Chapter 30: Eightfold Observation Scouts the Camp; Murderous Intent Lies Between Truth and Falsehood

The sunset sank completely into the mountain ridge, and dusk fell like a huge curtain, shrouding the forest and the distant stronghold in gloomy darkness.

Outside Li Family Village, the mysterious camp was dotted with specks of firelight.

Like the pupils of a beast in the dark, it exuded an unsettling aura.

Chen Wen's team of six hid in a dense thicket about two hundred paces from the camp, not daring to breathe.

The night's chill mixed with damp earth scent, and from the camp side drifted a faint odor mixed with sweat, livestock, and low-quality grease.

"Boss, what do we do? Charging straight in definitely won't work."

Zhang Cheng lowered his voice, gripping the bow stave tightly.

"Nonsense."

Chen Wen's gaze was like that of a hawk; even in dim light, his 8-fold vision still let him catch many details.

His mind raced, his 8-fold information-processing ability continually piecing together the observed fragments.

The camp layout was haphazard, tents pitched crookedly, defenses nearly nonexistent, only a few simple cheval-de-frise scattered about.

The patrolling soldiers… no.

Those people looked nothing like regular soldiers; their attire was messy, weapons varied, and they walked slouchingly.

More like… a band of brigands or defeated troops thrown together.

Their numbers were roughly thirty to forty.

But what put him on alert was that around the largest tent in the camp's center stood several figures noticeably different.

They stood more upright, wore uniform leather armor, had the same sword and saber styles at their waists, and vigilantly scanned the surroundings.

"Look there."

Chen Wen pointed at the camp's edge with a barely perceptible motion.

"Those squatting to eat and those standing by the tents aren't from the same group."

Hou San narrowed his eyes and stared for a while before barely making out the difference the boss mentioned.

He was utterly impressed by Chen Wen's observational skills.

"It's like… a bunch of weaklings with a few tough nuts mixed in."

Hou San whispered his guess.

Chen Wen nodded; this matched his judgment.

This was likely a band of bandits and drifters temporarily conscripted or driven by some "tough nuts."

"Boss, they seem to be changing shifts."

Hunter Zhao Lao Si had the sharpest ears and caught a faint sound.

Over there, a few of the leather-armored "tough nuts" shouted at the lax bandits to get up and change shifts.

During it they shoved them a few times, showing extreme impatience; the bandits merely assented, not daring to resist.

"With a conflict, it's easy to handle."

Chen Wen's mind eased a little.

What he feared most was a united front.

He now needed to know two things:

First, who exactly are these people, and what are they doing here?

Second, what's the situation inside Li Family Village? Are they besieged, tacitly allowing this, or something else?

For the first question, we need to capture a "tongue" to interrogate.

He scanned his gaze and quickly locked onto a target

—a bandit who looked shifty and sneaky, who after being relieved of duty had wandered alone to the camp's edge to relieve himself.

Its position was relatively isolated, making it an ideal target.

"Hou San, Zhang Cheng, come with me. Zhao Lao Si, you three stay here to provide support, keep watch."

Chen Wen gave the order in a low voice, moving as lightly as a falling leaf toward the target.

Zhang Cheng and Hou San followed closely, their hearts in their throats.

His 8-fold stealth skill made Chen Wen's steps almost silent, perfectly using shadows and terrain to approach.

When he was still ten paces from the bandit, he sprang out like a pouncing leopard!

The bandit had just fastened his belt when a vicious gust hit; before he could react, a large hand clapped over his mouth like an iron clamp.

The other arm locked his neck; the immense force instantly made him choke and dizzy, and he was dragged, powerless to resist, into the nearby thicket.

The whole move was as fast as lightning, clean and neat!

The distant campfire flickered, and no one even noticed that someone was missing over here.

【Successfully executed covert capture; stealth and grappling proficiency increased (x Bonus)! Diligence Points (WP) +50!】

In the thicket's depths, Chen Wen threw the terrified, limp bandit to the ground and pressed an icy blade to his throat.

