Chapter 36: The Ambush!

Chunlai Mountain is located just outside Huaigu Village. When the spring breeze arrives, it sweeps into the valley from this direction, hence the name "Chunlai," or "Spring-Coming."

Halfway up the mountain stands a small temple, barely a dozen square meters in size. Its interior is sparse, furnished only with an offering table, two prayer mats, and a painted clay statue. The statue depicts the Old Man of Chunhuai, whom the villagers of Huaigu used to worship every year at the beginning of spring. However, as mountain bandits began to run rampant and the atmosphere across the hundred-mile Huaishan range grew tense, the Chunhuai Temple fell into disrepair.

Nowadays, there is a gaping hole in the temple roof that no one has bothered to patch. Rain and wind pour directly onto the face of the Old Man of Chunhuai, and most of the paint on the clay statue has peeled away. The once-plump, ethereal-looking elder has been reduced to an unrecognizable, grotesque figure, now shunned by all.

There is only one person who still worships him every day.

A thin, small figure runs into the temple, followed by two rabbits and three squirrels. The boy and the five animals place their gathered food on the ground, pooling together a handful of berries and a dozen nuts. He sets a small pile on the offering table, then shares the rest with his animal companions. Winter requires more energy to stave off the cold, and even though he is accustomed to hunger, this meager amount is far from enough. He sneaks a glance at the clay statue, then looks back at the offering he just placed on the table.

*If I eat a little more, Grandpa Huai shouldn't blame me, right?*

Just as he hesitates, a voice comes from behind him.

"A young man is at the age where he should be growing, and this is all you're eating?"

Wu Chang waves at the village guardian, who has turned around, and pulls a chicken out from behind him. "Want to eat together?"

The village guardian nods so vigorously his head becomes a blur.

"Where is there running water nearby?" Wu Chang asks.

"This way!" The village guardian trots off to lead the way for Wu Chang.

By the riverside, Wu Chang uses a Sifang Suihuo lamp to light a fire and boil water. After scalding the feathers off the chicken, he uses a precious sword found in the Chen family vault to gut and clean it. The chicken, also taken from Chen Village, is a wild, mutated species from the mountains; with its five-colored feathers, it is the kind of creature that, in the real world, would surely land its owner in prison.

As he prepares the food, he strikes up a conversation with the village guardian.

"What is your name?"

"Wild Grass."

"Do you have any other names?"

"I think I might, but I can't remember."

Wu Chang sharpens a tree branch, skewers the whole chicken, and brushes it with wild mountain spices. These spices grow on the most treacherous cliffs, and harvesting them is a life-threatening endeavor. Priced higher than gold, they are one of the most precious specialties of the hundred-mile Huaishan range. The entire range produces only a small box a year, and even high-ranking officials rarely have the opportunity to taste them.

But in Wu Chang's hands, he uses them as if they cost nothing at all.

Well, they didn't cost him anything.

"Do you usually eat with those little guys?"

When he helped the village guardian escape bullying earlier, he saw his ability to soothe rabbits, but now it seems the guardian's capabilities extend beyond mere pacification.

"Yes. Sometimes when I can't find food, they share the food they've hidden with me." The village guardian drools at the roasted chicken while stroking the squirrel beside him.

Wu Chang asks curiously, "Can you communicate with them?"

"Yes."

"Just them, or all animals?"

"Only them. The big dogs in the village are very fierce; they never let me get near the village." The village guardian shudders.

Wu Chang nods. It seems he can communicate with all animals.

The chicken is roasted over the fire, and Wu Chang tears off a leg and hands it to the guardian, who devours it ravenously. Just as Wu Chang is about to tell him to slow down, he sees a small bird land on the guardian's shoulder and chirp twice. The guardian jumps to his feet, ignoring the chicken leg in his hand, and trots toward the summit.

Wu Chang follows curiously and finds the guardian squatting at the top of the mountain, secretly peering into the distant woods.

"What are you doing?" Wu Chang asks.

The village guardian lowers his voice. "It's a secret. I can't tell you."

Wu Chang asks, "What do you think of me?"

"You're a good person," the guardian answers immediately.

