Chapter 1360: Cleaning Up the Battlefield

Chapter 1360: Chapter 1360: Cleaning Up the Battlefield

Walking again on the ruined mountain path, due to the unbearable smell, Pei Yan simply switched to the internal breathing system of his face armor. Crowds filled both sides of the road, and cries of distress echoed everywhere. These were the Six Guards soldiers and Embroidered Robe Envoy injured in the explosion’s shockwave. Although the blood mist, which erupted from the fusion of three evil substances, did not have the same immediate destructive effect as direct contact with the body, its power was not to be underestimated. After their protective qi was damaged by the shockwave, many soldiers exposed to the blood mist had immediate reactions; swelling, breaking, and rotting flesh occurred almost instantaneously. Despite the soldiers’ formidable strength and their desperate use of personal qi to treat their wounds, the effects were limited. The wounds repeatedly cracked after healing, which only increased the suffering of these iron-willed men, causing them to groan in agony.

Yet, even so, they dared not relax and let the rot continue, for if left unchecked, the toxins would spread and expose their bones. Fortunately, the poisonous mist had been dispersed, and as the reinforcements arrived, they began to clean up the battlefield. As the injured were gradually carried away, they would presumably be taken back to the Immortal Palace, where specialists could treat their wounds and aid their recovery.

It seemed necessary for Pei Yan to remind Gu Chu to prepare a special protective suit for each Investigation Bureau agent, to serve as the last layer of defense against such poisonous mist. As he watched the wounded being carried away, a thought suddenly emerged in Pei Yan’s mind. Lost in these musings, he walked into the central core of the inner courtyard of the White Deer Institute, where he came to a halt. It wasn’t due to anyone stopping him; rather, it was because the scene was too tragic. The entire academy square was filled with the bodies of those who had fallen in mutual slaughter, leaving Pei Yan with nowhere to step. The injured of the Six Guards Army received the best possible treatment immediately, whereas the surviving Disciples of the White Deer Institute were not as fortunate. Despite also being poisoned, they were heavily injured, captured, and detained while enduring the corrosion of the poison. If they weren’t needed for interrogation, the Six Guards Army might not have bothered saving them, leaving them to perish on their own.

"What’s the current situation?" Pei Yan moved aside for the Embroidered Robe Envoy who were clearing the battlefield, creating a path. He glanced at Mao Xiang, who was commanding operations from the sky, and questioned Xiang Zixiong, who had approached him.

"Mr. Pei, which aspect would you like to inquire about?" Xiang Zixiong, specially assigned to follow Pei Yan’s orders, respectfully responded as he moved closer.

"What about the prisoners? Did anyone escape from the White Deer Institute?"

"To answer your question, sir, we captured some important prisoners, including four Heavenly Dao Elders and seven Asura Path Elders. We have detained nearly a hundred Direct Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples, though the exact count isn’t available yet. Unfortunately, at the last moment, someone managed to solidify a Space Passage, allowing over three hundred people to enter during the chaos. Whether they successfully reached the Blood Asura Realm or were shredded by spatial turbulence remains unknown," Xiang Zixiong reported, covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief to block the foul smell.

"Have we obtained any useful intelligence or substantial spoils of war?" Pei Yan was not surprised by this outcome. In such a brutal battle, hoping there wouldn’t be escapees was unrealistic once the news had gone out. Regarding how the Embroidered Robe Envoy would interrogate the prisoners, that was their business and the Investigation Bureau’s, and he wasn’t interested in asking about it. Thus, he shifted the topic to the war spoils he was curious about.

"We seized five, er...," Xiang Zixiong glanced at the gloves Pei Yan was wearing and quickly corrected himself, "four Divine Artifacts. As for other items, they are being inventoried, but I don’t believe there will be significant finds."

"Why?" Pei Yan turned his head and asked, puzzled.

"Earlier, one of my subordinates conducted a quick interrogation of an Inner Courtyard Disciple. Unlike the core elders, he wasn’t as stubborn. Out of desperation to survive, he confessed everything he knew. According to him, the truly essential resources of the sect had been secretly packed into storage spaces last night and covertly transported by someone. He doesn’t know where they’ve been moved to now. I estimate that by the time we extract precise information, these things will have long been moved to the Blood Asura Realm. As for the more crucial resources that hadn’t been taken away yet, some retreated with the three hundred people to the Blood Asura Realm, and some were intercepted by us. In this situation, finding evidence of White Deer Institute’s collusion with others seems unlikely," Xiang Zixiong speculated.

Pei Yan nodded in agreement with Xiang Zixiong’s analysis. Since the adversary had already transported important materials away, there was no reason to leave behind real evidence of collusion. If any evidence had been left, Pei Yan might suspect its authenticity. Realizing that there was little point in staying, he scanned the battlefield once more before turning to leave with his hands behind his back.

Xiang Zixiong couldn’t determine Pei Yan’s current mood through the face armor that covered his entire face. Watching Pei Yan gradually walk away, Xiang Zixiong hesitated for a moment before making up his mind to catch up with him, lowering his voice as he spoke. "Mr. Pei, there is something I hope you can be aware of."

"What is it? Don’t tell me you want this pair of gloves?" Pei Yan continued to walk down the path, having noticed Xiang Zixiong’s glance at his gloves earlier. He teased with a smile.

"No, no, no!" Xiang Zixiong shook his head vigorously, saying, "In this siege, Mr. Pei’s contributions were immense. Both the Supreme General and our Commander-in-Chief instructed that you don’t need to wait to select spoils of war."

"Then what else is there?"

"Uh, we let a very important person escape."

Pei Yan stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing in anger, as he turned back to face Xiang Zixiong. "Don’t tell me that Zhou Yinnong escaped?"

"Indeed, it’s him!" Xiang Zixiong could feel the pressure emanating from the emotionless face armor, forcing beads of cold sweat on his forehead as he cautiously replied.

"Ha! Haha! Hahahaha!" Upon hearing this, Pei Yan first let out a laugh, then looked to the sky with hands on his hips as his laughter grew louder. By the end, he shook his head and mocked without mercy, "Are you Embroidered Robe Envoy useless? I had discreetly warned Commander-in-Chief Mao about his importance, telling you to monitor him closely, in secret! Regarding the issue at the White Deer Institute, some leeway can be allowed; a few hours’ margin gave them the window to escape. But when the Beast Taming Institute was being eradicated, confirming that the White Deer Institute indeed had problems, I ordered you to send experts to capture him. And yet, he still managed to escape? How did he do it?"

Pei Yan’s enraged questioning drew the attention of the soldiers carrying the wounded along the road, while Xiang Zixiong, looking quite embarrassed, blushed deeply under the reprimand. After a moment, he defended himself, "We are responsible for the failure, but we can’t bear all the blame! Zhou Yinnong’s strength did not match what was reported in the intelligence."