The sounds of battle shook the heavens and earth.
The entire mountain forest seemed engulfed in chaos from all directions. People were everywhere, battle cries echoed throughout, arrows flew like rain on one side while falling stones thundered on the other, and even wild boars charged recklessly through the fray.
The thick-skinned wild boars, bristling with arrows, could still crash through and knock down seven or eight men.
The dark forest resembled a raging sea stirred by violent waves.
Tie Ying reined in his horse before advancing further. Though he felt no fear at such a scene, he was deeply shocked.
"What's happening?" he said. "Where did these reinforcements come from?"
A man ahead was equally stunned: "We've been guarding the pass all along and haven't seen any government troops."
True or false? A bluff? Tie Ying spurred his horse to turn in place, hand resting on the long sword at his waist, his expression grim. "I don't believe they have many reinforcements. Even if they do, I can still capture her alone—"
As he prepared to urge his horse forward, another call came from behind.
"The garrison troops from Chen County have assembled and appear to be heading this way."
The nearest garrison was in Chen County. Tie Ying was startled—Chen County was some distance from here.
"How could the news have leaked so quickly?" he exclaimed in alarm. "Didn't we ensure no one escaped?"
"Absolutely no one fled from here," the man reaffirmed. "Even if someone had escaped to deliver a message, there wouldn't have been enough time to make the round trip."
So, did that mean the nearby garrison was also monitoring Chu Zhao's movements?
If the garrison troops arrived as well—
It wasn't that he feared these government soldiers; what he feared was exposing the Heir Apparent.
Currently, the court and Prince Zhongshan hadn't yet broken into open conflict—both sides were waiting for an opportunity, or a pretext.
After all, there was no evidence of the Heir Apparent inciting Chu Lan to kill the imperial grandson, and Chu Zhao couldn't sacrifice her own uncle to certain death.
If Xiao Xun were caught besieging Chu Zhao now, the court could immediately declare to the world that Prince Zhongshan was a traitor and launch a punitive campaign.
Perhaps this was a trap deliberately set by Chu Zhao and the court, using herself as bait to lure Prince Zhongshan—wasn't that the same tactic used when she fell into the water at Chu Manor last time?
His horse pawed the ground and turned.
"Retreat!" Tie Ying commanded.
His followers acknowledged the order, brandishing their torches. Moments later, the men and horses vanished like rolling black clouds, following Tie Ying into the distance.
...
...
By the time a hazy blue light enveloped the mountain forest, the sounds of battle had faded, leaving only the crackle of mountain fires still burning.
Chu Zhao and A Le moved among the wounded, striving to save as many lives as possible. Their bodies and faces were smeared with blood.
When Xiao Man rushed over, she almost didn't recognize them.
Chu Zhao had already spotted her and rushed forward with open arms: "Xiao Man, I'm so glad you're safe."
Caught off guard, Xiao Man found herself enveloped in a tight embrace. Though they had been inseparable day and night for some time, they seldom spoke and weren't close!
"You—you—" Xiao Man pushed at her, but seeing the girl's smile through the bloodstains on her face, her words softened into a mutter. "What could possibly happen to me!"
She snorted and turned her head away.
"This is nothing, just a minor incident."
Chu Zhao shook her repeatedly, nodding. "Yes, yes, Xiao Man is amazing." As she spoke, tears fell.
She must have been terrified—it truly was a perilous situation. Where would Chu Zhao have experienced such horror before? Though the night of the capital's turmoil had been dangerous, it was nothing compared to this.
She must have been frightened out of her wits, scared enough to hug her and cry—she could only hold her and weep, but actually...
Xiao Man couldn't help glancing back.
Noticing this, Chu Zhao asked, "What are you looking for?"Following Xiao Man's gaze, she looked toward the mountain forest shrouded in torchlit darkness, where many figures moved chaotically—some familiar, some not.
Yet Chu Zhao's eyes inexplicately settled on one particular silhouette.
The distance wasn't far. The person stood beside a large tree, the flickering torchlight rendering them intermittently visible like a mirage.
Though... could this be a woman?
Aside from Xiao Man, A Le, and herself, were there other women present?
"Who is—" Chu Zhao couldn't help asking.
Who?
But the moment she spoke, the torchlight wavered, and the figure vanished—as if turning to attend to tasks, disappearing instantly into the chaotic crowd wandering through the mountain forest.
"What?" Xiao Man asked beside her, her tone tinged with impatience.
Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze and asked, "Where did all these people come from?"
Xiao Man uttered an "oh" and said, "They're hunters I encountered in the mountains."
...
...
Morning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting shimmering patterns. Birds oblivious to human suffering resumed their quiet existence, hopping between branches with crisp chirps, utterly indifferent to the blood-soaked ground below.
Ding Dachui gathered the remaining members of their group with survivors from two other mountain strongholds. Though they had initially glared at each other with hostility, their eyes were now red for a different reason—sleepless exhaustion.
Instead of attacking one another, they huddled together in post-disaster solidarity, supporting each other while staring at a nearby group of about a dozen people.
This group appeared peculiar.
Among them were young girls, individuals bearing clear military authority, and others unable to conceal their bandit origins—people who by all logic shouldn't belong together.
Were these the "big targets" their new leader had mentioned?
Ding Dachui looked down at the blood-drenched earth beneath his feet. Last night's ambush had been brutally intense—the three strongholds had lost nearly half their members before finally capturing these "fat sheep."
But that girl who had clearly thrown herself into their new leader's arms weeping—why was she now standing with these captives, spouting nonsense?
"I was desperate to find government troops when I encountered them—they said they were mountain hunters. These kind souls, upon hearing we'd been attacked by bandits, were moved by righteousness and courage to intervene—"
She exhausted all the elegant phrases she knew, then bowed to Ding Dachui and the others.
"Thank you, fellow villagers, for saving us."
Silence blanketed the scene.
The "villagers" being thanked didn't respond with the customary "No need for thanks, it's our duty."
Chu Zhao and Lao Bai instead focused on the weapons in the villagers' hands—broadswords, spears, halberds, an entire arsenal. Quite comprehensive hunting equipment for mountain dwellers.
Deep mountains, nighttime, so many "hunters"—impossible.
Without needing to speculate, Chu Zhao and Lao Bai understood their true identity.
Bandits.
Real mountain bandits.
How ironic—fake bandits had tried to kill her, while real bandits had saved her.
Though they didn't know how Xiao Man had persuaded these bandits to rescue them, it certainly wasn't due to some righteous chivalry.
But since Xiao Man preferred not to explain, there was no need to press further.
After a moment of stiff silence, Chu Zhao bowed solemnly. "Thank you for saving us, fellow villagers. This great kindness shall be repaid. We will generously reward you all."
At the words "generous reward," Ding Dachui and the others sharpened their focus."My family is immensely wealthy, and my parents cherish me as their most precious treasure. By saving me, you have not only saved my life but also my entire family," Chu Zhao continued loudly. "Beyond material wealth, whatever requests you may have, my parents will surely grant them. Even so, it would be difficult to repay the great kindness you have shown in rescuing our party."
As she spoke, she bowed deeply once more.
These words were sincere.
If not for these mountain bandits, her life in this world would have ended here.
So she would not question why they had come or what they sought—she only needed to express her gratitude.
Lao Bai and the others also bowed in unison, shouting together, "Such great kindness and virtue, we shall never forget it for the rest of our lives."
Though their numbers were few, their synchronized shouts were startlingly intense.
Ding Dachui and the other bandits were taken aback. Hearing these words of gratitude and witnessing the solemn bows, they were momentarily at a loss.
And the new leader was nowhere to be seen—during the chaotic night assault, she had been clearly visible. She charged ahead, cleaving through obstacles like splitting mountains and parting seas, and when they wavered in fear, she reappeared behind them, severing any thoughts of retreat.
The new leader’s people were mixed among them—someone poked him from behind.
Ding Dachui, a sharp-witted hunter—turned bandit—immediately stammered, "Y-You’re too kind."
His gaze involuntarily drifted toward the girl named Xiao Man.
The girl looked back at him and suddenly raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"Big business," she mouthed.
Ding Dachui’s expression shifted momentarily, and he roughly understood. This kind of thing wasn’t actually unusual.
First, plant a spy among the wealthy targets, then strike when they’re in danger. While most would simply take advantage of the chaos to loot, there was also a tactic of playing the hero to win the trust of the targets, and then—
In short, it was a long-term scheme to catch a big fish.
Looking at the gruesome scene, this girl and her party had been fiercely besieged by so many attackers. The greater the danger, the greater the potential gains.
Even the new leader’s sudden takeover of their mountain strongholds might not have been merely to dominate the territory—it could have been all for this moment.
Such foresight and meticulous planning—
It was clear this was truly a big business.
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