Chapter 40: The Grand Battle Concludes

Very few soldiers actually die on the battlefield; the vast majority perish in the camp infirmary.

The reason Zhang Jiawen paid such close attention to the wounded soldiers of the Sky Wolf Camp was simply because veteran soldiers who had been through battle were true treasures.

Whether an army possessed genuine combat effectiveness depended entirely on the number of veterans within its ranks.

When the three of them arrived at the infirmary, they found that most of the wounded were resting. Those who were not resting merely offered a cupped-fist salute when they caught sight of the superior officers.

Lin Shize had granted special permission that wounded soldiers were not required to bow to officers.

Neither Zhang Jiawen nor Sun Zheng minded this convention; instead, they walked among the men and cordially asked how they were feeling.

They even personally inspected several wounds, confirming that there were indeed no signs of suppuration.

Carrying a copy of the "Wounded Soldiers Hygiene Management Regulations," Zhang Jiawen and Sun Zheng eventually returned to the main camp. Since their own wounded soldiers had yet to be properly accommodated, they intended to reorganize their camp according to Lin Shize’s standards as well.

Lin Shize remained entirely unconcerned about the outcome. Time would verify everything, just as it would with the military situation at Qier Mountain.

The main camp held a grand celebration ceremony, and Wu Tian undoubtedly became its most dazzling star.

The banquet was exceptionally lively, and everyone who was unaware of the truth stepped forward to toast Wu Tian.

At that moment, Wu Tian felt as though the repressed frustrations of many years had been thoroughly released, bringing him immense gratification.

The moment he learned that the main camp was hosting a banquet, Lin Shize immediately led people rushing over in a horse-drawn carriage.

Upon arriving at the camp, without wasting a single word, he headed straight for the storage warehouse to haul away the liquor. The soldiers guarding the warehouse hurriedly stepped forward to block him, explaining that the wine had been prepared specifically for the victory banquet.

Lin Shize shoved the soldier aside and said, "Just go tell the garrison commander that if he wants to reduce the mortality rate of the severely wounded by another twenty percent, he should let me take this wine back."

Of course, the soldier knew who stood before him and dared not cause offense. He hurriedly rushed to the main tent and reported the matter to Zhang Jiawen.

Upon hearing Lin Shize's words, Zhang Jiawen immediately instructed them to let him take it, adding that if it wasn't enough, they should send the jar of wine sitting before him as well.

Everyone in the tent looked at Zhang Jiawen in astonishment, unable to understand what Lin Shize meant by reducing the wounded soldiers' mortality rate by twenty percent—something that could make the garrison commander indulge him to such an extent.

Upon returning to Heroes' Village, Lin Shize immediately set about extracting alcohol. He used a bamboo tube to pierce through the lid of a pot, extending it directly into a wine jar.

Then, he took a wooden basin filled with cool water and placed it over the tube to cool the alcohol vapor.

In this manner, a rudimentary distillation apparatus was completed.

Lin Shize had wanted to make alcohol for a very long time; its bactericidal efficacy made it the best liquid he could currently procure.

A large earthen stove was built right in front of the camp, and preparations began to officially fire it up and produce alcohol!

The surrounding soldiers stared with eyes as wide as copper bells, while Lin Shize bustled about with the families of the fallen soldiers.

"This alcohol is a life-saving treasure. If you want to prevent our brothers' wounds from becoming inflamed, use it to wipe the wounds clean."

"Gather some cotton, pour the alcohol over it, and let everyone carry a small portion with them. When someone gets wounded in battle, wrapping their wounds with it will minimize the risk of infection."

The wine in the pot was already boiling, bubbling incessantly, as a clear stream of liquor trickled out from the bamboo tube.

Lin Shize caught a small bowl of it, took a sip, and nodded. The military camp had used good wine this time; a single round of distillation had already raised the alcohol content to well over fifty or sixty degrees.

The rich aroma of liquor drifted through the air, causing everyone present to swallow hard in desire.

Yet Lin Shize never allowed them to drink wine in the military camp, leaving them with no choice but to watch him bustle about with eager yearning.

