127 Big Changes in the Wes (1/2)

The last of the airborne debris pattered to the ground creating shadows through the fading wedges of the evening sunshine. The day became gloomy, sunlight was being strangled by the thick blanket of dust still floating in the air.

The lingering dust-cloud whirled and swirled mimicking the pattern of the chaotic wind. Occasionally letting through streaks of sunshine but most of the time blotting out the orange-coloured sky overhead.

Silence reigned again in the once peaceful and tranquil mountainous region.

Those who could escape with their lives were long gone, too traumatised to even look backwards.

Those who couldn't escape were laid silent and lifeless, mangled within the destruction at the entrance to the western hills.

In the calm aftermath of the frenetic battle, people started to pop out from western hills like moles leaving their underground habitat. Scouting to make sure the battle was truly over and the enemy had fled. One by one eyes bulged and mouths gaped as the soldiers got their first glimpse of the scene.

What greeted them was the devastated land laid bare before their glazed and shocked eyes. Several people gasped in horror, the rest were too stunned to utter a sound.

The land was ploughed naked, missing every single tree for at least two miles. Massive craters, chunks of dirt wrenched from the earth and boulders of all sizes were scattered everywhere.

The epicentre of the destruction was a massive crater at least five times the size of the others, inside it was scorched black and still smouldering with smoke and soot dancing in the air.

A gully ten meters deep ran from the entrance and off a mile into the distance, but worse of all were the mutilated dead bodies filling every nook and cranny.

The faces of the dead told the silent story of their horrifying ordeal and terror at their moment of passing. The death toll was in the thousands at least.

As people gathered to discuss and survey the destruction at the entrance, they also inwardly mourned the soldiers from their own side who had been too slow in retreat from the frontlines.

Even though the losses of the western hills weren't as catastrophic as the noble's army trapped in the flats down below, they still couldn't be considered light losses.

Several dozen defenders were crushed to death and laid splayed in the periphery of the hills. The mood became sombre and depressing like the new landscape.

The victory over the armies of the invading nobles had been valiantly fought and won, but now it felt somewhat hollow. It was a classic case of: In war, not even the winners win.

”It looks bad down here, how is this possible, how can a Saint sneak attack a mortal man? Have these people no shame.” Fu Qian was obviously flustered as he spoke, the sight he was looking at sent shivers through his body.

The experienced Qin Li didn't pay much attention to the carnage. ”Have you seen Hartley,” he rushed forward and barked a question.

”The last time I saw him he was over there.” Fu Qian pointed to the massive blackened crater. ”But I didn't stick around long enough to see where he went after that.”

Qin Li hurriedly hustled a group of elites from House Hartley and instructed them to fan out and search for Hartley through the rubble. If he was injured under debris he wanted to find him as quick as possible.

The looks in the eyes of the search-party revealed anxiety and helplessness, they would need days to search through the rubble and remains of destruction on this scale. If Hartley was injured under the debris, it could be a week before they located him. Would he even be alive by then?

Since the ending of the battle and the withdrawal of the enemy, no one had seen a glimpse of Hartley. These were worrying times.

Fu Jianu still armed with her bow tried to keep up with Zhi Ruo, The girl's eyes were wide and unblinking as she tried her best to remain stoic passing the shredded and scattered bodies of the enemy. She struggled to stay in step with Zhi Ruo on the bumpy hole-riddled earth as they walked across the scene.

Zhi Ruo on the other hand, moved with dainty steps effortlessly over the battered terrain, the two women were surrounded by a ring of well equipped elites from House Hartley and a few hundred of Viscount Sanzu's men, her dress danced to the whims of the wind and anxiety was permanently tattooed in her expression. She couldn't help feeling that this whole event was on account of her.

Hartley had instructed her to stay at the manor and await his return but how could she? After witnessing the scene and not seeing any sign of her husband, her mood was dark. She had to come and personally search the rubble giving orders to the contingent around her as they toured the scorched earth looking for signs of life.

The common people living in the western hills heard of the victory and came flocking to the scene to witness it with their own eyes. Shocked and awed by the sight of violent destruction, they broke out in manic discussions.

When people got wind that Hartley was missing and might be injured among the rubble, they braved the horrific scenes of blood and slaughter and rushed down with all the medicines they could put together, forcefully breaking through the lines of soldiers who had quarantined the site and clawed at the rubble with bare hands.

To them, Hartley was a benefactor who had saved them from certain hardships and doom at the hands of the nobles. They had to find and attend to the young lord if there was any possibility to be of help.

The soldiers could not stop the flood of well wishers and at this point in time they were not motivated to.

The people of the western hills were former no-hopers merely scrounging and scraping to survive the misery of being born as commoners. With Hartley now missing the hope for the future that they had cultivated within their hearts plummeted to the depths of despair. It was worst the thing they could imagine....

A platoon of galloping horses approached the western hills at brisk pace, about a mile from reaching their destination, they discovered the roads were destroyed by craters and gullies, large rocks spread across the road and groups of bloodied, battered and unarmed soldiers were desperately flooding in the opposite direction.

The men passed in silence, visible shocked and frightened, sporting soulless eyes, not paying any attention to the group of mounted-men going against the tide of human traffic.

A further half a mile and the terrain got so bad that the horses couldn't move in a straight line through the minefield of craters.

A slither of the setting sun was peeking over a mountain in the distant.