Chapter 113, Funeral and Battle Report

Translator: StarReader

 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, it painted Vast Lake in hues of red.

 

On West Cave Mountain Island, the battle was nearing its end. The martial alliance chased after scattered pirates, hunting them down across the mountainside.

 

Su Chen scanned the surrounding lakes but found no sign of Liu Hong or Li Biao fleeing by boat. Their whereabouts were temporarily unknown.

 

He couldn’t help but feel irritated.

 

The island wasn’t large, but neither was it small. Its ten-plus mile radius held several towering mountains, vast ancient forests, marshes, and reed swamps—making the search for a few escapees challenging.

 

Worse still, this was Liu Hong’s long-standing haven. There were likely numerous hidden tunnels where they could easily hide out.

 

Soon enough, one of Whale Gang’s pirate leaders surrendered to the water army, revealing knowledge of a large granary and many secret tunnels on the island. He suspected that leader Liu Hong and his men had escaped into those tunnels.

 

Upon receiving this news, the soldiers rejoiced. They immediately dispatched runners to inform Governor Zhao Juzhen while they followed the captured pirate leader into the tunnel, flames in hand.

 

“Governor Zhao! Found them!”

 

“The granary is intact, with plenty of supplies. The fire has been extinguished.”

 

“We found a pile of burned bodies—about thirty of them. Among them, one had Liu Hong’s obsidian blade, and another held Li Biao’s weapon. But the flames have left their faces unrecognizable.”

 

Su Chen, Zhao Juzhen, Li Shuo, and other Grandmasters gathered around the granary tunnel to examine the charred corpses.

 

“Master Su, could you perhaps identify these remains?” Zhao Juzhen asked.

 

“It’s hard to tell. Perhaps they are, perhaps not.” Su Chen shook his head.

 

These corpses were burnt to the bone, the heat too intense for him to discern if the two bodies were indeed those of Liu Hong and Li Biao.

 

“It could be that they willingly chose to end their lives,” Su Chen continued. “Or perhaps it’s a ruse to escape.”

 

Governor Zhao felt awkward with this inconclusive result.

 

“Liu Hong’s Middle Dantian has been destroyed. Even if he faked his death, where could he flee?” Su Chen declared. “We’ve blockaded West Cave Mountain Island with our naval forces. We’ll continue the hunt for Liu Hong and Li Biao until they have no hope left.”

 

“I obey, Immortal!” Zhao hurriedly bowed. “I’ll immediately issue a court warrant and announce it across the martial world. A reward of ten thousand silver will be offered for their capture, even if we must chase them to the ends of the earth!”

 

…

 

At the foot of the hill by Vastest Lake stood Fei Xingchou’s grave. Su Chen brought the heads of the three bandit leaders and paid his respects at Ah Chou’s tomb.

 

Heaven Falcon Group’s leader, Han Ya, and Young Leader Han Shu, along with Manager Liu, returned to the island. They stood solemnly before Ah Chou’s grave, jointly paying a grand tribute for their fallen hero. After some time, everyone left except Han Shu. She remained behind, her face pale, biting her lip as she whispered, “I’m sorry; I bear much responsibility for Ah Chou’s death.”

 

“He died pursuing his martial dream, becoming a legendary hero in the Wu Region. That was his lifelong wish, not yours to blame,” Su Chen replied, shaking his head.

 

“Ah Chou, we were once poor and unknown. Even after becoming experts, we didn’t get to enjoy it for long. On your seventh day, I’ll burn some gold and paper money for you. Down there, spend it as you like!”

 

Su Chen looked at the tombstone, his expression filled with sorrow. He remembered their days training in the City God Temple outside the county, discussing martial arts, and dreaming of future glory.

 

But now, across the vast Wu Region’s martial world, he had no one left to talk to. His heart ached, and he was silent for a long time.

 

The battle on West Cave Mountain was over. There was still Ah Chou’s unspoken wish left unsettled.

 

Su Chen turned around and left Vastest Lake, heading towards Gusu City.

 

Daoist Han Shan and many other second-rate Daoist experts were all wiped out at West Cave Mountain Island on Vastest Lake. Now, there were only a few dozen third-rate Daoists left at the Han Mountain Daoist Temple.

 

The news of Daoist Han Shan’s rebellion, Whale Gang’s, White Lotus Society’s, and Han Shan’s defeat has just been brought back to Gusu City by Heaven Falcon Group disciples, causing great shock. The young Daoists were all shaken and hurriedly packed their belongings to flee.

 

Su Chen arrived at the front of the Daoist temple, his eyes cold and frosty as he held a torch aloft and set fire to the Han Mountain Daoist Temple.

 

…

 

After an entire night, officials, water army soldiers, and martial disciples cleared the West Cave Mountain Island battlefield, capturing many pirates and White Lotus Society disciples.

 

“Lord Zhao,” they reported, “The three main pirate chiefs have been killed. Han Shan’s demonic cultivators have committed suicide; Founder Mao decapitated himself on the lakeshore. Only Liu Hong and Li Biao are believed to have died by self-immolation, their remains indistinguishable.”

 

Zhao Juzhen listened impassively before giving orders: “Have the corpses of Han Mountain’s demonic cultivators and Mao Ziyuan wrapped in straw mats and sent to the capital as prisoners. Also, build a water army camp on this island to continue hunting down any remaining pirates and protect West Cave Mountain Island from further pirate threats.”

