Chapter 33: The Youth
A quarter of an hour was more than enough for everyone to make their choice.
To die in disgrace and bring ruin upon one's family.
Or to obey military orders and gamble for a future?
The choice was not difficult.
At the command, the inspectors surged into the dense forest like a tide — not a single one hesitated.
The mountain path was narrow; the forest thick and silent.
Outside the woods, the inspectors had still managed to maintain some semblance of formation. But under the constraints of the terrain, they soon spread out one after another.
At He Ping's shouted orders, the scattered inspectors regrouped into their respective units, spreading out along both sides of the mountain path, advancing in the direction of Qili Village.
"No footprints?"
Amid the snowy white expanse, Chu Mu gripped his long blade tightly, scanning the snow-covered forest with a deep frown.
That volley of arrows just now could not have come from nowhere — someone must have been moving.
And where people move through snow, they leave traces.
Yet before his eyes, there were almost none.
The farther they pressed into the forest, the fewer traces remained. Here and there were faint signs of deliberate concealment, but as they advanced, all signs were gradually erased by wind and snow.
Their enemy — more numerous than the government troops — had withdrawn with enough time and skill to cover their tracks thoroughly.
In Chu Mu's mind, the threat level of this group shot straight up.
"Stay close to me. Don't wander off."
Chu Mu turned and gave a warning to Xu Yuan, who was following him. Then he looked over at the other inspector squads nearby.
Heavy rewards breed brave men.
Like Chu Mu, many had seized this as a chance to fight for their futures.
Like Li Gang, many had a single-minded desire for advancement.
Everywhere he looked, he saw squads armed with sharp weapons, searching methodically along the mountain path.
From the foot of the mountain to Qili Village was only seven li.
At this pace, it wouldn't take long to reach the village.
And once they reached Qili Village, everything would become much simpler.
It had only been a few hours since the inspectors were killed.
Anyone with sense would know the price of murdering government officials.
Escape was the only option.
But how far could they run in just a few hours?
Especially in the dead of winter — what would they eat in the deep mountains?
Bringing enough supplies would cost even more precious time.
"Be careful. If the rebels intend to stall us, there will surely be more surprise arrow attacks."
Chu Mu stopped and looked at the inspectors around him.
Most of his squad were new recruits, like himself. The few seasoned veterans had all perished in the earlier assault.
Their squad leader, Li Gang, had charged ahead in pursuit of merit and glory — no one knew where he was now.
As a result, Chu Mu's squad was left with a bunch of rookies — little wonder Li Gang had abandoned them.
After giving his warning, Chu Mu didn't wait for replies. He turned his gaze back to the forest.
The inspector formation advanced in a triangular shape along the mountain path. Chu Mu's squad was positioned at one outer corner of the formation.
If his guess was correct — if the rebels were indeed trying to delay them — then his position was especially dangerous.
As if to confirm his thoughts, suddenly — barely ten paces ahead — an inspector dropped with a dull thud.
An arrow had pierced straight through his skull, bright red blood staining the snow in a vivid, jarring splash.
"Ambush!"
The shout rang out. The previously quiet forest instantly descended into chaos.
Chu Mu's pupils contracted. All emotion vanished from his mind as he instinctively turned toward the direction the arrow had come from.
He glimpsed a figure leaping down from the treetops, darting swiftly through the forest. Within a few heartbeats, the figure had vanished behind the trees.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
That first arrow was like a signal. Suddenly, cold arrows rained in from all directions.
A chilling sense of mortal danger enveloped Chu Mu.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a black blur speeding toward him.
By pure instinct, he swung his blade. The impact reverberated down to his bones.
The arrow shattered in two, the broken shaft falling into the snow. On its tip, an eerie glow gleamed.
A cold sweat broke out down Chu Mu's back. His throat tightened as if something blocked it; even breathing became difficult.
Just now… he had been this close to death!
Xu Yuan rushed over, crouching low. "Brother Mu, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. You be careful too."
Chu Mu took a deep breath, eyes instantly locking onto the fleeing man.
No more than thirty paces ahead.
Several daring inspectors had already charged after him.
Chu Mu didn't hesitate. Gripping his blade, he sprinted after them.
Dozens of paces — not far at all.
Now that the rebels had revealed themselves, they had lost their greatest advantage.
Inspectors armed with bows and crossbows returned fire, bolts whistling through the air. Others gave chase on foot, desperate to claim a head and earn their reward.
After sprinting a few more paces, Chu Mu suddenly shouted: "Watch out! There's someone in the trees!"
At that moment, with a shower of snow, a figure leaped down like a dragon from the treetops.
A hunting knife as long as an arm drove straight into one inspector's body, blood spraying as the man crashed to the ground.
His eyes stared wide open, the light within them fading visibly. Pure terror was frozen on his face.
The attacker moved with unnerving agility, wielding the long hunting knife as naturally as his own arm.
In just a few heartbeats, the lead inspectors had all fallen into bloody heaps.
It was only then that Chu Mu finally saw his face clearly.
A youth — younger than Xu Yuan by the looks of him.
Dressed in furs, face still touched with boyish softness, yet his eyes gleamed with a cold, ruthless light far beyond his years.
The youth met Chu Mu's gaze without retreating — instead, he shot forward like an arrow.
Once again, that sense of overwhelming danger engulfed Chu Mu.
Clang!
Steel clashed, a piercing screech ringing through the forest — like a death knell.
The youth's bloodstained blade came down in a flurry, forcing Chu Mu back step by step.
In just a few breaths, Chu Mu had retreated more than ten paces. His own blade was now chipped and jagged.
"After him!"
"Quick! Don't let him get away!"
Shouts echoed nearby. The frenzied clash of steel suddenly ceased.
By the time Chu Mu gathered himself, the youth's figure was already darting away like a wildcat, vanishing swiftly into the forest.
*(End of Chapter)*