Chapter 28: The Toll of Battle

The Red Scorpion Captain seized the whip with one hand, giving it a gentle tug, and dragged the young officer off his horse, throwing him hard onto the ground. The young officer’s guards were startled and began to draw their guns, apparently preparing to fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots rang out, rhythmic and clear.

Such precise and decisive shooting could not have come from these private soldiers, who hadn’t even lit a single origin node. Before Qian Ye could act, a veteran soldier pulled the trigger, taking out each of the five audacious guards with a single shot.

“Do you want to rebel?” the Captain coldly swept his gaze over the surrounding private soldiers, who were gathering.

The private soldiers looked at each other, but their hands, which were already loading their guns, didn’t stop. Their eyes glinted with a hint of aggression, which confused Qian Ye.

Those who could use origin power and those who couldn’t were as different as sheep and lions. This gap couldn’t be bridged by numbers; a hundred sheep still couldn’t kill a lion. The difference between these private soldiers and the Red Scorpions was even greater than that. Where did they get the courage and confidence to challenge the Red Scorpions?

Could this mission actually be a trap?

Qian Ye seemed to realize something and immediately took his origin rifle from his back, activating the origin power to charge it. In an instant, an origin bullet formed in the chamber. To deal with any powerful adversaries behind the scenes, only an origin gun would be effective.

The young man on the ground had nearly been knocked unconscious, but after a moment, he raised his head and let out a pitiful scream. He watched in horror as the Red Scorpion Captain lowered his gun and pulled the trigger without expression.

With a roar, the gun fired, shattering the young man’s limbs and causing him to pass out on the spot.

At this moment, a middle-aged man rushed out of the crowd, his face filled with fear and sweat, bowing and nodding repeatedly, “I am the mayor of this small town, and I used to be the lord’s butler. The lord instructed me to welcome you and also to report some intelligence.”

The Captain scrutinized him for a moment before saying, “Speak!”

The middle-aged man smiled nervously, pulled out a portrait from his pocket, and handed it over, “This woman is the lord’s fiancée. She was captured by the rebels. Please, sirs, bring her back and try not to hurt her. The lord said that, in addition to the military fees already paid, there will be a generous reward for you!”

The Captain took the portrait and examined it.

It was a rather clear sketch of a very beautiful young girl, around sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing the simple clothes of the locals. Her eyes had a natural charm, almost seductive.

The Captain passed the portrait around to each member of his team, then put it in his pocket, and said to the middle-aged man, “I understand. Do you have any last words?”

The middle-aged man was shocked, exclaiming, “What… what last words! Are you joking, sir?”

The Captain spoke coldly, “I never joke! I don’t know who this young man is, nor do I care about the conflict between you. Using the Red Scorpions to eliminate him? I have no interest in your noble politics, but if you want to use the Red Scorpions, there will be a price to pay! Killing you is just a warning to your master. The Red Scorpions’ blade is too sharp for him to wield. If he overplays his hand, he might end up cutting off his own head!”

Without hesitation, the Captain pulled out his pistol and aimed at the middle-aged man’s forehead, pulling the trigger!

A blood hole appeared between the middle-aged man’s eyebrows, and he fell to the ground, his face filled with shock.

Qian Ye frowned and asked the veteran beside him in a low voice, “Is this right?”

The veteran shrugged, “No big deal! We always have a casualty quota for our missions!”

“Quota?” Qian Ye had never heard of such a term.

“It means during our missions, we can ‘accidentally’ harm some local people, especially nobles,” the veteran explained.

Qian Ye took a deep breath, unsure how to react.

By now, the private soldiers’ arrogance had completely vanished, and some began to retreat. A few officers, who had been hiding in the crowd, started issuing orders to maintain discipline.

The Captain sneered at them, “We’ll handle this mission alone. I don’t need any help from you. I don’t want to be shot in the back.”

The officers remained silent. No one dared to speak at this moment.

The Red Scorpion squad soon disappeared into the dense forest. The rebels’ trail was so obvious that even a novice like Qian Ye wouldn’t lose it. The Red Scorpions headed straight for the rebel stronghold, trapping all the rebels in their camp.

The rebel camp was situated on a mountain peak, surrounded by cliffs on three sides, with only one path for entry and exit.

It was a well-hidden location, with low shrubs and waist-high grass covering the natural path. If not for the recent movements and lack of proper concealment, it would have been difficult to find. However, this terrain had a clear disadvantage: once the Red Scorpions blocked the exit, no one could escape.

