Chapter 52

Chapter 52

A group of eleven men made their way into the mountains.

Catching a few rabbits was hardly worth all this trouble. Truth be told, they were just sick of being cooped up in the village. Wanxia Village was a speck, you could walk from one end to the other in no time. The women from this mountain backwater were rough and had no charm. Even the most spacious houses seemed no different from outhouses in their eyes.

The three brothers had survived the plague that swept through Suyang Prefecture, escaped the government troops' encirclement, and made their way from being desperate refugees to joining the Heifengya band. They had seen the most noble people, wielded the sharpest weapons, touched the sturdiest armor, mined iron ore, glimpsed mountains of gold, and heeded the most sacred divine teachings, following edicts...

If not for losing too many men, who would bother with this godforsaken place?

The cooking smoke on the mountain only burned for a short while before extinguishing. Duan Zhi's lips curled into a cold sneer. What a bunch of rabbits. They never learn their lesson. Hill folk are a ignorant lot, a phrase that fits these people perfectly. Even if they were neighbors and relatives for years, so what? With just a swing of his broadsword, the lambs locked in the pigsty were scared out of their wits, selling out every last one of their fellow villagers.

Stupid and naive, heartless and disloyal.

The reason they hadn't rushed into the mountains to raid the rabbit holes immediately was that they truly enjoyed watching their prey flee in blind panic. Isn't that fun? They think they've escaped successfully, but they're still within our hunting range. They calmly watched them rejoice in their luck, yet their life or death rested on their whim.

Want to flee? Nowhere to go. Want to hide? Nowhere to hide.

"Third Brother, that woman really didn't lie to us. She said there were several rabbit holes around here. I think the smoke came from the place she mentioned, the one with the comely wife. We should have grabbed them yesterday to save us the extra trip today," a burly man following Duan Zhi said loudly.

"Talking so loud, you wanna scare the game away?" Duan Zhi shot him a sidelong glance. Although he didn't take the mountain prey seriously, he was very displeased with the man's presumptuous behavior. Who did he think he was, talking so loud in front of him?

"Heh heh heh, Third Brother, I just have a loud voice, don't mind me." The burly man subtly glanced at the broadsword in Duan Zhi's hand, a greedy glint quickly passing through his eyes.

The men following them varied—some burly, some skinny. Their only common trait was their fear of Duan Zhi. They all kept their heads down, eyes lowered, some even with a hint of numbness in their gaze.

Refugees also had their hierarchies.

Among these bandit refugees, the leaders were Scarface, Hei Ban, and Duan Zhi, who wielded the broadsword. They were fellow villagers from the same place, having met on the road of flight from the famine. They had experienced all sorts of hardships together until now, trusting each other implicitly. They were an iron triangle who could entrust their backs to one another, their bond unbreakable.

Below them were two axe-wielding brutes, whom the three brothers had met on their way to Qingzhou Prefecture. They were clan brothers from the same village. According to them, they became refugees because a landslide buried their village. They were out drinking that night and escaped the disaster, but their parents, wives, and children all died. Having no way to survive, they took this path.

Whether their story was true or not, no one cared. The three brothers weren't the least bit interested in their origins; they simply valued their ruthless nature. Along the way, these two had blood on their hands countless times; the axe handles were stained beyond recognition.

The three brothers used them as cannon fodder but also guarded against them in secret. For instance, this time, even though the plundered grain was plentiful and there was more meat than they could eat, the two Axe Men still only got coarse grains. The few times they had meat were rewards from the three brothers. They knew the two were resentful, but it was useless. Dare to resist, and they'd only be sent to their deaths.

There were plenty who could wield an axe. If this one is disobedient, just replace him.

Below the two Axe Men were the most transient group of ordinary refugees. They always charged at the front during every city raid or village attack, died the most, and ate the least. Their weapons were all sickles and axes looted from farmers' homes. These people had no status. In the group, even slightly handsome boys were violated. Countless people starved or fell ill on the road, and their vacant spots were quickly filled by newly joined refugees.

The three brothers never bothered to remember their names because there was no need.

After Qingzhou Prefecture fell, more and more people lost their homes and families, becoming refugees. Over time, such people would end up as refugees, and to survive, they would join refugee groups, repeating the cycle of sacking cities and wiping out villages...

Until someone died in the process.

