Actually you didn't bother to read what I posted about either getting a refund or having the gem rewards as part of the level ups. It would have been one or the other.How often do I have to say that I didn't receive a refund? Perhaps the refund was done when I was not playing yet?
Unfortunately it does sound rather like you are complaining that it is too difficult or you can't work out a way to do it without spending a lot of time on it. I didn't find it difficult, didn't spend much time on it, and certainly don't have non-stop unit production in my barracks. All I had done prior to starting it was to rebuild my troops in a way that I had a reasonable number of all the types of troops I could make, but in preparation for any adventure. Then I ran a few combat sims and decided to give it a go. I probably spent about an hour on the first ten camps (including travelling time), and about 20 minutes on the last one, because I had to transfer some additional troops that I had made overnight. This adventure is designed to last 3 days, which means you do have time to do it in small chunks and rebuild troops in between.This thread is not me complaining that it's too difficult; I like a challenge. So once more: this is about the 4-skulls rating of this adventure.
Your initial complaint was that you have never managed to finish this adventure and that it was hard for a player of your level. That is not my experience of it - I have finished it on my first go and I am only level 36. Yes I do have a veteran general, but it sounds as though you have done a lot more adventures than I have, and therefore you should have more experience than me, especially if you have read the walkthroughs (I haven't, I made up my own strategy).
I'm sorry if I sound like I'm making 'smart remarks', but my point was to put a counter-argument to yours. I think I've probably made that point by now, so I should make this my final post on the subject.