Chapter 68

The rain continued to pour, as if a hole had been torn in the sky, spilling all the waters of the Milky Way, endlessly dampening the mood and causing frustration.

Another fire was lit, but this time it was a makeshift stove built with broken bricks, allowing for some simple cooking.

The faces of those warming themselves by the fire began to regain some color, the steam from drying clothes and the smoke from the fire mingled, filling the room with a pungent but tolerable smell.

Yin Xiaoyan finally woke up from his fever, and after drinking ginger soup, the weak-looking young man insisted on keeping watch over the stove, clearly determined not to be a useless burden that could be discarded at any moment.

The third pot had already boiled, this time not just for warmth or to ward off the cold, but a thick porridge made from strips of hard dry bread, salted fish, and preserved vegetables, with an added piece of lard. Each person’s bowl was quickly emptied.

Since we might have to wait for the rain to stop for a whole day, we had plenty of time to do various tasks and preparations.

For example, we used the hearth to dry and bake small pieces of wood into portable charcoal, and some tools were dried and reheated before being repackaged for future use.

Weapons and knives of various sizes were resharpened and wiped clean, then coated with ashes and briefly smoked to form a thin layer of oxidation, which would prevent rusting even if they got wet from the rain.

With ample rest time, I pulled Bao Tou to one side and began dictating my diary.

It mainly consisted of observations and judgments about the local production, economy, and living conditions based on the scenery along the way, as well as some new precautions.

Or simply the occasional spark of thought and memory, recorded with a few key words.

The sound of hooves piercing through the rain, accompanied by the dense thudding, suddenly made Han Liangchen, who had been sitting motionless like a statue on a high beam, come to life. He took a horn bow from the cart, drew the string, and it hummed in his hand.

Then he placed five arrows with iron tips on the side of the shield. Bo Fu took up two spears and a hand shield, standing beside him as cover. This seemed to be a signal, and everyone except Yin Xiaoyan, who was tending the fire, put down their work and became busy.

All the observation points, except those deliberately left open, were sealed with materials prepared in advance. Bao Tou, with a crossbow ready, joined me, a reflexive cooperation and initial默契 (rapport) we had developed during our brief journey.

For example, in a village where we had stayed, some locals had tried to rob us of our livestock and belongings, but we discovered their plans and struck first, killing a few leaders and dispersing the crowd with farming tools. We found a pile of discarded items in the forest, clearly belonging to travelers from elsewhere.

This kind of vigilance and caution became a common sense we repeatedly emphasized. At least until we had enough strength to protect ourselves and deter others, even the most harmless-looking person could turn into a ruthless brute under the right circumstances. The long chaos had pushed the inherent evil in human nature to its extreme.

Geographical advantages, such as narrow passes and river crossings, could easily become deadly battlefields if not handled carefully, just because the locals needed to survive.

Even the Hangjiahu Plain, a historical land of fish and rice and one of the four major rice markets in southern China, was still plagued by hunger and despair for most of the locals we encountered.

Especially, we needed to avoid those seemingly hospitable strongholds, which were run by local warlords and posed the greatest threat to lone and weak travelers.

Without a solid background, a warm welcome could quickly turn into a trap, and even those with a background were not entirely safe. As long as the attack was swift and thorough, and the evidence destroyed, it was not easy to trace in such chaotic times.

Not to mention the notorious bandits around Taihu Lake. Fortunately, we had Han Liangchen, who had extensive travel experience, to guide us and train the group.

Although, except for Bo Fu, the other five were not qualified followers or armed personnel, their ability to support each other and escape from Jiangning showed promise. Han Liangchen tried to instruct and train them, so they wouldn’t panic in emergencies and become a hindrance, and perhaps even provide some self-defense and morale.

The best performer was Cui Tuzi, who, after overcoming the psychological barrier of applying his butchering skills to humans, became the most skilled in the group with his ability to throw meat hooks and cut at vital joints.

However, he was prone to getting lost in the gory scenes and temporarily ignoring pain and injuries, as Bo Fu put it, a side effect of treating humans like pigs.

Then there was the porter Qian Shuining, who, as the leader of a group of porters, often fought with other factions for jobs, wielding iron-tipped poles and iron clubs with great skill.

Next was the horseman Yan Jiuer, who, with his Northern nomadic blood, was skilled in horse care and riding, even without a saddle. He was chosen by Han Liangchen to accompany Bo Fu on scouting missions.