Similarly, new refugees would be born. Now, in this endless cycle, refugees multiplied endlessly until not an inch of Qingzhou Prefecture remained peaceful. Then, they would move to new places, like locusts passing through, leaving nothing but barren land in their wake.

Halfway there, Duan Zhi suddenly stopped.

The Axe Man following him also halted. Sensing something, the Axe Man very perceptively gave a sharp signal, and the refugees walking behind immediately moved to the front. Duan Zhi was the most cautious of the three brothers. Walking at the front when entering the mountains signified status, but once inside, he needed his underlings to scout the path.

Several refugees held wooden sticks, poking and prodding the ground as they walked, but found no traps.

A sharp-featured, weasel-faced man inwardly cursed Duan Zhi for being as timid as a mouse. If he's so afraid of death, why be the boss? Might as well give up the position for me to sit in. But on his face, he wore an ingratiating smile. Pointing at a spot, he bowed to Duan Zhi and said, "Third Brother, look over there. That's the rabbit hole we raided yesterday. Second Brother said since they're so good at hiding, we should seal the rabbit holes, so they can't even find the road to the underworld when they die. Heh, I said there are lots of snakes and insects in the mountains in summer. Sealing the entrance is no fun. We should put something inside. The smell of blood attracts those things the most. Probably in another couple of days, it'll start to stink inside."

"Hahaha, you're quite something, kid. Got a bit of a knack for this. What did you do before?" Duan Zhi walked over in the direction he pointed, leaned over to look, and indeed saw several dead rabbits surrounded by flies and insects. A look of disgust appeared on his face. Hearing the buzzing below, he pinched his nose and stepped back repeatedly, feeling so nauseated he almost vomited the big meal he just ate. "You're not accurate. What 'couple of days'? It's only been one day and it already stinks unbearably. You're really wicked."

Though he called the man wicked, his face showed interest. "But it is interesting. If they knew the rabbit holes they dug to hide in became their own graves, I wonder what they'd think."

After saying this, he could no longer control himself and threw his head back with loud laughter.

Finished laughing, he turned to look in another direction. Although the smoke had dissipated, his nose could still catch a faint, elusive smell of burnt dry wood. He gave the Axe Man behind him a meaningful look. The Axe Man waved at a few others. The sharp-featured man who had spoken to Duan Zhi earlier rolled his eyes inwardly, finding his cowardly behavior ridiculous. Gripping the firewood chopper in his hand, he led the way toward that direction.

He already knew where the new rabbit hole was from down the mountain. The woman they caught yesterday couldn't withstand the repeated... attentions. Not only did she point out the direction, but she also specifically mentioned landmarks, like two chestnut trees outside this family's cellar.

A family of five: two old folks, a young couple, and a balding, scabby son.

"Little rabbits, be good, come out quickly."

"Don't make me come to your door."

He poked the ground with his stick. Only after confirming it was solid did he slowly take a step.

The surroundings were extremely quiet, with only the faint, crushing sound of footsteps on dry branches and leaves. He hummed an incomprehensible little tune. Whether he lacked the talent or the tune was inherently creepy, it made one's skin crawl.

Duan Zhi couldn't help but glance at the man. When did he join again? Fuck, he's a sinister one. Has potential. Later, find a chance to kill the two Axe Men and replace them with two more obedient ones to promote.

It wasn't as if Duan Zhi didn't know those two had long harbored ambitions to replace them. Better to kill them early to avoid trouble.

His mind was active, but his face showed no expression. He even walked with interest to the mountainside, pushed aside the branches, and looked down at the small village below, which was fully visible.

So you really can see it from here.

He clicked his tongue twice, stepped on the footprints of those ahead, walked a stretch with his hands behind his back, rounded a bend, and indeed saw two chestnut trees.

The extinguished fire pit was not far from the chestnut trees, where there was an overhanging stone slab. He walked over and stood there, gazing into the distance. Through the dense forest, he could not only see the village down the mountain but also vaguely make out the shimmering river outside the village.

This village is small, but really, don't say otherwise. It has mountains, water, and fields. As long as it doesn't encounter a major drought year with dried-up rivers and springs, relying on the big mountain, even digging up tree roots could fill their bellies. Even if a major epidemic hit, this mountain is vast and boundless; government troops couldn't seal it off even if they tried. Unlike his hometown, where escaping required piling up lives one by one. They had nowhere to hide, could only step over the corpses of relatives, government soldiers, stepping over the flesh, blood, and bones of everyone to carve out a path of survival, fleeing that raging inferno.

