Chapter 40 Seize the Opportunity to Loot Corpses and Pick Up Attributes!

The Battle of Juyong Pass!

The cruelty and brutality of this battle were clearly visible to the naked eye.

Corpses were everywhere, and rivers of blood flowed across the ground. The air was thick with a pungent, sickening stench of carnage.

This battle!

As the attacking and defending forces, the Yan army inevitably suffered heavy casualties. Naturally, after breaking into the pass, the close-quarters combat between the two sides was equally brutal. The cruelty of the battle, marked by the blood and gore of hand-to-hand fighting, was apparent for all to see upon entering the pass.

However.

Qiu Fu and the other generals were veterans of many wars, and the corpses scattered all along their path could not faze them.

At this moment.

The sounds of killing within the pass had gradually subsided. Aside from the Yan army soldiers patrolling and finishing off remaining enemies, many others were searching through the piles of corpses for their own surviving brothers-in-arms. Those found alive were immediately sent to the medical camp for treatment, while the enemy soldiers were not so fortunate. Those severely wounded were given no chance of recovery; instead, the Yan army granted them a quick end.

Since they were enemies on the battlefield, engaged in a mortal struggle, it was impossible to waste precious medicinal herbs on saving them.

At present, Zhu Di was still constrained by the imperial court; everything in Beiping Prefecture was under blockade, and medical supplies were exceptionally scarce.

As for the lightly wounded, they were directly captured and sent to the prisoner-of-war camp to await disposition.

The entire interior of the pass was a hive of activity.

"This battle!"

"It was truly far more brutal than the skirmishes of the past few days."

"Song Zhong's desperate defense this time caused our army heavy losses indeed."

Looking at the tragic scene within the pass, Qiu Fu could not help but wear a grim expression.

The forces under Zhu Di's command were limited; every man who died was one less, and even recruiting new soldiers could not yield troops with the combat prowess of these battle-hardened veterans.

"The casualties this time are bound to be substantial."

"After all, Song Zhong was commanding in person."

"Fortunately, we won in the end," Zhang Yu said with a hint of emotional resonance.

"Pass down my orders."

"Spare no effort in tallying our casualties and the spoils of war."

"As for those officers within the Beiping army who previously surrendered to the wicked eunuchs and held the rank of company commander or above, round them all up. Once their names are recorded, execute every single one of them. Their ancestral homes and families, if located within Beiping Prefecture, shall all be demoted to slave status—the males made into slaves, and the females dispatched to the Ministry of Rites' pleasure quarters."

"Treat the wounded with all our strength."

"Order the mess cooks to set up stoves and prepare the evening meal immediately," Qiu Fu commanded the nearby officers without hesitation.

"This subordinate obeys," the officer respectfully acknowledged and quickly withdrew.

As for these punitive measures, Qiu Fu naturally showed no mercy.

Those who followed Zhu Di were now engaged in rebellion that would result in the extermination of nine familial generations; once defeated, their fate would be even more gruesome.

Moreover, those officers above the rank of company commander who had originally belonged to the Beiping army could not be spared. They had been cultivated by the imperial court, and using them was too risky.

Furthermore, once they were dealt with, the subsequent reorganization would free up numerous official posts to reward the soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle.

"Let's go."

"To the yamen."

Having made his arrangements, Qiu Fu immediately set off toward the Juyong Pass yamen.

Today's battle was such that the deeper one went into the pass, the more corpses piled up, and the more tragic the scene became.

The casualties of both sides in this battle definitely exceeded thirty thousand.

It was nothing short of a frantic, life-or-death slaughter!

Inside the Juyong Pass yamen!

A large crowd of disarmed prisoners knelt on the ground, guarded by Yan army soldiers.

Meanwhile, seizing this opportunity, Zhu Zheng gripped his sword and strolled casually through the piles of corpses.

As always.

To outsiders, this showed Zhu Zheng's extreme "caution" in ensuring no enemy soldiers were playing dead.