 

“One more thing,” Zhao Juzhen added, “those colorful devil talismans are dangerous; they could catch fire if handled carelessly. Have them collected in a box and sent to Immortal Su for safekeeping. He should know how to deal with them.”

 

Lastly, a detailed battle report was prepared to accurately record each participant’s contribution and merit.

 

This detailed battle report, tallied by the armored soldiers and officials, was handed to Governor Zhao Juzhen for his personal review to confirm the final results. This report must be submitted to the court for the Emperor’s personal inspection; there could be no room for error.

 

After the Whale Gang’s annihilation, the various martial groups in the Wu Region planned to jointly divide its territory. Of course, this couldn’t be done arbitrarily. A widely accepted report, ranking achievements, was needed to fairly divide territories and spoils of war. Otherwise, uneven division might cause dissent and unnecessary martial strife.

 

Individual Merit List:

 

Su Chen single-handedly defeated Daoist Han Shan, White Lotus Society’s Mao Ziyuan, and Whale Gang’s Liu Hong. He led the charge against Vastest Lake Whale Gang’s rebellion, resulting in the deaths of three Grandmasters, saving the day. Immortal Su’s role in crushing the Whale Gang was undeniably the first major achievement.

 

Li Shuo, leader of the Caravan Guards, ranked second. In Northern Swamp, he eliminated thirty White Lotus thugs, preventing significant casualties among the allied forces. After Han Mountain’s rebellion by a sorcerer, Li Shuo guided the remaining eight thousand allied disciples to retreat from Misty Peak and held ground at Vastest Lake, earning him considerable merit.

 

Sun Baihong, Medicine King, ranks third. Using his unique skills on Vastest Lake, he wiped out Water Devil Hall’s thousand water devils without losing a single soldier, heavily damaging the pirates’ forces.

 

Han Pingshan of the Iron Sword Group ranks fourth. As the vanguard, he fell into an ambush at Misty Peak and died in action. He was the only Gandmaster and one of the four leaders to perish during this battle.

 

Han Ya of Heaven Falcon Group’s merit stood fifth. Amidst the chaos, he assassinated hundreds of pirates and White Lotus disciples, disrupting their ranks. However, he was injured by Daoist Han Shan’s Fireball Talisman before completing his mission.

 

Ah Chou of Heaven Falcon Group ranked sixth. He shielded hundreds of Heaven Falcon disciples as they escaped, giving his life in battle. Yet, this merit went unclaimed upon his death.

 

The remaining warriors’ merits were considerably lower, each with their own achievements ranked accordingly.

 

Simply killing a single martial disciple earned at least ten silver taels as a reward.

 

Governor Zhao Juzhen himself was not listed among these merits. Successfully destroying the Whale Gang alone was a significant achievement. This battle’s report would be submitted to the court, and the Emperor’s praise was inevitable, making his inclusion superfluous.

 

“Where’s Immortal Su now?”

 

“Unknown. Some have seen him and a Heaven Falcon Group disciple paying respects at Ah Chou’s grave, then leaving the Vastest Lake for Gusu County City. No one knows what they’re up to.”

 

“Quick, send someone to find him! The first merit in hunting down the rebels here will earn you thousands of silver from the court. I’ll make sure it goes directly to him.”

 

“Yes, sir!”

 

Magistrate Wang quickly orders his men to search Gusu City.

 

The Iron Sword Group’s Han Pingshan lay in a coffin along with eight hundred others. They were carried back towards Gusu City.

 

Li Shuo consoled the young master, standing beside the cold coffin. His heart sinks as he sighs silently. Time and time again, old comrades fall on the martial path. Few remained.

 

Zhao Juzhen saw Li Shuo’s melancholic figure and called out, “General Li Shuo! Wait!”

 

Li Shuo starts, coldly replying, “I’m no longer a general, Lord Zhao.”

 

Zhao Juzhen said, “You left the Western Area with grievances. I understand your resentment, General Li. But in the martial world, you’re limited to personal heroics. Your skills could lead armies, yet here they’re wasted.

 

“The empire is in chaos; the court needs capable people. The Emperor misses his old general. Why not return to the West, where you truly belong? Make history and earn respect!”

 

Li Shuo’s hand trembled as he sighed deeply, then silently mounted his horse and left with his caravan guards.

 

His heart remained heavy despite Zhao’s words. He wouldn’t have wandered the Wu Region martial world for years if it were so easy to forget his past.

 

Zhao Juzhen watched Li Shuo ride away, sighing silently to himself. Patience was needed to ease such deep-seated resentment.

 

“Report! Governor, the Jiang Province Chancellor, Lord Wang Shoucheng, has arrived with the imperial envoy.” Suddenly, a messenger hurried in to report. Zhao Juzhen’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but scoff inwardly.

 

He’d wager that this imperial envoy had been watching from afar, waiting for the outcome of the raid before revealing himself. Now that the battle at Vastest Lake was won, he was eager to show his face and claim any rewards. But Zhao knew better than to offend an emperor’s eunuch.

 

“Let’s go,” Zhao said, leading the magistrate and other Wu Region officials to greet the imperial envoy. “We must welcome His Lordship!”