"Truly a place..." Duan Zhi stroked the sword hilt, "...a truly excellent spot, a real treasure of a land with fine mountains and water."

"Third Brother, I found the rabbit hole! Ah—!!" The sharp-featured man suddenly felt one foot step into emptiness. Reacting swiftly, he grabbed the person beside him, used the force to twist his body violently, and fell to the ground.

But the person he grabbed didn't react in time. Stumbling with both feet, the man pitched forward. Dry vines snapped, leaves scattered. As he fell, his face still held a trace of bewilderment. In the span of a breath, his body was impaled by wooden stakes, blood spurting out.

Everyone gasped in shock. Coming to their senses, they whipped their heads around to look in all directions.

"Who's there? Come out!"

Duan Zhi suddenly tightened his grip on the broadsword. As he lifted his foot to move, he suddenly felt his ankle seized. Startled, he looked down sharply and saw a pair of large hands reaching out from under the stone slab. Those hands had thick, long fingers, the arms bulging with veins. Due to the bent angle, the wrists were harshly scraped by the edge of the stone slab.

He tried to lift his foot but felt as if held by iron clamps, not moving an inch.

A fierce glint flashed in Duan Zhi's eyes. He raised the broadsword and swung it toward the exposed wrist.

But at the moment he swung the sword, the hand gripping his ankle gave a sudden, powerful yank. Duan Zhi was already standing at the very edge, with nothing around to brace against. Caught off guard, he was pulled down the gentle slope. Fortunately, he reacted extremely quickly. The broadsword in his hand changed direction and stabbed downward toward the person beneath him.

Zhao Dashan was ready for him. Seeing the opponent's weapon was a broadsword, he didn't know whether to call his luck good or bad. All of them were ambushed around; this spot was precisely a blind spot in the line of sight. When this man walked over, he had already entered a state of alert. Hearing a scream from above, he knew someone had fallen into the trap.

Zhao Dashan felt unprecedentedly agile. He braced one foot against a tree root to stop his rolling body, then pushed off the ground with one arm to quickly stand up. Grabbing a handful of fallen leaves and sand, he threw it at the man's face.

"Fuck your mother!" Duan Zhi raised his arm to shield his eyes. As soon as he lowered his arm, he saw from the corner of his eye the big man raising an axe to chop at him. That man was at least a head taller than him, with arms comparable to his thighs. When the axe swung, the force of the wind whistled, emitting a terrifying sound that chilled the heart.

Startled, Duan Zhi actually didn't dare to meet the blow head-on. He leaned his body backward, but his foot stepped on a protruding tree root. His body tilted and he fell straight down.

"If you don't want your tongue, I'll help you cut it off!" Zhao Dashan roared in fury, his whole body like an enraged tiger, his massive frame pouncing toward him with surprising agility.

Duan Zhi had just steadied himself when he heard shouting and killing sounds from above as well, realizing this trip had fallen into a trap! That cooking smoke was actually a deliberate lure to draw them into a designed ambush!

Damn it!

A flicker of panic shot through him. When the hunter became the hunted, he suddenly realized he was in a terrible position! This was a slope; one misstep and he'd tumble down the cliff. Even though he held a broadsword, the area was tangled with branches. Not only was his footing unstable, but he also couldn't swing his weapon properly.

From the moment he was yanked down by his opponent, he had fallen completely into their trap!

"Hiding now, are you? Thought you were so tough? You burned my house! You tried to steal my grain! Damn you!" Zhao Dashan charged forward, axe raised. The slope was unstable, so he had taken off his straw sandals earlier. Now, his ten toes dug fiercely into the soft earth. Though sharp stones bit into the soles of his feet, compared to the burning desire to kill this damned arsonist and thief, this pain was nothing more than an itch.

*Clang!*

A crisp metallic clash rang out. Zhao Dashan chopped down with his axe, and Duan Zhi hastily raised his blade to block.

Zhao Dashan hadn't expected this scrawny bandit to be so useless. With just a bit of force, the man's arm trembled violently, about to drop the sword.