However, Lin Shize was always quite lenient with the soldiers' families.

Noticing a woman nearby looking curiously at the bowl of liquor in his hand, he smiled and said to her, "Sister-in-law, if you'd like a taste, go ahead and have a sip."

The woman smiled sheepishly, picked up the small bowl from the side, and took a gulp.

Instantly, the potent liquor choked her into a violent fit of coughing. Within moments, her face flushed crimson, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, and she had to be helped into a tent to rest.

Several others curiously followed suit to have a taste. Among them, a boy of twelve or thirteen took a huge gulp, and before he even had a chance to speak, he collapsed to the ground and fell fast asleep.

Only an elderly hunter slowly savored the fine wine in his hand, appearing to possess a rather impressive capacity for liquor.

Lin Shize turned to the surrounding soldiers, who were scratching their ears and cheeks in impatience, and announced, "From now on, whoever wins first place in training will be rewarded with a bowl of fine wine just like this!"

Liu Wu instantly leaped up and shouted, "Chief, is that for real?"

"For real!"

"Can we drink it in the military camp?"

"Yes!"

"Hooray!" A cheer erupted from the crowd as they bolted toward the training grounds as if infused with chicken blood.

Lin Shize smiled faintly. Being able to stir up their enthusiasm for training with a single cup of wine could certainly be considered a good thing.

The rising morning sun always carried a vitality that brightened one's heart.

The edge of the sky was first brushed with a pale, whitish hue, which gradually spread and blended with tinges of tangerine and warm yellow, like an artist carelessly spilling a palette of colors.

More than a dozen jars of alcohol already stood beside Lin Shize. This batch had consumed dozens of jars of fine military wine through distillation, resulting in an exceptionally heavy loss.

However, compared to human lives, none of this mattered.

With Lin Shize having officially introduced alcohol into the military camp, Wu Tian, meanwhile, escorted a bound-and-gagged Holsur and marched proudly toward Qier Mountain, while the camp soldiers lined up to bid farewell to their hero.

The entire border region resounded with the praise of this hard-won victory. When Liu Wu and the others, who knew nothing of the truth, learned that the glory rightfully belonging to them had been usurped by a petty villain like Wu Tian,

they instantly drew their sabers and went before Lin Shize to request permission to fight.

Instead, they were kicked and cuffed by Lin Shize and driven away, told to get lost as far as possible.

Liu Wu could not understand why Lin Shize, usually so wise and formidable, chose to endure this in silence.

Not until Wu Tian’s entire household was slaughtered by Mengla assassins overnight did things become clear.

Just as night fell, an unprecedented border battle erupted at Qier Mountain.

The Mengla people assembled a suicide squad of fully twenty thousand men, and the two sides fought a bloody battle around Qier Mountain.

Blood flowed continuously from the summit all the way to the foot of the mountain.

The moment the battle broke out, Zhang Jiawen, who had been prepared long in advance, led ten thousand soldiers into motion.

Little did they expect that the Mengla forces had not only stationed two thousand suicide troops at Qier Mountain, but had also dispatched a small detachment of five thousand to assault the main camp.

Amidst the chaotic melee, Qier Mountain was ultimately seized at the cost of ten thousand Mengla casualties.

When Zhang Jiawen returned to the main camp after covering the retreat of the Qier Mountain soldiers, the Mengla forces had also withdrawn.

Upon learning of the battle's outcome, Liu Wu grinned like a fawning lapdog, showering Lin Shize with praise for his wisdom and decisiveness—only to be kicked and cursed out of the tent once again by Lin Shize.

Neither side gained any real advantage from this massive battle, and the borderlands ushered in a rare period of tranquility.

Lin Shize decided to seize this golden opportunity to farm!

When the entire Heroes' Village learned of Lin Shize's idea, the village erupted with excitement.

In every household, families worked their allotted plots of land late into the night.

At heart, they remained farmers. Even if those plots were overgrown with weeds, it mattered little; as long as people were diligent, crops would always grow from the earth.