Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

The darkness before dawn is the deepest; even the chirping of summer insects seems to have been completely frightened away by the earth-shattering battle of the day, leaving utter silence. Only near the Wild Wolf Valley Pass and along the road leading south back to the main battlefield, specks of fire, like stars fallen to earth, outline the busy figures of the Starfire Fortress army clearing the battlefield throughout the night.

Shortly after Murong Mingyue led her pursuing troops to establish a perimeter and take a brief rest at the valley entrance, Chen Xing personally led the central army and a large number of auxiliary soldiers, artisans, medical personnel, and other follow-up personnel to the scene. He did not linger at the relatively safe valley entrance, but instead crossed the defensive line directly and stepped into the core battlefield, where the two armies had fought fiercely during the day, now shrouded in night and death.

The air was thick with a suffocating stench. The intense stench of blood seemed to have solidified, mingling with the earthy smell of soil repeatedly trampled and turned up, the faint sweet stench of corpses before they began to decompose, and the lingering smoke of dying embers. The flickering torchlight illuminated only a limited area, making the corpses and broken weapons in the shadows appear even more gruesome and terrifying.

Chen Xing rode slowly through this carnage on horseback. His face appeared pale in the firelight, but his eyes remained calm. The scene before him was several times more horrific than he had worst imagined. As far as the eye could see, there was hardly a patch of intact land; corpses lay scattered everywhere, layer upon layer, so many sections required clearing to pass through. Blood soaked the dry yellow earth, forming patches of dark red, sticky mud. Broken weapons, shattered shields, scattered arrows, discarded military caps and boots, and even some worthless personal belongings that had rolled off the corpses, were mixed in with the carnage.

Most of the corpses belonged to the Black Mountain Army. Their deaths varied: some were pierced by spears, some cleaved in two by swords and axes, some pinned to the ground by crossbow bolts, and many more were trampled to death or slashed from behind during their rout, their faces frozen in terror and despair. Occasionally, the remains of Starfire Fortress soldiers could be seen, often lying where they had fought the enemy, surrounded by several enemy corpses, their weapons still clutched tightly in their hands even in death.

Chen Xing did not dismount, but watched silently. Behind him, Chen Wei, Wu Xuejiu, Li Shu, and others followed silently, their expressions equally solemn. Further away, a large number of auxiliary soldiers and hastily mobilized fortified villagers, under the command of officers and foremen, had begun to work in an orderly manner.

The cleanup was carried out in sections. First, the bodies of fallen soldiers were carefully collected. This task was undertaken by veterans and clerks assigned by each battalion. They carried torches, meticulously identifying each body clad in Xinghuobao armor, recording their names and unit affiliations. Then, auxiliary soldiers carefully carried the bodies to a pre-designated, relatively clean open area on the south side of the battlefield using makeshift stretchers or door panels. Dozens of temporary tents had been erected there as a place for the bodies to be laid to rest and for initial preparation. Wang Jian, leading the entire medical team, disregarded their exhaustion, conducted a final check and registration of all the bodies brought back, also dealing with the wounded who had just died from their injuries. The atmosphere was solemn and sorrowful, occasionally punctuated by suppressed sobs—the sound of soldiers recognizing familiar comrades among the corpses.

The disposal of the Black Mountain Army corpses was much simpler and more brutal. The auxiliary soldiers used long poles and ropes to drag the bodies to designated large pits, where they were sorted and piled up. Corpses wearing relatively intact leather armor or bearing officer insignia were separated for later calculation of potential "general-slaying" merits and to obtain better equipment. The corpses of ordinary soldiers were simply piled up. The air began to fill with the smell of quicklime, a measure to prevent disease during the later burial.

Another important task was collecting spoils of war. This was personally supervised by Zhou Dashan, who led a team of shrewd and meticulous auxiliary soldiers and artisans. They combed through the battlefield like a comb, leaving nothing of value untouched. Intact weapons, armor, shields, bows, crossbows, and arrows were categorized and cataloged; damaged items were gathered aside for the accompanying artisans to make a preliminary assessment of their repair value. The grain carts and supply wagons abandoned by the Black Mountain Army were also inventoried one by one, and grain, fodder, salt, cloth, and even small amounts of gold and silver coins were carefully collected. Many Black Mountain soldiers also had looted valuables hidden on their persons, which were also found and handed over.

The handling of prisoners was relatively complicated. More than four hundred Black Mountain soldiers were captured on the battlefield, most of them intercepted during their retreat or captured due to injuries that rendered them unable to move. They were held in several makeshift camps enclosed by vehicles and spears, heavily guarded by fully armed soldiers. Most of the prisoners were numb, still terrified, and some of the wounded groaned in pain. Wang Jian's medical team was limited in manpower, prioritizing the treatment of their own wounded. For the seriously wounded prisoners, they could only provide basic first aid and bandaging; many were destined not to survive the night. How to deal with these prisoners would be a problem that Chen Xing needed to decide quickly.

Li Shu, along with his team of secretaries, shuttled between various cleanup areas and statistical points, constantly recording, verifying, and summarizing. His face looked haggard from staying up late and being tense, but his eyes were unusually focused and bright. Preliminary results were gradually becoming clear under his pen.

As dawn broke and the eastern horizon turned a pale white, dispelling some of the darkness and making the entire battlefield even more horrifying. The cleanup work continued, but the main statistical work was nearing completion.