His eyes narrowed. Not giving his opponent a chance to react, he gripped the axe handle and pressed down with all his might. Duan Zhi, watching the blade edge inch closer to his chest, felt his eyeballs quiver. He felt the blood drain from his face. He mustered every ounce of strength to push back, but could only be pressed down inch by inch, forced to watch the back of the blade approach his chest.

"So those few shabby thatched huts at the foot of the mountain were yours..." he spat through gritted teeth. A destitute wretch who couldn't even scrape together a grain of rice—how could he overpower him?

"So it was you who burned them!"

Veins bulged on his neck. Zhao Dashan felt the axe handle in his hand was about to snap. With a furious bellow, he suddenly pulled back. Just before the opponent's broadsword could reach his face, he dug his toes firmly into the ground to steady himself, then bent his knees, bending backwards to dodge the desperate slash Duan Zhi put all his strength into. The sharp blade sliced off a lock of his hair floating in the air.

Zhao Dashan twisted his waist, his right leg taking a large stride down the slope, swiftly changing his position. His left hand grabbed the rough tree trunk, while his right hand, gripping the axe, shot up.

Duan Zhi suddenly heard a whoosh from beside his ear. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of cold light streak past. His eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets. Though his mind screamed at him to dodge, his body was a step too slow. His right hand, holding the sword, had just begun to lift when an excruciating pain exploded in his head, followed by a warm flow down his neck.

Extreme pain could numb the senses.

"Ah—"

When the pain hit him, Duan Zhi slowly turned his head. The look in his eyes as he stared at Zhao Dashan was filled with lingering shock and terror. The last scene of his life was forever frozen on that flash of cold light swinging towards him.

He couldn't understand. How could he have been pulled down by him? He was the one holding the broadsword...

Zhao Dashan yanked hard on the axe, but the wooden handle snapped with a *crack*. The axe head remained embedded in Duan Zhi's skull.

How hard was a skull? Even though this was Zhao Dashan's first time splitting someone's skull, he could feel it. Honestly, he was surprised at his own strength.

Was it an illusion? Not only did he feel stronger than before, but his body also seemed more agile. When he wanted to exert force, his hands were incredibly powerful; when he wanted to run or dodge, his body did exactly what he wanted it to.

It was a weird sensation. Zhao Dashan tried to pull the axe out, but it was useless; it wouldn't budge.

Then, from above, came Zhao Sanwang's roar: "Er Zhu!" His heart lurched. No longer caring about the axe, he snatched the broadsword still tightly clutched in Duan Zhi's hand. Leaping across the slope, he grabbed the stone slab with one hand and flipped himself up.

"Dashan!"

"Big Brother!"

Seeing him appear, Li Dahe and Zhao Sandi's faces lit up with relief, but Zhao Sandi immediately shouted, "Big Brother, quick! Dad's over there!"

To avoid being wiped out in one go, they had scattered and hidden earlier. Zhao Dashan had chosen the blind spot under the stone slab. Some hid behind mounds of earth, some in trees, and others, like Zhao Sanwang, simply covered themselves with leaves and lay flat on the ground.

They hadn't expected Zhao Dashan to snag such a big fish right away. Everything happened too fast. From the man falling into the trap, to Zhao Dashan yanking him down the slope with lightning speed, to them swarming out while the others were still disoriented. The two sides met and, without a word, raised their weapons and started fighting.

There were eleven refugees in total. One died before they even met face-to-face, and Zhao Dashan took another. Of the remaining nine, the most troublesome were only two: a burly man with an axe, and the sharp-mouthed one who used his companion as a human shield.

On their side, even without Zhao Dashan, they still had sixteen men—an absolute numerical advantage. No one fled. Instead, driven by burning anger, they fought with increasing ferocity, displaying a fearlessness that even surpassed the refugees, their madness terrifying to behold.

Zhao Ertian and Zhao Sandi teamed up to kill one first. To prevent any feigned death ambushes, they threw the corpse into the pit trap, letting the wooden stakes pierce it through.

At almost the same time, Li Dahe and his two sons also killed one, following the brothers' example by tossing the body into the pit.

Zhao Song and Zhao Bai didn't have it so easy. They were up against the axe-wielding brute. Wherever this man was from, he was powerfully built and astonishingly strong. Zhao Bai had his chest clothes slashed by the axe several times. If not for his quick reflexes and Zhao Song's harassing attacks from the side, he would have died multiple times today.

