Chapter 745: The Name of the Pill
On the fourth day after the great battle ended, the air within Songshan Military Prefecture remained as bitingly cold as ever, but the scent of blood had faded considerably. The long streets no longer showed the tense scenes of hundreds of soldiers carrying stretchers, shouting as they sprinted, nor the sacred sight of over a dozen beams of holy light illuminating the night sky above the Holy Healing Hall.
Outside Songshan, at the Huailing Burial Ground, many trails of white smoke rose toward the distant sky. People in the city who saw this scene from afar stopped in their tracks to offer their condolences, for each plume of white smoke represented a fallen soldier. According to preliminary statistics, the number of Great Zhou soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in this battle had already exceeded ten thousand, not counting the civilian laborers handling logistics and supplies or the cultivators who had come to assist from various quarters.
The atmosphere in the Holy Healing Hall was no longer as tense as in previous days. Most of the wounded had their injuries under control, and those beyond saving had long since been carried out. Yet, for some reason, the deepest chamber was still packed with people, and the mood there was especially anxious.
"I don't want any explanations. I just want you to save him."
The general's expression was extremely grim, and his tone was very harsh. When his gaze fell upon the bed, his voice carried an even more violent edge.
The wounded soldier lying on the bed was very young. From his attire and the cloth pouch at his waist, one could tell he was a formation master. He had a lean build and slightly dark skin, but now his face was as pale as paper, clearly having lost too much blood. His lips were covered in peeling dry skin, and his breathing was so faint that he seemed on the verge of death at any moment.
Hearing the general's words, everyone in the room felt immense pressure and also some confusion.
Such a young formation master must have come from a renowned school and had a promising future. But the general was a trusted confidant highly valued by General Ke, with great prestige and a high position within Songshan Military Prefecture. Why would he lose his temper so fiercely over a single wounded soldier? After all, those treating the young formation master included not only military doctors but also two members of the State Religion.
The general knew what people were thinking but offered no explanation.
He vaguely knew the young formation master's background, but that was not the reason for his current anger and tension.
Before coming to the healing hall, he had just received the post-incident investigation files.
What exactly had happened on that cliffside was now known only to the young formation master lying on the bed, who was on the verge of death. But the soldiers who had personally seen that cliff were certain that whatever happened must have been extremely heroic, because the scene they witnessed was utterly tragic—over a dozen soldiers had used secret artifacts from the Tang family of Wenshui to self-destruct, taking five wolf cavalrymen with them to their deaths. Along the retreat route before the cliff, the bodies of more than ten soldiers had been found.
Thirty of Songshan Military Prefecture's most elite and courageous soldiers had sacrificed themselves just to give this young formation master a chance to live. So he had to make sure this young formation master survived; otherwise, how could he comfort the souls of his fallen subordinates?
"I won't offer any explanations, because I truly don't have the ability to keep him alive."
A woman in a white ceremonial robe stood up from beside the bed. Her delicate features were filled with exhaustion, and the soft holy light gradually faded from between her slender fingers.
The general fell silent.
The woman was from the Qingyao Thirteen Divisions in the capital. Her surname was An, and her given name was Hua. She had arrived at Songshan Military Prefecture just two days ago and had since worked without rest, tirelessly treating the wounded from the battlefield. If the military prefecture hadn't stocked enough crystals to aid meditation and recovery, she might have died from holy light depletion by now.
Facing her, no matter how bad or anxious the general's mood was, he couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh.
Besides, he could clearly see that she had done everything in her power to save the young formation master on the bed.
The general turned to look at the chief priest of the Holy Healing Hall.
The priest gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
The doctors from various healing halls were powerless against the young formation master's injuries. Could it be that even the holy light techniques of the Li Palace priests and the Qingyao Thirteen Divisions instructors couldn't save him?
The general's spirits sank to rock bottom. Unable to control his emotions any longer, he slammed his fist heavily onto the table.
The atmosphere in the room was exceptionally low. Someone took off their hat, preparing to offer condolences.
Just then, a military doctor in the corner said sorrowfully, "If only we still had some Cinnabar Pills."
The name Cinnabar Pill seemed to carry some kind of magic. The room fell into a silence so deep it was almost deathly still, broken only by the sound of breathing growing heavier and quicker.
Some people's eyes lit up with surprise, but then, as if remembering something, they quickly dimmed again.
As expected, the priest sighed and said, "Our quota ran out on the very first day of the battle."
The general knew very well how many severely wounded and dying soldiers had been sent back on that first day. He hadn't held out any hope from the start, but since the name had been brought up again, he couldn't help asking with a last shred of hope, "When will the next batch be distributed? Can he hold on until then?"
The priest shook his head and said, "The dispensing date is ten days from now. With his injuries, he can last at most five more days."
An Hua had been studying holy light techniques at the Qingyao Thirteen Divisions all along. Especially after the war with the demons began, she had devoted all her attention to cultivation, wanting to get to the front lines as soon as possible to treat the wounded. She had been completely oblivious to the outside world, and having only arrived at Songshan Military Prefecture two days ago, she couldn't understand what everyone was talking about.
"What is a Cinnabar Pill? Some kind of medicine?" she asked the priest, puzzled.
From the name, the main ingredient seemed to be cinnabar, which could indeed be used in medicine for its hemostatic properties. But this young formation master's injuries were so severe that even her holy light techniques were ineffective. In her view, only if several Red Archbishops acted simultaneously could there be any hope of saving him. Could that pill achieve the same effect?
The priest understood what she was thinking and said, "The Cinnabar Pill can heal this man's injuries."
Everyone nodded in agreement, without the slightest hint of doubt. In the minds of those who had seen the Cinnabar Pill, this medicine could cure all wounds and illnesses in the world.
An Hua had never heard of this pill and couldn't understand people's fanatical trust. This only raised more questions.
"If it really... works, why not find some and try it right away?"
The priest said with emotion, "Where could one find such a treasure?"
Everyone recalled the rumor that this medicine should only exist in heaven and fell silent.
The general said to An Hua, "This medicine is very rare."
An Hua still didn't understand. "If this medicine is truly miraculous, why not have the alchemist family hand over the formula, and then have the court or the Li Palace mass-produce it?"
The room fell silent again.
Everyone's gaze fell upon her, looking somewhat tense.
No one answered her question.
The entire Holy Healing Hall suddenly became quiet.
There was no sound at all.
It was as if her question was some kind of taboo.