There were about a hundred people in the camp, and upon hearing the commotion, they all rushed out. But when they saw the slowly approaching Red Scorpion soldiers, their faces turned to despair.

These are the rebels? Qian Ye wondered involuntarily.

Among the hundred or so people, half were old, weak, women, and children. They were ragged and emaciated, holding primitive firearms and even iron swords. Qian Ye had always thought iron was only used for household items, not weapons. At least, they should be made of bronze or a better alloy.

Qian Ye noticed three soldiers who had lit origin nodes, but each had only lit one. There wasn’t a single origin gun in the entire camp.

Is this the rebel army that has been dragging Lin Xitan down in the west, unable to make any progress? This looks more like a refugee camp.

But the Captain seemed to have anticipated this. He stepped forward, took out the portrait, and waved it, “Where is this woman? Better for her to come out herself!”

“I’m here! What do you want?” A young girl pushed through the crowd, glaring angrily at the Captain.

The Captain took out his memo and read the mission details, “Hmm, your father was the mine owner here, and he secretly funded a rebel group. And the local lord says you’re his fiancée?”

The girl was furious, “He’s lying! I have nothing to do with him. He just saw me by chance and forced me to be with him. When I refused, he killed my father and my real fiancé, and accused my family of treason! Our family has served the Empire for generations, and many of us have died on the battlefield. Is this the reward for our loyalty?”

The Captain’s face remained expressionless, “Perhaps it is as you say, perhaps not. But since we are here, you should know that the nature and outcome of this matter cannot be changed.”

“Can a mere viscount control the Empire?” the girl cried out in anguish.

The Captain remained calm, his words icy, “In this case, yes.”

Despair spread across the girl’s face, and she slowly calmed down, asking, “What do you want now? To kill us all?”

The Captain hesitated for the first time, his gaze sweeping over the camp. The old, weak, and children were clearly the servants of the girl’s family.

He said, “According to the mission, you should come with me, but I don’t recommend it. Of course, if you insist and think you might have a chance to take revenge, you can try.”

The girl knew what awaited her, and she firmly declared, “I’d rather die than let that pig touch me!”

The Captain nodded, tossing her a small bottle, “Very well. Drink this. You’ll die without pain.”

He pointed to the two others who had lit origin nodes, “You must also die. As for the rest, I’ll pretend I didn’t see them.”

Moments later, three bodies lay before Qian Ye.

“Carry them. Let’s go. The mission is complete!” the Captain said.

Qian Ye carried one of the bodies, silently following the team back.

This mission was completed with unusual ease, without any real fighting. Yet, the atmosphere in the team was somber, and even the veterans, including the Captain, were silent.

Back in the town, after handing over the three bodies to the local private soldiers, the Red Scorpion airship took off, heading back to headquarters.

On the airship, Qian Ye gazed out the window, lost in thought. The bald captain seemed to have lost his vitality, and the “Scorpion Tail” flew smoothly, as if it were a different ship.

The Captain sitting next to him suddenly said, “Rookie, this is reality. This is all we can do. In the future, you’ll understand that politics is not our domain. As soldiers, we are just a blade in the Empire’s hand. We strike where we are told to strike. Right and wrong are not our concern.”

Qian Ye sighed, but his heart was heavy. Politics indeed couldn’t be solved with swords and force.

In this insignificant corner of the Empire, Qian Ye had felt the murkiness of politics. How much heavier must the burden be for the man far in the west, holding the line with his own strength?

Back at the Red Scorpions, Qian Ye immediately requested another mission.

Only in direct confrontation with the dark races could Qian Ye feel his own value. Compared to politics, battling the dark races was much simpler.

However, his request was put on hold for a week before he received a response. Qian Ye was assigned to an important mission.

This mission, marked as top priority by the Red Scorpions, involved the discovery of a secret base of the dark races in a city in the western border of the Empire.

Therefore, the Red Scorpion’s team was unusually lavish, led by Colonel Wei Lishi, with thirty Red Scorpions and two hundred Black Scorpions. Qian Ye was the only rookie among them. This arrangement was not surprising, as the top rookie, Qian Ye’s record already surpassed many Black Scorpion-level veterans.

The mission site was near the two provinces guarded by Lin Xitan. Qian Ye had heard that some rebels were secretly collaborating with the dark races. Perhaps this mission could indirectly support Lin Xitan.