"If you want to live, answer my questions quietly."

Chen Wen's voice was low and cold, carrying an undeniable killing intent.

"Who are you? Who brought you here? What are you doing here?"

The bandit was about to piss himself from fear, feeling the sharpness of the blade at his neck and the terrifying aura of the person before him.

He dared not conceal anything, and spilled everything like beans from a sack.

It turned out they were originally a few small bandit gangs from the nearby mountains, who a few days ago were recruited by a group claiming to be under "Liu Du Tou."

That "Liu Du Tou" was said to have originally been an officer under a certain jiedushi.

In the chaotic times he raised a troop, seized a small county, and now that his power had grown, he wanted to extend his reach into the mountains.

The few sent here wearing leather armor are precisely Liu Du Tou's men.

They are gathered here because the lord of Li Family Manor refuses to send grain and submit to "Liu Du Tou".

The people of Liu Du Tou want to attack, but they fear the manor walls are high and strong, which would cause casualties.

So they forced these newly recruited bandits to surround the place, hoping to starve out the people inside the manor or wait for internal chaos.

"How is the situation inside Li Family Manor?" Chen Wen asked.

"I... I don't know, hero sir..."

The bandit cried with a mournful face.

"The manor gate has been shut tight for several days, and there's no movement inside. However..."

"But late last night, it seemed a carriage slipped out through the rear small gate of the manor."

"It headed north; I don't know what it was up to..."

After obtaining the desired information, Chen Wen struck him with a knife hand, knocked him out, tightly bound him, and gagged his mouth.

【Obtained critical information, information analysis ability increased! Diligence Points (WP) +80!】

【Current WP: 3576】

Returning to the hiding point, Chen Wen briefly shared the information with the team.

"Liu Du Tou... appears to be a newly risen warlord force."

Chen Wen pondered.

"The Li Family Manor is besieged, but it still seems capable of sending out messages. This is an opportunity."

"If the Li Family Manor is willing to resist this 'Liu Du Tou'..."

"Then perhaps there is a possibility of cooperation."

"If they weakly surrender, then Jiao Tu Zhen will in the future have to directly face the threat of this 'Liu Du Tou'."

"Regardless, we must make contact with the people inside the manor!"

"But how to get in?"

"Forcibly breaking into the camp carries too much risk; it could easily alert the enemy."

Chen Wen once again extended his eightfold perception toward the distant manor wall.

The wall is tall; the patrol torches' light moves regularly.

His gaze slowly moved, finally settling at a spot on the side of the manor wall near the cliff.

There the terrain is steep, the light dim; it seems a short section of wall exists due to the terrain.

It was built somewhat lower, and the vegetation at the wall's base is dense...

Perhaps... we could try sneaking in from there?

Just as he focused on planning the infiltration route, Zhao Lao Si beside him suddenly tugged lightly at his sleeve.

In a voice almost inaudible, he said:

"Chief, listen... there is the sound of a large troop coming from the west!"

Chen Wen's heart jolted; he immediately dropped to the ground, pressing his ear to the earth.

His eightfold hearing allowed him to clearly capture the muffled, dense vibrations coming from the ground beneath his feet!

That is the footstep sound produced by at least dozens, even hundreds of people marching in unison, mixed with the rattling of rolling wheels!

The sound is drawing nearer from afar, heading straight for the Li Family Manor!

It is not the rabble of the camp!

It is a new, well-trained unit!

Chen Wen's face instantly turned extremely grave.

The situation changed again suddenly!

This suddenly arriving unit, is it friend or foe?

Is it the main force of 'Liu Du Tou' arriving, or some other power?

Their small scouting unit now stands on the edge of the impending storm!

"All units, highest alert! Conceal!"

Chen Wen suppressed his shock and immediately issued orders.

Six people, as if turned to stone, merged into the shadows, their breathing nearly stopping.

They nervously gazed toward the end of the western path.

In the darkness, the torchlight began to faintly appear, like an approaching fire serpent.

The true crisis is silently descending.