Only Zhu Zheng knew that he was seizing the opportunity to harvest attributes. After all, now that the major battle had concluded, the logistics troops were gradually entering the pass, and to prevent pestilence, these corpses—and even the pools of blood—would soon be cleared away. Therefore, Zhu Zheng naturally grasped the chance to gather attributes and strengthen himself.

Of course.

Aside from attributes, he could also pick up money and life span.

Looting a single corpse yielded silver and several days of life span; such temptation was impossible for Zhu Zheng to resist.

"Brother Zhu."

"You are simply too amazing."

"Xiang Yu, whose might once uprooted mountains, and Li Yuanba, the greatest hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties, probably couldn't compare to you."

"Of the enemy generals guarding this pass, their commander-in-chief was cut down by your hand, along with three assistant regional commanders—and all of this amidst chaotic waves of enemy troops."

"Little brother is filled with boundless admiration."

As Zhu Zheng wove through the sea of corpses, a tail-like figure followed closely behind him—none other than Zhu Gaoxiu.

Looking at Zhu Gaoxiu, one could see his gaze toward Zhu Zheng brimming with awe and fanaticism.

In modern terms, he was the ultimate fanboy.

"Enough."

"The battle is over, go get some proper rest."

"I'll walk around a bit more to make sure nobody is playing dead."

Hearing Zhu Gaoxiu chattering nonstop along the way, Zhu Zheng said helplessly.

"It's fine."

"I'm not tired. I'll follow Brother Zhu to help finish off any survivors." Although Zhu Gaoxiu was indeed exhausted, he believed he could learn things by following Zhu Zheng and refused to miss such an opportunity.

Seeing this, Zhu Zheng could not be bothered to argue further.

He continued looting corpses.

He continued gathering attributes.

"Picked up 1 point of stamina, 3 taels of white silver, 4 days of life span."

"Picked up 1 point of strength, 2 taels of white silver, 1 day of life span."

"Picked up 1 point of agility, 4 taels of white silver, 5 days of life span."

...

The system prompts chimed endlessly.

Zhu Zheng naturally found them endlessly pleasant.

Inside his spatial storage, silver was now piled high like a small mountain, accompanied by a considerable amount of gold.

These were the fundamental assets Zhu Zheng would use to build his own sphere of influence in the future.

No matter the era, being penniless made one completely helpless.

After a short while.

"General Qiu has arrived!"

"General Zhang has arrived!"

Two loud shouts echoed, followed closely by the arrival of Qiu Fu and Zhang Yu, both clad in full battle armor and flanked by numerous personal guards, as they slowly stepped into the yamen.

"The battle inside this yamen was even more brutal than outside!"

Qiu Fu swept his gaze across the room and spoke slowly.

"Reporting to General Qiu."

"Song Zhong made his final stand against our army right here within this yamen."

"Song Zhong possessed no small talent for commanding troops, so naturally, it was somewhat brutal," Zhang Yu said in a deep voice.

Qiu Fu nodded, his gaze scanning the area, and immediately asked: "Where is Zhu Zheng?"

Hearing his name called, Zhu Gaoxiu excitedly chimed in: "Brother Zhu, General Qiu is calling for you."

"Go on over quickly."

"You've performed so many meritorious deeds this time; you're bound to receive promotions and rewards again."

Zhu Gaoxiu said this, genuinely happy for Zhu Zheng from the bottom of his heart.

Hearing this, Zhu Zheng snapped back to reality. He sheathed his sword, looked toward where Qiu Fu stood, and strode forward to meet him.

"This subordinate Zhu Zheng pays respects to General Qiu."

"Pays respects to General Zhang."

Approaching them, Zhu Zheng bowed deeply to both Qiu Fu and Zhang Yu.

As Zhu Zheng walked toward them, Qiu Fu's gaze locked onto him. Seeing the blood of battle staining Zhu Zheng's entire body, a flash of profound amazement crossed the general's eyes!