Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Prayer
"You think I’m trying to negotiate with you?"
"This is an order!"
"A military order is absolute! If you defy it, I have the authority to execute you on the spot!"
Li Gang growled, keeping his voice down. Clearly, he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of the Hundred Households and Thousand Households.
The mont he said that, the protesting Inspectors imdiately fell silent. However, the looks on their faces made their true feelings perfectly clear.
"Three Legs, Big Mouth, haven’t you two always wanted to learn my Martial Arts? When we get back this ti, I’ll teach you!"
"As for you two, I won’t shortchange you. You can learn Martial Arts if you want. If not, I’ll personally give each of you thirty silver!"
After the threats ca the sweet promises. Having said his piece, Li Gang turned to Chu Mu and the others. "Any of you who are willing to co with
will be well compensated."
A flicker of light crossed Chu Mu’s eyes. He was truly tempted. ’The True Martial Arts I’ve been dreaming of... is it finally within my grasp?’
But one look at Li Gang’s sullen face and Chu Mu forcibly suppressed the urge.
’Just as Li Gang himself had said, those other Inspectors had been sucking up to him for who knows how long, yet he’d never seen Li Gang teach them any of his True Martial Arts.’
’This ti, he was just making a promise under duress.’
’Will he really keep his word?’
’If he goes back on his word, what could I possibly do about it?’
’Of course, Chu Mu’s biggest concern was still the unknown danger of the mission itself.’
’After all, out of more than ten Inspectors, only one had escaped.’
’It wasn’t hard to deduce that this was a preditated ambush. A spontaneous attack could never have nearly wiped out an entire team of Inspectors.’
’Preditated ant organized, and organized ant the risks would be huge.’
’Weighing the pros and cons, the risks clearly far outweighed the rewards.’
"Fine. You lot, with !"
Li Gang didn’t press the issue. With a shout, he strode off.
Watching Li Gang’s spirited departure, Chu Mu had a sudden, wild thought. ’If Li Gang goes and never cos back, his team leader position would be vacant.’
’Then, if I managed to earn so rit this ti, could I have a chance at snagging that team leader spot for myself?’
’Being a team leader would be far more freeing than his current, rigidly defined role. It would make it much easier to do whatever he wanted.’
Just as Chu Mu’s mind was wandering, the unexpected happened.
With a series of ear-piercing WHOOSHES, a volley of arrows shot out from the dense forest, raining down upon them.
At the very front of the column were, of course, the spirited Li Gang and the few Inspectors dejectedly following him.
"Ambush!"
With his advanced Martial Arts, Li Gang was not afraid. He was even ecstatic—after all, the Thousand Households was right behind him.
With a loud roar, Li Gang leaped in front of the Thousand Households, his Long Saber a blur of steel that ford an impenetrable shield, deflecting the arrows aid at the officer.
But the Inspectors following Li Gang t with disaster. Not all of them possessed his level of True Martial Arts. One by one, they were riddled with arrows until they looked like pincushions, collapsing to the ground, their fates unknown.
At the sight, Li Jinghong’s expression turned icy. He narrowed his eyes at the nearby forest, raising a hand to stop He Ping, who was about to lead a charge into the trees.
"We don’t know the terrain. Don’t advance rashly!"
"Relay my orders! All units, maintain formation and fall back five hundred paces!"
At that mont, Chu Mu’s nerves were stretched taut. In this life or his last, this was without a doubt the first ti he had ever been in a situation like this.
His Long Saber was already in his hand, his eyes fixed on the distant woods. Fortunately, they were still far enough away that the arrows couldn’t reach him.
However, an attack like this was a clear sign of just how badly the situation had deteriorated.
’Qili Village must have been completely overrun by the rebels. The entire village has fallen. Otherwise, they’d never have been able to set up an ambush here!’
What Chu Mu couldn’t fathom was the sheer audacity of these people.
’Instead of fleeing after killing Inspectors, they were actually using the terrain to ambush and counter-attack the Official Army!’
But Chu Mu had no ti to dwell on it. Even though the arrows couldn’t reach him, he wasn’t about to bet his life on it!
Even before the order to fall back was given, Chu Mu had already retreated a good distance. Once the order ca, he fell back to the very rear in one smooth motion.
Fortunately, there were plenty of cowards among the Inspectors, so Chu Mu didn’t stand out as he blended in with them. In fact, with his vigilant expression, he even looked sowhat heroic.
"The arrows are poisoned!"
"Be careful, everyone! The arrows are poisoned!"
The retreat of several hundred paces was chaotic. An unlucky Inspector who had been hit collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth, prompting cries of alarm.
Looking back down the road, a dozen or so bodies of Inspectors were strewn across the several hundred paces of their retreat. Faintly, the wails of those not yet dead could still be heard.
After that single volley, the dense forest fell silent once more. If not for the bloody scene on the road, it would have all seed like a hallucination.
Especially the familiar colleagues who had been at the front—now, they lay motionless in pools of their own blood.
As the initial rush of vigilance wore off, Chu Mu’s face turned deathly pale.
A storm of emotions—lingering fear, imnse relief—swirled in his heart.
The faint traces of excitent that had been bubbling up just monts before were utterly extinguished by the sight of such bloodshed.
Life and death had never been so close.
How could he not be shaken to his core?
"Brother Mu..."
Xu Yuan collapsed onto the ground, shaking like a leaf.
"Don’t... don’t be afraid!"
Chu Mu swallowed hard and offered a word of comfort. He honestly didn’t know what else to say.
’He was scared too! Terrified!’
’The only thing he had over Xu Yuan was the several decades of experience from his past life, which allowed him to barely keep his cool.’
’Of course, that was the only advantage he had.’
’You couldn’t expect a low-level corporate drone from a past life to be as unflappable as a mountain, completely unfazed by the sky falling, could you?’
"It’s okay. There are a lot of us. They won’t dare to co out."
Chu Mu’s words were rambling; he wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort himself or Xu Yuan.
"Get a grip, all of you!"
"Get up! On your feet!"
He Ping led a few Squad Leaders, bellowing and cursing as they tried to restore order among the chaos. Under their direction, the pandemonium slowly subsided.
Chu Mu did his best to calm himself, his gaze darting between the surrounding forest and the Thousand Households, Li Jinghong, who was now encircled by a crowd of Inspectors.
’The situation was crystal clear. Regardless of what had happened in Qili Village, the resisting villagers had definitely been organized, and they held the advantage of the forest terrain.’
’On their side, the Inspectors’ morale was shattered; they were hesitant and terrified. But without a doubt, they had the absolute advantage in numbers.’
’Otherwise, after that last volley of arrows, when the Inspectors were panicking and scared out of their wits, the rebels would have certainly pressed their advantage and charged.’
’Right now, the most important person was clearly the Thousand Households, Li Jinghong.’
’An incompetent general is the death of his army.’
’And now, their every move depended on this one man.’
’Their fates rested on his every whim.’
Even though Chu Mu didn’t believe in gods or spirits, he couldn’t help but pray silently.
He truly hoped this Thousand Households would prove to be wise and capable...
...
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