"Charge up the mountain and take back our grain—no, our silver!"
At Widow Quan's command, the seven hundred men split into three teams. First Team remained at the foot of the mountain, while the other two advanced in turns.
This showed that they had already shed their initial disorderly state as displaced refugees.
The Pine Mountain Sect reacted swiftly. Before the group had climbed even half a kilometer up the mountain road, more than twenty Pine Mountain Sect disciples appeared in the forests on either side of the path. They kept themselves well concealed, making them difficult to spot.
Each of them wielded a sharp sword and wore armor—during peaceful times, that was considered rebellion. Swords could be carried, but armor could not be privately kept.
The moment they appeared, they said nothing and immediately hurled rocks downhill! The rocks were about the size of human heads, thrown directly from a mountain path dozens of meters above.
Fortunately, military regulations required a small number of scouts to be sent ahead.
Now, these scouts saved the entire force. They spotted the falling rocks in time and immediately blew urgent whistles to warn those behind them.
"Spread out! Fall back!" Widow Quan instantly understood how severe their disadvantage was.
No wonder these sect people were so arrogant. With such a height advantage, a few dozen men could easily crush over a thousand elite soldiers!
They practiced martial arts and possessed immense strength. They could keep throwing rocks for an entire hour! Even though she had acted decisively and the group scattered quickly enough, seven or eight people still failed to evade in time and were smashed into pulp, a horrifying sight! That was only because she had retreated promptly. If she had stubbornly charged forward, out of these several hundred people, perhaps