Oppression

Before dawn had fully broken, Li Jinshui was jolted awake by the sound of heavy footsteps.

He opened his eyes, every muscle in his body instantly tensing.

A hulking figure blocked the doorway of the barracks, its face obscured by the light behind it. But its savage presence pressed down on his chest like a boulder, leaving him struggling to breathe.

Wang Tiezhu.

No one knew when he had arrived. He simply stood in the doorway like an iron tower. His saber remained sheathed at his waist, but the murderous intent in his eyes was so thick it seemed ready to spill from their sockets.

Li Jinshui slowly sat up, threw on his outer robe, and moved without haste.

He saw Er Gou huddled on the neighboring bed, his face deathly pale as he held his breath.

"Are you Li Jinshui?" Wang Tiezhu's voice was as deep as stone grinding across the ground, every word carrying weight.

"I am."

Wang Tiezhu stepped into the barracks and advanced toward him one step at a time. The blood-and-qi pressure of a Body Forging ninth-layer peak expert poured out without restraint. The air in the barracks seemed to freeze, even the dust afraid to drift.

"You killed my younger brother."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. A sentence. A crime already decided.

Li Jinshui stood and met his gaze.

He was half a head shorter than Wang Tiezhu, and a good deal slimmer. Yet he stood his ground, neither retreating nor dodging. His gaze was as placid as a winter lake, with unfathomable depths hidden beneath the ice.

"I didn't kill him."

"Bullshit!" Wang Tiezhu slammed his palm onto the bedboard. With a crack, two long splits opened down the middle, sending splinters flying. "I looked into it. The day my brother died, you were right beside him! He was a Squad Leader, and you were a newcomer. He gave you a hard time while he was alive, so you held a grudge and took advantage of the chaos of battle to strike from the shadows!"

The closer he got, the more he spoke, spittle spraying onto Li Jinshui's face.

"Did you think you covered your tracks? Did you think no one saw you? Let me tell you, I've killed people on the battlefield for twelve years. I can see through anyone and their intentions at a glance! It was you!"

The barracks fell deathly silent.

Er Gou and the others didn't even dare breathe.

Li Jinshui raised a hand and slowly wiped the spittle from his face.

He looked at Wang Tiezhu and said, word by word, "What you found out was that he gave me a hard time. But on the day he did, the whole Squad Jia saw what happened—I did nothing and walked away. The day he died, I was on the city wall, killing thirty-seven Di People, with two hundred pairs of eyes watching me. I didn't see how your brother died. I don't know what happened, and it had nothing to do with me."

He paused, his voice growing even calmer. "Squad Leader Wang, your brother died, and you're hurting. I understand. But you can't grab anyone at random and call him the killer just because you're hurting."

Wang Tiezhu glared at him, his eyes so vicious they seemed ready to devour him alive.

But he couldn't find fault with Li Jinshui's words.

Evidence?

He had none.

Only suspicion, hatred, and the pain of losing his younger brother with nowhere to vent. He had to find someone to bear it.

"You say you didn't kill him. Do you have proof?" Wang Tiezhu's voice was so low it seemed forced out through clenched teeth.

"No."

"Then what the hell are you talking about?"

"But do you have proof that I killed him?"

Wang Tiezhu was at a loss for words.

Li Jinshui continued, "People die on the city wall every day. By your logic, is everyone still alive a suspect? You came after me today. Who will you go after tomorrow? And the day after? Are you going to investigate everyone in the Third Battalion? How long will that take?"

The air in the barracks seemed to congeal.

The muscles in Wang Tiezhu's face twitched as his fists clenched with a crackle.

He knew Li Jinshui was making excuses. He was convinced this was the man who had done it. But he truly had no evidence. No witnesses, no physical proof—only rage, pent up inside him and about to explode.

After a long while, Wang Tiezhu spoke, his voice so hoarse it barely sounded like his own.

"Fine. You have no proof that you didn't kill him, and I have no proof that you did."

He stepped forward and looked down at Li Jinshui, each word landing like a blow.

"But this matter isn't going to end here."

"Starting today, you'll take over patrol duty for the entire Third Battalion for a month. You'll leave camp every day, patrol from dawn till dusk, and you won't stop, ask for leave, or find someone to take your place."

At this, Er Gou and the others went pale.

Patrol duty.

It was the most dangerous assignment outside the Death Squad Camp.

Small bands of Northern Di cavalry appeared and disappeared without a trace, hunting down lone patrol units. Going outside every day for a month made an enemy attack all but inevitable. Even if the Di People didn't cut him down, the strain could wear him to death.

He meant to work him to death.

"Squad Leader Wang!" Er Gou couldn't help speaking up. "That's too much! Who could take a month of patrols every day? You're—"

"Shut up!" Wang Tiezhu glared at him, his eyes murderous. "Say another word, and you'll go with him!"

Er Gou's face went deathly pale, and he didn't dare speak again.

Everyone's eyes turned to Li Jinshui.

Anger? Resentment? Defiance?

He should have been angry, resentful, and defiant.

But Li Jinshui's face showed nothing.

He stood there, looking at Wang Tiezhu. His eyes were like two deep wells, their waters black and unfathomable.

Then he spoke, his voice as bland as plain water.

"Fine."

That single word was feather-light, like a fallen leaf.

Yet it left everyone in the barracks stunned.

Even Wang Tiezhu was taken aback.

He had expected Li Jinshui to argue, resist, trade insults, or throw punches—that would have given him an excuse to attack right there. Even if he were punished afterward, he would still beat this brat senseless and avenge his brother.

