Bandits Ahead

Zhong Lin and his brother's appearance was not particularly abrupt. After all, many people had fled famine like this. The only difference was that they were not as bedraggled or as sallow and emaciated.

Though Zhong Lin and Zhong Shi both looked thin and weak, they were far better off than those yellow-faced, skeletal refugees.

With a wary expression, Zhong Lin covered the cloth sack of meat with some old clothes, while signaling Little Shi with his eyes.

Little Shi cleverly leaned sideways, pinning the food-filled sack beneath his body.

Zhong Lin remembered Lord He's classic remark from his previous life: disaster victims no longer counted as human. As long as there was a bite to eat, they would do anything.

This food was the foundation of survival for the two brothers. They would never allow anyone to take it from them.

Without a word, Zhong Lin pushed the wheelbarrow onward. He moved somewhat faster than the others, but did not draw anyone's attention.

Before he knew it, there were fewer and fewer refugees around Zhong Lin. When he turned his head, he saw that they had all been left behind. Yet his steps never slowed; he only walked faster and faster.

Suddenly, a disheveled figure sprang out without warning, pouncing at Little Shi like a starving dog on food—or, more precisely, at the sack beneath Little Shi.

"Second Brother!"

Little Shi cried out, but he still clutched the sack tightly and refused to let go.

At almost the same instant, Zhong Lin drew the Firewood Chopping Knife tucked at his waist and slashed upward at an angle.

Pfft!

Zhong Lin had sharpened the Firewood Chopping Knife to a keen edge. Its blade sliced across the man's belly, bringing a spray of blood with it.

"Aah!"

A shrill scream rang out. The refugee immediately collapsed to the ground, a long gash cut across his abdomen, with writhing innards faintly visible within.

Zhong Lin did not strike again. Instead, he stepped forward, lifted Little Shi into his arms, and pointed the Firewood Chopping Knife at the refugee on the ground, ready to attack again at any moment.

The refugee lay on the ground screaming repeatedly, startling the people around him into terror. They retreated one after another.

Only then did Zhong Lin clearly see the man's face. He was a young man, not very old, with deeply sunken eye sockets and cracked lips. It was obvious that he had been starving for a long time.

Not long after, the young refugee stopped screaming and lay face-down on the ground without moving.

He had already been on the verge of starving to death, and Zhong Lin had dealt him a slash. Under such circumstances, there was naturally no way he could survive.

Zhong Lin narrowed his eyes slightly and swept his gaze around. Every refugee who met his eyes was filled with fear and did not dare come close.

"Go!"

Setting Little Shi on the wheelbarrow, Zhong Lin passed through the crowd and strode forward in great strides.

Little Shi clutched the sack of food tightly, like a little wolf pup guarding its meal. He bared his teeth at the surroundings, looking adorably fierce.

"Little brother."

Just as Zhong Lin stepped out of the crowd, someone called out from afar. A middle-aged man then walked over, cupped his hands in greeting, and offered a salute.

Zhong Lin quietly sized up the middle-aged man before him. He wore hemp clothes and had rough features, his face covered in stubble. A machete hung at his waist, and his arms were far thicker than those of an ordinary man. One glance was enough to tell that he was not a refugee fleeing hardship.

Zhong Lin inconspicuously gripped the Firewood Chopping Knife at his waist with his right hand, while his left hand reached toward the leather sack filled with stones.

"What is it?"

The middle-aged man had seen Zhong Lin's little movements clearly. He spread his hands to show that he meant no harm, then smiled. "Don't be nervous, little brother. My name is Zhu Jie, and I'm from Zhu Family Town. I'm not a refugee. My clansmen and I are planning to move to Black Mountain County. I saw you make your move just now, and I wanted to ask if you would travel with us. We can help each other out. What do you think?"

Following the middle-aged man's gesture, Zhong Lin looked behind him and saw four flat carts in the distance, each pulled by a yellow ox. People sat on the first and last carts, while the two carts in the middle each carried four large wooden chests, with children and female relatives seated atop them.

Six men stood around the carts, each carrying weapons, though they were only hunting knives, bows, and arrows.

Zhong Lin understood. These people were likely also fleeing to Black Mountain County, but their families were better off than ordinary people's, so they would not freeze or starve.

They had probably approached Zhong Lin because they feared other refugees along the road might be driven mad by hunger. One more person meant one more measure of strength.

Zhong Lin did not know these people, nor did he want to stir up trouble. He directly refused, "Thank you for the invitation, but there's no need."

Seeing Zhong Lin refuse, the middle-aged man hurriedly said, "Don't refuse so quickly, little brother. To reach Black Mountain County, you still have to cross two mountain ridges. Bandits have been appearing on the mountain ahead, and rioters are blocking the road. With your younger brother in tow, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to keep yourself apart from trouble. I'm not making this up. There's a Crouching Ox Village behind us. The villagers there encountered the bandits on the mountain ahead. The entire village was slaughtered, and not a single person survived."

Zhong Lin's gaze sharpened. Crouching Ox Village? So that was it. It seemed his feeling yesterday had not been wrong—something really had happened to Crouching Ox Village. No wonder there had not been a single sound or shadow around, even at mealtime. They had all been killed.

"Little brother, how about you..."

"No need. Goodbye."

Zhong Lin did not continue speaking with the middle-aged man. He pushed the wheelbarrow away, leaving the man standing there with disappointment on his face. In the end, he could only leave helplessly.

Zhong Lin glanced at the departing middle-aged man. Bandits were frightening, but these people could not be trusted either.

Joining them might truly increase his chance of staying alive, but they might also use him as cannon fodder. If he were alone, it would not matter much—at worst, he could run. But with Little Shi beside him, it was another matter entirely.

Shaking his head, Zhong Lin quickened his pace. After leaving the refugees far behind, he turned into the woods beside the road and swiftly threaded through the trees, finally stopping behind an earthen slope.

"This will do! Shi Tou, go gather firewood."

Zhong Lin skillfully used some loose stones to build a stove, then took out smoked meat and coarse rice from the bundle and placed them into the pot before pouring in water from the waterskin.

He took out some dry leaves to start a fire, and Little Shi soon brought over some dead branches he had gathered in the woods.

The meal was quickly ready. The fat from the smoked meat seeped into the rice, and its saltiness and rich meaty fragrance mingled with the aroma of the rice, greatly whetting their appetites. The two brothers happily began to eat.

Over the past few days, meat had never been absent from any of their meals. Though they could not be said to be fully nourished, they certainly had enough oil and fat in their diet. Both of them had begun to put on flesh, no longer as thin as hemp stalks.

After filling their stomachs, they did not set off at once. Instead, Little Shi kept watch while Zhong Lin took a nap. Keeping watch at night for two days straight had left him severely sleep-deprived. If they truly encountered bandits on the road ahead, he needed to restore his energy and be ready to run at any time.

Lu Xun had once said that when encountering a tiger, you did not need to run fast enough to escape. You only needed to run faster than everyone else.