Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilds Chapter Ten: Accomplices
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Acknowledgments: Thanks to Dengfeng Qingzhu, Reader 55379519, Ruize005, Liyou Exposure, Jiasujueqi, and Cure丶 for their support with monthly tickets!
...
A young man walked through the mountain woods.
He was wrapped in a tattered sheepskin robe, leaning on a bamboo staff, carrying a bundle on his shoulder, and with a hunting knife tucked at his waist—just as if he had set out for a journey many days ago. Yet his face was grimy, his appearance haggard, his steps uncertain, and his expression lost.
He had left Yu Family Village again, not to hunt, not accompanied by anyone, but alone, fleeing for his life.
Where was he escaping to?
Yu Ye reached out to steady himself against a withered tree, pausing for a brief rest. The branches trembled slightly, and snowflakes fell upon his head and shoulders.
Ahead was a valley, deserted and silent.
Passing through the valley southward led to Lingjiao Town. Westward, the hills were tall and the forest thick. Eastward, the path was level.
Lingjiao Town, though remote, was a place where people came and went, all sorts mingling together. If his whereabouts were exposed, Chen Qi would soon find him.
He would go east.
Yu Ye made up his mind, brushed the snow from his clothes, and set off along the edge of the woods and the slope.
He didn’t want to leave too many footprints.
He had little choice.
Chen Qi, for the sake of the Jiao Pill, had abandoned all scruples. Until he succeeded, he would not let Yu Ye go.
If Yu Ye remained in Yu Family Village, his own death would be of no consequence, but he feared Chen Qi would kill again to silence witnesses, bringing disaster to the elders and children. Only by staying far away could he avert the village’s doom. For himself, it meant another chance at survival.
Yu Ergou’s act of driving him out may have stemmed from this concern.
Yu Ye touched the hunting knife at his waist, guilt and unease stirring within him.
Yu Ergou had once been carefree, but now seemed to have aged several years overnight, becoming gloomy and irritable, yet still caring for Yu Ye, even giving him his most treasured hunting knife.
That was his good brother!
He did not know when he would return to Yu Family Village, nor how long he would live. If he died, all would be finished. But if he truly became a wandering ghost, he could never forget the blood debt owed by the village.
Only by living was there hope for tomorrow.
Yu Ye traveled east.
The road was deserted, birds and beasts absent; only he wandered alone through snowy hills and barren ridges. Hungry, he gnawed on dry rations; thirsty, he swallowed handfuls of snow. When night fell, he wrapped himself in a wolfskin blanket and slept exposed to the icy wilderness.
...
Another winter night descended.
On the mountaintop, Chen Qi stood with arms crossed, hand cradling his chin, gazing down with a playful look. Beneath his feet lay Yu Family Village in Xingyuan Valley.
In the night, the small village was silent—no dogs barking, no lights shining, sunk in deathly stillness. Yet by moonlight, a figure emerged from the village, at first walking slowly, then leaping from the ground and heading straight up the mountain. Her movements were light, bounding over rocks as if on flat ground. In moments, she reached the summit and descended gracefully—it was a woman in a green robe, her face veiled.
Chen Qi smiled and asked, “Junior Sister, how did it go?”
His junior, Bai Zhi, was the one. She had quarreled with Chen Qi in Lingjiao Valley, then returned to Xuanhuang Mountain, and now, on orders, had come down the mountain to Xingyuan Valley to meet her senior.
Bai Zhi shook her head slightly. “Yu Ye is not in the village.”
Chen Qi clasped his hands behind his back, lifting his chin. “I told you the boy had escaped, but you refused to believe. Now that you’ve seen for yourself, you might as well report the truth to Master.”
Bai Zhi scrutinized her senior, frowning. “From the village women, I learned that ten days ago, thieves burned the ancestral hall, causing over thirty deaths.”
“Sigh, I was just about to mention that,” Chen Qi sighed, helpless. “I had met a fellow cultivator, Gu Mu from Beiqi Mountain. To find Yu Ye quickly, we came together to Xingyuan Valley. Who knew he acted rashly, accidentally killing someone, sparking the hunters in the village to attack. In his anger, he began a massacre. It was my failure to restrain him that led to disaster. But, I heard he was ambushed by enemies and died—a fitting end!”
“Gu Mu is dead?”
“Dead.”
Bai Zhi was silent for a moment and raised her hand. “If that’s the case, I shall return to the mountain first!”
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Chen Qi was surprised, asking suspiciously, “Junior Sister, what’s the hurry?”
“To report back.”
“Did the village women know the thieves’ identities?”
“You’ve already killed witnesses; why worry?”
“Junior Sister...”
Bai Zhi ignored Chen Qi, leaping down the mountaintop and drifting away.
Half an hour later, she reached another valley. Looking back, she saw no pursuers. She seemed relieved, her eyes flickering with thought.
The village women did not know her senior or Gu Mu’s backgrounds, but unwittingly mentioned another person’s whereabouts.
Three days ago, he left Xingyuan Valley alone, destination unknown...
...
After the snow, the wilderness was empty and desolate.
In the wilderness lay an abandoned village. Only a few ruined walls remained, making the cold winter even bleaker.
Amidst the ruins came a painful moaning.