Chen Xing returned to the central command tent, which had been temporarily set up on a high ground at the edge of the battlefield. Several large tallow candles were lit inside, providing bright light. Chen Wei, Wu Xuejiu, Zhou Dashan, Wang Jian, Li Shu, and others were already waiting there, their faces showing exhaustion, yet also a sense of relief and exhilaration.

"My lord, the preliminary inventory is complete." Li Shu reported clearly, holding a scroll of bamboo slips with still-wet ink. His voice was a little hoarse.

"Speak," Chen Xing said, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Yes." Li Shu unfolded the bamboo slips. "Regarding the casualties: a preliminary count of the Black Mountain Army corpses revealed approximately 1,800 bodies, of which about 40 are suspected to be leaders or officers of various ranks. 437 enemy soldiers were captured, including over 120 seriously wounded and over 300 lightly wounded or unharmed. Regarding the spoils: 27 sets of intact or repairable iron armor, over 400 sets of leather armor, over 2,000 pieces of various weapons such as ring-pommel swords, spears, and maces, 120 bows, over 30 crossbows, and approximately 30,000 arrows. 67 grain carts, 41 of which were fully loaded, mostly with millet and beans, roughly estimated at no less than 600 shi (a unit of dry measure). 5 salt carts, containing approximately 80 shi of salt. Other items such as cloth, medicine, gold, silver, and miscellaneous goods are still being inventoried in detail."

He paused, then continued, "Our losses... The total number of fallen soldiers, as confirmed by each battalion, is 207. Among them, the infantry battalion lost 89 men, the garrison commander lost 54 men, the cavalry archers lost 31 men, and the auxiliary troops and medical team lost 33 men. There were 155 seriously wounded, and countless others were lightly wounded, almost everyone who participated in the battle was injured. Weapons and armor losses were quite significant; the exact number is still being tallied by the craftsmen's battalion."

Silence fell over the tent. The spoils were plentiful, but the loss of 207 comrades who had shared so much with them was forever etched on this land, and the fate of more than 100 seriously wounded soldiers remained unknown. The price was equally heavy.

Chen Xing closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "The fallen soldiers shall be buried with honors at the Martyrs' Cemetery west of the fort, with a monument erected and their names inscribed, and memorial services held throughout the four seasons. Their families shall be provided with the highest level of compensation. Li Shu, you shall personally oversee this and ensure there are no mistakes. The seriously wounded shall be treated with all our might, and no expense shall be spared in providing the necessary medicines. The lightly wounded shall be properly cared for and their merits shall be recorded."

"Yes, sir!" Li Shu solemnly replied.

"The captured weapons and armor should be immediately handed over to the artisan battalion for sorting and repair to replenish our army's losses. Grain and salt are of paramount importance; Zhou Dashan should properly store and safeguard them in the warehouse, ensuring a thorough inventory and that nothing is lost. As for the prisoners..." Chen Xing pondered for a moment, "They should be kept in centralized custody for now, given only the bare minimum of food and water, and the wounded should receive basic medical treatment. Be on high alert; any unusual activity should be dealt with on sight. Specific arrangements will be discussed upon returning to the fortress."

"Furthermore," Chen Xing said, looking at Chen Wei and Wu Xuejiu, "this great victory owes much to the entire army. General Murong's cavalry archery battalion, in particular, achieved a remarkable feat, routing the enemy cavalry, capturing their generals and flags. Commander Chen's infantry formation, steady as a rock, effectively annihilated the enemy's main force, also deserves the greatest credit. Li Shu, immediately begin calculating merits and rewards based on the 'Order of Merit' and everyone's performance in this battle! All participants in this battle must be recorded, including auxiliary soldiers and laborers; no one who contributed should be overlooked!"

"We obey the Lord's command!" everyone responded in unison, their spirits lifted. Clear rewards and punishments were the key to Starfire Fortress's cohesion.

Wu Xuejiu stroked his beard and said, "Lord of the fortress, although we have won this battle, the main force of the Black Mountain Army has not been lost, and they will certainly not give up. Moreover, our army has also needed rest and replenishment after such a hard battle. The most urgent task, in addition to clearing the battlefield and rewarding the meritorious, is to strengthen our defenses to guard against retaliation from the Black Mountain Army. At the same time, we should restore production in the fortress as soon as possible to digest the spoils of war and prepare for a long-term battle."

"What you say is absolutely right, sir." Chen Xing nodded. "Issue the order: except for necessary personnel and guard troops, all other troops shall withdraw to the fortress in batches before noon to rest and regroup. Establish permanent outposts at the entrance to Wild Wolf Valley and around the battlefield, strengthen patrols, and guard against enemy spies or small groups of defeated soldiers. Inside the fortress, starting today, rewards will be distributed according to merit, and a great victory will be announced to reassure the people and boost morale!"

"promise!"

As orders were issued, Starfire Fortress, this massive war machine, began to gradually shift from a state of intense fighting to post-victory reorganization, assimilation, and preparedness.

The morning light illuminated the earth, and also the battlefield, scarred yet brimming with new hope. The smoke of battle gradually dissipated, but the stench of blood lingered. Yet, a brand-new battle flag, stained with the blood of the enemy but also carrying the spirits of its own fallen comrades, was slowly rising on this land, fluttering in the morning sun.

Cleaning up the battlefield is not just about clearing away corpses and spoils; it is also the final summary of a life-or-death struggle, a tribute to the deceased, and a re-anchoring of the future path for the living.

Starfire Fortress survived this ordeal of blood and fire, emerging stronger and more lucid. The road ahead remains fraught with thorns, but at least for now, they can take a short breath, carrying the glory of victory and the lessons learned, before continuing their journey.