Although his performance was average, he had a certain presence when holding a weapon, as if he was holding back.

The remaining two, a sick man and a cook, had lower expectations. Zhang Daniu, the cook, had a passion for foraging for ingredients, claiming that almost anything could be cooked except for humans.

Yin Xiaoyan, the butcher's apprentice, had no particular strengths but was the only one among the five who could read and write, which was why I tried to help him. In ancient times, literacy was a rare privilege and a path to the upper class.

As for Bo Fu, his diverse skills from his background as a mercenary made him a jack-of-all-trades, capable of using various weapons and surviving in the wild.

He claimed to have participated in amphibious assaults as a support unit and could swim a bit.

Adjusting the simple monocular, I slowly focused on the distant mountain gate, but through the rain, I saw nothing.

"Perhaps they are just passing by."

As the hoofbeats grew fainter, it seemed they were leaving, and everyone relaxed a bit.

Suddenly, a faint, sharp sound made me jump.

"Did you hear that?"

I was met with blank faces.

"Alright, maybe it was just my imagination."

Then another sharp cry, this time closer, and everyone's faces changed.

Only Han Liangchen and Bo Fu remained calm, but Han Liangchen's hand was ready to shoot.

Then more cries, clearly the sounds of injured and angry people.

The rain seemed to ease, and through the thinning mist, we could see figures below.

Through the monocular, I could see clearly: people chasing and killing each other, at least a hundred in number.

The smaller group, mostly in armor with lotus-leaf hats, had women and children among them but maintained some order.

The larger group had mixed weapons and no specific markings, but they were well-organized, fierce, and trained, with archers coordinating their attacks.

Despite the rain weakening their arrows, they still shot at the weaker members, forcing the armored group to protect them, disrupting their formation and allowing the attackers to separate and cut them down.

If they were just fighting each other, I wouldn’t care, but clearly, fate had other plans.

Both sides saw the only building and higher ground and began to retreat towards it.

During this process, a few more bodies were left behind, soaked in rain, dead or dying.

I cursed under my breath. Just when I had gathered a small force, a challenge appeared.

"Someone is coming from the side."

Bo Fu, who had climbed to the beam to look, suddenly spoke.

I saw a figure with a crossbow approaching from another direction, followed by a small group, clearly circling around the hill and heading up the stone steps, eyeing our high position.

The rain and mist had hidden the faint smoke, and I nodded at Han Liangchen, knowing we couldn’t stay out of it.

An arrow whistled through the air, striking the man in the face, and he fell to the ground, sliding down the steps, leaving a trail of blood that was quickly washed away by the rain.

The others shrank back, hiding behind the remains of the archway.

This unexpected turn made both sides pause.

"There’s an ambush."

"Our reinforcements have arrived."

The different calls acted like a catalyst, creating a divide.

The smaller group had a brief surge, cutting down several attackers and retreating to the area between the mountain gate and the archway, providing some cover.

Taking advantage of this, Han Liangchen took a deep breath and shouted loudly.

"Right Division Commander of the Heavenly Virtue Army, stationed at Ye Zhi, how dare you disturb us, vermin."

"Kill without mercy."

Everyone echoed the call, the sound shaking the dust from the walls, breaking through the rain and then being swallowed by the mist.

The other side fell silent, then slowly gathered their injured and dead, retreating into the rain.

"Are they retreating?"

Cui Tuzi muttered.

"Not yet."

I shook my head.

"They are just regrouping because the situation is unclear."

"They are prepared and won’t give up easily just because of a name."

I didn’t say that if they were a bit smarter, they would realize we were few in number and only had one arrow, and wouldn’t have retreated.

"Someone is coming."

Looking at the figures staggering up the steps, mostly injured or elderly, their blood mixing with the rain on the steps.

A few stood at the bottom, covering their retreat, standing firm despite the rain and fatigue.

"Should we attack?"

Han Liangchen didn’t speak but glanced at me.

I sighed. This was the burden of leadership, making decisions and taking responsibility.

"Let them come, but how do we explain ourselves?"

"Putting on a show isn’t a problem."

I turned to Han Liangchen.

"For now, I need to temporarily ally with them but maintain control."

"I understand."

He smiled.

"Alright, let’s establish our identities."

The other side stopped a few steps away and shouted.

"Relatives of the Raozhou Prefect, caught in a bandit attack, thank you for your assistance."

"May we come in to express our gratitude?"

Look at that, even in a crisis, they maintained their official demeanor.

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