the beastn? Not a traitor of the Human Race?
She carefully recalled the conversation from when the other human had walked in; it seed to be true? He really killed all the beastn here?
Did I misjudge him?
Upon realizing she had mistrusted a good person, the girl’s expression panicked, her eyes filled with apology. When she saw Lu Hong’s still bleeding shoulder, she felt even more like crying.
Seeing the girl about to cry, Lu Hong quickly put down the dicine and once more pulled her into his embrace, softly consoling her.
This ti, the girl didn’t thrash about but quietly lay in Lu Hong’s arms.
Slling the scent of Lu Hong, the girl felt a long-missed calmness. This scent, just like that of her father, was pleasant and reassuring.
Before long, the girl had fallen back to sleep.
Lu Hong, not having the heart to wake the girl, maintained the position and entered ditation.
As the first light of dawn gently caressed the tranquil face of the girl, still with sparkling teardrops at her eyes, her eyelids fluttered, and she awakened from the dream.
The thought of being embraced by a stranger all night caused a blush to rise on the girl’s pale face.
Feeling the movent beside him, Lu Hong also opened his eyes and gave the girl a slight smile, "You’re awake, huh?"
The girl quickly turned her head away, but then felt it was rude, and slowly faced Lu Hong again, giving a small nod.
"Are you hungry?"
Seeing the girl nod again, Lu Hong picked her up, "Co on, I’ll take you to get sothing to eat."
The two left the squad leader’s bedroom and entered the outpost hall, where Hai Ge and the Clan’s warriors still lay sound asleep on the ground, snoring thunderously.
No ditation?
Lu Hong glanced at the empty bottles on the ground. Hmm! Understood.
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