Chapter 301: with translation of chapter title

The Qiang people indeed fled, and Chen Wuji indeed also had to pursue; not pursuing was not an option.

But it was not about pursuing a desperate enemy; upon catching up, they would immediately go to battle.

In the dead of night, in these deep mountains and old forests, to go up and chase people to hack them is more like bringing unhappiness upon oneself.

The mountains and forests are unlike the open river valley just now, where the terrain was flat and the view wide.

In skirmishes, one should avoid if possible; if one pursues the enemy and is momentarily careless, one could end up killing oneself first.

The night was pitch black, the terrain complex, and the torchlight not very bright, making it hard to see the footing clearly.

Chen Wuji followed far behind the Qiang people, and whenever he encountered an open vista, he would first observe and confirm his bearings.

Then he strangely discovered that the Qiang people, as they ran, actually headed north again.

"Halt, pass the order to rest in place."

Chen Wuji looked at the faint torchlight, along the ridge line northward, and ordered the march to stop.

Let them run first; we won't pursue.

I don't know what lies to the north that so attracts this group of Qiang people.

This Qiang chieftain's tactic of lizard-like tail-cutting and beheading seems not to have worked very well.

The troops rested in place for about a quarter of an hour, and Chen Baojia, holding a torch, came over from behind with Chen Luozi.

"How does Uncle Nine appear and disappear so mysteriously?" Chen Wuji joked with a smile.

He was terribly tired just now, and he casually stuffed a few leaves into his mouth, using their bitterness to forcibly perk himself up physically.

Chen Luozi plopped down beside Chen Wuji and said, "Don't even mention it—these Qiang people suddenly abandoned their warhorses and scrambled up the mountain, which gave me a fright; without thinking much, it's obvious they're heading for Yunan, right?"

Chen Wuji nodded.

He thought the same.

The Qiang people's purpose is likely the same.

But it seems a bit too self-assured.

Even the locals dare not recklessly venture into the depths of Shenxian Ling, yet this Qiang tribe living on the highland meadows actually wants to conquer this mysterious mountain range in the dead of night—could their brains be stuffed with pig's buttocks?

Just in case, Chen Wuji came after them.

The fact is basically no different from his guess; without surprise, the Qiang people are probably lost now.

Chen Luozi imitated Chen Wuji, grabbed two handfuls of leaves and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing vigorously, and angrily cursed, "These damned Qiang dogs—tonight they've basically led me around like a dog."

"I led men to tail them from behind for over ten li, watching them go up the mountain, then down a ditch, wandering haphazardly in all directions, and only after looking closely did I realize that bunch of people were actually following an animal trail!"

"In the dead of night, following an animal trail to find a way out of the mountains—is that something a person could come up with?"

Chen Wuji stared, then couldn't help laughing, "Indeed, that's rather clever; perhaps it's guidance from their heavenly god."

Chen Luozi snorted, spat out the leaves with a 'pah', and said, "Truly bitter, oh dear."

"Alright, let's not chase them either; let's rest a bit and head down South Mountain, where we'll wait." Chen Wuji said.

He decided to give up this futile effort.

If we kept following, they'd also end up half-dead from exhaustion.

"But if they continue in this direction and go further south, wouldn't they reach Tianchi Pass?" Chen Luozi suddenly asked.

Chen Wuji thought about the approximate location, his face suddenly turning grim, "It's Tianchi Pass; you mean we should split our forces?"

"I really do have this worry; the Qiang are skilled archers, and in these mountains they shouldn't be short of supplies in the short term. If they emerge from Tianchi Pass, it would cause them considerable trouble, and the families of the Tianchi Pass militia are all inside the pass." Chen Luozi said.

Chen Wuji was speechless, remaining silent for a while.

One can't fight a war like this.

How can we be led by the nose by a bunch of directionless, headless flies?

The troops don't have bodies of steel; they can't endure such torment.

Chen Wuji muttered a curse, then said in a low voice, "Then we'll follow them, hold out until dawn, and fight them."

His current forces are not sufficient; if he splits them into two routes, this battle will be even harder to fight.

If we hold out until dawn, everyone will be weary troops, and then it will come down to whose will is stronger.

Let the weaklings peck at each other first to see who comes out on top.

In a situation where defending is worse than attacking, don't hesitate—strike decisively.

Chen Luozi gave a wry smile, glanced left and right, and asked, "Can we fight?"

"When narrow roads meet, the brave prevail; it's not just us who are tired—the Qiang aren't doing much better either. We at least get occasional rest, while they've been wandering the mountains looking for a way, making them even more exhausted." Chen Wuji said in a low voice.

Having said that, Chen Wuji also instructed Chen Baojia: "Tell the troops that if they're sleepy, they should sleep immediately; even a short nap is good, and if they still feel somewhat energetic, they should light a fire on the spot to eat and drink."

"Yes!"

The troops each carried some emergency dry rations, but there weren't many pots; after repeated fierce battles, there probably weren't many soldiers left who carried pots.

With limited conditions, taking turns can still manage to scrape together a meal for a while.

Chen Luozi pondered a moment, then suddenly slapped Chen Wuji hard and laughed, "Although this battle was a bit embarrassing, we won big! Victory with fewer against many, weak over strong—you're impressive, kid!"

"I dare not claim this merit; putting it in a cultured phrase, it's all thanks to the troops risking their lives!" Chen Wuji shook his head and laughed.

That statement truly isn't him being modest.

Whether clan troops or the Chen family's retainers, tonight they gave him a great surprise.

On the contrary, the Tianchi Pass militia, whom he had high hopes for and even considered a backbone, performed rather averagely tonight.

"Let's go up and have a look." Chen Wuji rose and walked toward the summit.

From there the view is even more open, allowing a panoramic sweep of the surrounding mountains, convenient for observing the Qiang's movements.

Chen Luozi, Chen Li, and several others rose and followed.

"How is Chen Lang?" Chen Wuji asked casually along the way.

Regarding this Duilu who hails from a branch of the plateau, he has always kept a scrutinizing eye.

Being haughty then deferential inevitably makes people think more.

"Very desperate!" Chen Luozi said.

"This kid fights like he doesn't care about his life. Actually, I had a few words with him in private today, deliberately probing about the thing you've always cared about."

"Chen Lang told me, they don't want to always be dogs, nor do they want to die—fearing death makes them honest. He said that among the people on the plateau, there really are some who like to be dogs for outsiders, because they worry that following the MainVein would get them implicated by us again."

"Is that the only reason?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Hmm." Chen Luozi nodded.

"Chen Lang voluntarily told me, there's someone among the plateau's branch veins who always has other thoughts, but he'll keep an eye on them. He is now a Duilu; if anyone dares to cause trouble, he'll first clean up the clan."

"Actually, when he said those words, I also had some doubts, but then he added another sentence. He said, those clansmen who like to be dogs for outsiders never realized that the blood flowing in their bones is always Chen clan's blood; if the MainVein falls, they couldn't survive on their own."

"This fact, our ancestors long ago told us all through their bloody experience."