"What were today's losses?"
Lei Zhenzi hesitated for a while before answering uncertainly, "We suffered grievous losses today. Four thousand three hundred and twenty-one men were seriously wounded, with the lightly wounded and missing still uncounted. Elder Brother... Elder Brother was captured."
"Losses like these..." Nangong Shi's brows knitted tightly. He simply could not accept such casualties. Even if this was a stratagem, their losses were no lighter than in a frontal assault. Not even the day they had faced Golden Slurry poured from the walls had cost them so dearly. They had also lost several officers, and even Ji Shuqian had been taken alive.
Lei Zhenzi tried to reassure him. "General, the two Daoists we fought today are actually my fellow disciples. This was a stratagem to deceive the enemy, solely to win the trust of the officers at Sishui Pass. We have already agreed to meet at the second watch tonight, when they will surrender the pass and join us. Taking Sishui Pass in exchange for these losses is worthwhile. As for Elder Brother, you need not worry. With those two protecting him, his life will certainly be safe."
"How could I not know?" Nangong Shi shook his head with a bitter smile. "Prime Minister Jiang informed me long ago through a Brocade Pouch, telling me it was a stratagem. Taking Sishui Pass would certainly be good, but countless officers and soldiers have indeed lost their lives..."
"Hm..." Lei Zhenzi was taken aback, yet could find nothing to say.
To his mind, taking Sishui Pass was already an excellent outcome. Why concern themselves with whether the soldiers lived or died?
So long as they achieved their objective, any sacrifice was worthwhile. To put it bluntly, all those dead officers and soldiers combined were not worth a single Sishui