Being labeled a "good person" out of the blue almost makes Wu Chang break character. He suppresses the urge to retort and says instead, "Since I'm a good person, I'll keep your secret. No one will know you told me."

This statement challenges the guardian's understanding. His brain freezes for a few seconds before he says, "Then I'll only tell you."

"Big-Bearded Uncle told me to keep an eye on that red forest. If anyone enters without his permission, I have to tell him secretly."

Red forest?

Wu Chang looks in the direction the guardian is pointing, and in the distance, a faint touch of red is visible. Judging by the distance, that red forest is exactly where the players had recklessly wandered in.

"You can see that far?"

"Heh heh," the guardian giggles.

"Who went in?" Wu Chang presses.

The guardian replies, "It was the thin, tall uncle who always follows Big-Bearded Uncle. They are brothers. He told me that if he goes into the forest alone, I don't need to tell Big-Bearded Uncle."

Wu Chang curls his lip; they have certainly figured out how to make use of the village guardian.

The tall, thin man who follows Liu Wei—he recalls seeing such a person before leaving Huaigu Village; his name seems to be Liu Wu. As the person closest to Liu Wei, could Liu Wu be the one who called Liu Wei "Big Brother" that night and was the first to suggest moving against him?

Wu Chang asks, "What is the tall, thin uncle like?"

"A bit fierce, but not that bad."

"I'd like to be friends with him. Tell me some information about him."

The village guardian glances at the chicken leg in his hand and says, "Okay!"

The boy speaks in a stutter, his topics jumping erratically, saying whatever comes to mind. Most people would get a headache after a few sentences, but Wu Chang listens with extreme focus.

"Left-handed blade, hmm, walks with a limp."

"Very fast swordsmanship, likes to attack the limbs, good."

"Likes to hide hidden weapons in his right cuff. Very good, very good. What else?"

...

Ten minutes later, Wu Chang has memorized almost everything about Liu Wu. He says to the guardian, "The roasted chicken won't taste good if it gets cold. Take it back to the temple to eat. I'll go check out what's happening over there for you. Don't look that way anymore, and don't tell Big-Bearded Uncle about what happened today, or our secret will be exposed."

"But..." the guardian struggles with the decision.

"I'm a good person. I won't let you get into trouble."

The guardian thinks of the roasted chicken back at the temple and finally nods in agreement.

Ghost Cry Forest, named for the way mountain winds howl through the trees like the wailing of spirits, is a forbidden area in the hundred-mile Huaishan range. Long before the monsters appeared, it was already a notorious place of ill omen; after the monsters emerged, it became even more sinister. Not to mention entering the forest, even passing by its edge could lead to being haunted by malevolent spirits if it wasn't high noon.

When the people of Huaigu Village want to frighten disobedient children, they say, "If you don't behave, I'll throw you into Ghost Cry Forest."

Today, however, someone has not only stepped into the forest—a place everyone usually avoids—but has emerged safe and sound. And that person is none other than the usually silent and reserved Liu Wu. If the villagers saw this, their jaws would surely drop.

Liu Wu walks slowly out of Ghost Cry Forest, carrying his narrow blade on his back, wearing martial attire no one has seen him in before, a bamboo hat on his head, and a half-mask covering his face. Any merchant who frequently traveled the hundred-mile Huaishan range would recognize this as standard bandit attire. He carries an invisible aura of killing intent; small animals retreat as he approaches. One doesn't need to be told—just by his presence, it is clear he is a master.

He is going against his elder brother's orders to carry out a major task. His brother is simply too soft-hearted. With chaotic times approaching, the urgent priority is to improve oneself. There is only one chance; there is no time to worry about others. If that man surnamed Wu escapes or dies, that massive opportunity will be wasted.

Liu Wu walks for five minutes until he reaches the spot where he had tied his horse before entering the woods. He stares at the empty tree trunk, stunned.

"Where is my horse?"

*Bang!*

A massive roar echoes through the woods. Before Liu Wu can even see what happened, he feels a sharp pain in his left hand; his entire palm is pierced by an unknown weapon.

Immediately after, three more gunshots ring out, piercing his right hand and both knees.

Wu Chang steps out from the shadows, blowing on the muzzle of his gun. "Don't bother looking. Your horse is gone."