After Ma Zhengwen led his unit away, Luo Jiang quietly followed them. He watched as the troop crossed a great mountain, traversed two smaller ones, and trekked over a frozen river before finally coming to a stop in a birch forest.
In the center of the forest lay a large clearing dotted with numerous wooden cabins. Wounded soldiers who had been left behind hurried out to meet the returning unit, and upon hearing news of the victory, everyone was filled with joy.
Luo Jiang made a rough estimate: there were over five hundred people in total, including about a hundred wounded. Their clothing was a hodgepodge, mostly patched with animal hides, and their felt boots were stitched together with scraps of fur of various sizes.
Chapter 57