But Li Jinshui simply agreed.

Calmly, as if agreeing to some trivial matter.

"You... you agree?" Wang Tiezhu was at a loss for words.

"I said fine." Li Jinshui repeated himself, his voice just as mild. "Does Squad Leader Wang have anything else? If not, I need to wash up. Roll call is at the Chen hour."

He turned, took the towel hanging on the wall, and dipped it into the basin of cold water.

The splash of water rang out, unusually clear in the silent barracks.

Wang Tiezhu stared at his back, his chest heaving violently.

He wanted to say something else, but no words came. His opponent refused to take the bait. It was like punching a bundle of cotton, leaving his chest aching with pent-up frustration.

At last, he nodded sharply. "Fine. Remember what you said. One month—not a day less."

He turned and strode away.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

No one in the barracks dared to move or make a sound.

Li Jinshui wrung out the towel and wiped his face. The water was bone-cold, but his expression didn't change.

Er Gou finally couldn't hold back any longer. His voice trembled. "Squad... Squad Leader... why did you agree? A month of patrols—this... this is going to kill us! We should report him to the Camp Commander! He has no proof. What right does he have to treat us like this?"

Li Jinshui hung the towel back up, picked up his leather armor, and began putting it on.

"No need."

"But—"

"I said there's no need."

He fastened his armor straps and turned to look at Er Gou.

Er Gou met his eyes and suddenly found himself unable to speak.

There was no anger in those eyes, no fear, not even exhaustion. Only stillness, like the water in a deep pool, hiding something no one could see.

"Pack your things. Roll call is at the Chen hour," Li Jinshui said.

Er Gou opened his mouth, then swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

At the Chen hour, on the drill ground.

When the roll-call drum sounded, Li Jinshui was right on time in the ranks. He was fully dressed, his saber in order, and he looked as energetic as if he'd just had a good night's sleep.

He led the three remaining members of Squad Jia, collected their patrol order token, and left camp.

At the camp gate, Wang Tiezhu stood on high ground, watching his retreating figure.

An old soldier beside him murmured, "Chief Wang, that kid... something's off. Anyone else would've blown up by now after being treated like that. But his reaction... he's too composed."

Wang Tiezhu narrowed his eyes.

He also thought something was off.

But he couldn't imagine what Li Jinshui could do. At Body Forging seventh layer, he was two layers below Wang Tiezhu's ninth-layer peak. If they fought, ten Li Jinshuis wouldn't be enough to kill him.

"Keep an eye on him," Wang Tiezhu said gravely. "I want to know what he does every day, who he talks to, and how many bowls of rice he eats."

"Yes."

Eagle Beak Ravine.

Li Jinshui led his team along the familiar stony riverbed.

The wind was strong, whipping dry grass and gravel against their legs, stinging them. Er Gou and the other two followed behind him, tense and constantly glancing around, afraid Di soldiers might emerge from some crack between the rocks.

Li Jinshui, however, walked steadily.

You could even say he walked with ease.

He brought up the panel for a look:

[Art: Iron Shirt (Seventh Layer 0/40), Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Beginner 30/50), Tiger Walk (Not Started 1/20)]

[Realm: Body Forging Seventh Layer]

[Points: 27]

He raised his head and gazed at the distant, boundless mountains.

Patrol duty.

Leaving camp every day.

In other people's eyes, it was a deadly, backbreaking assignment. But to him—

It was an opportunity delivered right to his door.

Killing enemies on the battlefield was chaotic. Kill counts were easy to steal, and the points were split up. But patrol duty was different. If you ran into a small band of a dozen or twenty Di soldiers, you could wipe them all out and keep every point for yourself.

One month.

If he killed a few more bands of Di soldiers, reaching the eighth or ninth Body Forging layer wouldn't be a dream.

When that happened—

Wang Tiezhu, you want to work me to death.

But do you know that you personally sent me to the very place I want to be most?

The wind grew stronger, whipping the hem of his clothes.

Er Gou edged closer and asked cautiously, "Squad Leader, which direction should we search?"

Li Jinshui drew his gaze back and looked ahead.

"Deeper in."

"Deeper in? But it's more dangerous—"

"Are you afraid?"

Er Gou froze for a moment, then gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I'm not! Wherever you go, Squad Leader, we'll go!"

Li Jinshui didn't smile. He only nodded.

"Then let's go."

He stepped forward, his boots crunching softly on the gravel.

The three men followed close behind.

From a distant mountain stream came the faint sound of wolves howling, one call after another, long and mournful, as if summoning something.

Listening to the howls, Li Jinshui's lips twitched slightly.

No one saw it.

The curve vanished quickly, so quickly it could have been an illusion.

But it had truly been there.

That night, Li Jinshui returned to the barracks, lay on his bed, and stared at the pitch-black ceiling.

Er Gou's faint snoring came from the neighboring bed. Somewhere in the distance, an old soldier mumbled in his sleep, cursing someone indistinctly.

He closed his eyes.

Wang Tiezhu's fierce face appeared in his mind, along with those eyes that wanted nothing more than to kill him.

Then came another face—Li Jinbao, his good cousin. He was grinning smugly as he said, "Brother, don't blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being born into the wrong family."

And Li Houde, his good clan chief. He held a coarse porcelain bowl and drank his water slowly, without even raising his eyelids, and sold him out.

One face after another surfaced in the darkness, then disappeared.

He wasn't angry.

He simply counted in silence—

One, two, three, four...

His fingers slowly curled beneath the blanket, clenching tight.

The wind rose outside, gently rattling the window lattice.

One month later.

He would return.

Then—