Tong Shuxue had sent out five robots. Ling Jiu and Ling Shi were monitoring the outside in real time. Within a three-kilometer radius, there were aggressive-looking animals in three different directions, along with several smaller creatures that did not appear hostile.
Tong Shuxue waved toward Mo Shen and walked out into the valley beyond the cave hall.
“With so many people, how are you solving the food problem?”
Mo Shen replied somewhat awkwardly: “We all brought dry rations with us, but we are running low. Could we send some people out hunting?”
Tong Shuxue nodded.
“That was exactly what I was planning. Send out twelve men and split them into two teams. I’ll assign two people to guide them. My people know where the animals are, so hunting will be more efficient.”
Once the hunting teams were organized, Ling Liu and Ling Qi each took charge of a group.
In the modern world, many wild animals were protected by law, but there was no need to worry about that here.
Tong Shuxue instructed Ling Liu and Ling Qi that as long as the animals were not poisonous, they could kill them. With this many mouths to feed, a few large animals were necessary.
After discussing and dividing their hunting areas, the two robots led the groups out of the cave.
Tong Shuxue felt like an old nanny. She could have ignored these people entirely, but she was worried they would recklessly attract the enemy again.
Before the hunting teams returned, Ling Si came back first, dragging along a wild boar. It was an unexpected delight.
Most of Zhao Jingyuan’s men were resting inside the cave with their eyes closed. Mo Shen ordered four men to carry the boar to a spot farther from the pond to skin and butcher it.
After handing the boar over to Zhao Jingyuan’s men, Ling Si unzipped his jacket and revealed the display screen.
“Major General, there is a cave around five kilometers east in the mountain range. The cave hall is large, there is a pond in front of the entrance, and even if a fire is lit inside, there is no danger of causing a forest fire from excessive heat.”
Tong Shuxue examined the map. This mountain range really was enormous. Judging from the explored area shown on the map, the range stretched for at least over ten kilometers.
“Good. We’ll use that cave.”
Tong Shuxue checked her watch. It was currently ten in the morning.
She had adjusted the time on the watch according to the position of the sun. It might not be perfectly accurate, but the difference should not exceed an hour.
They needed to move immediately. If they were going to burn the corpses in that cave, Mo Shen would still have to send people to guard the site afterward. Their speed could not compare to the robots.
When Tong Shuxue turned around, she saw Mo Shen staring open-mouthed at the holographic display floating before Ling Si. Clearly, he had been shocked once again.
Tong Shuxue raised a brow. He still had not gotten used to it.
“Mo Shen, come here.”
Mo Shen truly had been startled again. The moment Tong Shuxue called him, his body reacted instinctively, and his right hand swiftly gripped the sword hilt at his waist.
Ling Shi, who stood behind Tong Shuxue, immediately raised an arm. With a flick of the hand, a long blade sprang out from the sleeve.
Tong Shuxue paid little attention to Mo Shen’s reaction and repeated calmly,
“Mo Shen, come here. I have a task for you.”
Mo Shen shuddered and instantly broke out in cold sweat again.
Damn it. What had gone wrong with his brain just now?
If Miss Tong wanted them dead, they would have no chance of survival at all. What exactly had he been afraid of?
He released the sword hilt, strode forward several steps, and knelt on one knee before Tong Shuxue with clasped fists.
“Miss Tong, my apologies. I acted impulsively just now. I meant no disrespect toward you. I have simply never seen such things before, so I overreacted for a moment.”
Tong Shuxue curved her lips faintly.
“It’s fine. Get up.”
She pointed toward the cave marked on the holographic screen.
“There’s a fairly large cave here. Later, send two people to accompany me. I’m going to move those five or six hundred corpses there and burn them. Your men will stay behind to guard the site until the fire dies out. Also, have you decided whether your fallen brothers will be cremated or buried?”
Mo Shen had originally intended to find a place to bury them, but Zhao Jingyuan’s condition earlier had been too poor, so he had not yet asked for instructions.
Zhao Jingyuan’s voice came from inside the cave hall.
“Cremate them. Sorry to trouble you, Miss Tong.”
Hearing his voice, Tong Shuxue and Mo Shen walked back into the cave hall. Ling Si zipped up his jacket and followed them inside.
Mo Shen crouched beside Zhao Jingyuan.
“My Lord, you’re awake. Are you feeling any better?”
Zhao Jingyuan nodded. From his complexion alone, Tong Shuxue could already tell his fever had risen again.
“Your master has a fever again. Are you really not planning to drag a doctor here to treat him? Maybe he can still be saved.”
The wound had not been properly treated, and the fever medicine could only suppress the symptoms temporarily. Repeated fevers were unavoidable.
Tong Shuxue’s words were not advice. They were a test.
Seeing how Zhao Jingyuan could not move his limbs, combined with what those yamen runners had said during their first meeting about his limbs being crippled, his injuries were definitely severe. If he was not treated soon, forget the fever subsiding—even whether he would survive was uncertain.
Zhao Jingyuan understood his own condition clearly. The medicine Tong Shuxue had given him did help somewhat, but it was nowhere near enough to improve his injuries.
He smiled bitterly.
“There’s no need to drag a doctor into this. Coming here would only lead them to death.”
If an ordinary physician came to treat his wounds, they could not possibly be allowed to leave afterward if they wanted to avoid exposure. Even if they did let the doctor go, once the person in the Imperial Capital discovered it, the doctor would still end up dead.
Zhao Jingyuan genuinely did not want to implicate innocent people.
Mo Shen and the others had suggested capturing a physician before, but since Zhao Jingyuan refused, they did not dare make decisions on their own.
Gao Fei silently took out the medicine Tong Shuxue had provided, but Tong Shuxue stopped him before he could remove the pills.
“The fever medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine can only be taken once every half day. Gao Fei, use a wet cloth to repeatedly wipe your Prince’s forehead, neck, and limbs to lower his temperature. Don’t let his brain get cooked.”
Zhao Jingyuan tugged the corner of his mouth.
“Mo Shen, send two men to follow Miss Tong’s orders. As for our people… bring their ashes back.”
He was referring to the more than seventy fallen brothers. Back on the battlefield, whenever conditions allowed, they would always bring their dead comrades home.
Ling Si carried Tong Shuxue toward the cave he had discovered, while the two men Mo Shen assigned followed closely behind.
There were no trees near the cave entrance, and a small pond sat directly beside it. It truly was an excellent place for cremation.
The cave hall was enormous. Tong Shuxue removed all the corpses from the dimensional space and had Ling Si pour bottle after bottle of medical alcohol over them.
With the alcohol accelerating the flames, the corpses ignited quickly.
The four of them retreated outside the cave, but Tong Shuxue did not immediately return to the valley.
Smoke billowed from the cave as the bodies burned. She intended to make sure no other accidents occurred before leaving.
Tong Shuxue sat down on a rock beside the pond and beckoned toward the two men Mo Shen had sent.
“Why are you standing there? It’ll take at least two hours before everything burns completely.”
The two young men both appeared to be under twenty years old. The one called Qin Feng seemed lively by nature, while the one named Zuo Shi was steadier and more composed.
After following Zhao Jingyuan through these recent days, neither of them had rested well. Faint dark circles shadowed their eyes.
Even so, when Tong Shuxue told them to sit, they still did not dare. They merely moved to a spot about three paces away from her.
Zuo Shi cupped his fists respectfully.
“Does Miss Tong have any instructions?”
Tong Shuxue pointed toward the rocks by the pond.
“Aren’t you tired from standing? Sit down. Otherwise, I’ll have to keep tilting my head up to talk to you.”