Someone was rolling and struggling on a patch of ground behind a half-collapsed wall, limbs twitching, face contorted, teeth chattering—like a beast in its death throes.
Who knew how long had passed; it was as if he had survived a raging storm, escaped a fiery hell, and finally calmed, only to vomit a mouthful of blood.
The blood was black.
Yu Ye stared at the black blood on the ground, his eyes vacant.
Since leaving Xingyuan Valley, the Jiao poison in his body had not flared up. Gradually, his limbs regained strength, and he could walk faster. But upon arriving here yesterday, his body suddenly grew hot and cold by turns. Sensing danger, he hid in the ruins, hoping the broken walls would shield him from the cold. Unexpectedly, the pain in his abdomen and limbs returned, more violent and intense than before.
What agony it was, making death preferable yet unattainable!
He endured a night of bone-gnawing torment, struggling madly. Now he was like a peeled and flayed wild wolf, drained of blood and strength, numb to pain, his mind floating ever lighter, as if slipping free from his body.
Alas, his vengeance unfulfilled, his regrets unresolved—was this how he would die?
Yu Ye’s eyes rolled back, feeling his soul drift afar.
He did not know how long had passed, but the world grew dark.
Hoofbeats sounded, approaching, followed by footsteps and voices—
“Eh, someone got here first?”
“Let’s not mind him, Old Bear...”
“Seventh Brother, rest assured, this time everyone summoned is a stranger to each other...”
“Time’s almost up...”
“All right, let’s not wait...”
“Kid—”
Yu Ye, still dazed, was roused by a kick.
In the dim moonlight stood two men, seeming like mountain hunters, with thick beards and knives, rugged and fierce.
Who were these men?
In death, there was no difference from life. Everything before him looked familiar—the wolfskin blanket, bamboo staff, bundle, and hunting knife lay on the ground, surrounded by broken stones and tiles, just as yesterday.
No, he was still alive...
“Get moving—”
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Yu Ye was kicked again. He had no choice but to crawl up, grab his bundle, tuck his hunting knife into his coat, and follow the two men out of the ruins.
Not far off were five more horses and three men. The three, indeed strangers to Old Bear and Seventh Brother, nodded greetings before mounting.
“Kid, the road ahead is long. Without a horse, how will you keep up?”
“I...”
Yu Ye didn’t know how to answer.
Seventh Brother was questioning him, but Old Bear rode back, snatched Yu Ye’s bundle and bamboo staff, tossed them aside, then lifted him and threw him onto the back of his horse, saying warmly, “So young and already living by the blade—why not follow me, Jiang Xiong? Hold tight—”
Old Bear’s name was Jiang Xiong.
The sheepskin blanket was a gift from Yu Ergou, and the bamboo staff from Uncle Qiu, both precious.
Yu Ye worried about his belongings, wanting to retrieve them. Suddenly, his body lurched backward; he hurriedly clung to Jiang Xiong as hooves thundered and wind whipped past. Panic and confusion surged—he wanted answers, but only became more muddled.
He thought the Jiao poison would kill him, yet he was still alive. Not only alive, but the pain was gone, and he felt lighter than before—perhaps it was just the illusion of exhaustion...
After more than half an hour, Yu Ye found himself in a forest dozens of miles away.
Tall trees blocked the moonlight. In the darkness, directions were unclear; he could only vaguely see figures gathering—burly men, each armed with knives, clubs, crossbows, and other weapons.
Wasn’t this the scene of mountain folk preparing for a hunt?
Yu Ye stood alone, glancing around, secretly rubbing his sore backside.
Jiang Xiong had galloped for miles, and the jolting ride had left Yu Ye’s rear aching. It was his first time on horseback, and he was suffering.
“Little brother, come with me.”
Though rough in manner, Jiang Xiong was kindly.
Yu Ye followed the voice.
Along the way, he could not sort out his tangled thoughts. But he understood one thing: because of a chance encounter in the wilderness, Jiang Xiong, Old Seventh, and the others had mistaken him for a companion.
A dozen men whispered among themselves, gesturing in ways Yu Ye couldn’t understand, then left their horses and walked into the depths of the woods.
Three or five miles ahead, a stone wall appeared on the hillside.
Yu Ye stopped with the others, touching his hunting knife at his waist.
His shoulder and wrist injuries had fully healed, his limbs strong. If not for the Jiao poison, he’d be just like any healthy man. If they were hunting beasts, he’d be eager to stretch his muscles.
But why was tonight’s hunt so furtive?
He had been to Lingjiao Valley before, two or three hundred miles distant. He had never heard of this place.
Could it be that behind the stone wall were ferocious wolves, tigers, or leopards?
“Little brother, please go ahead and scout the way!”
Did he hear wrong? They wanted him to scout?
Caught off guard, Yu Ye was shoved forward by Jiang Xiong. Several hands grabbed him and tossed him up. Helpless, he scrambled and climbed, springing onto the top of the wall.
No beasts behind the stone wall?
He saw towering rocks and large estates shrouded in the misty night.
“Any signs?”
A voice called from the corner.
Yu Ye didn’t know how to answer, so he shook his head.
Then someone whispered, “Little brother, I, Old Bear, trust you—don’t let us lose face. Circle the estate, go a hundred yards ahead to the foot of the mountain, find the cave entrance, and signal with fire—”
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