Junlin's Move: Checkmate

The moment Fu Junlin stepped into the First War Zone, he was met by a wave of fury and resentment.

The gloom of shattered morale hung over every corner of the war zone.

Wounded soldiers were being treated everywhere.

Their eyes held anger and fear they could not put into words.

With a commander who treated soldiers' lives as expendable and sacrificed them at will, no one wanted to obey orders anymore.

Fu Junlin's arrival drew the attention of many soldiers.

Those who had been talking among themselves immediately fell silent.

Most saluted listlessly. Some simply pretended not to see him.

Many rank-and-file soldiers could not make sense of the struggles among their senior officers. Sometimes they could not even tell who was at fault.

Fu Junlin did not blame them.

He crossed the gloomy war zone and made his way outside the city.

Now and then, he heard someone crying.

Soldiers wandered among the bodies covered in broad sheets of white cloth, searching for familiar faces.

Many held tokens taken from the dead to identify them.

These would have to be given to their families and loved ones.

Some had wishes left unfulfilled. Some had families they had yet to provide for. Some had only just fallen in love.

Some had only just become fathers.

Fu Junlin clenched his fists at the sight of the grieving crowd.

"Brother Junlin!"

Ba Dawang's voice came from behind him.

Fu Junlin spun around. Ba Dawang, Ba Xiaomei, and the rest of their brothers and sisters from Little Monkey Mountain stood before him.

Every one of them was drained of energy and in a sorry state.

This was the first time the people of Little Monkey Mountain had seen Fu Junlin in person—the man Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei had chosen to follow.