Heavy Casualties

Had it not been for the elder's reminder, Li Mu would have nearly forgotten about the "traitor" who led the enemy up the mountain, who had yet to be dealt with.

The sect dared to commit its entire force to the field not without reason. Mount Hua's terrain is steep and treacherous, with multiple checkpoints set along the path; if there were an external invasion, warnings should have been sounded from the foot of the mountain long ago.

If news had been received in advance, the outcome of this battle would have been entirely different. It would have been enough to set up ambushes at the critical passes, using rolling stones, arrows, and fire oil to stall for time while holding out for reinforcements.

If not for the reliance on such geographical advantages, the Five Mountains Sword Sects, scattered across the vast lands, would have long since been picked off one by one by the Demonic Cult.

That the people of the Demonic Cult were able to sneak up the mountain before being discovered clearly indicates that someone had colluded from within, neutralizing the hidden sentries the sect had deployed in advance.

Thinking about having to root out this "traitor," Li Mu groaned inwardly. Without a single clue or capable subordinates, how was he supposed to investigate?

Moreover, since the person dared to commit treason, it was unlikely they would be unprepared; for all he knew, they might have already fled down the mountain to live in comfort.

Yet, he could not escape this duty now; the only high-ranking member of the sect left on the mountain who could still breathe was the elder lying on the ground.

The few surviving senior brothers were all wounded, and Li Mu was the only one left unscathed. No matter how much he tried to pass the buck, he couldn't dump this on the junior brothers and sisters.

Fortunately, the reinforcements composed of retired disciples had arrived, taking on the heavy responsibility of treating the wounded and collecting the remains of the fallen; otherwise, Li Mu would be even more distressed.

One cannot ask for too much; these people had already retired from the pugilistic world, and the fact that they immediately drew their swords to come and support was already more than enough.

The issue of the traitor could be discussed later; the first priority was to report the massive upheaval that had occurred at the mountain gate to the high-ranking leaders on the front lines.

After a rough tally of the casualties, the Mount Hua Sect had lost a total of three hundred and seventeen people in this battle, including six sect elders, one hundred and thirty-seven inner disciples, ninety-three outer disciples, and the rest were servants and laborers.

The rescue team that arrived also lost eleven men in their encounter with the Demonic Cult.

As for the number of wounded, Li Mu simply didn't bother to count; aside from himself, the only ones left unscathed were a group of newly initiated disciples who lacked the ability to participate in the battle.

Compared to the heavy casualties, the battle results were simply shameful. Although they had taken down six or seven first-rate experts of the Demonic Cult, the two most important Demonic Cult elders had escaped, and the rest of the small fry weren't even worth mentioning.

Lifting his brush several times, Li Mu didn't know how to organize his words.

The outer disciples were one thing; aside from those raised from childhood who held some value, the loss of those recruited halfway was acceptable, no matter how many died.

The inner disciples were different; each one was cultivated by the sect at great cost, and to have so many wasted before they could even be put to use was already a blow to the sect's foundation.

There are no airtight walls in this world; the Mount Hua Sect's losses were so severe that the Guanzhong region would surely be shaken. He estimated that the next recruitment of disciples would likely be affected.

According to custom, in the event of such emergencies, the recruitment of new disciples would be postponed. It would only be restarted once the fear in everyone's hearts had faded.

The loss of the sect elders was permanent, with no chance of recovery. This battle could be considered the final curtain call for those ancestors.

If not for their desperate final stand, which preserved a sliver of vitality for the sect, the Mount Hua Sect would have had no time to even weep for this disaster.

With such a major event occurring, someone had to take responsibility. The first to bear the brunt would naturally be Senior Brother Bai, who was in charge of mountain security, but he had already sacrificed himself heroically in the previous battle to defend the Mount Hua Sect.

Not only was this primary person responsible gone, but the disciples tasked with guarding the various checkpoints had also collectively become corpses.

The dead do not need to take responsibility; regardless of how great their negligence or flaws were, they had washed them away with their own blood in the previous battle.

Since the direct person responsible was gone, one had to start from those with the highest status to pick a potential scapegoat.

Regrettably, the highest-ranking individuals at the mountain gate were the seven elders, and now it was six dead and one wounded. Even the Sect Leader Ning would likely not dare to suggest pinning the blame on the elders.

Looking further down for anyone who could be implicated, they were all lying in coffins. The rest were mere passersby who had nothing to do with the matter, and even if one tried to force the blame on them, they lacked the standing to take the fall.

The highest-ranking person left alive was Li Mu, and he certainly couldn't stand up and take the blame himself. While doing so might save the sect trouble and reduce the worries of the high-ranking leaders, Li Mu lacked such a self-sacrificial spirit.

The main issue was that this "black pot" was too heavy; whoever got stuck with it would inevitably lose a layer of skin.

After hesitating for a long time and unable to define the nature of this Demonic Cult sneak attack, Li Mu simply resorted to the art of "Spring and Autumn" writing—using vague, flowery language to obscure the truth.

In summary: the Mount Hua disciples were all heroic and valiant, and it was all the fault of the cunning Demonic Cult villains.

Finally, he attached the report on battle results and personnel losses and sent it out by fast horse.

Li Mu didn't worry about the rest; as long as he wasn't the one taking the blame, he didn't care what kind of definition the sect gave to the event.

After finishing these tasks, Li Mu didn't get any rest; instead, he became even busier.

The missing servants needed to be replaced, damaged buildings and infrastructure needed to be restored, the wounded needed to be arranged for treatment, and the emotions of the frightened junior brothers and sisters needed to be soothed.

The fallen fellow disciples also needed an explanation; the issue of compensation could be temporarily shelved, but funeral arrangements had to be put on the agenda.

The sect's strategy was currently at a critical juncture, and they would never lightly give up unless absolutely necessary. If the matter remained unresolved, then the subsequent problems would have to be handled by Li Mu alone.

Without a doubt, this was a bitter chore. If the funeral affairs of one's fellow disciples were handled well, it was expected; if handled poorly, one would inevitably face criticism.

Having changed into mourning clothes, Li Mu had just stepped out when he bumped into Ning Zhongze running toward him. Had he not been quick-witted enough to grab her, it would have been another scene of chaos.

"Junior Sister Ning, why are you running so fast?"

This had nothing to do with the original plot; he still couldn't muster any interest in the twelve-year-old Ning the Little Girl.

The main thing was that the Sect Leader's daughter was unharmed, which was something worth celebrating; at least he didn't have to worry about being targeted by her.

Patting her chest, the recovered Ning Zhongze said anxiously, "Senior Sister Liu is not going to make it, Senior Brother, please go and take a look!"

Even though he had grown numb to life and death after seeing so much of it over the past two days, receiving this tragic news still made Li Mu feel a wave of sorrow.

"Lead the way!"

With the only elder on the mountain in seclusion healing his wounds, Li Mu, who was presiding over the overall situation, naturally became the backbone for everyone.

Especially in the hearts of the many junior brothers and sisters, the Great Devil King Li held a unique status. The intensity of their love after the battle was equal to the intensity of their hatred before it.

It could be said that this Demonic Cult sneak attack had taught everyone a profound lesson, and everyone had become more mature—though the tuition fee was a bit expensive.