On another front, Zhao Sanwang and the three Wu brothers were four against five, the two sides almost evenly matched. The refugees, no matter what, had a ruthless streak; they all had blood on their hands to some degree. Wu Dazhu and his two younger brothers were honest farmers through and through, far less cunning than Zhao Sanwang. In the chaotic melee, Wu Erzhu was slashed on the back and instantly collapsed to the ground.

It was while they were all distracted by Wu Erzhu that the Axe Man kicked Zhao Bai away and swung his axe at Zhao Song, who was shaken by Zhao Sanwang's roar: "Get out of my way!"

Zhao Song wasn't as lucky as Zhao Bai. Though he narrowly dodged, a gash was cut across his chest, instantly dyeing his clothes red.

"Brother!!" Zhao Bai's face turned pale with fright. Stumbling over, he pressed his hand against his brother's chest, his lips trembling with anxiety.

In an instant, both Zhao Song and Wu Erzhu were down.

Now freed up, Zhao Ertian and Zhao Sandi, along with Li Dahe and his sons, joined Zhao Sanwang and the others to surround and finish off the remaining five. Without hesitation, they either hacked or pushed them, sending them all tumbling into the pit trap.

A few screams didn't earn anyone's pity. After Zhao Dashan climbed up, Zhao Ertian immediately led him to find their father. Old Man Zhao had gone after the sharp-mouthed whistler. That cunning bastard, seeing they were outnumbered and couldn't win, had simply turned tail and run. Old Man Zhao gave chase without a second thought.

Meanwhile, Zhao Sanwang, Wu Sanzhu, Chen Erniu, and the Li father and son went after the Axe Man, who had fled in another direction after wounding Zhao Song.

"I have medicinal powder here. Let's sprinkle it on Er Zhu and Songzi first." Zhao Sandi took out a pouch of powder from his robe. This was what their younger sister had given them before they left, for emergencies. And now it came in handy. To reassure the worried Zhao Bai and Wu Dazhu, Zhao Sandi emphasized, "Don't worry, this is hemostatic powder bought from Ping'an Clinic. One tael and six mace for a bottle. It must be effective."

Hearing this, a relieved smile appeared on Wu Dazhu's honest face. Looking at his second brother lying on the ground, he tore open his clothes, revealing a wound deep enough to see bone. "Second Brother, hang in there. San Di has medicine. We'll sprinkle it on and you'll be fine."

Zhao Bai imitated him, pulling open his elder brother's clothes. One was wounded on the chest, the other on the back. Zhao Song's wound was even deeper, the flesh turned out. Fortunately, he was struck on the pectoral muscle, a thicker, more resilient area.

In just a short while, both men had lost a lot of blood, pooling on the ground. Zhao Sandi's brow twitched at the sight. Taking a deep breath, he didn't spare the powder, applying a thick layer that used up more than half the bottle.

Fortunately, the effect was immediate. Once the powder was applied, the bleeding stopped.

"Take Er Zhu and Songzi to the burial mound to recover first," Zhao Sandi decided promptly. "Be careful. Don't let blood drip on the ground. Leave one person to walk behind and clean up any traces."

With Chen Erniu's help, Wu Dazhu hoisted his second brother onto his back. Zhao Song's chest wound, freshly powdered, wasn't suitable for carrying on the back. Luckily, they were all strong men. Zhao Bai simply picked his elder brother up in his arms. Chen Erniu walked behind, cleaning up any dropped bloodstains. The five of them soon disappeared from the spot.

Zhao Sandi first collected all the weapons scattered on the ground—choppers, kitchen knives, sickles, hoes, and the like. Then he stood by the edge of the pit, looking down at the seven or eight corpses impaled on the stakes, ensuring they were all thoroughly dead, before jumping down the slope.

He walked over to Duan Zhi's corpse, glancing at the axe embedded in his skull. The handle was broken. This was their family's axe; he couldn't just leave it in the wilderness.

He climbed back up, selected a handy and sharp kitchen knife, and jumped down the slope again.

Grabbing Duan Zhi's hair, he raised the knife and brought it down.

...

A moment later.

Zhao Sandi had a hoe slung over his shoulder. His left hand and underarm held an assortment of tools and weapons. In his right hand, he carried a head, smeared with mud to stop the bleeding.

He identified the direction and walked step by step towards the woods where his father and the others had disappeared.