Chapter 298

"You use your fists to fight Qiang people armed with weapons? And you killed several of them?" Chen Wuji suddenly doubted life—was this some brand‑new obscure fact?

He recognized each of those characters and understood their meanings thoroughly, yet when they were strung together into a sentence he found it somewhat incomprehensible.

In that chaotic troop melee, Xu Guanshan waved his fists and scored the achievement of killing several enemies?

Can such a thing possibly exist?!

Even more absurd, Chen Wuji actually found no obvious wounds on Xu Guanshan's body.

Bare‑handed, unharmed while killing enemies?

"No, no, it's not just a few—it's many!" Xu Guanshan emphasized.

That clan soldier thought for a moment and said, "Brigade Commander, I noticed roughly four people."

"I also saw him kill two or three; Xu brother gave the enemy a heh‑heh smile, then rushed over and with one punch knocked the Qiang's head askew." Another clan soldier stood up and said.

"Brigade Commander, Xu brother seems to know a bit of footwork—his steps resemble a Daoist treading the gang step; the Qiang's blade clearly looked like it was aimed at his head, yet he dodged it with a flick of his foot." Another clan soldier stood up and said.

Chen Wuji stared at Xu Guanshan in astonishment, "Have you learned this?"

"What gang step? I never learned it. It's just that my teachers used to teach me how to walk; they said I walked like a duck, somewhere between 'standing without rising' and 'striding without being able,' both rising and striding, and then they drilled me day after day on how to walk." Xu Guanshan brought this up with great resentment, his lips pressed tightly.

Chen Wuji instantly felt awful.

After all this, it turns out this kid actually has a legitimate lineage.

Even if he never learned the gang step, he certainly learned other footwork.

Moreover, phrases like "standing without rising, striding without being able" are probably not truly understood by many here, yet he blurted them out—clearly he has studied the classics.

"Stop worrying about your ears; from now on obey orders and stay by my side—do you hear me?" Chen Wuji barked.

"Oh, I don't worry about it now—aren't merits and faults offsetting each other?" Xu Guanshan muttered, then suddenly lifted his head, grinning, and pattered over to stand beside Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji helplessly shook his head; he really didn't know what to do with Xu Guanshan right now.

Even the thought of finding a place to dump him seems difficult.

"Shi Yi Shu, send someone to check on Qian Fugui, and also inquire about the situations of Jiu Shu and Wu Bu Yong." Chen Wuji ordered.

"Yes!"

The person sent out returned after about half an hour.

"Reporting to the Brigade Commander, Qian Dufu encountered four enemy detachments, all decisively defeated, killing over two hundred and capturing over four hundred. They have joined with Duilu Wu and are now pursuing outward." The scout reported.

"How is Wu Bu Yong's side?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Duilu Wu has not yet tallied casualties; he says he killed about three hundred enemies, all in small groups of dozens, and has not seen any large Qiang force."

"All right, go rest."

"Yes, sir!"

Chen Wuji calculated the Qiang's troop strength.

The scout sent to Chen Luozi's side hasn't returned yet; excluding that area, the Qiang probably still have about a thousand troops left.

This result is still not very good for Chen Wuji.

After fighting hard for most of the night, the Qiang's numbers still exceed his…

His forces now can't even muster a thousand; at most they're about eight hundred.

Chen Wuji had already prepared to order the camp to rest, but the remaining Qiang strength left him torn.

Just then, the scout sent to Chen Luozi's side came running back.

"Brigade Commander, Jiu Shu encountered a Qiang detachment of nearly a thousand at Elephant Nose Ridge; because the road was blocked, the Qiang abandoned their warhorses and climbed the mountain on foot, heading toward the village." The scout reported.

"The men left behind by Jiu Shu at Elephant Nose Ridge informed this subordinate, and Jiu Shu relayed to the Brigade Commander that he would follow the Qiang forces, wait for the right moment, and if the fighting here ends, he could dispatch reinforcements. Jiu Shu said that among that Qiang unit there are important figures; they likely intend to seize Yunan City while they have the chance."

Chen Wuji's face immediately turned grim.

No wonder he searched all night for a big Qiang catch and found nothing.

Who would have thought? They gave him a "dark under the lamp" move, flicking their tails and heading straight for Yunan City to kill.

That big fish shows tremendous decisiveness—his subordinates say he tosses things away and leaves without a hint of hesitation.

"Someone, quickly relay the order to Wu Bu Yong and Qian Fugui: stop the pursuit and return to reinforce at once." Chen Wuji said in a deep voice.

The Qiang, after fighting all night, are exhausted man and horse; descending from South Mountain they will surely enter the village to seek supplies.

Given the Qiang's usual nature, once they enter the village, not a single living thing will remain in Xishan Village.

Before gathering troops, the consensus within the Chen clan was to protect the ancestral hall and safeguard the Chen clan's foothold in Yunan.

They had spoken with great conviction, but if they won this battle and Xishan Village turned into a barren wasteland, would the Chen clansmen still trust him?

This is an era of strict clan hierarchy, where clan honor is supremely exalted.

Those branch lines that wanted to break away from the Chen and establish their own gates still sent many able‑bodied youths out of respect for protecting the ancestral hall and the Chen foundation.

In Chen Wuji's eyes, a few buildings are far less important than clan lives, but to countless Chen clansmen they are far more important than their lives.

We must go back, we must go back.

Otherwise all previous efforts will be wasted!

But before that, he needs to tell these clansmen before him as thoroughly as possible.

Everyone has fought all night and is already exhausted; now to trek over mountains and ridges for dozens of miles to pursue a Qiang force larger than our own—no one would likely be willing.

This moment will begin to test the spirit and willpower of this clan troop.

"Everyone, there is very bad news." Chen Wuji raised his hand to stop the excited murmuring.

The bounty has made these clan troops excited; now they gather in threes and fives, eagerly calculating how much silver they will get, what they will do after receiving it, and almost everyone is meticulously budgeting every cash coin.

These people, before picking up a knife, were honest and simple farmers.

Naturally there are some incorrigible ones, but there really aren't many.

Upon hearing Chen Wuji's words, everyone immediately stopped discussing and turned to look at him in unison.

"A Qiang detachment slipped over Elephant Nose Ridge late at night and is heading for Xishan Village." Chen Wuji said.

I know everyone is exhausted; what you all want most right now is to rest. I'm exhausted too—I can barely lift this hand. But our Ancestral Hall, our clansmen are in the village; I want to know what you think.

The clansmen fell silent for a brief moment, then someone said: "Family Head, we can still fight; we must not let those Qiang dogs disturb our ancestors' peace, and we must not let them harm our clansmen."

Yes, we must fight back. Although Xishan Village is inhabited by the MainVein people, I believe that if we others encountered the same situation, the Family Head would certainly lead us to fight back and rescue our families.

Fight back!

We can still fight!

Family Head, lead us to fight back; the MainVein must not suffer loss!