Chapter Twenty-Three: The Cannibals Once More

Jiang Li and his small group struggled through the dense forest, an arduous trek made worse by the absence of any path, with tangled weeds and interlocking branches barring their way at every turn.

The group had to take turns leading the way, clearing a path through the wilderness.

"Young Master, how much further do we have to go?" Chu Chunqiu asked, swinging his hatchet.

Jiang Li shrugged helplessly. "How should I know? There’s no map. We just keep going; we'll rest whenever we find that small town."

In such grueling conditions, no one even had the energy to complain. They had to find that town—if they didn't, how long could they possibly survive out here? Even if they managed to stay alive, the soul-crushing isolation would eventually drive them mad.

Jiang Li held a wooden spear, tapping the brush in front of him to ensure no vipers or other venomous creatures were lurking in the grass.

By midday, the group stopped for a meager meal of hardtack and water, but they did not linger. Their progress was already slow, and since traveling at night was far too dangerous, they had to make the most of the daylight, eating as they walked.

Time slipped by, and by noon on the third day, the group finally emerged from the chaotic thicket. Before them stretched a vast, towering forest, the ground carpeted in thick layers of fallen leaves, with nothing but an endless expanse of woods as far as the eye could see.

"Damn it! Where in the hell did we even land? We’ve come so far, why can’t we find anything!" Jiang Li cursed under his breath, though he had no choice but to keep moving.

As noon approached, the group began to prepare a fire for a meal, and Su Yang, as was their custom, ventured a few miles ahead to scout the terrain.

A short while later, before the water had even boiled, Su Yang returned to Jiang Li’s side, his expression grave.

"What is it? Is the path ahead difficult, or is there another problem?" Jiang Li asked casually.

Su Yang shook his head, his face unreadable. "Young Master, I have some bad news, and I have..."

"Give me the good news first!" Jiang Li interrupted. They had been on the road for so long without a single piece of good news that he wasn't surprised by the bad, but hearing something positive would be a true rarity.

"Uh, Young Master, you misunderstood," Su Yang said with an awkward smile. "I meant to say, I have some even worse news."

Jiang Li’s expression stiffened. *Seriously? At a time like this, he’s playing these kinds of games with me?*

"Out with it! Tell me everything!"

"Yes, Young Master. Three miles ahead, there is a broken cliff."

"That’s the 'worse' news?" Jiang Li asked, bewildered.

Su Yang shook his head seriously. "No, Young Master, that is just the bad news."

Jiang Li stared at him in disbelief. *That’s just the bad news? The road is gone, passage is blocked, and that’s only the bad news? What could possibly be worse?*

"Young Master, the worse news is that a tribe of indigenous people lives on that cliff."

"Damn it." Jiang Li let out a bitter laugh. If it had just been a cliff, they could have put in some effort, gathered logs, and built a bridge. But now, with a tribe living there, even building a bridge was out of the question.

"Let’s go take a look after we eat," Jiang Li said resignedly.

A short while later, having eaten enough to curb their hunger, Jiang Li led Chu Chunqiu and Su Yang toward the cliff. It wasn't far; the gap between the two sides of the cliff was only about five meters—perfectly bridgeable.

However, the frustrating reality was that a dozen indigenous people were cooking on the cliff edge. Not far from the precipice, there were several huts made of earth and stone, barely a hundred meters away. At such a distance, the slightest disturbance would alert them; there was no chance of sneaking across.

"This is tricky," Jiang Li muttered, stroking his chin. Judging by the number of huts, this tribe was much larger than the last one they had encountered—at least forty or fifty people. There were almost no elderly people among them—in such an environment, few lived to old age. Even if the gender ratio was equal, that meant at least twenty able-bodied adults. A force like that was far beyond what their group of five could handle.

"Let’s pull back," Jiang Li signaled. This was someone else's territory; if they were discovered, they would be in serious trouble.

Back in the safety of the dense forest, the three of them hunkered down.

"Young Master, if we have to, let's just go for it! We can strike in the middle of the night and take out as many as we can!" Su Yang suggested, his tone brimming with murderous intent.

Jiang Li rejected the idea without a second thought. They might be a group of five, but only three were combat-capable, and his own strength was merely that of an average person—no match for these tribal hunters. Chu Chunqiu and Su Yang were formidable fighters, but if something went wrong and one of them fell here, they would be in dire straits for the rest of their journey. He couldn't afford that risk.

"No need. I have a plan." Jiang Li smiled slyly at the stone huts. "If there is one tribe here, it means there are others."

With that, Jiang Li stood up and led the others to wander the area.

Half an hour later, Jiang Li’s eyes lit up. Another tribal settlement appeared ahead, this one appearing to have at least a hundred people.

"Young Master, what are you planning to do with them?" Su Yang asked curiously.

Jiang Li chuckled. "Get them to help us."

"Help us?" Su Yang remained unconvinced. The last tribe they met had been hostile; why would these be any different?

"Don't worry, I have a way to make sure they can't refuse!" Jiang Li said confidently. "Alright, let’s find some brush to hide in and wait until nightfall."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, darkness enveloped the wilderness. The three waited until deep night to begin their move.

Jiang Li, his legs numb from crouching, watched the camp. In the center, by the fire, an indigenous man draped in animal skins stood watch.

"Chu Chunqiu, can you take him out with one shot?" Jiang Li whispered. "And keep it quiet, understood?"

Chu Chunqiu drew his crossbow. "Don't worry, Young Master. It'll be a piece of cake!"

Jiang Li rolled his eyes. The guy didn't learn anything useful, but he was picking up these strange slang phrases remarkably quickly.

A moment later, Chu Chunqiu pulled the trigger.

*Thwip!*

The arrow whistled through the air and buried itself deep into the sentry’s throat. Su Yang darted forward like a leopard, reaching the man before he could strike his staff against the ground to raise the alarm, his long blade swinging down without hesitation.

"Quick, drag the body away!" Jiang Li commanded.

Under the cover of darkness, the three of them hauled the corpse and began to sprint toward the tribal settlement at the cliff...