flstandardbreds Chapter 1001 Obtaining the Sick Cow
Chapter 1001 Obtaining the Sick Cow
After an unknown amount of time, Ma Zhong was awakened by a sharp pain.
He pushed away the corpse that was pressing down on him. It was a gruesome death of a Southern Army soldier who had fought him to the death. He had stabbed a hole in the chest with a dagger.
A piercing pain shot through Ma Zhong's left arm. He looked down and saw a gaping hole where the blood had congealed and turned black.
He struggled to sit up and looked around.
Inside the cowshed, corpses piled up like mountains, the stench of blood thick and unbearable, but the sounds of fighting had ceased.
A faint light shone through the broken roof, and there was no one standing around panting; it seemed that the remnants of the Southern army had already retreated.
Ma Zhong's heart tightened, and he shouted hoarsely, trying to suppress his dizziness, "Are there any survivors? Humph!"
His only response was deathly silence.
Ma Zhong's face paled instantly. Could it be...?
“My lord…I…I’m here…” a faint voice came from under a pile of hay.
Ma Zhong's spirits lifted, and he scrambled over, struggling to pry open the hay to reveal a young face underneath.
"My lord, am I still alive?!" The young soldier weakly grimaced.
“Alive, still alive!”
Ma Zhong grinned and quickly helped him up.
Just then, a few weak responses came from inside the shed.
"Master Hou."
"I'm fine too..."
"Damn it, my leg got pierced... those damn rebels."
"Damn it, I don't know where my mask went."
Responding voices came from the pile of corpses, and more than ten soldiers stood up or crawled out.
Although they were all injured and looked miserable, they survived in the end.
A huge weight was lifted from Ma Zhong's heart. He subconsciously touched his face and found that his mask had also been torn in the fierce battle, and his face was covered in blood.
Realizing this, he gave a helpless, bitter smile.
There was no other way. In that dangerous situation, it was a miracle that we survived. Who cared whether the mask was intact or not?
Having fought so many sick and wounded people at close range, and having been stained with countless pus and blood droplets, there's a high chance I'll catch it this time.
Fortunately, most of these Southern Army remnants were sick and their physical strength was far inferior to that of ordinary people.
Otherwise, with only fifty men, there would have been absolutely no way they could have driven off these hundreds of desperate criminals.
"Those who can still move, look out for each other!"
Despite the excruciating pain, Ma Zhong helped a wounded soldier to his feet and shouted to the soldiers who had gathered around, "Quick! Go check on that cow! How's the cow?"
The soldiers then suddenly remembered the cow and hurriedly staggered to the corner of the cowshed.
Immediately, a joyful shout rang out: "My lord! The ox is alright, just a little frightened and restless!"
Ma Zhong let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing completely, and he almost fainted again.
As long as the cow is still alive, there is hope!
He immediately rallied his spirits and ordered everyone to regroup on the spot.
After taking stock, only sixteen people, including himself, were still able to move, and all of them were injured, with three of them seriously injured and needing to be carried.
They bandaged their wounds and collected the still-usable muskets and ammunition.
Then, the group carefully led out the cow and staggered out of the blood-soaked cowshed.
It was already dark outside, and the waning moon was obscured by thin clouds, making the light dim.
The village was deathly silent, and the surrounding area was obscured.
Ma Zhong didn't know whether the remaining Southern Army soldiers had completely retreated or were hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
He gripped the pepper spray pistol tightly, his eyes scanning the shadows under the eaves warily, and whispered, "Be alert, everyone, stick with me!"
The group, leading cattle and supporting wounded soldiers, carefully moved out of the village, stepping over corpses scattered on the ground, so tense that they could hear their own heartbeats.
Fortunately, they were not attacked until they completely left the village.
Those remaining soldiers were truly terrified, after all, the battle was too bloody, and even the door of the cowshed was blocked by corpses.
From the perspective of the remaining soldiers outside, it was a haunted house that devoured lives, and their morale naturally collapsed.
Ma Zhong dared not delay for a moment. After determining the direction, he led the cow, which was more precious than his own life, and hurried towards the Qing army camp.
This journey took another three days.
Only when he could see the outline of the camp gate in the distance did Ma Zhong's tense mind relax slightly, and fatigue and pain surged in like a tide.
A patrol of scouts spotted them and rode up to meet them.
"Who goes there? Halt immediately!"
Upon getting closer and seeing the miserable state of Ma Zhong and the others, the scout captain's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly dismounted to help them up.
"Stop! Don't come any closer!" Ma Zhong roared. "We've been in contact with the patient, so don't come near us!"
Upon hearing this, the scout captain and his men immediately stopped and instinctively took a few steps back.
Ma Zhong, panting heavily, pointed to the cow that the soldiers were carefully protecting in the middle, and continued:
"Return to camp immediately and report to Commander Yang and Doctor Hua that we have found the sick ox. Quickly send someone with the necessary equipment to take the ox back! Hurry!"
Seeing the urgency of the situation, the scouts naturally dared not be negligent.
The captain clasped his hands in greeting and then mounted his horse, charging towards the camp like an arrow released from a bow.
The remaining scouts stayed behind, guarding Ma Zhong and his men at a distance as they continued their journey.
Before long, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the direction of the main camp.
Ma Zhong looked up and saw a large group of people galloping out of the camp, their torches blazing brightly.
The two leading figures were Yang Zhongsi and Hua Chang'an, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
Both of them were wearing masks, but their eyes and brows were filled with anxiety.
Upon getting closer and seeing the horrific state of Ma Zhong and the others, covered in blood, Yang Zhongsi's pupils contracted, and Hua Chang'an gasped in shock.
"Ma Xiao, what are you doing...?"
Yang Zhongsi stepped forward, his voice heavy.
He could naturally tell that the group of soldiers numbered only a dozen or so, and at least thirty of them had not returned alive.
"Stop!" Ma Zhong shouted again, "General, Doctor Hua, just stand there and don't move. We're afraid we've already been infected!"
Hua Chang'an's heart sank upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "How are you feeling now? Do you have a fever? Do you have any rashes on your body?"
Ma Zhong shook his head with a wry smile: "I'm fine for now, just some minor injuries, but two of my brothers down below have started to get fevers."
Hua Chang'an's heart clenched. His gaze swept over the wounded soldiers and finally settled on the cow.
When he saw the obvious blisters around the cow's udder, his surprise turned to joy: "You...you really found it?! This is a cow infected with cowpox!"
Ma Zhong managed a weak smile, which aggravated his wound, causing his lips to twitch in pain: "I have fulfilled my mission. If this beast hadn't been so slow, I would have been back long ago!"