Who Is in the Wrong?!

Who Is in the Wrong?!

At the foot of the mountain opposite them, a conspicuous line of villagers herded cattle and sheep while pushing carts.

It seemed they had heard the Patrol Inspectors shouting. The orderly, quiet procession of villagers immediately descended into obvious panic.

But someone was clearly organizing them. Before long, the villagers, who had been trudging forward at a snail's pace, suddenly picked up speed. They even abandoned quite a few of the supplies they had been carrying.

The distance was rather great, and it was difficult to see clearly.

But there was no doubt about it—the "rebels" were just ahead.

"Pursue them!"

The order was issued once more, followed by wave after wave of shouts.

Having seen the "rebels" with their own eyes, the Patrol Inspectors' morale visibly rose. Amid a chorus of shouts, they hurried down the mountain.

"Where the mountains end and the rivers run dry..."

As Chu Mu gazed at the figures fleeing through the mountain forest opposite them, those four words suddenly surfaced in his mind.

The crazed moths-rushing-into-the-flames frenzy of last night had, as expected, exhausted the already scant resistance of Qili Village.

Next...

Chu Mu watched the Patrol Inspectors charging down the mountain, then glanced toward where the villagers of Qili Village were.

Tightening his grip on the hilt, Chu Mu stopped thinking about it. He strode forward and followed the Patrol Inspector troop down the mountain.

To Chu Mu's surprise, there was not a single attack along the way, despite the pursuit taking place at such close range.

In less than an hour, the hundred-odd fully armed Patrol Inspectors arrived at the foot of the mountain without the slightest trouble.

The woods were a complete mess. Clothing and food lay scattered about, along with abandoned carts. Cattle and sheep could even be seen wandering through the mountain forest.

"Keep pursuing them!"

"They can't have gone far!"

Chu Mu had only just stopped and had not yet gotten a clear look at the scene before him when Li Jinghong's order rang out once more.

Chu Mu instinctively examined his surroundings, sweeping his gaze around, but he found nothing unusual.

Just as he was preparing to follow the advancing Patrol Inspectors, a sudden scream made his heart tighten to the extreme.

Before Chu Mu could see where the scream had come from, the howling sound of something ripping through the air exploded across the chaotic woodland.

Swish, swish, swish...

Arrows flying wildly and sharpened bamboo tubes came from every direction, assailing the Patrol Inspectors who had entered the woods like a heavenly net descending from all sides.

Some fled in blind panic, only to plunge headfirst into pits concealed beneath the leaves. The sharpened bamboo tubes inside pierced straight through them, leaving them cold to the heart.

Others trembled in place, only to have sharp bamboo tubes fired from some unknown location punch straight through their bodies.

In an instant, blood blossoms bloomed across the chaotic ground. Almost immediately, the dense forest was dyed crimson.

Chu Mu did not dare move even an inch. He grabbed the petrified Xu Yuan and crouched beside a cart abandoned by the villagers of Qili Village. Using the cart as cover, he watched the surrounding area with utmost vigilance.

After roughly sweeping his eyes around, Chu Mu and Xu Yuan finally understood when they saw the mountain villagers charging out with all kinds of weapons in hand.

They had truly been driven into a corner!

Chu Mu's heart began to pound. The journey had incurred heavy casualties. Of the nearly two hundred Patrol Inspectors who had entered the mountains, only a little over a hundred probably remained.

And now they had fallen into an ambush that had clearly been planned long ago...

"Could they turn the tables on us?"

Chu Mu gripped his long blade tightly, his brows carrying several traces of worry.

If they really were defeated here, they would be utterly finished!

These vast mountains were blanketed in snow, and they were unfamiliar with the terrain. They would have no way to escape!

"A bunch of good-for-nothings!"

"All of you, get up there!"

"Anyone who retreats dies!"

"Charge! Charge, damn you!"

After hacking to death a Patrol Inspector who had nearly broken down and was fleeing, Li Jinghong swept his gaze across the battlefield. His shouts rang across the entire scene.

With Li Jinghong's voice, the various Hundred Households, Squad Leaders, and Squad Leaders finally reacted as well. Amid a succession of shouts, the chaos of each group fighting on its own finally regained a little order.

Scattered counterattacks began to appear as well.

After watching for a while, Chu Mu slowly relaxed.

The ambush looked imposing, but in truth, the truly terrifying casualties had come only from the first wave of traps and the sharp bamboo tubes fired by some unknown method.

After that, the scattered arrow attacks and the mountain villagers, old and young alike...

All of it clearly proclaimed that Qili Village had reached the end of its strength.

The enemy was right before his eyes. Chu Mu could even see an Old Hunter with a head of white hair charging over while wielding a rust-covered Hunting Blade.

It was not difficult to see that most of the attackers who had charged this time were ordinary civilians with hardly any martial skill.

Military merit was truly within arm's reach. To Chu Mu, it was practically there for the taking.

Yet at this instant, in this battlefield where life and death clashed, Chu Mu actually hesitated.

When facing attackers with extraordinary skill and lethal moves, he could resist without the slightest hesitation, even racking his brains to find ways to kill them.

But when facing these old and weak people who had come charging forward with death in their eyes...

It was not that he was being softhearted, nor that he was pretending to be some saint.

It was simply that the worldview and values he had built over several decades in his previous life were influencing him.

"You corrupt official, die!"

The blade came howling toward him. The ferocious face just inches away was crystal clear, and the hatred in those eyes seemed capable of devouring Chu Mu alive.

"Mu-ge!"

Seeing Chu Mu standing there in a daze, Xu Yuan cried out in alarm!

As the blade closed in, Chu Mu finally pulled away. Without expending much effort, he dodged the Old Man's attack.

Feeling the hatred in the Old Man's eyes, Chu Mu's emotions churned like a dish of mixed flavors. He could not even explain what he was feeling.

Was he in the wrong?

Wearing the uniform of a Patrol Inspector and acting according to his conscience, he had never oppressed anyone. Nor had he used his position as a Patrol Inspector to commit any utterly vile deeds.

This time, he had merely entered the mountains to suppress bandits as part of his duty.

Officials arresting bandits—that was only right and proper!

But was the Old Man before him in the wrong? He was not wrong either.

The burden of forced labor was too heavy, leaving the people unable to make a living. When officials drove the people to revolt, that too was only right and proper!

For him to want to kill this official, to hate this official, was also entirely reasonable!

No one was in the wrong! Chu Mu pressed his lips together, raised his hand, and blocked the Old Man's next slash with his blade. Then he shifted the long blade, turning its edge into its back, and struck the Old Man's neck with precisely controlled force.

The Old Man's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground like a pile of mud.

"Second Uncle!"

"Second Uncle!"

"Corrupt official, you killed my Second Uncle! I'll kill you!"

"Die!"

Amid a frenzy of shouts, another brawny man charged toward Chu Mu like a madman.

Chu Mu was speechless. This time, he could no longer afford to hold back in the slightest.

The brawny man had clearly practiced martial arts as well. His Ring Pommel Broadsword was heavy and powerful. After just a few blows, Chu Mu's arm felt as if it no longer belonged to him.

"Get up there! Are you planning to let Mu Ge'er fight alone again?"

"What happens when Mu Ge'er loses? Do you think we'll be able to escape?"

Seeing that Chu Mu was clearly at a disadvantage, Xu Yuan hurriedly shouted at several Patrol Inspectors nearby. Then he charged forward with his blade in hand.